“That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.” ~ Meredith Monk

Have you ever felt the stirring of change in your bones and in your blood? Have you seen it in your friends and coworkers? That sense of need to shift one’s energies toward something more fulfilling and purposeful?

Although many of us have felt this at one time or another — there are moments when we teeter on the edge of what feels like two opposing forces: our sense of duty and responsibility in contrast to a desire for freedom.

This edge may feel precarious at times; dangerous, and sometimes slippery. It certainly takes a great deal of balance to walk with solid footing. What is it that makes us feel unsteady? What is it that pulls us to one side or the other? How can we know for sure that we are making the right choices? Choices that are aligned to our goals, our purpose?

Questioning is good. It keeps us on track and helps us focus on our goals. When we lose sight of our goals, we forget that our actions have meaning and purpose. We lose clarity. Having clarity and attuning to your goal supports the foundation of our lives. From there, freedom and expansion evolve.

You may notice that when you return to your purpose it’s like returning to the beginning — to the very foundation where integrity of action is most visible. Action moves us forward into the future, and it is, at the core, a beginning, which demands clarity.

Gaining clarity can be challenging, to say the least. We all recognize the importance of concentration, and we know that one pointed vision is more likely to succeed than a mind scattered in many directions.

Remember that clarity thrives in simplicity. It is a sadhana, a discipline. It’s the pathway to samadhi, to God, to enlightenment. In our day-to-day lives and in our efforts to gain recognition, authority, expertise, etc., we must be disciplined and willing to give effort toward remaining clear. Through focused attention and concentration, we increase our potential for reaching our goals. We gain the ability to determine how our lives will unfold.

Perhaps it is time to see our daily efforts to achieve clarity as a spiritual practice. No matter what you are doing — if it is your chosen path — be focused, be clear and steer in one direction. In doing so, you’ll guide your path with intention toward freedom, action, liberation, and the Divine.

“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible in us be found.” ~ Pema Chodron

Although we may not care to admit it, when we take an honest look at life, there is very little we can control, other than our choices and attitudes. Especially the laws of nature. Life is less about trying to make it what we want it to be, and more about navigating what already is: a daily journey of experiences, through both beautiful and rugged landscapes. Since change is the only constant, it serves us well to remember our innate ability to be resilient.

As humans, we are resilient by nature, although sometimes our ability to be flexible is difficult to remember. Instead of surrendering gracefully, naturally, to what is — we engage our egos, wrestle with fear, and exhaust ourselves with a war within.  Imagine, on the other hand, if you woke to life each day in a state of resilience.

Being resilient is about staying open to changes in the moment, regardless of your expectations of what “should” be. It’s about giving up attempts to control, and accepting what is, rather than struggling to achieve what you think you want in reaction to present circumstances. It’s about trusting that life is on your side and working with you to fulfill your dreams. Resilience means you are willing to bend and trust your ability to return to your center, again and again.

Have you ever seen a brilliant flower growing out of a barren stone wall?  Its growth is symbolic.  Of you, of me, and of life.  It isn’t easy, and it’s not supposed to be.  But it can be and is joyful and wondrous.  Join me as I take off my armor, step off the battlefield, and redirect my energy toward resilience this season.

“I haven’t failed, I’ve identified 10,000 ways this hasn’t worked.” ~ Thomas Edison

Do you have commitment phobia?  Lately, I’ve been curious about whether our lack of commitment, as a culture, isn’t so much unwillingness, as it is a lack of clarity. How clear are we about the commitments we make? Do we really understand the purpose of our commitments? Oftentimes, it’s easy to say we’re willing to commit to something, but without understanding why we’re committing, over time, it’s likely our enthusiasm for that commitment will fade.  Although it seems like an overwhelming question at first, if you feel commitments are difficult for you to make, it might be worth taking the time to ask yourself: what is my life’s purpose?

Once a person knows their purpose, most individuals feel a natural urge to commit and take action toward it, but finding that sense of purpose isn’t always easy. Aligning with who we are requires tremendous honesty and self-awareness.  Notice when you put blinders on, why you continue to wear them, and how they drive disconnections to your commitments and purpose. When you are confronted with a situation and seek to identify a course of action, take a moment to ask yourself, is this an act that truly aligns with who I really am? If not, don’t do it! If yes, chances are, you’re in alignment.

