Lately I have been working hard on being fully present in each moment, because that is not only where our true power lies, but because life moves so fast, and not being aware in each moment is almost like taking an express train to one final destination…yes, you will still get there, but you won’t see or experience much. I find that by being mindfully present in the moment, I am aware when I am responding to a situation in a less than favorable way, which gives me the opportunity right then to modify my behavior and avoid words or actions I may regret later, or need an apology for. It also allows me to more fully recognize opportunities when they present themselves, so that I can “seize the day” and not find myself thinking back on those moments as “shoulda-woulda-coulda’s”.
Three months afer embarking on my raw & juicing diet, I have finally settled into this new lifestyle, and have made some personal modifications to suit my schedule and needs. I have found breathing exercises to help me move through emotions that I used to “feed” instead of deal with, and have a new understanding that emotions come in waves, and if I can be still and get centered/grounded, I can ride out the wave and see what lies beneath it that may or may not need to be addressed. I’m still working on slowing down and finding the right balance for my body, mind and spirit, which seem to currently be existing in three different time zones (haha)…but we can only master one skill at a time, right?
Oddly enough, I thought that in “slowing down” I would have more time, when in reality, that isn’t so. Sure, I do have time to better prioritize and get done the important stuff, but on the larger scale, it’s made me more aware of how short our earthly lives really are, and how much time we waste distracted, chasing after things that don’t truly matter. Today I was reminded of that even moreso, when I learned through social media that a high-school friend of mine had passed away suddenly of a heart attack. He was a unique spirit, certainly lived life to the beat of his own drum, and will be deeply missed. Hearing the news took me back to a conversation we had many years ago about love…he was talking about how he felt about a woman when you are in love, truly in love…in doing his best to express how this woman made him feel, I felt the love pouring out of him, off of him, and filling the space between us; I was literally envelloped in the love he was expressing…it was powerful. I remember thinking, it’s so wonderful to see a man so comfortable with his feelings – overwhelming feelings, nonethless! And though younger at the time, I didn’t truly see the gift in that moment…now in hindsight, I see it more clearly. When we experience a positive emotion such as happiness, joy, delight, or love, in allowing ourselves to not only FEEL that, but also to SHARE that emotion, we are literally “sharing the love”.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. When we are able to share that vibration so that others can feel, experience and actually shift their own state to one of LOVE, that is truly a beautiful gift. When we allow ourselves to feel love for a person, pet, place, memory, or moment, we get to experience a connectedness, something that allows us to understand, if even for a moment, that there is something out there bigger than each of us…something universal, sometimes overwhelming, but beautiful, healing, soothing, love. I ask each of you to practice feeling the love that exists in your heart, it is the essence of your soul energy. Call forth a memory that makes your heart swell with loving emotion; it’s ok to start small. Allow yourselves to feel love and lovED, every day; know that the source of love comes from within YOU, and that more love exists than we can possibly imagine or tap into right away, never mind wrap our human minds around.
Where am I going with all this? I’m reminding you that life as we know it, is short. Throw in the mix that none of us know what can happen tomorrow or when our time to leave this planet actually is, and every day – every moment – becomes more valuable…because it IS. Sure it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks we do to eat, work, survive. Today I want to remind you that each moment we have upon this earth is sacred, divine, and powerful. So I ask each one of you to be aware of this very moment, as you read this newsletter…ask your angels, guides and higher selves to give you several reminders each day to be aware in the moment, and then you can choose to bring your mind, thoughts, words and actions back to your heart center, back to love. For by choosing to keep our awareness in the present moment, it enables us to make better choices in all our actions and interactions, no matter how large or small they might appear at first glance. Each of us was given a beautiful opportunity here on Earth with our individual lives, and since there are no guarantees for what tomorrow holds, why wouldn’t we choose love? I am asking each of you to be willing to feel love, receive love, and be open to express love energy – in the many different ways it finds and presents itself to us. But most of all, do not be careless towards or with LOVE…trust that by loving yourself, respecting the love that you feel, you will find ways to express it and share it that go way beyond our current ideals.
Don’t be afraid to know yourself, all layers and parts of you. For in knowing yourself, in understanding all parts of “your story”, you will tap into a resource of endless compassion not only for yourself, but also for others, and their struggle to love and accept all parts of themselves. Loving ourselves is a game-changer…and the revolution is within.
Sincerely,
Sue Ustas
Owner, ZuZu’s Healing Arts 2/26/2014
