(photo by Nick Fewings on Upsplash)
All of us have been blessed with an opportunity to experience the consciousness of life on this planet within the confines of our body, mind, and spirit to express ourselves as our unique self and to become a beam of inspiration for ourselves and others. We will have ups and downs throughout this experience. Yet, with all the good and bad things that occur both in our external environment and our inner body and mind, we have the power to experience love towards our self and others. This love has the power to manifest itself as a vehicle to achieve peace of mind, a healthy body and a deep meaning of purpose during the short time we are destined to be here. There are no limits to our potential as long as we remain present, follow our inner guidance system and pay attention for clues in the universe. Any thought we think up can become reality. We may only be a human being alive in this earthly consciousness for a brief time but our true essence does live on for eternity through love.
While we are not consciously aware of the vast array of hidden emotions and blocks that have built up in us throughout our life experiences, we have the ability to uncover and utilize the unlimited potential that we were born with. With attention and intention directed from ourselves in an appropriate way, we can live a deeply fulfilling life regardless of what happens to us. We are here to learn, grow and love. Underneath our emotions and thoughts, there is a stillness, a calmness that provides us with access to the deep depths of our unconsciousness where we can plant new seeds that strengthen us. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not happened yet. We are alive right now and owe it to ourselves and those who cross our path to lighten up and take on this challenge of life head on, using humor, peace and love to guide us through the maze before us. We have been bestowed the great gift of consciousness and freedom to act and feel the way we want to. We are “perfectly imperfect” and acceptance of our imperfections and accepting ourselves as we are allows us to gain confidence, creativity and determination to forge ahead.
Strike a balance of helping others and doing what you want to do, utilizing assertiveness to say no to others without harsh criticism towards yourself for saying no. Follow your dreams regardless of the external forces that will try to put a kibosh on your desires. We are human beings with intuitive powers to assess what is right or wrong for us. Gone are the days of doing things to please others. Do what makes you feel good and others will adapt to your new way of life. It doesn’t matter what other people think as long as your actions are moral and come from a place of self-love with positive intent.
Assertiveness is a key aspect of self-healing. Holding in negative emotions over the long-term hurts us and can lead to illness. Why would we consciously want to hurt ourselves. We don’t. We have learned many lessons throughout our lifetime. Some of these lessons may not serve us anymore and must be released to free up space in our energy field. Then we can attract more appropriate energy that supports us in a kind and gentle way.
The ability to accept the words and actions of family, friends and others without trying to control the situation frees up so much energy. Unconditional acceptance of myself and others has been a block for me. But as I shift the direction of my mind’s focus in conjunction with working towards quieting the mind, it does become easier to be present without taking on the negative energy of others. I can still support others during their trying times without bringing myself down. In order to be a support person for others, I need to take care of my needs first. Through conscious attention towards my inner being, I will be able to recognize when I have energy and when I need to pull back and recharge my batteries. I have learned to say no to the requests of others. And when I do say yes, I am able to speak up and take on these tasks on my own terms. Well, at least I am beginning to recognize that I do have this ability and have been experimenting with it.
I now see the benefits of experiencing pain in life. It is a way for our body to communicate with us, to motivate us to make positive life changes. If we experienced no pain, we would probably spend more time allowing our ego to take over to experience pleasure all the time, without giving back to the world. Those individuals who have experienced difficulties may more readily recognize life as a gift that should not be squandered, and thus may have a heightened desire to shift their focus towards being an agent for positive change for ourselves, others and the environment that sustains us.
Live every day as though it is your last by doing what makes you happy and send loving kindness to yourself and others often.