Simple Things

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.
~Eleanora Duse~

The mind loves to complicate life. Multi-tasking, stories with layers of history, over-inundating with background and nuance, the ego seeks to keep us overwhelmed and disengaged from the power of the present moment.

As consciousness expands things become easier. We learn to slow down and enjoy the experience of Now. In the midst of life’s cacophony, seek to discover your own unique sparks of joy. Let the simple things awaken your soul and bring you back into balance. It is your birthright to express yourself in ways that are deeply fulfilling. No matter what has come before, every moment is a new beginning.

Expect the very best. When you live in alignment with your inner truth, life becomes simple. Choosing to honor each moment as sacred brings a quiet quality of empowerment to any situation.

Simplicity, patience, and compassion form the core of each interaction, the foundation of every relationship, and most importantly, the realization of joy in your experience.

Endings

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
~Rumi~

Growth and change may involve endings as part of the cycle of new beginnings and transformation. We must be willing to let go of what we have outgrown, honor the passage through the unknown and create peacefulness in our experience each step of the way.

When you choose to relate to life from the expansive mind of the Divine (rather than through the limitation of ego), it becomes possible to walk in spacial awareness in the present moment. Here we can choose to simply be at peace, stepping out of conflict and into communion.

There is no future, only this beautiful moment exists. No matter what twists and turns you’ve experienced on the journey so far or what stories you’ve lived, you can step into empowerment Now.

Spiritual practice is about consciously choosing to enter into love – not romantic love, but the deep and empowering love that is the true nature of your being. From this space of awareness each step brings the joy of relating to life with a open heart.

Curiosity

“Regret is about the past,
anxiety is about the future,
curiosity is about now.”
~Natalie M. Esparza~
As we cultivate the ability to be more mindful and deeply immersed within the present moment, life takes on an aura of wonder. Allow curiosity to be your guide for there is always something new to discover. The key to being receptive is to have an open heart and open mind.
Many people are deeply burdened by the baggage they carry – opinions, prejudice, memories, worries, hopes, desires – the immeasurable mental weight distracts them from seeing the beauty that surrounds them. Awakening is nothing more than the systematic removal of these layers of distraction.
Curiosity ignites passion, taking us outside of time and into the realm of infinite possibility. Don’t wait for life to fall into place before you enjoy these innocent, childlike aspects of yourself. Celebrate this breath, this step… and create spaces of wonder in the Now. Follow your bliss to places unknown knowing that you are loved and supported each and every step of the way.

Expressions of the Divine

“To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
When I behold beauty I often pause a moment in wonderment and gratitude. The energy is fleeting, constantly in motion. What captures my eye and my camera one day may be completely gone the next. This realization has reinforced my desire to be fully present, aware and appreciative. As life changes form, I celebrate infinite potential in motion.
Granted, it’s far easier to recognize divine energy in a flower or the laughter of a child than it is when faced with anger or dysfunction; however, as awakening souls, we are called upon to cultivate the ability to embrace what is, honoring the Oneness that connects us.
Each of us is a sacred work in progress. Pay attention to the numerable delights at hand and immerse yourself in the Now. Rather than seeking to possess, appreciate. Rather than seeking to win, interact. Instead of clinging, allow. Ultimately, your soul wants nothing more than to be a source of love and transformation. Each step of the process is necessary and beautiful in its own way

Right Action

“Step into the fire of self-discovery. This fire will not burn you, it will only burn what you are not.”
~Mooji~

There is no need to struggle. As you move to higher levels of consciousness, you’ll naturally learn to find the flow of life and move into it rather than fight against it. The human tendency is to create stress. Anxiety, tension, fear and worry are so commonplace that many have come to believe that dysfunctional states are natural and unavoidable.

The process of awakening is not about change. It is the incremental release of everything that weighs us down. Layer by layer we let go of old patterns, beliefs, conditioning, expectations, resentments and ego-created stories until there is nothing left. In that space of no-thingness, we learn to love and experience things as they are. We become the space in which transformation occurs.

Imagine how much energy you’d have to utilize in the present moment if you were completely clear of unnecessary baggage. The gifts of transformation are already within you, waiting to be discovered. Enlightenment is a process rather than a destination.

