The Art Of Authenticity

So many of us spend our lives with our breath held in, even though this is slight and barely noticeable most of the time, this restriction impacts us on every level of our beings, for it is a sign that we are unable to live free and be free. There are many things in life that lead us to the point of holding on to the breath; we cling on to the air as though holding it in our lungs will somehow numb the pain or ease the challenges we face. It is akin to moving quickly through a narrow pass; subconsciously we choose to breathe in order to make it through unscathed. Of course, such an in-breath rarely makes a difference in the physical world, but energetically we reduce the space we fill and, over time, this can lead to us growing increasingly out of alignment with our Selves and with life.

This breath-hold is so subtle that most of us don’t even realise that we are doing it, but when we become aware of this action, we begin to see just how it holds us back from filling our lungs and our souls fully with life. Whilst life does not always work out as we would chose, opening up our hearts and souls to living authentically by being true to our Selves matters, for it is a sign of our willingness to lean into the discomfort and the restriction of the ‘breath-hold’ in order to allow our energetic or vibrational Selves to grow and expand once again. 

When we connect to the Art of being Authentic, we let go of the need to chase horizons or to be the best in order to validate our Selves or our lives. When we open up to being authentic, we realise that chasing anything depletes or diminishes us for we are already Whole, complete and magnificent; exactly as we are. 

The call to authenticity is a powerful one. Being genuine and authentic takes courage, strength and vision, for it confirms a powerful awakening and a willingness to truly embrace life. For many, the breath-hold has become second nature, but for those who continue to awaken and stir, we realise that this is no longer the best way to live for we need to breathe freely now in order to connect fully with our Selves and our lives. 

Intuitively each of us has a sense of the life that we know we were born to live; for many the pathway to such a life feels long and arduous, and for many more it simply feels out of reach. Yet when we breathe and allow ourselves to connect fully to life, we begin to see that it is our perspectives of life that ultimately shape and define our reality, for once we accept that we are living consciously in the present moment and our hearts, minds and souls are vibrant and free, then we realise that we are already living the life that we were born to live. 

It is important not to feel a sense of frustration or even guilt for holding our breaths though, for it is a part of being human. Sometimes, life’s tough and it is in-built into our DNA to find ways to survive. Of course, survival, whilst natural, does not necessarily equate to flourishing, and we seem ready now to step beyond the breath-hold in order to blossom and flourish once again. 

It is only natural to try to hold on to our breath, for it is life giver and nurturer, but our breath is a freely flowing force, and, like the true flow of the Universal Whole, intuitively we know that it has to be free now in order for us to connect fully, completely and wholeheartedly with life. 

Being authentic and genuine is not a guarantee that we will no longer face challenges in life, but it will stand us in good stead to ride the challenges with strength and faith, and it will also allow us to feel fully alive and interconnected with both our Selves and the Whole (which are one and the same).

True happiness does not come from being a success or from being or doing anything in particular, it comes from being our Selves. When we open up to living authentically and embracing our uniqueness, we know that we are home...

Pushing Boundaries

As the wheels and cogs of life continue to turn, spin and grind along, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the routine and lose sight of the ‘bigger picture’. As a result, life can feel heavy and onerous as we try to keep on keeping on, remaining focused on the tasks at hand rather than opening up our hearts, minds and souls to the expansiveness both within and without. Whilst there is much to be said for keeping on keeping on, it suggests a disempowering acceptance of a life with boundaries and a life without conscious living.

Of course, it can be hard to look beyond the every day, for we all have duties and responsibilities to fulfil, but there are times when these become so consuming that we lose sight of our essence and our Truth in the process; we become buried under layer upon layer of ‘stuff’. Whilst this stuff may keep the wheels turning, the disconnection that arises can take us further and further away from what truly makes us happy in life. For many of us, it can then somehow feel better not to seek out that connection for it simply acts as a reminder of all that’s missing in life. For others though, awareness of a disconnection is embraced as a powerful catalyst, for once the disconnection is made conscious, it is then possible to seek out ways in which to address the issue in order to embrace a more enriched and fulfilling way of living and being.

To fear such a catalyst may sound strange, after all, it suggests a time of breakthrough, but it is understandable as life can see so many of us deeply focused in the act of trying to cling on rather than opening up and expanding into something richer and more fulfilling. Fear takes over and can leave us feeling isolated, trapped and imprisoned by all that we don’t want.  We then try to escape, but the harder we push, the more trapped and enclosed we become, and this disconnects us even further from what we know is not only possible in life, but achievable as well.  

This can leave us in a perpetual state of frustration, for we simply cannot get from where we are to where we want to be as fear puts on blinkers and keeps the window of opportunity shut tight. It remains shut not because we don’t want opportunity to come knocking, but because we simply do not have the ‘space’ or capacity to let in the new. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as we then realise our fears and remain locked in a state of ‘lack’ trying to chase horizons that we think will ‘fix’ us instead of opening up to the possibility that we already have everything we need to live a magical and amazing life. We then become consumed by looking backwards and searching forward, forgetting about the present in the process.

All is not lost though, for there is a powerful force at work, that, when embraced consciously, naturally takes us more readily into the present moment as the fear and isolation melt away. This force is love, and it has the power to transform the present moment in the most amazing of ways.

Love conquering all is not a new concept, but so many push it away as ‘new age namby-pampy’ because life isn’t all sweetness and light. That’s true, of course, but embracing love does not mean covering over the cracks of life nor does it mean forgetting about our troubles and our fears.

Love plays such a vital role, for it is through love that we stop projecting and externalising our fears. When we accept that love is not an external force, it awakens us to the reality that love is within us, and this can never be taken or pushed away. Love is not something we can lose, nor can it leave us, for it is the very fabric that makes us. 

So, when we inhale and embrace love, we become love and everything changes; we no longer feel disconnected and trapped on the hamster wheel of life and we begin to feel alive, awakened and fully connected. Disconnection cannot be fixed by external forces (new job, new relationship, losing weight etc), it can only be healed from within when we realise that we are already Whole and we are already beings of love. 

Such a shift in consciousness allows us to see through different eyes, for fear and pain no longer shape the path of our lives. When we are in a state of love, we let go of the boundaries and barriers that we create through fear and instead open up to a more expansive and joyful Universe. Whilst such a shift doesn’t make problems go away, by seeing them through the eyes of love, they no longer consume and suffocate us for we can put them into perspective. 

At the same time, when in a space of love, it is easier to show gratitude for all that we do have in life. Gratitude, like love, raises our vibrations from one of lack to one of joy and abundance. It is important to remember that happiness does not come from external fixes, for once we have wholeheartedly accepted this, it is easy to celebrate the joy in life and the awesome magnificence of the Universe (from the tiny insect, to the beautiful trees). We can then put our own lives into a clearer perspective for we are no longer isolated and disconnected whilst chasing happiness but we are living a life of love now, in this very moment.

So, remember, love is a state of being; it is not outside of you but within you. You are love.