Back in March of 2020, as many of us, I found myself without work. At first, I thought I would be back to serving my clients by June, 2020, then September, then January and now it is June, 2021 or maybe even August. I provide chair massage and wellness programs in the workplace, but many of my clients aren’t going back to work and if they are it is still best if we stay at least 6-feet apart. Not exactly the distance required to give someone a chair massage.
It was a day in July, 2020, I realized I was going through a grief process. I had never realized how much I received by giving chair massage to my client every week. I was actually startled by this awareness and the sadness that came over me. I also realized I had to find something to do. How can I serve? People are still stressed, just in a different way, so can I offer my service differently? I created Virtual Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Sessions, but most of my clients were tired of looking at their computers – they did not want to add another Zoom session to their day.
This lead me to my book, a book I started probably 10 years ago. As I completed the book, the process and content helped me change my perspective not only about what I do, but who I am and how I am to serve. I teach to reduce stress we must change thoughts we hold in our head. This is true about all of life. Wayne Dyer said it best, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Great advice but putting it into practice takes, well, practice.
This weekend I took a fabulous workshop called Living Love with Victoria Price. It was offered through One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. Ms. Price shared many profound things but one that stuck with me is, if we want joy in my life, I have to practice feeling joyful – everyday. I love this. It is only 3 days but those 20 minutes each day lift me up and help me stay lifted. If my energy drops, I just find something else I can do. It is all in my control. She made me realize, I cannot be fearful and joyful at the same time. We cannot be sad and grateful at the same time. We get to chose what we want to feel and then do what it takes to get us there. I am not saying to avoid sadness and grief because we have to feel to heal, but we do not need to carry these feelings day after day.
Making this kind of change takes tenacity, courage and stability, all three of these are aspects of our innate Faculty of Strength. Every human has 12 faculties or energy centers that we access and use at all times, we just have to wake up and use them consciously in our favor. The Faculty or Power of Strength and Resilience are physical, mental/emotional and Spiritual.
The stability of strength anchors us securely in the truth of our unlimited source of calm, safety and balance. It is our capacity to stand undaunted in the midst of shifting circumstances, to stay the course, to be flexible, to respond to situations presenting themselves moment by moment.
Emotional strength is the ability to tap within and ask, What is mine to do in this situation? Sometimes strength is needed to not speak when somebody we love, is about to do something that will hurt them.
Spiritual strength is seeing life from a lens of inclusion instead of separation, or comparison of any kind. Spiritual strength is also the ability to stand tall in our authenticity, while allowing others to be who they are. If we decide to live life in joy, the pure and simple delight of being alive, we need our Spiritual Power of Strength to live this way.
Courage is the ability to proceed boldly and can be taken in baby steps or bold ones. We tap into our courage at times like when a coworker has taken credit for our innovation or when we have to stand up to a loved one. Being true to our integrity calls upon our spiritual strength.
Finally, tenacity which is to be very determined and provides staying power. It is required to be your authentic representation of our best selves every day. Another form of tenacity is resilience, to keep on keeping on. Resiliency is to have multiple interests and have time for them, to be of assistance for someone else and to make a commitment and keep it.
Emotionally, tenacity and resiliency are to know what you are feeling and be willing to look at the message you are telling yourself. If you see someone and judge them, what are they mirroring to you as a belief you have about you. Resiliency is to be with what is happening without the need to control it or change it.
Spiritual resilience is the ability to walk in the darkness without getting lost. It gives us the ability to hear what another has to say, even when we disagree. We can do this without changing our mind or the need to change the other person’s mind. Resilience and strength allow us to have compassion for ourselves as well as others.
Spiritual strength and resilience are the powers to push us forward. They have the capacity to stretch us beyond our limited ideas of what we can do.
Summary:
“Inspiration and education without action is merely entertainment.” (Mary Morrisey)
Strength and resilience are developed through study, meditation, contemplation and prayer.
- Study is when we engage in a class or read a book that challenges our perceptions
- Leads us to think about life from another view point or to a deeper spiritual understanding.
- Meditation is sitting in the silence.
- We sit in the presence of all that is and allow Love to be Love in our lives.
- We listen for the inner voice of wisdom and to feel that inner Power of Strength.
- Contemplation is taking a situation or thought into that inner space and to ask for guidance.
- This process can be done more than once, each time gaining deeper understandings that empower us to live our fullest life.
- Prayer is having an affirmative conversation with Spirit
- Thanking the Power of Strength for assisting us in life and getting through.
Affirmations:
“I have the strength to accomplish all that is mine to do.”
“I claim my strength now, regardless of circumstances. I stay the course so I can be the best person I can be.”
“I am Divine Strength”
Together let’s consciously call upon and develop the Power of Strength so we can stretch beyond our current circumstances and perceptions into the realm of infinite possibilities that are available to us and make this world an even more amazing place to live!
Excerpts from Rev. Charli; Unity of Verde Valley
More can be found on the Power of Strength at www.Unity.org