Author Archives: Gillian and Craig

Got Lemons? The Alchemy of Sacred Brilliance

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 “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”
                                                                      ~proverb

Inside this saying is a suggestion that you can create and make something entirely new out of what’s presented.

It takes a form of Alchemy to do that.

It also takes what we are calling Sacred Brilliance, the ability to recognize an opportunity that something different can exist!

Without it, you end up with a lot of bruises and a big pile of rotting lemons.

*             *           *           *

Sacred Brilliance is where Alchemy begins.It is the idea.

It is the insight.

It is the desire for something new to emerge.

It is fueled by a Knowing that your True Self can have something sweeter than lemons, and will engage in its’ passion and power to get it.

Now, if you were lucky when you were growing up you had a teacher, a mentor, a parent, a champion or someone who helped you figure out the hard stuff.

They helped you access your creativity and showed you how to solve problems.

With each success you made lemonade and you grew your self-esteem and personal authority. You learned to engage your Sacred Brilliance, and Alchemy became a natural part of how you lived.

Perhaps, however, you are one of the many who didn’t have that kind of support and you fall into a second group of Alchemists.

You had to fight to learn how to do Alchemy.
Stress became an ingredient of your creative process.

Your Sacred Brilliance emerged because you had to survive.

If you are part of this group you had to figure out ways to solve your problems. You achieved levels of success because you wanted it, and you would do whatever it took to get it.

Thirdly, there is a group we suspect is the most common (based solely on our non-scientific observations!). They are the folks running around with their pants scared off them most of the time!

Their Sacred Brilliance is dormant, hidden away and in aching despair.

They believe that life is something that happens to them as a result of someone else’s power and actions.

For them the part of the brain – the amygdala – that attaches emotional meaning to things and puts a person into fight, flight or freeze mode, is permanently lit up!

Circumstances in life seem full of stress and they remain feeling small, insignificant, timid, weak.  And stuck!

As you would expect, these three groups have access to Sacred Brilliance in three very different ways.

*             *           *           *

To illustrate, below is a brief report from a friend about things going on in his life.

  • Two weeks laid-up from an unexpected major surgery.
  • No income because he is self-employed and no money comes in if he doesn’t work.
  • While in the hospital the garage was burglarized and over $2K of important gear was stolen.

This is definitely a lot of lemons to deal with in a short period of time.

How do our three types of Alchemists deal with these circumstances?

How would you face them?

*             *           *           *

Group A – People who access their Sacred Brilliance and trust their alchemical power.

      These folks begin with the perspective that a new challenge is in front of them and they will be fine because everything always works out perfectly for them. In other words, they don’t panic!

      In our example case, they are grateful for the surgery and the pace of their body healing. They understand they are granting themselves time to rest and be quiet for a while. They appreciate their financial resources and the people they can count on. 

      They miss their gear for a moment but losing it is waking them up to something else. They’ll ask, “What do I need to look at that allowed this to happen?” “What does this free up in my life?” and “How can I make this better than it was?”  

      This mindset is a natural place for them to create from. It makes them stronger, more resilient, and when they do get back in action their results are clear and quick.

Group B – People who access their Sacred Brilliance and are certain of their alchemical power most of the time.

       These folks are anxious to get back to work as soon as possible and use stress as a catalyst. They might override their body’s signals and rush to make things happen before its time. It’s possible their body will shut them down if they too often fail to listen. 

       They’ve learned to practice a lot of the attitudes that come easily to Group A, but they don’t fully trust their alchemical power. They can let go of the gear fairly easily and they can replace it when necessary, but they are vulnerable to bouts of self-pity, self-doubt or resentment. On occasion they feel they have to “fight” to stay positive. 

       Their Sacred Brilliance flirts with them and lands in moments of inspiration. Their alchemical power is awesome when they know where they are going and what they want.

Group C – People who wish they could become unstuck from their fear.

       Remember the amygdala? In fight, flight or freeze their creativity is shut down. They’ll wonder: “Why did the surgery have to happen to me now?” “I’ll never make up what I’ve lost.” and  “How did they know I had that stuff?” or, “I know I’ll never get that back.” 

       Sacred Brilliance is like something graced upon them because it comes from a place beyond their personal power.   

*             *           *           *

To gauge where you are, use this short checklist to get on track.

First, note how you are thinking about your lemons.
Do you feel victimized?  Or challenged?

Then, to awaken Sacred Brilliance, ask yourself these questions:

  1. What can I learn from this experience?
  2. What does this experience free up in my life?
  3. How can I use this experience to improve my situation?