Heart Space
When you wake up each morning, I invite you to embrace the new day with a powerful message:
‘Love is trying to reach me in every possible moment.’
Because why wouldn’t it? You are a vessel of abundant creativity, with an innate ability to effortlessly magnetise the frequency of Love… remember?
“And why should I want this?” I hear you ask.
Firstly, because you are worthy of it! And secondly, what’s the alternative?
‘Fear is trying to reach me in every possible moment.’
Or, ‘doubt is trying to reach me in every possible moment.’
Whatever intention you state – whatever you believe – this is what you will receive.
Many of us unconsciously surrender to fear ruling our lives, or other trickier emotions that distract us and block the connection to our Heart. We shouldn’t punish ourselves for this; often living in, or through, fear, doubt, resentment and jealously are habitual mechanisms we use to protect ourselves. They are patterns that dictate our internal belief system, often negatively determining the outcome of a situation before it has even happened.
We mustn’t judge ourselves for having feelings of jealousy, or being resentful - it isn’t helpful and can cause us further suffering. Simply becoming aware of how we are feeling is hugely beneficial.
These emotions underpin all of our life experiences, from personal relationships to professional responsibilities. For example, if we experience fear in personal relationships, this will show up, albeit in a different manner, in dynamics with work colleagues. Our internal beliefs (which manifest externally) give a clear indication of the most important relationship we experience: the relationship with Self, and through this fundamental relationship, we make sense of the world around us.
Our relationships with others can help us to identify the relationship we have with ourselves. To put it simply…
If you find yourself doubting others, you’re internally doubting yourself.
If you find yourself judging others, you’re internally judging yourself.
If you’re able to trust others, you’re able to trust yourself.
If you love others, you’re able to love yourself.
It all begins with the relationship we have with ourselves. The beauty of this is that it can be repaired and transformed, over and over, until it works. More or less!
Now of course, it isn’t that simple. There are many factors that influence our relationship with Self and our external world, which take time and commitment to untangle. Over the past few months I have been reflecting on how much fear, self-doubt and self-judgement I have carried in my daily life. I’ll admit at times, these aspects have made me behave in ways that I’m not proud of. Being unfair on myself led me to be unfair on others.
I had a realisation that no one else (ever!) was going to be able to help me resolve this, even with their best efforts, because it is truly a me problem. I finally accepted this and decided to take control.
It was quite a sudden shift and I’ve had to be firm with myself. I’ve been holding myself accountable in a way I never have before; if negative self-judgement arises, I now ask myself, ‘Is this kind?’ ‘Is this fair?’ I’ve even started rewarding myself (with stickers!) when I handle a situation better than I would have done in the past.
Why? Because I am trying to find playful ways of transforming my fear and doubt into something more freeing. Because, as we all do, I would like to feel more light and liberated. Growing up, one of my nicknames was the Afraid Girl. I’m still the Afraid Girl, but with stickers. The Afraid Girl who knows she is afraid and ready to work with it. Still no rollercoasters for me… as of yet!
So, how do we move away from fear, or doubt, governing our lives?
As always, it’s embedding small practices into our daily routine that invite joy and ease. Perhaps it begins with befriending our Heart space. Some may call this awakening the inner child, or returning to it. I give you full agency to call it whatever you wish; whatever resonates with you. Heart space resonates with me.
Our Heart space is where our Love resides: our desire to connect, to explore, to play. It’s always ready to play! It’s the antidote to fear; a space that can dissipate emotions that suffocate us, or keep us trapped in obstructive loops. It’s healing to spend time here. Our Heart space is expansive.
If you have been feeling particularly fearful recently, ask yourself the following:
When did I last play?
When did I last create something?
Am I due a really good belly laugh?
When was the last time I indulged my fear by trying something new? By feeling fearful but doing it anyway?
Who has inspired me in the past week?
How has my life shifted in the past few months for the better?
What am I looking forward to tomorrow?
When did I last free myself of judgement?
What makes me feel alive?
All these questions speak directly to the Heart – our own Heart space and the collective Heart space, which work in tandem.
To draw this to a close, I’m wondering if we can take this morning affirmation one step further:
‘I accept all of the love that is trying to reach me, in every possible moment.’
It’s already on its way to you.
With love,
Jessica (The Afraid Girl) x