In last weeks blog post I shared a deep insight that was revealed for me while trimming our Chestnut tree. It was powerful for me . . . and that power has rippled through my week.

It has opened space for a lot of deeper inquiry around what it really means to live in alignment with our spiritual path; to stand in our power; and to be loyal to our soul.

Many things came forward. Conversations and experiences with friends and family. Times when I chose to stay loyal to my soul. Times when I chose to bend. Times when I was able to grow together with a friend and times when being loyal to my soul meant letting someone go.

Remaining loyal to our soul is not always easy, nor is it always the popular choice. But we always have the freedom to choose, and it is important to recognize the choice as our own.

The challenge is that often we feel bound by stories, beliefs, relationships, places, and experiences that interfere with our sense of freedom.

My naked tree reminded me of my freedom. It called me back into my center. It revealed places where I was disempowering myself and it invited me to root even more deeply into my sacred path.

Last weekend I stepped in. Stepping in is what happens in moments of deep and profound awareness when we clearly see our soul and align ourselves with what it has been inviting us to do.

Living in alignment with our soul is what happens next. It sounds so simple, but within every moment and every day we meet with opportunities to choose whether or not we live in alignment with our soul. Some opportunities show up in more significant ways than others.

So the real question is how do we respond to the opportunities as they show up?

In these moments, we get to choose . . . Are we going to stay true to our soul or are we going to pick that branch up and try to sew it back on?

Below are 3 strategies for Living in Alignment with Your Soul’s Truth

1. Keep your focus on your core soul intention. 

Above my desk I keep a bulletin board. On it are to do lists, inspirational notes, and other projects. In the center is my current soul intention. I keep it there because I know it is natural to get side-tracked or distracted by life and I want to live deeply rooted in my intention. Having it beautifully written and positioned just above my workspace keeps my intention in my field of awareness.

Other ways you can do this is writing your intention on a sticky note and placing it on a mirror, on your refrigerator, in your wallet, on your computer screen, on your altar, beside your bed. Anywhere that you will regularly see. Be creative and have fun with it!

2. Know that you have the Freedom to Choose . . .

Yes, we really do get to choose how we respond to what our change brings up for our family, friends, and loved ones.

That said, I think one of the most challenging times to remain loyal to our soul is when our growth triggers our friends, family, and loved ones.

There is a lense through which every person in your life sees you. This lense is filtered by their own perception, their own judgements, fears, beliefs, truths, desires, and experiences.

When we shift or change a way of being, this can be jarring for them. It can make them uncomfortable. This is natural.

Think for a moment about a time when one of your friends changed in a way that was uncomfortable for you. Their change may have been good or bad, but for one reason or another it brought up something for you.

One situation that comes forward for me is a time when a very dear friend of mine was embarking on a business path that I just did not care for. I was really frustrated and I sincerely worried her new path would be the end of our friendship. We had a conversation and I reluctantly shared how I was feeling. She listened. And then she said something really important “Lori, I need to do this. You’re still going to be my friend, right?”

What she said gave me the freedom to choose. Her statement and following question gave me an opportunity to open my heart to see her stand in her truth. In that moment we both really clearly stood in what we believed and we still do.  It brought our friendship to an entirely new level.

These conflicts arise all the time. Sometimes they are a subtle ripple we just roll with, and other times they really jolt us.

The ones that really jolt us show up for a reason. If we are willing, they can be an opportunity to deepen our roots, and to open our hearts to a new level of love and compassion.

The key, when experiencing this from either side (being the the uncomfortable friend or the change maker), is to keep conversations flowing, to keep our loved ones in the loop, and to offer deep love and compassion around what emerges.

Being lovingly present does not mean you need to stay in an unhealthy relationship, it just means that you get to make an empowered decision.

Standing in our power is not about having super tight or rigid boundaries. It is not about pushing people away. Standing in our power is about knowing who we truly are and staying true that while softening, becoming receptive, compassionate, and lovingly present. 

3. Be loving, compassionate, and gentle with yourself.

There are absolutely times where you will step off path . . . times when you will say yes and wish you would have said no . . . times when you will be unable to grow into a new harmonious relationship with loved one . . . times when you just have to walk away . . . times when you fail . . . times when you feel judged, rejected, and hurt.

This is natural.

Living our sacred path, living in alignment with our truth is not the easy path. It is not a charmed life. It requires courage . . . and with that courage a whole lot of self love, compassion, and gentleness . . . and a willingness to call ourselves back.

Each time we return to center, we step into a sweet spot knowing ourselves more intimately, becoming internally strengthened, becoming clearer, becoming more deeply rooted. Each time we return to center our outer world beautifully reflects it more and more.

This week I invite you to harness the momentum of the Full Moon by powerfully stepping back into your center . . . back into alignment with your soul’s truth. Allow the momentum of the Full Moon to rearrange your world in ways that reflect your soul’s truth. 

I wish you a beautiful week!

much love,

Local friends . . . My husband, Chris, and I have created an amazing series of summer workshops. We would LOVE for you to join us for one or all. Sacred Creation + Ceremony + Sacred Gardening

Learn more here: https://loriaandrus.com/2015-summer-garden-series/