Let it go already !

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” Steve Maraboli

I recently and very harshly I might add , felt the deep impact of the quote by Sandra Wilson that says ‘hurt people, hurt people’. I immediately fell into deep retrospection seeking to understand my role, my contribution to this mess. Meditating on and questioning why someone would spread such vicious , soul destroying untruths about me. I reached out to my coaches, mentors and spiritual guides insisting that I must have done something awful to invite and attract this betrayal. I immediately blamed myself for trusting so deeply, letting my guard down, not trusting my gut when all the warning signs were present , ignoring my dreams , refusing to listen to caution from ‘sisters’ and close friends even choosing to alienate some in order to preserve the ‘friendship’ I held so dear. People close to me have been surprised even disappointed by the lack of anger expressed by me over this betrayal, but what no one understands was that it was never about me. The Second Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz recommends that we ‘Don't Take Anything personally’ he goes on to explain that ‘Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves’. He reminds us how taking things personally makes you easy prey for these predators.

Of all the elements linked to the attacks against my character, the one that that cut me the deepest was the attack on my spirituality. The allegation, however caused me to realize that someone had seen in me a light, a power that I was refusing to shine and embrace. Someone saw a power in me which they labelled as dangerous , not understanding that the source is not my power, its a higher power I connect to that radiates from within me. And when darkness sees this powerful light, the only label it can interpret it by is 'danger'. I woke up to the deep realization so eloquently penned by Marianne Williamson that ‘’ Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us’’, and others.

‘’We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This unfortunate or perhaps fortunate incident led to me launching Afriel from a deep authentic space, it allowed me to start dreaming again, tapping into my vulnerability. More importantly it allowed me to go back to my first love …….. meditation and reflection and to reconnect with my higher power. I refused to choose hurt, it is too easy to allow hurtful comments and accusations to push one into a cycle of despair and sorrow , but remember that you are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you. I choose love, forgiveness, to move on and not look back because that is not where I am going. I am grateful to my friends of more than 18 years , mentors and sponsors for putting this and other issues into perspective for me and I hope that this article in some way allows you to re-discover your passion, find your light and to keep shining it , never dim your beautiful, 'dangerous' light even when it makes others uncomfortable. Looking forward to hearing your comments and engaging further.