Live What You Know

Waking up is more than it seems. You KNOW more than you've ever been "taught"! You chose to be here now. Make yourTRUEself proud!

Tag: soul

February 23, 2021

Soul

Our highest excitement carries a vibration we are meant to discover… meant to remember… something we came here to do… a frequency that feels like home.

Years ago I realized that I had designed my life around many of the things I loved to do as a child… things I naturally gravitated towards or pretended to Be in my playtime… that “pretending” and delighting in certain things was a map… a way forward… a guidepost.

We are meant to follow that feeling towards the experience we’re so very worthy of having while we’re here.

So many things poking and prodding us these days will ask us to dim our Light, to settle for less, to acquiesce to the “rules”, to play someone’ s else’s game… we must follow our own path to our highest excitement to truly live from and as our Soul’s expression.

Wishing us all the joy, purpose and passion of living our highest excitement today and always… in one way or another – it can be done.

I love you!

8 Comments
February 21, 2021

Imagine – Being Born Into a World That…

Imagine a world where Divine and Natural Law reigned supreme and omnipresent, where Love permeated the air, where Unity, as well as individual creativity, was nurtured, respected and celebrated for All… where from the very first moment we arrived in this place, these things would be taught to us, and brought forth from within us with Loving kindness and care – from every single being we encountered and everything igniting from within our own nurtured and treasured Being.

We’d know what it means to be a Sovereign Being. We’d know that every time we look into the eyes of another, we’re looking as a Sovereign Being and at a Sovereign Being. So much would be possible there.

We’d understand ‘miracles’ and be well aware of our part in creating, receiving and experiencing them. We’d understand how fear and limited thinking robs one of those experiences and we would know how to look at the world and co-create with the Universe in ways that make miracles happen – but never taken for granted. There would be honor in the ‘miracles’ that make them so worthwhile and real.

We’d know exactly how our thoughts create our reality. We’d know our gaze is full of projection and we’d bless the world with beautiful visions and vibrations of thoughts truly worth experiencing. We’d honor our part in writing reality and we’d work together to co-create in unity well.

We’d know what connection to Soul looks and feels like – we’d honor it wherever we met it. We’d seek it for ourselves. We’d celebrate it in others and do what it takes to nurture it within. We’d see Spirit thriving all around us as we All embrace what is meant and spirit driven in and for us All. There would be joy, meaning, passion and purpose all around us living in full expression.

We’d innerstand, feel and know our place in nature. We’d know the stones have memory, the rocks have consciousness, there is Life in all things and spirit to be felt wherever we lay our gaze. We’d feel our truest self in connection to All that is. We’d intuitively know what nature is saying, we’d be drawn to solutions and creations found there, we’d be guided from within to exactly what is naturally provided. We’d experience a oneness in everything we did… we’d live the miracles that are all around us.

We’d know true Love. We’d align with all things real and true. There are no words to properly describe what Love would be felt – only that vibration to resonate with as our rightful and Divine home we’d know how to dwell in. We’d truly LIVE in Love.

It takes our vision and willingness to hold it with steadfast clarity and conviction. Everything that IS was once a vision. And so it is.

I Love you!

PS – I taught my children many of these things from the time they can remember and even more of them over the years and now. However, in a world like ours, it takes them deciding when to embrace, innerstand and resonate with what is real, for they can still feel (at times) the lower vibrational stuff that tries so hard to pervade our world as it so convincingly PRETENDS TO BE now. Seeing them make that decision is a beautiful thing indeed. The future is so bright if you know how and where to look!

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November 19, 2020

Rise and Vibe

There is a vibration up above the duality
It’s the Love that is more of the real you and me
 
Whether I’m “awake”
And you’re “sleeping”
 
Or I’m dreaming
And your perspective is “real”
 
We’re both a vibration
That each other can feel
 
We aren’t caged in by whether or not we agree
We may not be able to see what the other chooses to “see”
 
But we can and we will become more and more
Of the Love that each other can feel
 
RISE and VIBE sweet souls – higher
And higher as the lower dimensions fall away
 
Becoming the vibration that you, those around you
And everything in the Universe most longs to feel
 
– TO REMEMBER –
LOVE!
 
