Welcome to this meditation.
Your greatest act of daring is to live a life you love.
I begin with some thoughts on alignment,
Self-care,
And the kind of daring that is world-changing.
We end with a guided meditation.
You and I are alive at one of the most consequential times in human history.
There are powerful forces in play across the spectrum of experience,
From the sublime and the wondrous to the cynical and the base.
The negativity and mistrustful thinking that are so prevalent today can bring even the most practiced optimist to feelings of aloneness,
Disconnection,
Sadness,
Anger,
And hopelessness.
Let us remember as human beings that we're wired for negativity.
Throughout time we've had to learn to survive by quickly identifying and solving problems.
Our brains are wired to look for any abnormality,
Any problem that needs to be decoded and sorted out swiftly.
In the technologically driven landscape of today,
The information coming at us is rapid and ever-changing,
So we're constantly stimulated,
Tested,
And on edge.
It's a delicate dance between disconnecting to preserve our equanimity and staying tethered so as not to miss what may be important and life-sustaining.
Caring and daring,
That is what I propose as a recipe for prosperity at the start of this new year or at the start of any new cycle.
Extending small acts of gentle kindness and compassion toward others,
For this we begin by holding ourselves more lightly.
Tibetan teacher Chajam Trungpa Rinpoche taught that goodness and gentleness are always present,
If not always recognized.
I try and remember this as I take careful note of what I let into my head,
My heart,
My home.
I try and remember this as I steer myself toward the good and the gentle and orient in the direction of curiosity and wonder,
And I attune to the beauty that my brain is also wired for and that I know is everywhere.
Self-care is asking myself,
How did I come to think this thought,
Feel this feeling,
Believe this thing?
When I inquire with genuine curiosity,
I begin to see and understand myself better and my habits,
My character traits.
And when I ask myself,
What am I afraid of,
What do I need,
What in the center of my being is unshakable and untakeable,
Then I feel myself expanding.
Asking and being willing to have my beliefs and certainties disturbed brings a more open,
Available feeling,
A more curious state of mind.
Inside this spaciousness,
I can be with the world exactly as it is and not against it.
I can create as the person I am right now and not from any other place.
And then the daring.
Another way to navigate these restless seas is to dare to live boldly,
Audaciously,
And authentically.
Here in the Northern Hemisphere,
The longest day of the year is behind us.
What will I do with the returning light,
I ask myself.
How can I bring more light into my world,
My tasks,
My passions.
The greatest act of daring each of us can make is to live a life we love.
To bring what we love to the center of our lives and to defend that love in all its forms.
To take risks in its name,
Innovatively and confidently.
To not know everything and therefore to make mistakes.
To learn from our mistakes,
Use them,
And go at it again and again.
To feel excitement,
To take pleasure.
This is how we keep the wearisome wolves at bay who would dare to commandeer our attention and our joy.
Living a life you love means attuning to what is calling you each day.
It means returning to the table,
The blank page,
The broad aerial view,
The minute details meant just for you.
It takes courage to weather the hurdles and sacrifices,
Setbacks and sorrows that are a part of the authentic journey.
It is the artist in you who makes meaning of all of these things as you return again and again to your purpose-filled work.
Human beings in love with their lives are needed to raise this world's vibration.
We are needed to rise up into ourselves and for each other.
Living a life you love is your greatest act of goodness and gentleness for it is placing love above the fray.
Living a life you love is your service to this world.
It will change the world every time.
Sorrow,
Fear,
Grief,
Sickness,
Rage,
War,
Loneliness,
All part of the human experience.
People can always be lifted up.
The artist's loving and tender work is that lift.
I invite you now into a place of stillness where you can center yourself.
If you like,
Have something to write with nearby or something to record your thoughts into later on.
This meditation and visualization will last for a few minutes after which you'll hear an ending chime.
Seated or lying down now as you wish,
Come into a relaxed posture with your eyes open or closed.
Take a few breaths,
Breathing in deeply and exhaling fully.
Repeat this two or three more times.
As you return to normal breathing,
Check that your brow is softened,
Your shoulders and jaw are relaxed,
And your hands are open and receptive.
And let these questions flow over and through you.
Feel free to record what comes to you.
What I love doing is.
Who I love being is.
What being alive right now is teaching me about my passion.
And what is my passion teaching me about being alive right now.
I know how I can bring forth what I love.
I know how my family and community are served when I love my work,
My life.
I know how my family and community can serve me,
Can support me as I do my work and love my life.
All this I know and I know that I know.
Repeat to yourself as you follow these words.
My greatest act of daring is to live this life in love.
In living it,
I'm aligned with something larger,
My creative impulse,
And all of creation.
I'm already aligned with my purpose,
With nature and beauty,
And with the stored treasures of my unique experience,
Knowledge,
And wisdom.
I'm ready to deepen my relationship to this purpose in the name of love.
I trust myself to bring that love forward.
I will have who and what I need for the journey.
I will care for myself.
I will care for others.
And I will live this life I love.