Worry

“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”
~Roy T. Bennett~
Ever wonder what would happen if you gave up the addiction to worry? Many masters have taught that worry is a waste of your precious energy. Live today consciously, mindfully attend to your tasks, be responsive rather than reactive, and allow tomorrow to take care of itself.
When you place your full attention on the present moment and do one task at a time, it drops from your consciousness. There is no need to carry additional thought about it. Worry arises only when something is left unaccomplished or we know that we have rushed through a task in order to get to the next thing.
To break the addiction, focus on doing one thing at a time – fully and completely. Your conscious attention will slow down your concept of time and everything will get completed, typically with greater accuracy than when it is rushed.
Practice extreme alignment with the Now and you’ll discover the love that rains down upon you from all dimensions. When you choose to see your life experience as an ongoing, evolving conversation between you and the Divine, it changes how you walk in the world.

Peaceful Stillness

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
~John Muir~

Periodically give yourself the gift of solitude and nurture your spirit.

Stillness opens the possibility of transformation, creativity and empowered solutions. Excessive busyness is a form of avoidance. When one runs non-stop from the moment they awaken, they block the peace and presence that is found in the stillness of the present moment. So, in your moments of quietude, be still. Don’t think of the next task that needs to be done, replay past events in your mind or worry about the future. Just be. Know. Honor yourself, your space and the present moment as sacred.

Become the observer rather than the doer. Give yourself time away from distractions and just be. These moments of solitude and stillness will help align you with the authentic peaceful and balanced nature of your soul. You can choose to create an empowered and joyful path by receiving the grace that is always available in the Now.

See Beyond the Illusion

“Peace can be made only by those who are peaceful, and love can be shown only by those who love. No work of love will flourish out of guilt, fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”
~Alan Watts~
The world that we experience with our physical senses is merely an illusion we have collectively created. Its purpose is to provide a playground of discovery. As spiritual beings having a human experience, we seeded this place with sparks of infinite possibility, ever-evolving creation, and movement.
Getting lost in the illusion is one aspect of the game. We immersed ourselves so entirely that we forgot the truth of our limitless, eternal Being. From that space of perceived separation we entered the game of karma, which teaches the value of opposites and paradox until the power of neutrality is learned. As the karma is cleared we begin to once again sense connectedness which underlies all things.
When you find yourself lost in the mind, overwhelmed by feelings, or frustrated by a limiting situation, seek to ground yourself and access the balancing energy of our sacred mother earth. From a space of stillness, softening the stories of the mind,  it is possible to see beyond the illusion.

Present Moment Practice

“When the faith is strong enough, it is sufficient just to be. It’s a journey towards simplicity, towards quietness, towards a kind of joy that is not in time. It’s a journey that has taken us from primary identification with our body and our psyche, on to an identification with [the Divine], and ultimately beyond identification.”
~Ram Dass~

Present Moment Practice is a conscious, mindful approach to life. Within the Now we become the witness – to our inner commentary, to the world around us and to the energy that we bring to our collective journey.

In this moment, you have all that you require. Begin by going deeper into the Now. Notice the physical world, the chair in which you are sitting or the solidness of the earth under your feet. Feel the warmth or coolness of your surroundings. Then pay attention to your thoughts. Are you worried? Do you find yourself constantly reading or watching information about world affairs? How attached are you to your phone? How does your body feel? Are you tense or relaxed, hungry or satisfied? Just observe.

Remind yourself that all you see and experience is a profound illusion that is measured by your physical senses. Close your eyes and take three deep, slow breaths. As you open your eyes, choose to see things differently. Instead of looking at the lamp, notice the light that it casts and the shadows it creates. Observe the unique designs of all that you see. How does your heart respond to a flower or your favorite scent? What pictures do you see in the clouds? This is your practice for today. Be, observe, appreciate.

 

The Life of Your Dreams

“I create my own experiences. As I love and approve of myself and others, my life gets better and better.”
~Louise Hay~
The way to create the life of your dreams is to live it now – from where you are, with what you have. Begin your day by focusing on what you wish to experience rather than what is missing. Let gratitude begin the momentum of transformation. Your thoughts have power and when you consciously and consistently choose what to send out into the world, you increase their impact.
Goals are measurable, concrete and tangible; whereas dreams are crafted from the level of spirit. Some wonderful examples of dreams that can enhance one’s life immediately, are:
I will continue to learn my entire life knowing everyone is my teacher.
I let go of dogmatic or limiting beliefs and free myself from the past.
I choose to parent my children consciously. They chose me for a reason…
I will live the life of a poet, seeing beauty all around me.
I will honor all life as sacred and see beyond appearances
There is nothing more important than how you live today. Bring the best version of you to this moment and  detach from specific outcomes. This is what is meant when it is said to focus on the journey rather than the destination.
If your life is filled with one wonderful day after another, if you’ve had a meaningful encounter with someone today, if you’ve shared kindness and had a positive impact on someone’s life, you are living the live you dreamed.