In the intro to her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown wrote:
“Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough’. It’s going to bed at night thinking, ‘Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging’.”
I was listening to a podcast by Brené Brown and her sisters. Together they were reviewing The Gifts of Imperfection. Brené mentioned it is a great book for anyone dealing with midlife crisis (which can happen as early as our mid-thirties and last as long as the rest of our lives).
Basically, the idea is that we are born into a family life that, in some way or another, it becomes necessary to develop ‘armour’ around, for safety. This armour is effective as we navigate through the challenging times of our early years, but, at some point, the armour stops being practical, and then a downward spiral begins.
This examination is similar to the work we do at our Centre. We study metaphysical principles and use them as a foundation for a new way of living. In doing so, we disarm… step by step removing the shields and discovering the path back to our authentic selves. It can be challenging work, but so worth it.
Brené has outlined 10 guidepost that represents the daily practices of “wholehearted living”. (I highly recommend going to her website, where you will find her Gifts HUB. Fill out the Wholehearted Inventory. It is enlightening). https://brenebrown.com/wholeheartedinventory/
Her work blends perfectly with our practice of living The Science of Mind, which declares: ~ Life just is ~ I AM That I AM ~ The Universe is the unity of all Life ~ There is no separation: no great or small, no right or wrong ~ One Life: Perfect, Whole and Complete; Omniscient (all intelligent), Omnipotent (all powerful),
Omnipresent (everywhere)
BUT we are afraid of judgement: the world of affairs, what might happen, and ‘what does our neighbour think?’ So, we armour up and cut ourselves off from our connection to a bigger idea of Life, and this protection starts to have a negative impact on our life. What once worked, now works against us. We feel cut off from an Infinite Field of Life Itself (the Power working for us, through us, as us). We need to wake up - to see how our true power lies in living our authentic life.
Brené gives us a map for laying down our shields and stepping into this vulnerable journey. Faith in ‘One Life’ lets us know we are never alone, never abandoned, and then we can continue to monitor our progress to Wholehearted Living confidently, knowing that there is greater Good unfolding. I see evidence of it everywhere… if I choose to.
The Gifts of Imperfection inventory asks questions such as, “How good are we at letting go of what people think, versus cultivating authenticity?”
I am sitting here, brave and bold, writing about these truths. I have gathered up my faith and stepped forward into my dream, my desire to lead the way to joy for everyone; envisioning a happy world for everyone together.
To do this work, to live in my truth, I have to play ‘My BIG’, in my way. We all have a specially designed way of being that is unique to us. Are we following that inner compass, or are we listening to the push and pull from ‘out there’?
I know what happens when we don’t listen to our inner voice… we suffer. To numb out the suffering, we find distractions. We feel powerless, so we lose time on Facebook, we shop, we eat, we drink, we isolate…
Living our true passion, our true Life, means developing a faith in a bigger idea and trusting that our inner voice is fuelled by an Omnipresent Intelligence. How can it not be? THERE IS ONLY ONE THING HAPPENING!!
What if we could believe that this is absolutely true, and lay our armour down today? What if we let go of self-doubt, anxiety as a lifestyle, control of situations and other people, powerlessness, victim stances, blame …?
We have lived our lives, thus far, believing in the power of limitations. Look where that has gotten us. What if, for today (and tomorrow), we make the decision to fully believe in an Infinite Good that is for me and for you? What if today we believed we could never be separate from this Good, nor could anyone or anything else? Good is everywhere. Choose to see it, believe it, and live from it.
‘Today is the first day of the rest of our lives’. Today, and from here on, choose to live authentically and wholeheartedly. I’ve got your back!
UPCOMING for YOU!
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.
The forecast is still for wet and wind this Sunday, so we’re bringing our practice back inside again this week.
Sunday, Nov 14th, we'll be in the Sanctuary at The Centre, 516 S. Dogwood Street, Campbell River.
Feel free to bring a yoga mat and blanket, if you’d like to lie on the floor. Otherwise, chairs will be provided.
CLICK HERE to link to our website events page
MORNING REFLECTION: MEDITATION CIRCLE (Online)
Tuesday Mornings, from 6:45 am - 7:30 am
This 45 minute practice includes a guided reading for reflection, a 10 minute meditation, 10 minutes of journaling and a 15 minute discussion. (Have a pen and paper ready for journaling). CLICK HERE to access the Zoom link on our website events page
SHARING CIRCLE: BI-WEEKLY CONNECTION SPACE (BY SPIRIT CIRCLES) Thursday Evenings, from 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
A mid-week pick-me-up! One hour of connection and sharing, followed by 1/2 an hour of meditation, facilitated by SOM Practitioners. CLICK HERE to register via Eventbrite (once you have registered, you will receive an email with your zoom link)
Invitation to TRANSFORMATION
TRANSFORM Your Experience… PRACTICE
~ Where in your life do you have ease in believing in a bigger idea? Notice your confidence in that. ~ Draw a map in your mind, and in story, as to how you can transfer this same confidence over to a challenge in your life. ~ Notice: (The same Infinite Universe exists in both scenarios!)
TRANSFORM Your Experience… ASK A PRACTITIONER
Dear Practitioner: “I have gained bunch of extra weight and am feeling gross about myself. What can I do?” 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 all the folks who participated in the impromptu potluck birthday event we held at the Centre; who so seamlessly jumped into action to bring food, set everything up and put it all away, and in-between to assist in the making of our “What If?” video instalment for this week. Great community spirit!
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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