Obstacles To Enlightenment

As I re-read Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now, this phrase leaps out at me; "Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle they need to overcome."   Of course, now that the thought is in my consciousness, I also have an awareness of how this shows up in my day-to-day life.

I notice how in the present moment at the grocery store people rush to park and shop and get back out.

I notice how in the present moment at the gym, there is a rush to get on the treadmill, get through the workout and rush on to the next activity of the day.

I notice how in the present moment, a man walking his dog is distracted by his phone, nose down and pulling on the dog to keep going.

And, I am guilty of that same thing.  I push to get through work so I can get to the store, then go home and walk the dog, then cook dinner, then catch up on email and Facebook and Pinterest...and on and on.

In an instant, I see that mindfulness doesn't fit neatly into my 15 minutes of meditation a day.  Mindfulness and being in the present moment are something that is practiced each day in every moment.

So, I've begun again to slow down a bit and give my attention to the present moment.

Walking up the stairs, I enjoy the strength in my legs that let me easily climb up to my bedroom.

Cooking dinner, I inhale the aroma of delicious flavors and give thanks for the food about to grace my table.

Walking the dog, I watch as his ears flop up and down, and his nose twitches as he explores the green grass of a neighbors lawn.

I am remembering to treat the present moment as Life itself, something to savor and experience, filled with beauty and joy, expanding with good beyond my imagination.

Today, I set the intention to surrender to the present moment and embrace it as Life itself as I journey toward enlightenment.  

"Always say 'yes' to the present moment...surrender to what is.  

Say 'yes' to life - and see how life starts suddenly

 to start working for you rather than against you."  

~Eckhart Tolle 

"Enlightenment, joy and peace can never be

 given to you by another.  The well is inside you."  

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Affirmative Prayer:
Sitting in a space of gratitude, there is the recognition of the One Divine Intelligence that is kindness and compassion, beauty and joy, shining light and love over all of creation.  One God.  One Power.  One Presence.  One Life

This One Power and One Presence is made manifest with my life.  It seeks expression through me.  Its beauty flows around me.  Its elegance lives as me.  I am pure bliss and light itself.

I embrace the truth that no matter what, I am fully supported in all that I do.  I accept that I am unique, traveling a path that is mine alone.  I graciously accept the bounty of miracles and blessings that flow into my life daily.  I welcome the expansion into ever-increasing good that comes as I take divine right action.  And, I affirm that as I bring my full awareness to the present moment, a feeling of joy and serenity overtakes me and reminds me that I am the beloved of God.

I am grateful for the clarity of my thoughts and actions as I remain in the present.  I give thanks for the love that surrounds me, even in the smallest of ways - a song that makes me smile, a bird singing in the trees, the moonlight shining through my window.  And, I say Thank You, Sweet Spirit, for the peace that surrounds me in every moment of mindfulness.

From a place of peace and joy, I release my prayer to the Law of Mind, surrendering and letting God take care of the 'how'.  It is done now in amazing ways.  Life is good.  Amen.  Alleluia.  And so it is.

Photo courtesy of Ilker Ender/Flickr

Waffling Between Indulgence And Self-Care

Eating healthy is not a new idea but why is it so challenging to stick with sometimes?  I confess that I love good food and when something tastes especially good, my portion control flies out the window.

Fortunately, I also love to exercise and am pretty good about getting in some type of workout, even if it's just a 20-minute brisk walk.  But, I've been really swinging out of control on the indulgence side of things.  And I can notice pretty quickly when my jeans get just a bit tighter or my energy level is out of sorts.

So, I'm continuing to work at some type of balance between enjoying my meals but fitting in more salads and veggies and smoothies.   I'm thinking that what I might be lacking is some type of plan to keep me focused on healthy eating as I juggle an inconsistent schedule and as I travel more.  What that plan is, I'm not quite sure yet, but I'm open to ideas.  Hello Universe???

What my spiritual side tells me is that I need to be present when I'm enjoying my food.  Rather than being pre-occupied with the days events or worrying about the future while I'm noshing on my chicken satay, instead I should pay attention to the flavors and savor the textures.

And, instead of eating until I'm overly full, I should be mindful of when my body tells me it has had enough to eat, paying attention to that feeling of satisfaction and 'done!'

I can certainly do a better job of focusing on the enjoyment of my meal rather than distracted eating.  I suppose it starts with awareness - and making mindfulness a priority and attentiveness a non-negotiable.

