TO BE OR NOT TO BE THAT IS THE QUESTION?
‘To Be or Not To Be That Is the Question?‘came to me after another inner journey of transformation where I was left pondering what did it all mean and what was I to do next with my life? The answer I got was to ‘just Be’ something I have been learning to create for myself these past few months. However, I realised that for me and probably for many of us this way of living wasn’t necessarily that easy to maintain in today’s society. So why is that? Here in my first blog I share and explore the meaning of ‘Being’ from my personal experience, how to let go and surrender and come to a still place within our Hearts. Simple Living for our busy lives!
‘Being’ is in fact our natural state - to just Be – but in this modern day of busy itineraries, schedules, task lists and things to do, we struggle to find time for ourselves, to stop what we are doing and give ourselves that 5 minutes break that we so deserve – TO JUST BE!
As I have found over the last few months, the Universe has gifted me this opportunity, an invitation to come to a place of ‘Being’. This was not received, at first, with open arms, but with resistance and frustration as it brought up lots of questions and Soul searching about me and my life. The Universe, or rather my Soul, decided it was time to strip away all that was in the way of me just ‘being’ with myself. Yes it was a challenge because the ego feels really uncomfortable when it has no control over outcomes any more. And that is exactly what my Soul had planned for me! Old belief patterns and structures I had come to rely on were gradually stripped away so I could come back to the true Me.
So why is that we feel uncomfortable with just ‘Being’. Surely we all want that sense of peace and calm.
The ‘Doing’
Well how I see it is that our ‘doing’ creates a structure and a routine that we feel comfortable with, and that the roles we play in life as a father, mother, wife, husband and the activities surrounding these roles and the jobs we do, provide a purpose and a sense of achievement and with that a sense of value and self-worth. Although it is necessary to be doing and to feel fulfilled in what we do, I feel we have become out of balance and to a great extent we have become overly identified with the ‘doing’ such that we cannot relax and just Be. When we are not ‘doing’ something we can feel restless finding it difficult to relax and it may bring up feelings of unworthiness, guilt and feeling lost.
We have become so removed from being with who we truly are that it can feel uncomfortable so we keep ourselves busy from getting to know the deep mysteries of our true Self. Because to be ‘who we truly are’ takes courage, to speak our truth and express our individuality when we live in a world that values ‘doing’ rather than ‘Being’.
So what is ‘Being’ and why is it so important for us?
‘Being’ is when we are happy with ourselves and comfortable in our own skin. For me it is not about happiness but ‘Being’ can ultimately lead to happiness.
‘Being’ is ‘being with what you are, at any given time – with your feelings and your thoughts – without judgement or control.’ ‘Being’ allows you to accept yourself as you are, as perfect, as beautiful whatever the situation you find yourself in.
Being with oneself brings you to a place of self-acceptance and from that a place we can find inner peace and stillness. And this all happens within you not from something you gain from outside of yourself.
When we are ‘Being’, we are deeply connected to the core essence of who we truly are.
‘Being’ allows us the freedom to be who we are in any given moment not what society or our upbringing dictates. When you first take that step to just Be, your inner critical voice may still tell you what you ought to do or should do as it is habitual. Allow these thoughts and emotions to pass through you like a river or stream, washing through your consciousness without engaging with them or the drama of them, but observing and letting go.
Flowing…..
When we are in a place of Being we can act from and make decisions in alignment with our true essence – and we flow!
And when we flow beautiful things happen in our lives, with synchronicity. If we try and control events we just block the Universes natural flow of energy from bringing to us what we need or desire for our highest good.
So yes we have our desires and dreams but as I am learning we have to learn to truly let go and surrender to the flow of what is occurring to allow the freedom of the Universe to bring all the pieces together at the right time. And most of the time we do not know when or how our dreams and desires will materialise or whether they will materialise in form at all. Sometimes what our Soul wishes for us is not what the lower self wants. I am beginning to see from my own experience that my Soul is clearly in charge of weaving what it is I need to experience in order for me to come back to the true Me and to grow and just Be who I was born to be! For now all we need to do is let go that little bit more and surrender to the flow of our true nature and the natural laws of the Universe and of course Trust!
