Second Half: Simplify Sweetie by Stephanie

As we embark upon the second half of 2018, it's a wonderful time to stop, look, and listen.

What do I mean?
Many of us start the year with intentions. Whether we write them down, do fancy rituals to root them, or they are buried deep within...we all start with some idea of how we want our life to "be".

Then time passes. Life gets busy. We get distracted. Before we know it, our energy is strewn about!!! Nothing "wrong" with this pattern. It's the cycle of life.  Yet, when we choose to live a life of intention, we are called to pay attention. These are times we have to hit the stop button. And half way through the year tends to be a magical time to do this.

Stopping to look back on the previous 6 months, and listening to my higher self, I heard: way too much complexity sweetie. Ahhh, yes!! As many of you know, I've been back and forth between my home in NY and FL. With this has come enormous insight, and the reminder that complexity, often brought upon by my own "doing", isn't in alignment with my core values...my intentions...with me.

And so, armed with this wisdom,  I decided simplicity will guide me over the next 6 months.

Why simplicity?
I have found the deepest peace within (and therefore JOY) comes from living simply.
Many of you may be thinking, that's impossible. Well, it sure isn't easy to live simply these days. There's so much information and noise coming at us 24/7. Unless we take the time to stop, look, and listen we will ride the collective wave...and move further away from what truly brings us joy.

Finding ways to redirect my energy with the intention of simplicity is far more enjoyable (even if more effort at first) then living a life of complexity. 

How do we apply our intention to life?

1. Look at the 4 keys areas of life (the same ones I mention in my book, Reclaiming Joy): Health & Well-Being, Relationships & Family, Career & Money, Life Purpose. Usually once we begin to reflect on these areas in a general sense, 1-2 areas needing the most attentionnwill stand out.

2. Pick 1-2 areas to focus on more deeply as it relates to your intention.  Remember: with non-judgmental compassionate awareness comes wisdom... 

3. Make choices about how to simplify one of these areas and take 1-2 immediate action steps.

My Example: Intention Simplicity
1. Health & Well-Being out of balance with the back and forth NY/FL every month. Taking toll on my energy and quite frankly all areas of life.

2. Upon deeper reflection I realized I was making it complex because I wasn't giving myself enough time in NY. Meaning, I was booking round trip tickets each time thinking structure was what I needed. I learned that while structure is important for some situations, in this case it was making things more complex for me.

3. I have decided when I travel to NY, I will purchase a one way ticket. This will give me flexibility and allow me to spend as much time as I want to there.

Ok, so this may not seem like an earth shattering realization, yet it was! Why did it take me so long to realize it? Who knows. I suspect it's part of being human and getting swept up in the fast-ness of life, rigid thinking and aiming for perfect :) 
Because of this, having times throughout the year to stop, look, and listen is important.
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I encourage you to try this exercise for yourself. You don't need much time. I did it in a few hours, after meditation one morning.

If you want support and/or a primer, I invite you come on July 12th for My Self Care Meditation & Group Energy Healing Event.

All Love,
Stephanie

Look at strong emotions as a kind of storm. If we know weatherproofing techniques, we can come out of it intact. A storm may last an hour, several hours, or a day. If we master the ways of calming and steadying our mind, we can pass through the storms of emotion with relative ease." -Thich Nhat Hahn

None of us are immune to the storms of life that often bring with it intense emotion and incessant thought. In fact, most of us are addicted to the thoughts period.

This is why whenever I am asked the question, "what is the #1 thing you suggest to manage stress/experience peace/improve well-being"... my reply ... meditation. Cultivating a consistent practice of meditation practice will help you create an inner sanctuary for the mind. And yes, it is possible for anyone, if it happened for me. Take it from Georgette as she explains her experience here.

Namaste,
Stephanie
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Mental Peace by Stephanie

One of the ways I experience mental peace is by helping others do the same. Recently I had the pleasure of leading Georgette on a meditative journey she described as a "haven in the mind".  She describes her experience so beautifully here. May all of us experience the peace that arises when our mind is given a "sanctuary" to rest.

Sometimes we forget. Of course we do! We forget we are human.
What? Yes. And we forget that we are also filled with spirit.

And? Well, sometimes this makes the journey hard.
Why? Because as a human, we crave form, the seen/known and we have physical needs. And because as spirit, we crave essence, the formless, the unseen/unknown. Sounds like a paradox. It is! And that is how we grow.

So, why does re-membering this matter? 
For starters, let's recall that buddha taught us how to deal with suffering. Buddha did not teach about how to be enlightened. In my experience, re-membering (get it?) helps me navigate suffering with more ease. With ease comes greater awareness that inner peace comes from my ability to balance my human needs and my spiritual needs. With this awareness and balance a sense of freedom (from suffering) returns.

The truth is, freedom is always available to us because it's a mindset. Yes, freedom is even available when we are not feeling rooted/stable/balanced (which for is a a form of suffering).
How is freedom available? By changing mindset to see the instability as teaching us how to let go... When we are attached, we are not free. Period.

So, re-membering I am human and spirit helps me exhale when things are challenging. When I re-member, I am able to have compassion for my humanity/physicality/doing-ness and also reverence for my divinity/spirituality/being-ness. A magical paradoxical dance otherwise known as the art of awakening. As with art, sometimes it's highly emotional and provocative. It's chaotic, crazy, beautiful and messy all at once. 

Take a moment and absorb this. Allow the wisdom which comes to inform your doing, your being...YOU. It's all one energy.
Namaste,
Stephanie