We are born free and uninhibited. As young children we express our spontaneous and authentic selves in everything we do.

As we mature however we learn to experience and interpret life through the lenses of other people and organisations- society, our parents, our friends, our religions, our schools . We start to loose our authenticity. We dress ourselves in make believe personas which restrict us. We begin to contract as the weight of our psychological clothing starts to weigh us down. We have begun to die slowly! The sad thing is that we don’t even realise what is happening to us.

Like that statue of Bhudda I referred to in a previous article our golden, spacious and free nature has become encrusted with an outer layer of accumulated life debris. We don’t have to wait for physical death to find ourselves buried in a coffin or shroud as we are doing that to ourselves while we are still alive!

We develop our identities through this illusory shroud and either seek to avoid or exert control over anything that threatens their existence. At the root of it all is our feeling of powerlessness and the fear that generates. We feel separate and isolated from everthing and everyone else. We seek to temporarily regain the illusion of safety and security by trying to exert control over our external environment through destructive personality types such as anger, jealousy, pleasing, nastiness……. Elvis has truly left the building!!

These feelings only serve to exascerbate our fear and insecurity. There is little wonder that we resort to drugs, alcohol, sex and an endless list of other distractions to feel some momentary sense of calm and solace.

Of course the result is that we beome more and more distant from our real selves – that shining light which is uniquely ours and whose foundation is LOVE.

There are however things we can do to help us uncover our golden lustre:

• be consciously aware of who we really are as opposed to who we think we are
• awaken from the slumber of our default programming and take responsibility for ourselves
• consciously intend and act in the moment
• spend time each day and at regular intervals during the day to reconnect with pure consciousness
• develop a “Bucket List” of things that you can do which make you happy and re-connect you to your unique authenticity

Always remember you are a beautiful and powerful eternal sentient being and you truly create your own destiny through intention and choice. Do this consciously and break through that outer crust that hides your light. Otherwise you will continue to waste your life.