Embracing today the way that you want

A couple days ago, I did a short, livestreamed guided journey, where we focused on tapping into gratitude as a gateway to the miraculous.

(You can watch it anytime at your leisure, just visit my Facebook group The Authentic Awakening Temple, and you'll see it at the top of the page)

As I'm currently sitting here, I'm wondering what to say about this day, called Thanksgiving here in the U.S.

Yes, it is timely reminder to give thanks, and to practice appreciation for all that we have.

Yes, it's a holiday that many people have chosen not to celebrate, because of the real history of pain, trauma, and suffering that it's actually based on.

Yes, it's okay to gather together with friends and/or family, and to have time off of work, and to have a special meal together.

Yes, it's okay to be alone.

Yes, it's okay to be with others and wish you were alone, and vice versa, to be alone and wish you were with others.

Yes, it's okay to discard certain parts of the holiday tradition that you don't like, and to create your own rituals for this time of year.

Yes, it's okay to not celebrate anything at all, and to go about your day as if it's the same as the rest.

Whatever it is that you're doing, it's okay.

Permission granted to do you, boo.
(Not that you actually needed it from me anyway).

And,

Whatever someone else is doing, is also okay.

I know those of you reading this are probably, like me, old souls, who sincerely try to practice extending compassion and understanding, and genuinely try to live from the heart.

But sometimes, we forget that the way the WE have decided to do things, isn't the way that other people need to do them.

Just because I've decided to spend my day a certain way, doesn't mean that other people should too.

Each one of us is working from a highly personal set of life experiences, education, conditioning, perspectives and beliefs.

One of my main teachers, Adyashanti, has often spoken about letting people be themselves.

How often do we automatically have an opinion or judgment about someone else's life?

We have instant judgments that arise in our minds, and think we know what someone else should be doing, or how they should be living their life.

And, we all know how incredibly aggravating it is when someone else tries to tell us what to do.

How many times have you wished that someone in your family, or a close friend, would just stop pushing their beliefs onto you, and just let you be yourself and live how you want to?

I encourage us all (I'm including myself here) to keep practicing really allowing people to be how they are.

To live their own life.

To give others full permission to be themselves, without trying to change them.

So much of our own stress comes from trying to control how other people are (and we usually do this unconsciously).

I know some people's minds will take this idea to the extreme, so let me add in the disclaimer and caveat:*

*When I'm saying allow people to be themselves, it does not mean to not have or enforce your own boundaries where needed.

*It doesn't mean to simply allow or give permission for real harm or danger to happen.

Today, I'm going to keep actively practicing the idea that whatever it is I'm doing today, is perfectly fine.

I'm deeply grateful for the ability to be in the comfort and safety of my own home.

I'm deeply grateful for my able body that will allow me to cook some delicious food very soon (yep, it's almost 5 pm and I haven't cooked anything yet!)

I'm deeply grateful for the fact that I have more than enough food to eat, and to share with my partner when he comes back home from work later.

I'll close with a prayer and blessing, that was passed onto me from a soul friend who completely catalyzed my spiritual awakening many years ago. We say it before meals.

It starts with the Gayatri Mantra:

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Pra-Chodayat

(We meditate on the unity of Divine Spirit,
Which pervades everything on earth,
The atmosphere and the heavens.
May this Supreme Consciousness guide us, protect us
And illuminate our hearts and minds.)

Ohm shanti, shanti, shanti Ohm.

Thank you [divine] Mother, Thank you [divine] Father,
for this beautiful food, company, and place.

May it go to everything we need for a happy, healthy, mind, body, spirit, and soul.

May we realize enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

We thank all the people and all the energies that went into making this food possible for us today, especially the animals,

We ask that all of their energies are blessed, and return to them now.

And only the energies aligned with unconditioned health, wealth, love, and enlightenment remain,

And all the others go back to Origin.

Amen. 🙏

🪷
Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating. 

May your time on earth be blessed with the sense of the sacred running through every cell of your body, fortifying you with divine life force, and setting your soul on fire. ❤️‍🔥