The sun doesn’t race its way out into the sky every morning hell bent on being the first one awake. It’s a paced, steady, slow process. No matter how loudly we complain about the sun being hidden away by clouds, she breaks through into full majesty in her own way. If you watch her ascension closely enough, the sun’s colors change in and around her as she takes on the process of rising. That means there’s much going on inside and outside the sun’s being. She’s not affected by the inpatient and fast-paced wants of those who suggest she move quicker or take a different path. The sun would never alter her grand entrance and give up her “ta-da” moment for anyone. She knows that if the world just lets her be, she will gracefully emerge whole and bright with a power to shine gloriously on everything around her. If the frantic could just slow down and relax, then maybe she’d have an easier time shining brightly with dazzling colors illuminating from her own light. The sun needs to follow it’s own process because if not, life on this planet would be so different and not nearly as beautiful.

Take a tip from the sun and slow down. Some answers or next steps don’t come that quickly and require discernment and a look around. Letting the process of your life unfold in a steady manner may leave you feeling like an outlier. You may have been told that if you don’t have a concrete plan that keeps you powerwalking 24/7 or don’t require a post it note to remind yourself to pee, your life will be a mess. They’re wrong. Oh the sun has a plan. She just lays it out on her time using her methods and inner-knowing. She keeps it moving, trusts herself and the universe. She knows the clouds will eventually fade away or knows that she’ll find a way to put out more life-giving light to evaporate what hinders her from shining. The process of the sun rising is the sun’s business and no one else’s. She’s the best one for the job because she works everyday trying to get it right. The sun follows her own path and that keeps her grounded in the universe despite what’s orbiting around her. As she lives out her purpose in the sky, her dazzling light beams radiate all the energy inside her and she openly shares with those willing to bathe in her colors. The sun doesn’t let anyone stop her from her own revolution. She has the answers to what’s right for her deep inside her core every step of the way. It’s never a good idea to rush through the magical moments of a sunrise. You miss a lot of your journey if you’re only focusing on the ending all the time. You miss a lot of wonder and never glean the wisdom found in every step of your rising.

Figuring out what keeps you from finding your place in the universe is your job. Begin with stopping the voices in your head that tell you it’s not possible. The power of our own words affect the amount of light you put out into the world. Every time you practice self-compassion, you feed the light inside you which is always waiting to radiate. When you speak words of love to yourself, the authentic you has a much better chance of busting out because it’s being fed energy that’s pure and life-affirming. Words of kindness, compassion, understanding and love is rocket fuel for your heart and confidence. That energy helps you stand strongly in who you are and the choices you make. This is how you stay on course with your life’s path even when that road gets rocky and rough. That energy of love helps to drown out the voices and expectations placed on you by the world or the unrealistic ones we sometimes create ourselves. Words of self-compassion and love remind us that every step of this journey is important because this is how you learn, grow and shine brighter. Some steps hurt. But self-compassion manifested from your own soul, using your own voice keeps you rising and shining when you don’t get it from others. Live each moment like it matters understanding that your growth and wisdom add beautiful colors to each step of the journey. Own your light and its impact. Notice how the colors change as you rise, each presenting itself to the world with a uniqueness that is spectacular because it’s yours. Invest in your way of doing things with self-compassion to keep you grounded and moving at a reasonable pace. The world needs your light all the time despite how dimly it shines sometimes. Your light is a life-force and a necessity to this planet. Do your best to take care of it, listen to it, feed it what it needs, shine it brightly at your pace and rise. The sun is a star after all.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

1. How have the expectations of others affected your ability to follow your own path?
2. What can you learn from slowing down your pace? How might you begin to focus on each step of your journey?
3. Do you feel you carry many of life’s answers deep inside your core? Why/why not? What keeps you from hearing their calling?
4. Do you regularly practice self-compassion? Why/why not?
5. What mindset or thoughts would you like to manifest which will propel you to shine?