Saying Yes to Our Desires

Wednesday Wisdom

 “If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step

 Permission doesn’t sound like a very spiritual word, but I’ve come to realize it’s what allows us to say YES. We can give ourselves permission to listen to our desires, to fulfill our longings, and to care for our needs.

Yet so many of us keep our desires tucked away, unfulfilled. This creates a pressure that chisels away at our souls, leaving us feeling disconnected from ourselves and Spirit. Experiencing the Sacred is all about connecting with the life impulse that nurtures, feeds and cultivates the creative forces within us.

So we must ask faithfully and continually ask ourselves this: What gives us life?

In this sacred practice, I am inviting you to find the voice of permission in yourself that invites and allows you to live a life with more fulfillment and sacred awareness.

Practice:

• Begin with intention. Take three deep breaths, and with each breath feel your body relax. Becoming more relaxed in the body allows us to become more receptive.

•  Now, slowly say the word permission. Then repeat it, permission.  Let the word fill you up, like helium filling a balloon.

•  Ask yourself: What would I like to give myself permission for? Don’t rush in with an answer, but let your heart speak. Sit with the question for as long as you like and see what arises.

•  Now, write down what’s come up for you—as simple or complex as it may be. (Permission to explore a new prayer practice, to stop trying to solve other people’s problems, to sit on the sofa and read a book, to connect more with God in everyday life, or to go on a retreat, etc…)

•  Look at what you’ve written. As you read your words, notice what deeply resonates for you—not what you think you should do, but what makes your heart leap.

•  Now, in a prayerful and mindful way, bring this desire into the sacred moment. Ask for guidance to show you how to manifest this into your daily life.

•  Is there something you could do right now, or even today, to give yourself permission to live with more fulfillment and joy? Remember, every journey begins with a step.