I have a confession to make. I am a lot like most people. I try to live a conscious life. I try very hard to include spirituality in my daily life. I try. Seriously, I do.
But, like everyone else, sometimes the duties and obligations of life get in the way of my soul expansion. Sometimes, you have to drop everything to take care of details and the “stuff” of your life, even though you’d rather be taking ten minutes to freakin’ meditate! Or to just be. Is that too much to ask?
So, what is a spiritually-minded, consciousness-raising person to do when your actual life gets in the way of your spiritual one?
First, take a deep breath. This frenetic pace will eventually slow down enough for you to take a moment or two a day and have gratitude, read that soul-expanding article, or take a walk in nature. But first, you must breathe.
The second thing is to take back your life, even if it’s in small increments. No matter what you have to do in a day, there are still probably a few minutes before you go to sleep at night in which you can talk to the universe, even if only to tell it to ease your schedule and give you back some “you” time!
The third, and most important, thing to do is to understand the nature of consciousness. You don’t really need to have a half hour to meditate. You are a walking meditation, you are light and love in the form and shape of a human. Every breath you take is a testament to Divine. Everything you do is a reflection of Divine Soul. Every moment in time is a meditation.
What do I mean by this? I will use myself as an example. Recently, I have had to paint — top to bottom, popcorn ceilings included — a rental property. Now, this is not really how I wanted to spend my time. I have other things to do, other projects waiting, other, more life-enhancing ways to spend my time. But, since it had to be done, and I was the only one who could do it, there I was. Painting, painting, painting.
I could have angrily painted to stupid property. I could have muttered and cursed about my displeasure at having to waste my precious time on this onerous task. But I chose differently. I chose to paint with consciousness. I chose to view the time spent making a property look better as well worth my time. I reveled in how the fresh paint made the dingy ceilings look one hundred percent better. I took pride in my ability to paint like a pro, even if my back was sore and my body tired at the end of the day. Still, I chose to embrace the task with conscious awareness of the sanctity of the transformation. I chose to do this work with a light heart.
Did I succeed? Most days, yes. There were some when the under-breath grumbling wouldn’t be tamed! I am, like you, only human. But the majority of the time, I simply felt satisfaction at the obvious improvement to the property.
After a month and a half of weekends spent painting, I am finally done. Yay! Now I have time to tune in and meditate or write or just be. I have time to explore the universe as well as my own growth of spirit.
And yet…
There is consciousness and growth in doing mundane tasks. I know people who feel closer to Divine when they are weeding their garden than they ever would in a church. I know people who feel like they are cleansing their soul when they clean their house.
Every moment of every day can be a meditation of sorts. This is not a new concept. What is that old Buddhist saying? “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”
HOW you “chop wood, carry water” is the difference. If you do your daily tasks with the clear intention of being a reflection of Divine light and love, then you are living in consciousness. If you relish every moment of every day, even the boring, mundane ones, then you are expanding your soul and attaining your purpose. As much as I love Oprah, the “aha” moments, while important and fun to experience, are only part of the expansion of consciousness. The daily living of your Divine truth is just as important. More so, really, because they ground and integrate the “aha” moments so those are not fleeting experiences, but are a part of your very core self.
So, chop wood, carry water, paint ceilings, do laundry and dishes, take care of your children, pets, and house, and know that you are in your Divine space, in your right place, in your path of soul growth and expansion. It may look like housework, but it really is where you are the expression of love and light in form. Having that form makes it imperative that you support that form by going to work to make money, cook (or order!) food to keep your body functioning, and cleaning up your environment so the Health Department doesn’t condemn your abode!
It is all Divine. The person who has the time and space to meditate three hours a day is not more spiritual than you are — they simply have time to connect with Divine in a ritualized way. That doesn’t make you less in tune, or not as connected. Consciousness comes in many forms. Your way is as important and fulfilling as anyone else’s. If you feel more connected to Divine on a hike in nature, good for you! If you feel you connect with Divine better in a group setting of like-spirited people, then seek out those opportunities. If you have wonderful chats with your guides and angels while commuting through traffic, please don’t dismiss that as something “less than” other’s experiences with Divine.
It is all Divine. It is all consciousness. You choose what works best for you. If you can get more spiritual work done on a ten-minute break than most people can do at an all-day retreat, then you need to embrace and be thankful for that. If you clear your mind and lift your heart while mowing the lawn, acknowledge and accept that.
Know that you are in your Divine “groove” when it feels easy and fun. If you have to sweat and strain for spirituality, you might want to find a way that suits you better! If you have to starve or berate yourself to achieve consciousness, you might want to find an easier route. Consciousness is not something “out there” that you are trying to get to, it is something you already have within you, waiting for you to recognize, utilize, and expand it.
That’s all. Easy squeezy lemony peasy. So, paint, mow, clean, cook, walk, soar, have fun and just allow your consciousness to expand naturally and organically. It’s a choice, and the choice is yours.
In joy and love,
Barbara