At the heart of the Buddha’s teaching is that we suffer because we don’t remember who we really are. We get caught up in not knowing our identity. We don’t feel at home with ourselves because we spend so much time trying to control things and staying as busy as possible so we don’t get to see who we really are – and others as well.

The Buddha also said our life rises from the tip of intention. Each of us attaches ourselves to what we value most, the truth of what is real for us. What really matters drives our intention. Consequently, we have moments of clarity, happiness, joy and love. We also have moments of the darker side of what we should do. Those voices that keep us small. How can we remember what really matters? Most of us might come up short when asked. Many of us wait for things to be different in order to feel okay with our life. For many, happiness is attached to the external events of our lives, which are ever changing. By doing this we’ll always be left waiting for something to happen outside of ourselves. And then feeling cut off mostly likely due to the fact that we are caught up in our mind, feeling separate, alone and afraid. In those moments we are not in touch with ourselves because we are living in our fight and flight mode feeling not enough. Carlos Castaneda was quoted saying, “Conclusions that arrive from reasons have very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives.”

Aligning with what is here in the moment is a way of practicing mindfulness. Recognizing it and saying yes to the moment…Begin in the stream of now. More and more the research is confirming while it’s becoming universally accepted that if we can train our awareness we cultivate the qualities of emotional well-being, love and compassion. Mindfulness maximizes our potential. The more present we get the more it matters how present we are simply because if starts to feel so good. It is energizing because it creates more space and then we feel that freedom to just be who we truly are. We are in that open field where we are just love itself! Staying mindful we can remember that the most important thing is remembering the most important thing in that moment. Learning to pause interrupts our old patterns. When we are in that limited self everything is compromised. We reinforce our separateness. Instead of being authentic we narrow ourselves. Living in fight or flight, the quality of our lives is compromised because we are not living in the moment of now. When we can’t find it within so we look outside of ourselves. When we pause and align ourselves with what is happening we are connecting with the higher centers of our soul. The psychologist Carl Rogers, said, “It wasn’t until I accepted myself, just as I was, that I was free to change.” In other words, he recognized what’s going on inside us and thus the deep unconditional tenderness we start to feel for ourselves — is the prerequisite to change. Elizabeth Lesser said it beautifully, “I remove the veils so I might see what is really happening here and not be intoxicated by my stories and my fears.”

Whatever narrative that may be going on in your head if you keep countering that self-aversion when feeling whatever the current neurosis is remember to say to yourself the ho’oponopono prayer which goes: I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. There is an enormous relief to start holding ourselves in this way so we can come home to ourselves.

At the core of all our teachings on this incredible journey is compassion, and the heart of compassion is compassion for ourselves. Wouldn’t now be a good time to step out of this trance of unworthiness and come home to ourselves with loving kindness and compassion.
Much of this Museletter was inspired by the work of Tara Brach. I send infinite love and gratitude to those who are reading this and who I AM journeying with and that ‘I’ve journeyed with. You have all taught me so much about love, courage and resilience. For this and so much more I AM eternally grateful.

Pray to God

From The Healing Time by Pasha Joyce Gentler:
“Finally on my way to yes
I bump into
all the places
where I said no
to my life
all the untended wounds. . .

those coded messages
that sent me down
the wrong street
again and again. . .

and I lift them
one by one
close to my heart
and I say holy
holy.”