What is it to be Human?

The Guest House by Mewlana Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

I really needed to learn this lesson and that is: the feelings that I wake with each day, they are not my enemies as I previously imagined them. I wrestled with them all day long and many times the feelings were victorious and food was used to soothe but in the end food contributed to the problem. I use to feel completely trapped and overwhelmed by my feelings, the "negative" ones that is. The goal now is to lovingly accept all emotions as they come. The next step is to recognize them as a gift. Reframing them in this way,I am still working on... Yet I still stand in amazement how so many times the worries, anger, fear, anxiety just dissapate as I stop and accept them. The freedom in this is shocking after so many years of being ruled by feelings.

I tape Super Soul Sunday on the Own Channel. This episode featured Debbie Ford and her movie, "The Shadow Effect" and she is the one who quoted Rumi above. I see so many themes of my healing journey overlap. Debbie in particular talks about the "shadows" in our lives which are hidden beliefs about ourselves that keep us from reaching our full potential. I believed for many, many years that I was not worthy, I was not enough, that other people were better than me. And I never questioned that belief. But again and again when I am open to learning, these fantastic lessons come to me. Light (love) , dark (denial) , pain, suffering, shame, projection, forgiveness, acceptance, love. All of these lessons lead to me accepting who I already am - my authentic self.

One lesson that speaks to me currently is that what I project on others is a disowned part of myself.

This is big.

And will have to wait until another blog, there are other things brewing.