The Aliveness of All Things

I speak the language of wind and daylight,
You’ll find me under glittering canopies made alive by breezes of spring,
You’ll find me in the ebb and flow of liquid bodies in moon dances of water and blood,
Take refuge in these spoken silences for they perforate static,
And reveal the aliveness of all things

A Principle to Live By

Make the least change for the greatest effect

Delving into the realm of permaculture has taught me so much about the interconnected web that is the universe. All living things thrive on similar if not the same principles. If we were to apply these principles to our lives, we would flourish just as well as any piece of land would.

One of my favourites of the principles is to “make the least change for the greatest effect”. So many of us hold ourselves up against impossible standards created by our need for perfection or the lack thereof, leaving us feeling as though we are constantly in a state of inadequacy, as though we are not enough.

This appears to be a misunderstanding of mankind. If we were to hold ourselves responsible for even the smallest gestures and aspects in our daily lives, the impact it would have is tenfold. It compounds itself, and those tiny changes have the capacity to transform not only your life but also all that surrounds you.

To The Over-Thinkers

When you seek to find answers in places outside of yourself, you will spend a lifetime looking. The answers already lie within you, if only you would take a moment to listen. It is not a thing of words, it is an inner strength, a knowing that you must live through. It is there your questions will be answered.

We may find ourselves caught up in a rut, festering in doubt, anxiety and fear. Over-thinking has the ability to completely debilitate our truest potential, effectively severing us from that which matters to us the most. When we move into these spaces we cut ourselves off the even the slightest chance of living in authenticity.

If you crave to live a life of movement, dynamism, growth, meaning and vitality it is of the utmost importance to move into effective action. Over-thinking summons a sense of stagnation in our lives. Life moves at a pace that becomes too much for us to bear, and our behavioural patterns and sense of self mutates into a jumbled, repetitive mess. The painfully cyclical, unmoving nature of this state of being feeds the chaos in our lives, and our problems take the form of terrifying monsters.

It is so much easier to look at a problem and leave it at that. However, it requires determination, patience, strength, critical thought and action to look at our problems as though they were doorways that lead to a better life. It is a skill to be able to see that which is holding us down as a stepping stone towards a new chance and new beginnings. A skill that can be cultivated with the implementation of new habits.

All too often we run away from the things that trouble us, and we run for long enough or far enough that eventually all the days, months or even years of sweeping issues under the rug manifests itself as a terrifying dust-bunny demon and preys on the weakest aspects of our being. And so you continue to run.

As soon as we’re able to logically look at our problems for what they are rather than for what we think they symbolize, we can take the necessary steps of action to fight these demons and move into a better life. These monsters lose their power over you when you can look at them in the eye and say “I’ve got this”.

When you look into your problems you come face to face with a mirror, for our challenges are a reflection of what we hold inside. This can be a difficult pill to swallow because it means you have to put in the work to grow. But so much has to be learned when tackling that which feels painfully impossible. It is in these trying times we unravel the best and the worst parts of ourselves, and we can choose which one we want to live by. Would you rather be defined by your fears or by your triumphs? What we choose determines the ways in which we deal with trials and tribulations later in our lives, and thus our strength of character.

Many are not ready to take on the responsibility of doing the work however, it is important to consider that nothing worth having ever comes easy. It will be a challenging journey as you’ll constantly be re-wiring your perceptions of yourself and the world around you. You’ll begin to realize that the outer world is a direct reflection of your inner world, and that if you really wanted to, you could craft the reality that you want for yourself.

Life in itself is suffering (a topic that I’d like to discuss further in upcoming posts). But if we can suffer over that which matters to us, or over that which is worth living for, it is in the end not suffering but rather joy, action and fulfilment.

If you feel stuck, take a moment to breathe, be patient with yourself and the process. Come up with a step by step plan of action, and weigh out the various solutions. Your problem will then become a map of solutions that you can navigate until you are able to overcome your troubles or circumstances.

To dwell is to cast yourself under the spell of procrastination, sorrow, boredom and anxiety. To rush out of fear will only put you in the wrong place. So listen with pure intent, to what your inner voice already knows. Refrain from asking questions that come from a place of doubt and just do the things that bring your soul to life.

Continue to pursue those feelings for they are incredibly pure and only good things come of out of that which is immaculate. Those are the things that are worth living for. If you have something worth living for you have the capacity to live your life to the fullest.

“If you think that you should do something, and you think the reason that you might not be doing it is because you’re afraid, then you should do it.” – Jordan Peterson

 

The Truth of Living

May the Sun douse you in his warmth,
May the Moon caress you in her orbit,
May the Stars show you home,
May the Wind and the Seas brush through your tangled hair,
And may blood course through your veins,
With your feet planted softly in the soil,
As this moment reveals to you,
The Truth of Living,
In you,
As you.