Stacy Hakopian
 

3 Comments
November 16, 2020

Your Light

There is one beautiful constant and consistent blessing found in all of the interesting challenges/circumstances/opportunities in and of 2020 – the push/nudge/impetus to go within. When everything “without” (external) appears the way 2020 has appeared, there is nowhere else to go – and what a blessing that is! If that “nudge” has been or can become your experience/constant companion, then that would make 2020 the greatest possible blessing – to serve to lead us to what we hold within. 

By creating such a chaotic “environment” in the external around us, 2020 has excelled at pushing us to continuously ‘level up’ how we connect with what we can only find within. This entire year has been saturated with an absolute overload of double speak, contradictory “information” and division for a multitude of reasons whenever and wherever we look outside of ourselves – but not when we look within.

I recently found a draft I wrote nearly 6 years ago and never shared titled “The Universe Isn’t Trying to Annoy You – It’s Trying to Wake You Up” … I laughed when I saw it because that was 6 years ago – when it could be mistaken for “annoying” – we’re far beyond annoying at this point. The Universe always starts with a feeling, then a whisper, then a direct message, and from there it keeps elevating until it has to hit you over the head… but it keeps communicating and giving you the message in whatever way you insist – you can listen at the whisper or ask it for more – it’s always a choice. Personally, I enjoy listening to the feeling – it’s so gentle and delicate and beautifully detailed and it feels like co-creating that way – it has mystery and creation at the forefront rather than anything off-putting or too unpleasant and it becomes this trusting beautiful relationship that no words could possibly describe. Whatever relationship you have with the Universe – that is the relationship you have with Yourself… after all – you ARE the Universe. 

This year is serving as a collective wake up call for us All. We may all be at various levels along that journey, but, we’re All on that journey in our own perfectly unique way. Listen deeply to what You have to say to Yourself. Do whatever it takes to quiet the external and let the Light shine bright from within so that You may understand it and shine it ever more bright for the world to see. The world needs your specific Light now more than ever and You need it too. Now is the time. It is happening. Just like when you arrive at your home after dark, you turn the lights on. We ARE turning the Lights on and our Lights will lead us home. The world will never be the same. A world filled with information (Light) from Source will change, and is changing, everything. Imagine what miracles await a world that has been blessed with a clear wake up call for All. A new dawn is emerging and we have so much in store for us. We can trust that the Universe wouldn’t go to all of this trouble for just another day. This is a truly miraculous time to be alive. Let’s get clear from the inside – looking for the Light and Listening to what the Soul is telling us – so that we may be ready and excited to Live this adventure well!

Wishing us All that beautiful Knowing from a place deep within that passes all understanding, eases all anxieties, wipes away all lower vibrations and spreads Love, peace and unity wherever we lay our attention and beyond. I love you!

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January 15, 2015

“A Love For Being Human” – I’m In! And, So are You!

“Fear”

Everyone can see how they have polished the mirror
of the self, which is done with the longings
we’re given.

Not everyone wants to be king!
There are different roles and many choices
within each.

Troubles come. One person packs up
and leaves. Another stays and deepens in a love
for being human.

In battle, one runs fearing
for his life. Another, just as scared, turns
and fights more fiercely.

-Rumi

“A love for being human” — mustn’t we all have it somewhere within. For, we are here aren’t we? We chose it for a reason. We must have love for it somewhere. We didn’t have to. We loved the experience and we wanted to do it well. Within, we All know how to do it well. We know why, when, how, for how long, with what tools, at what moments and with what intentions. We Know when we Love.

I knew fear deeply as a child. It was my constant friend and drew most of my attention. Any strength I have now was worth the fight and did not come easily. Back then, in that other version of myself, butterflies in my backyard troubled me enough to look for hours through the screen door at the yard I longed to play in. That is not to say that I had no “real” thing to fear. I had plenty. Or, so it seemed. I fought long and hard and I conquered. My deepest gratitude lies in my original constitution of utter fear. Without it, I would not Be as I Am.

Dear Fear:

I bow to you and I thank you. Without you, I would Be nothing.

The thing you threatened with most was a life without Love. Through experiencing you deeply, I found that Love is All there is. The rest is not real. Somehow, I feel you loved me enough to keep me company while I figured Love out.

