Daily Moment of Awareness [10.8.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

I am discovering what it means to feel all the feelings. Today, was non-stop with emotions. They took me all over the place. I found myself thinking not, “Why am I feeling this?” but instead, “What can I learn from this?”

This is big time progress for me. Rather than racing, full steam into the emotion, I felt it, named it, and asked what the lesson may be? I became more accepting of my choices in life - good, bad, happy, sad, doesn't matter. They are mine and mine to learn from.

I felt like I truly honored my whole being today.

Daily Moment of Awareness [10.7.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

We wish people happiness all the time. But happiness, success, and yes, love, cannot exist without truth.

For people to genuinely experience happiness or success or love, they need to be living a truthful life. I don’t mean in the sense of being a Saint and never telling a white lie, but rather, living your truth. Being authentically who you were born to be.

Let that sink in.

If you are hiding your essence, whatever you experience will feel incomplete. Why? Because you will be denying yourself the ultimate experience in this life…being YOU.

Daily Moment of Awareness [10.4.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

My day began with my meditative practice, which presented so many lessons about accepting who I am and giving from a place of truth rather than obligation. This was followed by a 14 mile run, which inspired intense feelings of bliss. Between the autumn scene and the endorphin release, I sincerely felt like I was floating. I then hopped in my car for a road trip to hang with family this weekend.

The whole ride out, my attention was pulled to the clouds, the sky, and the sun setting. My goodness, it was gorgeous! Once again, I was reminded how beautiful LIFE is. Yes, life. Not my life, but LIFE. The gift that is LIFE.

Awareness is the gateway to appreciation.

Daily Moment of Awareness [10.3.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

We are often told, “There is always something to be grateful for.” Some of you may agree and some of you may struggle with that. However, no matter where you stand, it’s up to you to explore it.

Dismissing it because of your current circumstances does not make it untrue. Passively agreeing does not evoke the awareness. Expressing gratitude is an act which requires your time, space, and attention. You need to call to your consciousness the people and/or things for which you are grateful. This can be your breath, a recent purchase, a sweet lunch with a loved one, an accomplishment, or having enjoyed a sunny day.

Gratitude is not about happiness. It’s about active recognition and appreciation. I realized that today. Though I felt drained this afternoon, I was still able to bring my attention to people and things for which I am very grateful.

Daily Moment of Awareness [10.2.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

I was reminded today of something I’ve been sitting with in my times of refection. I don’t believe we need courage to live our truth. I believe we need acceptance. We need to FIRST accept our truth. Love our truth. Once you do that, living your truth will begin to feel like breathing. It will feel natural.

Because your truth is your nature.

Our truth is in us. Always. It’s that thing we hide. It’s that thing we deny. It doesn’t take courage to do that. It’s simply a conscious choice. Therefore, you can make a conscious choice to live your truth too. Out loud.

Stop with the pep talks about living your truth and just be it.

Daily Moment of Awareness [10.1.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

I have been enjoying a pretty steady ritual of daily morning meditation, followed by reading, then a run, then some social media work and then….well, whatever I need to do in the moments following.

Today was completely lopsided for me. I was up super late and basically, so my sleep schedule was totally messed up. I actually laid in bed until about 5p. Though I was feeling conflicted about some stuff, unmotivated, and annoyed that I allowed the day to go by, something happened.

I told myself it was ok to deviate from the plan. I recognized I could still accomplish what I do in the mornings, in the evening too. In that moment, I felt ok about not feeling ok. But I also become mindful that making healthy choices to boost my energy, clear my mind, and nurture my well-being are available to me in every moment - not just the morning time.

So, I sat up. I scheduled some social media posts. I leaned into my mediative practice. I read. I got a quick run in. I showered. And I even ran out for some quick fall knick-knack shopping.

Even when things feel off, you can still make choices to align yourself with well-being.

Daily Moment of Awareness [9.30.2019]

Moments of awareness shared with you

Meditation is an experience which gives the individual the opportunity to see oneself. Unfiltered. Non-judged. Without fear.

This does not mean it is without intense emotion, but it is emotion grounded in how you see yourself. This is powerful. Many of us chip away (sometimes strip away) our authenticity in order to be accepted, to be loved, or we do it to be invisible. We then begin to see ourselves as others want to see us.

My meditative practice has been about eight years in the making. Where I am at is leaps and bounds from where I began. But what I realized today is, when I meditate I am seeing and feeling my authentic self. It’s liberating. It’s inspiring.

I’m also reminded I have work to do, but I’m not embarrassed by it. I am accepting of it. I am accepting of me.

I Am Love

[I Am mini-series #3]

I am love. You are love.

Maybe you have been told you are something other than love. Maybe you have felt less than love. Maybe you are afraid to express your love. Maybe your love has been ignored.

Guess what?

None of that matters.

You are LOVE.

Fear Is Not A Validation

People hear what you say. People see what you do. But people do not experience your life experiences as you do.

Furthermore, we often dial down or even hide our truth. The deep, core experience dancing in our souls and warming our hearts. For as real as it feels to us, we still try to make sense of it. We question it and doubt it. There are so many reasons why we do this and it all points back to fear.

How much do you reveal in your moment to moment? 

We tell people what we think they will accept. We show people what we think they will accept. We surrender to fear. We tell ourselves we have difficult choices to make, but what that really mean is we have tradeoffs to make. The tradeoff is our authenticity for someone else's acceptance. Why? Because we allow fear to be a validation for how we choose to live.

Fear is NOT a validation.

