Friday 18 April 2014

Ticking Along

As we continue to navigate the twists and turns of being human, it seems that we have entered a time for taking some big deep breaths and re-affirming our connection to life. We so often take life for granted, ticking along and along until one day we don’t tick anymore. Losing our tick does not necessarily come from the end of life as it also surfaces through illness, dis-ease or trauma. When we tick, we go with the flow of life, never really thinking about the incredible jobs our bodies do every single second of every single day. It is only when the tick shifts out of sync, develops a fault or stops that we realise just how precious and fragile life truly is.
When we gaze within we become aware of the vast universe within each and every one of our millions, if not billions (I’ve never counted all of them!) of cells. We become aware of the processes that keep us alive and the mini-miracles that we are. We step beyond the boundaries that we perceive to be in place in life and realise that we are each vibrant, integral parts of the magnificent whole.
Of course, if the tick shifts out of sync, we can lose our equilibrium and life suddenly feels very real, very precious and very short (we start to fear not making the most of every single moment). We realise that taking anything for granted is foolhardy as nothing is truly permanent. At the same time, we step beyond trying to fix those things that make us miserable and instead start to focus more on those things that bring us joy. We no longer seek to find ‘completion’ in order to live as we realise that we already have all we need to live now. It becomes easier to accept the perfection of imperfection, not because our tick is ‘faulty’ but because we no longer try to live conditionally, striving to achieve a state of being that comes from a state of doing more and achieving more. We realise that ‘being more’ is the state of realisation and acceptance that we are perfect exactly as we are.
Although this does not mean that we have to sit back and accept all that life throws at us (far from it), it does suggest a willingness to stop fighting so much.  As human beings we are very good at thinking we know best and trying to push ahead regardless of what our body, mind and/or soul are telling us. We can spend our whole lives trying to find completion, trying to fix our faults and eradicate the pain but this simply leaves a void: a deep emptiness as there is nothing in its place. Unless we open up to joy and happiness, how can they flow into our lives? It therefore seems important to shift the focus away from fixing, healing and mending towards living, breathing and being at One with ourselves, our bodies and the universe.
When we become truly aware of life, everything changes as we no longer take anything for granted. Every moment becomes precious as we allow ourselves to become aware of every moment. Even during those times when our ticks move out of alignment, it is important to realise that this is a perfect opportunity to re-connect to the true joy of being alive. Even if the tick never fully recovers or returns to its former glory, we can find new glory and new joy in every state of being; it is just perception after all.
Remember that we all have our own unique instruments in the orchestra of life, hearing our own note is important as it keeps us connected and integrated. Just like the ‘tick’, our notes can change over time, but instead of trying to reclaim what ‘once was’ it seems important to be open to creating new melodies and tunes. No one knows what life has in store for them; we can never be sure what lies around the next corner. So, instead of taking it all for granted, we need to live consciously in the moment and treasure the true magnificence of being alive…
Present moment living, breathing and being is not for the faint-hearted as it means leaping into the gap (metaphorically, not literally) but not becoming defined or consumed by it. It also means stepping beyond linear time and embracing the concept of true happiness. Of course, in reality, there is no other way, but until we reach that point in time where we are prepared to wholeheartedly embrace this, we can find ourselves stepping over the cracks in the pavement, minding the gaps and watching out for potholes. In other words, our focus remains not on where we are but on where we were and where we think we need to be and until we realise that neither of these exist in the present moment we can never truly be liberated.
Of course, we will always remain mindful of the gap between here and there, as this is a part of being human, but the more consciously we step into the present moment, the more we can become One with the awe-inspiring universal consciousness. It is in the present moment where we step beyond the edge of the boundaries we perceive to be around us in life and fly free into the realms of joy…