With Sincere Gratitude Always,

Stacy

I used to say to my daughter (when she was feeling scared) and I still can to this day, “Do you know what Mommy is afraid of?” and she would reply, “What?”…I worked hard for the ability to respond with complete authenticity, “NOTHING!”

I no longer fear. I love and I trust.

Anything more I could say about it would mean nothing to you if you still live with fear, for you must fight and believe on your own. You can. You have everything you need within. If you live without fear and dwell in Love (the Divine kind), then you don’t need to hear what I might add. You can simply smile and feel your warm heart.

Being a woman of many many words, I might just add one thing… the “fight” I mentioned above is anything but violent. Well, it is violently torturous to thyself until we learn to fight well. Then it is more of a surrendering over time to the essence of who you really are and a letting go of all the illusions that surround you before you are able to do so.

Now I know what fear is. Now I know Love. I send you every bit I can muster.

Smile! Spread Love! Feel and follow your “longings” within. 🙂

2 Comments
January 1, 2015

Today’s Outlook – Clear and Present, Tomorrow’s Forecast – Clear and Present

Happy New Year All! May you feel the air of unlimited possibility all around you today and each new day of the year!

I could think of no better forecast than the title above. What a peaceful existence it would be to rest in the state of truly living the wonder of each moment as it comes. We could leave behind the baggage we carry from past experiences and drop the unnecessary assumptions and predictions we often place on the future. We could travel lightly with a fresh perspective allowing Life to bless us in every way. Easier said than done, but always the answer.

In a recent discussion with my children, I was delighted to hear myself describe some specific ways we can choose to live our days with clear and present energy. Our discussion was a result of the typical sibling disturbance, filled with a lot of over-familiar responses indicating that past resentments and future assumptions were dominating the interaction between two precious little people who love each other very much but could not feel it in certain moments of their daily life. In speaking to them, I was able to break it down in a simple manner and give specific tips and tools that would surely help harness a more conscious experience for anyone. It was a review of the tools we ask them to use each day with some added ideas about clearing out our energy each night. The discussion was spontaneous and completely unplanned. I loved everything I heard and I knew the Universe was speaking to us all.

The one true answer to everything is to truly be where you are at fully and experience what Life is showing you in the deepest possible way. This intention will guide you effortlessly through the moments and connect the dots in your life in miraculous ways. Figuring out how to do this takes much practice, undoing of programmed mind activity, a deep desire to make the shift to a more conscious lifestyle and much more. But, it takes only one moment to become present. It is always the one that you are in. It takes no time at all. Even though there is much to learn and practice to hold it for longer periods of time, or on a more consistent basis, it actually takes no time at all to do it because this moment (now) is the only time it is ever possible. We can let the other moments take care of themselves as we fully embrace the one we are in now.

In our family discussion, I reminded the kids about setting our intentions each morning and exactly why we do that. I explained that it isn’t just to write it down in your journal because Mom wants you to, because that won’t work. We had a lovely discussion about the power we put behind our choices with our intentions and how the Universe matches our intentions back to us continuously throughout our days. We can’t say we have a certain intention and then forget it in the first possible moment we have a choice we could apply it to. We cannot go through life reacting to whatever happens I explained, we must decide what our intentions are for the day in the morning and then remember to use that spirit behind each choice we make (or at least as many as we can as we learn and grow). Then our days will be filled with purpose and meaning as our intentions guide us to the life and connections we are meant to live.

Having noticed that the kids still seem easily annoyed with Life, each other and even my voice early in the mornings just after a morning meditation, prayer and intention journal entry, it was obvious that they are living out past experiences over and over again. God gave me the language to speak to them about this clearly. I told them that if by 9:30 am, they have already forgotten their intentions and surrendered to reactionary choices and a mind filled with negative thoughts, then the spiritual practices they are doing aren’t working. In general, if it doesn’t feel good, it’s not working, I explained. I called on them to truly access the spirit inside them that will give more meaning to these practices to help support their intentions to live out their days in a more meaningful way that will bring less stress and allow more joy. I encouraged them to believe in their ability to truly decide their intentions thoughtfully and place their power behind the things they do and say. I asked them to play with it and see what they can do and make happen. We discussed the difference between being vague and getting specific and noticing how the Universe responds and works with us. Great words came about how they have the power to bless others and themselves with the intention and spirited action they choose to bring forth. It sounds over a child’s head, but they are much closer to the spirit world than we realize sometimes. They came from there and they can remember how to access it and use it to bless the world. The conversation was lovely and then we put it all together with some new ideas for even better practices.

