So, part of living a conscious life is being aware of how everyday occurrences can mean so much and speak so true to the depths of who we are as individuals. Sunday night I was sitting on my couch, yes my couch, not on a zafu meditation cushion or in any fancy yoga position to gain enlightenment, and I was watching the television show Brother's & Sister's. In one scene Sally Field said to Calista Flockhart, "You're not doing anyone any good by being less than you truly are." Something about this quote really struck a cord for me, and my guess is that it will also resonate with many of you as well. For me personally being a 28 year old who has been on a journey of personal and spiritual growth since the 9th grade, I often teater back and forth from the "normal" twenty-something drama with friendships, family and romance to a more expansive, "old soul" mentality. Now, from experience I know that there is no reason for seperation of the two worlds, but oftentimes the reality is that in certain social or family situations I will still hold myself back in manyways. This quote made me stop and think to myself, "In what ways do I limit myself from being less than I truly am?" At the same time it felt like Sally Field was speaking right to me, offering kind, motherly advice and permission to release any old baggage or fears around shining fully as who I truly am, in each moment, as a unique human being filled with light and joy in this world. Where do these fears originate? Well, that is a unique question for everyone to ask themselves. Does it come from: a desire to please others, trying to fit in, a fear of being yelled at, the thought process that different means bad instead of precious, a deep longing to find connection with others....the list could just keep going. For me I'm sure it is multi-layered, as so often it is, but something about the word "unique" has really resonated with me over the last few days. In this time I have taken this opportunity to pay attention to how I view things other than myself. The image that I love, which has shown up for me over and over has been the image of gems, minerals, and precious stones. Now maybe it has to do with my recent engagement and new found love for diamonds, but I think there is more to it than that. Earlier this week I sat admiring the various crystals in my office. Thank god they are all so "unique" I thought to myself. They each have a different cut, size, color, radiance, energy.... It is that "uniqueness" that makes them so precious to me. Using this image in my mind has been like a touching stone for me. Throughout the week I have had the opportunity to recall this experience in my mind as a way to reframe the way I look at anything that feels different about myself, so that I can more fully build a foundation to being present as who I am in each interaction. I have found myself less likely to hold back in certain situations and to more easily make choices about what I "really" want to choose in each moment. This is just one example of how being concious about everyday life can be easier than it may seem. My challenge to each of you is to ponder this question for yourself, "How do YOU limit yourself from being less than you truly are?". Once you have some conscious awareness around this question see if you can start to experiment with different ways of BEING in the world as more of who you truly are. Now this may take a few addional steps for some to even start to question "Who You Are?" But I can assure you that the rewards from gaining more concious awareness about "who you are" will result in the ability to step away from drama and experience more joy and ease in each moment.