There’s been many of times I’ll hear people say “well I just say it how it is” as if they are doing everyone a favour by being insensitive and insulting people. Since when was is it considered a good quality be rude or condescending simply because you think your opinion is actual fact? More times than not, these comments actually stem from personal insecurities or an illusionary idea that’s been subconsciously programmed. Believing someone has no value because they did or didn’t behave in a certain manner of a fabricated “expectation” is hardly legitimate. There is a clear distinction between people who think they know what truth is and people who genuinely understand the meaning of truth. Those who understand truth, do not continuously put others down with their words because they can see the bigger picture.
Understanding the meaning of truth takes a lot of courage because you might not be able use what you’ve been told your whole life as a comforting and supportive set of beliefs anymore. Instead you develop new ones. Also, when we explore these different truths, we can bring up really uncomfortable emotions that have been dormant or repressed for a period of time. Maybe even since childhood. However, when you start asking questions and those questions become answers, you find yourself in a position where ignorance is no longer an option. They call it an “awakening” for a reason. Simply put, you can no longer buy into the bullshit. Not even your own bullshit.
We humans are really good at ignoring our own issues that need healing because we have developed a very sophisticated coping mechanism that represses what makes us uncomfortable. But the key to a joyful life lies in acknowledging and dealing with those discomforts. Otherwise, we hang on to unnecessary baggage that could be taken off our shoulders with just one choice. That choice is taking responsibility for your life and owning up to the changes that need to be made. Just as well respected psychiatrists and author Gordon Livingston said in his best seller Too soon old too late smart, “It’s a poor idea to lie to oneself.”
I went to a yoga festival last weekend called Wanderlust where I met people from all over the world with a mission to uncover and spread truth to as many people as possible. There were a number of teachers practising traditional yoga and meditation from India, as well as leaders, writers and motivational speakers with inspiring content. Essentially, it was a massive group of people travelling the world to spread messages of empowerment and love. We certainly need it!
Australian writer and speaker Melissa Ambrosini did a really good talk on how human insecurity is so prevalent in our society and it needs to be addressed. Her mission is to inspire women to be themselves, see their inner beauty, and let go of the not so useful ego that judges yourself and others. Though, I can imagine this to be a rather difficult task with a world that loves to throw the message “you’re not good enough” at us left, right and centre. Between glorified skinny girls, Hollywood’s contagious obsession with cosmetic surgery, Anti-aging products for women and the rise of celebrity followings through social media – it’s no wonder girls lack confidence these days.
However, the good news is that there seems to be a really powerful change happening at the moment with more and more people understanding the illusions of our world and deciding not to pay attention to them. Instead, people are realising their true worth and deciding to step into it with self-love, kindness and care. People are starting to see that we are all in this together and making strong efforts to contribute to bettering our community, our planet and our people. Even influential celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, and Russell Brand are becoming part of this movement. As a whole, it seems yoga and meditation is a popular initiator of this transformation. Ghandi wrote “Be the change you want to see in the world” and dare I say, I think that change is happening now on a large scale.
At Wanderlust, part of a sacred meditation I did with Mark Whitwell was to turn to your neighbour, look them in the eye and tell them that they are beautiful and you love them very much. It was amazing to see the responses of immense gratitude. People don’t hear those words enough. Also, during an outdoor yoga class, I danced to a drum beat with a group in a massive circle, similar to what I would as a little girl – carefree! We had to stay connected at all times by holding hands or touching wrist. Everyone was laughing and having a jolly ol time. Certainly this was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the expressions on everyone’s face (including mine) was a true testament of how good we have the potential to feel when we can let go of conditional thoughts and self- judgement.. On that note, I’ll say breath,smile and if you haven’t already, try a yoga class. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddha
Wanderlust Video below:
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Thanks for reading!
