January has arrived which will mean leisure centres all over the world are packed with clients trying to shift a few pounds or sculpt their beach bodies for that summer holiday that's already close enough to grab. Tell me this! if you washed your car daily but never checked under the hood how long do you think it would run for without breaking down? A year or more at most? There's no guarantee really.
With this in mind I encourage you to pause for a moment! when was the last time you weren't thinking about something? Can you remember the last time you felt your heart beat or heard your own breathing. The first time I heard my own breathing I jumped a mile with the fright! How crazy is that? As humans we think more or less constantly and only because of habit. Thinking is an addiction just like drugs or alcohol and what's worse is that we believe these thoughts are who we are. This couldn't be further from the truth. These thoughts are preconditioned into us by circumstances and people involved in our lives as we grew up and also by a thing called the ego. I had often heard the phrase 'She has some ego that one' but the penny never really dropped as to what it meant. The ego is what causes us to identify ourselves by the job we have, the car we drive, the clothes we wear as well as being very protective by nature and defensive. We are all familiar with Bridget Jones and her introductions with details. Our society is the very same because of ego. This is Caitriona from .... she likes to.... . This is why when we lose a job, our posessions or circumstances change etc we feel we are nothing anymore we have no purpose here. The ego says we are not good enough, or we will never succeed. This couldn't be further from the truth! I believe losing the things you identified yourself with previously is the beginning of an amazing journey. A journey into who we really are. Anthony Moran in one of his recent talks asked the question 'Who are we and why are we here?'. This question haunted me but i now see it was a turning point in my life. It made me look inside somewhere we avoid at all costs.
Try standing or sitting and glancing around without labelling or focusing on any one thing.. just be. This is one way to get a break from the constant noise in our heads. Or try walking in the countryside but be 100% aware of everything around you. The smell, the breeze, the wildlife. This awareness recharges the soul or services the car. Meditation is another wonderful getaway. Once you've discovered this true happiness there is no going back. The thinking and the ego quieten and for the first time we see life as what it really is! An amazing adventure full of smiles xx
