Write to Empower Archives - Magnificence

You Are Magnificent

Osho: “You are not accidental. Existence needs you. Without you, something will be missing in existence and nobody can replace it. That’s what gives you dignity, that the whole of existence will miss you. The stars and the sun and the moon, the trees and birds and earth—everything in the universe will feel a small place is vacant which cannot be filled by anybody except you. This gives you a tremendous joy, a fulfillment that you are related to existence, and that existence cares for you…you can see tremendous love falling on you from all dimensions.”

Whether you are wearing pajamas, sweats, or power suit, you are magnificence personified. Your role in the play of life cannot be replaced. Every action you choose to take is like a ripple on the pond of life.  Can you see your beauty in the mirror? Can you accept that you are needed just as you are now? When we hide our uniqueness, or conversely think we are “more special” than others, it is our fear of our own magnificence that drives us. Fear wears many masks symbolized often by the clothes we wear. There are masks of not feeling good enough, of feeling lost or powerless, of pretending to be small in the face of a loved one’s insecurity. There are also masks of having to be perfect, of being the super mom, of acting as if we have it all. The courage to reach past our mask of fear is within us. By reaching out to others we don’t have to travel that road of revelation alone. Unbeknown to us, sharing our stories with a friend, whether they are epiphanies or inadequacies may change both of our lives.

When was the last time you were thrilled with who you are in this moment? Or maybe not quite so bold, do you spend your day happy to be you? Or instead, do you wish that you had curly hair instead of straight, or weighed 10 pounds more or less? Or on a larger note, do you wish that you were Mother Theresa, or Oprah, or Jean Houston? Do you imagine yourself in all kinds of jobs or relationships, anything better than what you have or do now? When we spend time regretting who or what we are, we are wasting our time. With all the change churning around us we have no time to waste. It’s time to celebrate the magnificence of you. Come out from under the bushel basket. Drop any resistance to recognizing your light. Step past acceptance. Go directly to celebration and the triumph of who you are today. Jean Houston: “You are an evolutionary wonder, a trillion cells singing together in a vast chorale, an organism-environment, a symbiosis of cell and soul.”

I wrote the poem below many years ago. I often return to it as a reminder of who I can be. As a child, my mother was often not well, so I dressed myself for school. After gym class the teacher took me aside and said, “Go home and put on proper school clothes”. The sting of shame stuck to me, and over the years I worried about what others thought about what I look like. Today I celebrate being myself. One of my favorite summer outfits is a flared poly knit skirt with a pattern of purples, black and white. The skirt swirls and swooshes around my calves like a fresh breeze. To accompany my skirt I wear a white cotton knit blouse with purple East Indian accents, and hot pink crocs. The outfit makes me feel eight again, that anything is possible, and I am proud of me. Today I walk in triumph, boldly and happily. After all I am an evolutionary wonder, necessary for the web of existence.

Triumph

I strut into gym class

my eight year old self

well aware

of all eyes turned towards me

my chest swells and I walk

even taller

I know they are envious

I chose for myself

no one else dares

wear a red and white

checked blouse

with red and black plaid pants

This week’s exercise has three parts. After reading the above poem ask yourself, when was the last time you felt triumphant? What happened, and how did you feel? The 2^nd part of the exercise is to write up this memory. You can use that memory as your lodestone on your path to determine whether you are on the right track. You can also use that memory as a measuring stick to determine your own self-worth. The third part of the exercise is to celebrate you. Don’t wait, do something today. Whether it’s dressing as you wish, dancing around your house naked, or singing loudly in the shower. Do something outrageous that brings the triumph of you to your life today.

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Copyright Mari Selby, September, 2010

“Triumph” first written in 1978 Current Copyright 2007 Mari Selby