And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  ~ Anais Nin

Being our true self takes tremendous risk and courage. By being our self we have to stand alone in our power without any fears or doubts. We have to have the audacity to trust ourselves.

Life is constantly asking us to expand. We always have a choice: either we can shrink by saying no to life or we can expand by saying yes.

Spiritual transformation is about expansion. It cannot happen unless we are expanding. Expanding can cause growing pains in us. They may be so painful we may want to quit but we can’t stop the process once it starts. We just have to keep on saying yes to life and pushing though the awkwardness. When we say yes to life we are saying yes to our evolution and growth.

Shrinking is not an option anymore. We can only start shining.

One of the reasons why we start shrinking in life is because we think of ourselves as separate from life. This causes division in our being. By our very nature we are whole and complete but we are just suffering from amnesia of who we really are. The only way to experience our greatness is to start shining, start radiating our unique selves. We are caterpillars in the process of becoming butterflies.

We cannot afford to shrink anymore so others will love and approve of us. Every time we shrink we give away our power and become powerless. We do this unconsciously so that we may not make others feel uncomfortable and we can continue to be accepted and loved by them. We have to be brave enough to come out the spiritual closet and let ourselves shine freely without any inhibitions holding us back. We no longer need others opinions or approval to define our self-worth.

When we shine we are going to piss people off. It comes with the territory. We weren’t born to “fit in,” we were born to stand out and be unique.

– Don’t be afraid of your intelligence.

– Don’t be afraid of your intuition.

– Don’t be afraid of your courage.

– Don’t be afraid of your strength.

– Don’t be afraid of your wisdom.

– Don’t be afraid of your depth.

– Don’t be afraid of the heights you can soar.

– Don’t be afraid of your beauty.

– Don’t be afraid of your truth.

Shining so boldly and courageously silently gives others permission to do the same. Be the lighthouse that you are and shine!

Author: Sarvasmarana Ma Nithya

Editor: Travis May

Photo:  Pixoto/Zoe Walker Designs