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Arete Warriors – spirit, mind, body strong
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School is in session.
In my effort to keep these letters more “bite sized” I am only covering part of this book. Again, I’d suggest you go read it as I cannot possibly do it justice.
Remembering The Light WithIn was the first book to really challenge me in the area of acceptance.
I struggle with this, immensely. Truly being ok with what is.
I’m more of a fighter. A fixer.
It’s exhausting, really.
Authors Mary & Ronald Hulnick explain the entirety of Acceptance…
- Accepting What Is – observe with neutrality vs emotionally charged judgement.
- Acceptance of Self – loving ALL of me. Being able to see past the ego & relish my own divinity even!
- Acceptance of Others – we are all just doing the best we can based on our own conditioning. We are in this life together!
- Acceptance of the World – just as it is, accepting what is happening now & what has happened before.
- Acceptance of God – realizing that perhaps we don’t know it all. God has His purpose that we can’t possibly fathom.
The above was difficult for me to accept (go figure). I was relieved to read the following.
Acceptance doesn’t mean you have to like or agree with what is. And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t put effort into changing what is. It simply means that you’re not at war with what is. You’re not fighting what is… It is important to realize that your liking or disliking something has absolutely no effect whatsoever on that something. But it sure has a lot do to with what’s going on inside of you – your state of consciousness in that moment – for when you are in Acceptance, you are in a state of peace.
We know we are in Judgement instead of Acceptance when we are bothered & this is not a bad thing.
Consider upset your notice that “school is in session”. Agitations are your “spiritual curriculum”.
Rename your problems “blessings” because they show you the way to healing.
Do you remember this lesson from The Untethered Soul?
Bad times have a scientific value. They are occasions a good learner would not miss. ~ Emerson
We discover so much when we are willing to face challenging moments head on, with open, inquisitive (instead of judgemental) hearts.
WHAT is bothering me? WHY is it uncomfortable? WHERE do I feel it? (Instead of resisting it & wishing it would just go away.)
I practiced this the other day when some Easter candy was calling my name. I’d already indulged. I didn’t NEED more. I knew I wouldn’t feel good if I ate more!
So I just welcomed the “discomfort” of that candy, taunting me. I was present with it & soon the urge passed.
It didn’t kill me. It was actually so liberating!
Let’s Prepare – the warm up
Also similar to The Untethered Soul, this book talks about how fear is our biggest problem & therefore, teacher.
Fear of the unknown is the single dynamic that stops more people from moving ahead in their lives than any other factor. This is why it is so difficult for many people to break addictions & other habits that do not serve their aspirations. They are unwilling to be with their fear long enough to allow it to run it’s course. The familiarity of their habitual addictive behavior is stronger than their intention.
We can gradually replace our fears with courage & trust by consistently embracing challenges outside our comfort zone. Replace your need to know with the peace available to those who accept the awe & wonder of NOT knowing!
It takes courage to face the unresolved issues that continually surface. I will ask you to face these in this week’s assignment below but a message from these authors that I think gets missed is the idea of compassionate self-forgiveness.
Healing happens by flooding the areas inside of us that hurt with immense love. If you find a wound that is there due to shame or guilt, actively loving the you that was not perfect when this happened, is key.
You will also benefit from the practice of compassionate forgiveness toward any who have offended or hurt you as well.
I talk often about being our own best friends. Treat yourself with the love you’d give your baby. Apply LOVE to the damaged areas of your inner being.
Forgiveness is the fragrance a violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. ~Mark Twain
Chapter 13 is “The Mother of All Choices” & it was perhaps the most profound for me.
In doing the work I invite you to do below, I learned that my ego was often my problem. I learned how often I was blaming others for my discontent. (My kids & husband of course at the top of the list.)
We all create our story in our mind & the experiences unfold before us to support that story.
If we tell ourselves we are the victim, life will hand us proof repeatedly. Only we have the power to change that narrative by accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances.
As you change your story by taking responsibility for your inner environment & applying Loving to the places inside where there is hurt or disturbance of any kind, you Awaken more fully into your Essential Loving Nature… you transform your inner environment, & lo & behold, your outer experiences follow suit.
Let’s Work – the exercise
I invite you to investigate what repeatedly upsets you, so you can learn what you need to, & end the cycle. This School Is In Session worksheet helped me discover how my ego was leading me astray.
Our thinking is often subconsciously influenced by our egos. If we know this, & can practice being aware of this, we can reclaim the power that has been ours all along, instead of giving it away to who & what we blame for our problems.
Where are you playing victim in your life? Who or what are you blaming for your problems? Take back the responsibility to command your own life.
