7 Beliefs to Live By

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I haven’t known if I wanted my words to find a form for a while. It has been easier to let them meander aimlessly. They’ve been taking up space nomadically, wherever they find a home. I fashion myself as an oracle, delivering pertinent quips when my energy is sought out. There is a lot happening in the depths beneath my surface and these days, I do not have the desire to share it with everyone. There was a time when I was desperate to be seen. I would write with a marked dehydration, my pages bleeding scarlet, seeking your attention urgently. I have settled into a new rhythm recently, one where I am finally learning to value my own energy. Now, I share when my inner compass drives me to.

I am here today with the knowing that this will find whomever that it is supposed to find. At the right place, and at the right time. This post is a culmination of several conversations with myself and my loved ones. In the last few weeks, life has been sending me the same message everywhere I look — slow down. Go with the flow. Rest. Play.

Growing up as the eldest daughter, I had learned to take on the burden of every generation that came before me. There was always an invisible load on my shoulders, causing me to hunch and drag myself from one life appointment to another. It became so bad within the last couple of years, that I would treat even my relationships as a chore. Friend meet-ups became assignments to cross off an imaginary list. At one point I was just living, and I was no longer an active participant in my own life. Of course, I have been making it my life’s mission to change that, and more importantly, have fun doing it.

I want to share some of the most important things that I have recently been learning with you. These are simple learnings, which is why they are so easily forgotten, and why they shouldn’t be.

1. There IS more than enough for everyone.

   Living in a capitalist world will teach you to operate from a place of lack. If you aren’t careful, you will find yourself chasing outcomes and forgetting to live your actual life in the process. We live in a plentiful state of existence. When you believe that there is enough for everyone and operate from that belief as a baseline, you will find that you always have just enough to get by. In every sense of that word.

2. Abundance is your birthright.

   Why shouldn’t you be abundant? What has caused you to believe that you do not deserve every bit of fulfilment, just as anybody else? I operate from the knowing that the karma we come with can be changed at any given point in time. When we take the reins of our own life and are making choices for ourselves from a place of confidence and not fear, abundance will find us. Of course, the road to achievement won’t always be easy. This doesn’t mean that we lose conviction. Abundance is your birthright. Believe it first, and then you will see it erupt around you.

3. Leading with love will always leave you happier.

   I still struggle with this. Growing up, I was not taught to experience disappointment healthily. I never knew how to hold space for my own feelings, and thus I did not know how to do that appropriately for others. I am slowly learning how. It starts with having self-love and self-consideration. If you can not lead your own life with love and care for yourself, then you can not do it for anybody else. Start with treating yourself the way that you want to be treated. It will take time to see the results, but it will happen. I promise.

4. The only responsibility you have is to be true to yourself.

   Read that again. Everything else comes after. If you find yourself in a place where you are not living your truth, you have a lot to change. You have come here with a mission within your heart. Sit in silence and stillness, and it will sing to you. Surround yourself with noise, and you will never find out what it is that you are meant to do, and who you are meant to be. The most successful people spent meaningful time alone to get the most important guidance in their lives, that of their higher selves.

5. Being honest is hard, but it is the only way to evolve.

   Yes, there will be repercussions. Sometimes, terrible consequences. This is important, and more than that, this is okay. How else will you learn? We suffer more in our imagination than we do in reality. The fun is in the journey. If we didn’t experience our downfall, we would never learn to truly value our rise. So make mistakes, many, many of them. Then, enjoy the process of righting your wrongs. Be honest doing it. Feel the gratitude that fills your heart as you find yourself still loved after the storm has passed. You will discover your real friends on this journey.

6. Every emotion serves a purpose, even anger and sadness. Honor them all.

   I had the hardest time with this one. I still do. I am learning to embrace my grief and anger. Both of these emotions teach me something. My grief teaches me the value of treasuring all that I love. My anger teaches me to value myself and be my own biggest advocate. If we do not treat ourselves as the most important person in our lives, then nobody else will. This means honoring every part of ourselves, the most beautiful and the most imperfect parts alike.

7. You are the only one within your control. Surrender.

   This one speaks for itself. Do what you can, leave the rest. Let life do its thing. Life moves through you. Allow it to flow.

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Love you always,

AB.