How to Claim Your Space in the World

There lives within all of us an unlimited range of possibility.  Pure potential is what we are — behind the social mask, beneath the personality, beyond the physical self and the material belongings amassed.  We are each a drop in the ocean, one potential expression of Spirit.  And while we will return to the sea of infinite possibilities, and in truth were never really separate from it — we are each one possible expression of All That Is — one experience of consciousness exploring itself, expressing itself, through us.

And while this experience of You, and of Me, this particular expression of consciousness exploring itself through us, is for a limited period of time, according to our linear, thinking, human mind, that which is truly us never goes anywhere.  We simply return to the sea of cosmic consciousness from which we were never really separate.  Only to be re-manifested into another opportunity of pure potential, expressing another variation of all that is possible through us.

 

“The only time you  have a chance to show courage is when you are afraid.”   – Dan Millman

In this life, this experience of pure potentiality the only thing blocking us from remembering that our life is our canvas, that we are the artists expressing our way through this reality that is our masterpiece, is the mind.  And the more we can return to a place of no mind, we can remember the truth of who we are, and live this life, this expression of ourselves, with complete and total freedom, joy, and bliss, for there is nothing to fear.  This world, this life, is our playground.  We can frolic in this ocean of pure freedom, potential, and bliss, for there is nothing else for us to be or do. Some people are hiding in a small corner of their minds.  Don’t be afraid to fill out your body, your spirit, your life.

Having never been a performer of any kind growing up, with no musical, dance, or theatrical background, there is a part of me that appreciates those that do.  I know a brother and sister who grew up singing, playing music, participating in team sports, and exploring the many different aspects of themselves.  They also grew up in a family whose feet were pretty firmly planted on an evolutionary spiritual path.  They learned early on that they were beautiful beings of love and light, and that anything is possible if they believe. This wasn’t something they were taught to think, but something that became so deeply ingrained in them from such an early age that they seem to live it with effortless ease.  This is not to say they experience no fear, but that they recognize it for what it is and don’t give it a chance to get a foothold.

What’s most impressive about them is their presence.  They really fill out their lives – thinking big, believing big, and therefore living big.  Not in a way that’s about fancy houses, expensive cars, and designer clothing, although they can and do afford these things, but with confidence in themselves and in the support that life offers in a myriad of ways.  They trust.  It is a beautiful thing to behold – what we are capable of when we believe in ourselves, rather than in fear. Claim your space in the world.  Know who you are.  When you stand tall and fill out your space, your whole aura changes. There is no better place to be than alive with the truth, and the deep and all-pervading confidence that comes from knowing yourself intimately and choosing always to honor what is true…what is real for you.  To live any other way is to live without a house of cards.  It will all come tumbling down eventually.

Once you know your truth, it is up to you to live it.  A coaching client of mine was lamenting his incessant need to keep bettering himself by pursuing advanced degrees, as a way of proving his worth to the world.  Already a successful cancer surgeon, he was about to complete his MBA.  But he was also a husband and father, and expressed frustration that he couldn’t fully relax and enjoy his family time, because he always felt like there was studying he needed to be doing.  And while studying, he had regrets that he was missing out on valuable time with his family.

 

“I hope when I finish this degree I can finally relax and enjoy my life, without feeling the need to keep pushing myself to be better.  It would be great to be able to be present and at peace in my life.”

“So, who’s going to make that decision?”, I asked.  My point was, that the freedom and space he is looking for aren’t going to happen by accident.  He’s going to have to create it based on the choices that he makes. Just as nobody can each our lunch for us, or brush our teeth for us, nobody gets to live our life for us.  This is your life.  Nobody else gets to live it for you.  It is an intricately woven tapestry made up of all of your choices.  Let it be your masterpiece.

Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint on it you can.  – Danny Kaye