Missing the Mark

Dear Friends,

Maybe, like many of us, you grew up with a list of "do's" and "don'ts" that satisfied someone else's list of what was a "sin" and what was not a "sin." If adults around you were really into "sin," particularly someone else's sin, then you probably grew up with a sense of guilt about you, about what you do, about who you are.

That kind of guilt is hard to get over. Lots of times that kind of guilt makes you want to stay away from church or "spiritual" people as much as you can.

The real meaning of "sin" is: "missing the mark." You miss the mark when you choose your ego over your silent, inner knowing. You miss the mark when you forget how beautiful you are, when you forget how important you are to the rest of creation. You miss the mark when you forget that you are completely whole and good as you are. You miss the mark when you choose to think your way out of things, instead of getting in touch with your deeper self.

We all "miss the mark." That doesn't mean we are bad. When we live with a sense of guilt or shame, we "miss the mark," as well.
"Missing the mark," sometimes choosing our smaller self instead of our larger self, is simply part of being a human being in this human body. Get used to it! Learn to forgive yourself when you "miss the mark." Forgive yourself and move on with your life, trusting that you are beautiful, whole, and that you are an important part of the creation, simply by being alive.

Warmly,
meb