Our lives are so pressured and we are so often under scrutiny to show our best side. When can we relax and simply be ourselves? When can we let our personal programs for self-perfection go for long enough to enjoy life just as it is and just as we are? Truth is that the pursuit of any perfection, whether financial, physical, relational, or even spiritual can be a misuse of our energy. Yes, we should be interested in growth in all these areas, but for most of us we have taken this pursuit beyond far enough. It’s time to take a moment to relax. It’s time to enjoy what we have accomplished and to count our many blessings.

This is where practice absolutely helps. It helps us to wake up to the present moment, the moment that we actually have. And it expands our awareness of the wonder of the Now moment. As we practice, as we lean into simply being ourselves moment to moment, we become more comfortable in our skin. We learn that being oneself is enough. What a relief to be myself!

What a relief that my starting point can be the practice of being myself.

It might seem the easiest thing in the world to be myself, but I’m so often struggling to be other than who I seem to be. Oh, I’d be okay being the person I was five minutes ago, when I was happy after a great meditation. But now, especially when I’m in a crappy mood. How am I to be myself now? Is there room for Bill-in-a-crappy-mood?

I invite you to take in a deep breath and to let yourself fully relax on the exhalation. There’s no where else to be, nothing else to be doing, than being yourself, here & now. Enjoying life moment to moment, breath to breath is a great practice and, what’s more, a great way to live. Moment by moment, breath by breath, we make our way home.