Be Yourself, peace is easy when you know where to look.

One deadly misconception that limits many in the Eastern and Western spiritual scene, whether it is new age philosophies or religious philosophies, is the idea that it is very difficult to know true freedom from our negative feelings, beliefs, desires and emotions. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Another area that leaves many seekers stuck or want-to-be seekers put off, is the confusion and lack of clarity around what role the teacher has in helping them realize this freedom from personal suffering. Whether you consider your teacher to be Jesus Christ, Muhammed, Buddha, Osho, Papaji, John Doe or your local minister combined with any of the above, you would be wise to know exactly what role they should be playing in your quest for inner peace and daily happiness. So you can truly grow and not be limited by them or their followers in any way.

We all have the potential to be empowered, to wake up and to be enlightened, because it is our birthright. It is not something special, elite and unreachable, bestowed upon a chosen few. This is just another shameful misdirection to keep control and manipulate you into being a follower, rather than blossoming into a powerful leader.  Remember leading is not just about leading other people - it's just as much about leading yourself. Leading yourself out of a life of unawareness, dishonesty and negativity, into a life of self-awareness, integrity and positivity. Do this and you will become a great inspiration to every one around you.

Do not let the achievements of others distract you or make you believe that happiness and real greatness is an impossible goal for you to reach out for, or that you could never attain profound peace in your daily life while living an ordinary and simple life. We don’t all need to become a Mother Teresa or a Dalai Lama to greatly affect the world and inspire the people around us. I come from the "keep it simple" school of philosophy and aspire to this; to bring the best attitude to each day, to each moment. To give my full heart to everything that I do, even the simple mundane tasks of life can be performed with the greatest care, heart and attention to detail. That’s what makes your life become a continuous meditation, a dance with divinity, a sacred pilgrimage.

The Gift of Life

Be the best you can be in the here and now, and fully embrace the gift we take for granted - life itself. Without life and a body to experience the world through, is there really any point to all this madness and chaos life can appear to be? Without life itself, that house you worked your butt off to pay for, may just as well be a sandcastle on the beach. Without life itself the bachelor’s degree that you gave up every pleasure to achieve may just as well be used as fancy wallpaper.

What am I trying to say here? Do everything you love and enjoy doing for the sheer joy of giving your best to everything you do. Live with passion and intensity and do not lose your joy of living for more material possessions. Do not lose your ability to laugh, be playful, kind, and feel deep contentment just to own a house in a “dream world.” Receive life with open arms and full awareness of each new moment as it is happening and unfolding. Have the courage to do only that, which brings joy to your heart. In this way, you can be an inspiration to others.

Do not underestimate the importance of your positive attitude, high spirits and enthusiasm to live. It is worth more than any amount of money. Ask your friends and family if you don't believe me, or better still ask yourself. Find a path that will allow you to have it all; financial security, success and happiness because you love what you do. Remember you can greatly influence your outer reality by what you think and believe is possible. Wake up to the now. Wake up from the dream of time and start living in the now. You will be relieved and empowered.

Each day you have to breathe, you can create something special, joyful and loving around you. It does not matter how poor or rich you are, this moment, like death, doesn't care about that. It offers empowerment to all those who seek its truth. Allow this truth to become a fire in your life that burns away all illusions of time. Being in the now is freedom from the suffering of the past and also freedom from the fear and uncertainty of the future, which of cause may never come.

The more people that could wake up to the power of the now, the more love, compassion and acceptance we would start manifesting into this amazingly beautiful, dreamy and magically crazy world of ours.