May 2012: Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel...
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most
frightens us... There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you..." ~ Marianne Williamson
Enlightenment is about becoming more conscious, about being our unique Selves
completely, not about hiding, or conforming, even to a yoga community's standard
or expectation. We are alive to be individuals, to lose all the layers of
non-self: all of the conditioned-beliefs that we unconsciously absorbed and
never questioned, all of the fears and mirages of inadequacy we acquired along
the way. As we peel back these layers we find the light of our heart revealed,
our individual charm, skills, passions and personality, and as we live fully and
vibrantly, we give ourSelves like a gift to this world.
How do we peel back the layers? Mindfulness.. being present. How do we
acquire that skill? Practice.. in daily life, especially perhaps, through our
yoga and meditation practices.
Reality is laden with oxymorons, and the big one here is that mindfulness
develops our objective observation skills.. the more objectively we observe
ourselves and our world, the more we know ourSelves subjectively. The more we
know ourSelves subjectively, the more we can understand others and universal
principles.
I use capitalization carefully... the capital S on Self means our deepest or
highest Self.. the Self connected to the whole, the Self without all of the
non-self baggage and obstacles attached longer. The self is the whole package
before we begin develop mindfulness and along the way, where the ego (non-self)
still gets the better of us. But although we are all basically in this boat, as
soon as we begin practicing mindfulness, the Self outshines the self
increasingly so. We spend more and more time feeling whole and confident as
opposed to chaotic and blocked.
You are doing no-one a favor by supressing your creative force and
individuality. Just note that this doesn't mean that we should have or do
whatever we want at the expense of others.. that means harming animals, the
earth or other humans with our choices. However, dressing how we wish, living
passionately, following our hopes and dreams, enjoying the company of
like-minded people, achieving spiritual and material success through being
ourSelves completely may piss off people who are jealous or insecure, but it
will not harm them. People will get jealous or feel threatened by your
brightness at times, all successful people experience this. But those who may
feel that way and are ready to take responsibility for their own happiness will
be INSPIRED and live more passionately because you helped them see their own
potential.
Happiness is a responsibility! You have to cultivate it! Living your life
isn't passive, it is active!! LIVE VIVIDLY! If you die with regrets or only ever
having lived halfway you can blame no one but yourself!! You aren't dead until
you are dead, so don't sit around feeling sorry for yourself.. embrace your
reality fully here and now in each moment and rise to all of the magnificent
opportunities you will begin to notice! Namaste!!
<3~ laura
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