Begin Right Here

Are you ready for personal transformation? Is this the right time to develop your spiritual core? Can you make a commitment now to deal with that road-block you've been trying to avoid?   Is today the day you'll begin being honest with yourself? 

Is there ever a right time?  Now is as good a time as any.  And the sooner you begin, the sooner you will be on your way to living honestly and with integrity.  The sooner we begin, the sooner we can set down our fears.  The sooner we begin, the sooner we will know ourselves enough to heal.  And beyond healing lies the joy we so strongly intuit awaits us.

We begin where we are. We approach and do the work, trusting subtle and powerful energies within and around us to guide and guard our journey toward alignment.  Our Genius (thinking) selves long to make sense of it all by demanding answers to questions like who, where, what, when, why, how, how much, how often—and thereby prolong the time when we actually begin. We can get caught for years trying to answer this question only to come up with guesses and assumptions in the end.

The truth is that if we wait to know why, we may never begin (or restart, as the case may be) the journey in earnest. A Doctor doesn’t ask “why” is the bone broken or “why” is the artery ruptured. A doctor sets the bone, repairs the artery. When we step upon the path of self-awareness and healing we become the doctor for our own souls. No one else can heal our souls for us.  As much as we want the therapist, the priest, shaman or guru to do it for us, they cannot.  I myself am but a midwife.  I am trained to show the way, but cannot do the work of birthing you into being.  That labor is yours alone.

Set aside “why,” or keep it where you can explore it with your therapist.  Right now, let’s begin.

Right here, is a place that feels rather uncomfortable but at the same time familiar. Here, we are fraught with fear. Here we berate, degrade, punish, coddle, belittle, abuse, addict, negate, deny, subsume and silence our Selves.

Right here, we have to admit that we are perhaps meaner to ourselves than to anyone else.

 Right here we have to face the truth that we treat ourselves worse than we would allow anyone else to treat us.

Right here, we admit we wouldn't allow anyone to talk to our friends or family members the way we talk to ourselves inside our heads.

Right here, we recognize how desperately we need to forgive ourselves for being so mean to ourselves for being imperfect.

Right now we begin the work of forgiving ourselves for setting ourselves up to fail by erecting false gods of perfection. 

Right now might be the moment to admit we need help.  Or that we are leaving.  Or that we are depressed, anxious, distraught, lonely, alcoholic, addicted to prescription or street drugs. 

Right now we stand up and stare clear eyed into the face of our addiciton to food, television, money, stuff, relationships, sex, gambling, shopping, ego or power.

Right now, no matter how far along your path you are, it's time to get honest so you can begin. 

Take a breath.  Long.  Full.  Deep.  And let it out.  And see your resistance to the journey of self awareness and healing drop away from you with your breath.  See your fear gather in your belly like a stone.  See it  drop into the still water of that part of you which is already whole.  Give it over.  Surrender.

And take another breath.  The time is now.  There is no better time.  No more excuses.  No more denial.  No more lying to yourself that it's too scary. 

The life you are living right now is scary.  We live in a culture which requires we lie to ourselves and everyone else, saying things like, "I'm fine," and "I'm doing really well,"   and "Don't worry about me!" 

If we begin to tell the truth we might not ever stop.  And what a relief that would be.

Don't stop telling the truth.

Begin telling the truth.
It begins with a breath.

This post will be here all week.  The daily commitments will change.

Let's begin.

A Week of Daily Commitments:

October 4, 2009 Today, take a look back over the week. Did you commit to one small or massive change? Were you able to surrender? Did you ask for help? Stay the course? Begin the process of forgiveness? If so, allow yourself to feel pride for taking steps toward becoming more whole, more honest, more yourSelf. Breathe into that Pride so that it enlarges. Fill yourself with Pride with every breath.


If not, perhaps you chose something too big. Can you break it down to something more manageable? Can you find a place of grace and forgiveness toward yourself? Breathe into that. I'll tell you a secret: The wonderful thing about beginnings is there is always a new one. Just think, you can begin anew right now.
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October 2, 2009. Just once today, when it'd be easy or habitual to gloss over or deny a truth, take a breath and tell it. The truth might be how you respond to the question, "How are you?" Or, it might be simply saying, "Thank you" when offered a compliment rather than minimizing your value.
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October 1, 2009. Often, when we commit to a new endeavor, our interest or ability to follow through wanes after just a few days. Today, show yourself that you can trust yourself. Come back to the commitment you made at the start of this week. Feel the impulse for healing and wholeness in your body-mind-heart-spirit. Breathe into that impulse to give it life. Today, commit to yourself again
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September 30, 2009. The universe will always leap to support you once you have committed to a path. Here, I am using the word universe instead of the word God, Goddess, Creative Force, Deity. It doesn’t matter what name you call it or how you envision the Something Bigger than you. We are not discussing religion here. In fact, bringing religion into the picture at this point could make you so mad you forget all about your commitment to yourself. What matters right now is our ability to call upon something larger and more powerful than ourselves so that we might align ourselves with it. That something might be the tree outside your window or the landscape all around you. It might be the night sky, the spirit of your grandmother, the god of your childhood or she who is the mother of all things.

There is also part of us which is larger than we know. One name for it is our Highest Self. Aligning that sacred part of ourselves with an energy or god we perceive as being much larger, will help us in our lives and in the commitment we are making this week to begin. Today, we can step forward by saying simply, “I am willing to align myself with my Highest Self. I trust my Highest Self knows how to align with even larger unseen forces who take an interest in my happiness.”

Breathe into the words. Allow yourself to feel the release of tension in your body as you speak them aloud or in silence. Say them again as often as you need.
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September 29, 2009 If the truth of your situation is such that you cannot face it alone, make a commitment to reach out for help today. Call a friend, therapist, hotline or 12 step program. Make an appointment to see your doctor, lawyer or financial advisor. Set up a consultation with a personal trainer or a date with a close friend to discuss your options. We have been indoctrinated into thinking we have to go it alone. That’s a lie. Ask for the support you need. The Universe will always leap to support you once you have committed to a path.
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September 28, 2009. Today, make a commitment to begin healing that which is in the way of your living your truth. It doesn't matter if you've been on your spiritual path a long time or if you don't even know what I mean when I use the word "path." What matters is that you begin healing sooner than later.

If you can, name the issue that stands in your way.

If you are afraid, simply notice the fear and forgive yourself. We are all often afraid.

Breathe through your fear: Inhale courage. Exhale fear. Inhale and give honor to yourself for naming the healing you need. Exhale shame for not being able to do it before now. Inhale pride at your ability to begin this journey. Exhale any guilt you feel about being "selfish" for desiring healing for yourself.

Know you are not alone.