Just Being

The body-mind-spirit connection is so incredibly important to our overall health, but how many of us take the time to truly nourish our bodies in each area?  Honestly, when was the last time you can think of a time that you nourished ANY of those areas of your life?

Maybe some of you hit the gym on occasion, but what are you eating throughout the day? Maybe you eat healthy so you don’t “have” to exercise? When was the last time you did anything at all for your spiritual health?  Have you ever meditated or connected with yourself on a deeper level at any point in your life?

I’m not saying you’re wrong if you are not incorporating this in your day, but I am curious, and I hope you are too!

The moment I began incorporating all three of these areas into my daily routine, my life transformed completely.  I began to build a fit body, I kept the fat off, I got off of medications for depression and ADHD, and the list goes on and on.  Ask anyone that knows me, I have more energy than ever and I am happier than ever.  And that is because my body is being nourished in all areas that it requires.

Spirituality and connection used to be a priority in people’s lives, and something that people would strive for.  I am not a church goer, nor a promoter of organized religion of any kind, but I do feel that we have lost touch with ourselves and the world around us over the years.

I was listening to a self-help CD in my car when Tony Robbins shared these words of wisdom:

We are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS!

And yet, when do we ever give ourselves the time to simply BE?

We must do everything every day, and there is always so much to do.  We have chores, and jobs, and kids, and list gets longer as the days feel shorter.  Have you ever been there?  Wondering how you will fit that to-do list into the limited hours of the day?

And when we have had enough for the day, and can’t possibly DO anything else, we disconnect from the world even further by relying on watching TV, playing on Facebook, or surfing the Web.  Sometimes we are doing all three things simultaneously, and not even giving the one task at hand our full attention.

We do, do, do and never take an opportunity to BE in our day.

Why do you think vacation is so wonderful?  Because there is little to nothing to do, and you get the opportunity to simply BE.  You sit on the beach, read a book, and go for a swim.  

You BREATHE.  You SMILE.  You BE.

There is no better feeling than soaking up that moment when all the stars seem to have aligned, and you can just breathe.  I think of memories on the beaches of Venice Beach, soaking up the sun next to Mike, listening to the waves roar, and thinking “Wow, this feels good”.  

But fast forward to today, and I’m in Fort McMurray, and it’s -20 in March.  How do I make this feel good? How can I find that peace, and time to be?

The truth is that this peace has nothing to do with the external factors in your day, and it all comes from within.  You can find that solace and happiness in any situation, but you must first seek it and know that it is available to you, right now, in this moment.

Regardless of where I am or how stressful a situation can be, I can always connect with myself and BE.  Sometimes I like to walk away and find a quiet place to help change my state, but the peace is always available to me when I reach for it.

In the past year I have had a real spiritual awakening, and it has changed my life entirely.  I now enjoy meditating at least once daily, I give gratitude constantly for all the little things that go right in my day, and I now have a belief in my destiny and the way that life unfolds.  It is this faith that has allowed me to develop and excel in the past few months, and do it all with positivity and direction.

This morning I gave gratitude for the warmth of my clothing I put on after my shower.  I was feeling so chilly, and felt that warmth on my skin as soon as I was clothed and I thought “wow, am I ever fortunate to have clothing on my back right now.  I bet there are people that don’t have this luxury, or aren’t as comfortable as I am right now!”  Appreciating the simple pleasures in life is where you begin to make that perception shift into a more divine and positive life.

If you’re not quite ready for, or interesting in, this spiritual awakening, there are less “out there” methods to connect with yourself.  Although I highly recommend giving it a try.  Do it in your mind, no one else needs to know how appreciative you are.  Although they will notice, because your eyes will glow and your heart will flow with a love you have never shared before.  That is because, when you begin to live your life with pure love, it is evident in the way that you act, react, and interact with others.

But let’s start with baby steps for a moment.  

A great way to begin BEING in your life is to take the time to pursue a passion of yours.  I’m not referring to selling your house and joining a travelling circus (unless that’s what you want to do of course!) but simply finding something that brings you immense joy and pleasure, and rewarding yourself with a few minutes a day to indulge in this.

