“Coming Up”…. Say Hello to your Higher Self
My Driveway Flower
Several years ago I was in a class with like-minded others, when we were asked to think about a difficult time in our lives, and then to write a letter to our “higher self” or “future self” to ask for help. After revisiting such a time in my mind’s eye, this is what I wrote-
Dear Amanda,
I am drowning and I don’t know what to do or if I have the courage necessary to make the needed changes that I feel in my heart.
I’m scared. I’m scared to make the changes, scared of being alone, scared of my overwhelming grief and loss.
I don’t know how to slow down, even though I feel like I’m slowly dying. I don’t know where to put my faith. I don’t know how to fix what’s broken.
Please help me. Thank you.
The second part of this exercise was to write back to ourselves from the perspective of our higher or future self. I thought this would be the hardest part, but to my astonishment, the words came quickly-
My Beloved,
You are so cherished and so very loved! You only act and feel from your heart and how can that ever be a bad thing?! You live your life with passion. Follow your heart still, only now, honor your needs and apologize only if it is truly called for. It is ok to accept goodness in your life. You’ve never meant to hurt anyone and you’re not responsible for the adults in your life.
Much of your work is done. You will find inspiration and motivation in unlikely places soon and you’ll no longer carry the heavy emotions that you now hold. You will do new, exciting things and have new adventures.
I’m with you every step of the way.
-Future Me
Who or What is this entity?
According to A.I., the Higher Self is defined as “a spiritual concept describing the purest, most evolved part of oneself, often seen as a source of wisdom, intuition, and potential beyond the limitations of the ego and daily consciousness; it represents the truest version of you, connected to a higher power or universal consciousness.”
It answers by many names in addition to the Higher Self….Future Self, Wider Self, the Holy Spirit, Christ Consciousness, the Oversoul, and the Inner Buddha to name a few, and lately, it’s really being talked about. For those of you who know me or follow my work, then you know that I couldn’t be more thrilled that more people are acknowledging this spiritual side of themselves-their Real Selves.
Ernest Holmes, the founder of the religious psychology movement many years ago, and author of several books, including my favorite, This Thing Called You, and whom Norman Vincent Peale said “was in tune with the infinite,” went on record saying: “Anything you ask in this nature you have a right to expect to receive. But it is only as you let go of the lesser that you can take hold of the greater, only as you drop confusion that you can entertain peace, only as you transcend doubt and fear that you can be lifted up to the hill tops of the Inner Life.”
It’s the highest state of consciousness, so how do you know when you’re there?
There’s only Divine Love and love sees only love everywhere it looks.
It does not withhold.
It is not transactional.
It does not condemn.
It is the highest state of truth.
It is the substance of miracles.
It doesn’t make decisions for you (remember the Universal Law of Free Will)-rather, it observes you and offers guidance.
It’s that still, small Voice Within.
Author, Sara Landon, recommends taking 3 to 5 deep breaths, dropping down into your heart space, and feeling your body relax. Turn your attention and awareness to your future self-it may be 5 years from now or maybe 10 years from now. It is the You who has lived fully and already knows who you’re here to become. Notice what’s presenting itself to you-What messages are there for you? What does it want to show you?-This part that is on the other side of it all and is in the knowing of all that you are becoming?
“There is an element inside of you, inside of your heart and your spirit, that knows that it is indivisible from the whole. Although you have your personality and your individuation and your path in this life, deep inside of you there is a spark that is aware from whence it came.”
-Vagrein/JP Herman
Back in 1980, when I was 13, Sir Paul McCartney released a song that I absolutely loved and I heard it practically every day after school on the radio-”Coming Up.” This song kicked off my love affair of everything Paul, The Beatles, and Wings. In no time I bought the album, McCartney’s second solo effort, of which “Coming Up” was the opening track.
I still have that album…
As they said on American Bandstand, for those of you who remember that Saturday afternoon show, “it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.”
It sure did.
This song even helped to get John Lennon back into the studio to record his mega-hit album, Double Fantasy-which I also still have. 😉 For Lennon, hearing “Coming Up” had a revelatory effect on him. “I thought that “Coming Up” was great,” he remarked later that year, and it inspired him to pick up his guitar again.
But it wasn’t just the upbeat, infectious, fast tempo tune that made me want to jump around. It was also the lyrics-unapologetically happy, joyful, and full of hope.
I was driving home one recent weekend, when “Coming Up” came on the radio which made me yell out, “Yes!”, so I cranked it up to sing along, and then it started to dawn on me, “this sounds like a love letter from our Higher Self!”.
When I got to my house, I ran upstairs to grab my album and pulled out the record sleeve to read the lyrics, and thought….Wow….
Now, I don’t know the story behind it or what Sir Paul was thinking when he wrote this song, but it sure seemed like he was channeling some pure divine love.
To connect with your Divine Love I suggest:
Meditation - Quiet your mind, still your thoughts.
Nature Time - Connect with the larger world.
Animal Time - Pet and cuddle your fur babies.
Journaling - Writing down your thoughts and feelings help you to see patterns and gain clarity.
Develop your Intuition - Pay attention to your gut feelings and listen to that small, still voice.
I couldn’t think of a better photo for this blog than the one you see at the top of this page. I used to say “Hello” to this beautiful purple flower that bloomed every year, out of the asphalt in my old driveway, fighting its way through to the light. As the days grew longer and the temperatures rose, I knew it was “coming up like a flower” and was there the whole time.
Til next we meet in the forest…
Love,
Amanda ❤️
-My favorite version😁
