Taking On The New Year Challenge
“I could never tell if it was opportunity or the wolf knocking.” Anne Ellis wrote in “The life of an Ordinary Woman” (1929).
Do you avoid taking a deeper look into your present conditions because of the overwhelming harshness of your self-judgments?
When you evaluate yourself through good or bad, right or wrong, rigid thinking, you reduce your perceptions down to dull and dismal fragments of your reality.
When you still your mind to allow your unfulfilled longings to speak, you begin to soften and surrender into a larger capacity to experience wellbeing.
If you gently make room for this inner voice, you may hear it telling you there is much, much more to living than you are presently experiencing. You may become aware that you are actually blocking yourself from opening to the fullness and richness that surrounds you, here and now.
How can you find clarity about what is real and what is false about your inner dialogue?
When disturbing feelings about the state of your life begin to surface, it is an invitation to expand your creativity and commitment to bringing new vitality to areas that may have degenerated through neglect.
It takes courage to take this journey. The task is to find your real self, which resides underneath your runaway anxieties and fears.
This takes bravery of a different kind. It is the bravery to show up in the world without the pretense of being better than, or less than, anyone else. It means finding the courage to drop the protective armoring that attempts, but is ill equipped, to keep you safe. Begin to question the false comfort thinking that whispers that it really isn’t necessary to assume responsibility for your present state.
For the start of this New Year of 2010, refuse to remain lulled into lethargy, hoping to receive a better life by being an obedient follower of your status quo. The longing for a fulfilling life is realistic. The clues to fulfillment lie within you. Weed out the attitudes and beliefs that prevent you from experiencing your life as a fulfilling and meaningful quest.
Richness of experience exists on all levels: spiritual, physical, emotional and mental. There is an illusion that is widespread in our society. It is the temptation to use spiritual practices to grab happiness and fulfillment, while avoiding coming to terms with existing negativities, confusion, and pain.
The longing for a rich and rewarding life is valid. You can live without painful confusions. You can function on a level of inner resilience, contentment, and security. You can become capable of deep feelings, and of meeting life without fear.
This state can only be reached by facing and taking ownership of your orphaned fears and misconceptions.
The true challenge is to no longer fear you.
If you want to unravel the mystery that surrounds lack of enthusiasm for your life, start by becoming aware of what you spend your time doing. Your life is defined by what you spend your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy on. What predominant attitudes do you hold for your work, your home, your relationships, your family, and yourself? Do you experience your involvements and commitments as a burden and an energy drain, as a blessing and energy gain, or something in-between?
Asking the tough questions can bring great opportunities with it. In order to set your soul free, it may be time to let go of fear of the wolves of past pain, or disappointment, so that the warmth of enthusiasm can flow once again and gift you with a wellspring of vital involvement from deep within your soul.
Susan McNeal Velasquez teaches mentoring seminars locally. For seminar information or to sign up to receive these articles by e-mail: www.susanvelasquez.com or reach Susan at: (949) 494-7773.
