Honoring Sacred Self

Authentic self love is the greatest combatant to oppression and injustice.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

    Attending to our own Sacredness within is an essential step in living an authentic life of service and contribution. I think most of us want to have a positive impact in the world. Those of us on the journey of spiritual and emotional intelligence seek ways to heal ourselves and then offer healing to others. Most of our religious traditions, even though we may not participate actively today, had a focus on giving to others. Growing up catholic certainly attests to this. As a child, I recall our learning about those who were hungry and experiencing injustice and our responsibility to attend to them. My own family modeled outreach on a regular basis to those who needed assistance in our own community. 

   With this upbringing, there was also a insinuation that focusing too much on ourselves was, well...selfish and wrong. As a young girl our religious teachings and stories were about focusing on others, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor. 

   Today I appreciate the learning I received around these teachings. After all, there are poor among us and having instilled within me a care and compassion for others is honorable. Today, I also believe that we must honor our own sacredness and care for ourselves above all us and from this fulness within, we give abundantly to others. It's still risky for me to say this, however, since some still think this is selfish behavior. 

   While it's not a complete departure from the teachings of my religious upbringing, it is a slight departure and a substantial addition. I believe to truly attend to the needs of another and be of service in a profound capacity, I must attend first to my own physical and spiritual well-being. In doing so, I learn to give from spiritual and emotional maturity, completeness that honors my own authentic relationship with the Divine. When honor the sacredness of self first, my motives are clear. My giving doesn't come out of duress or fear of reprisal but of conscious choice and desire to serve. 

When we honor our own sacredness and give to others from this fullness within, we honor the sacredness of others and the difference we make is most profound. To love self is a courageous act of service for all. 

Blessings on your journey. 

www.blessingsfrommary.com

Navigating our spiritual journey

Action with an intention to serve will birth miracles.

                                                                             Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

I know that an intention to serve others connects me to Divine flow and opens doors to experience synchronistic events. When I follow this flow and see these synchronistic events as part of the guidance to serve, I am able to accomplish what I set out to accomplish. Unfortunately, unhealthy ego, old messages and life's challenges can get in the way. My mind can steer me away from my heart and soul's intuitive direction and I get sidetracked.

When we heal ourselves and do the personal work that clears out our wounded history, teaches us to confront our own addictive patterns and opens us to a spiritual connection, we become free and ready to serve. In service we find our Divine purpose, but first we must allow ourselves to heal and find empowerment through our pain. 

The discipline of the spiritual life is difficult. There are ups and downs and the journey is not even, smooth and always direct. If we do not give up on ourselves and continue to surrender what we confront along the way, especially our own internalized shame and fear, a way will be shown. Faith during these times will help. 

Today my intention is to be of service to others and to love myself boldly and unabashedly as I navigate this journey. I give to myself the kind and generous parenting and guidance also the path that I have always longed to receive. In my unconditional love and support of me, I come home to myself and I find my way.

www.blessingsfrommary.com

Seeking Help, Surrender, Support

July 18^th

Surrendering our frailties opens us to Divine power and wisdom.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

There is a balance between what I can do and what I must surrender for Divine intervention and healing. In my spiritual practice, I learn to keep my emotional, physical, relational, financial and spiritual life full of integrity and harmony. I do my part. I take responsibility for these areas of my life.

There are some aspects of each of these realms, however, where it is necessary to ask for help and recognize that the outcome is out of my control. During these moments of discernment, I seek spiritual guidance and support. If I have done my part and adjusted my behavior, then often times a spiritual solution is called for and, I, in my humility and wisdom, seek it. This often occurs for me when I am personally challenged with a behavior in my relationship with myself or another that I simply cannot seem to change on my own. Knowing some wounds/shadows run deep or accepting there are karmic energies beyond my understanding and control has been necessary. I seek a Power greater than myself in these times.


Today a friend called for support. She and I have had a close and challenging, at times, relationship. As I listened to the situation for which she was troubled, I recognized a pattern that I have seen in her life, relationships and even in our friendship emerge again. When she asked for my feedback and perspective in the situation, I gave it to her straight. I told her from my perspective she was "running away" again from a difficult situation because she was scared and her justification for doing so is that the other persons involved are bad and wrong. So many gifts emerged from this situation for me.


First of all, asking for help and knowing we need a community of support is essential to living an honest, fulfilling life. My friend's reaching out for help gives me the courage to do the same when times call for it. 


Secondly, we cannot see the deep patterns and shadows of our own wounds on our own. We need one another to help. To ask for feedback from someone who knows us well and be open to hear an honest assessment is a testament of courage and self-love in action. My friend has inspired me to remember that I need other people, too, and my commitment to spiritual and emotional maturity is stronger than my ego need to be right or "look good" on the outside. 


Lastly, these deep shadows and patterns of survival that we carry within us are reenacted in our lives and relationships with others. Not only do we need people in our lives that love us with all these shadows in tact, but also we must have a spiritual connection that we can seek assistance from and release these pattern to in the hopes of healing. While sometimes Spirit speaks to us through those that love and know us intimately, the real miracle comes from surrender to this Higher Power and allowing transformation within so that we can change the survival patterns and live the live we deeply desire. 


Asking for help, receiving honest feedback and seeking Spiritual intervention are foundations for living a full and spiritual centered life. How wonderful that we have the choice to create this in our lives and to live authentically.