Recently, a number of my clients that I treasure have been expressing a sense of discomfort with their lives. People in their 20s and 30s are feeling like “they aren’t where they should be by now,” while older people are looking back at their lives and wondering if they made the right choices at critical junctures.
Covid has given all of us a lot of time for inner reflection. It’s pushed us into our solitary experience more often where we are reviewing our lives, achievements, failures, and innermost desires. These months of individual reflection can be extremely positive if we remember one crucial component: self-compassion.
Life is supposed to be messy! When souls choose to incarnate on Earth, they know what they are signing up for. You knew what you were signing up for. You signed up for failure, imperfections, almosts, and learning lessons. You signed up to learn how to love through pain… heal through trauma… and overcome through hardship.
None of us are here to master life by finding a way to conquer all challenges. We are here to learn how to LOVE ourselves and ACCEPT one another in the midst of the messiness. And even that— we are not expected to do perfectly. The Master Teachers that have walked this planet got angry, sad, fearful, and lonely. However, they didn’t choose to tell themselves a narrative that something was wrong with them because of those natural human emotions.
I adore my clients. I am so honored to witness their spiritual journeys. I remind them what I remind myself— Be kind to yourself!
Our biggest challenge is that we still hold a belief system that life isn’t supposed to be messy. I’m here to tell you that’s false. The Earth is currently set up as a realm of meeting obstacles. Your opportunity is to practice compassion, love, and opening in the face of those obstacles. You can do it. You deserve it. It’s actually your true nature to Love.
Awakening meets the physical world in our willingness to Love all of it. “Love” is capitalized to show that it is heart opening, not constant bliss or romance.
I laugh because this also applies to politicians, people across the aisle from us, and those that hold different values. You don’t have to agree with them. You can even take action to counter their agendas. However, remember to do it with compassion. Keep your heart open. Love them while you remind them to make choices that lead to a world of more kindness and presence.
I know that one may feel a little harder. ;) Always, it starts with yourself. If you learn to radically love yourself through ALL your failings, insecurities, and humanness, it becomes much more natural to have compassion for those same qualities in others.
You got this! Just love yourself for exactly where you are in life right now. Enlightenment is knowing that there is nothing you need to do and no one you need to be, except exactly what you are doing and being right now.
Love to you all!
Kelley Neumann