Once we accept the truth, that we are the authors of our own life, suddenly our choices, responses, and the way we choose to show up in the world become essential to a happy, purposeful existence. We are no longer a victim of circumstances.
It’s far too easy to fall into auto pilot mode; complaining, focusing on lack, grumbling about others or our situation… But the more we focus on these things, the more we find cause for complaint.
Today, ask yourself what new story you’d like to create for yourself? What future chapters do you wish to become your present day reality?
More money? Love? Health? Abundance? Generosity? Laughter? Joy?
Embrace the energy of each desired essence and begin to live your story NOW.
‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been.’ – George Elliot
First day back in Melbourne after a 3 week trip to New Zealand. Whilst the holiday may have come to an end and I’m reminiscing of long days in Mother Nature, it’s no use wishing I was back in NZ countryside instead of returning to work tomorrow.
There is so much to embrace NOW.
There are no endings really, only new beginnings. This journey we’re on is full of the unexpected. It’s unpredictable, exciting, wonky, weird, wonderful, scary and magical all at the same time. Why waste it wishing you were somewhere other than here? Why wallow in the past or fret over the future when there is so much to be grateful for now?
Today, smile and breathe. Trust that you are precisely where you’re supposed to be at this point in time on your path.
Who knows what beauty and magic awaits you? Have faith that any endings you are experiencing are simply a transition into something beautiful and new.
The only time we ever have is NOW. Even when the future arrives, we begin to live it in the present moment, which is always NOW. Yet so many of our present moments are squandered with thoughts of the past or the future.
Ruminating and mulling over the past, which cannot be changed – robs us of the present moment. Day dreaming of the future, which is never guaranteed – robs us of the present moment.
Our mind often swings back and forth like a pendulum between past and future thoughts, keeping us from fully experiencing and living life now. When we silence the mental chatter by breathing deeply and opening ourselves up to experience the moment fully, we become aware of our true self and the loving presence behind the ‘thinker’. We begin to connect more deeply with life and the people we share our experience with.
Each moment is new and fresh. Old habits begin to fall away as we recognise ourselves and the world we live in as ever changing, ever evolving, ever new.
We are limitless. Life is limitless. And the time to live is NOW.
Today, breathe and enjoy the moment fully. Trust that you can experience love, peace and gratitude in this very moment.
I can’t think of anything worse than a life not lived. Arriving at the end with a heart full of ‘if only’s’, ‘what if’s’ and ‘I should have’s’ seems somewhat tragic to me… I’d like to think we can all arrive feeling that we have lived life to the fullest, that we experienced the joy and beauty of a life free from fear and regret.
To live life is to be present and open; to be fearless and free; to think, speak and act from the heart. It is not always possible to be and do all of these things all of the time – but we must certainly try.
As Katherine Mansfield beautifully states; ‘Warm, eager, living life – to be rooted in life – to learn, to desire, to know, to feel, to think, to act. This is what I want. And nothing less. That is what I must try for.’ …And so must we.
What in life is holding you back? Fear of failure? Fear of getting hurt? Fear of looking foolish? Fear of succeeding? The change and responsibility that comes with all of that? It makes sense to go forth with the flow, to do what feels right for you at a pace that feels sustainable, but we wont get very far if we have one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the breaks. Yes, tread gently, but let us also be unafraid to throw caution to the wind.
For in the end, isn’t our wish to say that we have truly loved and lived?
Nothing is promised. Not even time. The only thing we ever really have is Now – this moment. This may account for all of the frantic grasping and scrambling we do in our lives. We fear we have no time. But worry never serves to get us ahead. Quite the opposite. It robs us of the only time we’ll ever have – the present.
When we try to do or have it all at once, we soon lose momentum. So take your time and breathe. Choose one thing to do and do it well. It is what you do now that counts.
How fully immersed are you in this moment? When out having coffee with a friend, are you delighting in the exchange or thinking of the lawns that need mowing at home? When you are mowing the lawns, are you savouring the scent of the freshly cut grass or wishing you were out having coffee with a friend?
Too often we are distracted from what we are doing and wishing our time away on thoughts of next next next.
Slow down. Know that you have time. Trust that it is alright to move at a gentler pace. Supportive doors will open for you when you surrender control to what is. Let go. Refrain from trying to control outcomes.
Yes – it is important we dedicate time to working on our dreams, yet we must also balance this with time for play, time alone, as well as time spent with loved ones and friends. In doing so, we see the world with new eyes.
Today, breathe and enjoy the moment. Have faith that there is ‘a time to every purpose under the heaven.’
We’ve all experienced that split second when our emotions get the better of us. We think, say or act before pausing to take a moment to process our feelings. In the worst instances, we lash out, causing pain and upset to others including ourselves.
Holocaust survivor, Viktor E. Frankl reminds us of that subtle space in which we get to choose our response. If we take a moment to breathe, to connect and align with our inner being, we find peace from the past, and freedom to create a brighter future.
