Hi everyone – hope you’re all having a powerful start to the new year 🙂

Before I start with our 10th Power, lets briefly summarize Detachment. I know many of you are still on holidays so I hope you’re happy and peaceful. Thank you to those who made effort to share – I know it’s a busy time for everyone, so as the dust settles on 2012 and we enter 2013 lets start with a clean slate, incorporating a positive and content attitude.

In a nutshell, here’s what some of you shared:
– Many were blessed with intense lessons regarding Detachment 🙂
– Some of you found this Power almost impossible but realized the benefits when persisting and allowing processes to happen naturally and in their own time – without force.
– Recognition of apportioning blame and using detachment to work through situations of attachment… Well Done, this is not an easy one so pat yourselves on the back.
– Detaching from own past enabled identification of limiting patterns – i.e. suppressing feelings / emotions in certain situations.
– Being able to detach made emotional healing smoother and easier – not just for self but for those needing support.
– Through Detachment, learned to ‘allow’ and by ‘allowing’ the drama to unfold, beautiful things happen.
Detachment – like the lotus – allows the heart to open and allows the past to be released.

True Detachment happens when unconditional love is present – the ability to connect with my environment in a loving way, without becoming enmeshed with it. It’s not about disconnecting from the world! Finding methods to increase self love is necessary to succeed in living a detached and powerful life. When I’m truly content with myself, I can give love to others with no strings attached – no dependencies and no co-dependencies.

So… Our 10th Power is perfect in following Detachment, it can help change our perspective of life. Another Power that’s not too easy to apply but with Courage this one will make you fly. It pays to remember to combine other powers too – they support each other to assist us in our journey of life. It’s our fortune to receive our virtues and it’s our individual responsibility to cultivate them and allow them expressive power in our life.

Our 10th Power is the 7th Jewel – Power to Tolerate – page 57….

‘The power is in accepting things as they are,
without giving or taking sorrow.
No matter what culture, opinion, action or choice,
do not let your brow furrow.
Loving all for what they bring to the world,
starts with ME today… not tomorrow’

** The ability to accept what I can and cannot change. Understanding that I only have power over myself, that I cannot change the actions and attitudes of others. Tolerance doesn’t mean to ‘put up with’ stuff, it doesn’t mean resignation or keeping score. It means I accept my own strengths and weaknesses and those of others – WITHOUT giving or taking sorrow. It means I can accept and appreciate the world as it is – with all it’s ugliness and beauty – without condoning or conforming to it’s many deficiencies.

** I am the Fruit Tree… I keep giving fruit, even to those who pelt me with stones. I am stable yet flexible in all circumstances. Remaining undisturbed by external or internal storms, I am able to adjust myself when necessary. I accept my own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others.

** Supporting Virtues: Courage, Humour, Acceptance, Patience, Flexibility, Respect, Accommodate

Tips:
1. Give this Power some extra study time – it’s worth understanding what Tolerance really means. It helps to detach easier because you accept what you can and cannot change.
2. Check yourself for any discrepancies between what you say and what you do – don’t
beat yourself up, that’s not tolerance – simply change it and move on 🙂
3. Check your surroundings when you think you are being tolerant. Check things like –
are others cooperating? Is the atmosphere light and easy? Is the environment supportive to learning?… This is a great practice for anyone living or working in group situations.

Questions to churn:
1. Do I tolerate, or do I keep score or just ‘put up with’ stuff?
2. Do I focus on weaknesses or strengths – within myself or others?
3. Do I make effort to change myself, or do I waste time criticizing – myself and others?

The Power to Tolerate is such an important strength in a world that is becoming increasingly intolerant. To be able to tolerate others – their cultures, opinions, religions and ideas; to tolerate ourselves – our fears and failures, our successes and victories, our strengths and weakness; and to tolerate nature – her natural disasters and extreme weather patterns that the entire world is experiencing – means to live with acceptance and love.

Lots of love Annemarie xx