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.