We are committed to holding ourselves back.
How do I know this?
Because places like our Centre exist.
Our soul purpose at the Centre is to uplift individuals in aligning with their inspiration. We belong to a larger organization that strives to ‘awaken humanity to its magnificence’. If people already knew they were magnificent we wouldn’t have any business.
Self-help books line the shelves at book stores. In 2017, the wellness economy was $4.2 trillion dollars. Researcher Brené Brown says, “We are the most in-debt, obese, addicted and medicated adult cohort in history.”
WHY?
We are born into cultures, communities and families bent on telling us how we “should be”. We are given rules for approval, and otherwise rejected, humiliated, undermined, and never seen or heard for who we are and who we desire to be. Ouch! (One of our Practitioners, Missy, calls our inner authentic self our ‘playground personality’… who we are without all this messaging).
Some of us, most of us, are so far away from our ‘true self’ that when asked, “What do you want?”, we can’t even begin to answer the question.
“I don’t know… what am I supposed to want? A career, a partner, a family, ‘success’, a house, assets to prove my worth…? But what do I really want? I don’t even know.”
The further we live from our authentic selves, the more we suffer inside. It is like we begin bleeding or hemorrhaging, and the suffering is so great we turn to anything that will numb the pain: - Spending money - Eating - Drugs and alcohol - Medication for the pain
When the numbing becomes too toxic and life starts falling apart, we turn to the wellness industry and begin what feels like an uphill journey. Terrified, we are asked to lean in and expose our deep inner self, but that was never safe before, so we are skeptical, “why would it be safe now?” Before, when we were younger and we risked showing our real selves, the messaging was clear: - That’s not good enough. - Why are you doing it that way? - Boys don’t cry. - Just smile and be nice. Desperate, we lean in anyway. And, slowly but surely, our inner self gains space and room to step out. Little by little, we learn that it is safe. But this is shaky territory.
Leaning in and removing the lies, the stories others have told us about the way to be, is the most valuable work we can ever do. If we are ok just the way we are, we can get on with Living; spending our daily energy on creating a life that is brilliant. And the suffering stops.
The journey out of this imprisonment is like a plane crossing the sound barrier. It bumps and shakes and feels like it isn’t going to make it. The aircraft feels like it is going to be ripped apart and then …. swoosh… smoothness and silence, stillness and effortlessness are met on the other side.
We don’t know what is on the other side of our suffering. We only know what we know, and what we have experienced so far. It takes something greater than our past experience to get us across that sound barrier, because every time we stepped out before we got hammered down, and that is keeping us stuck.
The thing is, we are not kids anymore. When we lean into the Truth, we learn that there is just One Infinite Universe - connecting all of Life - and IT is expansive, intelligent and powerful…. And, though we may study mystical writings that promise, “There is greater Good for me, and I ought to have it”, we can only get to a different experience by actually trying that something different.
“If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.” ~ Henry Ford
So, it takes Faith. A belief in something else… in a bigger idea, another way, a greater possibility. Then, one day, we finally do it. We risk being vulnerable and exposing our underbelly… we lean in… and we cross that sound barrier… and OH, THE SIGHTS!! We had no idea it could be this GOOD. Miracles begin to unfold. Life becomes easier. Little by little, another layer of the onion is peeled away. Slowly but surely, we begin to see ourselves… that kid we lost back in the playground. We start attracting new people that support us… our real selves. We grow wings and learn to fly. And eventually, when we meet others who are calling out for support, we have the strength to lend a hand. We know who we are. We know what we want. We know where we are going. We soar into the life that we could never have imagined; a life so great and grand, and we realize… that it has been here all along.
PRACTICE THE PRESENCE: Meditation (In Person - Outside) Sunday morning from 11:00 am - Noon PT
An hour of guided meditation and a unique form of non-linear, yogic "dialogue" sharing, in inspiring locations that change each week. NEWCOMERS WELCOME. NO EXPERIENCE OR SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NECESSARY. We’re back to being outside again this week - so please dress for the weather and bring a blanket and chair if you think that will make you more comfortable. Sunday, Nov 21st, we'll be in the beaver Lodge Lands, in Campbell River. Meet at the “Airport Main” trail parking (off of Dogwood - 700 m South of Hilchey and the Shoppers Drug Mart plaza). CLICK HERE to link to our website events page
PLUG INTO HAPPINESS: UPLIFT TALK (Online) Sunday Evenings, from 7:00 pm - 7:20 pm
An opportunity for uplift in what can feel like trying times. (Yes, it IS possible!) Pull up a comfy chair in your own home and join us for a taste of inspiration. Travel beyond the stories of the life you may be living, to envision of a life filled with even more happiness.
CLICK HERE to access the Zoom link on our website events page.
RETURN TO LIGHT: A SOLSTICE CELEBRATION (In-person/Outside) Tuesday Dec 21st, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
A sacred return to our earth-body connection and the seat of our souls… (This event is still in the planning phase, so stay tuned for more details as they become available). CLICK HERE to see the write-up for this event on our website.
TRANSFORM Your Experience… PRACTICE
~ Who is your playground self? Can you paint a picture?
~ Take out your journal and write a story about your playground self: what they like to do, how they like to dress, etc…
~ And/or use coloured markers and draw a picture of that beautiful you!
TRANSFORM Your Experience… ASK A PRACTITIONER
Dear Practitioner: “Some of my family are vaccinated while some are unvaccinated, so now my Mom and Dad have decided that we can’t all spend the holidays together this year. Everyone is hurt and mad at each other. Is there a solution to this?” Answer: (We have moved Ask a Practitioner to a video format. Please check out our video with this week’s response on the Centre’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feeds). CLICK HERE to link to the video on Facebook. We now also have many of our episodes up on our YouTube Channel - please head over there to like, share and subscribe! Click Link We welcome any questions you might like to submit for this segment, and, for extra uplift, a reminder that we offer free affirmations upon on request, through our Practitioner email: practitioner@thecentrecr.org. (We also offer one-on-one sessions for anyone who would like a more targeted support or coaching).
TRANSFORM Your Experience… SERVICE:
Volunteer: We are always in need of volunteers for this and that, and we are grateful to each and every one of you!! This week, thanks is going out to our “Small Group Leaders”! We appreciate all the energy you put into building and maintaining community, offering support and creating meeting content. We love your heart and your art!
We’re planning lots more activities and are always being creative about how to still offer uplifting programming, even with provincial restrictions in place. So, if you have any special skills you think might be of use, we’d love to hear about them! Simply contact the office (admin@thecentrecr.org). We’ll point you in the right direction.
(Next up… keep your eyes open for our RETURN TO LIGHT Solstice event!!)
Bright Ideas: How about some fun activity ideas? Got any of those that you’d like to share? Once again, our office is the best first point of contact: (admin@thecentrecr.org)
Get Social: We invite you to follow us on social media. Go ahead and share and comment on any of our posts that you enjoy, too! #TheCentreCR, #GetCentred and #UpliftLife.
Please also check us out and subscribe to our Youtube Channel! Click here to visit
TRANSFORM Your Experience… ABUNDANCE IN ACTION
Charitable Giving: The Centre is a registered charity that is wholly sustained through the generosity of folks like you. Thank you! Your contributions mean that, even in the times we are in, we are still able to offer classes, events and individual support, and continue our practice of giving to other charities in need within our community as well. (For any donation of $25 or more, you will be issued a tax receipt, but every bit of generosity helps, no matter the amount or the form it comes in). CLICK HERE TO DONATE Reminder, too, that a Thrifty’s SMILE card can be used to donate to the Centre, as well as the empties you take to the Recycling Depot!
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