Home

You’ll find me beyond thought and beyond words.
I’ll be speaking the language of breath, gazes and a knowing.

Cosmic Lemonade

It would seem that we appear to be psychonautic explorers of this entangled mesh that we call space and consciousness, in constant pursuit of the “right” utensil with which to sip this cosmic lemonade.

Though perhaps we ought to start by tasting the offerings of the infinitely unknown with our lips first, letting it simmer on our tongues for just a moment longer, to palate honestly and taste truthfully its wholeness.

These citrus-induced fevers and fantasies can teach us a thing or two about embracing the sweet and sour nature of all things, so that we may begin to recognise and wholly experience the tragically beautiful essence of our outwardly finite condition. So that we may breathe into the godliness of all things, and not shy away from a world sprinkled in paradoxical infinites that rests inherently within the seemingly mundane and seemingly extraordinary ecstasies of being.

We owe it to ourselves and to the earth that we walk upon, we owe it to our ancestors who fought tooth and nail to conquer decay, to move beyond the forces of entropy with love, for love and into love.

So folks, when life gives you lemons, you sure as hell should make some lemonade.

A Tribute to Presence.

All too often it appears that a majority of people (myself included) find ourselves caught up in the rat-race that life has become synonymous with. The world appears to be constantly moving and changing, sometimes for the better but also sometimes for the worse.

The line between that which is uplifting us and that which is detrimental to our wellbeing becomes blurred when we are helplessly being dragged by the current of life. We may go days, months or even years without recognizing our own unhappiness, not doing the things that bring us joy, not stepping into our power.

When we are in these spaces, there is a tendency to grasp at objects and situations that can only temporarily distract us from the wearying hum that reverberates under the surface.

We may find that eventually, beyond all the things that we have consumed, all the careers, people and situations that we have been a part of, somehow there is still a nagging feeling at the back of our minds that weighs heavy on our being, as though there were something missing.

Life can start to feel forced, and that which is forced feels incredibly unnatural. We find ourselves devoured by a cycle of trying to live, and that can be so tolling on our overall sense of reality and sanity.

Why does life suddenly feel so difficult? Why are things not unfolding organically and flowing out of me naturally? We are left existing merely in a constant state of lack, with our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits in a dire state of exhaustion.

The culprits of our tiring hearts? Our own detrimental expectations and beliefs that we hold against and about ourselves.

These negative moments and feelings are a direct indicator of failing to live from within ourselves, and that we are instead living from without. Rather than falling victim to these emotions and predicaments, we should take it upon ourselves to use these moments as an opportunity to truly listen to our inner selves so that we can begin the process of re-centring our state of being. By making it a habit of moving into the present moment, we can dispel our illusions of the past and future in step into our most authentic selves.

This probably sounds obvious to many as it seems to be scrawled across every self-help or spiritual blog, book or program. I myself am guilty of regurgitating phrases to a point of exhaustion, like if you were to repeat a word enough times until it became a jumble of sounds.

Nonetheless, often there is a semblance of truth however minuscule that truth may be, in that which appears cliché.

I find that all too often talk of “being present” is spoken in a blasé manner as if it was easy, but it can be. What differentiates a liberating present experience from a challenging one is our ability to surrender to it. Surrendering to an experience means having the bravery to let go of everything you think you know about yourself and our basis of reality. Within this process you cultivate faith; faith that somewhere along the line truth will be revealed to you and that this life is worth living.

Presence is the ultimate nature of being. It has the capacity to put things into perspective and holds the ability to change your perspective on life, radicalizing our approach to being and thus doing. However, more often than not people speak and conceptualize presence, failing to utilize it as a practice. Simply thinking of presence is not presence at all.

So what is the nature of presence? It is that of ultimate freedom, from pain and suffering. Suffering cannot exist in absolute presence, because suffering needs time and presence in itself is timeless.

The only space where you can access the ultimate form of reality is in the here and now, this is the only truth that exists as absolute truth, anything outside of this moment now is illusion. The past and the future are abstract concepts that either do not exist anymore or do not exist at all, yet a majority of people base their entire realities on these conditions. These abstracted conditions have the capacity to debilitate us by summoning fear into our lives.

Fear works in opposition to presence. It is an ominous spell that causes so many to live through regret and anxiety. Yet a great deal of us are living through fear without our awareness of it. When we live in fear we are plagued with doubt, and doubt has the capacity to foster a sense of hopelessness and meaninglessness within our lives. And who wants to live like that?

So how do you recognize when you are working out of fear? Listen to yourself. Do you feel like you’re constantly trying to live but are left feeling somehow unfulfilled, as though something was missing? Do you sometimes feel like you lack a sense of grounding or purpose? Or that all your thoughts and actions are laced with doubt? That’s fear speaking.

You must be wondering what the antidote is. Well, it’s simple. Presence.