The way we respond to life is key to growth and expansion. In each moment we have the choice between fear and love; conflict and peace; blame and forgiveness.
Today, choose alignment before action. Free yourself from the automatic reactions that bind you to the past or instill in you a fear of the future. When you respond to life with love, peace, harmony and trust – you take back your power; you pave the way towards emotional freedom and inspire others to do the same.
The only time we ever have is NOW. Even when the next moment arrives, we begin to live it in the moment, which is always now. Yet so many of our present moments are squandered with thoughts of the past or the future. Ruminating and mulling over the past, which cannot be changed – robs us of the present moment. Day dreaming of the future, which is never guaranteed – robs us of the present moment.
Our mind, which swings back and forth like a pendulum between past and future thoughts, is what keeps us from fully experiencing and living life now. When we silence the mental chatter by breathing and becoming aware of our true self – the loving presence behind the thinking, we begin to immerse ourselves in life itself. Each moment is new and fresh. Old habits fall away as we experience ourselves and the world we live in as ever changing, ever evolving, ever new. We are limitless. Life is limitless. And the time to live is NOW.
Welcome to my twenty-fifth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’. A weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my hopes and dreams for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receive them.
Soul Reflections
I cannot stress enough the importance of beginning each new day afresh. Yesterday has been and gone. We cannot undo what has already been done, but we can bless yesterdays lessons with love, and embrace the joy of a new day.
When we drag our past forward into the present, we feel heavy with yesterday’s sorrows. After a while, the accumulation of upsets becomes too burdensome to bear. We must be willing to let go of the notion that things could have been any different. Accept that things were precisely as they needed to be, for those were the lessons we needed to acquire in order to move forward.
Let go. Free yourself from yesterdays sorrows and release the past. Don’t hold yourself hostage to it for a moment longer. Know that you did the best you could with the knowledge you had in that moment, and the same is true of others. Forgive and move on. Today is a new day, with fresh hopes, dreams and joys waiting to be discovered.
Soul Strolls
Since moving house recently, I have yet to discover a local park that is large enough to enjoy a good stroll. The hunt will continue. In the meantime, I took to the streets, but there is beauty to be discovered all around if our eyes are open to it. I captured these cute we flowers in someone’s front garden. Pretty and pink, to brighten these darker evenings in Melbourne.
Soul Food
I have been under the weather lately, and am in need of comforting foods which offer a good source of nutrients to support my health. So I am sharing this delicious Peppermint Chocolate Mousse by one of my favourite health and wellness bloggers, Alice at The Whole Daily. I use DoTerra Essential oils for their therapeutic, organic healing qualities.. This mousse can also be made using orange essential oils! Yum!
Soul Music
Today I am sharing James Bay’s – Let It Go. A gentle reminder to let things go, to let them be and to leave everything that’s broken to the breeze.
Soul Sisters
I am sharing Nina’s post How Did You Live Today? A gentle reminder to live each day to the fullest. To embrace the moment and to not allow another day to go by wasted. Thank you Nina for the reminder.
Life is too short to dwell in the past. So today, let go.
We each have moments where our words and actions fall short of our truest self. Habitual responses and behaviours can cause us to speak or act unconsciously. A situation or comment may trigger a past pain or trauma resulting in a fight, flight or freeze response. Life would be much easier if we could operate from our highest self all of the time, but life is rarely that simple. We can, however, learn to love and accept our blunders for what they are – lessons which point the way forward.
Our setbacks are there to teach us. Do you have unhealed hurts requiring your attention? Is there someone you have yet to forgive? Remember, that person needing your forgiveness may even be you.
Many of us become entangled in self-sabotaging behaviours. But it’s no use beating ourselves up over them. Instead, be gentle with yourself. Recognise what your outer world is trying to teach you about your inner world. Do you feel yourself worthy enough of happiness and fulfilment? Do you recognise that you are loved, loving and lovable even with your flaws and imperfections? Do you believe in yourself enough to make the changes necessary for growth and expansion?
You needn’t dwell on these matters for too long. Simply become aware of them. Then let them go. Move on. As Emerson reminds us, ‘tomorrow is a new day.’ Today, let’s leave the past firmly behind us so we can look to the present moment for creative solutions.
You are not your past. Although it can sometimes feel that way. We hear a certain song play on the radio; an innocent comment triggers something within us; we pass a familiar street and are suddenly transported back – but those spots in time are mere memories of seasons passed. They do not define us.
Once we become aware of our past hurts and disappointments, we can better prepare for those moments that provoke feelings of vulnerability and self-doubt. Sit with those feelings for a while. Recognise them for what they are, and then let them go. We can’t undo what has already been done. The past cannot be re-written, but we can untangle ourselves from the spell it holds over us. We can re-write our future.
Do not live a life of regrets. In every heartache there is a lesson. With every dashed dream a new one is waiting just around the corner. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself and others. It is time to set yourself free. For ‘one can never change the past, only the hold it has on you.’ Today, live for the moment.
Dear Dad 