Tag: Awareness

Boat.

.Reading time 1 minute.
Cartagena, Colombia. 2018.

I’m not a great swimmer. It may be one of the reasons I dream a lot about large bodies of water. In this physical life, I practice safety around it, which has pretty much become a natural instinct to “stay away from the deep end”. This could easily be defined as a fear of drowning. Figuratively, I am continuously drawn to explore what’s below the surface. Yet, the dive is not always simple.

In my dreams, I am free of concern. I float, I fly, I maneuver with ease. No swimming. No drowning. I am in a calm control over the experience. I make my way to wherever I feel the desire to go. That’s what it’s all about. Being present, fully aware, having vision, and letting nothing stop me, letting nothing discourage me, letting nothing delay me from maneuvering through time and space for the simple pleasure of just being. The simple pleasure of just acting on feelings. The simple pleasure of allowing my desires to live fully, and fade away freely. I become inspired each time to live in this manner with opened eyes.

Where am I going? Wherever I please.

How will I get there? By any means…

Paint Your Portrait

.Reading time 3 minutes.
Mexico City, Mexico. 2018. The Frida Kahlo Museum (The Blue House)

When I think of self reflection, Frida comes to mind. A woman, a seeker, a dreamer, a fighter, an artist.

“I paint myself because I am alone, I paint myself because I am the subject I know best.” – Frida Kahlo

How well do we really know ourselves? It only becomes complicated when we spend so much time looking outside for answers about the world, our world, and who we are in it. We are force-fed identities, and molded into their shadows – unless we are stubborn enough to know better. It pays to be stubborn. Stubborn people know who they are, and what they want, and very often refuses to subject themselves to a sort of change that does not align with their beliefs.

Let’s imagine a world where Halloween is everyday, and that persona we’ve been anxious to disguise ourselves as is us, everyday. Who would we be, then? What’s our “uni brow?” We all have something unique to offer. And, let me just say – cliches are necessary; reinforced and overused statements for reminders of what’s real.

We’re all yearning for more and more people to reveal themselves. We celebrate that. We celebrate people like Lizzo, which is amazing – but what are we waiting for? Have we truly accepted our differences, are we still trying to somehow “fit in,” are we waiting for someone else to “do it first?” Why? When we think about who inspires us, what is it that we’ve found in them? Do we not already have the courage, are we fearful of taking off the mask? Is it possible to express ourselves and amplify our own voices to a level of authenticity, for greater clarity on the lives we are to be leading? If we are not our authentic selves right now, here, today – then anything that lies ahead is deceit.

Are we spending enough time alone to truly get to know ourselves, without the distraction of other people’s authentic or false identities? We owe it to ourselves to be certain of who we are, where we stand, and what we have to offer.

“Your playing small does not serve the world, there’s nothing enlightened about shrinking.” – Marianne Williamson

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better.” – Frida Kahlo

Are you your own muse? Are you expressing yourself, fully? Are you waiting for the right time? Do you have time?

Be You. Be True. Paint Your Own Portrait.

Live a Lot

.Reading time 5 minutes.

Slow down. Everyday will not be the same, no matter how strict we are with our routines. That’s the beauty in life, the unexpected. The sharp turns, and whether or not we are prepared to make them, even when we’re used to going straight. We’re supposed to be living flexible lives, taking the good with the bad. I’m no robot, so forgive me if I’m late, if I need a break, if I messed something up, if I forgot, if I didn’t respond, if I said “no,” if I didn’t stop to say hello, if I did something without telling you, if I didn’t apologize, if I was too blunt, if I disregarded your feelings, if I didn’t have pity for you, if I didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, if I wasn’t honest, if I put myself first – please, oops, my bad, forgive me.

My true core self always speaks, as a doer. As doers, we simply say less. We are addicted to taking it all in, and getting things done. Who has time to talk about it! We are too busy manifesting. We’re quietly planning, observing, strategizing, and making moves to bring about all that we want in our lives. Everyone else may only see the results of that hard work, and then questions how it gets done. That there is the problem, too much talking. It’s great to ask questions, but there comes a point where you should actually begin to apply the information shared!

We are not perfect. It’s so interesting, because as much as we know this is impossible, we still strive for perfection. Why is that? Why does everything have to be so “perfect?” Let’s just live simply, and do all things with love. Let’s just follow the four agreements presented so clearly by Don Miguel Ruiz: Be Impeccable with Your Word, Don’t Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best, and my favorite Don’t Take Anything Personally. Yes, let’s do that! Let’s be filled with the same positive energy, so that we eventually become in sync, and on a frequency that will actually help make this world a better place. Stop striving for perfection, stop comparing, stop judging, stop criticizing, stop hating, stop hurting others, stop killing others, just stop! Be still, and feel the shift. We actually have the power to change things, not to make them perfect, just to shift gears, and make them better!

I want my children to grow up in a world with people who are compassionate. Women need to step up, take their place, know their power and worth, stop trying to please others, and live in truth! Get back to nature, that’s where all the answers are placed, right before our natural eyes!

Slow down, and let’s stop saying we don’t have time for this or that. We don’t know how much time we have! That’s plain and simple. If your mom wants you to give her a call, pick up the phone. Your kids want to play hide and seek with you, get to hiding! Your passion is burning a hole through your heart because you keep ignoring it, you just may kill yourself before you actually die. Time is of the essence, so take breaks when necessary, take action when necessary, stop striving for perfection, stop the comparison, do your best, live in the moment, spread the love, and embrace it all!

Oh yeah, and go on that trip you’ve been talking about for so long! What are you waiting for? Take some control, place fear in the trash, get the credit card, book the flight (with or without a travel buddy), pack your carry-on bag (less is more), and when you get there, smile, because you actually made it happen! In this life, we’re to make new mistakes, have new experiences, and not live so much in routine or fear. Ride the bike, take the fall, get back up, and get back to it! Do just that. Live, a lot.

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San Francisco, California. 2014