Time to Unclench

Here is the image. You have a goal. You’ve planned a path to that goal. You are walking the path with total commitment and dedication. You should make it to your goal then, right? But what if you don’t? You are focusing on every step and keeping your eyes glued to the path…. Then you hit a brick wall. You are standing there with your face up against the wall, so close that all you see are the bricks. You try to  punch, kick, climb, scratch and claw your way through or over the wall but nothing is working. ARGGHH!!! Then comes the “why vomiting”. WHY is this happening? WHY am I being blocked? WHY did my path lead here? WHY didn’t I realize this obstacle would be here? WHY WHY WHY WHY? WHY can’t I see a way around it??

A-ha! That’s the question to ask! Why can’t you see a way around it? Because you are TOO CLOSE. All your focus has been fixated on this ONE path, this ONE way you will reach your goal, this ONE idea of happiness. With your face pressed up against the wall, all you see is your obstacle. So what do you do?

….. Turn you head …..

 Yup, that’s all. Just turn your head. You’ve been looking straight ahead and only seeing this ONE way. You forgot you can turn your head. You can look to either side. And when you do, you see that the wall doesn’t go on forever. In fact, maybe it’s just a few feet wide, but you couldn’t see that until you turned your head. Maybe you don’t have to scratch and claw your way over, or hammer through it. Maybe you can easily walk around it. There are MANY PATHS to the thing you want. When we only hold space in our mind for ONE WAY to get there, ONE idea of happiness, we are going to miss A LOT. A different path might not be what you pictured, but it will get you there just the same. Maybe it is faster, or slower, but you can still get where you want to go. Maybe, just maybe, it is far better than the path you were on anyway.

When we GRASP and CLING so hard to our ideas of how life should unfold, we are really constricting our energy. It is as if we are squeezing ourselves into a little tiny ball and our world gets very small as our possibilities shrink. Remember, this is a YES Universe! That means the Universe will AFFIRM your beliefs. If you believe there is ONLY ONE WAY, then the Universe will only show you ONE WAY. If you believe that the UNIVERSE is much more vast, and creative than your own wild imagination, you will remain open to possibilities, and the UNIVERSE will say YES to that. YES to possibilities! YES to things unfolding in even better and more amazing ways than you could’ve imagined on your own.

We are co-creators of our life. What does that mean? It means we must set our INTENTION, our goal, and take steps towards that goal but be OPEN to the tugs of Spirit, to the creative energy of the Universe that can form a path for you filled with wonder and growth beyond your imagination. We need to look around and to UNCLENCH. Be open to the unfolding of the Universe. Be curious about the twists and turns of the path instead of fearing every unknown curve, every unseen trail. We think that worry is somehow protecting us. It is NOT. Fear and worry make your world small and shrink your possibilities. It’s time to let go.

Think of it this way…. Picture holding something precious in your hand. Your arm is outstretched and your palm is turned down toward the floor. You grasp this thing you love SO TIGHTLY because you KNOW if you open your hand it will fall to the floor and smash into a million pieces and you will lose everything you love. This is the feeling of constriction. The thing we love is being squeezed in our tightly clenched fist. No energy can flow through our hand, through our tight fist, through our clenched mind, or through the thing we love.

But listen,… IT IS POSSIBLE TO LET GO AND NOT LOSE EVERYTHING.

Picture your outstretched arm, and just turn your palm up towards the sky. Now unclench your fist. The thing you love is still there in your hand, resting easily on your palm. Energy flows all around. You can relax. There is no need to grasp. Stress, worry and attempting to control everything is going to feel tight and constricted. You are blocking your own energy and missing all of the possibilities around you. Soften into the wonder of the Universe. Unclench. You are made of stardust and moonlight, dewdrops and sunbeams. The same elements that make up the stars are also in you. You are not one small speck in the universe, you are a DIVINE expression of life, a child of the universe. You are a part of this Universe just as much as the stars in the sky, and the waves of the sea. All is unfolding just as it should be. Open yourself to the unfolding of life. Believe in your possibilities, and your potential.

Thich Nhat Hanh tells us, “Because you are alive everything is possible”

Believe in your possibilities. Turn your head and see there are many paths available to you. Unclench and let your energy flow freely. You are here to SHINE and GROW, not to stress and shrink. The Universe is constantly expanding. Don’t resist the expansion. Be open to the unfolding and SHINE ON!!

“Walking the path toward the complete ending of clinging and suffering is the noblest thing a person can do. It opens the fist of the mind, and allows a person to walk in the world with gift-bestowing hands.” - Gil Fronsdal

“Gift-bestowing hands”… what a beautiful image. Let’s unclench, and walk through this world, through our own lives, with gift-bestowing hands.

Thanks for reading.

Love and Light,

Jennifer

Ps - If you found this teaching helpful, consider joining the Beautiful Souls Membership where you will receive weekly reflections give practical advice on; creating a more positive mindset, managing emotions, understanding the Law of Attraction, and letting your awesome self shine more brightly into this beautiful life https://beautiful-souls-academy.teachable.com/p/beautiful-souls-community-membership

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