Written September 28th, 2015
I have experienced a great expansion of focus, upon the realizations that are most important for my growth as a being & individual, in this world right now. Through doing so, I have come to recognize (something that I believe happens over & over again, until it becomes a part of one’s daily experience – I’ll call it an ingrained reaction, rather than a habit) the importance and grandness of honing in on one’s ability to focus with clarity.
A thought that is repeating itself like a small bird in my ear, to share: If what you focus upon expands, how will you choose to focus? My answer to this beautiful question, is to choose wisely – with compassion, faith & love being the underlying intentions. This notion, that our thoughts combined with the strength of our energy-spiritual, physical, mental, & emotional energy-are powerful enough to manifest our dreams, our desires – this is a very wonderful thing. This means that if you have faith and believe in yourself, and in your capabilities as an individual force of energy, that you can and will manifest what you desire. The keys to this working within your daily life lie in trusting the process, letting go of the outcome, and being true to yourself – to your heart.
A major shift, or widening in perspective must occur within oneself in order for this to become a successful way of being and experiencing within this world. One must accept and let go of the past, stop clinging to the future (obviously have a vision for what you’d like to happen, but don’t become so focused on it that you expect it and worry about it), and live in the present. To live in the present, requires conscious awareness and focus on mindful action-this means not allowing auto-pilot in the monotonous activities that everyday life presents to us as human beings, such as brushing one’s teeth, doing laundry, driving the car. All of these actions, when done with intent and focus, will become more full and truly can be joyful if the mind is focused properly. I believe one of the biggest and most important aspects of this shift in perspective, is the intention that one has-is it selfless, or selfish? Is it for the greater good, or is it only based on one’s wishes for personal gain? The intention must come from the heart – and this is a space of gratitude, for all of life. For every single living being, the earth, the people, the animals – and for all of us to co-exist within this space that has been created for us, in a healthy and cooperative way. So much change must happen in this world for that to be a reality, and I believe it can – but it truly depends on how people are choosing to focus, and this requires the conscious evolution to a mindful way of living. When this can be, people will be much happier for it won’t be a struggle to survive – the experience will be a great gratitude for being alive & being able to experience such beauty, and light that this life has to offer. It all revolves around where one’s focus lies.
I recently visited the North-shire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont with my mentor. When I walked in and looked around, I was slightly overwhelmed by the size of the store – but also very excited, for I’d never been in such a beautiful and large one before. So many books, and I love reading, so this was a like a treasure chest. But to find the right one would be like the needle in the haystack search, right? I meander around the whole store, and can’t seem to find the philosophy/metaphysics/spirituality sections. For a moment I thought, I should ask someone if they even exist – then I realize that they have to, this bookstore is huge. So I focus and realize that I am being impatient – I continue the search, and right around the corner tucked away like a secret cove, is a small section of all of the above and more. I spent about an hour looking for the right one, and ended up with five really amazing books. The first one that I just started is titled, ‘How to Train A Wild Elephant & Other Adventures in Mindfulness‘ by Jan Chozen Bays, MD. I know that someone had told me about this book in the past, can’t quite remember who it was but I am grateful for it. I started today with the first exercise, which is to use your non-dominant hand for as many things as you possibly can-brushing your teeth or hair, drinking tea, writing, etc. The idea is to practice this everyday for a week, and then move on to the next mindful change that the book has to offer – after a week, it should become ingrained in the daily motions, and if not you can go back and visit it again until it is. I am curious to see how well I can do at this. It’s all a matter of how intently attention is placed. I will share more about this as I progress through the book, based on what is most effective and helpful to my transformation.
Look back soon for more on my journey with ‘How to Train a Wild Elephant‘ through sharing of my personal writing, more on my spiritual growth, and of course my photography & silversmithing endeavors! I have much to share & am grateful for the opportunity to share it!
ᎣᏏᏲ || Osiyo
Chelsea Erin Wright
CWright Photography 