We discussed how we can sometimes hold on to the past so much that it doesn’t allow us to be where we are at. We either relive the past or worry that it will happen again in the future. This simple choice, makes it seem real in our heads and then we have lost our way and fallen into unfounded and irrational reaction rather than spirited action. We used specific examples of disputes they have had and hearing and saying things to each other like, “you always” or “she/he always,” etc. We discussed the unfairness of continuously punishing each other for things that aren’t happening any more. We talked about being unable to hear what is actually being said or see what is actually happening if we look at the situation through the veil of past experiences. Love comes through in present moments, not in cluttered up past ones. We came up with the idea of clearing things our each night to allow for a more present and thoughtful morning that will allow us to get the most out of our chosen spiritual practices. We talked about clearing out our energy in the middle of the day if it starts to seem hard to make the kind of choices we meant to when we started the day. It was all very simply put and the plan started to seem comforting and accessible. I encouraged the kids to try clearing out the energy on their own with specific ways to talk to your deepest self, etc. I added that if they had some things getting stuck or some energy that didn’t clear, they should ask for help and we could come up with a better plan or try different ways, etc.

There was much more to it of course, too much to explain here. What started out as a lecture on bad choices turned into an uplifting guide/map for a future filled with present moments of joy. I said a prayer of gratitude afterwards for the energy that had come through me and around me in such a supportive way. It was a lovely moment. Of course, the holidays and all kinds of hectic schedules and situations grabbed hold of us just after this breakthrough. 🙂 But, this moment remains as good as any to recall the tools we have and the ways we can support ourselves to make good choices grounded in love and clear presence. The energy that surrounded us all that night in conversation can be accessed now and the tools are always there as long as they are needed.

May you be blessed with the ability to wish yourself a Happy New Year and start fresh in any moment of any day this year!

Clear and present blue skies are now!

8 Comments
December 31, 2014

Love Doesn’t Come From Our Head and Fear Doesn’t Come From Our Heart

I have been quiet here in this space for a while now. I have been waiting until the distinct and authentic urge to post returned to me. It thrills me to feel that I am now ready once again. I have missed this lovely space; my experience sharing and connecting here has always warmed my heart. Thank you for sharing it with me! A few months ago, I stumbled into the following quote:

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ― Socrates

It wasn’t the first time I had seen these words from Socrates, but it was the time that I was really meant to feel them. These words struck me and stayed with me for quite some time. They made me quiet here and within myself. After all, this space is called “Live What You Know,” so the desire to truly reflect on how to live the wisdom of knowing you know nothing became the focus of my journey. I certainly don’t have it all figured out. 🙂 But, I am ready to share with an open heart as I continue down the path of Life and all its wonderful lessons.

To break this idea down to any specific points would be to miss the meaning of it entirely. It is a tricky thing to explain knowing nothing. You have to sound like you know something to explain it at all, hence, the quiet lately. Although I did a good job of keeping quiet here, I didn’t always do so well in my daily life. It’s always a blessing to live and learn (unless of course, it isn’t.) 🙂 I kept watch over myself as I interacted with others and I was aware of the times I had clung to the idea of “knowing” how things “should” be or how my ideas of things clouded my reactions and allowed the part of me that “knows” everything to push itself forward. It is a delicate balance and an amazing gift to figure out how to allow your truest self, that knows it knows nothing and stays open to life to guide your choices and align your personality with your soul. Seeing and living from a place beyond the little thoughts from the head holds the key that opens the heart and allows our perception and experience of Life to expand and include All.

