For those struggling during quarantine with your spouse or family, I think you’ll enjoy this old blog post and video I filmed a year and a half ago. I was at the height of my frustration and annoyance with my spouse. Maybe you can relate?

I’ve grown a lot since. A small comparison I noticed was on my 6 minute video on “Purpose” and seeing how differently I handled the motorcycle noises in the background. These used to drive me crazy. Watching this after over a year later, made me laugh and cry, mostly laugh. I’d love to do an update video on my progress. Send me your questions so I can address any specifics in the update.

Here’s the post I wrote after recording the video:

I’ve been reflecting on a talk I heard about a week ago, and I’d like to share my week-journey on figuring out how I can apply it in my life. The video is of Marianne Williamson talking about Romantic Love, so please feel free to watch it. It’s really long, but worth it. I will summarize the points I’m covering below and in the video.

The concept here is simple, but it does have a few layers to it, so stick with me. Marianne references the Course in Miracles which I am just now reading, so I’m not familiar and will be paraphrasing the way she described it instead of my interpretation.

To set this up further, this is coming from the broader belief that our purpose on the planet is to self-actualize and to experience the greatest version of yourself, love being the highest expression. With that in mind, relationships exist so that we can become aware of the limits, resistance, and blocks of our love.

In other words, it’s never about what the other person said or did, but about how you still have an opportunity to grow your love to include that type of behavior. In other other words, they don’t need to change, you do. Let me say it again – the relationship with that person exists so that you can become aware of the limits, resistance, and blocks of your.love.

I am not saying you need to approve of what they are doing and in her talk, Marianne clarified that it also doesn’t mean you need to stay. However, if you are trying to become your best version, then you will need to commit to this person understanding the relationship is part of your spiritual process. This is a also because I think we live in a culture where we give up on people pretty quickly.

I expected immediate change after the awareness, but that’s not how it worked at all. My reflections on this began with my husband because there were so many little things that annoyed me and kept piling up, but I soon realized this applied to my relationship with my sister, and then with everyone else!

I began to look around and see how this understanding of relationships affected every part of almost everyone’s life. And it wasn’t just petty stuff. Sometimes it was really serious stuff within a family or in friendships. I think it’s at the core why some families totally fall out with each other.

Here’s the quote I tried to reference at the beginning of the video:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson, A return to love (1992)

Please send me any questions you want me to address in the follow up or at least let me know you can relate!

Much love,

Mayra