My Dearest Friend ~
The suffering you’ve spoke of makes me wish I could ease your pain. Unfortunately, that is something only you can do. Guidance can be offered, but one’s only true counsel comes from within. Never let anyone tell you your truth.
I can, however, share what has worked for me and invite you to take it into your heart and try it on. It is my hope you will find a nugget of wisdom among my words to lessen your suffering and turn your thoughts toward greater possibilities.
In my yearning to be free, I have embraced simple realizations that have changed the way I experience reality. I’ll share those with you here and gladly answer any questions I can.
First and foremost, realize that what you give your attention to becomes your life. A simple premise, but too often overlooked.
That which holds your attention, consumes your time, for they are one and the same. You cannot give something your attention without giving it your time, and you cannot give something your time without giving it your attention.
If you seek true freedom, you must be decisive with your attention.
To have everything you want in life, decide with clarity what you truly want and give that your attention, forsaking all else.
To which do you give more attention, what you want to experience or reasons you think you can’t and things you’d rather not?
I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of getting very clear about what you want. How can you give your attention to what you want, if you don’t know what it is?
As reality pulls your attention in every direction, knowing what you want will help you direct your attention more easily. Without clarity, the task is much more challenging.
What you truly want goes beyond things and circumstances. Discover the essence of what you want and give that more attention than you give anything else.
For example, many say they want money, but money only represents that which can be purchased. Ask yourself, “What would having that give me?” and “What would having that give others?” In other words, what would you buy with the money, and what would having what you bought, give you and others? Repeat the questions about the answers until you get to the essence of what you want… then give that your attention in everything you do.
If you answered, “I would buy a house,” for example, what would having the house give you and others? Security? Comfort? Prestige? Say, for example, you answered “comfort.” What would having comfort give you and others? Perhaps comfort is the essence of what you want, but perhaps there’s something even more elementary, such as peace.
Whatever it is, when you discover the essence of what you want, focus on that in everything you do. “Be comfortable” in your dealings with the world and others. Create comfort in your surroundings. Remove that which prevents your comfort whenever possible.
Focusing on the essence of what you truly want, will create more of it in your life. Remember, what you give your attention to becomes your life.
A key point to consider: resisting that which you don’t want, only creates more of it. You cannot resist something without giving it your attention.
I will close for now, but I will write again soon and share how I let go of that which I don’t prefer to experience. For now, take the time and make the effort to get clarity on what you truly want to experience. Giving your attention to what you want will relieve your suffering quicker and more completely than anything else I know of.
Love, Shelia
P.S. You may want to take the What You Want Challenge shown in the menu to the right… It’s free and very helpful.
