By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light
All content copyright Nancy Rynes
“Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice…No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
What is the most empowering, yet sometimes scary thing about walking the path to improving your life? To me, it is taking complete responsibility for your actions from this point forward.
No one else can do this work for you. No one else can live your life for you. No one else can achieve freedom, peace, joy, or present moment awareness in this lifetime for you. You cannot just find these things, or have them gifted to you. It is ultimately your choice to make and your journey to take. Others may accompany you on your journey for a short time, or even your lifetime, and you may find inspiration and assistance from a spiritual tradition, but only you can make the journey to peace and joy.
From today onward, I ask you to make a vow to take responsibility for your life and what you can control:
1. Your decisions and choices
2. Your actions and words
3. Being truthful with yourself and others
4. Doing the best you can
Remember, there is no need or expectation for you to be perfect. This is a journey that lasts a lifetime. Keep practicing, keep expanding your consciousness so that, in time, you will be just living this way every day.
When you take responsibility for your life and what you can control, that doesn’t mean you start blaming yourself or mentally beating yourself up. It means that you take a step back from the drama of your life and consider one or more of these things:
• What part did I play in this situation?
• What can I do from now to change this situation?
• What can I do in the future to change this or prevent it from happening again?
• How did others view me or this situation?
• How did others feel about this situation?
• How did my words or actions affect others?
• What can I learn from this?
• How can I do or be better in the future?
If you’re thinking to yourself that these questions sound an awful lot like a life review*, you’re correct! These questions also form the basis of my book, Walking in the Light (available on Amazon and other online outlets), which is a gradual, step-by-step method for cultivating peace and joy in your life.
If you are in a situation where you are allowing someone else to control your life, they are not making the journey for you. You have abdicated responsibility, so in this lifetime you are not taking full advantage of the opportunity presented to you to learn, to grow, and to expand your awareness while still in a body.
That doesn’t mean that your soul isn’t learning from your decision to allow someone to control your life. It very well might be learning a valuable lesson. But how much quicker and more impactful could it be if you stepped up and decided to take responsibility for your life and make the journey under your own power?
Optional Journaling Exercise: Take Responsibility
1. Identify an issue or challenge in your life. Speak or write about the issue in “unenlightened” terms. Be dramatic, Blame overtly. Make excuses. Be a victim in this if you want.
2. From the past, this reminds me of…
3. I keep this issue going by…
4. What I get from keeping this issue going is…
5. The pattern I’m noticing is…
6. I can take 100% responsibility for this issue by…
7. Next (optionally) go back to #1 (above) and rewrite this scenario as if you were very enlightened and are taking full responsibility for your part and how you will be going forward.
It may take several sessions to get at the answers; for challenging issues like trauma, rage, or long-term grief, please seek counseling.
Blessings,
Nancy
*One of the most commonly-reported elements of near-death experiences (NDEs) is the Life Review. A Life Review is just that: it happens after you die and is a review of your life, your decisions, words, and actions that you made and how they impacted others. Oftentimes you will also be able to experience the events your seeing not just from your perspective, but from the perspectives of everyone who was involved. You will see what they saw and feel what they felt. This is done so that you can gain an understanding of how your decisions have impacted others. The life review is a tool to advance your learning, not to judge or damn you. For anyone who has had an NDE and a life review, it’s common to report that it is the most life-altering part of the entire experience.
Archive: Past Newsletter Issues
TODAY Show: Nancy's Interview on NBC TV's TODAY
Messages of Hope with Suzanne Giesemann: Exploring NDEs with Nancy Rynes
Article: Seven Lessons That Dying Taught Me About Truly Living (Aspire Magazine)
Article: Lives Changed by NDEs (Boulder Daily Camera)
Article: Awakening to Life(Pages 6-10, Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology, Summer 2016)
Article: The Meaning of Life (Excellence Reporter)
Simply Peace Part 1
Simply Peace Part 2
Downloadable, Audio-only versions of the webinar are available on my SoundCloud site: https://soundcloud.com/nancy-rynes
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