Tomorrow is my birthday, which generally makes me take a deep breath, check in, review, and ponder. Today I offer you some contemplations that have come up for me lately:
I’ve often thought of life as a grand game. It helps me keep things in perspective.
We’re here to learn, to play, to experience, to adventure, to trip up and fall down and make mistakes and try again. There’s no judgement other than that which we create ourselves. There are as many turns as we want to take, and we can play the game however we choose. For the most part, we get to make up the rules as we go along.
The big picture, to me, means remembering that I am a spiritual being having a human experience. I am more than who I often think I am.
And my sole responsibility is to be who I am. Not who anyone else thinks I should be, not who I tell myself I “should” be, but to just unfold naturally into the fullness of who I am and creatively express myself accordingly.
When I remind myself of this, I have more patience, more forgiveness, and worry less about the games within the game of life.
The grand game encompasses many smaller ones: there’s the money scheme, the social ladder, the collector’s connundrum, and the workaholic’s world. There’s nothing wrong with money, social structure, consumerism and work per-se, but we can get so caught up in them that we forget there is a bigger game being played. We lose sight of the fact that we’re here to BE who we are.
There’s a lot to be said about the importance of being able balance work and play. Too often it’s far more work than play. And there is a great need for all of us to take some time to simply relax!
Sometimes we need to place less importance on DOING, and just practice BEING.
In the last little while I’ve basically ignored my to-do list and let myself simply be. It’s been amazing, though sometimes I still feel overwhelmed with pressure to be productive because there is so much to do! I’m really working on allowing myself to BE more and DO less.
Tonight I’m leaving for a short journey for my birthday. I’ll be out in nature with a dear friend, doing the presonal work that helps me reveal to myself more of who I truly am. Connecting with my pure being.
No matter where you are in the cycle of your own life, it is always a worthwhile consideration to check in, breathe, feel, and connect with the part of yourself who knows that life is a grand game. May your path be blessed!
In the minds of most people, perfection is an unachievable yet oft reached for thing, yet with this perspective that I learned from Anusara® yoga, stress and anxiety can melt as you shift your perspective.
The magical light of Santa Fe was a constant companion as I went on retreat with Anusara® yoga founder, John Friend. The light from the sun, the sparkling blue sky, the radiant trees, the clear starry night; it was a truly illuminated experience.