Shining Your Light Amongst Community
As a person coming from a christian family, there are a lot of misconceptions and micro-judgments on my beliefs because they are so different from societal norms. Often when one opens up to an “other” the majority truly struggles with acceptance and understanding. I have such a hard time really opening up to both people who are new in my life OR those who operate with me in one of the different facets of my life. It feels almost taboo to open up and show the other faces of my life to people when I don’t know their reaction.
I know I am not alone in this, and that is why I wanted to share this with you. We are a community and by opening ourselves up to the people in our lives, we are expanding the consciousness here on the planet. Part of the reason why I started this blog was to grow myself as a healer and get more comfortable with my truth being on a larger stage. I am a firm believer that when we illuminate ourselves in our truth then it makes it easier for others to find and follow theirs.
Some general tips I would highly recommend are:
Start small: start by telling close friends and you don’t need to go into the deep end immediately. That is a piece of advice sometimes I need to take often. It’s less shocking and jarring to start with”I enjoy yoga and meditation” and grow it to women’s embodiment and empowerment to the eventual Goddess Worship, Natural Cycles of the planet, and the Taoist beliefs I have anchored within my beliefs. Starting at “I dance naked under the moon and give offers to an ancient goddess” may not get you to the eventual goal that you want.
Iterate that you’re open to further explain: It’s likely that it will be the other person’s first time learning about your beliefs so don’t feel jarred that they may have some follow up questions. I have had to explain Chakras - the system, meaning, and purpose/location within the body - numerous times and that is a “beginning” or more mainstream concept out there for the public. As your beliefs venture further off the well-traveled path, the people in your life will need more explanation as they venture into acceptance. You deeply believe your path, but it needs to be illuminated for others.
Don’t take initial reactions personally: Many times first impressions and fractions are not all as we predict or hope. In some cases your loved one(s) may experience the 5 stages of grieving - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance - because they are grieving the idea they had of you. That idea isn’t your reality, but it was theirs for years in some cases. Time heals both them and yourself as you further grow into your fully present and fulfilled being.
All of this being said, if you encounter people who are not accepting, disparaging, rude or if the relationship evolves into something toxic -- you do not have to tolerate that. Going into these conversations with light, love and confidence in yourself is one thing, but above all advise trust your intuition on what’s best for your well-being.
