Wisdom Teachings of 2017

As the current year draws to a close and the new year dawns, I like to take time to reflect on the wisdom teachings gained, the transformations that have occurred, the happy memories I want to imprint in my mind, and the new intentions and visions to craft for this new year.

The theme of my year has been acceptance; to accept what was and is in my world, and within myself; who I am, how I think and feel, the emotions that flow in and out of my days, and the interactions I experience with other people and my world. One of my greatest teachers has been fear. As a focused challenge to manage, fear has served a pivotal role in teaching me to love more. This is a journey in process that I accept may well be infused in lessons of a lifetime; we simply become better at managing our fears as we mature in wisdom.

 It has been in learning to manage fear and maintain fear where it belongs in my world; as a warning of what to be aware of, or of immediate and real danger, that I have been rewarded with a new gift. I have learnt that when fear is serving as a warning, based on my efficient brain triggering old fear memories that warn me that the same event and outcome could happen again, that when I take this warning sign as my reality and engage in the lived experience of fear as though it were real; a fearsome event or situation is really happening, I suffer. However, when I have taken charge of my mind with success, and reminded myself to place fear where it belongs; as a useful reminder to be mindful, but not afraid, and when I have thanked fear and my efficient brain for this reminder, and informed fear that it is no longer needed, because nothing fearful is actually happening, I have learnt that my brain is then liberated from the limitation of old patterns of thinking, so that the fear based stories of the past remain where they belong, and worries are cushioned in the reassurance of new carefully chosen thoughts and positive self-talk, which allows my mind to open to fresh inspiration, bringing new ideas, solutions, insight and possibility that was not able to infiltrate a mind absorbed in fear. in addition, these insights have often served to further dilute the fearsome thoughts, by revealing a new path, a new solution or a new way.  I can allow my mind to be efficient in reminding me to be aware, or, I can guide my mind to be efficient in inspiring my life with insight and inspiration; to live in darkness, or light. 

 I am learning that when we manage fear, we set ourselves free.  Acceptance has played a powerful role in this process, because it has been through acceptance of sensations of fear, and sitting with them, and breathing through them, that the feeling of fear has been allowed to simply pass, as it inevitably does, when it is not fed with an influx of fearsome thoughts. The choice to accept has been strengthened with the fundamental decision to live from a core place of love, over fear. Because I choose love, I choose acceptance; acceptance is an act of love. Because I choose acceptance, I make peace with myself, my thoughts and emotions, and my situation. This breeds inner peace. With a growing sense of inner peace, the conflict with fear ends because I empower myself to choose not to create thoughts of fear, but rather I allow the feeling of fear to be present when it is triggered by my efficient brain, so that in my peaceful acceptance, my mind has the energy and peace to create powerful words of love and encouragement that have the ability to dismantle fear and dissolve it in the mists of love. With no fuel to hold my mind in a state of fear, I move into the light.

Now that I understand the power of love and acceptance in the resolution of fear, I recognise that I can only become a victim to fear if I choose to. This path is a challenging path and sometimes fear takes hold with strong force. My challenge is to grow more love and acceptance and faith; faith that things will be okay, and faith that there is no need to be afraid. Anything can happen, so why choose fear when I can choose faith. Faith is a choice of love.  I choose faith because I want peace, and in choosing peace, I am being loving to myself. In recognition of the choice to love, I am given power and strength to dissolve fear and to believe in my new and beautiful dreams.  Fear is only as powerful as our own minds allow it to be, and at any point, we can step on the pathway towards managing fear and choosing to empower ourselves with self-management skills and our love. 

Now, as I cast my vision on 2018 and the exciting intentions I am crafting, I move with appreciation and gratitude into the new year, carrying with me the blessings that fear has taught me. Indeed, fear may have given me the greatest gift of all, because in learning to manage fear, I have been initiated onto the path to love, and on this path I am learning the secrets to true peace, freedom and happiness. In crafting a new year from a place of love, I now create not only the dreams and goals I want to accomplish, but also the true wishes of my heart; to live with  mind and body health, happiness and love, because from this foundation, anything I grow will be in alignment with my true heart values. This is the gift I want to give myself and share with you.

Wishing you a year of great health, happiness and love

Antonia x