Life is always where we are. ~ Mark Nepo
The gift of being aware
An interesting thing happened to me the other day as I was taking a walk. I noticed this amazing quote posted right outside one of my favorite eateries in my neighborhood. I stopped so I could fully take in these words. In an instant, I was captivated by its simplicity and truth. After a few minutes, I continued on my merry way, but with a new sense of renewal. A few days later, as I was repeating the quote to myself, to my surprise, I felt a burst of energy rise inside of me as the clarity of it began to settle. Obviously, the power of these words had a positive effect on me. Then it occurred to me that had I been lost in thought, as I sometimes can be, I would not have seen, and therefore, this particular moment in my life would have been missed. As I continued to reflect, I was again reminded that when we are fully present to life, the gift of awareness becomes part of the experience, revealing something that is there for us. And so it is- the gift of being aware is indeed an opportunity for us to see.
I decided to look up Mark Nepo to become better acquainted with his writings and found the quote as part of a longer passage which reads, "No matter the pain, life is always where we are. Nothing is being withheld." In other words, no matter what our personal story is, we must remember that life is for living. I repeat, life is to be lived. How we do this, is up to us. As far as my own view, the best approach is to be present to the life we have. It has taken me years to fully appreciate and understand that being present is what allows us to learn-grow-love-feel, and this is what real living is all about.
Here Not There
Life is always happening! Where exactly? In front. Around you. Up close. Your life is always Here Not There. Yet so many of us see life as happening somewhere over there, anywhere but Here. They prefer There to Here. These are the people who go through life seeing, but not really. They see the grass as always greener on the other side of the fence and therefore missing out on the bigger picture of what matters most in life. Life is about the choices we make-lessons learned-being open-figuring out what's important, and doing what matters. We all have one life to live, make the most of it, while you still can. Pay attention and focus on the life you have. Change what is within your control, accept what cannot be changed, and embrace it all because it's your life. We know that life is far from perfect, but stop running away from yours. Stop holding yourself back by continuing to turn your back to life. Face your life. See it. Live it. And be grateful for it.
Remember: life is how you see it.
Take a good look at your life. What do you see?
May you see the good and not just the bad aspects of living. May you do your part to make the world a better place because we are all in this together. May you connect with your inner strength to help you see that more is not necessarily better, and changing the outside picture does not always give you what you need in the long run.
May you realize that looking within, appreciation, and gratitude can work magic to help you see the light and give you the healing you need.
I leave you with this:
We are never more alive as when we are in the present, opening ourselves to what is, and doing what matters. May you have many present moments.
Thank you for reading!
