You Are Allowed

You are allowed to dream, create and be whatever you want. You may not be encouraged to or taught how that works but nevertheless, you are allowed. There is no power on this Earth that really tells you what you should do. There is no force stopping you from physically, mentally or emotionally following your bliss.

You are not required to find a steady job, get married, buy a house, settle down, pay your bills, vote, walk on the pavement, watch TV, pay taxes, go to school, pay your pension, take pills, go to the dentist, read newspapers, retire, feel up, feel down, feel happy, feel sad, be big or be small.

All these things are just habits and constructs that we have created out of pure potential. They are all things we have agreed upon as we have moved through evolution. Yet much more is possible. That is not to negate what we already have. It is not to negate these experiences either. They are vital for contributing to who we are now and our history has brought us to this point - therefore it has been of the greatest value. Yet you are allowed to be more. You are allowed to follow your dreams. You are allowed to express your heart and the fullness of yourself in ways you may not have previously imagined or allowed yourself to.

Let us get this straight first. I am not talking about doing crazy things that you think might bring you happiness because of a void or emptiness inside. I am not talking about making judgements and decisions for others either. That path leads to addiction, oppression, violence, dictatorship and righteousness. I am talking about facing the darkness with open arms and hearing what is has to say first. Then hearing what your heart has to say. Sometimes that heart voice is distant and hard to hear because of the filters we have layered around ourselves.

Sometimes the filters we hear are the ones of our childhood and schooling that told us to be limited and small beings. Sometimes the voices are of well-meaning parents who also didn’t know they were allowed to be whoever they wanted to be. Sometimes we are way too worried about what others will think of us. Sometimes it is the voice of corporations informing us of our imminent happiness once we own their products – highlighting our dissatisfaction until we do! Perhaps it is governments and politicians foisting their rhetoric upon us, trying to convince us that there is something to fear. Perhaps we have been faced with an endless series of problems and disasters, or have just witnessed enough suffering on the planet and cannot see a way forward for humanity or ourselves anymore.

The thing is though, the only thing that holds us back from exploring and expressing ourselves in any way we want to is ourselves. Only we hold the key to our hearts. Only we have the power to open that door within ourselves. It starts with allowing ourselves to dream. Allowing ourselves to find our passions – however big or small they may be. It starts with letting everyone else of the hook and taking the courage to look inside for the answers.

In any given moment we have a choice. We have the choice to react as we have always done. To live the same drama, the same moment, the same year. We can choose to watch the same things, despair at the same tragedy, read the same papers and continue going to the same jobs, doing the same things we do not want to do. Feeling feelings over and over that we wish we could get rid of. Repeating the same mistakes when we thought we knew better.

Or we can take a moment to listen to our hearts. Take the time to breathe and find a space to feel what our body is feeling in any given moment. Instead of responding to outer circumstances with knee-jerk reactions – stop and pause. Begin to watch yourself… Notice your body, your feelings, your breath, your thoughts. Just watch and observe. You are in control. You get to choose. What will you do next… Tell yourself - I am allowed to dream, create and be whatever I want.

What is the future of this thought? What could we do individually and as a species? Would we decide to react differently? Would we see if there was another way? Would we decide to take a more loving approach? We would decide to see things from another point of view? Would we be honest and tell ourselves that the last thing we want is to create an argument – with others or with ourselves? Would we turn off the TV and pick up the paint brush? Would we start dancing in the middle of the shopping mall when we heard our favourite song? Would we start taking small baby steps towards our dreams? Would we pack up our belongings and go travelling? Would we have the courage to talk to that gorgeous shop helper? What would happen if bit by bit, we stopped listening to the voices that tell us no, and started listening and taking actions on the inner voice that tells us yes? Would we start seeing loving supportive hands reaching out to help us in our quests? Would we start reaching out to help others…?

Know this… you are allowed to dream, create and be whatever you want. You are free. The choice is yours.

 

Matt is a singer/songwriter, writer of words and fiction, poet and yoga teacher. If you are interested in the writing process and writing from the heart, he will be running 'Soul Writing' workshops and teaching yoga with his partner at their summer retreat in Spain in May 2015. Check the website 'Yoging the World' for full details.