Discovering The Divine Inside

By: Heather Blanchard

We are all born with a divine light inside, though that light is sometimes hard to tap into as we grow older and become wrapped up in experiences, cultures, education and opinions. Our identities are shaped by our families, friends, environment, passions and work, and we often lose sight of our purpose in self-imposed must-haves or dos, or even others’ expectations. Somewhere along the way, we forget how to feed our own heart and soul.

Recently I was talking about the importance of Self-Study, (Svadyaya in Sanskrit) in class. There’s a great analogy on why it’s important to stay in touch with your inner self in a book on the Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele. In this book, she describes once wrapping a very special gift for her dad in a small box, then one bigger box after another to disguise what was inside. She then compares this to humans being packaged and conditioned as they move through life and forgetting who they really are.

Of course, our passions and intentions change as we age. They’re different when we’re students and can change when we become working adults. They can change again when we become parents, or grandparents or retire. We may get older and continuously wiser, but still forget to make space for what we want and how we want to live. It’s important to remember here the power of choice – everything in life is a choice. If you want to unwrap the divine inside, you must choose to do so. Take time to slow down, be still and nurture yourself so your inner light can shine.

“When things change inside you, things change around you.” ~ Unknown

When we live from our true essence, we respond to challenges with grace and confidence. Knowing who we are at the core is key to attaining long-lasting joy and freedom. Now doesn’t that sound divine? I’ll leave you with a quote below:

“What is my purpose in life?” I asked the void.

“What if I told you that you fulfilled it when you took an extra hour to talk to a kid about his life?” said the voice. “Or when you paid for that young couple in the restaurant? Or when you saved that dog in traffic? Or when you tied your father’s shoes for him? Your problem is that you equate your purpose with goal-based achievement. The Universe isn’t interested in your achievements… just your heart. When you choose to act out of kindness, compassion and love, you are already aligned with your true purpose.” ~ Tao & Zen

Xoxo, Heather