I got stung by a honey bee a few days ago. You know, the cute, fuzzy, pollinators that are so necessary to our lives. I’m in awe of this small yet powerful creature, its determined focus on its purpose and its essential contribution to the cycle of life. It truly reminds me that everything in this universe is connected – we all need each other. Over the past few days however, I’ve been downright irritated with bees. Knowing that everything we experience in life is here to serve our highest good, I’ve been asking myself what’s the gift of the honey bee sting? What I discovered may surprise you. It certainly surprised me.

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ~Carl Jung

When we become awake and aware to the importance of each present moment in our lives, as we come to see the beauty of life unfolding before us and through us, we begin to live in divine harmony with life. The yellow brick road to our emerald city – whatever it is that feels like joy to you – reveals itself before us. This bee incident is no exception. In fact, it had more significance than I’d first thought, and I expect there is more insight to come. Allow me to share the gift of the honey bee sting with you.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though EVERYTHING IS A MIRACLE. ~Albert Einstein

The moment I was stung, I knew, without a doubt there was something to be learned here. I choose to live life as though everything is a miracle, even a painful bee sting. Truly the choice is mine, and yours. I was certain there was a gift, an everyday miracle in this honey bee sting, and perhaps some sting in the gift as well. I was stung in the meaty part of my upper arm and it didn’t seem too bad at first. By day two, my arm was swelling like a marshmallow over hot coals, and in the center it was rock hard. It wasn’t pretty or pleasant. It was sore and itchy, and irritated.

On day three, in my morning spiritual reading, I picked up my Science of Mind text book by Ernest Holmes and turned to the daily reading for August 6th. It was all about irritation and hard feelings. Exactly what I’m experiencing in my arm…irritation and hard feelings. I read the following, “A deep-seated resentment against persons or conditions will surely manifest itself in some disagreeable physical reaction.” OK, like a swollen, irritated arm from a honey bee sting perhaps. Coincidence? No such thing. This reading is speaking directly to my current condition and my holding onto resentment of some kind. One step forward on the yellow brick road.

Be still my soul…

In the stillness of meditation, my inner wise self tells me to, “Stop looking for what irritates you.” I realized I was seeking out irritations in my life and recognized this as an old, entrenched and limiting belief that life can’t possibly be this good. I was looking for things to prove myself right. Geeze Louise! This again? I’ve dealt with this before. It’s old, deep, ancestral. Like a 1000 year old vine that has forever twisted itself around the ankles of all those who have come before me.

This isn’t who I choose to be any longer, yet there it is attempting to grab me by the ankles once more. Within this tangled mess is scarcity mindset; there isn’t enough to go around, it’s too good to be true, and waiting for the other shoe to drop, among other things. You might be familiar with some or all of these. None of its true, unless you choose to believe it. Then, it’s true for you. Time to cut myself loose from this old way of thinking.

Each time I turn my attention away from creating the life I desire, I put another sting in the arm of my life.

Another gift of the honey bee sting. The bee instinctively knows her purpose and is single-mindedly focused upon that and nothing else. Nothing can distract her from her work, except perhaps the potential threat of death (which is what likely set her off on my trail that day). I began to reflect on my purpose in life now, on what I want to create. Where is my single-minded focus on my desires and just how much attention am I giving to my imagined irritations and distractions?

Later that morning, I referenced You Can Heal Your Life, my go to source for metaphysical healing by Louise Hay. On allergic reactions, she has this to say, “What are you allergic to? Denying your own power.” Oh…how true. I have the power to live and let live. The power to stay in my lane, in my own business, to be determined and focused on my life’s purpose instead of little irritations. I have the power to stand in integrity, to loose old resentments, to set myself free. I have the power to set clear boundaries. To cut away the old vine of scarcity mindset and keep straight and focused on my yellow brick road. The ultimate gift of the honey bee sting.

Do you ever feel this way? You have dreams and visions of your best self, the best self you can imagine today, or at the very least how you want your life to feel. Yes? Maybe you’re wanting to feel accomplished or peaceful. Abundant. Loving. Harmonious. Joyful. You imagine yourself experiencing a richer, fuller life. Perhaps you see yourself doing great work in the world, or quietly changing your life and the lives of others around you. Whatever it is, if it lights you up it’s what you’re here to be and do.

Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe. ~Oprah Winfrey

Yet, you find yourself feeling less than that and you don’t really know why. This is the gift of the practicing moment by moment awareness of what’s unfolding in your life. This is the importance of being present to each moment of your life. Noticing. Nothing is insignificant because you are magnificent. This gift of the honey bee sting and how it unfolded has led me to new awareness of how I am limiting my own dreams and vision of my best self. Grateful to this little honey bee. I ran and she kept up. She was on a mission and now, thanks to her, so am I.  

Life holds nothing back – we hold ourselves back from life.

The gift of the honey bee sting helped extract me from this deep old limiting belief about how good life can be. Might this belief show up again. Maybe. Yet I’m much wiser to it now. Life is always showing us the way. It gives us what we need to know in order to grow into that best version of ourselves and live into the fullness of who we came here to be. Life is the yellow brick road and you are the way. As life unfolds before you, it unfolds through you. What you are thinking and giving your attention to will always manifest in your experience.

I invite you to step into consciously living your life and create the most wildly improbable vision of your life you can imagine. Then, commit with the dedicated focus of the honey bee to being that in each present moment, one moment at a time. There’s nothing to rush, no place to be but here, now.

What would you like to experience in your life? What’s irritating you and what’s the everyday miracle in the irritation? Are you willing to be as determined and single-mindedly focused on living your best life as this tiny honey bee? What are you willing to become? Go within. It’s safe to ask. The answers may surprise and delight you.  

From my heart to yours,

Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny on Unsplash