Focusing on the “essence” of life vs the“form” is the best way to be true to yourself. Essence is the heart of action. The form is the framework of the action.

In spiritual development, it is important not to get caught up in the form and mistake it for the essence. This is the mistake that Sunday-only church-goers make when they fail to incorporate their religious beliefs into their daily life.

Rich Fields, a Buddhist author, I interviewed for my film on death a few weeks before he died, told me that service to others is the reason we are here.  This makes complete sense to me. We want to be of service to others because we are all connected, all one -- humans, animals, plants, and planet. We sink or float based on our commitment to uplift everyone.

I know this idea of unity is not much in favor right now. Everyone seems to be scrambling for I-me-mine rather than embracing "we and us."

Maybe the millennials can teach us something important by referring to themselves as “we and us" or "they and them." Perhaps as we become accustomed to these new pronouns of inclusion we will change our brain wiring to welcome more community consciousness.

I recently reread My Grandfather’s Blessings, by Rachel Naomi Ramen, a medical doctor and an author of profound wisdom about the true nature of healing. She has spent much of her life trying to help others in the medical field recognize and understand the truth of healing.

The book, inspired by the love-filled teachings of her grandfather, is a primer for living with essence regardless of how we choose to express our service. Rachel is critical of contemporary medicine's reliance on form and disregard for the essence of healing. Its model of professionalism replaces the healing impulses of its young doctors with a mechanistic model that demands they go through the motions and follow the form. It is a soul-killing approach that robs doctors of the impulse that drew them to medicine in the first place.

This reliance on form is not just in medicine, it is in so many other vocations – teaching, social service, government, sales, etc. It is sad to see how many people have fallen into the habit of doing just enough instead of seeking excellence. Going through the motions of their jobs, they rob their souls of true meaning and purpose.

Is it any wonder that 1 in 6 Americans are on some form of psychiatric drug -- according to a 2013 study by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey? And what about all the rest of us who self-medicate through drinking, drugs, computer games, texting, and over-eating?

My husband and I have been contending with a city official who misled and lied to us about a claim we had regarding our taxes. Is this what we can expect of our city officials? Dishonesty? City managers complain that they have a difficult time hiring people. They blame it on low salaries, but I suspect it has more to do with their loss of an ethical compass. We need to be proud of the place where we work, not ashamed.

What can we do to turn the tide of this tsunami of despair, which goes to the top of our government? We can begin by living in essence -- being true to ourselves, our dreams, and our desires. In doing this we become a beckon of light, a reminder to others, and an energetic force of change.

If you do not know your essence, you are not alone. Many of us have traded our true selves for the approval and acceptance of others. It is one of the pitfalls of being human – a hunger for acceptance. However, we mistakenly think that approval is won by fitting in and losing ourselves. Real acceptance, however, starts with self-approval. And self-approval comes from doing those things that uplift and enhance your spirit and the spirit of others.

As they tell us on the airplane, you come first. Put the oxygen mask on yourself before you help others!

What is your oxygen mask?

The Sufi work is one of my primary tools of upliftment. By teaching Sufi classes, I help myself and others.

Writing is another tool of mine. It allows me to open to the wisdom of my spirit. I hope that my writing inspires others. However, it is enough that my writing inspires me.

Another tool is gardening and growing vegetables. Tending plants is very healing. There is nothing quite like spending time in the sun cultivating plants. These plants inevitably nurture and nourish me.

What are your tools? In what ways do you embrace the essence of your life?

When do you forget it?

I forget essence when I push too hard, when I say yes when I want to say no. I lose myself when days fly by without painting or I forget what is truly important in my life.

Sufi practice is my way to reconnect to my essence, release my worries, and realign with my spirit. Only then can I experience the magic of living.

Would you like to try my Sufi class and connect to your essential self? Join me tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th at 10:30 am PST or come Sunday, May 5th at 8 am PST. You may be surprised by what happens.

The Zoom link is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89999494833?pwd=V2pOS28yYUdXM3hkaW1rVWIvSjBUdz09

Meeting ID: 899 9949 4833

Passcode: SUFI

Here's a time converter link to check the time in your location.

Be peaceful. 

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peticolas

Life Transformation Coach

Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss

Secrets of Life and Death

https://www.facebook.com/secretsoflifeanddeath.com