Following our bliss

It is Friday night and I am home alone. Children asleep. Husband at a work function. I could spend the whole evening feeling guilty for not packing boxes the last few days. Or I could get hung up on why I have been so tired and a bit out of sorts. (Impending move, perhaps?) Or I could feel guilty for not doing my yoga homework. Or I could watch mindless sitcoms on TV. (Ok, I don't really do that one!) Get the picture?

Instead, I will do something quite revolutionary.

I will listen to my body. I will ask.

What do you feel like doing?

My body said, "Have some toast and chocolate spread."

So I did. And it was deliciously satisfying. Our bodies never lie to us. They tell us when to sleep. When to play. When to eat, drink and be merry. We have been taught from a young age to disregard what our bodies tell us. Do you remember that you had to wait for the bathroom break at school? You couldn't just go when your body wanted to go? Unfortunately, that is how we have all been trained to shut off from ourselves.

We have been so shut off that we don't even know what our bodies are telling us. And our bodies hold the secret to our bliss. Our bodies will guide us to the life of our dreams. We just need to trust. We need to stop second guessing ourselves with our minds.

Unfortunately, that is also how we have been trained. To listen to our minds. And override our bodies. We have also been trained to be constantly busy. And feel guilty for not being busy.

I call it busy guilt.

Guilt for not being productive. Guilt for not achieving a measurable target. Guilt for sitting down. Reading. Gardening. Playing. Guilt for having fun.

We are conditioned to believe that we only deserve all these things after we have worked. Really. Hard. For a long time. We believe that these things are only due to us when we retire. Or in some heavenly place when we die.

Children know that this is not true. Have you been for a walk with a toddler lately? You will be lucky to get to the end of the block. They don't care where they are going. They are smelling the air. Looking at the fallen leaf, the caterpillar. Noticing the birds flying in the air. Laughing. Joking. Playing. 

They only start crying when we try to pull them out of their blissful state.

"Hurry up!", we say. We have somewhere to BE. And they wonder what is wrong with right here? Right now? And they resist us. Because they know. They know what is good for them. We have forgotten. But, they know. We should listen to them.

What a gift to be a mother. To be in the presence of a little person who is still so close to the heavenly realm, they were there not long ago. They have not forgotten yet. They still know. 

We are not here to teach them. They are here to teach us.

Life is meant to be blissful. Joyful. For everyone. Not just some lucky few. All. Of. Us.

Follow your bliss. I promise it will take you to places you had never imagined.

And if you don't know your bliss, that's ok. It has probably been "thought" out of you. Start with your body. What does it want right now? Perhaps a toast with chocolate spread. Perhaps some alone time. Perhaps a run. Perhaps a nap.

Just listen.

Your body never lies.

Just keep following it's requests. It will take you to heaven on earth.

Blessings to you.

(If you want to learn more about living joyfully, please read anything by Gill Edwards, I just picked up one of her books that I haven't read in years and it is brand new to me again, full of joy and inspiration.)