The Jewel Within

In the coal mines of life, each of us is looking for a diamond. The journey to this diamond may be dark, dirty and challenging, but the lure to find that sparkling jewel is driven by the realisation that this jewel is our true essence.

Metaphors aside, so many of us spend so long seeking ‘the answer’ or ‘the solution’ to life; that one part of the puzzle that slots in and brings everything together perfectly. Yet, when we do this, we run the risk of losing sight of the present as we become focused solely on the end goal of finding the diamond. To aspire is human, but in many ways it is the journey to the diamond that is the most significant, for once we reach the diamond, where do we go from there?

Of course, much of this depends on what the diamond means to us as individuals. Could it be our Nirvana? Or could it be the answer to a life challenge? Many of us have got stuck in the latter, for we see little hurdles to overcome before we can move forward. Hurdles such as: ‘Once I have found that special someone’, ‘Once I have lost weight’, ‘Once I have found the right job’, ‘Once...well, you get the drift!’. This is part of being human, but this strategy denies us from accessing our diamond as we place limits on how far we will go until our challenge has been overcome.

Yet, once we start placing conditions on life, we become trapped in a cycle of more conditions. Once we have lost weight, we then might focus on finding the right job etc. At what point do we step off the merry-go round and say ‘Stop!’? Well, that is a personal decision, but if we spend our lives waiting for the perfect moment to get that diamond, then we could have a long wait. Sometimes, we have to have the courage of our convictions, and realise that whilst our lives may not be perfect, we can still step towards our Nirvana and our dreams (the diamond).

So back to the earlier question ‘Once we find our diamond, where do we go from there?’

Well, we revel in the magnificence and joy of living consciously, and we celebrate our gifts by actually using them! Being slimmer or being in the right job does not make finding or holding the diamond any easier does it? Sometimes we have to embrace the Truth and realise that life is for living now! It takes courage mining for the diamond, and what lies in the darkness of the earth is beyond knowing, for we can never know what is around the next corner of life. Yet we have a choice, we can spend our lives waiting for a perfect moment that may never come, or we can stop pontificating and procrastinating, roll up our sleeves and get digging!

The time has come to step beyond fear and doubt as the controlling forces in life, and to realise that the diamond is always with us, we just have to believe, that’s all...

Every Second Counts

Today is a unique day. There will never be another day like it. Tomorrow is a day away and yesterday is already in the past, yet no day is the same; each is unique. Yet how many of us spend each unique day thinking about the next day, week, month or year rather than thinking about the present moment? How many of us ignore the present and focus on moving forward, pushing towards goals, plans or dreams hoping that life will become 'complete' once we have achieved them?

Whilst we have a good idea of where we'll be and what we'll be doing tomorrow and the day after that, the reality is that we can never be truly sure of what may happen between now and then. Whilst we all have plans, dreams and things to do, we never know what is around the next corner. Obviously we hope than any unexpected events or surprises are good ones, but even this is unknowable.

Yet, we all have goals, plans and dreams, and whilst we can never be sure what may happen in the next second, let alone the next month or year, we have a choice. We can either choose to follow our dreams and live every moment to the fullest in the process, or we can err on the side of caution, holding back until we find more certainty or clarity, or hoping that events will happen that will catapult us from where we are now to where we want to be. Sadly, the latter may mean a long wait, for we can never have a 100% guarantee when it comes to life, plans or dreams; for the Universe just isn't made that way.

So, do we choose to live life to the fullest, making the most of every moment, or do we allow ourselves to become paralysed in fear and indecision, afraid to take that leap of faith towards our dreams through fear that we may not reach our goal? When we think of things this way, who would willingly choose the latter?! Yet, how many of us do choose the latter every single day through our fears of stepping into the unknown or through a fear of living consciously in the present moment, surrendering to the Universal flow?

Of course, life carries no guarantees, but it seems so important to make a conscious choice as to how we want to live life. We can empower ourselves and embrace life fully, living each day as it comes, working towards our dreams and taking a chance that we might fail or we might just soar to new heights and to new joy creating abundance on all levels of our lives, or we can keep the proverbial apple cart in perfect balance afraid to dislodge even one apple through a fear of what may happen next. Even apples rot in time if they are left unturned...

Life is for living; it is not a rehearsal. Embracing life sounds so easy, but the reality can be somewhat harder. The reason for this is that every day is unique, and we can never know what's around the next corner! At the same time, life gets in the way! As humans we complicate things; we tie things in knots through over-thinking, and we get stuck in repeating patterns and cycles. In order to break free, we need to make a conscious choice to step beyond fear and to make the most of every single moment that life has to offer.

Remember, today is a unique day. There will never be another day like it. So, why not make the most of it and live consciously, awakened, and fully in the moment? Why not love life, live life and be life?