Adventures of the Heart: Being Authentic

Life is an Adventure. There are the physical adventures we experience, personal growths (which I like to label as adventures) and the adventures of the spiritual realm as we discover the multi-dimensional layers of our soul.

My journey to participate in the adventure of exploring the truth that we are enlightened beings having a human experience officially began several years ago with a conscious decision. An invocation to seek my truth. It’s a daily practice that requires conditioning of consciousness. It takes a focus of engaged consciousness to explore the realm of spirituality, taking adventurous strides. Not being a passive tourist.

As I travel to distant lands, and experience new cultures far different from my home in Australia, I get to meet different aspects of myself mirrored through new experiences. I also discover different dimensions of myself as I venture into the breadth and depths of my consciousness.

As part of my spiritual practice I consciously stretch the boundaries. Seeking new zones outside my comfort, courageously venturing into unexplored territory to fully participate in life.

It’s when I settle, go into survival mode, get into a routine of mediocrity that I become restless with spirit. If I choose to become passive it’s a weight on my soul. The way to keep my spirit alert and vibrant, is to stretch.

This is true in every area of life.

Each day is a choice. Every moment is a choice. Every decision has a consequence.

The barometer of knowing you are moving forward and growing in spirit is a free sense of spirit. A free-flowing heart. A lightness. You “know” the truth.

On the other hand, a decision that moves us away from spiritual truth is a weight, straining us with our spirit aching. It creates a gravitational pull that we resist. A signal that we are off course. Left too long to correct course, it can lead to a sense of confusion. And then a numbness. With that veil of separateness our mind creates distractions for us to engage in: such as spending too much time watching t.v., over-eating, abusing alcohol or drugs, anything to avoid the ‘something missing’ we want to dismiss as being the cause of our spiritual wound.

At our core, we know our truth. When we live in the truth, we live in the light. We experience the world with a Oneness that is filled with joy, abundance, laugher, and an unshakable happiness.

We have an innate guidance system. When we pay attention and listen, it keeps us on track. When we decide to over-ride the course, because we think we know the territory better or because we believe external conditioning that we must take another path, we often take a wrong turn or run into a road-block.

Like setting a goal and zig-zagging with our effort to arrive at our ‘achievement’, we do the same with our personal path in life. The big difference being, unlike a goal which we consciously set, the journey to discover our spiritual path is more of a mystery tour. One that we must trust our HEART to guide us on. Not our mind. This is what makes it an extraordinary adventure!
The signals along the way, to know you are on course, are those that light you up! What creates a rippling of laughter in your soul? What brings a smile to your face? When was the last time you listened to the truth your heart is singing to you?

The sounds of your personal song can often be drowned out with the filters we run through our mind of what we perceive as daily routines of ‘life:’ paying the bills, taking the kids to school, going to a job that currently brings you no joy.

But in these acts, it is who we BE that shifts the spirit into a gear of adventurous exploration. What if, through these simple daily acts, lays the opportunity to express joy? What if, currently, right in front of you are a whole bunch of gifts you just need to unwrap?

Such as, in the gratitude of ‘sending money forward’ for a service you have enjoyed using (and with increased awareness, been grateful for the power in your home, the use of a car, the opportunity to connect with family, friends and customers via phone and the internet).

Connecting with our loved ones as we ‘shuttle’ them to and from their activities. Seeing that time as an opportunity to connect in the NOW, instead of planning what is next. The gift of Being present.

What if, in your current job you can powerfully and positively affect another soul, or in fact your environment, by simply being authentic. By giving yourself permission to smile and pass on the gift of being present for another.

By being, we are leading. By being, we are present in life. By being, we can enjoy every moment as an opportunity for adventure.

Even small opportunities, grasped and experienced, will stretch us further in our Being. Our spirit grows when we take a risk, no matter how small.

What is your heart ‘nagging’ you to do? What are you holding back from? What do you need to express? Who do you need to forgive? What do you need to let go of? What step can you take, right now, to create a renewed sense of spirit, to liven up your life with the adventures of your soul?

The key is, you don’t have to DO anything. You just need to give yourself permission to BE your Authentic Self.