Ring the Bells that Still Can Ring

We all have within us an inner flame, spark of life that is unique to each one of us. It helps give us passion, desires, and inspiration! The Element of Fire brings forward a burning desire to create and share our light as an offering to the world.

As creative Beings there is an inner drive within each of us to take leaps of faith toward bringing our thoughts, dreams, and inner knowing into form. We don’t want to just think about our dreams, we want to live, touch, connect, and dance with them. However, another natural part of us is to worry about producing a creation that is well accepted and brings us all the good things in life we want to dance with and none of the harsh judgements or criticism. These conflicting levels and drivers within us – from our Heart’s and Soul’s desire to courageously stride out in our life and our survival and personal drivers to belong and be safe can create a TON of decision fatigue, overthinking, second guessing, and even becoming paralyzed and allowing self-doubt to get us to abandon and gas light our own system on which choices are best for us to engage and move into action with and which ones to leave on the path not taken.

Recently on Soulful Practices, my new video podcast, I highlighted part of the lyrics to a song Anthem, by Leonard Cohen.

Both the reframe and the complete lyrics invite us directly to engaging these two inner forces with questions like:

• Where is our focus? On the past – with old creations that we loved or abandoned? Or on the future of bells that we could possibly ring or engage with but are yet to be present or available to us?
• Are we stifling and dulling our current creations, choices, and opportunities because we are over working them, withholding creating them or offering them because of perfectionist fears?
• Are we willing to be brave and step into what choices are currently here and just waiting for us to step into motion with them and allow the cracks to be there with us and dare say even embrace them?

When I read the lyrics or listen to his songs as a contemplative practice, I feel the choice he is inviting us into with Anthem is asking us to declare to ourselves,

“YES! I am willing to step up and follow my guidance, let the inner flames of inspiration lead me into ringing the bells that are true, real, raw, and inspired. I’m willing to let light shine within me and through me!”

To check out the full episode and teachings click here.

Here is the highlight of the Soulful Practice I am inviting listeners to join me in:

I set the Intention to notice when allowing the illusion of perfection to cause me to self-sabotage myself and the offerings that are seeking to be born and expressed through me.

Please Guide my Attention into awareness of moments when I have protective fears causing me to override my own inner guidance:

•  Causing me to overwork and second guess my own inner inspirations.
•  Stopping me from moving in action and being seen.
•  Restricting my ability to offer to share my expressions and creations with others.  

Help me pause, soften, and look inward in those moments of awareness to illuminate the Part of me that is lost in a protective story.

Help my attention Flow to inner courage and acceptance that will help me release myself from the protective spell of perfection and access new levels of freedom to share with myself and others.  

Asking, What do I need to see, know, feel, and hear right now to open to the light that is held in the cracks? 

Help me listen and match my inner guidance.

*****

I invite you to commit to this practice for the week and see what comes up with it. Noticing what areas of your life right now you can befriend imperfection as an opportunity to let more light, inspiration, and creativity into your own and other’s life right now.  Answering the question, “What wants to be shared through me right now? What bell is wanting to be rung?” that I might not have engaged without this intention.