Maybe this is something as simple as waking up 30 minutes before everyone else in your house, making your favorite cup of tea, and reading a book in your pajamas.  Take a moment to inhale and exhale and just be.  Let it all go, and be at peace.  Love the room you’re occupying and love yourself.

Perhaps this is taking a walk on a sunny day, and feel free to involve your children if you can multi-task and truly enjoy the moment.  For me personally, I prefer having this time to be in solitude but I understand sometimes we must be creative.

My first experience with just “being” came last year, when I revisited a passion from my past.   I deeply enjoyed painting as a child, and it used to bring me fulfillment to my very core.  It was this simple pleasure that I forgot about it in my adult life, due to the hectic pace of life.  I yearned to feel fulfilled and took some time to consciously think about what I enjoyed as a kid, to try and inspire some form of action to connect with myself on a level I hadn’t been to in a while.  My Mom’s birthday was coming up, so I thought “maybe I’ll paint her a picture for her birthday gift this year?”

When I began painting again, Mike told me I appeared as though I was glowing, and that is because I was in a sense.  My inner child, spirit and authentic self was all so satisfied in those moments, that I felt the joy that I only knew as a child.  I absolutely enjoyed every moment, and it truly lit my life up.  I couldn’t wait to get home from work, so that I could continue with my masterpiece.

It felt good because I was simply being.  Just me and my passion.  And the product reflected my love and enjoyment of the painting process.

My Mom got a one of a kind painting for her birthday, and I received much more than that.  I had found an outlet for immense pleasure and joy, whenever I wanted to paint.  The creativity is something that helps me release emotions and reflect my inner being onto canvas, and it is an experience I cherish to this day.

So I hope this gives you an idea of ways that you can connect to yourself, and to the wonderful world around you.  I implore you to take the time to think of things that would bring you peace, that might bring you fulfillment, and most importantly that will bring a smile to your face.

Moms, I know you are busy and I know your schedule is grueling, but there has got to be a way that you can free yourself from responsibility for 5 minutes to just be with yourself.  Give yourself a hug and tell yourself “I am doing a fabulous job today, I love you so much, and this is a wonderful day”.  When you wrap your arms around yourself, mean it.  Give yourself a fraction of the love you pour on your children all day, do you not deserve this same level of love from yourself?

You are wonderful, strong and beautiful in every way.  But in order to truly feel it, you must assign yourself some time to be, some time to feel, some time to release.

Meditation for five minutes will give you an opportunity to breathe, and will give your mind a chance to reset and prepare for your day.  Imagine you are on that beach without a care in the world.  Take a deep breath in and smell that ocean air.  

Or maybe think of nothing at all, and simply be in that moment.  In this moment, inhale the positivity, and exhale any stress, worries or fears you may feel in a day.  Emotionally releasing the bad, and welcoming the good is a great way to set the tone for your day.

Take the time to be.  

You do enough in the day, the chores can wait, your family will understand.

We spend so much as a society “majoring in minor things” and we must be aware that stress simply comes from putting too high of an importance on the little things.  Who cares if your house is a mess, everyone’s house is a mess!  Who cares if you look tired, you probably are, but so is everyone else.

We are tired because we expect our bodies to continue to perform at a maximum output, without investing any time into it being healthy and balanced.  Our relationships with our bodies are the most important relationships we will ever maintain.  Treat your body like the one of a kind masterpiece that it is, and make the time to connect to it.  This will never happen if you do not make it a priority.

Make it a priority to connect to yourself on some level every single day, and your body will begin to change! You will experience less stress, feel more energy, and enjoy more happiness.  No matter how great you feel, there is always room for improvement.  

If this blog has even got you to think about connecting with yourself in any way, then I will consider it a success.  This is by far the greatest thing I have ever done for myself, and my life has made beautiful transformations since this shift in consciousness has occurred.  

I am happier and healthier than I have ever been, and I owe it ALL to opening my mind to the spiritual side of life, and seeing little miracles in everything that happens in this life.  I feel peace from within daily, and I absolutely love the ability to reach within to a higher form of myself whenever I need to.

I hope that one day you will feel this sense of self-love and will commit a little time each day to YOU!

You are worth it <3

-L.K.


(Archived March 29, 2014)

---