Omaha World-Herald, Rev. Cynthia Ramirez Lindenmeyer, Sacred Activism Community
The emotional baggage carried into the New Year is intricately connected to our mind. Our belief systems exert considerable influence on how our thoughts shape the world around us. The way we respond to personal adversity and the challenges others face reveal the trajectory our emotions follow. Are we apathetic or equipped to confront the cosmic reality that through the renewal of the mind the world is on the brink of transformation?
Our life stories echo the broader narrative of humanity, which in essence explores our response to adversity. Life inevitably presents us with difficult experiences: Loved ones departing, illness disrupting, financial pressures emerging, and the unending cycle of wars. The words of Rainer Rilke, a poet who suffered a lifetime of illness, captured the human experience writing, “Let this darkness be a belltower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change.”
Moving back and forth into the change requires mental work. Taking the crucial step of discarding thought patterns inducing anxiety in any aspect of life imitates a journey toward transformation and inner peace. The birth of the Christ mind reminds us to acknowledge the extraordinary gift from our Creator, the radiant core of light within. Recognizing this potent inner light awakens the mind, dispelling the excess baggage of negative thoughts that foster anxiety, doubt, and fear.
The mind is very powerful, though susceptible to fixed thinking. Liberating the mind from limiting paradigms is possible, allowing for growth akin to the rings of a massive sequoia tree. Our lives, like layers of experiences with adversity, unveil our true selves. If your New Year’s resolution pertains to the externality of the body, understand that daily transformation starts with the mind’s renewal.
Spending our brief time on Earth confined to thought patterns influenced by others’ opinions or collective marketing systems imprisons the creative possibilities of our life journey, dimming our inner light. Even worse, we construct belief systems about others that diminish their light, reinforcing our judgments. It’s time to release all this baggage. Affirm to yourself, “I release all limitations. My body is rejuvenated, filled with light, and guided by divine wisdom in every action.” Grateful for each of you as we enter into 2024!
