Self work is never a dead end. Sometimes we feel so knocked down, so tired, that we cannot possibly fathom taking one more step; let alone make it to the top of the mountain. Sometimes we may even go so far as to question, for but for a moment, the integrity of the very mountain we are climbing- fearing that we may be the butt of some sort of sick cosmic joke. We are obtaining a new skill-set, however, including an internal distinguishing mechanism between the voice of our soul, and the voice that is our ego. We sense the timbre of doubt and fear in this voice; and we know it to be our ego. We surrender, and with one more powerful reach, we find a plateau on which to rest. As we drift off to sleep, we hear the collective soul, the voice of the universe whisper:
“Rest assured, child, I would not face you with a challenge that you could not overcome.”
“Rest assured, child, I would not face you with a challenge that you could not overcome.”
This morning, while weeding beets at our local farm, my beloved and I listened to the Four Agreements. If you are not yet familiar, this wonderful and enlightening text (in this case, a narrated audio) speaks to the foundation of our soul. It speaks to the necessary morals and integrity we must hold dear in order to live a life of true happiness, love, and freedom. In this realm, we are accompanied by both spirit and ego. This sometimes creates an audible dialogue in our heads; a sort of angel-and-devil-on-the-shoulders type feeling. We're not crazy, we're growing. Our goal is to transcend the ego and become our Highest Self. For this reason alone, we become aware that there are indeed right and wrong ways to act. This is not, by any means, the word of the law, the word of the church, or any other parameters written by man. This is the word that comes from stillness within; our Higher Knowing. The Four Agreements are an impeccable summary of the basic promises we must make to ourselves in order to reach our Highest. They are as follows:
1.) Be impeccable with your word
Our words are an incredible power-source, capable of both casting and breaking spells. We must be conscious to say what we mean, and to follow through with what we say. We must speak with integrity; being conscious to keep judgement, negativity, assumption, anger, fear etc. out of our speech. This therefore keeps these undesirable sentiments from taking form in our projections of consciousness. Being impeccable with our word means to use the power of the Word for truth and love, and never against ourselves or others.
2.) Don’t take anything personally
This agreement comes with an understanding that nothing other people say is because of you. People’s words are their own projection, and we can only take them personally if we believe them ourselves. Peoples’ judgments etc. only seep into our skin if it is porous enough to absorb them. Once we integrate this agreement, we are no longer susceptible to the words, judgments, or thoughts of others- they no longer inhibit us in any way.
3.) Don’t make assumptions
This agreement is about clear communication, and having the courage to ask questions in order to see the truth clearly- rather than chalking up what we see to something we have seen before. Mastering our communication eliminates misunderstandings and drama, and allows us to remove our blinders in order to perceive truth- rather than our own perceptions. When we make assumptions, we immediately adopt them as truths. We assume we know what others are thinking, and usually go on to take that personally. To make an assumption is to ask for trouble.
4.) Always do your best
We do not get anywhere by making excuses for ourselves. Sometimes the best we can do is to be silent- to hold space for solution and resolution with compassion. Sometimes our best is far more action oriented. Either way, we agree to see the situation with compassion, and act from a place of clarity rather than heightened emotion. We agree to shop up in every Present, as clear as we can be.
During our early lifetime, we become, as The Agreements call it, ‘domesticated.’ This causes ourselves to accept others’ harmful agreements that are pushed upon us. These agreements impart themes of submission, fear, authority, guilt, and a finite box of choices and personalities for us to choose from. We grow up in a system of punishment and reward. We believe that when we do some things we are ‘good,’ and that when we do other things, we are ‘bad.’ We begin to infer that our purpose is to please and impress others. These adopted agreements cause us to create agreements with ourselves, complete with themes of entitlement, excuses, conditions, rationalizations, and assumptions. Thus begins a cycle, a hamster wheel on which we run until something shakes us up enough to question our values and the beliefs in which we absorbed.
 | If you are reading this blog, you are either ready to jump off of this hamster wheel, or you already have. |
Necessary Duality
Our universe consists of a complete and dualistic spectrum of colors. Each life is its own hue of both the Divine color spectrum, and the shadow that their particular color creates on the spectrum below it. Our dark matter is necessary in order to remain in our incarnated, physical-touchable-smellable form here on Earth. Our light matter, or our light body, remains the channel to the ethereal, non-physical universe. The moment a child absorbs another person’s fear, is told that something is “impossible,” or their trust is broken, the duality inherent in our entire species comes out of dormancy. From that moment on, we are left to sort through all of the data in our brain; deciding what buy in to, and dismiss. Through this process, we write our subscriptions to
exactly what lesson cycles we need to learn, and just how severely we need to learn them. Each lesson that presents itself is an opportunity to balance out some agreement we have made that is not for our Highest. It requires an amount of our energy as pay in order to balance out any ripple of harm we may have caused by subscribing to the wrong ideals. This process is not for you to feel fault, blame or guilt; this is a petty pity cry of the ego. This process is giving you the opportunity for you to make the right decision in a scenario in which you may have taken the easy way out. Stepping up to this occasion prevents another ripple of interpersonal harm, liberates ourselves of our shackles of self-blame, and nullifies the need for this instance to present itself to you again. Difficulty is but opportunity for transcendence.
There is a quote that originates with one of the indigenous tribes of America. It goes something like: Within each of us lives a good wolf and a bad wolf. What matters is which one we choose to feed. Case and point; this duality does live inside of all of us. However we are granted with the choice of which ‘inner voice’ we are going to act upon. In order to know which side of us is speaking, we must know each intimately. The natural cycles of this planet are acting to familiarize us so intimately with our shadow, that we no longer fear it. It is working to tempt us with darkness until we realize that it is not bringing us anything more than hollow instant gratifications and suffering. Remember: everything is an opportunity for growth. If something makes you uncomfortable, sad, angry or scared… sit with it. Thank it, for you know that it is going to teach you something valuable. If we are able to keep a solid integral foundation, like we find in the Four Agreements, we are always supported and protected when doing this shadow-work.
