There is Joy When We Awaken to Our Spirit: Rev. Julianne Lewis encourages us to understand who we are and awaken to our true selves.

We are all seeking the path toward enlightenment in our spirituality that naturally occurs when we remain open, listen, meditate, seek truth and sample different ideas and paths. This year, we can allow part of that process to include understanding who we are and why we have been called to this earthly plane, because we are not here by accident. It is time for us to awaken to the truth that we are not just mind and body and to acknowledge our real self. We are truly so much more than what we have been told, so much more than what we believe or what we sometimes demonstrate.

We can start with the act of lightening our vibrational density by letting go of negativity, self-judgment and the fear of not being good enough. We can then make room for our expanded selves by bringing some spiritual aspects into the light we naturally stand in; the characteristics of our true self that we have kept under wraps.

The truth is that we all have the ability to allow our spiritual truth and authentic self to express itself. Our life is a journey toward remembering our power and presence. It is our time to awaken, stand in integrity, express our truth more fully and share love unconditionally. As we embrace the reality of who we are, we make room for new ideas, creativity, innovations, healing modalities and exciting ways of expressing and being.

It hasn’t been all that long since people believed the world was flat, and there are many “truths” about the human experience that have been skewered, causing confusion and fear. These misconceptions and our own unwillingness to change have held us in a long, collective sleep, but now it’s time to wake up, as evidenced by the chaos we are witnessing throughout our world.

No matter where we are in our process of becoming, it does not serve us or anyone else to stay under cover, hiding our light, second-guessing ourselves and choosing a life of mediocrity. It is much more powerful to allow our “superhero” divine spirit to descend, bringing with it our highest vibrational resources, our higher self and our true essence. As Marianne Williamson wrote, “We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.”

We can accept our greatness, let go of the old perceptions of lack and limitation, and mindfully share our gifts of truth, integrity, wisdom and grace. Our essential light and love will begin a holy transformation. When we are awake, there will be hope, peace, love and joy.

Reverend Julianne Lewis is the senior pastor of Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, in Mesa. For more information, phone 480-593-8798 or visit Interfaith-Community.org.