Rain clouds blacken the sky. With the wind lashing at her face, she picks up her pace as an owl screeches while swooping from the low branch of an old oak tree. Is someone after her? Did she make a wrong turn? What should she do?
Okay, so maybe our stories aren’t quite as dramatic as that, but we all know how our dark cloudy thoughts make us miserable. We know that the sun is still shinning behind the darkness, but we can’t seem to access it. What if letting go of the shadows were not as difficult as we make it out to be?
Lately, I’ve been asking my clients what they would do if the Holy Spirit (or any other unconditionally loving spirit) walked into the room carrying a trick or treat bag and offered to put all their grievances towards themselves or others into the bag to be carted off into the ethers ~ never to be seen again. Would you do it?
Surprisingly, most people balk at that idea. After all, the endless search for who is responsible for making us miserable, and hours of mind investment to figure out how to make them pay (or getting them to treat us better) would be forever over. Even when the horror show features us as the negative protagonist, to suddenly take away the agony of guilt is not many people’s first choice.
I’m not saying that reflection on our behavior is a bad thing. It can be beneficial to understand our motivations for doing something in order to make improvements in learning life’s lessons. But, analyzing should also be a step into letting go of any thoughts or feelings that continue to rob us of inner peace.
To have a more continuous state of well being, I believe that the desire for inner peace must outweigh the desire to hold on to any drama. Once that decision is held firmly in the mind, then the heart opens to acceptance and forgiveness. This is the doorway that lets the past stop haunting us.
If ghosts seem to show up in the present moment:
- Hold firm to your boundaries of not indulging them.
- Say ~ the past is over and I am free.
- Breathe love in and out of your heart.
- Visualize the Holy Spirit (or any other unconditionally loving spirit) coming into your focus and ask for help to dissipate any thoughts or feelings that are not of peace.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, words and actions to keep you safe, and to help benefit any others who are involved in the scenario.
- Witness the shadows disappearing and the bright sun of truth revealing your true identity as a holy and much loved child of the Creator.
This is no trick. Practice these steps over and over until it becomes second nature. The treat of life is a sweetened state of mind!
Have a Happy Halloween!
Pen Augustin is author of Waves of Light and The Priestess Tale series. Pen loves to give messages about how we can heal ourselves and bring balance to our beloved planet. Living near the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, she enjoys spending time in nature and communing with the local wildlife.