Courage and two sacred opportunities

​As I see it, there are two sacred opportunities in a human lifetime:

1. The opportunity to live authentically and to embody the wholeness and integrity of your unique individuality, and

2. The opportunity to realize the perfect Love that transcends and includes your human expression.

​In my experience, the pathway to both is made from the solid ground of essential capacities that are intrinsic to us all, which we activate through the catalyst of courage. 

The courage to...

• be honest, truthful, and authentic; with ourselves always, as well as with anyone with whom we wish to be truly intimate.
• be seen just as we are so that we can be loved just as we are.
• be misunderstood, so we can learn to be a dependable source of understanding.
• be happy-with ourselves and everyone else, and do the work to make this real. 
• feel our unhappiness unflinchingly, and learn from it.
• make lots of mistakes and learn from them.

The courage to...

• aim for soul-satisfying success.
• learn everything life may require from us in order to realize our aims.
• unlearn something new each day so we have room inside for the presence of the Sacred to touch us.
• confront our fears and face the worst, that we may feel safe enough right now, to be at peace.
• embrace our longing for the best by giving our best.
• be bold and take necessary risks.
• be gentle and to refrain from taking risks that are merely foolish.

The courage to...

• consult our inner wisdom rather than the safe and familiar voices of outer authorities or inner fears. 
• rest in not knowing when no answers are coming, so that we may be nourished by silent knowingness.
• be a student, always ready to start at the beginning.
• be an adept who recognizes the perfect wisdom and love that is already present.
• be ready for the hour of our death.
• live. 
• close the exits and declare, “I am here, and I am not going anywhere.”​