This month, I encourage you to write down a list of possibilities that answer the question of your life’s purpose. Write the list, and then narrow it down — again and again. Find a common thread or overall concept that you can reduce to a single word or two and hold that idea. Take time ~ days, weeks, months ~ to contemplate it. Be sure it truly reflects your values and resonates with who you are at the core of your being. If you are truly aligned with your purpose, you should have no problem saying yes.

The spring equinox is a perfect time to begin a new sadhana and answering the questions above should be a practice. Commitment is about saying YES to your purpose. I hope you will choose to engage with the answers you find as a means of committing to your community and those you love– but mostly, as a way of committing to yourself.

“The men who are great live with that which is substantial, they do not stay with that which is superficial. They abide with realities, they remain not with what is showy. The one they discard, the other they hold.”
~ Lao Tzu

As we enter the gateway of winter solstice and the sun is stationary, the universe provides us an opportunity to sit, to listen, and to accept what is true in us today, here and now.  In this stillness, we recognize what is abiding in our lives; where we choose to offer our energy in order to fulfill our dutiful roles and satiate the longings in our souls.

Many of us will desire greater freedom during this transition – a need for more time and space for spiritual practice, family connection, community involvement, or creative expression.  There will be an urge to make changes in our lives to fulfill this need, but remember that change is always constant.  It’s always there. There is no need to drastically shift that which is already in motion.  Instead, focus on gaining clarity on what you are abiding at the moment, what matters most to you right now, what elements of your life you wish to retain, and what might support and give form to the changes that will inevitably come to pass.

Understanding what we value and why we abide it, brings light unto our true passions.  And, when our true passions are revealed, we gain the sense of freedom we seek.  It’s a process that happens within, and will eventually guide the ever-changing world without.

In many senses, life is a labyrinth.  It’s a process of walking many paths, making many choices and following many roads that sometimes seem to lead us nowhere at all.  But, every step we travel is purposeful, even when we meet an end.  Endings are, in fact, a powerful place.  They provide us time to stop, to reflect and to remember what is abiding and authentic in our lives.  Every ending is an opportunity to retrace our steps, and to focus again on what is meaningful.  Each time we arrive at another end, we turn around with more clarity, certainty and honesty than ever before.

“Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.” ~ W.H. Auden

Authentic ~ a state of being genuine, one’s true nature.

How easy it sounds, ‘to be authentic’, and how hard it can be to achieve, right?  There are moments when we act as a result of our conditioning, and moments that we stand firm in our most authentic state.  Distinguishing between the two is not always an easy task.

Being authentic requires tremendous self-awareness.  It’s about recognizing and accepting where we are, and knowing that what we are experiencing is purposeful for the process of growth.  Life is a story being told, and each one of us is constantly developing and revealing our characters within the tale. Our characters interact in the world around us daily to re-create a story of the human condition.  These stories are the very same stories that have been told for centuries.  They are mythological, archetypal patterns.

If you’ve ever read a work of fiction and identified with the experience being shared, you understand the power of myth.  Identifying your personal story within mythology and resonating with an archetypal role makes us observers of our own experience.  Understanding the roles we play within a story brings us perspective.  When we see a tale unfold into positive outcome, we remember that the force of our being is inherently authentic — in every moment – and we needn’t seek it’s company. It’s always there. By honoring the story (the context of our lives and situations we face daily) and accepting the nature of our ever-changing characters (as mothers, sisters, neighbors, or friends), we reveal our willingness to detach from previous images of self and maintain the ability to begin anew.  This is the practice of authenticity.

All stories are myths – especially those we create in our minds, such as dreams, fantasies and visions.  Be aware of the current myth – the story – you’re telling yourself about your relationships, your work, your sense of worth… and then take a moment to ask yourself why.  If you were a character in a book, how might this character move itself through the experience?  Without attaching to an idea or an image, become curious and creative about how your story will unfold.  Know that once an idea is born ~ very little doing will be involved.  Like the image of the Three Graces from Greek Mythology (depicted above), when we stand in a state of authenticity, and surrender fully to natural outcomes, our characters will develop with ease.

