We have experiences in our life for a reason, to help us grow, to help us learn, and to help us share with others. Too often we take these experiences at face value (and lose meaning) instead of looking deeper to find meaning for ourselves at that particular time in our life.
As I grow, change and become more aware of what is happening in the world around me, I begin to see the deeper meaning of my experiences. I don’t always see the full meaning in the moment of experience, but as I go inside I can see the image grow. There are still times when I miss everything. Sometimes the interactions have more to do with showing us where we’ve been, while other times they offer guidance on where we’re capable of going. We never really see the big picture of our life, but if we look closely we can get a glimpse of the map.
I’ve had a rather unnerving experience lately that gave me the perfect opportunity to take a look at the map. Two young gentlemen came to my door and wanted to ask some questions about my business, I gladly invited them (very confident). Once inside, the young man began to question me strongly about my practices, comparing that work with witchcraft, with being against God. At first I tried to converse with him to find common ground, but then I realized that he was in a losing battle. I kept listening and searching for the reason I was here. He was very convinced that his way was the only way and that I had to conform. I walked in and made sure that I was on the right path in life, I could feel the light within me shine.
There was a time in my life, when I was in a situation like this, I either felt cornered, I would attack in my defense, or I would throw myself at the turtle and surrender my power. In this experience, I listened, felt compassion for this young man, and then simply asked them to leave. I felt a very strange energy in the room, and the more I spoke (preached), the more energy filled the room. I silently called Michael for protection. He had asked them to leave 3 times, but once he called Michael, the silent young man took the leader’s arm and said it was time to go.
It turns out that I am a very spiritual person, I am not religious, but I think that whatever works for a person, they should certainly follow that belief. I don’t impose my beliefs on anyone, and I certainly don’t like others holding onto imposing theirs on me, especially in my own home. I also believe that no matter where a person comes from or who they are, there is a message in what they say or how they act. I try to focus on the message or the lesson, rather than the drama of the situation. I’m by no means perfect at this, but when I can pull it off, I find it very empowering, especially when I can pull it off in the moment.
I admit it, I was scared when they left. This young man was so adamant that his path was the only path, and everyone else had to follow his path. In fact, it took me back a few lives in which the punishment for doing the work I do was death. His views were scary, although they might work for him, I don’t know. The first thoughts were of fear, fear of what he was capable of doing to my home, my business, my safety, yes, he really was that convincing in his ways. I find this kind of thinking very dangerous in many ways in the world. My second thought, and almost immediately after the fear, was that I did not allow fear to dominate my day.
I sat silently reviewing what had just happened and taking the energy out of the room. I knew I had a choice, I could let thoughts of fear take over me, I could surrender my power and change who I am, or I could tune in to that quiet inner voice and listen. I chose to listen inside. What I received was an inner strength, a sense of humor, and a vision of how much I had grown and changed. I didn’t and I don’t need to change who I am / what I do to adapt to anyone. As long as I follow my heart and do no harm to others, I am on the right track.
It is never necessary to hand over my power to someone else. In fact, the many times I’ve done this in my life, I’ve ended up fighting. I feel safe and strong in who I am, I feel strong inner peace and guidance. When I look at this particular message and lesson from my heart, I am grateful for the experience. Thanks for the messenger. Thanks for finally being able to be me and being okay with it. My glass is really overflowing.