Awareness in the Present Moment
Every Sunday I have the blessing of being a part of the Tweeples who follow and tweet about Super Soul Sunday, Oprah’s favorite program on her network. This is my church and a rich blessing in my life. I feel totally fed by participating in this soul-expanding program.
India Arie on Super Soul Sunday
This morning India Arie came on at 11. She talked about her spiritual journey in allowing herself to come from her authenticity in her music. The standard “do what the music industry says is right” didn’t work for her. She said that she had fame and money but was ill all the time. Her comment was, “What good is that?”
Ms. Arie then spoke about her spiritual epiphany when she realized that no matter what was going on, everything was okay. By a volcano in Hawaii, she felt the interconnectedness of all things, and her awareness of her connection to God and her soul expanded. From this powerful base, Ms. Arie was able to leave the world of the music industry and express her spiritual mission through her music. If you get the chance to watch a rerun of this program, I feel it will touch your heart like it did mine.
Rainn Wilson Talks about SoulPancake
Rainn Wilson’s appearance on SuperSoulSunday was repeated at noon EDT. Even though he plays a quirky villain on The Office, he’s really a very deeply spiritual person. Mr. Wilson talked about founding Soul Pancake, a project about asking and answering the big questions, getting in touch with your soul, and inspiring creativity and play. Oprah’s conversation with Mr. Wilson was profoundly spiritual and delightful. YouTube talking about SoulPancake:
What I Learned Today
The message that jumped out and said, “This one’s for you,” dealt with present moment awareness. So often, I am tweeting or texting while I’m walking down the street. I often don’t bother to look up and smile at a fellow human being or silently wish them well. I eat dinner in front of the television, less aware of the wonderful tastes of each food. I have to ask myself, “How many opportunities have you missed to connect with blessings because your mind is some place else, Melody-Rose?”
Many years ago we saw Baba Ram Dass, after he wrote his book, “Be Here Now.” At the time I didn’t realize how very profound and foundational this teaching is. If we could accept that we are here now, how would that change our appreciation of life? What if we use all of our senses to enjoy a good meal with family, walk through the garden, sit at the laptop writing? What if we hone our focus so that we bring total awareness to the moment?
We spend so much time in pain because we replay the past over and over in our minds. What if we just acknowledge what happened, unplug from the past, and be here now? What if we stopped focusing on the future, imagining what it would be like if things would change? What would life be like? For me at the moment, I’d feel my backside sink into the bed, my head on a soft pillow, the laptop on my right leg, my left foot on the floor, the words I’m writing flowing out of this awareness. What a rich experience I would have missed, had I not decided to be here now.