We all know people that live their life from their heart. They are those that overcome the obstacles, hardships, dramas and trials of life with grace and gratitude for them. They are the kind of people you want in your corner, like to be around and are your biggest cheerleaders.
For me, this is my second oldest sister (from a family of 8 siblings), Mary. She’s always been an extraordinary individual, finding joy and laughter in every moment of life. To this day, it is the simplest of things that brings a broad smile to her face.
In the days of our upbringing, she would have been known as mentally retarded, where today we dress up and dissect that terminology. Anyway, out of the gang of kids in the house, the only name she could clearly say was mine. This meant that as Mom and Dad focused down the sides of the table in hopes of knowing who did something, Mary would inevitably chime in with, ‘Bob, naughty’. At first this was difficult to handle, after all, I was taking the brunt of situations I wasn’t involved in. Of course this all changed when the situation involved the car, Mary pointed me out as always, and I was way too young to have been driving. This lead to the laughter at my always being pointed out by my sister with a chuckle in her voice and as she did so, she lightened the mood around a very serious household.
Looking back, I can now see the gift she’s given and appreciate the joy she has brought. Most of all, I’m grateful for the way in which she lives her life from her heart.
We seem to be conditioned to think of life as competition, war, strife and the dramatic ‘battles’ of existing. After all, we live in a dualistic physical reality that assigns ‘winners and losers’ to every aspect of life. Yet, truly living from the heart is much more subtle and less overt.
Thomas Merton, a 20th Century Jesuit Theologian, states in the preface of his book, ‘No Man Is An Island’, “My successes are not my own, for my successes are built upon the attempts, trials and failures of others. Likewise, my failures are not my own, for by attempting, trying and failing, I have become part of the building of someone else’s success.”
Somewhere along the explosion of our evolution in speed, information and technology, we have lost the understanding of our interconnectedness and narrowed our focus of what it is to live. Easily we wrap ourselves in the dramas, fears and concerns of everyday life, striving to succeed. In this we forget what it is to truly live from our hearts.
The longer I have with my sister Mary, the more she continues to teach me about this type of living. It is a way of living that is simple, although simplicity doesn’t mean that it is easy. Here are a few suggestions to ponder from the way in which she lives her life.
Everyday is an Adventure – The dawn of each new day begins a new experience that can hold magic, mystery, surprises and treasure. Then again, it can bring more fear of tomorrow, regret, anger, apprehension and the mundane repeat of yesterday. Upon opening your eyes, you have the choice of which of these thoughts will guide your day. As stated in the Indiana Jones movie, ‘Quest for the Holy Grail’, “Choose wisely.”
Take time to Observe and Appreciate – Spend 2 to 5 minutes at some point during the day and observe the people in your life. Observe them doing whatever they happen to be doing at the time. Focus your attention on them individually and appreciate their being in your life, the talents they have and even their idiosyncrasies. In doing this, you may find out that they have little things they do that become endearing. I did. My wife, Lisa, makes the funniest faces and moves her lips around when she’s reading…..I so love watching her.
Sing out with Gratitude – Although Mary doesn’t sing well, she sings often. Sing out your gratitude for the events of the day. Share them. Exalt them. Relish in them. If for some reason you cannot find any, make them up, list them out and keep writing until your feelings change.
Take the Big Perspective - The world around you is a reflection of the world within you. You create your reality. You attracted the people and situations that are in your life (like attracts like, water seeks its own level). We naturally do this to learn and grow as Soul Beings that are having a Physical Experience. You are more than your body or mind, you are an infinite and eternal being here to grow, learn and experience. When you take a look at the arguments, difficulties and struggles of life from this perspective, the emotional tightness falls away. A new view comes into focus and from this new perspective, you will be able to see what it is you are to learn about yourself, experience and grow through. Life no longer becomes the dualistic battle, fight, struggle and the arguments and dramas fall to the side.
Have a Belly Laugh – There is an old adage, ‘Laugh and the world laugh’s with you, cry and you cry alone.’ This saying exemplifies that we like to have happy joyous people in our lives; so be one. Even if you have to go to the absurd, have a good laugh each day; you know the kind of laugh that brings tears to your eyes. This not only changes your mood, it changes your vibration and will draw more joy and laughter into your life. In doing this daily, you will soon find yourself having belly laughs spontaneously and often.
Living a life from the heart is simple and as hard or difficult as you want to make it. When you realize that your personal reality is a reflection of your inner reality, when you take the initiative to change what you’ve always done, thought and felt, when you consciously change the vibration of your being, you change your life and the reality you experience.
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