Following the heels of last month’s blog of setting intentions, we continue this month with one of the most important steps of getting there: asking for guidance and help.
And that brings me to the P-word: prayer. Why call it the P-word, you might ask? Because I’ve found the prayer has negative connotations for many people.
For example, some people have had less than lovely experiences with religion and associate prayer with those experiences.
Some people associate prayer with asking for forgiveness or repentance. In other words, they feel like they did something wrong and need permission (outside of themselves) to be “right” again. “Doing something wrong” leads to feelings of guilt and/or shame. These are some of the lowest frequency emotions we can experience. Simply put, they feel bad, and no one deserves to feel that way. And it most certainly would make prayer feel icky to have this association. (I know I used to fall into this category!)
Others have been taught that asking for things is a sign of weakness, or perhaps even worse, that they are not worthy of asking for more. (I also fell into this category, and occasionally find myself back here when new things arise!).
Prayer can also make people feel like they are giving up themselves or their personal power by asking for help, not realizing that they can actually ask that inner self that is eternal energy to connect in prayer. It can actually be empowering instead of giving their power away. (I also had this misconception!).
Some people have tried prayer before, and their prayers were not answered. That might have left the feeling jaded, betrayed, forgotten, alone.
What I’m trying to say is that there are a lot of icky feelings and misconceptions around prayer, including many that I haven’t mentioned here. And that’s why I will call prayer, “to ask” or “asking” for the rest of this newsletter. Nobody wants to feel all that baggage. Lol.
First, when we talk about asking, I want you to remember that you deserve to ask for what you desire. If you’re thinking, you want more money, a more loving relationship, a job you enjoy, then great! You are off to a good start. You deserve all these things.
Now ask yourself why you want those things. Ultimately, what will having those things allow you to feel? Is it security, safety, stability, joy, peace, freedom, love, fulfillment, inspiration, empowerment…? That’s what we ask for; not the things but rather the feelings we want to feel by having them.
For example, if you want the freedom that having lots of money could bring, ask for that feeling of freedom to purchase what you need without worry, to own a house that brings you joy, to take that trip to visit a beloved friend, to taste the bliss in the food at that really expensive restaurant. You may even get more than you thought you wanted!
When you get to that end goal of feeling X, you might notice that you never even got the cash/house/spouse/thing you thought you needed and that now you don’t even want it.
Now where do you start?
Perhaps you need to start by asking for guidance to become comfortable asking for guidance. Perhaps you’re ready to get out there and ask for every loving energy and feeling that is in line with your highest good to come into your life. Either one and anything in between is perfect.
Remember, the universe is abundant. I’m talking limitless. If you get something, it does not mean that someone else will not. In fact, you opening yourself up and receiving that energy means someone else is more likely to get it too because you can now share your openness with them.
Again, let’s not get caught up with physical things but rather the feelings and emotions that you want to experience. Otherwise our minds can talk us out of things by reminding us of limited resources on earth.
So please ask. You deserve it, and others deserve to benefit from the gifts you receive.
In love, light, and bliss,
Char