“Let your very existence be your song, your poem, your story.

Let your very identity be your book . . .”

– Charlotte Eriksson

We have been taught that all good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. They have a plot, a protagonist, a climax and so on. We have been taught about and exposed to the many genres of stories—comedy, tragedy, drama, action, adventure, romance, science fiction, etc. In doing some research I found that there are genres within genres and quite an extensive list. This seems to go hand-in-hand with sometimes how complicated life may seem and why we think our life stories have to be some combination of all of these genres.

But even in thinking in the simplest terms that good stories are suppose to have a beginning, a middle and an end, most of us tend to put the stories of our lives in the framework as well—with “the end” being the exclamation point on our lives. We focus on what our legacy will be or on the impact of our purpose in this life. We fixate on the future or the end so much so that we forget to be in the present.

As we grow up and the distance between “just being”, of child-like wonder and the magic of simple things widens, some of us start to define our life story in the expectations of others or for others. We set milestones based on what our parents, friends, the media, etc., have taught us that will make us happy. These milestones start to form the beginning, middle and end of the (your) story. We painstakingly try to pin point the major accomplishment, the “ah-ha” moment or how our life’s work will make a major impact in the world.

We can get so fixated on trying to tell a story or making up a story that answers these questions that we forget to live OUR story. In short, we start to write our story for someone else, and not for ourselves.  We get distracted and we begin to lose sight of all the little moments, quiet events and people on our paths that make our stories so special and so remarkable.

Life can be full of noise, distraction and expectations. So much so that some of us will start to fill our daily dialogue with “should haves,” “if only,” and “whens.” We get caught up in comparing ourselves to others, letting others project themselves and their beliefs onto us, and of being judgmental. For some, we start to think (and even believe) that someone else will make us happy, has the answers, will tell us what to do, etc., so we can be happy, successful, content—and that our lives are “on track” for the beginning, middle and end of what makes a “good story.”

When you do this, you start to lose your power. You let someone else dictate your story. You have an amazing story. You were born with it—and it is only yours to tell. Don’t let someone else tell your story. Take responsibility for yourself—all the good you have done and will do, and for the things that may not have turned out so great. Live vicariously through yourself! Look inside yourself for the answers you seek—they are already there and they are always with you. Open your eyes to you—and along the way you will write and tell YOUR story—a story that never really ends; a story that is a wonderful combination of moments and nows!

I have been having a bit of a run in my life the past few weeks where I’m feeling stable and grounded, been able to be more in the moment, and even when challenges or situations arise I have been moving quickly through them. You know that feeling of being on and in a “good head space.” I feel content and at peace and there are moments that I feel  . . . happy. (Wow—I just put that in writing.)

So enter the little nagging mental voice inside my head—which I’m keeping at bay for now. That cautionary voice that quietly sneaks in with its warnings of  “don’t get too comfortable, things can change any moment,” providing its subtle warning that this being OK with where I’m at and letting myself enjoy this place won’t last. There is sort of this inevitable looming cloud that will move in with its chaos, sadness, problems, etc., and that I should be ready for that when it comes. It’s not overwhelming or distracting me too much from the “good place” I’m in right now—but it’s definitely there.

Like I said, I’m keeping that voice at bay—keeping it quiet and have actually been trying to make it go away and shutting it down (by replacing it with good and positive thoughts). I guess this is how we are wired as humans for the most part and based on our experiences we know there are ups and downs, good days and bad days and that to appreciate joy, happiness and peace we have had also to experience (and, yes, appreciate) sadness, loneliness, fear, unrest, etc.

So I find myself in this interesting place where I’m intrigued with making peace with the fact that I’m at peace right now, and to not let that little voice prevent me from being happy and enjoying where I’m at emotionally and physically. The warnings seem like roadway caution signs that say dangerous and curved roads ahead. You can’t let them freak you out. You acknowledge them but need to drive forward because there will be amazing things ahead. Simple concept—but not always easy.

