Be Golden: Renew and Shine                          

What can we hold onto during times of stress, transition, crisis or even devastation?

When we’re blue, angry or anxious, what guides us as we attempt to rebalance? We all have days, even entire weeks, when we are down on ourselves and our situation seems overwhelming. There’s a lot of talk about “letting go,” and “releasing” these days. But what do we grasp, in place of the stuff we let go of? Where do we go to find meaning when we feel lost?

Going Inside and Out: Inside to Our Sparkling Essence, & Outside to Gleaming Sources of Support

The answer is lies in two places: inside, and outside of ourselves. Into our essence and its golden light. And outside of us, getting support from others who inspire us, and to whatever we call Source or God. Nature, if you prefer. To the Tao, the Divine. Point is: restoration comes from both within and outside.

How often must we renew to manage difficulties? Once a week? Hardly…..it’s: daily. To truly replenish and find our sparkle, we’ve got to visit and resource from origins of light, consistently and diligently. We cannot develop bravery sporadically. Having conscious bravery at our fingertips takes regular practice and repeated connection. That’s right, we don’t withdraw even if that’s our inclination. We connect. Frequently. We develop daily practices of finding the light, basking in the light, hanging with others who know how to shine, and over time we become more golden ourselves.

On the Inside: Your Essence & Its Twinkling Light is Your Inner Home

The good news is that both wellsprings are beautiful. Inside, the softness of compassion is warm and bright. Our inner being is the comforting home we long for, our place of refuge, our haven. Deep soothing is available from our Essence. We often prefer to receive love from a human or pet outside of us, and that’s soulfully satisfying too. So, do it all– seek the kindness you want to experience from inside yourself, from others and God. Wisdom comes from: the voice of the Seer within us, the advice and counsel of our friends and family, the infinite love of the Divine, and the power of nature. There is hope and consolation, my friend, and it is so accessible you can touch it like the air around you at this moment.

On the Outside: Our Glowing Power Sources

How do we find meaning on the outside? We’re grateful for a warm shower. A roof over our heads. In the beauty and art we see, the sounds and music we hear. In what we smell: dinner aromas, familiar evergreens nearby, or cut grass. In the invigorating beauty and power of warm sunshine on our face. A hello and a hug from a family member. Reflecting upon simple things, which tap into complex ones, we play with ideas of what matters. We depend upon the predictability of our sun and moon. Their goldenness brings us meaning. Rays of light tickling our eyelids in the morning. The mystical magic of our glorious full moon on a dark night is captivating and alluring. Most of us love sparkly things. So, when you’re depleted, see the color of these guiding orbs: gold. They’re golden. And you are golden too.

Moi, you say? “I matter?” On a gloomy day, we don’t feel golden, I know. But our inner shine is always there. How do we get in touch with it? We crack open. We peek inside.

Secret: Your Goldenness is so bright it cannot be dimmed. It is always accessible.

Practice Shining: Breathe Into Your Goldenness

Take a deep breath with me now and close your eyes. Go inside, to your inner being, to your deepest Self, the truest you. Breathe out from this place. This is your Essence. Breathe in and out from your guiding nature. Take your time. This You is your home. She is warm, loving, nurturing, and glorious. She shines, and she shines with power and golden rays of light whether or not you feel or see them. Lift the corners of your mouth, slightly, will you please? And extend your spine upwards from the top of your head, lifting your shoulders, opening your heart. What do you notice? Can you feel your goldenness? Do you see that you matter? Let your very own shine warm you up. Breathe again. You know your goldenness is real and alive.

Finding Warrior Strength and Graceful Surrender from Both Places

If we merely turn to Source, we may refuel, but we aren’t connected with ourselves. And if we solely attempt to go within, it’s easy to feel depleted. Finding strength and meaning from both places, we can truly feel anchored. We’re meant to be both in this world, centered, and yet aware that we came from some place greater than ourselves. When we plug in, we recharge from the port of the Universe.

Our Inner Fire and Our Lifeline

Moving forward in our lives, we discover that the coals of our conscious bravery are already warm. Engaged and connected to our inner power, we’re able to act with courage. Our goldenness isn’t just about sparkling pretty. It’s our inner fire.

Since our fiery is linked to Source, or God, it is our lifeline to what’s expansive, to a broader view of things. With the clear seeing from our Essence, we gain the wisdom of perspective and our stressors become more manageable. Connected to our Essence, our inner being, we can immediately distinguish multiple directions from different levels. It’s like we’re viewing our life at this moment simultaneously from both the 5^th story and from the ground we stand upon. We aren’t limited to an understanding of what just happened (the past), or what might result (the future). We can see what Is, now. And what Is is merely our situation. It is not our whole life. It is a moment in time, and it won’t last.

