Let’s look at how your Spirit – your essence – can be celebrated as worthy, sacred and enough.

For me this is about self acceptance and acceptance of others. The latter is a big picture approach and is not about being ok with violence or abuse. It’s a concept that took me awhile to be at peace with since I have a long history of childhood abuse and domestic abuse from a prior relationship. In those instances I learned to accept and forgive in a way that worked for me.

Working with Self Acceptance

Self acceptance and acceptance of others can be truly eye opening and wonderfully freeing. For me it meant no longer ‘tolerating’ things that made me actually bitter or resentful. To find a way to actually move past tolerance and find the ways to accept in myself and others who we are can allow us to put our focus on the areas of our lives that call in our passions, creativity and ease. I had some shadow work (the Gremlin’s I talk about from my coaching days homework) around judgment that is still an ongoing lifelong gremlin I and many of us will deal with – even argue and fight with!

I want to reiterate here that acceptance does not mean giving in or up. There are a lot of things going on in the world I definitely disagree with and yet when I accept those exist, I am then free to put energy towards how I want to work with those things. I can accept trash and waste exists. I don’t have to stay stuck in my anger at it and not want to accept it. Now I am free to do something about it. Use less stuff. Donate or volunteer to organizations that address climate change or pollution (one of my favorites is the Surfrider Foundation) I am giving you a simplified bit of text here on a possibly deep and layered area for you. If this is triggering you – please find ways to explore this with someone who can help you move forward.

Call in the helpers

If you have past pains or trauma attached to self acceptance than I want to encourage you to work with an expressive arts therapists or other style of professional therapist, or a practitioner in an approach that aligns with your processing style. Perhaps a shamanic or earth medicine practitioner could also assist you to heal here.

So how can you see yourself as an altar? Worthy of honor. Respect. A way of living that holds you grounded to your core as sacred in the way that sacred resonates with you?

Do you know yourself

How can you celebrate yourself? How do you celebrate others? Do you have clarity around what you most value? The characteristics that you are proud of and perhaps the ones you know are a part of you yet you don’t feel they present you the way you feel most supports how you prefer to walk in the world and interact with others.

Getting Started

Value work and shadow work can help you solidify who you are at your core and where you may wish to make changes. There are exercises and tools you can use to help you gain insight in these areas. I offer ways to do this work and can provide resources to others who also do this work. It is important that you work with people that (In my opinion) you resonate with or get that ‘vibe’ that tells you their offerings will help you make the change you seek.

You may also find this within your faith. You may practice and attend a church that nurtures and lifts you in a way that your Spirit already feels solid and altar ready. As long as you feel empowered to live your life in the ways you deem hot and holy, authentic and with agency, then I believe you can thrive and take sacred steps in all that you do.

Action step

Who do you know that you see as sacred, worthy and enough? What is it about them? Is there a public figure that you identify with that is sacred to you? Why? Make a list of their traits, actions, words that help you identify the sacred in them. Make a list for yourself as well. Circle the cross over or similarities between the two of you. Feel free to share it with me!

and so you never forget…