This year, I decided to start a new tradition at year-end of taking a spiritual inventory of my life experiences. I do not know of a better gratitude exercise to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. As I gratefully considered the challenges and blessings, my attention rested on the soul lessons on which I worked the hardest.
“If you don’t challenge yourself, you will never realize what you can become.” Anonymous
My husband, God bless him, has been and continues to be my biggest lesson. Every time he pushed my buttons, I consciously chose to release the old pattern of martyrdom, all while acting from a place of unconditional love. It was a bit challenging at times, but he assisted me in releasing my incessant need to prove myself to him. A sure sign of seeking external validation. The more I did this, the stronger our relationship became. In doing so, I said YES to me and my heart’s desires. I exercised self-validation, provided my self-worth, and rediscovered my voice. All of which allowed me to be true to myself and live in integrity. That was a hard lesson since I usually capitulated to maintain harmony, relinquishing my dreams in the process. The other benefit of this experience was perseverance—to adopt a no matter what attitude.
“BE— don’t try to become. — Osho
The second lesson builds on the first for by being genuine, I claimed my power. Mostly, I took responsibility for my relationship by changing and loving myself first. You can never give what you do not have.
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
Although those lessons provided monumental changes, the teaching of receiving was unusually demanding. I had not realized that was a problem for me. I have always been a giver, but, reflecting on past experiences, I recognized that accepting made me uncomfortable. Situation after situation presented itself to master this teaching. I had to delve deep into the feminine energy of receiving to harmonize with the masculine power of giving. Inherently, I prevented life from giving. That brought TRUST issues to the forefront, facilitating my grasp of this soul lesson.
“Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.” — Buddha
Upon reflection, the overall theme for me in 2017 was unconditional love. Forgiveness, trust, and receiving were by-products of that.
This spiritual inventory allowed me to take responsibility for the times I acted unconsciously to gain awareness around the lessons. Armed with this wisdom, I can now tweak or redirect my plans to better align them with my soul’s message.
“Your SPARK can become a FLAME and change everything.” — Anonymous
Which soul lessons did you experience in 2017?
