“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.” Thich Nhat Hanh

That one word in the title defines what I’ve been doing this last year or so. Stripping.  Almost like a life facial, I’ve been peeling away the layers of who I’m not, to get to who I am.  To get to my core.

I remember a period in my life where I would be happy high one minute and down right shocked at how horrible my situation was the next.  It was the craziness of my life at the time. I was in a cycle where I completely forgot my then inner-deprived world.  Know what I’m talking about? We become so reliant on that external feedback loop that we forget to value our inner contentment.

We’re not immune from life’s pain or challenges. My kids surprise me all the time with shock and awe. But when we’re grounded, it becomes less shaky and more manageable.

This week I start a six-week meditation class. Intensive inner focus. I’m worried.  I’m not a sitter. I’m a mover. I don’t like to focus on my feelings.  I like to focus on other’s feelings. But I’m trying to remember that it’s just another aspect of my three keys to living an authentic life:

1. Be more, do less.

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” Lao Tzu

When you get to the end, will you have met your life goals?  Think about that for yourself.  What are they? One of my life goals is to be open to meeting people and being present when they’re in front of me. I try to do it every day, even when I’m crazy-busy. Another goal: be less crazy-busy.

2. Plan less, live more.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the shadows of our lives are created by us standing in our own sunshine.  So true.  Our planning gets in the way of living.

I’m a planner.  I want to know what’s coming. Yet, I’ve purposely veered off my road map and now my life path is mapless.  I’m loving it!  Remember friends, the more we cling to the past, the more we live our fears — the less we live our lives.  

3. Worry less/let go more.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.”  Dalai Lama

Let go. Really. Don’t plan to let go.  Don’t say you’re letting go.  Just do it.  The most powerful thing I’ve done in life is let go of the fear that kept me stuck. When we redirect all the energy we use to hang onto things, people, experiences, the more we have for the beauty in our lives.

It boils down to this: do less, be more, worry less, live more.  Let go and create the experiences you deserve!

Have an amazing weekend!