The universe moves continually towards expansion. We are called to be our fullest selves, the greatest expression of who we are, and share our inner light with the world. In doing so, we need to overcome our “sorry stories”, the limiting beliefs that we hold on to, out of fear that if we let them go, we will not be loved. “I can’t speak up. I am too anxious to breathe. They don’t care what I think or feel. They never listen. I’m not safe.” These are just some of the ways we experience the “no room for me” sorry story. If we are deeply honest, most of us would confess that we have felt like this at some point or another, especially if we live in a state of constriction in any way. Perhaps today, compelled to remain in our homes, we feel it more than ever. To enable the “no room for me” sorry story means that at some level, we feel that we don’t have the space, or even the permission from the universe, to be our most natural self. But as we have been exploring, nothing could be further from the truth. When we give power to the “no room for me” impossibilities thought, we rob ourselves and the world of who we most naturally are. As we learn to take up our rightful space, we align with Nature and life flows. When we keep ourselves small, we are in a disconnected state. We are trying to hide from life and from our soul voice. We become a mere shadow of who we really are. We get so hung up on being who we think others want us to be, we lose ourselves. However, as Nature reminds us, in every given moment, there is an opportunity for balanced living. Would that not, in fact, be specifically what COVID-19 is telling us? Feeling that there is room for us does not come from our physical environment. Rather, it springs from a deeper recognition that we are always within a loving whole, no matter where we may be. People in our surroundings may annoy us, especially when our living quarters are cramped. We may feel hopelessly bored, lonely, even listless, as though we cannot engage with life because of our current situation. But when we are willing to settle into the moment and open our perception, we will see past our habits into deeper truths. In this light, our mother, whom we once found controlling, becomes a frightened little girl wishing for love. Our roommate, whom we found emotionally unavailable, turns out to be simply afraid of intimacy because his father was so demanding. We realize that we have held ourselves captive in our sorry stories, and that others do the same in their own lives. From this understanding springs a well of compassion for ourselves and the world. Then we can witness our tendency to feel constricted, imposed upon, or limited. And in the face of that, our heart smiles, because we know it is not true. We release it, to discover an infinite expanse of inner spaciousness that has been within us all along. As we walk into that space, we open the doors and windows of our soul to let in the fresh air of life. In releasing the idea that there is “no room for me”, we settle into the truth that we are part of a much bigger whole. This realization of our interconnection then inspires the necessary personal responsibility and transformation to create global change. To be frank, this is why I created this blog series on Finding Your Inner Peace Sanctuary in the first place. Inner peace is the foundation for outer peace. Inner change is the beginning of external change. We see that each decision we make affects not just ourselves but everyone and everything on the planet. This awakens our compassion, so we naturally want less and practice greater kindness. Being “no thing” is very different than being in our sorry story of “no room for me”. Part of developing inner peace is to be in a state of receptivity to the grace that always is. When we are in “no room for me,” we are grabbing onto and identifying with a divided sense of self where life is happening “to” us. But when we step into being “no thing”, we become vehicles for everything. Being “no thing” is infinitely spacious. It means we do not get hung up on our ego identity. In this, we can optimally serve, on our highest path, the highest good of all. When we are “no thing”, we are like a child who softens, relaxes and expands in a mother’s loving arms because we feel both powerful, humble and loved. In this state, we are surrendered to life. We have accepted to the reality that we are infinitely held and perfectly welcomed by the compassion of the universe. In that, we open to all the possibilities, riches, and grace this moment brings. We discover that the bounty of the universe is who we have been all along. Between now and next week, please consider the following: • In which way do you find yourself feeling “no room for me” at this time? • What is this thought enabling in your life? • Are you willing to look beyond it and practice the three steps to inner peace?

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