In my beautiful country, folk wisdom teaches us, “make Heaven of what you have”. Today, more than ever, I believe our Romanian proverb to be an excellent illustration of the mindset we should have, coming into this world. One of humbleness and gratitude for all the available resources, as well as powerful manifestation and mindful contribution to creation.
Last year, around this time, the Universe granted me access to the teachings of karmic seeds and Coffee Meditation by Geshe Michael Roach, through a graceful messenger and the inspiring entrepreneur behind Magic Roots. And thus, I learned to be mindful about the process of planting, pruning, watering and reaping the fruit of a beautiful garden of good, wise, kind and loving deeds towards all of Existence, and implicitly, towards ourselves, as integral part thereof.
This concept boomeranged right back into my life about 2 months ago, when Buddhist teachings called back onto me, as I discovered the educational testimonials of Monk Nick Keomahavong, who was describing a process similar to that of the Coffee Meditation. Buddhism invites practitioners to actively reflect upon their good deeds and use their vibration with intent, by dedicating them to a specific personal goal or purpose. To a person brought up in the Christian tradition, this is highly uncomfortable and counterintuitive, given that the Bible teaches, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”.
My reflection task of the day asks me to delve on precisely that: the many ways in which, consciously (and most often than not, unconsciously), we contribute to the flow of the Universe, as we constantly plant seeds with our thoughts, words and actions. In my spiritual practice, I have learned to consecrate the merits of my rituals and acts of worship to the Lineage of Masters, and to dedicate their effects for the wellness and happiness of all sentient beings. However, my beneficial contribution to the world stretches far beyond meditation or prayer, through every small act of love.
So, how then, can we bring these seeds at the forefront of conscious decision-making and intentional, deliberate action? Through mindfulness, clearly. Although being aware of the many ways in which we positively contribute to making the world a little bit better, a little bit richer, a little bit happier, a little bit healthier, a little bit more abundant, a little bit more loving is not always that simple.
I am guided to ponder upon my social media presence, and the extent to which the content I publish generates positive change. About a week ago, my mother was telling me that she found my most recent project, Full-time Self-love, to be at once too childish and yet too personal, irrelevant yet oversharing. Yet I have never felt happier to share of myself, to tear down my walls and to own my story and, with all due modesty, I believe that by putting myself out there, I have the power to inspire those around me to love themselves a little more every day.
I could go as far as to say that, oftentimes, I have considered it a true manifesto, an act of astounding bravery to bring myself into the public eye, to become instantly vulnerable by making such intimate experiences or struggles available to the general public, target to judgement and scrutiny. My weight-loss journey, my weight-gain drama and ultimately, my story of self-love have always been my modest way of using my own life as an example, as a teaching moment, as a pedagogical method, by which I hope and aim to help those with the same struggles find it within themselves to make peace with their bodies.
I am a people lover. I find it fairly easy to put myself in someone else’s shoes, and when my imagination or realm of experience fail me, I am, for the most part, capable of empathizing and being moved by the life path and challenges of another fellow soul. I have done my share of volunteering, donations and almsgiving, though, until this very moment, I had not given any of those much thought.
I am convinced beyond any doubt that, aside of the beneficent character of charitable actions, it is our divine duty to preserve and protect life, as well as, to a certain extent, the awareness that we cannot be happy while our neighbour is miserable. Yet in the spirit of gratitude and attraction, I understand and accept that I am a vessel of divine grace; that my mission is to be a channel of love, light, truth and abundance, and I therefore have an equal duty towards myself, of acknowledging and appreciating my contribution to the World, so that it may continue to grow.
Once we start to notice the impact we have onto the world, once we notice the ripples that every small gesture of kindness we put out there creates, we are all the more likely to observe even the smallest acts that we direct towards the wellbeing of those around us, and how their effects return to us, multiplied manifold. It can be as simple as holding the doors for someone carrying grocery bags and then, having someone help you take the mascarpone off the highest shelf at the dairy isle (thank you, young man!).
There is responsibility and accountability coming from the committed decision to be an instrument of love. The voice of consciousness sounds clear, every single time you transgress, every single time your words and actions are not aligned, every single time you don’t walk your talk, every single time you don’t put your money where your mouth is. If you are not ready to invest in yourself, why would anyone else?
With this newly gained instrument, with eyes wide open and awareness as awake as ever, I am ready to continue the labour of love. With the coming New Moon, in just a couple of days, my YouTube channel is going on air, with Tarot readings and mindfulness tips and tricks. Before summer, the Full-time Self-love podcast will also see the light of day, as an ethnographic collection of self-love practices, from people who inspire.
I am a voice, a speaker, a messenger of the gospel of Love. And I commit my contribution to planting good seeds, to creating corners of Heaven on Earth, through acts of service towards the health, safety, prosperity, wellbeing, happiness and love of all sentient beings, knowing that the flow of Love will always come right back to me.
Free-flowing Love,
Vladiana
Love Labourer 