Although we may not want to admit it, most of us have some kind of resistance to owning our truth, power and joy. In spite of our striving, we often settle for far less and become comfortable with good enough. However, as a collective, we are opening to deeper parts of ourselves than ever before. Globally and individually, we are discovering there are significant consequences to whether we choose to reject or accept ourselves. With rejection, we experience blocks, depression, feelings of worthlessness, confusion and a general emptiness in our lives, and our actions reflect even the most subtlest of our rejections. Aligning with authenticity, self- empowerment and joy, on the other hand, drives our actions to support a promising world and meaningful lives. In centuries past, living with mediocrity was accepted as status quo with only a minority seeking and cultivating truly fulfilling lives. Rejection of self and joy was considered humble, and even holy, while power was limited to a select few who usually misused it. Unfortunately, some of these limiting patterns are deeply embedded in our consciousness. Thankfully though, as we’ve evolved, not only have we recognized that the individual has worth, we’ve deemed the pursuit of happiness to be a fundamental right, as is personal empowerment. Yet, declaring such values and living them may not always go hand in hand. With financial demands, social constraints, and a plethora of obligations, we often find ourselves unconsciously disconnected from our truth, power and joy even Omtimes.com when we believe we are pursuing them. As we navigate our way through the bombardment of have-to’s, limiting rules and beliefs, and our occasional bouts of unworthiness, we may find ourselves living within the confines of partial- truth, just-enough-empowerment, and semi-joy. Yet, our soul’s tolerance for mere survival and unsatisfactory living has reached its limit. As conscious individuals, we came here to enlighten the world and mediocrity is no longer an option. Our personal disappointments, whether or not we believe we’ve contributed to them, stem from our rejection of, or misalignment with, our essential truth, power and joy. Fortunately, since we have been collectively resisting who we are and are now ready to awaken and realign with our true nature, millions of people are seeking ways to heal these misperceptions, and various tools have become available to us. As practical individuals, many of us benefit from step-by-step guidance or outside assistance to overcome our obstacles. Yet, as we embark on this journey to connect with our essence, we will increasingly experience the layers, dimensions, and formlessness of our souls, as well as our perceived obstacles. We will see, and perhaps appreciate, the multifaceted complexity we face. We can let this overwhelm or stop us from clearing old patterns and realigning with our core, or we can delight in awe over the incredible interplay of spirit and matter. March 2014 B Editi on