"We are allowed, I think, to feel good." Tom Hanks
Not only are we allowed, but it is our obligation to find ways to feel good and to take full ownership of our happiness. We will be better humans and more pleasant to be around as a result.
Some of us, including me, cannot easily admit to choosing gratification. Even though we believe that our birth right is to be happy, we are afraid we would be judged and rejected. “I am… happy, therefore I receive unconditional Love.” Wow! Wouldn’t that be amazing? Instead, to be validated, many of us answer the call of duty, which has the connotation of labor, chore, or sacrifice. We are formatted that way. So when we choose to relax, we can’t simply enjoy feeling good and nurtured without adding guilt or shame to the mix. If we do something we appreciate, we feel compelled to give it reason, to have a goal. Many of us often feel the urge to defend and justify our right to pursue pleasure. We can’t simply own our rejoicing and feel empowered by it.
We hear the expression ‘work hard, play hard.’ Because we work hard, we are therefore allowed to play hard? This behavior is not balanced, hence self-destructive. Who created this belief? Is it ours or did we inherit it from family and/or culture? More unconscious programs that hurts us are: “Offering nothing, I can’t be loved for just being me” or “I must serve or I will not be genuinely loved.” The Universe wants us to feel joy. It is God’s wish and our responsibility to thrive. We have the right to find what fulfills us and still feel worthy to receive love.
Young children and dogs don’t feel guilty when they play, they delight fully in the moment. They play in all innocence, with no particular goal in mind but for the pure joy of having a good time. Will we stop nurturing our children and dogs because all they do is BE and play? On the contrary, we enjoy seeing them fully appreciate life as it is contagious and we feel happier for it.
We are conditioned to equate our value to our performance and the pain it took to produce. We do not accept that all could come with ‘ease’. We do not trust that pleasure could lead to high quality output. When engaged in activities we cherish, to avoid feeling belittled, we name them ‘work’. When will we behave like we deserve free love? Have you noticed all the people always running around, saying they are so busy? They must justify whatever they are doing or they feel embarrassed, lesser than. We are then surprised by so much anger and sadness in our world. A remedy is to decide to love ourselves fully, no matter how imperfect we are. We could use mantras such as:
It is my birthright to rejoice in living.
No matter what I do, I choose to do it with heart.
I enjoy, with no expectations.
I am good enough as I am and deserve to be happy and loved.
Let’s take the risk to relish in life and claim it and see what changes… In addition, in doing so, we are giving others permission to do the same. My happiness depends on me and me alone, so everyone else, relax. By taking full responsibility for our own contentment, we relieve others from the burden of making us happy. What a gift of wellness to our loved ones!
If you are curious to know how this Saturn lesson may apply to you in the context of your life challenges, please do not hesitate to book a session. Please e-mail me at corawakening@gmail.com, I’d love it!
Thank you. I choose to smile. All my love, Corinne Cévaër-Corey
Ethical Astrologer and founder of CorAwakening
Photo by Corinne Cévaër-Corey
