#OCCUPYWITHIN – Page 4

The greatest gifts in the world are not wrapped in the most beautiful paper tied neatly with a bow. Boxed gifts and material possessions cannot heal a hurting soul. The most precious gifts you can give are those of love, compassion and forgiveness.

This year those gifts are more important than ever; Our economy is in a shambles, people are losing their jobs or homes, many are in pain and losing hope. You might not recognize those hurting inside as you pass by them on the street or you might be the one in pain carrying the burden of an illness or emotional pain which cannot be seen. People may lash out and hurt you not because of something you said or did but because they are hurting inside themselves. It might be you who does the lashing out for the same reason. NOW more than ever is the time to open your heart, forgive and have compassion for those around you and the best way to do this is to start with yourself.

If you or someone you know is carrying a heavy load it is important to remember that you (or the others) are not broken and don’t need fixing. What is needed is love, compassion and understanding. Until you walk in another’s shoes you can never know what triggered an emotional reaction or outburst. This is true for you as well. If you walk around thinking you need ‘fixing’ that is the message you put out to everyone you meet. Sometimes it’s necessary to bravely look at yourself and your own burdens. Do have expectations of how others should treat you as if you are the only one carrying burdens? Do you love and respect yourself? Do you treat your body with compassion and forgiveness? If you expect others to treat you with love, compassion and forgiveness no one will be able to live up to those expectations unless you treat yourself that way.

How you treat yourself is how you teach others to treat you. It is precisely the vibration you put out that others react to. Take a moment to reflect on those areas you can love yourself more. Can you forgive yourself if you’ve lashed out at another whether (in your eyes) they deserved it or not? Do you love yourself for who you are with all your faults? Do you treat your physical body with love even if it’s not perfect? Do you strive to open your mind and expand your knowledge so you have a deeper understanding of yourself and or what someone else is going through? Can you put judgement aside and forgive yourself for the indiscretions and choices you’ve made which may have inadvertently hurt either yourself or someone else? Now is the time to love yourself and forgive. After all you’ve been through love is the one thing that stands by you, has faith in you, supports you, and is always there for you. Love teaches you to forgive the seemingly unforgivable. Compassion and forgiveness lead to loving unconditionally.

Open your heart to love. Allow love to flow through your heart and surround you. Allow your actions to match. We are all connected by love and when we show love and compassion through our actions every moment is a loving moment. Our actions show the outer world what we have inside. Our actions show the intimate relationship we ultimately have with ourselves. Make gift giving a daily habit by giving the gifts of compassion, forgiveness and love. Start with yourself….begin within.~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com

The photo on this post is a sculpture called “Freedom” created by Zenos Frudakis. From where I sit, this piece is profound in its perfect depiction of what it looks like to finally break free from whatever is holding you back. Energetically the cement which surrounds us means something different for everyone. It could be programming, invalidation, fear or a myriad of other things including common concepts from the world at large.

To move forward you must chip away at the cement tomb of energy to free yourself and live a life which rings true to who you are. When I speak of freedom I’m referring to releasing the energetic chains which bind so you can uncover truth and break free to live a passionate life of your choosing. It sometimes even means you must release yourself from the confines of your own mind.

Sculptors like Frudakis and the great Michelangelo look at a cement or marble block and chisel away at the outside until a beautiful form is created and emerges as a masterpiece. You are already a masterpiece in your own right and the only way to emerge is to work from the IN-side OUT! Instead of chiseling your way in, you grow and expand therefore releasing yourself by blasting out lies, energy and/or anything else which keeps you from being free.

It’s all about your inner world!

Your connectedness to your inner world is how you experience your outer world. If you are looking from the OUT-side in you may only see the form others have projected upon you. Looking from the IN-side out you first see who you are, your true spiritual essence, and from that vantage point there is clarity about what is NOT you. Perhaps all those times you were made ‘wrong’ or felt like you failed or you didn’t feel like you were good enough, maybe, just maybe there was something else at play; And that something else was NOT coming from YOU!

If you allow someone else’s opinion or energy whether it be parents, friends, employer, significant other or whomever it might be, to affect you and invalidate your creation (or what you’d like to create), take away from your success, or make you wrong, you have taken on their truth. No matter how much they love you and you love them, or how well-meaning they are if you are living from someone else’s truth, you are not free.

Meditation is the best way I know of to re-connect with your inner world and resources. Turning your attention within allows you to find truth. YOUR truth. It reconnects you to your passion and freedom. It helps you expand your creativity and find your answers.

Don’t you think you’ve stared at the cement or marble trying to figure out how to free the masterpiece inside long enough? Step INside, take out your golden chisel and allow your masterpiece to emerge, be free and dance in the light!~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com