One of the things that really strikes me about this quote is how often this question can be asked in the course of one day. There is a constant need for awareness of being tuned into how I feel, what I believe and who I am. There is a choice to be made with every interaction with every person I meet. The result of the choice is the drop in the water that creates a ripple, affecting more people than one could imagine. One thing I have said before that is worth repeating again: I am the only person on this earth who is guaranteed to be with me from birth until death. It would be wise to be connected to me and risk feeling, believing and being.

I was out of town last weekend and I stepped into the fullness of talking about who I am and what I do with people close to my brother and his family without a second thought as to how it would be received or any effect it would have on my brother. I was engaged in two different conversations where I comfortably talked about my beliefs, what gifts I bring into the mix and allowing my passion to be witnessed. It was really incredible. I will tell people that I do Reiki and energy work, but rarely do I go into the depth of what sessions are like, what I “know”, how personal and spiritual growth are one in the process and how passionate I am about bringing conscious awareness into all aspects of life. Both people were pleasantly surprised and made comments similar to “why didn’t your brother ever say anything?” It is not his responsibility, but it did highlight how little my family really understands what I do. That’s on me, not them. It’s my spiritual love nudge to risk feeling, believing and being with my family, allowing them to bear witness and experience how powerfully life continues to transform me.

I have heard on more than one occasion that the emotions I feel or the depth of the challenges I face can be “too much”. Nobody wants to hear that, especially from people in trusted relationships. It can crack the foundation of the relationship and make things feel really unsteady. This is a risk I’m willing to take…and will continue to take…because I refuse to let go of how I feel, what I believe and who I am.

I have a right to feel what I feel.

I have a right to believe what I believe.

I have a right to be who I am.

If that is too much for somebody, that’s on them…not me.

As always, it’s worthwhile to flip the perspective. How does what I think interfere with how I feel, what I believe and who I am?

What stories do I tell myself that challenge my right to feel what I feel?

What fear-filled thoughts challenge what I believe?

What self-judgment(s) negate who I am?

It’s easy to blame other people for “getting in my way” when I really need to gently explore how I’m getting in my own way.

Love.

Trust.

Believe.

Let us support each other on this path of feeling, believing and being.