I discovered this year that I must stop pretending to live my life the way the I think I should and start living it the way I want to. I’ve learned there is a major difference between what people do and want to do.

Are You Owning Your Desire?

One of the most challenging things I did was admitting to myself what my desires were. When you’re a child, this is the simplest thing ever in the world. If you want to play, you play. If you’re thirsty, you drink water. If you want to smile, you smile. Life is beautiful.

Why can’t life be this way when you become an adult? Why do you become so afraid?

I Have Been Observing Myself Like a Detached Spectator

Every time I want to really do something and I don’t do it, I observe from a distance and let my head do all the talking. All that talking that’s trying to get my heart out of what it wants.

You know, all those excuses… It’s not logical. It’s crazy. You can’t be happy. This is what everyone does.

The list goes on and on….

It’s because who are you to feel worthy. Who are you to live your life the way you want? Who are you to be happy? Now I ask myself the question: Who am I not to be happy? Who am I not to be successful? The next time I want to do something, I’m just going to do it anyway.

What is your experience in stepping up and owning your desires? Please share with me in the comments.

A beautiful lesson I learned at the start of this year was to keep myself open and learn to receive more. It was startling for me to learn this to be honest. I didn’t know how to fathom this. I’ve been the person who has always given and given. Until I worked on myself and dived deep into sorting through my emotional baggage.

The Only Way to Receive is to Be Open

A lot of events unraveled in my life. I looked back to each and every one of them. I dived deep into my heart and looked at my emotional patterns. There was definitely a reason behind them. It had a lot to do with fear and lack.

It had to do with me not feeling worthy enough. These thought patterns are kind of like a running software in your head. They run on auto pilot unless you consciously pay attention to them.

Be Aware So You Know Your Thinking Patterns

One of my fundamental thinking patterns is that I felt had to struggle or survive in life. Nothing could come easily. I had to hold onto everything and everyone tightly. If I loosened my grip even a tiny bit, then I would have no shot at happiness.

Why did I think those things? Part of it had to do with how I was raised and the people I saw around me. My family, friends, colleagues, etc.

Most people on this planet think you have to work too hard to get something. So they’re always in action mode. Never stopping. Never wanting to surrender.

Surrender to Your Stillness

I stopped making assumptions that I had to work hard or merely survive in my life. I had to break that pattern of thinking and keep myself open.

One of the ways I made myself open was by stilling my mind. It taught me to fall in love with the present moment and fully show up for my desires. For example: I want to travel to Mumbai and Delhi in India next year. I didn’t squash the thought and tell myself to stop thinking it because I just started a new job or have too much going on here. I let it simmer in my mind. I embraced my desire.

Then, I just released the thought to the Universe. I’m going to let it takes its own form and believe that by letting go, it’ll happen the way it’s supposed to happen. I am trusting the process.

Why Can’t You be Open to Receiving Beautiful Gifts?

I don’t question my desires anymore. I don’t question why great things can’t happen to me. I’ve come to understand that I deserve happiness and peace. It comes from within. And once I started feeling that I deserve happiness, my energy has been attracting people and things that are aligned to my desires and energy.

How do you keep yourself open to receive? Please share with me in the comments.