Today, I set the intention to make the time to be mindful when I eat, listening to my body and its wisdom to know when I have had enough.  

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." 

~Winston Churchill

"Keep your mind on what supports your wellbeing.  

Focus on what nurtures you, on what gives you strength."  

~Eleanor Brownn

Affirmative Prayer:
Here in this moment now, the only presence is that of Spirit; a Divine Intelligence that is light and love, ever present and overflowing with magnificence.  

There is no place where this presence of Spirit is not and I see that I am the creative and divine expression of Spirit.  An essence of Oneness lives within me and I embrace the magnificence of this Oneness.

Opening my heart to the wisdom of the Universe, I see the path before me is made clear.  Every single day, Life gives me what I need and I celebrate this knowing that all my needs are met beautifully.  Healthy foods are abundantly available and my body receives its nourishment in perfect portions.  I am filled with strength and power as I joyfully move my body in exercise that is right and perfect for me.  I accept the healing energy that melts away any challenges I face in being mindful when I eat.  And I welcome the transformation in my life as I step up and say Yes! to successful self-care.

I am filled with gratitude that Divine Light is right here, right now, reminding me to be mindful in all things.  I give great thanks for the cornucopia of healthy foods that are available and affordable at my neighborhood market.  And I am grateful for the inner wisdom that tells me I am supported as I commit to making better choices.

Embracing the fullness of life, I release my prayer to the Universal Intelligence that always responds and returns my deepest desires.  All is good and well in my world.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

Photo courtesy of Martin Cooper/Flickr

Taking Stock Of What's Going On

Today, I got a speeding ticket.  For me, it was probably the best way for Life to get my attention.

I guess I haven't been paying attention to the slight, dull headache I've had recently.

And I guess I haven't been paying attention to the pit in my stomach.

And I guess I haven't been paying attention to the bruises on my legs from bumping into furniture.

It seems I may have been drifting through life, living in my comfort zone and going for what's easy.  After all, there are some things that just come naturally and I definitely gravitate to doing those first - which means I zip through them - no second thought.

For things that don't come as easily, there are times when Life needs to take swift and sudden action.  It's a reminder to me that I am NOT here to drift along in what is comfortable.

So, MY swift and sudden action came in the form of the speeding ticket.

I can see where I have been rushing to get through what IS and move on to what's NEXT.  So, right after I got my ticket and was sent on my way, I turned on some music and took some mental notes of areas that I needed to be more mindful in.

Taking stock of where I'm at, I realized what I've been fighting against - being in a wedding this weekend.   But, it's not about me - it's about the bride.  I just need to slow down and appreciate this next few days, knowing that I can take nothing for granted and need to embrace this time exactly as it is.

No rushing.  No hurrying.   Just be-ing.

So, what areas of YOUR life are you rushing through to get to what's next?

Today, I set the intention to be in the moment, doing things not out of habit but on purpose, knowing that something amazing is seeking to emerge.

"Because you have to just go with the flow.  Your life is not your own, with people

 coming in and out all the time.  You get mellow because you have to."  

~Sarah Dessen

"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness." 

~James Thurber

Affirmative Prayer:
In the stillness of this moment, there is a Divine Presence that whispers words of love and encouragement.  It is a Creative Wisdom that is the strength and power to accomplish the seemingly impossible.  It is the grace and ease that flows freely and abundantly, surrounding all that is.

I am one with this Divine Presence, together creating a fluid motion of a life that thrives.  Embracing this Oneness, I am guided by this Infinite Intelligence as I align with Its perfect Presence.

Accepting this guidance as my Divine compass, there is a knowing that everything in my life arrives in perfect Divine timing.  As I go with the flow of Spirit, I step out of my comfort zone and into the newness of each moment.  And in situations that seem unfair or unjust, I now see clearly that they are reminders that my compass needs to be checked and I may need a course correction.  I welcome the experience of picking myself back up and tapping into the wisdom of the Universe that puts me back on my right and perfect path.  I am wiser and smarter and I affirm that Spirit is working for my good in ALL circumstances.

From this place of all that I have accomplished, I am grateful for the journey.  I am filled with thanks for what is to come knowing it will be something even greater than I can imagine.  And I am thankful for Life's reminders to be in the present moment, having faith that it is exactly where I am supposed to be.

With a heart filled with joy, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  I invite the abundance of happiness that surrounds me to take me even deeper.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

Photo courtesy of Michael Bolognesi/Flickr

What You Can Learn From Your Inner Child Tantrum...