Meaning Derived from the Now

Not to discount the troubling nature or pain of what is occurring. It’s simply that from our Essence, while connected to Source, we live in the Now. Amidst struggle, we can ask the question: what is meaningful to me? And answer it, with honesty from the depths of our being. Then make life changes, to enact our purpose, to bring meaning into our worlds in the light of day. We are fully connected to and engaged with what Is. We exist In our bodies, aware, breathing, awake and alive and understand that we are okay; that this Now is an okay moment. The feeling of overwhelm can pass, and it will pass. Anchored from our Essence and supported by what’s greater, our goldenness is apparent, because the shining reinforcement from both within and outside lights our way.

Becoming Brave Enough to Handle Anything

How brave do we become when we are golden? Courageous enough to handle anything. As bright, and solid and guiding as the moon on a dark night. I can offer this to you because I’ve been in the trenches and came through devastation to the other side because of the light. Nine years ago, my husband died of brain cancer, barely a year after his diagnosis. It was a challenging year. My two sons subsequently became addicted to hard drugs. Things were…difficult. Trials kept piling on. My sons tried to anesthetize their pain. I had to do the opposite: I knew I needed to allow it, feel it, move through it. How? Being upheld by the platform of my Essence and experiencing the grief and losses. Long story short, I was forced to discover what I’m sharing here: I discovered my bright inner goldenness and decided to guard and keep it. I learned to shine like a lighthouse whether my sons or dying husband turned toward me for guidance or not. Early on, during the year my husband passed away, I vowed that I wanted to know God in this life. Connection was the path, and I was led. My guides? Those I’m reminding you that you have as well: my Essence, others who loved me, and divine Source.

What Is Source?

What is Source? It’s nature. Butterflies. Aspen leaves twisting and turning in a breeze. Sparkles of light reflecting upon water, somehow connected by dots to our twinkling, ancient stars. It’s the Divine love that surpasses understanding, the bond of a mother and child. The felt sense that we are upheld by something. It is the Tao, the timeless way things work, an indescribable mystery. It is our new awareness of God when we stand on the edge of wonder.

Holding On to Our Golden Selves

A few years ago, one of my clients who is an artist created a bold art piece showing a woman diving into her bigger-bodied self and called it “Diving into your Self is one way to nourish.” I love this piece, because of so many reasons: we must take risks in our brave leaps; our Self is often the destination. The piece visually speaks to part of the answer to the questions at the beginning of this blog. What can we hold onto for strength during challenging or debilitating times?  Our Selves. Our innermost being, our Essence, our goldenness.

How Do We Live From Our Golden Light?

How can you exhibit your goldenness? How can you live it, bold and beautiful? By doing your own thing. By being you. Sketching a butterfly, hiking a nature trail with awareness, writing vulnerably in your journal, snapping a candid photo of your smiling grandfather. Feeling your raw emotions and allowing the discomfort. By daring to make a clever comment or bravely staying overnight with a close friend who’s manic and psychotic. By giving space, to your lover or child. Honoring someone else’s differing opinion. Knitting a cute hat with the purples you love for your niece. Preparing an exotic dish, which you’ve never tried before. Loving your body as it is. Walking 3 mindful miles. By setting firm boundaries and maintaining them, even when pushed to return to old patterns. Being aware of your shadow side. Holding your feet in a “happy baby” yoga pose. Listening carefully to the lyrics of a new song and smiling. Forgiving your coworker for being critical. Bite-sized steps of creativity, brief insights, and small acts of bravery are all golden. Big ah-ha’s, huge accomplishments, brief yet courageous times you speak up, playing your instrument for someone else, and grand hugs are all golden.

By connecting within and outside, ideas come into our awareness, ideas for developing our conscious bravery. We may suddenly realize: I want to volunteer at the homeless shelter! Or, I want to donate money to support breast cancer research. Or, I’m going to drive to visit my mother, even though this pandemic makes the trip more challenging. Living in the Now, seeing our goldenness, we feel less limited. We can adapt more easily. We become more resilient. With more courage, we see that we already embody some aspects of conscious bravery.

Shimmer Brightly. Heal, Replenish and Be Brave

We shine a little brighter from inside of ourselves, and we mirror from the light of Source. We are golden, all of us. You are golden. Believe it. Renew. Connect. Find meaning. Live it. Then shine.

Secret: You shimmer like sunshine on water. Find and keep your sparkle.

Diving into your Self is one way to nourish. Replenishing from Source is the other. Inner and outer; go deep within to your Essence and stretch out to what’s greater. You’ll find the well of goldenness in both places.