Emotionally Sober No Matter What

June 11, 2020

Kuan Yin image of buddha , Wood carving in a thai temple.

What does it mean to be emotionally sober no matter what is occurring in the outer world?

Emotional Sobriety means the ability to contribute to global transformation with a powerful vibration that emanates equanimity, discernment and choice as embodied Divine Beings of Light. This is an ACTIVE practice that takes time and discipline to cultivate, yet it will be there for you as a default state of consciousness that will serve you in your most challenging moments.

Alignment is the KEY

Alignment with the Inner Divinity is a state we often see in spiritual iconography of the Divine Mother. In my younger years, I saw that depiction of the Divine Feminine as passive, an image that the established patriarchal church used to control women by encouraging compliance to hierarchical power structures in place since the birth of organized religion. After many years of spiritual practice and the experience of all the challenging emotional ups and downs that come with the expansion of consciousness, I now have a greater understanding of this state. I see it very differently as I navigate the global shift that is occurring on our planet NOW.

When a shocking or violent event occurs in the outer world, the most important action for me to take is to come into alignment with the Inner Divinity. My focus goes directly to my heart and my breath and I call on Divine Support. Again, this is a practice that requires some effort in the good times as well so that we know what it feels like to be in alignment, so that it’s familiar and automatic. I don’t have to think about it or try to get there. It is a default response.

From that state of ALIGNMENT, I have:

Discernment which allows me to PAUSE before jumping into a reactionary conclusion about what is happening. I have a bit of space to assess the situation and determine what is my best response.

Support to remain in a state of Clarity as challenging emotions arise to be processed. When I am grounded, embodied and connected to the Inner Divinity, I feel safe and free of confusion. I can be present with even the most difficult emotions. I have more awareness of what is happening around me and can take inspired action directed from within.

Choice as I am able to pause and clearly discern my next course of action. I have space to CHOOSE. That is my freedom in any situation. Even if I make a mistake, I know that it was my choice, that I did my best with what I knew in the moment. I can be kind to myself and others. Most importantly, I am no longer a victim of my own confusion and emotionally charged reactions, I can choose.

This state of ALIGNMENT is in no way what is termed a Spiritual Bypass, in that emotions or unpleasant perspectives are denied or swept under the rug as a false state of emotional control or happiness is presented to others. Alignment is a state that is highly ACTIVE and requires great focus and discipline. Projection, that is seeing our own negative emotions as being caused by the outer event while being blind to our part in it, is infinitely more common. The difficult emotions arise within us because they are already there as Shadow. They are based on our own unique perspective that comes from our experiences from the past, our education and family relationships, as well as our own challenges that have yet to be resolved. These responses are all revealing themselves and will be effectively addressed by fully FEELING them in our practice of Alignment. In Alignment, we can FEEL our difficult emotions, our devastating heartbreak at the atrocities we must continue to bear witness to, because we are present and divinely supported. We can cry and scream and rage knowing that we are being held and transformed as we process internally, gathering the strength and clarity for inspired and sober action.

We can also acknowledge that we each have our own unique experience and perspective. When we understand that others may simply not understand our suffering because they may have very different life experience, our tendency to blame and shame softens. There is space to pause and feel and know. We can express what we are feeling NOW with compassion and discernment. We are even more able to listen and accept another person’s perspective that is based on their experiences as equally valid, even if they appear to be completely opposed to our own. All points of view are EQUAL. This may be extremely challenging to accept, but our angry dismissal of another’s experience and point of view can be felt as a deeply violent act.

We are all EQUAL even if our values seem to oppose each other.

That inner acceptance of the OTHER in my own life, in the person next to me, in another person’s opinion that may be so different from my own that I wonder how we could ever come together, is crucial to the global shift we are now contributing to. Yes, that inner acceptance of the other inside myself in my everyday life is my most arduous work. To not dismiss the other person who has such a different perspective, but to value their point of view as EQUAL to my own, is one way that I contribute to the expansion of consciousness. This does not mean I have to agree or follow along with beliefs that are not authentic for me. It simply means that I see the other as a Divine Being of Light that I am equal to, nothing more, nothing less. I am vibrationally meeting that person as an equal. From that place of equality and mutual respect, there is the possibility that we might be able to work it all out compassionately and effectively.

We must claim our identity as equals inside ourselves first. Unfortunately, no one in the outer world can give that to you as human history will endlessly reveal. You must claim it for yourself, know it with every fiber of your being and then do the hard work of unraveling all patterns of unworthiness that still vibrate inside our hearts. These patterns will continue to offer reflections of disempowerment and inequality in the outer world until we do our work inside. Change does not come through guilt, shame and aggressive tactics to control how others respond to us and think about us. Change comes through LOVE and the hard work of self-acceptance. Divine Grace is always there to support us in this process. We only need to make the slightest effort to pull our attention away from what disturbs us in the outer world towards the Inner Divinity and grace will lead us to authentic and lasting change.

According to tradition, when the Ascended Light Being Mother Mary was called to fulfill her Divine Mission, her epic reply was “May it be done onto me according to Thy Will.” This is not an example of passivity or unconscious compliance. It is a powerful, crystal clear response coming from an active state of Alignment and Surrender, a masterful stance in holding space for the transformation of the world.