From a very young age, we tend to look outside ourselves for validation, guidance and information.  I witness this every day with my two daughters.  And as a parent, I know it’s okay to validate and respond with praise but, at the same time, it’s just as important if not MORE important, to allow them to make their own decisions (even though I’m cringing inside), so they can learn to gain that sense of sovereignty.

Turning to outside sources is pertinent for learning, growing and expanding. However, the end result will always be the same and that is that growth is an inside job.

Which can be quite scary if you have any smidgen of self-doubt, fear of failure, or decision-making issues.  I’ve experienced all three to be quite honest and obtaining that sense of sovereignty has been quite a journey.

Self-sustaining action can be intimidating because when we empower ourselves from the inside out, we truly have no one else to “blame” when things go unlike we planned.  Not only that but we also have to take complete ownership and responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions.

 Complete ownership of our thoughts, words and actions. 

That means that whatever we decide to be, do and contribute in this lifetime is ours to claim … regardless of how it “turns out.”  But what I’m learning is, when we rely on the inner calling of our soul, we blaze our own trail and magnetize others that uplift our goals.

So then, can we confidently say that when we sit in meditation or dedication, and expand our innocence and vulnerability to learning for the sole purpose of elevating our soul’s calling, that we connect to our inner pulse and experience sovereignty?

Can we admit then that our external gaze actually inhibits our personal growth and may even restrict our intellect when it comes to making autonomous choices?

Would you agree then, that relying on the projections (not the opinions), of others, can potentially take us down a path that is not our own?

I think that listening to the whisper of our own divinity and following that unique voice is the only way to gain the empowerment that we crave in this lifetime.  I think we know on a deep level that we hold this power within ourselves to create what is uniquely yours, we just rely on the judgment of others and that then becomes the pattern.

Sovereignty is knowing your truth, standing in your truth and then expressing your truth in everything you do.  And not just some of the time, all of the time.  

By Dana Damara

“My passion on the mat is proper alignment, powerful breath and effortless flow so you feel that off your mat. Your practice becomes sacred space where you arrive to find more meaning, depth, authenticity and integrity in your life."

- Dana Damara: mother, author, yoga instructor, speaker and yogini.

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