Freedom rings in the silence

By Shamika Sonia

I read somewhere once that we have a purpose before anyone else has an opinion of us, which stuck with me. It awakened a realization in me that we are born free and from the love that is God.

With this new awareness came the truth that I get to choose what to believe about myself. And that belief has since elevated to knowing who I am. A close friend asked me how I got to a place of knowing versus seeking to know. And for me, growth and learning blossomed in silence. Love and peace meet me in solitude; it’s there that I commune with my true nature and the boundlessness that abounds within. I’m able to fill my cup with truth and shed lies that tried to suffocate me. 

I’m learning that though we have unique life experiences that influence and shape our perspectives of who we are in this world, we also have the power and ability to choose and find our way back to ourselves when the noise causes us to stray. We can return to the essence of who we are and the infinite potential ruminating in our being. 

As I navigate a new season in life, I’m getting to know myself differently, the habits I learned throughout the years in response to trauma, and my will to survive. But I realize that I no longer want to just survive. I desire and deserve to thrive as love, and so do you. 

Since my youth, the world around me has always seemed to move with an unnecessary sense of urgency. I navigated the world as a lost little girl, craving guidance at a natural pace, wanting everyone to slow down, but life wouldn’t allow it. So, I buried myself and adapted, mimicking and performing according to what the world deemed right for me, successful, beautiful, or acceptable. As a result, there was little time to cultivate my true nature for me and me alone. But that changed when I became a mother of my two sweet girls; I am now re-parenting myself while parenting them, and it’s so beautiful to witness my magic unfold.

While Shamika Sonia has many scars naked to the human eye, she glows bright, still. The process of healing and unpacking the wounds of my childhood self is like a divine teacher, gifting me with precious time to master myself, my thoughts, and unfruitful habits at the pace that feels right. And at my pace, I can cultivate the purpose, peace, and joy needed to nourish my growth. Growth germinates in the soil of discomfort. And when we allow it, it’s the pain that teaches us the most about ourselves, revealing the weeds waiting to be dug up at the root so we can shine bright. Get still and remember that the storm will pass because rain doesn’t last always. Practice feeling and then letting go of what does not serve or belong to you, because in truth, we own nothing. All of life is a gift. 

I’m learning to embrace my true nature and take solace in my unity with the creator. We are free and the storm is meant to awaken a level of mastery within us meant to hold the boundless beauty awaiting our experience beyond the noise. So slow down, remain open, and seek to know yourself, first. And then, be That, always. 

Freedom rings in silence.