Good evening, dear souls. And happy 2nd Sunday in Advent as well. Y’all, I’ve had a really, really slow weekend. Like Lina + I didn’t go anywhere. We literally nested all weekend long. In fact, so far that’s how my weekends in December seem to be shaping up. But, they make for a very good balance to the long, crazy workdays from Monday-Thursday. And, to be honest, I think that my soul actually craves being still right now.
While you may think that it sounds boring, I think I’m just following what the energy is giving me. And, you know, I’m just gonna go with it.
So, with this post, I wanna share with you most of what I sent out in my newsletter today. And the energy that I’m seeking to create for the upcoming week.
Well, December is now well underway and I hope that you have found a little peace, solitude, and silence even as you go through your daily routines. I hope that somehow, in whatever works for you, you have found a bit of time to simply be present in the moment.
But, what comes next? Shouldn’t we just keep practicing living in the moment, being mindful and intentional? Well, of course, let’s keep setting aside time each day to reconnect with our souls. New habits are forming + that takes time.
To live in the present is finally what we mean by presence itself!
– Richard Rohr
Today, I’d like to go a bit deeper into what happens when we focus on living with presence. And think about the hows + whys + truths of what a life of presence offers us. In other words, why stillness is important.
→ Stillness teaches us that divine is within
The first amazing truth is that magic + meaning can be found right here, right now. Heaven, bliss, nirvana, peace, happiness, the kingdom of God is not out there somewhere. It is right inside of us. And, the only way to realize that we are one with the Divine Energy of the world is to go within, to be fully in the present moment. Right here, right now.
We do not have to do anything to become magical, divine creatures. We simply are, by virtue of our humanity. The divine whatever moves within us. We are those little tiny specks of stardust, connected to each other + to the magic of the divine in mystical, cosmic, spiritual ways.
And, should we recognize + tap into that magic by practicing a life of presence, then we will be transformed. We will be empowered. We will know truth + embody love. We will live a life that is both higher + deeper than we ever could have imagined. And every single moment will be twinkling with magic + meaning.
But, we have to know this for ourselves. We have to experience it. No one else can do it for us. For anyone can tell us, as I have done here, that the divine is not elsewhere and heaven is not later, but until we open ourselves up to personally experience the connection, we will not believe it.
So, we practice presence. We meditate. We listen. We pray. We contemplate. We ground ourselves. We live slow, mindful lives. And, in all of that, we come to know with our souls that the Divine Reality is right here, right now. With us. Within us.
Bascially, when we’re present, we experience Presence.
→ Stillness reminds us that this is who we are
When we practice being present, when we seek to live a life of stillness, presence, and mindfulness, then we come to know who we really are.
Only by sitting still + being quiet, only in contemplating + meditating, do we really sink deep into the center of our being. And, true, that can be a frightening thing to do – facing ourself is never an easy task . But, more than that, going deep within our soul is where we meet the divine within us. And it is in this space, in the center of the quiet soul, that we come face to face with our true selves. Our selves that can let go of the ego + simply bask in the truth of being.
And in this space, we come to know that our very being is infused with magic. That our souls are sacred, and that we, ourselves, are the very embodiment of love. We can discover + accept the truth of who we are – divine, magical humans filled with light, love, and a purpose.
In returning to the quiet of our souls time + time again, we remember how to let go of the ego. How to let go of our worry for the future + our obesssion with the past. And, in living in the present moment, we keep ourselves in the presence of our own inner truth. Mindful, aware, grounded.
For, I believe that the purpose of living in presence is to know who we are + to prepare ourselves for a higher way of living, a way of living a deep, meaningful life.
→ Stillness is how we know what we know
Practicing presence reveals not only the truth of who we are, but it becomes a way of knowing truth.
I am talking about a deep truth. Mystical, mysterious, universal truth. And this, my friend, is what I call wisdom. Cynthia Bourgeault, a spiritual writer, often says, that it’s not about knowing more, but knowing with more of you.
And, to me, that means that wise people are those who practice living right here, right now, living all of life focused only on what’s in front of them, soaking up + being mindful in each moment as it comes. Of course, that means that attaining wisdom is, at the same time, unbelievably simple + difficult.
But, should we seek to live a life of presence, should we practice just being with our mind, body, and soul, then the wisdom of the ages will be open to us. The ancient wisdom of spiritual traditions, of ancestors, of nature, of our our experiences will inspire + lead us. What I mean is that our true selves, the center of our being, and our intuition is what guides us.
So, this week, I want to focus on being still. I want to continue, of course, living slowly + being as present as possible in all of my moments. But, I want to do it by focusing on the divine that is within me, connecting with my true self, and listening to the wisdom that comes from the stillness.
And with that, my fellow sacred soul, I wish you a beautiful, slow, meaningful second week in Advent. Keep striving for a moment of silence every day, in order to hear all that your soul has to say to you. And, I promise, that as time passes, you will discover that you are living all of your moments in the present moment.
xoxo. liz.
