I Choose… Sacrifice
Good morning and
happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it!
I know the title of
this week’s message makes it seem like it has something to do with Easter, but it
really doesn’t. Well, that is not what inspired this message anyway. No. What
inspired this message is an experience that someone very dear to me is having,
and as I witness her struggle, much as I would like to snap my fingers and make
it all better for her, I can’t. She is the only one who can do that.
AND, as I witness my
friend’s struggles, I notice that in certain areas of my own life I do the same
thing that I’m watching her do. I hang onto the belief that “this is the way it
is and here are all the reasons why it can’t change,” and that is the story
that I live. (Actually, as long as I’m doing nothing to control the story that
I’m telling, it’s more accurate to say “that is the story that is living ME.”
Ick.)
Did you know that
there are Laws that govern the Universe? Those laws, such as gravity and
thermodynamics are what keep our universe working the way that it does. One
such law, which is a universal law AND a Spiritual Law, is the Law of
Sacrifice.
There are many
different ways that I could go about explaining this, because it’s really a
many-faceted concept. Here are just a few of them.
Those of you who’ve
been with me for a while have heard me say this before, and probably more than
once: The story that you tell the most often and the most consistently about
your life is what generates the life that you
experience. Law of Sacrifice basically says, “If you are not willing to
sacrifice your current story about how bad your life is in favor of a story
that feels better, then you will never live a better-feeling story.”
Another way to say it
is this: If we want to experience greatness in our life, then we must sacrifice
our grip on our perceived “littleness,” or “not-enoughness.”
Or this: We can never
have the wonderful, amazing life that we Dream of if we indulge in self-pity and
defeatism whenever something feels difficult to us along the way. If we refuse
to sacrifice that self-pity and defeatism, we leave no room for the good stuff.
And if we’re not willing to sacrifice the stuff that keeps our life small, then
we ARE – by default – sacrificing our Dream.
Law of Sacrifice is
more about self-discipline than anything else. As I wrote in Successfully
MidAir, the most important question you could ever ask yourself is, “How much
do I want what I SAY I want? Do I want it enough to do the work?” And in this
case “the work” means disciplining yourself to notice when you’re choosing an
attitude of defeat, and sacrificing that attitude in favor of something more
life-giving. Like hope. Or faith. Or even just the willingness to believe that
“this too shall pass.” But if you’re not willing to sacrifice your habit of wallowing
in self-pity and defeat and an attitude of “I can’t,” then that means that you
ARE willing to sacrifice the better-feeling experience that you SAY you want.
In every moment and
in every experience, something is ALWAYS, PERPETUALLY being sacrificed for
something else. Always. When we tell a story that says something like, “I can’t
and here are all the reasons why,” we are sacrificing any and every other
possibility. When we say, “I wish my life would change for the better,” but we
cling to our story about why it can’t, then we are literally creating the life
that can’t change for the better because we’re not willing to give up that
story.
How much do I want
what I SAY I want? Do I want it enough to do the work? And do I want it enough
to discipline
myself to stick with the work in those times that it feels the most difficult?
Do I want it enough to sacrifice the story that keeps me stuck where I am? Do I
want it enough to sacrifice my beliefs that I’m not worthy or capable and
choose instead to cultivate a belief in my profound worth and ability? Do I
want it enough to sacrifice my current habitual thought patterns and behaviors?
I Choose… Sacrifice
This week I stay in the question, “How
much to I want what I SAY I want?” I notice what I’m choosing in each moment,
and I decide if that’s what I really want. If it’s not, I deliberately
sacrifice it in favor of moving in the direction of what I really DO want. I
know that I can never move in the direction of what is wanted if I have a death
grip on what keeps me stuck and struggling. I choose to sacrifice that death
grip, over and over again as necessary as I train myself to be willing and able
to tell – and live – a new story.
Before I sign off, let me share a more tangible
example: My biggest issue right now is the fact that I have gained weight.
