From time to time, we can all use some encouragement, even if we have to give it to ourselves. Life can beat us down, or we can be cruel to our own precious selves, and we are in need of a pick-me-up.
One of my favourite quotes from Rumi is, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” Everything we need is already inside of us, curled tight in the bud, simply waiting for the right conditions to bloom and blossom. I firmly believe this to be true. But sometimes the wait is so long and we begin to lose hope that a miracle is, in fact, underway.
If you’ve been too afraid to try for something you want, now is the time. Don’t wait. You are more powerful and capable than you know. So much beauty resides in you, waiting to catch flame and burn brightly out in the world.
Step out and take the risk that scares you most. Believe that the net will be there when you leap. We hold ourselves back far more than circumstances or other people do. It’s time to try for it, to cease shrinking back, to grasp what you are longing for.
Look around for those who can help you. Who do you find inspiring? Spend time with them. Watch and learn. Be amazed. Refuse to sell yourself short by being with the small-minded, critical, angry people. You deserve better company, so go make it happen.
If you feel rushed and stressed, slow down and simplify. Take a garbage bag around the rooms you live in and get rid of unnecessary clutter. Don’t keep things “just in case”. If it creates physical mess, it also adds to your psychic junk pile. Clear it away and experience the freedom of less. My new life mantra is: It’s better to want less than to have more.
Know that you are good enough. Not someday, when you achieve some mythical level of success or an ever-changing dollar amount in your retirement fund, but NOW. In this moment. If everything you need is inside of you, all you have to do is claim it. Experience the happiness and contentment that comes from knowing that who you are is already valuable beyond measure.
It’s in you. It is you. The answers are not out in the world, they are in your own identity, and they are not what you think they should be. It’s okay. Breathe deep and do your level best to let go of the drama, fear, stress and horseshit around you. Go inward, for that is where your peace and love reside. You’ve had it all along – now the task is to clear away the noise and clutter in order to access it.