Because I AM

And in that moment, I felt calm, centered, and strong, like Gaia herself was cradling me in her protective embrace.  There were no “shoulds”; the voice of my incessant inner critic was at last silenced.

But as the sun began to sink and cast its long rays across the land, I could feel the shadows slowly creeping up around me.

“The day is waning, and what have you accomplished, what have you done with your time?” quipped my inner critic.  I could feel my shoulders tighten and my stomach start to churn as the anxiety leapt at the opportunity to regain its former ground.

And I filled my lungs full of fresh fall air, and straightened my spine, lifting my chin so that my shoulders slid back and my heart opened to the clear blue sky, and I felt the soft earth beneath me.  I gazed around me at the green grass decorated with the blazing golds and reds of the fall leaves.   I reveled in the warmth my sun-kissed skin was radiating and the caress of the cool breeze on my face. 

And then I replied....

“I have proven to myself the worthiness of my existence.  I have allowed myself to BE.  I have soaked in the solace of nature.  I have not only existed, but loved and valued myself separately of my accomplishments, social connections, work, chores, and to-do list.  I have stood up to your tyranny and have proven to myself that I am worthy, and I am valuable, and I am important, only because, and precisely because, I AM.  I am worthy of accepting this beautiful day.  I am worthy of allowing the sunshine to heal me.  I am worthy because I AM.”

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 I am worthy because I AM.

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You should, you always, you never, you didn't, you forgot....

How many times do you catch yourself making yourself wrong?  How many times do you catch yourself making others wrong? How many times do you think it might happen without you  noticing because it feels so "normal"?  

Are there times you've been able to catch "the voice" - your inner critic - telling the same old lies?  Are there times when you've been able to find that place of observation within yourself and so actually hear that part of yourself that parrots those destructive criticisms?  

What you may not realize about consciously creating your life - about manifesting and the law of attraction - is that loving and valuing YOURSELF is THE key.  Remember the rule is like attracts like.  It all works off of a foundation of self-love.  You cannot get around this by putting some potpourri over a giant pile of shit.  Love cannot exist in judgment.  Like attracts like.  Judgment attracts judgment. 

The inner critic gives a voice to your judgment.  The inner critic is telling you that you aren't good enough or aren't lovable or aren't worthy.  It keeps you on the run, and looking outside of yourself for validation, because it tells you that you are not inherently valuable and worthy just by the fact that you exist. It lies.  Because you ARE inherently valuable and worthy just by the fact that you exist.  

But you are carrying the belief deep down that you are somehow not.  If you have experienced the inner critic, then this is true - the words of the inner critic reveal your limiting beliefs, no matter how buried.  The limiting beliefs are what give rise to the judgment and that inner critic.  

Beliefs are the driving force that shape our thoughts, emotions and behavior. In the law of attraction game, beliefs will always win out over your desires or any positive affirmations because the law of attraction is working off the more powerful essence of the energy charge. Think about the energy charge when you are experiencing an emotional trigger in an argument (strong emotional triggers come out of limiting/negative beliefs) compared to repeating an affirmation or looking at your annual financial goals - the emotional charge connected with the belief is stronger. Judging comes from those limiting beliefs and therefore you will continue to attract to you what you judge.  

As long as you continue to judge rather than to accept and allow, you will continue to beat yourself up, project onto others and continue this exhausting cycle.  As long as you continue to judge, you will continue to cling to that which you are trying to get away from, much like refusing to let go of a pot handle that is burning your hand.

And THAT is the importance of "I am worthy because I AM".  

It sets you free.  It sets everyone else free too.

When I am in acceptance of myself, my life, or whatever it is that I happen to be experiencing, I stop making myself and everyone around me wrong.  I break the victim cycle.  When I am in acceptance, I stop judging, and it releases all of the energy that gets locked up in that cycle.  That energy of things "not being OK" or "being wrong" can keep us locked into cycles of attracting that very thing we want away from to us for lifetimes.  And it can be hard to just let it go when we feel hurt deeply or victimized, but to cling to it is exactly like carrying a beacon so it can, and will, always find you.

Can you accept that you are angry?  Can you accept that you are sad?  Can you accept that you are amazing?  Can you accept that you are tired?  Can you accept that something didn't work out the way you wanted?  Can you accept your need to win?  Can you accept you made a mistake?  Can you accept your success?  Can you accept that judging is something we all do and you will probably catch yourself doing it again even though you don't want to? Can you accept that others will continue to judge and they are on their own paths?  

Can you accept that you are worthy, good enough, valuable, important and lovable just because you exist and finally let go of that pot that keeps burning you?

It's time to set yourself free!  

I am worthy because I AM.