For the morning is the youth of the day, when everything is bright, fresh, and easy of attainment; we feel strong then, and all our faculties are completely at our disposal. Do not shorten the morning by getting up late, or waste it in unworthy occupations or in talk; look upon it as the quintessence of life, as to a certain extent sacred. Evening is like old age: we are languid, talkative, silly. Every day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.
– Arthur Schopenhauer, Counsels and Maxims
Whether you are aware of it or not, each of us contains infinite potential to become someone beyond the scope of our own imagination. Growing up, we are taught to constrict ourselves into societal constructs. As a result, nurturing self-limiting beliefs which hold us back from truly existing. Through mirroring the actions and thoughts of those around us, we absorbed the idea that we must be categorised. However, the experiences we accumulate and the lives we lead cannot be defined by archaical systems.
Due to the omnipresent conditioning, I have spent years believing that I did not matter. The attachment to such a belief made me feel hopeless and powerless. Every choice, emotion and action of mine were void of meaning and impact. Who did I give my power to? When did I lose ownership of my own life?
By paving my own path, I have realised that taking ownership of my life is entirely dependent on the ability to manage my inner world. The moment your thought process is disturbed by an outer force, be it an unexpected event or person, you have given them immediate permission to influence your outer world. Reclaim the power which has always existed within you, and let it breathe new life into your own.
In order to receive a second chance at shaping the trajectory of your life, you must give without the burden of expectation. Creating expectations for yourself will only lead to disappointment. There is no more space for shame and self-inflicted guilt, allow forgiveness to dissolve their grasp on you. Basking in the all-encompassing light means embracing your innate humanness. To make mistakes, to fail, to learn and to grow are intrinsically part of our nature. To criticise these qualities will only hinder you on the path to freedom.
Forgive your previous selves for doing the best they could, using the resources they had at the time. Acknowledge the lessons they helped you learn, and discard the unconscious limitations they once held over your true self. In letting go, you create space for what is to come. Create space for your own expansion.
Each of us represent the world we inhabit, by choosing to let go of these binding beliefs – we give ourselves permission to change. Explore each terrain and roam as free as the birds above, for now is all you will ever have. Surrender to what the world can teach you, as knowledge lies in the depths of the unknown. Befriend fear, let it guide you as the sun envelopes you in its eternal warmth.
In walking towards the light, we begin to embody all that it stands for. The potential to be, as we have always been. To blossom into an elemental force which knows no end. Our old selves gracefully fall from the tree, whilst we are reborn through the same roots.
How does it feel to bear witness to your own unfolding? Have you reached a point where you can say goodbye to an old self? Are you willing to transform into the self you are capable of being?
Affirmative Future 