Awareness – Page 14

This is a guest post written by Chiron O’Keefe.

“Used to be I wore Rose-Colored Glasses. Had to, really. The early years were challenging, filled with drama, strife, agitation, and fear.

It would have destroyed my heart to recognize what my adult self would someday be able to properly assimilate. So I pretended, as many children do. A coping method. A means of emotional survival.

The Rose-Colored Glasses served my heart in many ways. I could *love* past the disdain or criticism or cruelty. I could pretend and close my eyes, and believe what served my heart even if it meant beginning a process of avoidance and self-deceit.

The souls who showed me affection and those who treated me poorly, both earned a fierce misguided loyalty. It was odd, looking back. Recognizing how I’d deliberately ignore bad behavior, or even pretend to myself that I didn’t notice.

Others fed into that. Guilt and Obligation were the go-to dynamic in my family and earliest friends. One trained me to never object by pushing my easiest button–my fear of being unkind. That one scolded me fiercely if I ever objected to being used or manipulated, if I dared to call her on her bad behavior or lies.

Objecting meant that I was Not Being Unconditionally Loving, which translates to “You’re a Bad Person.” In retrospect, it was classic psychological abuse, but what did I know? I wanted to love and so I did. My guilt filled in the empty slots where love belonged.

It took decades to allow myself to wake up. To gently remind myself that putting up with bad behavior is not kind but actually a form of enabling. All those buzz words to describe a simple truth: Letting others hurt or use you isn’t love. Guilt isn’t a natural response, and if that is the primary feeling, it’s not love. Unless you can say, “No,” instead of always feeling obligated to say, “Yes,” it’s not love.

However, those Rose-Colored Glasses served a valuable purpose. They taught me how to love. And without them, I felt colder and quite lonely. The world was starker in black and white, in lonely shades of grey.

It took years before I recognized the solution was not to discard them completely. Love is not a simple thing. People may hurt us and make mistakes, just as we hurt others. Sometimes the view is rosy, yet with a shade of another hue. All those colors require integration with an honest and compassionate heart. Sometimes love is messy, wild, like a tempestuous wave followed by a Chiron O'Keefe's photo. smooth pool of warmth and comfort.

There was one last step required. I had to make a promise to myself. I had to learn to say, “No.” To recognize that love is a choice, not an obligation. That promising to look for the best in another does not mean ignoring truth. So for me, having the ability to say “No,” meant I needn’t hide my eyes from what couldn’t be confronted. No longer did I have to don Rose-Colored Glasses to warm up a world of chill grey.

Today I view my world through a rainbow of emotions that stretch across my inner sky. The sunshine dances on the raindrops, and the occasional blustery storm encourages my inner trees to dance. I welcome all the colors of my emotions, grateful for my ability to feel without fear. I recognize my freedom to love or not as I choose. And in knowing I have this choice, I choose to love.”–Chiron O’Keefe

Chiron O’Keefe is a writer, philosopher, and musician. Currently working on a book of essays focusing on reality creation and self-love, she is a life-long dreamer whose experiences have taught her the value of playfulness and self-accountability. You can follow her on Facebook .

Many thanks to Chiron for permission to publish this amazing and insightful post. May her journey inspire you to choose love and….Shine Your Light!~Debbie

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Debra is a gifted Clairvoyant Reader, Energy Healer, Author, and Intuitive Business Consultant providing insight and guidance to clients around the world. In addition to her clairvoyant readings, business consulting and healing work Debra also offers one to one personal empowerment sessions and leads meditation workshops to help people heal and awaken to their own truth and spiritual gifts.

“The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.”~Arnold Bennett

In a few short days we’ll be completing another chapter of our very own, up close and personal, book of life. How was the chapter? Did you enjoy the writing? Good, bad or indifferent this chapter is about to end and the beginning of a new one is near!

It’s time to review, reflect, forgive, release then take time to dream and create a foundation for the year to come. As you review your year, collect up and call back any energy you left behind.

There may be energy caught up in unanswered questions, plans that didn’t come to fruition, mistakes, or even happy times we “never want to forget”. Don’t worry! Calling back your energy from those happy times doesn’t mean you’ll forget. It means you’ll have all that joyful, enthusiasm back to create more happy times!

The beauty of 365 days made up of 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes is we have ample time to create, live, love and learn. At this point in the year it doesn’t matter if we achieved our goals or not. Whatever happened or didn’t happen in 2015 it was written and now it’s done.

This morning I woke up to a horoscope that said “if “Plan A” doesn’t work, there are twenty-five more letters in the alphabet.”. I love that on so many levels! Sometimes we become really stuck if “plan A” doesn’t work out. It’s time to let go of any “plan A’s” from 2015 and begin creating what we want for 2016 using the entire alphabet!

“The key to a better life isn’t always a change of scenery. Sometimes it simply requires opening your eyes.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich

As awakening souls it’s best to remember we don’t necessarily have to re-invent the wheel, so to speak. Sometimes we just need to open our hearts and minds to a new way. All too often we become rigid in our thinking. When we decide in advance something will or won’t work, or, we think it will fail or we might make a mistake, our dream is quashed before we’ve even started.

Open your heart and mind. Bring back your enthusiasm! Connect with courage and create your 2016 complete with everything you want! Write down a list, it doesn’t matter how long, of what would you like to see manifest 2016. Instead of lamenting about 2015, dream of 2016! The beginning is near!

“The best endings are the ones that lead to new beginnings.”~Mathangi Subramanian

Whether 2015 was a challenging year or an exciting year, the best ending you can possibly have is to look back and congratulate yourself for all the good things that happened. All too often we focus on the negative and minimize the positive. Time to review, reflect, forgive, release and CREATE! It’s a new year featuring YOU. It’s a new year featuring your dreams, and new opportunities. HAPPY ALMOST NEW YEAR! How exciting! The beginning is near!~Shine Your Light Debbie

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