How does one keep their life simple? I started by asking myself valid questions through self-inquiry many years ago. When challenging situations arose, I would stop and ask myself the ultimate question: Who am I and what is my life’s purpose”?
As we come to crucial crossroads in our lives and decisions have to be made, we begin discovering what is truly important. We ask ourselves, “what does my life stand for?” It’s a tough question to meet head-on, but in doing so with pure intention, you may discover the true answers you’re seeking.
I’ve read books, attended workshops, participated in silent retreats, meditated religiously and; hiked one of the world’s most spiritual mountains in Tibet, asking questions and seeking answers. However, I discovered throughout the search that it doesn’t matter where you go or what you do; the answers we seek are always within.
When you are experiencing challenges, begin to observe and feel the emotions that are present in your life. We put walls up to protect our hearts due to conditioning from past experiences. However, we take the time to check in and feel these emotions it can also be part of our healing process as we acknowledge our feelings and have compassion for ourselves and others.
Make a conscious decision today to allow yourself to be in the moment with any emotion that is present, no matter how uncomfortable it may feel. Be mindful not to indulge or push any feelings away or worry about what will happen one hour or even ten minutes from now. Simply stay fully present in the moment. You may discover it is possible to be with any emotion that arises for a moment. However, when our mind is projecting into the past or the future, that’s when problems tend to appear.
Pay attention next time you have a problem. Notice if your thinking is geared toward past events or something related to the future. And if so, just bring your attention back to the present moment.
There’s wisdom in acknowledging that the past has already occurred; that’s why it’s called the past. And the future is not here. Therefore the only place to live is in this present moment. Right?
The energy we put into resisting what is present in our lives can be exhausting. It’s beneficial not to resist what is occurring in your life, for what you resist persists and what you embrace you erase.
When life becomes too much simply STOP, be still and let the mind settle.
Take time to be out in nature, meditate, focus on your breath, turn off the radio and television and unplug ~ be silent. If you practice living in the moment with awareness, you may notice challenges become easier to move through.
The Dalai Lama says,” If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”
Challenges help us to grow as individuals; they teach us to let go of judgements, expectations, anger and fear. They move us towards developing patience, understanding, forgiveness and compassion. How many of you can reflect on challenging times you’ve had in life and recognize that you did learn something about yourself? And as a result, you now share that wisdom with others. Some people would even go so far as to say the challenges in their life have actually been a blessing.
To dive deeper, book a private session with Lorraine click here
