One of my favorite songs is the Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns. Here are the opening lyrics:
Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in, onto the crashing waves.
To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is. And He’s holding out His hand.
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me. Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed. The waves they keep on telling me time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win! You’ll never win!”
But the voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid”…
Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
The Hero’s Journey
Isn’t that what the Hero’s Journey is all about? We’re like Peter in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (from Matthew 14:22-33). And it’s our old blueprint that wants to stay in the boat. Not because it’s comfortable, but because it’s familiar.
Our heart yearns for something more. Something great. It longs to live a life of passion and purpose.
“You are here to live as your highest expression. You are here to be your beautiful, empowered, sacred, holy self without apology, without explanations, without trepidation. Let us see her. And let us all be changed by the power of her divine confidence and courage. (Debbie Ford)
The boat represents our comfort zone. Jesus calling us, to step out onto the water into the “realm of the unknown” is the Herald calling us. It’s our dreams and our soul calling us.
Will we answer the call?
When we accepted our scholarship 18 weeks ago, we said yes to the call. Every week since, we’ve accepted. We’ve continued on to live by the compass and not the clock.
However, every hero’s journey hits a wall and an abyss before we experience transformation, atonement, and our beautiful, miraculous self with our new blueprint. In the stages immediately before the abyss, we experience challenges, temptations, and doubt.
I heard it on our tribe call as people were reconsidering their PPN’s (personal pivotal needs) and DMP’s (Definite Major Purpose) that we wrote weeks ago. The Hero starts thinking things like:
- Perhaps I got it wrong.
- Perhaps that life of passion and purpose isn’t really meant for me.
- Perhaps I dreamed too big.
The temptation to shrink our dreams becomes this thundering voice in our head.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? (Marianne Williamson)
During these times, the better questions to ask ourselves are
- What am I hanging on to so hard that I don’t want, that prevents me from having what I do want?
- What am I pretending not to know?
- If I could not fail, what would I do?
- If money, time, and health were not an issue, what would I do TOMORROW? With WHO?
And perhaps the best question to ask ourselves comes from Marianne Williamson:
“Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” (Marianne Williamson)
Og Mandino reinforces this idea in Scroll IV:
I am nature’s greatest miracle. I am not on this earth by chance. I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.
Over 18 weeks ago, we were asked a question by Mark and Davene, by our guides (thank you Nancy), and to ourselves:
What are you willing to give up
to have the life of your dreams
and to step into your true purpose?
The first instinct was to give up things like television and social media and video games. But what if we dig a little deeper?
What if we are meant to give up our fear and doubt? What if by giving up fear and doubt – yes, my lovely monkeys, we have to let go of the banana – we could have love and faith?
“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)
Practice the Tools
At times, we all hear the voice of fear and doubt. Sometimes it gets loud and threatens to take us under like a riptide. As we do the work of this brilliant master key mastermind class, we learn to tune them out. We use the tools and we practice the Sit, the Law of Substitution, and the Law of Relaxation.
The Sit:
As we sit each day in quiet stillness, thoughts of doubt may come up. Let them go. Like a revolving door, just keep sending them on their way.
Law of Relaxation:
Mental effort defeats itself ~ exactly the opposite of physical effort. A relaxed, calm state of mind, is the only doorway to progress mentally. Relaxation of thought is the only access to Infinite Intelligence.
The Law of Substitution:
We cannot think about 2 things at the same time. If a negative thought enters your mind ~ try to think about God instead. If that is too big a reach at the time, use any fond memory or other pleasant thought. Jesus, the Master Teacher, said, “Resist not evil” ~ meaning turn from it and think about something else instead.
As we sit and relax, we learn to replace the voice of fear and doubt with the voice of truth, knowing that what we focus on grows and what we forget atrophies (Law of Growth).
Know this: You are a new creation and you can do all things!
You are Whole. You are Perfect. you are Strong. You are powerful.
You are Loving. You are Harmonious. You are Happy!
With love, kindness, and gratitude,
Lori Ann
