A Spiritual Walk

By Linda La Croix

This week the Lake Orion community celebrates the Dragon on the Lake Festival and many from the surrounding areas come to enjoy it too.

When I saw the banner to advertise it going up, I thought, hmmm, wonder if there is a spiritual walk regarding dragons? Actually, there are many stories centered on dragons. Each usually includes knights and princesses, which are symbolic of our strengths and weaknesses.

The most recent movie I recall is “Enchanted” by Disney. As with many other movies there is a prince, a princess and an evil queen.

The movie is quite enjoyable and happy until the evil queen decides she is not getting what she wants. She turns herself into a huge dragon, complete with fiery breath, big teeth and long, lashing tail.

As I contemplated my description of a dragon, I realized that all of us have a dragon in our lives at some time or another. It shows up in many forms, such as a situation or a person. It may show up in the world outside of you or be your own internal, personal dragon.

If it is your own personal dragon, it comes from what you say or do to yourself and what you allow into your life that may not serve your highest good.

Long ago, I heard the expression: “We all have to slay our own dragons.” Slaying is not about actually killing a real dragon. It means that everyone has things that come up in their life. Things we have to work on; but sometimes those things are BIG. We can make decisions that get us into trouble, and at that time we can feel like the fire of a dragon is breathing down our neck.

When our life situations become bigger than what we can handle, we might feel like a damsel in distress. We might even find ourselves wishing a prince or a knight really would come and save us from the dragon! But the work is always ours to do.

You may have a dragon in your life if you have someone who presents themselves as bolder than you, is very braggy or acts like a bully. Having someone in your life that is filled with “hot air” and hollers at you or creates situations that makes you feel fearful are dragons.

Symbolically, anything that makes you feel less than you are or makes you feel a lack of consciousness would be your dragon.

To slay those dragons, you must realize who you really are. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Write that down; keep that thought close in your conscious mind to support your thoughts.

Another dragon to look at is you. Are you as kind to yourself as you can be? Self-criticism, procrastination, perfectionism are like the sharp tongue of a dragon. Slay that way of thinking by taking care of yourself better. Speak words of “life” to yourself by using language that is positive and supportive to you.

Set goals for yourself where you will eat three healthy meals a day; and make the decision to share them with family and friends in good conversation. Create connections in your life, exercise a little, use good hygiene, wear colors that make you feel happy and get a new job if the one you have is not satisfying to your life!

Remember, this is your life! Let nothing drag you down! You are a child of God and you have this one life to live; live it in a positive way!

Make a difference in your world by making a difference in someone else’s world! Enjoy your friends, but evaluate if they weigh you down. If so, make new friends!

Sit still and enjoy the silence of you. Listen for your own heartbeat and march to that! Be the hero in your own life story and slay the dragons in your consciousness that hold you back! Life is out there waiting for you, but you have to be brave like a knight and change what is not right!

Begin making changes in your conscious thinking at this year’s festival. Every time you see a dragon, say one thing positive about yourself. If you cannot attend the festival, do the exercise using a certain color or type of vehicle that you pass, like every time you see a bus. Remember, your brain is always listening, so say good things.

Be your own knight and slay your own dragons by using life-giving words such as: I am amazing, I am blessed, I am perfect just the way I am and believe it!

You are an awesome child of God, I see it, I know it and I affirm it as so!

Linda La Croix is Unity Director and Prayer Chaplain at Unity of Lake Orion . See her Facebook page, A Spiritual Walk for more spiritual unfoldment.