We are now in a new lunar year- the year of the water rabbit. It is yin rather than the full on yang year we had in 2022. This means that the energies tend to be more gentle and there is a call for more reflection rather than trying to make things happen. For many last year will have brought up stuff for you to heal and 2023 is really about giving yourself the space and possibly investing in the support to do that. To help I will go deeper into some of the key themes of the water rabbit year via a series of articles. For this first one let’s unpack the quotation:
I believe truth is revolutionary; it’s part of the work of fierce love
Jacqui lewis
Consider this question: how often do I avoid sharing my truth?
Be honest. It’s probably more often than you realise and there will be many reasons why you do it. If we consider the current energy of the year, the essence of water can be summed up with the following question: is it safe?
Many people have a fear often at the unconscious level that if they tell their truth it will be rejected and/ or it might cause conflict. For others there may be the fear that they will lose a friend and so they keep silent. And in really challenging situations many practise the avoidance leadership style.
In these circumstances the individual drops the other person or the activity. Initially this makes it a lot easier because you don’t have to deal with that person or their energy. The reality is somewhat different so let me explain why.
We see the world not as it is but as we are.
You have somewhere around 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day! And often you are not conscious of them; and yet thoughts take on form. The pain you experience is when something happens and you decide whether that’s a good or a bad thing. The ideal is to be completely detached from what is happening on this earth plane adopting the Taoist principle that it is what it is. As soon as you connect a positive or negative feeling to a thought it has an impact on you and those around you. The first step to changing this is to realise that you have no neutral thoughts.
Why avoiding an issue does not work?
Avoidance seems like an effective strategy. Perhaps you have decided to step back from a relationship where you feel conflicted. It may feel easier but in effect what you have done is close your heart to that person and quite possibly gone into judgement about them or their activity. There will be heaviness and it’s as if your energy has a smell so if you come into that other person’s orbit they will realise straight away that the relationship is out of alignment. Effectively what you are doing is carrying unprocessed emotions around and at some point they will leak and quite possibly on someone you care deeply about. More than that whatever you are doing to another you are doing to yourself. In this case giving someone a wide berth is akin to cancelling out a part of you. I say this because we are all one; there is no separation.
What is the cost to you?
I expect if you asked anyone they would say they would like a miracle. They may not use that word. Rather they might say they want a better job, a warmer relationship with a loved one. You have the power to have all or any of that if you clean up your thoughts.
Miracles are in fact naturally occurring events that come out of love. Let me give you an example. A shopkeeper is worried because he is not selling enough stuff to make a decent living. Stuck in his concerns, he often appears preoccupied to customers and distanced from them. They do not enjoy the way he appears and so they start avoiding his store and taking their business elsewhere. The shopkeeper’s moodiness has impact on others and so his fears of lack become real as his way of being drives away existing and ultimately potential customers.
The so what factor
Living as if love is the only thing that is real is hard work at first as is working out at the gym or any kind of physical exercise. It takes discipline and commitment. When you work out regularly you may notice an increased sense of wellbeing. We know that exercise releases the brains feel good transmitters called endorphins. Similarly when you start to train your mind by releasing all the conditioning you have collected during your lifetime, you are allowing the possibility of more joy. Experiencing bliss is your birthright.
Have you got what it takes?
Going back to our original focus on speaking your truth rather than living a lie, where do you stand on that now? As someone who tends to question the dominant narrative and who is known for being genuine, I can make others feel uncomfortable. It is one of the reasons I have very few friends because I prefer real conversations. The reason I take this stand is expressed so brilliantly in the following excerpt:
Truth makes a personal, spiritual, ethical, and moral demand upon us. It wants to be said, known, told. It hurts and it’s inconvenient, but it’s essential to our well-being.
Jacqui Lewis
Are you willing to be brave and to speak your truth whilst maintaining curiosity about another’s truth?
The Water Rabbit asks us to be both brave and curious, a paradox perhaps. The spiritual path helps you develop the capability to hold contradictory statements and see the wholeness in such contradictions. It expands your intuitive muscle so you can see what’s really going on. If that sounds like a capability that could be useful get in touch to hear more about my special January offer. And if it has whet your appetite about the Water Rabbit year, I have a few places left on my next one day in-person retreat where you will learn more about the energies of 2023 and how to manage them. Drop me a line, kate@wholeselfleadership.com, to get more details.