This is especially true when you have been working through significant change and have been doing self- reflection and learning to accept and love yourself, to accept your past and all the experiences that have made you, well you.  To be in the moment and enjoying it, the cautionary road signs may seem a bit more ominous. Getting to this place of peace, happiness, calm and being grounded might have taken a while. You like feeling this happiness and you want it to last. And it’s ok to give yourself permission to feel this way. No strings attached.

Yes, this thing we call life does evolve and change. That is a constant. It brings people, places and situations into your world that are all wonderful—even when it may not seem so sometimes. This brings me to the point about letting guilt go and being able to experience life without fear—and to be empowered. Happiness is a moment-to-moment choice.

The process I have been on (and still on since continuously) that includes navigating through my emotions, finding my way through my likes and passions and renewing my faith in the Universe, has brought me to this wonderful place. Yes, there will be things that will happen that will make me sad, hurt me or even scare me. That’s OK too.

These things will keep adding to the fabric of me and I will be able to use the stronger foundation I’m on and that is within me because of my focus on change. Being in-tune with myself, and embracing change and all my experiences and emotions is a big part of this strong foundation. What you have and where you are will change. Your blessings will evolve and grow. They collectively make you a better you.

So being in this mindset of happy, content and at peace is a blessing and a choice. That little nagging warning voice is just a part of me that still has some remnants of fear. That’s OK too. Just something I have to keep working on. I know that the minute I start thinking of the past or future and let in fear and worry, that it’s only a thought of a thing, a thought that’s happening in a now—and a now that I’m missing. So today I’ll choose to be in the moment of happiness and embrace it. How do you embrace your moments of happy?

“The illusion is we are only physical.”

– Vanna Bonta, Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel

The past few weeks I have been focusing on sharing perspective on and insight into what I’ll call spiritual consciousness.  What I mean by spiritual consciousness is that you are spiritually awake, and this is distinct from physical consciousness. In physical consciousness you are aware of the physical world—the world around you, the people around you, places, things, etc. And your perceptions and actions—and even emotions—are formed from this physical lens.

The physical world or dimension provides the “stage” for the story of your life as it unfolds. But just as we grow and evolve physically from an infant to an adult and we continually become a collective of all our experiences, there is spiritual growth. For many, a focus on or nurturing this growth is not present—since the physical becomes the primary context of our lives, and the spirit gets a bit, well, neglected. Growing spiritually means that our consciousness grows beyond our physical consciousness, and there is an awareness of our true Self—where we understand who we really are and understand our relationship to the Universe, and know that everything is one. We are enlightened.

Now you may be asking, “how do I know if I’m enlightened?” One answer is that you already are, but your mind or physical being does not know it. Again, remember for most of us we are more focused on our experiences from a physical dimension. For many true self is considered the human body. And when we perceive our true self as only the human body and mind, we create worries, anxiety, stress, etc. about this temporary human body or existence. Over time this can over shadow a spiritual consciousness—which is enlightenment.  Our true self is not this temporary human body or existence. It is eternal and divine, and has a purpose to exist.

For so many, when they contemplate or try to find “their purpose” it is done so from a physical or human consciousness. This puts thinking and related actions into trying to find something tangible that defines one’s purpose, which in turns gets tied to expectations and physical definitions of success. And, in turn, creates a cycle where spiritual consciousness is not realized.

So the next question you may be asking may be, “how do I break this cycle? To start, contemplate and embrace that:

• You are a spiritual and divine being—you are not just a physical being or body
• You create your reality and all the experiences in your life
• Time and space is really an illusion—this physical world and presence is a lens or a “current reality” collectively created in this current Dimension
• The Universe is changing—there is a transition happening to the Fifth Dimension and where ascension to a higher Self is occurring
• The physical world of illusion can help accelerate your spiritual growth

If you start to think and realize that your true Self is not this human body and embrace that your daily life is an opportunity and a facility to help your true Self to emerge, you will begin to spiritually awaken. If you start to let go of your ego-driven habits and discover that the way to change the world is first to change your thoughts, beliefs and expectations, you will begin to raise your level of spiritual consciousness and to find peace and joy.

I would love to hear from you on how you define spiritual consciousness and invite you to share you experiences from your journey to enlightenment.