If we could peel away the outer layers that we all surround ourselves with, I think we would be surprised at what we find. What I mean is that when we peel past despair, selfishness, or rage, when we really dig on through to our center, we discover warmth, kindness, compassion, and love. This is who we truly are. But we’ve coated ourselves with thousands of years of protection to ensure survival and evolution of our consciousness and individuality. It’s time now to gently begin to peel away those layers. We won’t lose what we’ve learned–like learning to read, we can’t go back to unlearning it. We can’t return to primitiveness. So yes, there can be great anxiety in the peeling away. Collectively, as human beings, we’re putting enormous stress on our ancient ancestral DNA that’s formed over and around us. But we are stronger than we think and ultimately we’ll be much better off for the peeling away. Imagine your soul is like an artichoke: As you peel away the prickly, tough outer leaves your experience of the meal becomes increasingly tender, soft, juicy, and tasty. And when you come face to face with a fellow human who seems particularly prickly and tough, always be aware of their tender heart and explore ways of connecting with it. The more vulnerable, open, trusting, and loving we allow ourselves to be, the more alive we feel. The more we let ourselves feel beloved, the more loving we are. The more trusting we are, the greater our gratitude and compassion.
