“Life is a test. It is only a test…had this been a real life you would have been instructed on where to go and what to do.” ~www.visiblebynumbers.com
August has arrived and traditionally August is a month of abundance in the farming community. It is when the crops sprout and the fruits are in harvest and ready for picking. Not only is August of 2012 a powerfully abundant month but it is a blue moon month. No, that does not mean the moon turns blue! A blue moon, according to the language in my circle, is when you have two full moons in one month. This month we have one on August 1st and one on August 31st. This aspect makes August a super duper abundant and powerful month!
My roommate Elaina and I decided to ring in the new moon by going to a Labyrinth Full Moon Walk at the Peaceful Spirit Enrichment Center in New River, AZ ran by Tom and Melanie Dunlap. Talk about a power center! Having walked a labyrinth before, we were very aware of what to expect physically but one is never prepared for what comes up mentally and emotionally…especially under a full moon! When you walk a labyrinth, it is a moving meditation. Although it is repetitive, each walk is unique in and of itself. Each labyrinth is constructed differently but they are all a one path design and you cannot make a wrong turn or decision when walking it. As Melanie states, “Your only decision is to take the first step, much like walking the path of life.”
At the beginning of our labyrinth walk we were asked to write down on a piece of paper (I called it “Harry Potter” paper because it is the kind that literally disappears instantly when it hits a fire) something we would like to call into our lives. As I contemplated what to write on my paper, I realized how much I really didn’t know about my own life. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my life! I feel as if I am one of the blessed ones and am so grateful sometimes it brings me to tears. But life doesn’t come with instructions on what to do or where to go. Why? Because we get to create this thing called life as we go along. If it came with instructions on what to do when, where to turn, or where to go it would not be our life to create. We would just be living a life someone else created for us.
Take a moment and look at your life. I mean really look at it. See into it. See past the surface stuff – not having money, kids acting up, a job you may or may not like, a relationship you are not sure of – and look deeper. You may be actively living your life day to day but are you showing up for it? Are you really engaged in life? You don’t have to see the whole staircase in order to climb the stairs; you just need to take the first step. Each step you take gives you a different view of the staircase. Once you get to the top, the next set up steps appear and you are now stronger, wiser and more courageous to go on.
Labyrinth at the Peaceful Spirit Center
At the center of our labyrinth – once we have “arrived” – we give thanks. Thank the moon, thank the stars, thank our Creator, thank those around us, and thank ourselves for showing up. We offer our “wish” to the fire, much like the Despacho ceremony when my groups are hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, in order for it to be heard by the heavens and manifested. The heavens always respond in one way; “Your wish is my command!” The question is, will you be present enough to see it when it arrives? Will you show up?
Life is not about making the “right” turns or doing the right things – life is about showing up. When you show up you are in your center; listening to your higher self and where it is guiding you. Your map is your heart. Following your heart is your test. Will you honor yourself this time around? is the question. No one person is here to show you what to do. We are only here to help and support each other. The rest is up to you …
Turning the corner,
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.