A daily ritual of meditation has been a spiritual practice and a building block of peace and serenity in my life. Attempting to stay in the present moment with love and gratitude and not going back to the past in regret or sadness is part of that practice.
Life has a way of planting us exactly where we need to learn the necessary lessons to further us along our path. There is nothing constant in this life, and change is inevitable. Going through change at times can be difficult and painful; however, if we look back through life’s trials and tribulations, we can see that we are growing and evolving through all of the transitions. We graduate from college and move to a bigger city where we are exposed to different people and cultures and grow. We end a romantic relationship and come to find out that even though there was a great deal of love and meaning in the relationship, they were not meant to be a lifelong, soul connection. We evolve and grow further. Friendships, unfortunately, don’t always work out, and you part ways. As painful as it may be, it’s essential to understand that our journey in life is transient. Learning to accept this is key. You take the wisdom learned through the relationships, grow and evolve into a more enlightened, compassionate version of yourself. These life experiences do not happen in vain. There is a higher purpose in all of it that we may not see or understand at the time.
I believe that we are all interconnected within one life force by what some call source energy. There is a divine guidance system within this force moving us all toward our highest potential. That potential is to live our lives with love and compassion for ourselves and others. The Divine, God, Universe (whatever you feel most comfortable with) has given each one of us the gift of life. An empty canvas to create a beautiful piece of art through our own free will if we can learn to stay present in each moment with love, compassion, and gratitude. If not, our piece of art doesn’t turn out too pretty. The brush strokes from ruminating thoughts of regret and despair can create an ugly painting, and it is up to us to ensure that our canvas is filled with love, light, and happiness. It may be challenging to grasp; however, by trusting and having faith that there is a Divine source that we are all connected to, which is guiding us on this journey, creative spaces are opened up in our lives to ensure that we live up to our highest potential. Worry, anxiety, and dreading past events, failed relationships, or mistakes that we are not proud of keep us captive in our egoic minds, which creates a war zone of negative monkey chatter that closes off our creativity within this life force. Reminding ourselves to stay present in the now and being grateful for the life experiences we are presently gifted with allows us to create new spaces with infinite possibilities. Holding onto the past and staying hostage to the ego drains us from living our lives to our fullest potential. “Learn the lesson, thank the teacher and move along.” This resonates with me. The lessons (even the toughest ones) we are gifted with in this life are there to make us stronger and more capable human beings and help us prepare for what is yet to come in this life.
I’m reminded today to keep growing, evolving, and trusting in the divine passage of love, compassion, and forgiveness. And by being present in the now and not looking back with regret or sorrow, I can tap into a creative, inspired life. By allowing myself to honor each and every person who has joined me on my path, whether they are still with me or not, I allow myself to create a Degas (well, maybe not quite a Degas, but you know what I mean). My canvas is filled with creativity, inspiration, and a bright future.
If you are at peace, you are in the present” Lao Tzu
Thanks for reading! Love, Rachael
Rachael Kelley 