The Superman/Superwoman Syndrome

Over the last few days, I have been doing an emotional inventory of sorts as part of a book that I am reading.  On page 24 of her book, A Course in Weight Loss, by Marianne Williamson, she gives an exercise to give you a "meaningful opportunity to see your light, by being courageous enough to look at your darkness."

As I have done this, I have realized how much emotional baggage I carry around with me all the time.  I carry my past, my hurts, my failures, my fears, my pains, my husband's and children's fears, pains and stresses.  I carry all of my responsibilities, my anxieties, my grief, my injustices, selfishness, and emotions from pain with me. Worst of all, I carry all of the blame and judgments that I have held against myself and others because I have not truly forgiven them.

As I did this work, I began to realize how much I have carried.  No wonder I am overweight, I am carrying too much in my energy field.  Over time, this settles in our bodies, because our bodies physically represent what we focus on energetically and emotionally.  By completing the writing assignment you write on many different emotions.  Then she has you to ask God to help you tear down the wall that you have built around yourself.  And to take all that you have been holding onto.  She uses different words and has more to the exercise.  I would encourage you to check the book out for yourself.

What I realized mostly from this is I have been behaving most of my life like Superwoman.  I can handle it, it is my job to handle it, it is my purpose to handle it all.  I have always believed in God and practiced that belief.  I pray and believe in prayer very much.  But somehow, I have never relinquished my control.  I ask for help, yes.  I even ask for His will to be done.  But I always have this part of me that believes, "I" can handle anything.  I am strong, I am courageous, see how much I have done, or how I have survived.  Yes, that is true, but God has always been with me or carrying me.  The truth is I tend to use Him as a back up plan or foundation of underlying support rather than a partner in my life.  He is at the core of who I am and I rely on His strength and love.  But Superwoman I am not.  The truth is we are at our strongest when we are allow ourselves to be vulnerable, admit we are weak, and ask for His help.

A big part of my lesson right now, is to let go of my burdens, and to give them to God.  That is where I am now.  I am giving Him my stresses, hurts, pains, painful emotions and asking Him to carry them for me.  It is no co-incidence that this is Lent (in the Christian religion and traditions).  Preparations are being made for Easter.  He is carrying the Cross for all of us, so that our sins may be forgiven and we can celebrate in the resurrection.  The resurrection offers new or renewed hope, new life and rebirth.  

I no longer need to be superwoman.  I never did.  I do need acknowledge and accept where I am.  I am releasing my need for control and my negative baggage.  I choose to forgive myself for my faults and fears and to forgive others who have hurt me and I have wrongly accused.  It is mostly my misperceptions that have kept me burdened and overwhelmed.  I choose to trust God and allow him to carry my burdens.  I choose to allow me to love myself and others, focusing on creating a life filled with love, joy and happiness.

I know that where my thoughts and emotions flow that the physical will manifest.  I know God is Love and He loves me.  I know God wants me to be free and happy.  I know God wants me to be healthy.  I know God wants me to trust and believe in Him and His power.  And I know that my light and life come from Him to I am here to be an example of  love and light to the world.  I am here as His disciple.  I am a divine child of God.  Created in His image of Love.  He is my Divine Father.  And each lesson I learn in life, brings me closer to Him and my divine nature as a child of God.

In Light & Love,
With Infinite Love & Gratitude for Life,
Debbie

Belief and success

In order to move forward and make success a reality, we must look at and acknowledge where we have been and are.  It is a matter of getting a broader perspective on one's situation and also of owning where you are now.  Much like someone who has fallen into a deep ravine.  You look up and note where you are and assess what the situation is so you can make a plan to move forward.   Your initial reaction may be shock, denial, rejection or loss of will or hope.  You may say there is no way, I can't, I don't know how, or I don't have what I need to get out of this situation.  The outcome totally results from your choices.

Some people will choose to make no decision seeing no way out.  I will call him Cant.  Cant becomes paralyzed with fear and inaction because he feels he has no choice becomes a victim.  The key here is what is he a victim to. Is Cant really a victim of circumstance or to the thoughts and beliefs in his mind?  Cant believes and feels he will stay in this ravine.

