Sundown Monday marks the beginning of the Passover holiday. Many people across the world will be commemorating this holiday differently; some celebrating it strictly religiously, some as a spiritual gateway, some as an historic event, some as the Last Supper of their Messiah, and some as a solely secular and cultural tradition. But no matter which way you view it, practice it, or acknowledge it, there is power in thinking about the main issue that the holiday marks and using it to take a look at your own life.
Passover commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. This is a holiday that represents the overcoming of people from bondage into freedom. I have always liked this holiday because it has truly made me look at what I am a slave to in my own life, what I have been a slave to that is keeping me from living the life that I want to live. Some years, I have been a slave to needing other people's approval and caring what other people think, doing things not because I wanted to, but because I thought I should do it and trying to please them. One year I was a slave to my closed heart for fear of opening it up again and getting hurt. This, of course, kept me from having the love that I wanted in my life. There are an infinite number of things we can be slaves to in our lives. We can be slaves to our pride, to our need to be right, to feelings of entitlement, to being a victim and not taking responsibility for our own lives, to needing attention, to our "stories," and on and on... Taking a few minutes to really sit with yourself on this can be a life-shifting experience for you. Because if you are not living the life you want, there are always reasons, and you always have the choice and the power to do something about it. So take a look and see where you are in bondage in your life.
The slavery that I am looking to escape this year is my slavery to the belief that I'm not worthy or able to have my dreams fulfilled. I am operating with my classes, writing, relationships, etc. at a level that are fine, but where I know I am keeping myself from the ultimate fulfillment and achievement that I am capable of and desire. I don't take the steps and risks I need to take to reach the level of love, of teaching, of sharing, of joy that I know I am capable of and that I dream of, because I am still often choosing to believe the ingrained, trained thoughts that tell me I can't do it, I'm not good enough or worthy or deserving anyways. Thoughts that people will reject me or make fun of me. Thoughts that it's okay for me to settle. These thoughts are keeping me from living my purpose, my passion, my fullest expression of love, and from truly sharing with the world. These thoughts and beliefs are literally like chains around my body that are holding me down and keeping me a slave to the way my life is now, as opposed to releasing me into the life of fulfillment that I really crave. This year at Passover, I am intending to break free from those chains and enter into living my life of fulfillment, believing that I AM worthy, that I AM deserving, and that it IS possible.
Find some time this week to sit in silence for a few minutes and think (or meditate or journal) about where you feel you are slave in your life. What thoughts, patterns, or beliefs are you bound to that are restraining you from living your life freely, from living the level of fulfillment in your life you really desire and know you're capable of? And make the choice to break those chains of slavery.