Imagine that you knew at birth that you were a master, that you were powerful beyond measure, that you possessed enormous gifts, and that all it would take to deliver your gifts to the world was your desire.
Imagine that you came into this world with your heart filled with the healing power of love and that your only desire was to bestow that love onto all those around you.
Imagine that you had the innate ability to create and have all that you want and all that you need. Is it possible that at some point in your life you knew that there was no one else in the world like you? And that in every fiber of your being you knew that you not only possessed the light of the world, but that you were the light of the world?
Is it possible that at one time you knew who you were at the deepest level and you rejoiced in your gifts? Take a moment now, and see if you can remember that time when you knew the truth of who you really are.
Then something happened. Your world changed. Something or someone cast a shadow on your light. From that moment on you feared that you and your precious gifts were no longer safe in the world. You felt that if you didn’t hide your sacred gift it might be abused, injured, or taken away from you. Deep inside, you knew that this gift was like a precious, innocent child that was yours to protect. So you did what any good parent would do: You hid all your magnificence deep inside so that no one would ever discover it, so that no one could hurt it or take it away from you. Then, with the creativity of a child, you covered it up. You created an act, a persona, a drama, a story so that nobody would ever suspect that you were the keeper of so much light.
You were very smart — brilliant, actually — at hiding your secret. Not only did you convince others that you were not that; you also convinced yourself — all because you were being a good parent to the gift that you held. It was your secret — your deep, dark secret, which only you knew. You were even creative enough to manifest the exact opposite of that which you truly are so that you could protect yourself from those who might be upset or angered by your innate gifts. (this is key to this message!!!)
We are here to look at the theme of VISION and CALL – life purpose if you will – and we want to create a fresh meaning about their formative experiences, especially the painful ones, and use them to plan a more purposeful and authentic life. Each of us was born with unique gifts and a divine purpose, which was lost when we created a “story”–a collection of beliefs–that manufactured a false self and casts a shadow to hide our uniqueness and prevent us from success in work and love.
Debbie Ford in The Secret of the Shadow – explains, “the key is to stop chasing the feel-good moments and make peace with our stories so we can understand, accept and embrace everything in the past that has caused us pain.” Once we stop trying to change the painful parts of our story, we will discover the divine plan for our lives.
What is the secret [about you] that your story conceals? What wisdom can you contribute to the world that you couldn’t if the events in your life hadn’t happened?”
There are steps we can all take to discover our “Divine truth.”
“The process of making peace with our stories requires us to identify, understand, accept, and embrace everything in our past that has caused us pain.” Another important step is to stop chasing the feel-good moments. A third is to accept that the core of healing is in self-forgiveness. And a final step is to access the wisdom that lies within your emotional wounds.
The Universe, in all its perfection, conspires to give us exactly what we need to fulfill our destiny. It gives us all the happiness, all the unhappiness, the wanting, the fulfillment, the addition, the aspirations, the trauma, the divorces. Think about the unique circumstances you were born into. Think about your nationality; the part of the country or world you came into. Some of us were smothered, while others were neglected. Some of us were beaten and some were coddled. Some of us were given everything, while others had nothing. We may think we got a bad lot in life, but we got the precise lot we needed to complete our unique package.
It’s easy enough to see how our talents, natural abilities and childhood dreams add to the person we become – but, it is equally important to remember that every insecurity, every fear, every tragedy, every obsession, broken relationship, and shameful incident holds clues that lead you to your true purpose.
So – how do you claim your unique gift from your story?
Look at your life – all your shadows, negative conclusions, and experiences and ask – why would I have needed that belief or experience? What can I now contribute, having gone through what I did?
If my life so far has been training me to do or be something in particular in the world, what would it be?
Integrate the positives and what you may have been calling the negatives – (celebrate the good in everyone and everything!)
- Make a list of the significant experiences of your life.
- Look for the common theme or themes that each of these shares – EG: Loss – being left out – being rejected by peers – being passed over, never good enough –eg to get into the right school, get that part in the play, find the right mate.
- Ask yourself, If I were going to teach a college class based on the incidents of my past, what would the name of my course be?
- What do you know and understand about life that most people don’t? What have you learned from all your life’s experiences that could benefit someone else?
- If your life were training you to fill a particular need in the world, what would it be?
It’s time to let the secret out…
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not in just some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.
Marianne Williamson, in Return to Love
(often misattributed to Nelson Mandela who, contrary to an internet legend, did not use the quote in his inaugural address.)
Think of the world you carry within you….
Be attentive to that which rises up in you and set
It above everything that you observe about you.
What goes on in your innermost being is worthy of your
Whole love; you must somehow keep working at it.
Rainer Maria Rilke