Enough to feel really uncomfortable in my own skin, and enough that my clothes
don’t fit right anymore. I don’t like it. But as I look at my food and exercise
choices I can clearly see that this weight gain is a result of those choices.
So what will happen if I ask myself (over and over again as necessary), “What
do I actually, REALLY want?” (A healthy, slim, strong body.) And, “How much do
I actually, REALLY want what I SAY I want?”
Do I want it enough to discipline myself not to
give into temptation in those moments that I feel the weakest? Do I want it
enough to sacrifice those food items that do not serve my desire for a healthy
body? Do I want it enough to sacrifice my sedentary lifestyle for one that is
more active? As I choose to eat pizza or chocolate and get no exercise, in
effect I am saying “no thank you” to a healthy body. That “healthy body” will not
be possible for me until I sacrifice the unhealthy habits. And I am willing to
be responsible for my current results and make the sacrifices that are necessary
for those results to change.
Something is ALWAYS sacrificed for something else.
And I ALWAYS get to choose what I am choosing. On any subject and in any aspect
of my life.
What are YOU choosing right now? And in that
choice, what are you saying “no thank you” to? What are you sacrificing as
you’re choosing what you’re choosing? And what are you willing to sacrifice in order to start getting the results that you
really want? If, like my friend, you would like your life to be different from
what it is right now, are you willing to do the work of letting go of your
current habits of thought and behavior so you can finally start receiving the
better-feeling stuff? You are the only one who can do that for you, just like I
am the only one who has any control over my food and exercise choices.
I encourage you this week to take a look at your
results, and then to make sacrifices as necessary to bring you the results that
you really want.
Love to you all.
Sandi
“Speak your Soul into this space.”
Em Claire
**************
It's BOOK STUDY Time!
LAST CALL!! [THE READING/STUDY/PRACTICE BEGINS TOMORROW - MARCH 28, 2016]
Who's ready for a book study? We'll be doing
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30 Pacific time.
This will be a 12-week study beginning Monday April 4th. It will be an online gathering
and all
meetings will be recorded and made available to members.
There is no cost to participants, although love offering donations will be
gratefully accepted.
Pictured below is the version that I encourage everyone to use so we can all be on the same page. The isbn is shown, as well, for ordering purposes. Although if you already have a different version and you don't want to purchase this one, no worries - we can work around it as necessary.
This book quite literally saved my sanity in 2011. Actually, it wasn't just the book, it was a six-month STUDY of the book. If not for that study, it's fair to say that I was depressed and discouraged enough to consider giving up on myself and my life completely. Yes, that means what it sounds like it means.
Needless to say, I highly, highly recommend the study and the deliberate and practical application of this material in your life.
Join us if you'd like. All are welcome.
I've created a Facebook group specifically for this study. If you're on Facebook, here's the link to join the group.
Power of Now Facebook group.
If you're not a Facebook user, simply reply to this email. I'll be sending emails to share the assignments in addition to doing that on FB.
To clarify - you do not have to be able to join us for the Monday calls in order to participate in the group, so don't let that stop you!
I look forward to having you join us! :-)
Pictured below is the version that I encourage everyone to use so we can all be on the same page. The isbn is shown, as well, for ordering purposes. Although if you already have a different version and you don't want to purchase this one, no worries - we can work around it as necessary.
This book quite literally saved my sanity in 2011. Actually, it wasn't just the book, it was a six-month STUDY of the book. If not for that study, it's fair to say that I was depressed and discouraged enough to consider giving up on myself and my life completely. Yes, that means what it sounds like it means.
Needless to say, I highly, highly recommend the study and the deliberate and practical application of this material in your life.
Join us if you'd like. All are welcome.
I've created a Facebook group specifically for this study. If you're on Facebook, here's the link to join the group.
Power of Now Facebook group.
If you're not a Facebook user, simply reply to this email. I'll be sending emails to share the assignments in addition to doing that on FB.
To clarify - you do not have to be able to join us for the Monday calls in order to participate in the group, so don't let that stop you!
I look forward to having you join us! :-)
Love to you all!
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