Simply put, Love doesn’t come from our head and fear doesn’t come from our heart. While the truest part of me knows I know nothing, it does occur to me that I feel deeply from my heart and the things it allows me to feel are vibrating at a higher level than any thoughts ever could. That frequency of Life that the heart allows brings me such peace and allows me more compassion and connectedness to Life in every way. The feeling pervades within me that a life without doing whatever it takes to learn how to live from that place on a regular basis would seem to miss the point of being here entirely. While, I don’t “know” this for sure, I do feel it as sure as I feel my breath.

As I continued to watch and reflect on “knowing” things versus feeling Life, the Universe sent me many helpful lessons and tools to guide me to great teachings that were delivered perfectly at the best moment and in the best possible way. Just one example is The Fifth Agreement, by Don Miguel Ruiz. Even though I loved the book that preceded it, that book had been sitting on my shelf for years without me ever feeling the time was right to read it.  Finally, it made it into my daily reading time. It was a wonderful guide in letting go of all the ideas of right and wrong that have been programmed into us since birth. Not to say that I have given up all the ideas that have been injected into my mind just yet. But to know that I should question everything rather than accept even my own ideas as truth is a wonderful place to start. I have heard this lesson in many different ways by many different teachers, but in this case, the tools and teachings life was sending me were perfectly answering the questions I was asking at the perfect time. I share this example of one of the tools that came my way, not to suggest reading this particular book, but to encourage or inspire us all to allow Life to show us what it has picked out for us perfectly at this time. If we are interested in living from a deeper place, Life will surely show us the way in the perfect manner for each of us. We must look with fresh, clear and open eyes to receive the gifts that await us.  Important note (not something I “know,” but something I feel):  if we are not interested in living from a deeper place, Life will provide experiences to increase our interest; we are Life, so Life wants our attention.

I pray for all of us as we continue down the path of open-hearted living. Sometimes opening your heart all the way can allow things to hurt. The hurt won’t stay because the heart is very resilient, but sometimes it still gets hurt. Recently my heart hurt very bad, I was quite surprised that it could happen. I value allowing things to be as they are and I feel that resisting and insisting things change only brings more suffering (unless my heart is guiding me towards initiating change or otherwise). I thought my intention to go with the flow and my desire to avoid judging whatever I saw would protect me from a deep hurt. Instead, I now feel that hurting is just part of the process. Sometimes people are afraid of an open heart and uncomfortable in its presence. Sometimes heads convince people that they would rather be upset, right, important, insignificant, superior, inferior or a million other things fear disguises itself as; often people choose from any number of distracting activities to quiet the noise the head is continuously making. The distractions keep us from opening our hearts and living within the experience Life is trying to give us in every now. People can treat an open heart in a rough manner at times as they juggle their thoughts and fears. When it hurt, I sat with my weeping heart, shared openly with my sweet little family and allowed it to be as it was. It didn’t close up, it isn’t wounded and it doesn’t love any less, it simply hurt for a bit. I smile now, because it doesn’t feel possible for my heart to hurt. The heart doesn’t waste time keeping track of awful memories and bad feelings. It beats now. The head likes to keep score, be right and convince us we have problems that need solving. The heart doesn’t remember, it lives the blessings of the moment. It is worth it to allow your heart to hurt sometimes because only a truly open heart can provide the place to rest without fear. The heart hurting is nothing to fear. Love comes from the heart and its power to do so is beyond comprehension. Believing in our hearts and allowing them to feel everything can only bring the peace, joy, love and aliveness that has been waiting for us since the beginning of time.

Three wishes for us all:

  1. The courage to feel, connect and be guided from our hearts.
  2. The desire to learn how to truly quiet the mind without leaning on meaningless distractions.
  3. The ability to reside comfortably and excitedly in knowing we know nothing.

Sending  you love and joy!

9 Comments
August 18, 2014

Spiritual Simplicity

To become a happy person have a clean soul, eyes that see romance in the commonplace, a child’s heart, and spiritual simplicity. —Norman Vincent Peale

I came across the above quote in my morning reading recently.  The idea of spiritual simplicity struck me deeply.  I instantly loved that notion; the deepest part of me knew exactly what it meant when I came across it.  That idea stayed with me all day and carried me through my choices of love and non reaction.  Simply put, it helped me stay firmly in the moment and accepting of all that each moment brought with it.  It is a very helpful thing to remember first thing in the morning, so I want to share it here this morning.

