Reclaim Your Life. The Path to Living Awakened.

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“Each time that you make a conscious effort to look for and see what ‘is’ (true), you shift yourself into present moment awareness; that is, you become awake and aware – mindful – for as long as you choose to live in this state.” – dorothy ratusny

My client Mackenzie described it as a flash of light – and the feeling of being wide awake; able to witness herself in the true aspect of who she is.

This is called ‘awakening’ – moments of lucidity and clarity – where, as Mackenzie describes – she is able to see everything as it is and instantly is aware that the opposite – the absence of clarity – is akin to “being in a coma”.

Sometimes referred to as ‘sleep walking through life’; at first glance it would appear that we are functioning in a reasonably effective way, but when we look deeper, we see that there is much that we are doing on automatic pilot; without contemplating, without being attentive to how we feel and without asking our self if the choices that we continue to make are indeed the right ones for who we are.

When you are not fully present and awake, you actually forgo your free will choice and you are not able to live your awakened ideals.

Mackenzie described how much she enjoyed the feeling of being able to see everything with clarity; and admitted that she eagerly awaited the next flash of light that she hoped would come soon.  At this stage, she believed that it was something beyond her control; something that happened ‘to her’.

I was about to explain how awakening was indeed – a conscious choice.

Each time that we make a conscious effort to look for and see what ‘is’ (true), we shift ourselves into present moment awareness; that is, we become awake and aware – mindful – for as long as we choose to live in this state.  This is akin to choosing whether you experience your life fully attentive or go through the motions of it and the feeling of not being fully in control.

Mackenzie would experience more ‘random’ flashes of light as she deliberately set out to live authentic; true to herself.  She described how she had lived her life giving to others, being attentive to their needs and highly sensitive to their feelings.  All of this in the absence of attending to herself, and giving to herself what she needed.

In our recent work together, Mackenzie would describe a moment of pure awareness of how she spoke aloud to herself in the mirror; a pep talk, encouraging words, reassurance for the inner child who almost backed out of going for a swim in the pool because of her worry about how others would judge her. 

It would have been too easy for her to back out and not do this except that her journey now consisted of being the observer; of paying attention to how she felt and to probe deeper for answers that would explain her feelings and to acknowledge what path she would have previously taken to quiet, stifle, and recoil; to hold herself back because this was a long standing pattern that she made habitual (also unaware of doing so) even whilst it did not serve her authentic self.

Make it a priority to be attentive – to observe and notice your choices; and the thoughts that determine how you feel and what you do.  Make a point of deliberately asking, “What do I need in this moment?” “What would make me happiest right now?” “What do I know would be best for me?” 

These questions bring you instantly into the present moment – where you have the ability to choose – to be in control – to highlight a new and clearly defined path that you may then live with confidence.

Be attentive, aware, choose the next moment and live in the experience of it fully, present, and awake.

Acknowledge your conscious choices. What do they mean to you? How do your choices allow you to feel?

When you stop the automatic process that you have been living (and this may mean a stopping of elements of your life — such as a job that has been so demanding of your waking moments that you have felt as though the experience of it has been much like a monotonous hamster wheel that you have lived; without even realizing that it was what you have done for so long; or a relationship in which you now see that you became lost in; losing yourself in the ideal of something that you were not really living, nor experiencing. Rather you were existing in the fantasy of what you told yourself it was, even when there was evidence all around you that spoke to the contrast of this.

When you begin to ask questions of your inner nature; your highest self (your truth), and then to listen and acknowledge the answers that come; with some patience, you will likely also experience a flash of light, an ‘aha moment’, something similar to what Mackenzie described; that marks your awakened state, and the freedom to choose how you will now live your life.

This gateway into truth is completely yours to decide.  You may not approve of everything that you see with eyes wide open. Perhaps like Mackenzie and others, who go through a myriad of emotions including sadness and regret for living so much of their life in a habitual way that rarely honoured their own needs and desires, you too may feel remorse or self-loathing for what you are now discovering.

Please do not remain in this state long. The point to awakening is not to regret the past but to give yourself the opportunity and privilege of reclaiming your life; and of living by choice what is best and right for you.

We can trace back our earliest teachings to see how we began a path that has taken us to where we are, but then we must look forward in a direction that will be sustaining and forgiving.  As I explained to Mackenzie – her newfound awareness and her desire to begin living authentic may mean greater challenges in her closest relationships; places where others have become reliant on her endlessly giving nature and would not be happy with a change. 

In a love relationship, when one member of a couple begins to make changes in how they are and in how they live their life, it cannot help but affect the relationship dynamics; especially if the other member has become accustomed to many privileges that may no longer remain in tact.

For Mackenzie and many other clients who have begun living in the light of heightened awareness; it has become the most liberating experience.  It has opened them to reclaim who they are – often after first acknowledging that they were ‘lost’, that they did not know themselves, that they ‘spent’ a great deal of time with blinders on – ‘nose to the grindstone’, focused on a series of tasks or an end goal that perhaps really wasn’t what they truly wanted – or a lifestyle that was not wholly fulfilling.

The purpose is not to deliberate in the past but to be clear about the different way in which you will live life going forward; including revelling in the joy of giving unto yourself since this is how you thrive.  Attain your purposeful goals, live awake and in control of your choices because you are choosing consciously and with thoughtful care; and as you embrace all that you discover about your self in the process. This is the beautiful and incredible life that you will have reclaimed by living authentic and awake.

If you would like my help as you open yourself to living awake and to the ongoing commitment of being self-honest and wholly truthful, please reach out to me. Let me help.

Additional Resources and Musing of Love…

https://dorothyzennuriyejuno.com/this-is-your-life-a-beautiful-morning-meditation-to-inspire-your-greatness/