Another person falls into that same ravine.  We will call him Will.  He assesses the situation.  He sees no way out but opens his mind to other possibilities.  Will starts using the power of imagination .  Will refuses to accept being stuck.  "I want to get out of here.  I want to live.  I want to see my family again.  I choose life."  Will takes small steps, one at a time until success is achieved.  Will actively believes and feels himself getting out and does.

Cant has developed a pattern of giving in.  Repeated failures have left him weak and beaten down.  Cant suffers low self esteem and determination.  He has lost his strength and inner voice.  His best friend has become Ego B. Mind.  He needs a new friend,  That friend is Spirit Lead Me.

Still lost in the ravine Cant looses his friend Mind.  And meets Spirit.  Spirit begins to talk to him, first in whispers.  "Anything is possible.  Don't give up.  Believe there is a way."  Cant starts to believe.  As his belief grows he begins to feel determined.  He chooses a different outcome and learns to succeed.

Knowing that he has been given a second chance at life he changes his name to Ibelieve.
 

Firing the Judge and jury.

Who is the judge and who are the jury members?

Each of us begins as a free spirit. We feel, we hunger and thirst, we see and we want.

Then we learn. We learn from others around us. Don Miguel Ruiz calls it domestication. Most of us become very adept at it. We accept what others tell us when we are young and believe it too. At first our parents appear as the judges. We conform to their rules and beliefs and behaviors. Then we become our own judges. We have learned "right" from "wrong" and we even judge some of what we were taught as "correct" or not by our agreements.

There is a great problem here. As young children, we also are thirsty for love and attention. Our parents are our first authority. (Note: I am not talking about teenagers here. They have already begun the transition of becoming their own judges.) But before then, We believe that we have to earn it. When we are told no, or that we have done something wrong or bad, we may come to believe that it is us who are wrong or bad. We also pick up many incorrect messages and internalize them as our truth. We may start to believe we are not good enough. Our self confidence may be wounded and we weave a reality about ourselves and our lives that are a false identity. They are total lies. But they become our vision of reality. We begin to see limitations, faults, doubt in ourselves. We believe the lies of society. We are not pretty enough, smart enough, good enough. How many of us were told to shut up or go away, never you mind, it's none of your business, etc. There were very likely gentler ways to communicate what they meant. The real problem is that what we heard is: your opinion does not count, I do not want to hear or see you, you are not good enough or valued enough to be included.

The real truth is that we are good enough. We are smart enough, pretty enough, valuable, talented, worthy and lovable.

The people and environments in our lives may not have been able to communicate that to us, we may not have felt it and we certainly may not have been able to dig deep within ourselves to say or shout:

HEY YOU, I AM GOOD ENOUGH! AS A MATTER OF FACT I AM PERFECT. I AM THE ONLY ME THERE IS. I HAVE A PURPOSE, LIGHT AND TRUTH. I AM A SPIRIT OF PURE LOVE. I CAN DO ANYTHING I BELIEVE. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. I AM STRONG. CONFIDENT AND BEAUTIFUL.

The GOOD news here is that right here and now, no matter you age, you can release all that negative self talk and old beliefs that held you back. Fire that judge and jury that have kept you limited. Choose to live in love that you were born to live and release the fear and all negativity.

It is your time to shine. It is you time to begin a new journey of awakening. The journey to empowerment of yourself and living your purpose and reaching your heart's desire.

Are you ready?

In the quiet of the night, in the calm of the day remember who you are. We each write our own life path. We each have our vision and choices. Can you choose to pull your energy and truth to yourself and be true to yourself? Can you create a new life free of the opinions or judgments of others.

Can you say each and every day:

I AM GOOD ENOUGH! AS A MATTER OF FACT I AM PERFECT. I AM THE ONLY ME THERE IS. I HAVE A PURPOSE, LIGHT AND TRUTH. I AM A SPIRIT OF PURE LOVE. I CAN DO ANYTHING I BELIEVE. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. I AM STRONG. CONFIDENT AND BEAUTIFUL. I CHOOSE TO REJECT ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT REFLECT LOVE AND LIGHT IN MY LIFE.

Peace and love,

With Infinite Love and Gratitude,

Debbie