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Jez Timms

Your Truth

Who YOU are can only be discovered and realized by YOU. What others may think or say is their own deal.

You make choices. You make decisions. You make mistakes. You learn lessons. You dance in bliss. You grow from pain. You express your truth. You reflect in silence.

Life is your most precious gift. The journey is yours to unwrap it.

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Ravi Pinisetti

When Fear Knocks

What if you looked at your fears as opportunities? What if your opportunities are your fears in disguise?

Before you jump to the scariness associated with fears, try thinking about them differently. Imagine opportunity whispering to you through your fears. An opportunity is not without unknowns and yet, it feels different because there is a perceived benefit. A fear feels debilitating because the perceived experience is seen as discomfort, pain, or failure.

Pursuing an opportunity reveals more about it. Moving though fear reveals more about YOU.

all words: Michael Barata / image: Ricardo Retez

I Am Strong

[I Am mini-series #2]

Have you forgotten about your strength? Your ability to overcome? To persevere? To move through the fear? To heal? 

Your strength has helped you countless times. This power resides within you, for you, whenever you need it. 

Honor your strength with gratitude

all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: NordWood Themes

Be Instead of Prove

Think about your energy. Think about your time. Think about YOUR LIFE. How do you want/need to be expressing yourself? How often do you allow someone else to influence how you create and live your life? 

Your reference point for your authenticity is within YOU. Your successes and failures contribute to the path you are blazing. Burn the bridges of conformity and judgment with every step you take. 

Stop proving yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. Nurture yourself. BE YOURSELF!

all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Nick Fewings

Questions

So busy. So distracted. So tired. So frustrated. So doubtful. 

How can you see? How can you be? What should you see? Who should you be? 

Where have you been? .

all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Jon Tyson

I Am Authentic

[I Am mini-series #1]

The chorus sings loud and clear, “Create your most authentic life!” I totally agree with nurturing people to be their true self. I also acknowledge the individuality and the unique journey of authenticity.

But first, you need to become aware of your authenticness - simply because you are you. There is nothing to create. You ARE authentic. No need to discover it, but instead, honor it. Ground yourself in the truth of your authenticity. The free flowing bliss of it. The challenging vulnerability of it. All of it.

YOU are AUTHENTIC.

all words by Michael Barata / image: NordWood Themes

Your Inner Journey

We ask for advice. We get judged. We look for signs. We take wrong turns. We heed others’ opinions. We ignore our own intuition.

Of course there are people in your life who can help you. That’s a beautiful thing. But that doesn’t mean you ignore what YOU can do for you. We are taught as children to heed, to obey, to get in line, to follow, to respect others. All of this leads to a dissolution of self. Is it any wonder why so many people don’t know much about themselves, even worse, scoff at the notion of going within to discover more about themselves AND life?

Your willingness and wonder about who you are can reveal your gifts, your talents, your passion, and yes, your strength. The journey within is lifelong. Along the way, we hit detours, obstacles, and even deadends. What do those things look like? Well, they could be family and friends, authority figures, failures, and traumatic experiences. However, as long as you have breath, the inner journey can continue.

If you’re looking for answers, for love, for direction, start within. What you discover inside of you will be YOUR truth rather than their suggestions.

words on image: Michael Barata / image: unknown

You're Magical

Stop forgetting. Please. We all do. For so many reasons. 

Our magic disappears under layers of guilt, after years of conditioning. Our magic is intimidated by our fears and harshly judged by others. 

But guess what? You’re the magician who can make your magic re-appear. You can use your magic to overcome and rise above it all. Because you can make your magic do whatever you want. 

You’re pure magic. Let that sink in. 

words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Garidy Sanders

Your Energy Foundation

We allow the outside world to influence how we live. We all do. From situations to people, what is happening outside of us receives so much of our attention. 

Speaking your truth cannot be contingent on how it may be received. Choosing who or what gets space in your life does not require permission from anyone but you. Being there for yourself in every way possible is a healthy imperative. And your dreams, are your dreams to discover, pursue, and live out. 

You deserve your own attention, time, and space to create a strong, grounded, and loving foundation for yourself. It’s your energy. 

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Chetan Menaria

Empty Yourself

What are you holding onto? 

When you empty yourself of grudges, hidden pain, unsaid words, and suppressed fears, something happens. You free yourself of emotional weight. 

This requires you to be stripped down, incredibly vulnerable, and completely truthful with yourself and others. Why with others? Well, we often lose sight of who we are because we hide ourselves from others. 

To be seen is to empty ourselves of all conditioning, of all “should be’s”, of all fears, of all self-doubt, of all reservations about what others may think or say or do.  Relationship with ourselves is the starting point, but we need to overcome hiding that precious relationship when engaging in relationships with others. 

Emptying yourself creates space for truth, healing, love, and nurturing healthy, authentic relationships.

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Beata Ratusniak

Patience To Heal

Life is filled with joy and pain. And when we are joyous, we don’t want it to end. But when we are hurt, we lack patience for the healing process. We are closed off to recognizing that healing can take on many forms and be an experience of much diversity. Healing can be transformative and restorative. 

The not knowing is the challenge. When? How? 

Healing can be transformative in that your whole life changes AND your pain subsides. But healing can be restorative in that you gain a deeper understanding of the situation or person you feel hurt by. Your lessons help you  so that you can re-engage in a healthier, more grounded way. 

Pain doesn’t always lead to loss or end. Healing can reveal the pain is resulting from misunderstanding. From that lesson, healing can better equip you with compassion, empathy, patience to listen. 

Healing can lead to new beginnings. 

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Ümit Bulut