Today, I am grateful to say ping-ponging between sadness and elation is a thing of the past. This doesn’t mean I no longer feel sadness nor joy—rather I don’t slide from one extreme to the other nor do I need to wait hours or even days before awareness and understanding surface.
Writing about my emotions, even when they feel too big, allows me to enter and stay present to them in a safe way until they release from my body. And by the way, there is a noticeable sensation—an exiting, a letting go—when this occurs.
Whether or not we like the feeling of ‘sitting in the midst’ of sadness, anger, self-doubt or fear, it is the only way to be free of it. Our work as evolving humans is to know ourselves intimately and, with that intimate knowledge, collectively create the heaven on earth we so desire. Deep intimacy with oneself, of course, surfaces self-love. It is so simple—the more we know ourselves, the more we fall in love with who we are. This is a necessary first step. Only when we are able to truly love ourselves do we have the energy and confidence to extend that same love to all. This expansiveness is what it feels like when one is wide-awake.
Eyes Wide Open
I walk not alone,
but in community peopled with love.
Each soul reflects love’s mastery
from a singular nature.
So many disguises does love take, that at times,
I fool myself and label it otherwise.
But not today.
Today, I hear the noise of love’s creations
pressing for more space.
Today, I taste the beauty of a single moment
ticking through me.
And today, I burst forth with such a fullness
to soak the universe with this child-like gift.
I am sweetened, and I am wide-awake.
April 2003
What one step can you take today that will awaken new knowledge of yourself? How can you take your next step toward truly loving yourself awake?
