Life’s challenges are like a jigsaw puzzle—as the pieces fall into place, one-by-one, a bigger picture begins to emerge. But before we can get to that bigger picture, we have to be willing to work the puzzle, giving it our time and attention, in order to discover what works and what doesn’t.

If we are intimidated by its complexity we are likely to just sit on the sidelines making determinations about how difficult the challenge is. If we do engage the challenge—committing ourselves to the process of discovery—we find a whole host of unforeseen forces aiding us in accomplishing our goal.

Today, living in the 21st century, we are in uncharted territory. What has effectively worked for us in the past seems to no longer apply. We are being asked to recognize and learn a new operating system.

To fulfill on what’s required of us, we have to adjust how we see ourselves, which in turn affects our world view. If we’re going to meet our challenges and thrive in this new millennia, we are going to have to open ourselves up to a new vision of who we are,  developing the inner skillset of tapping into a potential that is waiting for us to give it life! 

We, ourselves, are in charge here. Not some power outside somewhere that dictates how outcomes are determined. The answers will always come through our inner dialogue with Self, higher Self—that still, quiet place that we knew well as small children, but has since been muted by outer appearances and ego-insistence. That pure place of just Being in the silence . . . where all things are known and understood. That’s where we go to listen to what needs to be heard. We are being asked to learn the language of silence in order to receive the download.

 

“We do not arrive here with an owner’s manual, but we do have a built-in communication system directly to Source . . . as we listen, we learn”.

Coming of Age

The age of information and technology has unleashed a tsunami of stimulation overload, resulting in ever-increasing challenges to our wellbeing and peace of mind. With so much information at our fingertips you would think it would simplify our lives, but that’s not the reality, so far anyway.

It’s going to take practice. Just like with our puzzle analogy—it’s through trial and error that we learn. And with practice, we will each discover for ourselves how to utilize the advantages offered to us through crisis. Be patient with yourself and others.

Stress and feelings of overwhelm are commonplace today. Anxiety and mood disorders are at an all time high. Certainly most of us can relate to these experiences, as we have most likely been there ourselves, in one form or another.

It’s true that every generation has its challenges, but what we are experiencing today doesn’t even come close to generational. This feels more like an eonian challenge—a billion years worth!

Anxiety and fear around future outcomes offers us an opportunity to practice letting go of our investment in that uncertainty.

This practice consists of consciously shifting our focus from thoughts around fear—what we don’t want to experience—and aiming our precious attention on what we do want. I say precious because where we direct our attention, our focus, is content for the subconscious mind, which drives behavior. It is the camera lens through which we view ourselves and the world we live in—dictating how life shows up for us and how we show up for life.

With the unknown reminding us daily of its presence, can we engage the experiences that have taken us to the edge of this cliff with more of ourselves than fear and panic? If so how do we do that?

Power of the Small

When feeling resistance around change, especially when attempting to set new behaviors in motion, we can easily “fall asleep to it”. New Year’s resolutions are a good example—we make the commitment to follow through, and yet, many times we don’t. Why don’t we? What was stopping us from achieving our goal?

Many years ago I became aware of a pattern in my life where I was avoiding the challenges of finding answers to what I didn’t know how to do. I let that fear stop me by believing the voice in my head, which pointed out that . . . “You’re not enough!”, “You want to do what?”, “Really Dani, you haven’t figured this out yet?”. It was a classic case of what the french novelist Anaïs Nin wrote . . .

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

Out of desperation I challenged myself to meditate for ten minutes a day. I was delighted to discover that once I was sitting and focusing on my breath, the peace of mind I had so yearned for increasingly became more available. Now, I begin each morning in a spaciousness that sets a beautiful rhythm for my day. 

I meditate for a minimum of  25 minutes in the morning. I’ve so enjoyed being a witness to this evolution—incrementally adding 5 or 10 minutes as I went along. If you had told me I would be meditating, with anticipation and delight, for 25 minutes a day when I started, I wouldn’t have believed it was possible. There was a lot of resistance aimed at that outcome. Having a plan to help me through that initial resistance was key in establishing a consistent practice . . . small-bites, big change!

Waking Up

We are each unique, having our own path to walk. In order to understand ourselves we have to do the work of standing back and gaining an overview of our lives—our patterns, gifts, and vulnerabilities—without judgement. It takes self-examination— the activity of sifting and sorting through the labyrinth of our beliefs in order to do that—like cleaning out our inner closets. We have to prepare a place to receive the answers we seek. It’s my experience that the answer, any answer, is available if I have the capacity to hear it.

It can be a struggle with the mind-chatter interrupting all the time. Ego doesn’t want us to examine and look deeper. When we do, ego starts to squirm, and like a petulant child, can make life uncomfortable at best. But we don’t have to be held hostage by feelings of panic and fear. We already have everything we need to shift our perspective and move forward—giving our attention to the inner dialogue that is a constant within ourselves. 

That’s one of the gifts of meditation . . . a quiet mind. It allows us spaciousness, room to take a step back and see the bigger picture beyond our story—what we believe about ourselves—and not take life so personally. Not by thinking it through, but by letting the mind be, choosing instead to focus our attention on the Silence. Surrender yourself to it and let it show you the way.

Step beyond the surface of the mind and surrender into the depths of the heart. If you do I guarantee it will point the way. If you’re seeking peace of mind, go there! Go to the Silence that is always ready and available for your return.