The spiritual closet strip tease
In my experience, people who erect spiritual closets tend to be the biggest believers of them all. The reason they step into a spiritual closet is not because they doubt their beliefs, rather, it’s because their beliefs are unwavering. That is, they are so scared of being judged for who they are (because their beliefs are such a big part of them) that they attempt to protect themselves by stepping into the closet. They may also have a soul memory of persecution – more on that here.
But here’s the thing: with every day, it’s becoming more and more socially acceptable to be openly ‘spiritual.’ But when you‘ve been in a spiritual closet for some time, it can be pretty scary to reveal to the ones who ‘know you’ the most that actually, there’s more to you than you’ve let them see.
I hid in my spiritual closet for over a decade. I would suss out people before I revealed just how ‘spiritual‘ I really was with a whisper. But when my soul called me to align my life, I knew I needed to get naked. So little by little I came out of the closet and timidly began to strip.
The biggest step was bringing my ‘spiritual self’ to my work. I started telling my colleagues about courses I was doing on the weekend and leaving books I was reading on my desk (rather than hidden away in my bag, so no one could see the cover). I shared my beliefs about the connection between creativity, spirituality, and ideas, which are waiting to be born. I then began dropping the ‘S word’ (spirit) in meetings, creating the phrase ‘Let your spirit be your brand.’
The more layers I shed, the more liberated I felt. The more of my authentic self I revealed, the more effortless work became because I was able to show up completely as me. Instead of fitting into a mold, I let myself overspill and expand. And then the over spilling bits became my ‘thing.’ I got pay rises, won awards, got promotions. The parts of me that I was trying to keep under control were the bits that everyone actually valued most. Getting naked and stepping out of the spiritual closet was the most liberating and rewarding experience of my life.
The thing about getting naked is that you don’t have to rip off your clothes all at once, so you‘re suddenly exposed in broad daylight for everyone to see and point. That‘s what nightmares are made of. The best strip teases leave you wanting more! You might start by taking off your hat, then your scarf, and your gloves. Next might come your coat, followed by your heels and tights. Eventually come your dress, bra and the rest. The more layers that fall to the ground, the more people want to see.
The more of yourself you reveal, the easier it is for ‘your people’ to find you. It’s much harder to spot someone when they are in a disguise.
When you are out and proud you will not want to go back. For you have an opportunity to build your life around who you truly are. And if you ask me, that is EVERYTHING.
Work Your Light
Are you in a spiritual closet?
How can you start getting naked and align all areas of your life?
