Chapter 28.3: Un-Limiting Ourselves: Returning Home to Our Limitless State

If we understand the white light reflecting within us like the moon,

And safeguard it in the darkness when everything has turned to ash,

Then we can become a working model for all under the heavens.

We abide in the constancy of our Personal Power and Virtue

and do not indebt our worth in exchange for other things.

As a working model for all under the heavens,

abiding in the constancy of our Personal Power and Virtue

and not indebting our worth in exchange for other things,

We return home again and again to a limitless, uninhibited state,

Free to dance through the fires of life.

As Master Yoda said: "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."  Each of us is a luminous being, glorious as fire.  Even in the darkest night, we glow and reflect pure light, like the moon.  We must remember and protect that in ourselves, even when everything in our lives and in the world turns to ash and it seems the darkness will overshadow us and eclipse our light.  Even in the darkest night, we can protect our inner light, that special spark or enlightened ember within and not let it be extinguished or smothered by the depression and despair, disease and destruction that surrounds us.  As we do, we become a working model, a standard for others seeking to do the same, to let their light shine, to see the good in the world, to be the change they want to see in the world.  We are pure, even though we are ink-stained.  The charcoal of our challenges does not devalue us, it is a reminder of who we were and where we have been, not who we are now or more importantly where we are going.  Our ink-stains tell the story of our struggles and strivings.  Our mess is our message.  It is not a message of perfection but of progression as we move forward step by step on our Way.

As we abide in our Personal Power and Virtue and do not discard or depart from it, following it, like the orbit of the sun, the moon, and the stars through the skies, we no longer need to rob or indebt ourselves and our worth to external things. We no longer need to show off, put ourselves on display, or try to prove ourselves worthy and enhance our worth with external commodities.  We get off the roller coaster of relative worth with its corkscrews of constant comparison, we hold to our inherent and unchanging worth as unique, rare, and precious treasures in this world, and we embrace our place in the universe.  As we refuse to allow the appraisals of the world to determine our value, we give everyone around us permission to uncover, recover, and discover their true worth, identity, and purpose.

We return home over and over again to that unlimited, uninhibited, and limitless state where we are free to dance through the flames of life without fear of judgment or public opinion.  As Albert Einstein said: “We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.”  As we dance through life, we invite others to join in, even if they cannot hear the music at first.  So, as Rumi teaches: “Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.”

There are certain limits and limitations that we cannot do anything about.  There are certain circumstances we cannot change, but we can always un-limit our thinking.  We can stop limiting ourselves and stop accepting the limitations others would put on us.  To enter into a limitless state is to have less limits – less limiting thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, those around us, and the world.  Less inhibitions.  It is to dance devoid of concerns of what others might think.  To do so, is to be truly free and uninhibited.  In the words of Grammy Award winning singer Lee Ann Womack, "I hope you dance."

Trees have no limits as to how tall or large they can grow if provided the right conditions and not debilitated with disease, picked apart by pests, or chopped down.  They continue to grow throughout their lives, adding ring upon ring.  How often do we let debilitating doubts destroy our dreams like a disease?  How often do we allow ourselves to be picked apart by pessimism or our pasts?  How many times have we chopped ourselves down with self-criticism or let others lay the axe of accusation to our aspirations?  Today, let us begin to give ourselves and others grace and space to learn, grow, and heal. ~ DCB

Etymology Notes:

The character 無 (wú; older: 𣞤, simplified: 无), which means "nothing, void, or to be devoid of" has its origins in dance and refers to that uninhibited state that is devoid of any concern or consideration, where no-thing gets in the way and we can dance through the trees and forests of life – even if they are on fire.