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. ” ~ Arthur Golden

How do you feel supported? How does your body support your weight?  How does nourishment and exercise support your body?  How do your thoughts support your mental well being?  A good night sleep, healthy food, comfortable shoes, a shoulder to lean on, advice from a friend, financial security, and peaceful places ~ are all things we attract to feel supported.

As adversity arises in our lives we often feel unsupported.  It is easy to drift outside of ourselves – to our partners, friends, co-workers, or family – and wonder why they aren’t supporting us in a way that meets our expectations, or faulting them for our feelings of unmet needs.  In these moments, it is vital to look within and focus the energy that does support us, rather than that which does not. When we do this, we feed the abundance and grace that is always present.   By accepting the circumstances that confront us and recognizing the foundations of support that are always accessible, we soften the moments of melancholy and discontent.  We bring light into the dark.

Simply taking time for silence (the practice of mouna, in yoga) is one way to regenerate and support mental clarity.  Taking a bath to release tension in the body and rejuvenate well being, is another.   Remembering to listen to our present needs, while recalling all we are able to do to support ourselves from within, offers guidance in moving forward.  Living a sane and healthy lifestyle supports our openness, and makes space for inner wisdom to arise.

There are times when we may not feel aligned in our thoughts and actions. These are moments of opportunity to pause and ask ourselves – with courageous intent – can I be steadfast and endure the truth of my being?

Being steadfast is being committed and disciplined enough to return again and again to the essence of one’s being with conviction. Therefore, with thoughtful consideration, seek to be steadfast and rooted in the heart of your inner truth.  Recognize that the truth of your being (your essence) offers you direction toward your dreams.  As you align your actions to the clarity of your inner knowing, it will support your ability to create and bring them into form.

When we acknowledge that our energy output creates our reality, and when we are accountable for how we choose to expend our energies, we develop greater balance and harmony based on inner truth.  Being steadfast proposes and ensures that with steady conviction and a trusting resolve, we return again to that one-pointed focus.

Taking the time to establish a foundation and a structure necessary to support the truth of our being will ensure our ability to create what we vision and the dreams that move us into action.  Knowing where our roots lay, and what seeds we have planted at the base of our tree, will encourage a steadfast approach to where we stand and what we are bringing into bloom around us.  Although the results of our efforts may not always appear exactly as we imagined, the more steadfast we become, and the more willing we are to steer in a one-pointed direction toward our dreams, the greater our ability to experience them.

Always remember, your dreams become your reality, so with wisdom align your dream with your inner truth.  As stated by Shakespeare:  ”Unto thine own self be true.”

“Every natural action is graceful.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being gracious is revealed through one’s ability to blend and nurture the qualities of wisdom and compassion into action.   When we are able to see clearly through situations that arise, allowing the vision of wisdom to flourish as we accept circumstances with ease and compassion, the blossoms of grace are born.

There is a natural order and flow to life.   In yoga we call this rita.  As we attune to the rita of life and the flow of the universe, we enter a state of grace.   This attunement requires that we accept what is and manage situations accordingly.  Without struggling or fighting against that which confronts us we become transparent.  The gift of transparency is total acceptance.  To be seen, and to see, with clarity and total honesty is a natural state of being.   This innate and natural participation in life is the experience of being gracious.    A bird does not complain when its nest is destroyed by a wind fallen tree, but rather it naturally begins to assess a new location as it gathers the materials necessary to restructure and rebuild…

willingness and awareness we become more and more accountable for what we put out and what we then receive back.  Judgment, blame, and irritation become battles we have with ourselves as we refrain from projecting outward.

Every pair of eyes we meet is an opportunity to gaze into the sacred mirror of our soul – our memory and our mind.  The more gentle we are to our neighbors, friends, families and lovers, the greater the gift toward expanding our awareness.

There is no enemy except unto thy self.  Befriend your nightmare and your dreams will transform.

“That is fundamentally the only courage which is demanded of us:  to be brave in the face of the strangest, most singular and most explicable things that can befall us.”

“For it is not only indolence which causes human relationships to repeat themselves with such unspeakable monotony, unrenewed from one occasion to another, it is the shyness of any new incalculable experience which we do not feel ourselves equal to facing.”

~Rilke