Spiritual simplicity means loving all that we encounter.  It means accepting and truly living each experience as it comes.  It means knowing that whatever circumstances we are experiencing, they are the perfect ones for us at the exact moment the Universe has created them for us.  It means listening to Life and flowing with it in the rhythm that our spirits know.  Living in acceptance doesn’t include feeling like we don’t want to or cannot change things.  It empowers us to know the impulse of the Universe and give our attention and energy to changing things that are ready to change.  In some cases, our mere acceptance of things allows them to change before our eyes; like how a hug or loving smile can melt the anger, sadness or frustration of a loved one.  Other times, our acceptance of what is allows us to hear the Universe/God/Life telling us about what it would like to bring to us or through us.  Resisting anything is a force that does not allow listening, it makes hearing Life’s messages impossible.  Spiritual simplicity is love and listening.  It is only found in the sacred moment we are in.  It isn’t found in the thought stream and stress of daily life.  It is in the flow of our spirit.  Our spirits flow together.  We are all connected and we can flow through our days in spiritual simplicity.  Let’s listen and love.

As for the rest of the quote above:

  • A clean soul — we all have that.
  • Eyes that see romance in the commonplace — we can do this by opening our eyes and truly seeing all the amazing miracles that are constantly around us.  I like to think of it as seeing the unfamiliar in all things and never assuming we know how things are going or how they will turn out.  It is staying fresh and alive to each moment.  Love is all around.  We can choose to see it.
  • A child’s heart — we all have that.  We must remember what it feels like to live from it.  Be amazed.  Be present.  Expect wonder and excitement.
  • A very important note — the quote begins with the idea of “becoming” a happy person.  We don’t need to try to do that.  We already are that.  We came into this world with that intact. We simply choose when we are ready to remember it.  “Happy” becomes peace and joy and is accessible in every moment.

Let’s set our intention this morning and feel how well it will serve us.  Today, I choose to live spiritual simplicity and I intend to spread it to as many lives as I can touch and as many places as my energy can visit.

Sending you love and joy!

11 Comments
August 2, 2014

Let My Life Become a Love Letter

Well done is better than well said.  —Benjamin Franklin

This quote sums up why I have been rather quiet lately.  I’ve been working on the ‘well done’ part and a bit shy about the simple ‘well said’ stuff that comes much easier to me.   I am never ever shy, so my continued unwillingness to share my writing lately has come as a big surprise to me.  I have been listening to my heart and just waiting until I felt more ready to share and push through my weird plateau I have been living in lately.  It is a comfort to me to know that my soul always returns me to trying to live what I know and push through whatever slows me down or derails me.  Thank God there is always a new moment to inhabit.

The desire for spiritual growth and the pull to walk the path towards self-realization and self-actualization feels like a tough way to go at times.  I read somewhere recently that a great spiritual master asked his audience to raise their hands if they were just beginning the spiritual path.  When they did, he told them to go home and not start.  He said it was too hard and they were better off not starting at all.  He added that if they did start, they must finish.  This is not the most upbeat and inspirational look at things, but I knew what he meant.  Just admitting that makes me feel better.  I am not sure why, but it does.

Sometimes I feel that I have read too much and learned too much to ever know how to live it all.  Thus, the musings here to sort out what is most meaningful to me and share it in a way that I pray may be helpful to others as well.  Letting too many concepts and intentions run around in the head doesn’t bring peace and wisdom, only the moment can do that.  If only I had just read a few simple lines about the living in the moment and committed myself fully to that, maybe I would be farther down the path.  But I didn’t.  I kept searching and adding different ways of saying things to my head.  Luckily, the moment is mixed in to all the great teachings.  Just come back fully to the moment where all is well that comes from within…

At this very moment as this writing comes through, gratitude is growing in my heart that knows that every book, every message, every experience, every different translation of the same essential truth was meant to be shared with me.  The Universe is always showing me the things I seek and the things It wants me to know.  I don’t have to wish it were ever any different, I can sort it all out.  I have always been happiest when communicating at the deepest level, so perhaps that is what I have been doing with Life.  After all, the best conversations have several points of view and ample rough patches to maneuver.  In my experience, tremendous joy ensues when mutual understanding prevails.  Perhaps I can shift to peace and the overwhelmed feeling can dissipate.  I believe I can.  I believe I will.  I believe I Am.

