It was a Sunday morning last fall when the inspiration behind Free Admission, a practice that has now changed my life, came to me seemingly out of nowhere. The evening before, I realized something shocking about myself – that I was more committed to making others wrong than to making them happy. This awareness hit me like a Mack truck. Then an interesting thing happened. Rather than dwell on this knowing and beat myself up, an enticing path I had traveled down many times before, I was inspired to get it out in the open and share it with my Facebook friends. With this simple inspired act, the weight of my realization was miraculously lifted, and I was overwhelmed by a sense of freedom and peace. This marked the beginning of my daily process of recognizing and admitting the not-so rosy things about me, cleansing my mind of them, and practicing forgiveness along the way.
The Free Admission practice is now my vehicle for accepting ‘what is’. This means accepting all aspects of myself, even the parts I want to run and hide from. I’ve learned that when something has been hidden in the closet for years, it can come out angry and hurt. But once I shed light on whatever I’ve been hiding, consciously or unconsciously, I’m then able to start the process of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go.
Recognizing that nothing is ‘wrong’ with me when I admit there’s a part of me that tries to sabotage my romantic relationship, creates a sense of freedom within me that language cannot articulate. Recognizing that I’m not a ‘bad’ person for secretly feeling more comfortable when I’m the thinnest person in a room, clears a space for peace to move in. In making daily admissions to myself and my community, I’ve come to understand that these thoughts and ways of being stem from a universal thought system. This ‘egoic thought system’ is inherently flawed, and by design, is committed to creating separation, drama, and chaos. My first direct experience in knowing that the voices and thoughts inside my head aren’t me, was a liberating, life-changing moment that I’ll never forget. As I continue to shed light on everything that simply is, the layers of fabrication are peeled away, and peace and freedom become more and more accessible.
Free Admission has not only been an incredibly freeing and healing practice for myself, but has burgeoned into an amazing community and is now a vehicle for others to see themselves in the various admissions posted. It’s a safe place where we can all realize that whatever it is we’re holding onto – it’s okay! We’re not alone.
What if more of us began to admit to ourselves and our communities the very thoughts and ways of being that weigh so heavily on our minds? What if we all chose to love and forgive ourselves for the deepest, darkest secrets we hold onto? What if we chose to no longer identify with these thoughts and secrets, and stopped judging ourselves for them? Imagine the possibilities…
What started off as simply an avenue for me to bear my soul, and to forgive and heal myself with my admissions, has transformed into a phenomenal community where people come to discuss, share, and make their own declarations to the Universe. We all want to have the experience of freedom and peace in our lives. By simply accepting ‘what is’ and declaring it to the Universe, serenity is truly at our fingertips.
Bio:
Ashley is the creator of the Free Admission Facebook community, where she and many others bear their souls in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Ashley also co-created and is featured in the film MPower: Empowering Women in Business & Beyond from Avaiya Media.
www.facebook.com/FreeAdmission