Does everything inside you rebel against authority, making you want to scream, “You can’t control me!”? If so, it’s true. No one can control you unless you agree to it. The fact that you don’t allow others to control you anymore is a sign of progress. It means that you’re moving away from a world of dependency and are claiming your personal authority as a self-directed, conscious soul ready to take responsibility for yourself.

Challenging the authority figures in your life is a necessary step in your growth. However, you must realize that not everyone or everything in your path is necessarily working against you. Ask your Warrior Guides for the courage to challenge what oppresses you and for the wisdom to know when to respect authority. Your Warrior Guides’ message: “Stand up for what’s important to you, and ask for it. However, don’t fight for its own sake. Respect the leadership and rights of others as well.”

You’re in the delicate process of learning how to properly balance the flow of give-and-take in your personal relationships, and it’s time to evaluate how you’re doing. Are you giving too much, leaving you resentful and angry? Or are you withholding when you could give more, leaving you feeling guilty and defensive? Your Divine Teachers can help you learn how to better align your relationships so that you neither give nor take too much as a means of controlling others. They counsel you to be honest about your motivations when dealing with others; you know in your heart of hearts what drives your interest in them.

Do you give with a secret agenda of “you owe me”? Do you create dependency in and control over others with your kindness? Or do you withhold for fear that you might be taken advantage of, keeping people guessing about your motives and your intentions? Your Divine Teachers are on hand to help you answer these questions. They lovingly assure you that relationships are the most difficult of all spiritual classrooms, and the lessons of proper give-and-take are the most difficult of skills to learn.

Have compassion for yourself as you seek balance with others. Ask your Divine Teachers to help you become more aware of how you give and receive in all relationships, not just the romantic kind. Their message to you: “There’s no difference between giving and receiving love.”

For every new ambition, relationship, and experience you seek at this time, there’s a commitment in place that must be eliminated to make way for the new. Current routines, habits, and even types of free time must be sacrificed so that you can open up to new energies. Your Master Teacher is present, urging you to identify what must go. Be honest in your assessment, and also be realistic and thoughtful in setting your goals so that you don’t overreach and fail.

Your Master Teacher reminds you that even though the Universe does support your heart, it doesn’t allow you to bypass the work necessary to manifest your desires. In other words, “You reap what you sow.” And the best way is to systematically move toward your priorities while simultaneously discarding what no longer serves you. If you want to lose ten pounds, you must release jelly doughnuts. If you want to work for yourself, you must let go of the need for others to take care of you. If you want to create a new love relationship, you mustn’t brood over past heartbreaks any longer. The message from your Master Teacher: “To reach for something greater, you must first let go of what’s in your hand.”