Expansion

“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence. —Alan Watts

The universe is always expanding.

We are made from the same cosmic particles as the universe. The atoms in our bodies—carbon, oxygen, iron—were born in the collapse of stars.

Aren’t we all our own little universes? Our own sea of constellations. A microcosm of the cosmos.

It is our essence to expand.

When we look at the stars, we can barely fathom the vastness of outer space. It inspires awe.

Similarly, we have no comprehension of the limitlessness of our inner space.

Eighty-six billion neurons in the brain, each connecting up to 1,000 times with other neurons—creating a number of potential pathways as incomprehensibly large as objects in the universe.

Yet, how rarely we look inward.

We all have the choice to expand. To keep shedding layers. To let go of old identities and self-limiting beliefs.

But comfort—and cultural hypnosis—conspire to prevent us from exploring our full potential.

Looking Inward

Alan Watts says that what waves are to the ocean, people are to the universe.

The wave doesn’t cower at the vastness of the ocean because it knows they are one.

When I learned Transcendental Meditation, they compared the conscious mind to a ship on the surface of the ocean, constantly tossed about by the waves of thought.

But when we bring our awareness to the life-giving rhythm of breath—the expansion as it fills our lungs and chest, and its release—we begin to drop below the surface.

The mind quiets. If only for a moment.

With practice, we go deeper still. And the stillness expands.

We connect to the energy of the universe, always coursing around and through us.

This connection allows us to channel the peace, power, and rejuvenation of our inner world into our outer one.

When we realize, like the wave, that we are inseparable from the source, we begin to lose our fear of expanding into our true essence.

Comfort Begets Contraction

Expansion demands bravery.

In a world that encourages conformity, it is an act of heroism to heed the call to your life’s true adventure.

How often we think about doing hard things. Long for more fulfillment. Envision a different path—

Only to stop before we take the first step.

We listen to the voice that convinces us a silly fantasy could never become reality.

Even if it’s the reality we dream of often.

Fear keeps us complacent.

We find comfort in the crowd, all walking the same path.

We watch films, read stories, scroll through images of others living their dreams.

And slowly, we begin to contract.

We sublease our dreams to our children.

We allow the light within us to dim in exchange for the illusion of security and comfort.

But it’s never too late.

A New Path

The Sufi poet Rumi writes, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”

Clarity doesn’t come before expansion. It emerges as we expand—one uncertain step at a time.

The act of moving forward is what sharpens our vision.

Intentional inner work compels the action. Identifying the ingrained patterns of thought and behavior that keep us shackled.

Adversity is often a catalyst for expansion. Sometimes we are given no choice.

A job ends. A relationship dissolves.

Life lifts us out of what we thought was solid ground.

But we can always tune back into that deeper connectedness.

And when we do, we begin to see opportunities to embrace the adventure all around us.

With each courageous step, our confidence grows.

We become less afraid of what the world thinks of us.

We trust our inner strength and resourcefulness to meet whatever comes our way.

Trusting Yourself

It can be terrifying to follow this path. To become a new version of yourself.

We wear our identities like armor. They protected us for so long.

We cling to the familiar, even when it no longer fits.

To drop them is to stand naked and vulnerable.

No wonder we’re scared.

But there is power in beginning again.

Power in walking into the unknown.

As I shed layers—mental, emotional, chemical—I feel the expansion happening.

The version of you who knows what to do only shows up once you begin.

I’m less afraid of rejection. Less concerned with being understood.

More interested in being aligned.

I trust that my soul will show me the way.

The journey inward gives me the courage to expand outward—into the fullest expression of my earthly potential.

And Rumi asks all of us:

“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”

-CoachKris