You are meant to Shine

As boundless beings, we are designed to be big. Just like the cosmos, we are designed to continually expand. 

Unfortunately, our ego continually tries to keep us small. Often, the minute we have a "big" thought - like a dream, a goal, an outcome, a bigger house, a better paying job, or a more fulfilling relationship, our ego jumps in with all the reasons we "shouldn't" want these things. 

Here are some common phrases and beliefs you might tell yourself as soon as a "big" thought pops into your head:
1 - I have a great life and should be grateful for what I have.
2 - Wanting too much or thinking too big is selfish and greedy.
3 - It's better to stay comfortable than risk failure, rejection, or heartache.

Thinking big is scary - actually, if we break down each of the 3 beliefs above, we can see that they all point to fear - fear of everything that could go wrong, so we decide it's "safer" to remain small, and therefore comfortable.

Maryann Williamson has a great quote that reflects our tendency to stay small.

"OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE. OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE."

Shining our brightest light with the world IS scary. Being our most authentic and powerful self might mean losing people, relationships, core beliefs, and even parts of ourself. Think of it this way - we have an ego self and a True Self. The ego self is comprised of cultural beliefs, thing others have said or done to us, or things we have said and done to ourselves. Our ego self is a reaction to all our experiences from our entire life. Our ego self is cloaked in stories and beliefs based on fear and illusion - based on our need for everyone to like us, and based on our need to protect ourselves.

Our True Self is the part of us that is divine - that is here to share our gifts. Our True Self wants to transcend the ego, not by being small, but by being big and as bright as we are meant to be. Transcending the ego and being big is for EVERYONE - every person on this planet is powerful beyond measure. It's only that some of us choose to stay small, and some of us choose to walk through the risk and uncomfortable sensations. For those of us who walk through, it's because part of us, deep down, knows it is who we are. We crave expansion.

Our True Self knows we are not our stories or our experiences - we are not our past or our pain. Our True Self knows the greatness that is within us.

This week's mantra means that we can learn a lot when we focus our attention on a big dream or desire, instead of pushing it away with excuses and negativity. If you have a goal or intention, and it currently appears out of reach, notice what happens in your body when you acknowledge that fear. What is keeping you small? What is keeping you stuck? What excuses or stories is your ego telling you?

In western society, we think of ego as being big and prideful, maybe even fearless. Actually, it is the opposite. A well-fed ego will shrink us by continuing to reiterate our fears and criticize our capabilities. Ego will remind us of how inadequate we are, so we don't reach too high.

In contrast, a transcended ego will acknowledge the fear, and move forward anyway. A transcended ego recognizes our true greatness, and the illusion that has been fed to us. A transcended ego loves who we are unconditionally, knows we are capable, and understands that we are meant to shine, expand, and think big.