I sat down to eat my breakfast one morning and as I raised my jar of liquid green stuff to my lips, I stopped and thought about what I was putting into my body, I mean like going down the rabbit hole kind of thoughts. I asked myself the hard questions like... Am I eating to sustain my body with life or am I eating to fill a void? Will this food raise my consciousness, vitality, and well being, or will it numb my emotions? Is it a sacred offering to my body or a habitual practice of stimulating my body? Am I eating with presence so I can taste every nuance of texture and flavor, or is the void in me so great I would rather lose awareness in it all? All of this while having gratitude for the sentient beings (whether its plants or animals, I eat plants) that gave up their existence to sustain me. To observe and test the integrity of what I consume, I must ask these questions. Not only what I consume with my mouth but also what I consume with my mind. What thoughts do I choose to entertain myself with, what type of media do I choose to watch, do I use it to fill a void or to become a more integrated version of myself? The real question is how do I find the strength to love myself enough to choose the better option? One of the greatest challenges we face in the human experience is love for ones self. How can we love ourselves when we see how much darkness can exist within us? The greatest illusion we buy into is how we think no one else can carry the same or greater darkness. We may have a tendency to paint an ideal yet unrealistic image of people we meet and as a result judge ourselves even more, but think about how many people might be fighting the same battles. Its hard enough as it is reclaiming our self worth in a society that reinforces the idea we are only as valuable as the material things we achieve or possess. This inner conflict we have as a collective is reflected in the outside world through wars, environmental disasters, and other atrocities. Most, if not all of it, stems from a individual level; a lack of self love and an unwillingness to face our own darkness. By acknowledging the dark aspects in ourselves with love, acceptance, and understanding, we are able to move more in alignment with our most authentic self and move more in the direction of healing the collective. Relationships can help us see we are not alone in the challenges we face. As we pierce through our partners veil through loving and understanding them deeply, we find they too carry a darkness they may have chosen not to look at. Its when we are not aware of our darkness we can feel powerless against our emotional reactions or other automatic responses that hold us up in relationships and prevent individual growth and transformation. We can never hide from our darkness. In fact, this can create and attract people and situations that mirror whatever it is we are hiding from. Our subconscious is always trying to show us what we need to become aware of, even if that means putting us in a less than ideal situation, so we can finally heal and let go of whatever were holding onto. Conquering the darkness in ourselves involves consciously choosing to dive into pain we might have been afraid to feel and releasing it. Those who inflict pain on others do so because they are themselves in pain, its a projection of their inner world and we must respond with compassion (by facing the darkness within ourselves) if we want to heal and put an end to the cycle. Those who do overcome their darkness are some of the most amazing, loving, and humble people you will ever meet. They have rediscovered their innocence by feeling and releasing their pain and know what it means to enjoy life. For them, its enough to just be. If you do find yourself struggling with an idea or feeling from the past, practice holding it in your heart and feeling it out without judgment. Often that is all thats needed to let go, its that simple. Empty your vessel and let the good come in. Not sure how I went from eating food to preaching about self love but there ya go :)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 19:26:18 +0000
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