Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed by what is happening in the world?
Are you scared of the impact Donald Trump may soon start to have on our lives? Do you feel trapped in your life, in our society? It's easy to become downtrodden or feel helpless in despair. I’ve been observing in the conscious community how people feel discouraged by the state of the world and this moves me deeply, because I have love for and appreciate everyone who cares about our planet and its inhabitants. It takes vulnerability and courage to even look at the challenges facing our times, be it political, economic, social, or environmental conditions. I want to share with you my hope for our world and several ways you can empower yourself and become an unstoppable, free and positive force in the world. I believe empowered people can make a real difference in our world and I feel very passionate about this. Yet this empowerment begins very gently and slowly, by truly honoring who you are and what you feel right now. I reach out to you who feels tremendously discouraged and powerless about the state of the world and I hope that with this article I can fuel your beautiful spark of care into a strong fire. 1. Know yourself You are a unique person. You've come into this world with specific talents and gifts. Maybe they are buried under layers of insecurities, fears, doubts, judgments, … But they are still there underneath. They are your source of power. When you connect to who you truly are and what you have to offer our world, your energy begins to flow and you feel strong. What you have to give is irreplaceably valuable. It is absolutely worth making the effort of fully developing your talents so that you are ready to use them at their full capacity. When you watch the news and see what is happening in our world, you can feel a strong calling to take action, to protest, to fight injustice. Before you head into that, I think it's wise to take a moment of consideration to ponder who you are. Are you the warrior-type who stands on the barricades and thrives in heated situations? Or are you very sensitive and vulnerable and may get easily overwhelmed or traumatized by intense situations? What kind of person are you? In which situations do you thrive? Which are your true gifts? I realized about myself that I'm not the warrior-type, not even the non-violent warrior. I'm the healer-type. I thrive in peaceful environments where people are open to explore their hearts. That's where I have something valuable to offer: my love and insights into developing Self-Love for example. Yet I care deeply about our world too. So I balance these things out in a way that works for me. Currently that means that I don't stand on barricades, but I support causes in the ways I can: I donate to Standing Rock, I am a member of a local nature organisation, I buy organic food, I pray and hold ceremonies for specific causes, … My life would not feel right if I didn't connect in some way to people and organisations who do have the peaceful warrior-spirit and stand up for causes in a way I can't do myself. I've contemplated this deeply and considered several organisations until I found the one that resonates most deeply with me: a peaceful local organisation which actively protects nature in my country. Finding my way to relate to what happens in the world is an ongoing balancing act, and mostly one I love. I love to spend time on this, figuring out how I can contribute to our world and how to respond to things that happen, because I care and because I believe I can make a difference. How about you? Take some time to contemplate about yourself, your gifts and your vulnerabilities, until you find how you can contribute to our world in a sustainable way, in a way that truly works for you. The next step will also help you with this: 2. Heal yourself One of the most powerful tools you have to contribute to our world, is to heal yourself. Yes, I believe strongly that by healing your private and personal experiences, you make a difference to the world, and that true empowerment is rooted in your own healing. Let me explain. I believe you carry all of your past experiences with you. All your beautiful and loving experiences, but also all the painful, even traumatic ones. As long as these painful experiences are not processed and healed, they impact you in a negative way.They become your baggage which hinders your ability to live and love freely. You may find yourself facing the same challenges over and over again, feeling desperate and trapped in a pattern you can’t seem to break free from. When this happens it’s hard to find the head-space and clarity to see what your contribution to the world can be and find the strength and stability to make a real difference, as you’re so taken by the dynamics in your private life. I highly recommend seeking support to transform these patterns, so that you have more space in your heart and head. (more on types of support below) You may also notice that you get very deeply upset by events in the world, so much so that you feel you’re drowning and can’t get a handle on it. I have personally found that when this happens to me, the events in the world touch on a core wound in myself which trigger this strong reaction in me. In this case I need to tend to my wound and heal it, because if I don’t, I keep getting triggered, and then I feel powerless and hurt badly. Once my wound is healed and I feel much clearer again, I come to the world with a fresh outlook and respond differently to the same events. They may still move me deeply, as there are continually