I am knee-deep in book production mode these days, preparing for the release of Doorways to Transformation next month. I wanted to share another glimpse of what you'll find inside! This excerpt is about going after the larger life that is calling your name....
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“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence
of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The
potential for greatness lives within each of us.” —Wilma Rudolph
Imagine a world where you feel no limits, external or internal. What inside you would expand? What would come to the forefront to be expressed? Is there a hidden longing within you yearning to find its place in the world? We each have greater capacities within us, calling to be birthed in this particular time and place. James Hollis writes, “And yet each of us has an appointment with ourselves, with our own soul.”
New York Times bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd calls these capacities within each of us “the stamp of our unique genius.” She explores this concept through her female protagonist, a young woman named Ana, in The Book of Longings. Ana is on a quest to live out the largeness she senses within herself, all of her unexpressed capabilities. She faces numerous obstacles—from her family, the time period she was born, and her own inner struggles. But amid a myriad of challenges, she is emboldened by both her aunt’s belief in her greatness and her growing confidence that she is meant for more than what her culture expects of her.
We have a choice as to whether or not we will step into the possibility of a larger life. But, as James Hollis writes, “Whether we keep that appointment and step into the largeness of the summons is another matter.” Although the journey to overcome both real and perceived limits is never obstacle-free, one way we begin to live out our untapped potential is by forming alliances with others who can accompany us on the journey, calling out our abilities when we cannot see them ourselves. In turn, we call out theirs, and a beautiful exchange is born. At its core, enlarging is relational, and we have a responsibility to one another’s transformation. Mirroring relationships that call forth our greatest gifts illuminate for us what it means to partner with one another. We learn to bear witness to one another’s light.
Likewise, there are seasons in life when we must take it upon ourselves to bless our own largeness. We may not always have an advocate in our corner cheering us on. And in those times, we must choose to believe in ourselves, mightily. Cultivating our own journey of empowerment is a vital building block for our own rising. Each day, we have the ability to nurture and affirm in ourselves what we dream of being.
Growing in self-empowerment and choosing to partner with others are powerful forces. Held together in balance, these twin energies get activated. The act of blessing our inherent largeness—on our own accord and together with like-minded souls—will never fail to set our souls on fire.
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Reflections:
Is there a hidden longing within you yearning to find its place in the world?
With whom can you cultivate a mirroring relationship, each calling forth one another’s untapped potential?