There is a great quote by Marianne Williamson that goes "Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure..." There's more to this quote, but the idea is that somehow we lost the ability to shine our light. And her message is, we are not doing anyone any favors when we hide our light- not ourselves and not those around us.
So why then is it so difficult for us to feel comfortable in our brilliance, why are we afraid of our power, our magnificence and our wisdom.
To be honest, I don't have the answer. I have some ideas, but I think the reasons are many and complicated. But in the end, does it matter? If we know this to be true, that we have been living in the dark, should we not just turn the the light on. I know, easier said than done.
A few weeks ago I was going through a challenging time. What I was told was that I need to learn to receive. So I started using an affirmation which was " I am the love and forgiveness that brings healing and an open heart". I decided that for me, it didn't matter where this veil to cover my light had come from, I just wanted to lift it. To offer love and forgiveness to anyone or anything that has created that veil is a start. In just a couple of days , I felt so much better and had a different view on things that were happening in my life.
So I offer you this- remember who you are. You are powerful and you are loving. And when you succeed in aligning you life with the deepest part of yourself, when you succeed in showing your love and forgiveness, you inspire others to do the same.
And that is a good thing.
Last week end I attended the local Fingerling Festival. This is where the salmon hatchery does a release of hundreds of salmon fingerlings into the inlet which feeds into the ocean. I felt very honored to take part in releasing some of these very small creatures, many of whom may not have made it past the herons that sit and feed on the shore of the inlet.
But what struck me about this event was the sense of community. There were hundreds of people who donate their time for dozens of organizations to keep my community green, safe and viable. It got me thinking how difficult it can be to find that community feeling when living in a large urban area. There are many people who feel lonely, even when they are surrounded by thousands of other people. I started to think about what it takes to make a community and to me it came down to giving and receiving.
We are social beings and feeling connected is important. Sometimes that connection can be as simple as getting together with neighbors or even saying hello to someone walking down the street. It can be more involved and include volunteering or making an effort to recycle. But as important as it is to give, I think we also need to feel we are receiving. We receive when we notice the natural beauty of where we live, when we feel supported by friends and neighbors and when celebrate the various roles we all play in our communities.
Ask yourself how do you give, but more importantly, how can you receive from your own community.
People who need people are very lucky indeed.
