Self-knowledge is the hardest shit, I tell ya that! Looking in the dark mirror within and seeing the ugly faces, the vices, the resentment and anger and hatred, is horrible. Strangely, it can be even more daunting to see the virtues, the beauty and joy, all the wonderful things that we're concealing from ourselves. Naturally, this is only at the onset; once we start accepting our shadows and lights as indivisible aspects of our being and begin to respect ourselves, to hold ourselves accountable for the entire deal, things become much easier and we start getting to the good stuff, the self-appointed rewards of progress, and among the best of them, the capacity to rule ourselves.
I'm at a point where I have fun while investigating myself. I find a fear and I plunge right in; a bout of anger? Let's face it head on! Doubt and hesitation? I'll find the reason. The challenges decrease the more I work, and I'm far more at ease with my inner world. That gives me the power to make clearer choices, to set stronger boundaries or dissolve them at will, to listen and observe my surroundings with deeper attention, to have a much more complete understanding of the messages of my intuition and therefore navigate the world with greater firmness. A part of me still cares about the approval of others, about their opinions, it'd be a blatant lie to deny that and I think anyone who does it are deluding themselves, we're humans, social creatures, the judgments of others will always matter to us at some level; but that approval and those opinions are definitely far less relevant to me than they used to be. I love my life and that gives me power that no one can grant me.
These are the pacts that I've made with myself: remain open to prosperity, knowledge and happiness; always expose myself to my darkness; always deal with my own emotions and not project them onto others for any reason; keep quiet about the choices others make with their lives, but speak my mind honestly when my contribution is requested or when I feel it's necessary; never hold on to opinions or beliefs and never argue over them; never pressure anyone to adapt to my rhythms and never accept imposed rhythms from anyone; always enter new circles as an equal; acknowledge disagreeable situations and always attempt to change my approach toward them if possible; never stay where I feel unwelcome no matter the interests that moved me to get there in the first place; always strive to pay closer attention to everything around me and within me; always seek out the path of greater flow and align myself with it. Last but not least, always reconsider any or all of these pacts when I deem it appropriate.
I think these are good personal tenets to live by. They've been working for me, at least. This is the awesome prize of knowing myself, I'm always cultivating my responsibility, self-respect and discipline, and it shows in everything I say and do. I'm more confident than ever and my vibration responds to it. I've learned to rule myself, there's probably no higher honor for a person than that. Five stars, totally recommended, my friends! 😄😄😄
Rune of the Day: Othala
Set your boundaries and your prices, offer your terms and let others discuss; the person with dominion and authority upon herself has the capacity to negotiate, for others are willing to accept the care of a leader, and leaders must first rule themselves. Rings and scepters, crowns and thrones are useful symbols of command upon the land, but it is an individual's gravitas that inspires respect and their actions that represent their effective power. You have the ability to build your own deals, determine the reach of your commitment and compromise to the extent that you see fit; study any attempts of persuasion with care and outright refuse external restrictions that do not favor your interests, if your reality is defined by others, a battle may ensue within you, keep that in mind also if others choose to let you define theirs, for that makes you accountable to them.