What story are you telling?

Guest blog by Lisa Schrader

I listened to myself telling my tale of heartbreak to a new friend recently and in my boredom with my own story, I had a realization.

Before the chapter called, “My Husband of 20 Years Left Me,” something powerful happened that I forget to tell.

I was visiting Mt. Shasta. I walked a labyrinth at the base of the mountain, circling deliberately and slowly, back and forth, on the pebble pathway. Arriving at the center, I raised my heart to the sky and said a fierce invocation to the heavens. It went something like, “God-Goddess, I ask you to remove any and all obstacles that are in the way of me becoming fully who I am and bringing my gifts to the world.”

This is the kind of prayer that should come with a big fat warning label (especially when you say it at the base of Mt. Shasta).

About three weeks later, he left and life, as I’d known it, fell apart.

When I omit this part of the story, I indulge in “victim” rather than claiming my co-creative part in the drama. There’s no doubt, now that I’m firmly on the other side of the initiation, that I have indeed become more fully who I am as a result. My work has expanded significantly as I’ve learned to let go of my former husband and reorient around my sacred “inner marriage” of masculine and feminine. I’ve been abundantly blessed with opportunities to bring the gifts of this learning forward in support of other women. Every day I’m in gratitude for the grace, beauty, and love continually expanding in my life.

So the question of the day is, “What story are you telling?” Is it supporting your growing feminine power or have you been omitting important parts of the story? Is what’s coming to you an answer to your prayers, even if it isn’t showing up how you expected it to? (Goddess knows, that’s usually the case.)

Our words are powerful. Our stories are powerful. As we speak our truth, let us listen well to the stories we are telling ourselves and others.

Lisa Schrader is an author, speaker and coach on sacred sexuality and the founder of Awakening Shakti. Her work has been featured on Oprah, Oxygen and VH1.  For information on her upcoming “Unleash Your Shakti Power Initiation Program” including a free teleclass this Thursday 9/2, CLICK HERE