With all my stumbling, soaring, falling down, dusting myself off and trying again, here is the clearest message I can feel around me now:

My purpose here is to spread love.

I pray to have loving thoughts about all I see.  I wish to let go of judgements and love all that I encounter.  We are all doing our best and Love can only bring out a better best in us all.  Through giving and receiving Love we can take steps down that path towards who and what we really are.  Love feels good, it brings good.  Actually, there really isn’t even a good or bad, Love is what there truly is underneath all the masks fear creates.  Love shows us what there really is and frees us from all the false labeling and separating that we habitually do.  I pray to let my life become a love letter.  Let my actions become pure like the pen in my hand pouring out my soul on my favorite stationery.  It is so easy to write a love letter.  I pray to fall deeply into the ease of living one.  Pray for me too please.  I will pray for you.

Spread love everywhere you go.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.  ~Mother Teresa

It is astonishing how little one feels alone when one loves. ~John Bulwer

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. ~Zora Neale Hurston

Wishing us all loving thoughts, loving actions and a kindness towards ourselves and others that can only come from our deepest Love that we are meant share.

 

2 Comments
June 20, 2014

I Am My Breath

Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thích Nhất Hạnh

Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life. ~Giovanni Papini

Good morning!  Today I wake up feeling utterly blessed and grateful.  There are infinite things to be grateful for in Life, but today, and I sincerely hope, for each and every day for the rest of my days, I am in awe and complete wonder of my breath and it fills me with absolute joy.  As always, I have been trying to stay more present, feel more of my moments and live more of my life through all that I have learned.  Lately, something has clicked with my breathing; of course, it was right there under my nose all the time :-).  For quite some time, I have known the power of adding more breath, taking a deep breath before reacting, focusing on the breath during meditation, etc., but something even more profound has taken hold for me lately.  Perhaps the practice of it, reading about it, writing about it, etc. has finally allowed the path for me to live it more consciously and consistently.  The idea that the path to live what I know has presented itself makes me smile in peace.

As I shared previously, I have been exhausted lately and my body has been in a bit of a broken down state.  I knew relief would come and that all would be and already was well.  I was able to feel peaceful even in the midst of my worn out state.  I was allowing my circumstances to be as they were and see what Life was trying to show me.  That felt like progress to me for sure, considering that I used to only feel “happy” if I was doing everything “well.”  That path leads to a lot of stress, pressure and wasted moments trying to arrange things on the outside in order to feel good on the inside — a never-ending circle that doesn’t allow the true joy that lives inside us all to come forth.  In my allowing things to be as they were recently, I noticed my breath silencing my thoughts often throughout the day.  I noticed that I was, in fact, leaning back and allowing my breath to ease everything that wanted to bring anxiety or tighten my grip on life.  My breath was the gateway to joy and the force that was grounding me deeply in the true gift found in every present moment.

After a few days of truly enjoying the breath that was at the forefront of my interactions, the thought popped into my head, “I Am my breath.”  I heard it and I felt it deeply.  I smiled.  My daughter appeared by my side to tell me something and I noticed my breath as I enjoyed her lovely soul face and heard her sweet voice more clearly.  My breath allowed me to truly be there so much more fully.  I Am my breath much more than I am my body or my choices or my reactions.  My breath feels good, no matter what and it allows me to BE my true self.  It helps me choose well, speak kindly and Love deeply.  Our breath animates this form we have.  We are more our breath than any other thought, action, reaction or emotion we could ever have or feel.  Our breath is more of our essential self than we can ever know.  Someday, when our breath leaves, we will go with it.  We can live with our breath more fully now and bring joy to everything around us.  The deep pleasure that comes from our breath is truly amazing.  There really aren’t the proper words to describe it.  Just breathe and you can feel it.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. ~Thích Nhất Hạnh

What we call ’I’ is just a swinging door, which moves when we inhale and when we exhale. ~Shunryu Suzuki

Today, I am wishing you the joy of realizing the pleasure, peace and astounding gift of your breath.  Sending you joy and love!

 

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