Light the Darkness

A lot has been said over the years about the importance of feeling what we are really feeling and 'being in touch with our emotions'. To most, that may sound too "touchy feely" and weak, a simple excuse for being a wimp and cry-baby, blaming everyone and everything instead of toughening up and getting the job done.

I for one had the very same attitude.

And don't worry, I am not one to blame others and play the victim so that others may come and rescue me... not by a longshot. I believe in taking 100% responsibility for everything that shows up in my reality... every single person, thing and situation I helped create, so I might as well learn from it and resolve it as best as I can.

Lately I have been realizing something though. I realized that I had been ignoring and suppressing many of my emotions and bodily sensations in an effort to block out the negative from my experience and try to just focus on the positive.

I was trying to minimize the negative and maximize the positive.

Sound familiar?

The trigger for me was really a Star Wars novel I read just out of curiosity and fun (I know- geek alert!) . It just kept drawing my attention every time I walked in a bookstore (trust your instincts) so I finally bought it and read it. I'm glad I did. The story is about Darth Bane, a powerful Sith Lord (the "bad guys" in the Star Wars universe) and how he rose to power and dominance. I have to admit that part of me was completely drawn by the descriptions of the Force flowing through his body and the extraordinary confidence and power it brought with it.

I wanted to feel powerful energy flowing through my being as well.

There was also many discussions about the importance of giving in to the passion that fueled the Dark Side of the Force and that the reason why the Dark Side seemed stronger much of the time was that we allowed ourselves to surrender completely to it more easily so that the full power of the Force flowed freely through our being. The ancient Jedi of the Old Republic, the Sith argued, tried to control the Force by contolling and even eliminating all emotions (which could get out of control) so that they would not make horrible mistakes that would cost people their lives... and thus they limited their own power.

I started to wonder about the power of our emotions at this point.

I also wondered about what we could really accomplish if we opened ourselves and surrendered all resistance completely to the Force, um... I mean the Universe, and also found a way to cleanse our emotional pain? What could we do if we purified our emotions in the fire of awareness and openened ourselves into a clear channel for the true power of the Cosmos? And how can we stop running away from what we consider our "Dark Side" so that we can finally love our entire being and be powerful in that wholeness?

There is much here to ponder I think...

In the meantime, do as Gary Zukav says (in The Heart of the Soul) and feel your feelings in your body as well as the thoughts in your mind at ALL times. The insight and wisdom you will gain from facing the pain and immersing yourself fully into the experience of every moment will awaken you to your true authentic power in a way that you can't even yet imagine...

And remember, the deeper into yourself you have the courage to go, the greater the depth of your power you will find. Feelings aren't just for sissies. Harnessed in the right way, they hold the key to untold potential power.

What are you feeling in your body right now?

CHB

Copyright © Charles Begin

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