Parents Take Your Power

Dear Parents,

When I was a younger person, I felt the spirit of mindfulness to some degree but never delved deeper in search of the true essence of who I really was. By mindfulness, I mean the ability to see with clarity the understanding of self and others so that life experience is lived in more awareness and presence.

Most of my adult life has been in reaction to it. Growing up there were lots of questions but generally pushed aside as not important or not relative to where I was headed in life. Had I trusted my instinct and my inner power and gone searching for answers, many of the barriers and walls I put around myself would not have been built; and if they were, there would be at least be pathways around, under, over, or through them. As a result, I cultivated my own limiting beliefs.

Growing up in the 50s and 60s was a time of questioning and one of the most exciting times in history. I was on the outside looking in. I was curious, but I didn't become a part of my generation that stepped out of the box, asked the questions, and searched until answers were found.

The path I was headed was mostly already set before me. I thought I knew where I was going because that is where a lot of us went back during that generation. It was laid out before me, and I never thought to create my own destiny. I didn't think to be the author of my own life; and unfortunately instead, I allowed others to script it for me.

We did go to college and majored in "something" that we could earn a living and reasonably have an affinity for, but our ultimate goal was to be married, have children, and hope to live happily ever after. We then "had arrived" and done what we were supposed to do. Of course, if after a number of years the "happily ever after" wasn't happening, we would be sure that we were going to be comfortable. After all, we had let a part of ourselves slip through our fingers.

There was a part of our lives we hadn't lived and made a trade off. By that I mean-the part where we were supposed to be living according to our purpose. You know, answering the call that was deep inside and meant to be shared in the service to ourselves and others. To compensate for that, we could look forward to relaxing as we got older-watch the world go by and try to be content with our family and our financial circumstances-or not.

Some of us chose another path. As we got older and were living the norm, we found that it didn't make us happy. We didn't like the path and weren't content-so some of us took a detour. Many of us paid dearly for that detour as we had to depend solely upon ourselves and deal with the mixed emotions we would create in our children for having made that decision.

We stood alone and it was hard-hard on us and hard on the children. We never meant for them to suffer for our mistakes, but we had to go out there and find a better road to travel. It took courage and guts.

Some of us made better choices after that. It gave us more fulfillment and happiness while others of us went around in circles-looking around corners, taking different routes, getting on and off the highway, getting lost, and ultimately ending up not getting answers to those same burning questions we wondered about so long ago.

Yes, there were times when I carved out my own path in spite of my past experiences and previous conditioning. The limiting beliefs continued to hold me back; but in spite of that, new paths were forged out of necessity and not necessarily coming from longing, passion or desire. Today, I know it is time to use the wisdom and knowing that I now possess and explore the aspirations, challenges, and power that has been buried deep inside for so long.
I am now ready, are you? 

Be on the lookout for more thoughts.