Put Down the Cross; Someone Else Needs the Wood!

Martyrdom is very popular with old souls. And really, who can blame them.

It is one of the most celebrated archetypes in history and one that rarely gets criticized because at the end of the day, who doesn’t like to have a self-sacrificial person around them willing to pick up the slack?

It is nice to be loved and wanted on this planet especially since the percentage of pain caused by isolation and rejection runs fairly high. So yes, let’s sign up for martyrdom. Add a few centuries of religious dogma that instructs us that it is better to give than to receive plus a bleeding heart complex where the internal need to help can only be satisfied if we assist to carry our fellow traveler’s pain and suffering. And voilá, you have a perfect concoction of being weighed down by the burden of so many crosses, that you have lost count.

Now, if this resonates for you, let me ask you this:

Aren’t you tired yet?

Have you started feeling resentful and underappreciated?

Do you feel heavy, sluggish and tired?

Is it hard to get out of bed in the morning?

Do you feel like you are trapped in a version of spiritual “Groundhog Day”?

Have you come to the conclusion that martyrdom isn’t as cool as it used to be?

Are you annoyed that the people around you have stopped evolving and keep coming to you with the same issues?

Have you finally reached the point where you feel that self deserves a vacation?

If you’ve answered yes to any or all of the above questions, it might be time to put down the cross(es) and leave the classroom of martyrdom behind. It was fun while it lasted but on your journey to enlightenment, there are other classrooms to enter.

Let’s aim for a more balanced life where you teach people how to fish instead of feeding them fish. You won’t turn into a self-centered, greedy person; you will just refuse to carry other’s burdens. The good news is two fold.

You will feel lighter plus you’ll have the time and energy to focus on your own homework and you will learn to lead by example.

You will force the people around you to learn their own lessons, which will allow them to be more independent.

So, are you ready?

If so, meditate and envision yourself surrendering all the burdens and crosses you have been carrying to Divine Source. Let them be transmuted by the Violet Transmuting Flame. Repeat until they are all gone. And of course, be free to improvise and add your own techniques.

Martyrdom can be addictive. Depending on your level of attachment you might have to work through a twelve step program and join MA (Martyrs Anonymous ;-)).

The biggest pitfalls I noticed in my own journey were:

a) I didn’t know what to do with the freed up energy and I had to redirect it first before I felt inclined to carry other people’s stuff again.

b) I felt guilty for feeling well while others were still suffering. In the meantime, I have gained the awareness that I can actually be of greater assistance when I am healthy and doing well.

You may or may not be ready to change this aspect of yourself. My advice:

Quit while you are ahead. Sooner or later one does become resentful for having to suffer for other soul’s karma and in the big picture that is not the way it is meant to be!

So, put down the cross and remember nothing is ever lost, so be sure the wood will be recycled and end up somewhere as a beautiful antique or a nice warming bonfire and you will be free to join in the dance of life once again.