What is the meaning of life?

This isn't as big and philosophical a question as you may think (although it can be if you want it to be!). This is an invitation to check-in with yourself and be really honest about whether you are being guided through life by things that you think should be important or what truly is important to you.

What is truly important?

What if…..

• It isn't getting from A to B.
• It isn't getting projects finished on time.
• it isn't pleasing others.
• It isn't conforming.
• It isn't receiving accolades.
• It isn’t getting things right.
• It isn’t being the best.
• It isn’t knowing the answers.

So, what is truly important?

What if…..

• It is feeling gratitude and appreciation every day.
• It is feeling a deep sense of alignment between what you believe and what you do.
• It is slowing down and being fully present.
• It is being able to trust yourself to choose the right thing in each moment.
• It is knowing you are making a positive contribution to the eco-system you are part of.
• It is compassionate action towards yourself and others.
• It is feeling at peace in any moment.
• It is the freedom that comes from the courage to say no.

We can lose touch with what is truly important if we don’t make a conscious decision to check-in with ourselves on a moment by moment basis. And even then, it can feel challenging to stay aligned with what we know to be truly important versus what we are tricked into thinking is important.
 
It's an inner tussle that more and more people are experiencing and it feels like that's a representation of a bigger shift going on in the world of which our individual contribution is a part. It’s almost like we are finding ourselves hitting up against a glass wall, trying to move forward in life, seeing what’s possible, but not quite being able to step forward into a feeling of true freedom and self-expression.

There is a simplicity that comes from getting really clear on what is important.

No longer do we:

• agonise over decisions
• waste time and energy getting caught up in other people’s agendas
• lose sleep to worrying and ruminating
• have peaks and troughs of energy and motivation
• feel regret or guilt
• question ourselves or our sense of purpose.

Instead, we find ourselves in a place of calm contentment, choosing the right things at the right time, with more time available to us and more energy to invest in the things that bring us a sense of fulfilment.

And, there is a simplicity in accessing this place.

All it really requires is the willingness to develop the inner partnership between the you that is influenced by the outside world for its sense of what’s important and the you that knows what is truly important to you and where you are in your life right now. Discerning the difference takes practice.

And like anything that takes practice it is helpful to have the guidance of someone who has walked that path and the support of others who are walking the path alongside you.

Giving yourself time to pause and step back from your habitual ways of being can be a catalyst for this shift. Being somewhere where you have nothing else to do or think about other than learning to connect with that wise part of yourself is invaluable no matter where you are on this path – starting out or well on your way.

Perhaps you might consider a retreat (definition - a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax). I have two retreats available to you this year, one in May and one in November. Both have the theme of simplicity I talked of earlier and both will enable you to connect with the inner guidance system which helps you know what is truly important to you. Head over to my retreats page for more information.

And if a retreat isn't for you right now, simply giving yourself a few minutes each day to pause, close your eyes, breathe and turn your attention inward (perhaps with the help of a guided meditation) is a great step on the path towards connecting with your inner guidance system and all that is truly important.