Living Life vs Surviving Life

Living your life versus surviving this life comes down to nurturing YOU.

It comes down to finding balance in your self-care and your personal self-growth.

The theme for this month is self-care and getting on track for your own personal self-growth is the goal!

Did we all come here into this world to grow personally as human beings and as Souls?

I absolutely believe we did. I also believe some people didn’t get the same memo that I did – hahaha.

The human experience is not easy,  it’s not meant to be easy.

If there is one thing over the last few years that I have come to understand as an absolute truth… is that I have very little control over my outer environment. I do my best in this crazy and often turbulent world but I know the real “work” is out of my hands and has way more to do with karma and consciousness then anything I can humanly do.

This is where doing my best and then surrendering the fears (and other emotions that come up around what I am trying to accomplish) to the Universe has been a practice that has surprisingly gotten easier with each passing month. As an avid “moon follower” (I follow Yasmin Boland) I practice detaching, letting go and surrendering every month between the days when the Moon is full up until it reaches the transition to its darkest point – the new moon.

Now the Moon is always full but as it moves from full & bright to new & dark – it is simply an illusion from the human perspective that it increases and decreases in size – as only parts of the moon can be seen from the earth – this is what our human eyes see. When the moon is on the other side of the earth compared to the sun, the sun lights up the side of the moon facing earth – creating our viewpoint of the Full Moon. When the moon orbits between the earth and the sun in space, then the back side of the moon is being lit up by the sun – giving us earthlings the side of the moon where the sun doesn’t shine – the Dark Moon/New Moon.

The summary of the Moon phases;

• New Moon time – light up that dark moon with the energy of all your wishes, goals, dreams and intentions – take the next few weeks to be grateful for all you have and dream all your goals & wishes into manifestation!
• Full Moon time – Surrender all your wishes now to the Universe and then take the next few weeks to let go of attachments , fears and do the work to move through your fears, emotions & limiting beliefs that are holding you back from your dreams!

Were you ever afraid of the dark as a child? Would your imagination run wild in the darkness? Were there shadows and unseen imaginary monsters under your bed or lurking in the closet of your bedroom? Only to disappear when the lights were turned on or a flashlight was flashed under the bed? Even if this wasn’t your experience – we get the idea of it and maybe your fears in childhood were far more real and traumatic than the imaginary monster under the bed.

Let’s use this imagination analogy with now adult fears. Does your imagination or memories of past trauma run wild with fear and/or a story in your mind which creates shadows and monsters (the evils in our world) and far-off, unexplored worries and stresses that seem to explode in your mind? Maybe a lot (anxiety, nightmares or addictions) or maybe just a little… as we all have fears. It’s a part of the human experience to have fears. Whether you acknowledge them or not will determine your willingness for self-growth. Whether you run from them or hold onto them for dear life is an indicator that you are trying to control the outer environment which you have very little control over. Let go. Let those fears go. Don’t run from them – feel them. Don’t hold onto them – feel them and then release them and this is where the power and energy of the Full Moon can help in a very powerful way!

For me the practices of detaching from outcomes and expectations, acknowledging and letting go of my fears, guilt, shame and grievances then handing everything over to the Universe during the days when the Full Moon (the light) shifts to darkness – helps me practice finding peace and forgiveness in the chaos of this life and calm in the current storms unfolding in my life.

I used to believe if I didn’t show stress in the face of a problem – I was giving off the impression that I didn’t care or that I wasn’t taking it seriously. I even had people in my life comment that I should face reality or get my head out of the sand. Their words and judgements of the way I could so easily remain calm used to cause me to question myself as well.

Their interpretation of my peacefulness in a crisis was misunderstood as denial or simply that I didn’t care or take the situation seriously. I’ve come to learn though that the opposite is true – my compassion runs deep – so much so that I can see the benefits of forgiveness and love for everyone involved. So much so that I realize that I see the world differently than a lot of other people and I am okay with that.

I’ve come to understand that my practices of surrendering my fears has created peace in my life during really stressful times. In peace there is clarity and solutions.

Do I always feel peaceful? No, definitely not but I know I am much more useful when I am.

In stress there is only the problem which then grows bigger and begins to take on a life of it’s own – I feel useless and anxious in that energy. I’ve learned through my years of training to get uncomfortable with my emotions so I can clear and release them. It’s not fun work – it sucks actually – but I know what’s on the other side of the discomfort. I know the only way to truly heal is to feel and I am more willing to sit with the suck than I am to avoid, numb or run from the uncomfortable feelings and anxieties.

With the practice of surrendering I’ve come to understand that when I am in fear, upset or panic, I don’t make very good decisions. No one does. When I find my calm and my peace, I make much better decisions. I used to live in anxiety. I used to live in fear and anger. This “work” has not come easy to me – but one step at a time, day at a time and with the willingness to grow personally as a human being and learn some serious soul lessons – I think I’m getting the hang of it. It will always be a work in progress and I would never think I’ve got this whole letting go and surrendering process down pat but I do know how the cycles of the Moon have helped me with this practice.

Plus it’s a joy during the other half of the month (when that dark New Moon begins to light back up to a Full Moon) to wish and dream and light up the Moon with my wishes, goals, dreams and aspirations.

Do all my wishes manifest?

Nope.

Of course they don’t.