I can't tell you how many times over the past few months my inner child has been wanting to throw a tantrum.  The reason for wanting to blow up?  Mostly, it's been my 20-year-old daughter who is still living at home.

Granted, she's going to school and working pretty close to 30 hours a week but it's been a challenge to set boundaries in a way that she understands.  It's difficult to get her to do her dishes, she's not super happy with her job so she complains about it and when either Kevin or I make a suggestion about helping around the house, she gets moody.

And, when it reaches a point where I push back, I sometimes feel guilty.  Wait, what?  Yep, I feel guilty.

I feel guilty when I try to get in-between both my husband and my daughter and neither ends up happy.

I feel guilty that I'm praying for her to move out on her own, sooner rather than later.

I feel guilty, and mad at myself, when I continue to do things like wash her laundry or clean up after her.

So, if I want to break this cycle, it's time for me to go deeper down the rabbit hole and look at some core issues that I might be holding on to.  Am I living life like my mother or father?  Am I repeating their bad habits that I learned while growing up?  Am I caving in to society's rules and standards for how I should be handling this situation?

As I sit with those questions, I was reminded recently that at any given moment, I can choose to accept or reject something in my life.  As I process how I have been in the past and how my upbringing is influencing my current decisions, the question I should be asking is "Who does this belong to?"

Who does this guilt belong to?  Who does this frustration belong to?  Who does this anger belong to?

The energy contained in those feelings is pretty powerful but I can create a shift in my perspective. How?  By answering those questions with a statement:  This does not belong to me! 

It will definitely require some mindfulness but when I start to feel that I'm sacrificing my time for her lazy habits and I'm stewing in the feelings that bubble up, I simply state, "this does not belong to me."  And when I start to feel exhausted by her demands on my time and go down the path of complaining, I once again declare, "this does not belong to me."

It takes a few minutes but there is a definite shift that is happening.  I have started tuning into my needs and stopped feeling guilty that I even have those needs in the first place.  Of course I have my own needs - and my needs are VALID.

Although I am a mother and I cherish that role, that role does not define me.  I am MORE than just a mother.  I am a unique, Divine expression of Spirit and I get to choose how I travel my path.  That means I am free to strike a balance between the role of mother and any other role I decide to embrace.

So, my inner child will have to wait to have that tantrum (or drop that mentality altogether).  I am turning my energy around and consciously creating moments where love and peace and happiness become my go-to emotions.

So, what areas of YOUR life are you bringing in energy that doesn't belong to you?  And what actions do you take to manage those emotions?

Today, I set the intention to release any energy that does not belong to me and accept the well-being that is the core of who I am.

"Anyone and anything can challenge you.  It will not overtake you until you surrender. 

 Only you can determine what you do and how you respond in a situation." 

 ~Iyanla Vanzant

"One needs to seek a sense of the perfection of the Divine Presence and to substitute

 this knowing for ideas of disease, poverty or discord.  In doing this he must often

 confront negative thoughts with the declaration that there is no necessity for

 the continuance of a condition contrary to fundamental Good."  

~Ernest Holmes

Affirmative Prayer:
In the stillness of this moment, there is a Divine Power, a Divine Presence, that renews and rejuvenates each minute with peace, with grace, with unconditional love.  It is a Universal Intelligence that reveals clarity in each situation and wisdom heard above the noise of everyday life.

Becoming comfortable with the silence, I hear beyond the noise and connect with this Power and Presence that resides within.  I see beyond the surface and tune into the Intelligence that guides and sustains and surrounds me.  My entire being is filled with peace and I relax into this day and surrender to the perfection of this moment now.

Seeing through the fresh eyes of Spirit, I am equipped with everything I need right now to live a fulfilling and magnificent life.  I release any energy that does not belong to me and I welcome the energy of vitality and enthusiasm that fills my soul.  I affirm that I am a powerful being and that anything is possible as I embrace the constant and consistent love of the Universe, of God, of Source Energy.  My time is now and I walk through the door to claim my destiny, knowing that each day greets me with opportunities to leap into greatness.

For all of this and more, I am grateful.  I give thanks for the unfolding of possibility in my life and I celebrate with gratitude for the brilliance of the Universe that expresses through me.  I am filled with thanksgiving for the abundance and love that flows in my direction as I remain open at the top to the guidance of the Divine.

Returning to the stillness and silence,  I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  My life is filled with miracles and magic.  And I let it be so.  And so it is!

Photo courtesy of Sascha Kohlmann/Flickr