Live Simply

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
E.F. Schumacher

Consider how much would get accomplished in your experience if your energy was not focused upon trying to get others to do something, fixing things you feel are wrong or worrying about the future. Trying, fixing and worrying are leaks that steal your life force. Allow everything and everyone around you to flourish without interference.
This mindful approach demonstrates trust in the flow of the universe. The light of consciousness transforms all that it shines upon. The Tao te Ching teaches that in doing nothing, everything gets done. Give yourself permission to just be. This creates space in your relationships and in that space, growth is possible. Be the awakened and beautiful soul who allows life to be as it is while supporting others to evolve in their own way.

Keep your life simple. Be patient, honor the processes of your own awakening and extend that patience to others as they move through the lessons of their lives. Allow compassion to be the defining quality expressed throughout your interactions.

Be the Light

“I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion – and where it isn’t, that is where my work lies.”   
~Ram Dass~
No matter where you are, you can choose to be the light of that place. We cannot control events that occur around us; however, we can consciously choose how we respond to them. Let your life be your message.You can plant seeds of powerful change in the world by holding space. First, you must focus on your own state of consciousness. Take the time to create a sense of gratitude, grace, peace and balance so that you are at ease in the present moment. Your very presence will teach others that alternative perceptions and responses are available.
Old souls see life differently, and that’s the way it is meant to be. Choose too, to be at ease with those who are still at lower levels of consciousness. We all walk the same path of awakening, each at our own rate of spiritual development.
Walk forward knowing that you are exactly where you need to be. You bring something beautiful to the world and your path is sacred.

Celebrate Your Uniqueness

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
~Robert Fulgham~

Balance isn’t something that just happens when life falls into place; rather, it is the foundation of a life that is grounded, joyful and complete. Much of the world’s angst comes from the desire to please or care for others at the expense of one’s own happiness. People struggle to satisfy perceived expectations and often put their needs on pause.

The challenges we face help us to discern what is important to create and maintain balance. How would you discover your boundaries if someone or something didn’t cross them from time to time? See those who challenge you as healing angels rather than frustrations. They are teaching you what is truly important.

The awakening spirit understands that fulfillment comes through finding their own unique way of being in the world. There is great beauty to be discovered throughout the journey inward. As you create balance by tending to the needs of body, mind and spirit, you’ll find that you have more to give those you love – more compassion, patience and kindness. Then life becomes an outward expression of your joy.

Raising Consciousness

“Man is not an entity, he is a bridge, a bridge between two entities – the animal and the god, the unconscious and the conscious.”
~Osho~

There may have been times when you’ve felt different from those around you – unique perceptions, reactions or viewpoints – and that may mean that you are meant to be a pioneer of raising consciousness. If you had been completely comfortable in your world, would you have begun the search for answers?

Old souls realize that there is more to life than meets the eye and as a result embark upon their own unique journey to discover greater depth and meaning. As you create more balance and love in your experience, it becomes easier to help others, if only by your example.

Let go of the patterns and beliefs that no longer serve your growth. This may mean standing apart from traditional thought or mass consciousness while you bring in the new energy of a passionate life, living your truth in the field of joy. Others will come and meet you there.

Many ask, “How can I create joy?” There’s no one way – simply choose it again and again in every moment until it’s a natural response.

Learning Through Loss

“Though your days here were brief
Your spirit was alive, awake, complete.
Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.”
~John O’Donohue~
Loss is part of life. Where we once had the opportunity to discover who we are in the presence of another, at some point we must also discover who we are in their absence.
We unexpectedly lost our kitty Mr. Monster yesterday. And while never an experience one would consciously or purposely choose, I know that is it perfect and that he will come around again in another form.
Everything plays a role in our awakening. Challenges can bring unexpected kindnesses and compassion and even now, my heart is filled with gratitude for all the love and friendship in my life.
Any loss provides an opportunity to cultivate the art of acceptance. Whether the ending comes through death, divorce, life paths diverging, work or relationships reaching the end of shared experience, the process is the same. We can focus on the blessings or the loss – the choice is ours.

Be Here Now

“No matter what our personal circumstances may be, if we ourselves become a source of light, then there will be no darkness in the world.”
~Daisaku Ikeda~

This moment contains limitless miracles and it holds the key to your transformation. For those who have eyes to see, the pathway to Oneness unfolds before us. Put down your phone, turn off the tv and turn inward. Become consciousness itself.

When this world feels overwhelming and filled with conflict, it is calling upon us to bring our awareness deeply into the present moment. Our collective ego is currently engaged in opposition, loud in opinion, unbending judgment and blame that it’s becoming eerily apparent that we stand at the threshold of awakening. Egoic distractions indicate that a breakthrough is imminent.

Each of us must ensure that we are bringing peacefulness, love and compassion to the Now. Make your own state of consciousness the top priority of your experience. You will then respond rather than react. Your words and actions will be congruent and you will be a conduit of light in your life situation.

We are mirrors for one another. Let’s show each person in our experience the very best in themselves.

Self Care

“If you celebrate your differentness, the world will, too. It believes exactly what you tell it—through the words you use to describe yourself, the actions you take to care for yourself, and the choices you make to express yourself. Tell the world you are one-of-a-kind creation who came here to experience wonder and spread joy. Expect to be accommodated.”
~Victoria Moran~

There is nothing more beautiful than someone who shines from within…

Everyone who has manifested you into their life, has done so because of the unique light and energy that you possess. When you can be yourself, love yourself and occasionally laugh at yourself, you are providing them with the perfect experience.

It’s that lightness of non-expectation that is so appealing. When you first meet someone, the attraction begins because you are simply being you. When we load ourselves up with the weight of expectation, fear and desire, that beautiful, original and carefree spirit gets buried underneath layers of thought.

Love yourself. Reward yourself with thoughts of praise. Know that others respect you and appreciate all that you do. With our compassionate, loving attitudes, we help to create a world where it is safe to love one another.

Compassionate Detachment

“Detachment does not mean non-involvement.
You can be deeply involved but not entangled.”
~Jaggi Vasudev~

True love, whether expressed through romance, friendship, our relationship to the planet or to ourselves, requires the gift of space. When we drop expectation and neediness, what remains is authentic compassion and kindness. We learn to honor one anothers paths, thriving during moments together as well as those spent in solitude, and consistently tend to our own healing. In this manner, loving relationships are based upon mutual respect rather than drama or conflict and there is no desire that anything be other than what it is.

Many people believe that drama (emotional reaction and conflict) proves that someone cares. This is an ego-driven concept that measures worth by how much energy we absorb from one another. When you notice that you are no longer interested in participating in drama, love becomes a higher, more accepting quality that is born from the culmination of experience. And from there, we enter the realm of detached compassion.

See life as an adventure to be lived. Walk forward with the trust of a child in the process of discovery. Relate to life from a space of gratitude and bless all the moments we share with one another and take one more step into the unknown. Allow those in your life to learn their own lessons in their own time-frame and in their own way. This is a gift of love.