Achieving is not the be all and end all, after all

I was reminded this week that achieving is not the be all and end all, after all. This made me want to share a confession of an achiever... As an entrepreneurial creative person, what you achieve is proof of your lifeline. Although being a task master in the pursuit of achievements, it’s almost impossible to be fully present. It’s easy to get consumed in a mental game marked by the accumulation of little successes. From a spiritual life, the focus of achieving will set you up for struggle and disappointment. If you are looking for a end result, you are already not where you are. Our intuition and our heart get challenged from seeing little wonders and gifts unfolding, because we are already busy elsewhere.

This week I was communicating with a friend in Ireland who is very excited about a trip that she has coordinated in New Zealand. Then she said that she’s going to focus on staying present, to not let any opportunities of happiness pass her by that are available to her now. What a beautiful conscious practice.

Achieving is necessary in the modern world, but when this becomes our mindset it feeds the ego and not the whole self, so it can also stir up a tremendous amount of dissatisfaction and make it very difficult, even painful, to be present.

Achievements are not a part of my retreats. Matter-of-fact, these retreats are anti-achievement based. In order to nourish the whole self deeply we need to allow ourselves to be present with what unfolds around us and what arises within us. When there is nothing to achieve but to allow the experience at hand to wash away the accumulated burden of our lives and be intimate with what is at hand, that is a gift to the human spirit. I say to myself many times a day “trust and surrender.” Rise to the occasion of being present and the exact teachings you need will show up.

I hope the demands of this time of year that is renown for its hooks, bounce off your peaceful breath and glowing heart to go unnoticed.

with a smile, a bow and a prayer,

stay blessed,

Gisele

I just found pictures that previous guests from the Ireland experiences posted. They leave my heart swollen. What a gift and honour to share these unfoldings together. If experiencing Ireland calls you, let me know. As for Italy.. da same, da same but not da same. 😉