Steph's Ripples

Something that really stood out for me this year is to stop postponing things. When I get this/ that, when I have some more free time, when I'm on my break, the list goes on. Stop right now. We're so used to living in the future that we tend to forget about what's most essential: the Now. We forego the present moment which is the only moment we have- to enjoy, appreciate, be thankful for. It's good sometimes to reflect and take some time to pause. It's so easy to get caught in the 'busyness' of our lives. We start putting things off and forget what we truly need. Let's us be fully present and do what we need right now- not tomorrow, not later, not in the future.

I found that plenty of us like to complain. We complain about everything, from the weather to the news., little mundane things to bigger aspects of our lives. It's as if we are constantly on an edge, waiting for the next opportunity to attack, get a go at something- a sad attempt at letting go of what's bothering us.  What we fail to realise is that complaining is not the solution. It's never is. Complaining puts us in a victim position, where we feel we are at the mercy of circumstances and have no control whatsoever in taking action. We are at the mercy of what's happening to us. We are being reactive on what we can't control instead of being focused on what we can control. Your ability to choose a way to make things better is always present. Complaining looks like it will make us feel better, but it doesn't. Actually, it gives more power to pain and suffering. So stop complaining and accept everything that happens as they do. Choose to enjoy life as ...

One of the biggest learning curve in my journey was to realise that I have everything that I need. As soon as I acknowledged this fact, I stopped holding onto unnecessary material or longing for what I felt I needed. It was a huge release because I was not clinging onto a made-up world anymore. I accepted everything as it came. I felt content and so peaceful. I used to rely on external aspects of life to make my life meaningful- external support, approval, material possessions. Those things are entirely out of our control. They place you in a victim role. You expect life to unfold in a certain way, you believe that owning such and such thing will make you happy and hold onto those limiting beliefs. It's like holding onto a running water, slipping away- no control.  Once you realise that you have all that you need inside of you, it's a liberation. You don't need anything, anyone, anymore. You simply 'be'. You start living when you let go of everything that i...

When you become aware that you are not who you are, you release yourself from the identification with the ego by simply Being. You are the one seeing the pattern of thoughts. Don't try to justify anything. Be present and watch.  Be aware, be conscious.  Problems are all self-created, due to the need to be superior. The ego is fearful because it feels insecure, vulnerable. Deep with that sense comes the need to always be right. We fail to live by being controlled by our fears, the egotist mind.   We have to separate ourselves from identification with the ego and be.  If we feel negative, there is no room for positivity. Unless you release pain and fear, we become one with it and constantly feel threatened. We are not living, but always fighting and of course, there's no relief. We dwell on the wrong things.  Become aware of the ego-mind and how it works, in every single task you do or things that occur to you. Once you experience and become ...

One of the most life-changing moments in my life has been to realise that I was not living in the present. This was the decisive moment I truly understood what was stopping me from being me. I was not living, merely existing. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle really put perspective in my life.  The instant I realised this was a moment of pure enlightenment. Something can be written, told, but until it is experienced by you, it is difficult to understand. Accept that the past is gone and the future's out of reach. By constantly thinking about the past, our previous experiences and the future- what if, we forego what we actually own- NOW! It's so easy for us to forget to cherish the present moment, and by so doing we are left in a state of pure dissatisfaction, unhappiness. We are never truly happy because we are not appreciative of the now. Our mind is either distracted by the future or past actions, events. When you acknowledge that pain is created by not being presen...