And so, I went for an Akashic Reading. If you’re unfamiliar with the Akashic Records, they are understood in certain spiritual traditions as the records of our soul’s journey across lifetimes. Now, I don’t ordinarily do this sort of thing, but I had a reason. I am opening to a new life, and quite frankly, I was feeling a little stuck.

When I say I’m opening to a new life, I’m not necessarily talking about moving or changing careers. At least, not yet. No, I’m talking about moving into a new state of being—a higher state of consciousness, more aligned with my Higher Self, more faith-filled, and more trusting of the Universe.

Think about it. The same Universe that supports our lives keeps planets spinning and galaxies moving in perfect order. We live in a Universe governed by principles of order and harmony, and sometimes we forget that. We forget because we become so wrapped up in our problems, our challenges, and our everyday concerns that we lose sight of the very Power that sustains us. If I could simply relax into that knowing, I believe I could move through this pause in my life with greater grace, trust, and ease.

And that is exactly what my Akashic Reading helped me do. I call it receiving a keynote—a phrase I associate with Emma Curtis Hopkins. A keynote is a truth that strikes something deep within us, awakening a knowing that perhaps we have always possessed but temporarily forgotten. Emma Curtis Hopkins, the great Teacher of Teachers, speaks of this in her book Scientific Christian Mental Practice. She tells us that among the many lessons of Truth, there is one that will strike our particular keynote.

I love that expression. It is as though a spiritual truth strikes a chord deep within our being, and suddenly something resonates. We don’t simply hear the words. We feel them. We recognize them. Something shifts within our consciousness. It isn’t necessarily something we didn’t know before. Sometimes it is something we have known all along but have never fully claimed. And when that keynote is struck, we are never quite the same.

It reminds me of Myrtle Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, who experienced a profound shift in consciousness when she heard the words: “I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness.” Those words became a turning point in her spiritual healing journey.

Although I’m not willing to share the intimate details of my soul’s records publicly, I am more than willing to share the outcome. It came down to three simple words: No more hiding. And, I believe those words speak to every one of us. Why do we hide our true identities? Why do we conceal our gifts and talents, pretending we have nothing particularly valuable to offer? Why are we so afraid to stand out, to be seen, to be heard, to be different? What are we waiting for?

The world needs helpers right now. The world needs people who are willing to shine their light. It needs people who know themselves as God’s energy expressing. It needs people of love, compassion, courage, and conviction. The world needs the bright, strong energy of genuine positivity. Not the toxic positivity that mindlessly declares, “All is good,” while turning away from suffering and injustice. I’m talking about the kind of positivity that is willing to step into the darkness and find the good, to be the good, and to live the good.

There is a world of difference between pretending everything is fine and knowing that, even amid life’s greatest challenges, there is a Power for Good that we can consciously express.

I know this to be true, and I am willing to be one of those people. But we cannot do this while playing small, while hiding our light under a bushel, as the Bible reminds us. I am calling myself to remember who I am and to act accordingly.

Recently, a friend and colleague who had experienced healing from cancer shared the words that became her personal keynote: “I am God, and I choose life.”

When I heard those words, something within me awakened. I received another keynote. What if we really lived that way? What if we understood ourselves not as separate from the Divine, but as individualized expressions of the One Life? What if we truly chose life? Wouldn’t it follow that we would live fully, courageously, and unapologetically? That is the call I am answering.

When I wrote my memoir, Where Is My Red Dress?, I was admonished by some for being so honest, so open, and so vulnerable. Others told me I was brave. “I could never do that,” they said.

Just this past week, a colleague who is writing a similar book told me that he couldn’t bring himself to be completely honest for fear of hurting others—even though some of those very people had harmed him. I understand that concern. There are real questions of compassion, privacy, and responsibility when we tell our stories. But there is also a cost to silence. The #MeToo movement has shown us how important it can be for people to step forward, speak their truth, and hold others accountable for harmful actions.

When we find the courage to speak, we may not only help protect others from harm; we may also inspire someone else to find the courage to say, No more. No more silence. No more shame. No more hiding.

So, what does all of this have to do with being Free to Be Me? Quite a lot, actually.

I recently returned from a conference filled with people from our New Thought movement. One of the recurring concerns was that New Thought is aging. The lament was that our congregations are growing older and that younger generations are not coming forward to take our places.

But I see it differently. I don’t believe New Thought is dying. I believe it is evolving. Think about Gregg Braden, Joe Dispenza, Bruce Lipton, and others who are bringing conversations about consciousness, healing, and human potential to audiences around the world. They are engaging people with questions that Ernest Holmes, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, and other New Thought pioneers explored in their own time.

Perhaps the problem isn’t that people are no longer interested in the principles. Perhaps the problem is that we are still expecting them to come to us in the same old ways. At that conference, a panel of younger people offered a beautifully simple message: “Meet us where we are. Online.”

And I had already begun doing just that. I now have a TikTok ministry! It takes courage. It takes time. It takes perseverance. And it takes the willingness to move beyond the idea that everything we doesn’t necessarily bring people to our brick and mortar centers.

For me, it is about empowering people. It is about offering hope to those who have lost theirs. It is about reaching people who believe they are damaged, broken, unworthy, or unable to go on. It is about reminding them that there is something magnificent within them that has never been diminished by their circumstances.

And yes, there are frauds, bullies, and tricksters online. There are distractions and disappointments. But there are also beautiful souls searching for a little light. And if I can offer even a spark, it is worth it.

I have come to understand that New Thought is about far more than filling seats in our sanctuaries. It is about empowering people wherever they are. Our message was never meant to be confined to four walls. It was meant to be lived, shared, demonstrated, and carried into the world.

Perhaps we don’t need to save New Thought. Perhaps we need to stop hiding it. And perhaps that begins with each of us being willing to stop hiding ourselves.

I invite you to consider what you have been withholding from the world. What gift have you been reluctant to share? What truth have you been afraid to speak? What dream have you postponed because you were worried about what others might think?

Whatever your gift may be, give it. Give it to one person or to thousands. Give it through your writing, your music, your teaching, your listening, your compassion, or simply through the way you show up in the world.

And don’t become consumed with what will come back to you. Just give. Trust the abundance of the Universe to return to you in ways you may never have imagined. Because the world does not need another carefully constructed version of who you think you ought to be. The world needs you. Not the hidden you. Not the diminished you. Not you who is waiting for permission. The real you. The magnificent you. The Divine expressing as you.

As for me, I have received my keynote. And I intend to live it. No more hiding. I am free to be me. And so are you.

Rita Andriello-Feren, Author, Co-Founding Spiritual Director CSL Kaua’i