Being concerned with what other people think can be an important part of socialization and inclusion, and it can also hold us back. Being overly concerned about other’s opinions so that we no longer hear or trust our own instincts, is dulling down our senses and intuition. We live in a web of interactions which is designed to keep the system going. There will be those that profit or are kept in charge, those who work very hard to get nowhere and keep the powerful powerful, those who become enraged with the system and commit violence, and those who will give willingly only because they were told to. In this script of life, there will be good guys, bad guys, and people pointing out who is who. Until it switches upside down.
This happens in families (who is really in charge?) many times, not the ones most vested in keeping the family safe, cared for and together. It happens in business (the hierarchies of unjustified power, backstabbing, favorites, and pacts), in schools (a system that longer works, but no one questions it), and in social interactions (a self nominated “leader,” and everyone willingly falling into a certain role, keeping their place). Call it dynamics or call it the Matrix, it exists.
When we back away from our own sovereignty in order to belong, so we don’t get attacked, stolen from, shamed, or even worse, abandoned, it keeps our higher selves from acting and being in accordance with our own sense of what we know. It takes courage, fearlessness and readiness to face the opposition. All while not being too attached to it all. As we grow in life, we realize it all changes anyway.
Spiritual Sovereignty is not the same as being stubborn, refusing to be open to other ways of looking at life. It is about being one within self, and being open to explore what we may not know. The next time you are in a situation or have an opinion that gets questioned and you are shaken, ask yourself “why is this rocking my world?” Perhaps have a real conversation as to why the other person sees things the way they do. Listen with empathy, an open heart and a curious mind to perhaps alter your opinion, teach you another way of looking at things, or give you another view that might not ultimately change your mind, but opens you for listening nonetheless.
If not wanting to confront someone, read an article that opposes your current situation or your view. Travel to a culture that is different than your own. Ultimately, if you have the courage, ask yourself “What if everything I thought all along was right, is actually wrong?”
Then take a minute to really let that sink in, allow yourself to become humbled and connect to the universe knowing we are here to grow and then recreate the grandest version we’ve ever had of ourselves. We have to first see the whole wide world and then decide. And then we can live as we are, as we grow.