I’ll use the analogy Abraham Hicks uses…”It would be like going to a buffet and eating everything on it in one sitting – you would enjoy it at first but after a while it is too much” and as those of you who have been to a buffet with me before often wonder where I put all that food I’ve eaten…I can’t eat the whole buffet but I sure do eat and enjoy my fair share of it – just like I manifest a fair share of my wishes and dreams. Most importantly I am aware of all the wonderful synchronicities and beautiful unfolding’s in my life. I am making the best of my life.

When there is something I REALLY want – it is of course much tougher to let go of attachment to the outcome and surrender my fears around it…but what I can tell you for sure is the person I am during the process – no matter how difficult it is sometimes – is a much calmer and level-headed person to be around and that for me is the biggest payoff of all this “personal growth” journey. I actually like the person I am becoming.

“Make the rest of your life, the best of your life”

~Cheryl Richardson

Life will consistently be shifting, changing and unfolding around you and the point I am really trying to make is that  your happiness will always be an inside job.

Cheryl’s quote above is a mindset. Memorize her quote to remind yourself every morning that the rest of your life is in your control – at least the inner self-growth part is. This is about showing up for YOU in this life and making decision that support a healthy mind, a healthy body and a healthy Soul.

If you are looking outside of yourself and all around you in your environment to make the rest of your life the best of your life…then you will encounter many disappointments, struggles and heartaches along the way – which is a part of the human experience – it’s not bad…it just is.

The only real and honest road to self-growth is the work you do on the inside.

Commit to YOU

Your best life, your peace, self-care and personal growth is never going to be found in the blaming, shaming, judging or attacking of yourself or others. It is not going to be found in overwhelm, procrastination or denial.

Sometimes we have to do hard things. We need to face discomforts, health crisis’s, financial crisis’s, injuries, betrayals and losses of relationships and loved ones and sometimes we need to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. We may need to set boundaries, make scary choices or take certain leaps or steps in life.

We may need to protect ourselves or someone else.

And when we have done all that we can humanly do with whatever outer circumstances is occurring in our life – we need to learn to hand it over to the Universe. The Universe has a plan. Release attachment to any particular outcome and then relax and let the Universe take over.

Yes…relax. In the midst of the storm – find the calm. Your ability to find your calm in the storm is in the choices you make and how well you take care of yourself during your “every day life” plus how committed you are to your own self-growth.

What you can do while the Universe takes care of all the details of your problem or desire is to make yourself a priority and take the best care of you as possible! This will align you with the solution.

No matter what your age is or what is going on in your life, you have got to take care of you! It is essential to your resilience and your happiness.

We all grow at different times and in different ways and that has largely to do with what is going on in your outer circumstances – but there is nothing you cannot do.

Wake up with the mindset of “living your life now” vs just surviving in it and remind yourself that;

• you can do hard things
• you are stronger than you know
• this too will pass
• everything is in divine and perfect order
• it takes just one step at a time to make a difference.

Seriously committing to your physical health, mental & emotional health and your spiritual health is the best thing you can do for yourself. It has the ability to shift your whole life from surviving to thriving or at the very least living, loving and growing.

This month commit to putting your health at the top of your priority list!

To help you with this commitment here are many ways in which you can take care of you, find balance in your life and grow as a human being and a Soul;

1. Commune with nature. Nature is a source of wisdom. Spend time in reflection in nature and let the inner wisdom flow.
2. Meditate. Daily. If you are not sure how to – sign up for a meditation class and learn how to. This practice will single-handedly shift your life. If you don’t think you have time to meditate – then you need it more than you realize. Practice silence.  Reserve your spot for the Silent Retreat in June 2024 (Benefits – find your peace, love yourself, meet your Soul).
3. Movement. Move your body, shift your energy, tapping – EFT (stop that eating binge, avoid that first glass of wine) go for a walk, dance, sing, do yoga. Take an energy yoga class with me. Movement with Ayurveda.
4. Nutrition. Feed your body wholesome, prana-rich foods (fruits, veggies, herbs & spices). Learn Ayurveda to feed your body for its dosha type and learn the 6 tastes of Ayurveda for health and vitality.
5. Sleep. Understanding the circadian rhythms helps to find your most effective sleep cycles. Ayurveda offers many tips and tools for a successful, restful sleep. Commit to your sleep health.
6. Emotional Wellness. Learn to feel your emotions in a healthy way (life-coaching helps with that) or seek counselling. Read self-empowering books. Find a support group with like-minded people (our personal development membership group offers this!)
7. Connect. Hug your family and friends more often. Spend quality time with your loved ones. Play, laugh, have fun. Get a pet.
8. Self-care. Self-massage. Learn some Ayurveda tips and tools for good digestion, self-care and awareness. Book a massage, reiki session or acupuncture. Learn ways to honor your body and tune into its natural intelligence for self-healing and regulating.

The theme this month is self-care and this is also the time (from an Ayurvedic perspective) to set those New Year’s Resolution into action. NOTE; January is NOT the time to go full force toward your fitness and nutritional goals – the body’s natural tendency at that time of the year is to hold on and “hibernate” which is why most resolution fail (unless you’re a strong Pitta type – that’s just some Ayurveda talk)  BUT March is the perfect time to re-birth those goals, resolutions and aspiration. March is the right time to align with your motivation and inspiration and add a few extra steps to your strut!

Whew! That’s a lot of information! Good thing I’m only doing these blog posts once a month now!

Namaste my friends and please feel free to contact me at leslie@wellnessdefined.ca if you have any questions or would like more information on the services I offer and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to receive daily inspiration e-mails and keep up on any upcoming retreats and workshops;

Leslie