If it doesn’t flow let it go!
In letting go I am reminded of the children’s fable of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ when the mother, out of frustration because her boy had sold their precious cow for some ‘silly’ beans, threw the beans out of the window in a ‘couldn’t care or less attitude’ to be utterly surprised the next day to find the beans had turned into a magical bean stalk that ultimately lead the boy to climb with courage to face the big Giant, in my mind, his ‘demons’, to retrieve a sack of gold coins that would lead them to a small fortune that would change their life forever.
Now I am not suggesting that we throw some money out of the window and something magical would happen because of course we would be doing it with the expectation of receiving something in return. But what I am suggesting is that when we do let go and surrender we are allowing the Universe to work its magic in providing for us what we need at this time in our life………….that will ultimately lead to greater strength, inner peace, health, wealth, gratitude and personal and spiritual growth.
How Do We Create ‘Beingness’?
What is required is a shift in perspective!
Something I continue to learn and I am sure there are many of us that at times ‘try’ to make things happen but this usually comes from the head rather than the heart. We can get caught in mind games where we can go round and round in circles trying to work out what to do to make something work, or to become more successful or become more wealthy, or achieve more, to feel better about ourselves.
We are trying to control the situation and the outcome when what is required is a shift in perspective. We need to come back to the heart and breathe from this place.
The Journey from Head to Heart
A sense of ‘Being’ comes from the Heart and here we rest in Oneness, where we are One with who we are and our Soul or in other words we are comfortable and accept who we are.
When we truly accept ourselves, without judgement and with forgiveness, we come to a still, quiet place of great wisdom – a pool of unconditional love awaits each us that transmutes anything that is not love.
When we are One with our Self then we are One with All. Without exception, this quality of experience is available to us all, regardless of religion, creed, wealth or poverty. It doesn’t require any complicated technique. Truly this gift of ‘Being’ is living who we are and available to us now. It only requires each of us to make that choice to focus on the Heart. The mind will then follow. This is where we are evolving to as a human race – to become ‘human beings’!
When we are ‘Being’, the doing becomes easy because we are connected to our core essence!
Value ‘Being’
When we come back to ‘Being’, we come to a place of rest, to be still with Oneself. From this place we can be still doing things. It doesn’t mean we have to be physically still. It is about creating that place of stillness inside and ‘Being’ with all of our Self when we move forward to act. We need to consciously practice because our society values doing rather than Being. We can begin by making that decision to value ‘Beingness’ for we create our own reality. It is time for us to live the life we want and create the kind of communities we want to live in for ourselves and our families. Let us be the ones to create change. Remember Michael Jackson’s song – ‘Change’ – The man in the mirror!
Simply Heart
So today I invite you to take that journey from the Head to the Heart and breathe here. We each deserve this precious moment!
So you may like to put some time aside for your Self.
Take some deep breathes and with each breath feel yourself dropping and sinking further in to the deepest part of your Heart. Your focus and intent is to connect with the Oneness and stillness within.
Breathe and be still.
Accept what you feel without judgement.
Your heart may feel tight, uncomfortable, be gentle with yourself. It may feel warm and comfortable. Just be with what is.
Just rest here without wanting or doing anything.
When you find that still place inside, you may wish to ask your Heart what it wants. You may be surprised what answer you get.
Start with a short time and build it up daily.
Find a time that suits you best, whether first thing in the morning or before bed ready to relax for a peaceful sleep. You could even practice in the car while stuck in traffic. Breathing is good, it releases stress, breathing with the Heart is even better!
You may find stretching your body first may help you open up your body so that you can more easily connect with your Heart. I have found yoga a very beneficial way of coming back to the body and preparing for breathe work.
Even the slightest change we make in consciousness sends ripples of change out in to the large pond of Life!
Good luck and blessings to our Beingness!
Sarah Sonraya Grace
Learning to Live with Simplicity and Harmony