I love this practice in Christianity, of sharing your sins; of sharing your struggles. The practice of shedding light on the parts of you that wish to remain hidden in a space with others that have shared those struggles. My favorite part, though this seems to be forgotten by mainstream anyone, is the beautiful space that's provided and held by the others for you to intimately reveal yourself. It's not met with judgement, but compassion, and even more often, solidarity. They too have felt those pains, those fears, those temptations and those struggles. You are not alone, and those parts of you, when brought to light, no longer can hold power over you.

Pair that with another favorite one of Christian beliefs, that God loves you. In all of that shame, and all of that guilt, God still loves you. In all of your failures, and all of your sin, God still loves you. There is nothing you can do to make that false. The only thing you can do is try to run away from it...but, however far away you are, or get, God will still receive you with open arms, just like the story of the prodigal son.

...there only exist two thrones in the universe. The throne of Christ; meaning connection to source, oneness, and light. And the throne of the Ego; meaning isolation, separation, and darkness.

But if we're honest with ourselves, it's usually our shame, and our guilt that keeps us from coming back to God or bringing things to light. We ask ourselves, who am I to be loved, forgiven, and accepted? "How could I be loved when I've done...[fill in the blank]."

I heard this absolute gem the other day from a famous Christian mystic preacher: That there only exist two thrones in the universe. The throne of Christ; meaning connection to source, oneness, and light. And the throne of the Ego; meaning isolation, separation, and darkness. He said, with these two perspectives being the only two perspectives in the universe, if you notice your ego in a moment of not being your highest self, the only way that you could perceive your ego is if you were seated in the other seat, the other perspective. And that the lie that we tell ourselves is that we associate with the behavior that we've witnessed ourselves doing and in our shame, and guilt return to sitting on the throne of the Ego, of darkness, shame, and isolation. "You're such a terrible person." we tell ourselves...

Instead, if we remember that the only way we can be witnessing our own darkness is if we already are seated in the light.

Instead, if we remember that the only way we can be witnessing our own darkness is if we already are seated in the light. And if we forgive ourselves for our darkness we are able to remain in the light. It's not just others that need forgiveness...you do too.

So make it easier to bring light to your struggles and failures by remembering this. By yourself, or with God, or with others, shed light on your darkest parts, and forgive them, for they are not you, nor you them. You are loved, you are kind, and you are a light, so shine like you were meant to. Bless everyone that crosses your path, and in the moments that you don't...forgive yourself.