When we hold too tightly to particular happily ever after endings, we refuse wholeness. We make it difficult for Life to surprise us. Furthermore, demanding that other people meet our expectations, hinders us from freedom.
Vertical bars stood between Raven and me. From my viewpoint, he was the jailbird. Later I realized that the big, black corvid had come as a trickster. It was I who was the prisoner.
Sometimes soul parts leave and we invite them back home. At other times our souls play with us, coaxing us to truer selves.
What are some things we can do, to break free from being overly attached to specific outcomes?
Name what we want.
Set an intention to be present to life, as it is, while living into our desires.
Pay attention to nighttime dreams, giving the unconscious parts of ourselves a voice.
Notice any physical, mental, emotional or relational dis-ease.
Free other people from having to acquiesce to our way.
Be grateful for every experience, whether encouraging, embarrassing or outwardly impossible, knowing that each one serves to inform our next steps.
Ravens are paradoxical. They are active in the day, yet lead us into the dark night where ultimately, we find a light within.
If we allow Life to crack open our hard exteriors, we liberate True Self. Breaking open is unsettling, because being real makes us vulnerable. That’s why boundaries are vital to wholeness. And we cannot be free if we refuse to be whole.
In the void, we confront our shadows and forgive ourselves. Only then are we able to set other people free. Though we may not relate to other people’s specific failures, we can forgive them because we know all too well that we are human, too.
As we realize the disconnection from our essence, we lift up (or admit) our shadows to release gifts that invite those around us, or perhaps the world, to wholeness.
One morning, I watched a raven behind bars thinking he was the inmate. Then, I saw how I was refusing freedom by holding on too tightly.
Making Spirit Flesh*
What next active step can you take to live into your dreams?