Living or just Breathing?

On my way home from Windsor last night I passed by a sign that read "Are you living or just breathing"?

I thought about this question all the way home.  And I'm still thinking about it today.

I guess I had always just assumed that I was living of course.  I enjoy my work, my family, my friends.  I have a good life.

However the more I pondered just how I had been living, I realized that I really have been "just breathing".  Not to knock breathing or anything, let's be realistic without breath there is no life of course, but I'm talking about the kind of living you do when all you are doing is taking breath after breath simply to make it to the next minute, hour or day.

For the most part we walk around in a mechanical haze.  Our schedule laid out for us each day, every day running into the next.

I wonder just how many people think that this is living life to it's fullest? 

And how do we make the shift from just breathing to living fully?

I believe that all we really need is a shift in our way of thinking.  I think that reading that sign and acknowledging that I have been "just breathing" has created a shift in me already.  The awareness that comes with acknowledgment is extremely powerful.  The other part of this is once the issue has been acknowledged you need to let it go.  Resist holding yourself hostage in the guilt game.  Resist asking people's advice about the situation to gain clarity (nobody else knows you or what is happening in you but YOU).  The only advice you need comes from within you.  Believe it or not your body holds all the answers to life's questions, you don't need to seek an outside source to gain a new perspective you need to find a quiet place and ask yourself the question "what am I doing here?" or "How can I live happier, healthier, more fully?" or "Am I living or just breathing"? 

As small as a step as this may seem, it can be profound.  It connects you to your inner wisdom.  Something that can not be taken away and is extremely empowering.



And that is a beautiful step in the direction of living.

Get out of the way!

There have been so many times in my journey where it seemed as though things were moving in slow motion.  Like I was tethered to a large boulder and wasn't able to break free.  No matter what I do or try to accomplish nothing seems to happen.

These feelings make life seem less than enjoyable.  The struggle to move forward every day in our business, relationships, parental duties, etc. can seem endless. 

Often times when I feel this way, I take a moment to sit down and breathe or I call a trusted friend and bounce the situation off of them and happily receive their feedback.  Nine times out of ten the answer comes to me mid-sentence though.

The answer is often "Get out of your own way!"

The problem with feeling stuck is that often we focus on the outside sources that could be creating this position for us, however that is not always the case.  The truth is that 99% of the time we are standing in the way of accomplishing our goals and dreams.

We place limitations on what we can accomplish, when in truth there are no limitations at all. 

That's what I think is so great about life coaching.  A competent life coach can help you answer the tough questions and find out where the self sabotage is coming from.  Essentially, they help you get out of your own way.

As a rule we don't stop what we are doing and ask ourselves "I'm not happy with this situation.  How do I want it to look?"  It just doesn't happen, we get caught up in the emotion and run with it.

However, when you begin to work with a life coach you begin to see your life as full of opportunity instead of full of challenges.  You begin to stop yourself in the middle of a situation and ask "how do I want this to look".

This simple question gives you a broader perspective on what is going on and how we can go about turning it around for our benefit.

Many life coaches offer an initial 1 hour consultation free of charge.  I am one of them.  This allows everyone to access the services of a coach and see for themselves the benefit in their own life.

There is a quote that says "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting.  If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done!"

This is excellent advice.

If you're not satisfied with your life in this moment, maybe it's time to do something you've never done and gain something you've never had!

Jenn Merritt
State of Being
http://www.stateofbeing.ca/
info@stateofbeing.ca

One Choice

Oprah Winfrey once said "Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning".

I believe this statement to be incredibly empowering.

In your life you are facing new choices each and every moment of each and every day.  There are opportunities all around us to guide us into the next phases of our lives.  The choice between bacon & eggs or fresh fruits and whole grain toast for breakfast.  The choice between watching the morning tv or taking a drive to the gym (where by the way they have tv's for you to watch WHILE you workout).  Taking a different route to the grocery store, maybe it will save you time so you can stop for a visit with a friend, maybe you will run into an opportunity to help someone out along the way, maybe that slight change of direction brings you past the house of your dreams and sparks a long lost goal inside of you.  Maybe?

There are times when a big choice needs to be made to set you in a new direction, but for the most part I believe it is just a matter of making a different choice daily that can bring you to a different life.

Taking a different route each time you go somewhere also keeps you aware of your surroundings.  I know I have caught myself driving on "auto pilot", not paying attention to my surroundings at all and realize once I've reached my destination that I don't recall the journey to get there.  The choice I make to take the same route over and over again bores the brain and stifles creativity.  And if the joy is in the journey, what kind of journey is it if we aren't aware of it at all?

Is this how you're living your life?  Did you know you were one choice away from a new beginning?

Think of all the times you have seen situations arise that look exactly alike.  Disagreements with co-workers, children, spouse, parent, sibling, etc.  It's frustrating isn't it?  You think you're doing everything right, however it always ends the same, in a resentful and angry situation.  This is one of those times you need to search your mind for the other choice that needs to be made.  Quite possibly the choices you have been making so far have been the same choice each time.  Just one time try a different perspective and make a different choice and see where it takes you.


Here's where you need to resist the urge to be fearful of what the change will be.  None of us knows what tomorrow is going to bring us.  We need to live where our feet are and be aware of the moment we are currently living in so that we can make the choices that are in line with our divine inner self.  You will know you are on the right track when you receive a feeling of enjoyment, fulfillment, purpose.

If you are feeling upset, angry, resentful you are most assuredly in the wrong place!

It's all about the choices we make.  You choose for YOU!

Opening yourself to seeing the truth in a situation allows you to shift your perspective and make a new choice in the situation.  This choice however large or small it is changes EVERYTHING!

Jennifer Merritt
State of Being
www.stateofbeing.ca
info@stateofbeing.ca