sad things happening on and to our planet. I may still cry but then my tears come from a pure place of care, rather than from a complicated intertwined messy feeling place inside of me. I deeply believe in the transformative power of crying. It brings such deep release. When you care so much about our world and feel deeply upset by things that happen, I invite you to embrace your tears. And also inquire in yourself what exactly is being touched upon in you and bring healing and love to these vulnerable places. It will empower you and guide the way to what you CAN do to contribute to our world. You can heal your wounds with the help of a coach/therapist/wise woman/women’s circle/friend/teacher…. There are many different methods available, like many forms of therapy, coaching, meditation, group healing, visualisations, online programs, …and I recommend trying a couple out to find what really works for you. So, if this speaks to you, you can decide to walk the path of healing yourself as deeply as you possibly can. It will have a ripple effect on your whole life and the world. And it will lead to setting an intention from love rather than from pain, which is the next step: 3. Choose your intention In the process of finding your way of relating to the troubles in the world and deciding where to put your energy, heart and time into, it is essential to be mindful about your motives and intention. I consciously choose to come from a place of love and care in my contributions to the world, because that is what feels truly right for me and makes me feel peaceful and fulfilled. That means that when I just heard something upsetting in the news, I first take time to process this and heal the wounds it may trigger in me. If I react immediately, from this place of hurt and upset, my actions will reflect my upset and will be less effective to create the change I desire. While it may appear as strength to react passionately in the heat of the moment, if for example, we transfer the blame of our hurt onto an external other, though we may get temporary surface relief, we miss the chance to heal that wound, and simply spread the hurt onto others. My intention is to root and ground myself in love and care as often as I can. That means that I do A LOT of healing work. And this feels so right, so spot on. Because I've experienced many times that if I don't heal my wounds, I get triggered so often. Me in a triggered state is me in a fragile state, not able to respond adequately. Whereas me in a healed state is me the unstoppable force of love that I desire to be. So how about you? What intention feels right for who you are and for your actions? What resonates most deeply with you and gives you a feeling of fulfillment and completeness? Connect deeply with this, make it the root of your life and your actions. 4. Claim your freedom Now you have a couple of ideas that can help you create a life of freedom, which is the ultimate empowerment. I feel so passionate about this! When you know your talents and your vulnerabilities, when you heal yourself from your wounds and when you consciously choose your intention, you can see clearly what is right for you, what is right for your life. Then you can ask the big questions: What do you want to do with your life? Which area, interest, field, or occupation is a fit for you? What is truly important to you? Which choices have you made in the past and how can you take full responsibility for them, while moving your life towards what feels true for you now? Claim your freedom! This is your life. It is in your own hands. You can do with it whatever you want. Just make sure to pace yourself well when you are considering changes and as you claim your freedom, also claim your true responsibilities. As an example of what I mean I'll share with you how I feel since I've fully claimed my freedom: I feel free in every minute of my life. I choose how I spend my time, what I dedicate my energy to. I choose to spend time with my daughter and be there for her, I choose to work in jobs that are my passion, I choose to love my friends deeply, I choose to heal all of my family relationships, I choose to walk a spiritual path, I choose to live, breathe, dance, sing, write, love, care, cry, … I LIVE! I am the boss over my own life, no matter who is in charge politically. I choose to accept the things I can't change right now, and find peace with what is, while still praying for the changes I feel our world needs. And most of all: I fully do my part. I give all I can to heal and help our world, in a way that works for me, that is sustainable. Doing my part makes me feel complete and peaceful. This is freedom. A freedom rooted in deep care for justice, for treating our planet and all its inhabitants well. Does this speak to you? Do you want to become an unstoppable positive force in our world too? If you’d like support on this path, check out my Self-Love Program, a 2 month online coaching program in which you deeply connect to yourself and remove the obstacles that hinder a free flow of love. In this program you build up your strength from the very root: how you relate to yourself is what fuels all of your actions. Check out my video to hear all about it! Want to know if the Self-Love Program is the right fit for you? Email me to schedule your free 20 minute skype session to discuss it! [email protected] I look forward to hearing from you, Annemie
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Annemie Nijs - Self-Love CoachDo you long to be more gentle with yourself and feel love for yourself instead of judging yourself? Archives |