Making Space & Taking Space

Note: I’m writing in the first person here, using “I”; this is intentional so as not to push my “shoulds” on you. Know I’m writing for anyone who can relate, and also know, what works for me may not work for you.

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of our love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. Gautama Buddha

This is a bit of a repeat, from Uniquely Entitled, but I’ll say it again:

We are all here for a reason. We are all here to share our light and gifts. And we all deserve to be here to do just that. We don’t need validation, justification, and even if we’re in the process of learning, we’re still entitled. Not in the brah-kinda-way where we think we just get things without putting the work in. But rather in the way that most religions, spiritual practices, and self-help books proclaim: we all have something to give back, and it’s our right to do just that, especially on days when we don’t think we can or “should”.

In most cases I find I need to first make the space. I might need to open my mind and heart a bit, through research or through mantras and meditation. Other times I need to physically make space. I might need to re-arrange my workspace. I might need to tidy or clean up a section of the house. Either way, once the space is made, it’s my entitlement to fill that space with my soul and being.

One of the many, many yoga classes I took years and years ago stands out. Mary was the teacher. It was in a heated class, so I was nasty-sweaty and likely breathing hard. She cued us into Warrior 2 and said: “You have your entire mat, so use it. Take up your space. Own your space.” Or at least that’s what I remember her saying as her message to us all. Warrior 2 is a wide-stanced pose and really should take up most of a yoga mat’s worth of space. This message of taking up our allocated physical space is just an analogy (like most things on the mat) for ways I can feel empowered to live my life off my mat.

I have every right to be in a room, at a table, and speaking my truth / story as the next person. I might be different or maybe have less experience, but I do have an experience to share. You do too.

This is a reminder for me to do just that -

To share my story, share my art (whatever it ends up being), and be taking up space.

Design discontinued as of September 2023.