The Key to Growth is to Let it Burn - It’s Time to Step into the Fire

This is the day you look your fears square in the eye...without running away.

This is the moment of no escape. The moment you stand up, heart pounding, eyes open, and you move toward that thing you’ve been running from. Scared? That’s okay. It’s normal. But it isn’t an excuse to back away.

It’s time to step into the fire.

Sit with your fears. Feel the pain. Let it pin you to the wall, but not paralyze you. Let it break you open, but not into pieces. Let it shake your ground, but not your core.

It’s natural to think you’re not ready or able. But know this: the universe will never give you anything you are not ready to deal with. So, if you find yourself face to face with death and pain and fucked up, nothing-will-ever-be-the-same, gut-wrenching, earth-shattering loss...

Congratulations! You’re ready.

You don’t want them, but you need awful situations to surface from time to time. Those moments, right there - those are where you remember what it feels like to be alive. It’s how you’re pulled from the drowsiness of regular, human, “Is this really all there is?” type of living.

It’s how you grow.

It’s how you reach your full potential.

You won’t know how to truly, deeply, unconditionally love until you’ve had everything fall apart.

It’s time to stop wishing for a life where your permanent state is colored in beautiful shades of comfort, happiness, butterflies and rainbows.

Because it’s a grand illusion.

There is no permanent state.

Sometimes there is happiness and peace, and sometimes there is sadness and despair. Clinging to one side is what pains you the most because it’s the biggest deceit of all.

The ground beneath you will always shake.

You use hope to avoid looking at your scars, and through that you trick yourself out of the present moment.

You miss out on the feeling of being broken open by life every time you choose to numb your pain.

And you’ll spend the rest of your days trying to hide it, fade it or fix it. You’ll write and drink and stay busy and talk and work and do yoga and read books. And you’ll tell yourself you’re healing when all you’ve done is run away.

Everything can be an escape if you try hard enough.

Don’t run away this time.
You need this.

One day you’ll even be grateful.

So, remember that nothing is permanent.

Let yourself fall apart, and you’ll see that there is more beauty in the in between than you could have ever imagined.

Yes, there is death and loss. And yes, it’s exhausting to live with this pain. But NO, you will NOT give up.

You don’t need to be fearless; you just need to be willing. Trust life, trust yourself.

I’ve been there. I still find myself there. But, like you, I will not ever, ever ever give up.

It’s time to stop running. It’s time to step into the fire.

Let’s recap. Here’s how you will step into the fire:

• Sit with your fears and pains.
• Let yourself fall apart.
• Remember that the hard situations are where you become alive; they’re where you grow.
• Stop wishing for the illusion of a perfect life.
• Be present. Be here NOW.
• Trust life, trust yourself.
• Don’t give up.

X,

Rachel

Rachel Brathen - Ten Minute Core Boost

This very short and sweet core class is powerful, intense and perfect to sprinkle into your regular practice whenever you want a core boost. Enjoy! Watch here!