Our identities are closely tied with our egos, especially until we do our inner discovery and begin to presence from our Self (unique authenticity that arises through inner listening, self-awareness, acceptance and actualization) rather than our self (the identity that forms in large part in reaction to external influences and efforts to conform and fit in).
And, egos are very sensitive. It’s one of the things that causes so much suffering and hold us back so often from stepping into our authentic identity.
I was reminded by a very moving moment at a Sanctuaries (if you live in DC and are not aware of the Sanctuaries check them out!) gathering just how much it really does take focused effort and personal support to help us move through our own reluctance to making time and space for activities that light us up and allow us to identify in ways that for many cultural based reasons we may feel reluctant to claim.
A beautiful young woman was sharing a piece of writing that she did in an exploration of the theme of "rough drafts and moving beyond perfectionism".
In her piece, she reflected upon how working through an exercise that a life coach offered, which encouraged her to stand in the mirror look herself in the eye and say “I am an artist.”, was so profoundly challenging.
She shared how terrified she was even thinking about confronting herself with this level of honesty and ownership over an aspect of herself that is clearly a part of who she is, but that she feels shy about owning, motivating and empowering.
She shared how she has taken steps to reclaim her artistry and express her creativity since that session.
And, how she still has not been able to stand in front of the mirror, look into her beautiful creative eyes and say: I am an artist.
As she spoke, envision her painting, presenting her creations and getting feedback that felt affirming to her was heartening.
Still, am cheering for her enter the next phase of stepping into this identity where she would feel a sense of value in her own work that would surpass the need for external validation. I envision her as I write this standing in front of her mirror and claiming her identity as an artist with full confidence.
This story exemplifies Capricorn and Aries as they are holding the sun and the moon tonight in balance. The archetype of Aries, theWarrioress/Warrior who stands up in strength to support us in claiming who we are and presence the courage to bring it into full expression. The energy of Capricorn makes good use of the material of life to achieve what we are capable of when we know and express who we are.
In the light of this half-moon set aside time to consider:
What are you reluctant to claim about who you are?
What you hold back from creating time and space to pursue?
Why?
Is it time to create that space?
What would be one courageous action you could take to use your time, energy and resources to take that step?
It is not too late to join our free Self-Mastery session on the what, why, where and how of Transformation tonight at 8pm.