Let me ask you this: when you imagine your dreams, who do you see? Unless you’re totally disembodied, I’m guessing the answer to this question is that you see you. You see yourself living your dreams. That is because you belong in your dreams. They are yours, after all. So buy into this idea, and stop telling yourself that your dreams are too big or unrealistic for you to achieve them. They’re yours! They were designed for you by your inner most knowing self - your soul. Your soul knows that you belong in your dreams, all you need to do is trust it.

I sincerely believe that humanity’s shared purpose is to get over the illusion of separateness that plagues mankind. That is, the idea that we are all different. Instead, we must embrace oneness. We must choose to see that we have all come from the same place, and to that place we will return. We are all simply human. Each of us feels the same pain, happiness, and hope that the stranger next to us does. To seek oneness rather than separateness is the ultimate form of compassion. It becomes impossible to feel hatred once you can embrace this pillar.

Choosing love over fear will be the most impactful shift you can make during this lifetime. This process begins by first acknowledging our fears, and trying to understand why they scare us. Once we commit to choosing love over fear in everyday situations, we can put our work to the test. We acknowledge our fear, and we then assess the options in front of us: the love decision and the fear decision. When you are able to acknowledge where love begins and fear ends, you afford yourself the power to consciously pick the love decision. Choosing love over fear aligns us with our highest self and frees us from the blocks that keep us from living in our dreams.

The greatest advice I’ve consumed to date was when Rayya Elias said “I will never judge anyone for where they stand on their path.” We are all on our own path. The more often you step off of your path to criticize where someone else is on theirs, the further you distance yourself from alignment. Along your path you will find many gifts; however, if you’re constantly distracted by the routes that other people are on, you may miss these blessings. In a far more blunt way, my pillar “we are all on our own path” roughly translates to “mind your own business.” Committing to not judging anyone, yourself included, for where they stand on their path will be the most freeing and soul nurturing practice.

This one feels pretty direct. Do no harm, take no shit. Living life in alignment with your highest self means setting boundaries. If someone is infecting your life with negative energy, set a respectful boundary from them. Release them to their highest good. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that what they’re doing or what they’ve done is okay. It means that you’re releasing your attachment to the pain that they’ve inflicted upon you. You needn’t do any harm. Simultaneously, you needn’t take any shit.

A self-proclaimed vulnerability advocate, I live by the principle that vulnerability is the greatest form of courage. To offer your soul to the world, whether it be in actions, in energy, or in words, is incredibly powerful. Speak your truth even when your voice shakes.