Show Up

“You can
take the lead
and be
the hero
of
your
own story”. 

~Elizabeth Gilbert

June Greetings!

We are dancing towards the official start of Summer, the Summer Solstice, the longest and brightest day of the year.  The Summer Solstice symbolizes expansion, light, aliveness, possibility, fun, and connection.  It is a time to celebrate the fullness of life and of ourselves. It is a time to honor the potency of the physical sun and also commemorate the growth and expansive capacity within each and every one of us.  
 
It is a time to show up.
A time to appreciate our fullness as beings in constant evolution.
A time to tune into and honor the truth of who we are.
An opportunity to step into our lives, remember and reclaim our power and uprightness.
And an invitation to create new pathways and become the hero in our own stories.
 
Showing up for life is about showing up for yourself. It means taking those deep breaths and checking in with yourself before habitually responding to the world around you. It means pushing through any resistance that surfaces around your capacity and worthiness to make lasting shifts in your life.  It means answering the call and giving yourself permission to truly BE who you are. 
 
Showing up, especially when there are voices inside screaming otherwise, is a gift.  It is an honoring of who you are and an opportunity to share yourself with authenticity, vulnerability, and truth.  

It is a gift to the world when you show up in your fullness.  
 
There are many factors that can inhibit our ability to show up for life.  Fear residing at the top of the list, and, what I feel is the greatest inhibitor to healing and showing up for life on the whole.  Fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of becoming too big or seen, fear of failure…the list goes on and on.  

Being scared of what might happen if we show up with the whole of who we are leads to addictive ways of living and being.  Numbing oneself out of the fear of being exposed is at the heart of addiction. This can show up in minor and subtle ways or can be massive and debilitating -- interfering with ones ability to function in everyday life.  
 
Showing up, taking the reigns of our lives, and becoming our own hero or heroine is an empowering act on our own behalf.  It is an opportunity to take that deep belly breath, walk tall in who we are, be exposed, and know that no matter what happens or how we are received, we are OK.  We are actually better than OK – we are blessed to be ALIVE.  
 
When we keep ourselves small and neatly contained to meet the expectations of others – so as to not ruffle anyone’s feathers or to keep those around us comfortable – that is when our life force dries up and we simply exist.  
 
Showing up for life takes courage and a willingness to be seen in connection to others.  It requires a dedicated inner dialogue with ourselves and honesty about the choices that we are making each and every day.  
 
When we choose to show up for ourselves and for our lives, we are attuned to the truth of who we are.  We are infused with the power to act on our own behalf.  We have the potential to feel our aliveness pulsing through our cells and life truly becomes a dance of beauty, love, and presence.  
 
Showing up is a conscious choice to be present and awake in midst of the flurry of life, to open our eyes wide and take in the whole of the world around us.  It is about meeting life in all of its forms from a place of acceptance, compassion, integrity, and equanimity.  
 
And, of course, it takes practice, work, devotion, and an unwavering faith in the truth of who you are to show up consistently for yourself and your life.  It is as if you are building a new muscle and it takes steady effort to allow it to take lasting shape in your being.  
 
Supportive questions to consider:
 

• As our natural world moves towards its fullest expression, how can you move towards your own inner brightness?  

• How can you show up and become even more full of the truth of who you are?

• What do you need to do to remain connected and true to your own hearts while stepping more fully out into the world?

• What does it feel like to show up in life with the fullest of who you are?  

• What practices can you incorporate in your day-to-day to support your ability to meet your lives and show up with integrity and presence?

• How can you become the hero of your own personal story?  

Life is full of opportunities to grow.  It is never too late to do the work to heal old and outdated ways of living and being.  
 
May we individually and collectively use this time of expansion to become bigger, brighter, more alive, and impactful.  May we SHOW UP for ourselves and for our lives, truly take ownership of our life’s path, and becoming the hero of our own story.