As soon as you start to practice presence, you realize that you are presence. You will experience a shift in your perspective from life happening to you, to life happening through you, as you. The most effective method that I personally use to move into presence is through meditation. To simply become the observer of my thoughts, to watch them come and go, to recognize these thoughts as a product of old patterns playing out, and to simply become aware of the observer behind these thoughts.

All you need is to make the time for yourself and find a quiet moment in the day to recentre yourself. There is endless wealth and potential that can be found in the here and now. Turn it into a habit and watch how reality shifts in seemingly subtle ways at first. But sometimes it’s the smallest changes that have the greatest effect.

Presence is the ultimate gift you can receive. Presence from within and without, presence as yourself and presence with all things.

Illusory Incompleteness

Our deepest discontents are the symbols of our completeness,
The truth resides within,
For how can we fathom that which is incomplete,
Without holding somewhere within ourselves,
The promise of our wholeness.

Sunset Wisdom

They greeted each other in stillness and she was met with the sweetest taste of a moment that lingered for lifetimes yet never long enough. The Sun taught her to speak the language of the Gods and they communicated in a knowing; a knowing of beginnings and ends and of inner truths. She lay still and open under the warmest of hues, thick and golden like honey. It washed over every inch of the landscape and drenched her skin, her pores soaking in the final sigh of the day. Everything and everyone was immersed in a glow that radiated an inconceivable grace. These momentary glimpses of truth revealed all things as one and the same, with the memory of her origins speaking in soft whispers.

Departing almost as soon as it had arrived the sun bid her goodbye, delivering her gently into the night that had cast a peppered Prussian blue across an endless canvas. The promise of tomorrow hung wistfully in the air and she cradled the gentle reminder that every end has a new beginning.

In Pursuit of Freedom

To be free is to live in the pure ecstasy of liberation within and without. Freedom is a birthright and a fundamental component of our ultimate wellbeing. However, many of us feel shackled to the confines of our circumstances; whether it is the jobs or relationships that we are involved in or the seemingly unfortunate chain of predicaments that we may find ourselves completely consumed by.

Yet the irony is that a majority of us simply live under the illusion of entrapment, discovering that most of our inhibitions are simply a product of self-defeating and self-demeaning behaviours. Consequently, our ability to move and flow into a more meaningful life is left debilitated. The truth is, most of us are free, yet we lack the tools and insight to accept the responsibility that comes with freedom. You see, the funny thing about freedom is that you have to know what you’re doing with it. I’ve encountered this paradox of feeling completely trapped by my own freedom time and time again.

Often accompanied by this sense of the lack of freedom are the endless ruminations and detrimental thought spirals that lead to dead ends. The mind runs wild, playing out old patterns like a broken record, repeatedly resulting in the disappointment of falling back to square one. It is a painful and tiring space to exist in because one can feel as though they have run a marathon without actually having moved at all. This can eventually compound itself into a state of suspended animation, leaving one wandering astray in a labyrinth of anxiety and meaninglessness.

Perhaps one may come to realize that they do not really know themselves at all. Perhaps one may come to realize that what once mattered to them now does not matter to them at all. And perhaps one may come to realize that they have forgotten how to think and feel for themselves. Although the realization of these dilemmas has the tendency to tear a life to shreds, it also marks the beginning of discovering who and what we really are, and thus the true maturation process.

If we haven’t the slightest clue of who we are in the midst of chaos, how can we learn to know ourselves better? It must be considered that every person is different. Crafting order in a way that is unique, specific and important to an individual is necessary and calls for an intensive re-evaluation of morals, interests, values and the overarching existential question of what it means to be alive in this world. To really know ourselves better we must attend the minute particulars and enquire closely what matters to us at heart. Matters of the heart eventually become the framework by which we practice our freedom.

So what does it mean to be free? It starts with the recognition of freedom. When we recognize our freedom we begin the process of accepting our death. With accepting our death we recognize the responsibility and bravery it takes to live our lives. You see, the fear of freedom is not unlike our fear of death. Our fear of death is truly the fear of life.

Freedom is learning how to live from within oneself and expressing that into outer reality. Freedom is the process of unravelling who and what we are, and what we are not. We learn with time to navigate the grey areas of life because nothing is ever black and white. We learn to know ourselves a little better so that we may begin to live authentically, driven by an inner sense of purpose.

Life is understood most eloquently through patterns, sequences, relationships and narrative. We can use this to our advantage through integrative practices that uplift our experience of reality. If we were to become the true authors of our lives we would pursue our joy and listen with our intuition. This effectively crafts interconnected and meaningful stories, ultimately fulfilling our inherent desire and quest for purpose. It takes some form of order to make sense of the very nature of reality, which often feels like a slurry of knowns and unknowns. It takes utilizing your joy and intuition as a compass with which to navigate reality and thus move us into a space of peace. Else, we may find ourselves adrift in a sea chaos, with our existence coated in white-washed nihilism.