Everyone wants to be happy, free, and fulfilled, and it is truly possible that each one of us can live our lives this way, often, everyday. Yes, each one of us faces difficult and challenging times, but you can quickly recovery your balance when you have established a stable centerpoint: your soul-center.  

I believe the reason we struggle with feeling fulfilled is because of what we focus on. When we are very young, we are basically joyous, free, and engaged with the moment at hand. There is an interconnection with our internal world - with what we feel, think, and desire - and our external world. And this interconnection creates intimacy with life and keeps our attention fully engaged in each moment 

By the time we're 8 or 10 years old, our focus begins its shift. Instead of easily focusing inwardly on our own sensations, thoughts, and feelings as we had done, we begin to prioritize the external world with its measures, variety, dynamism, and ever-changing landscape. And by prioritizing the external world, our center-point begins its shift. Our point of reference becomes the external world. This external world charms us as we wait for the next thing to see, to do, or to accomplish, or the next relationship.

Not only does our focus shift from our internal world to the external world, it also shifts away from the present moment and our innate ability to be fulfilled with what is happening in the moment at hand and the joyous journey of our live. The attention is focused on a moment other than the present, whether the focus becomes the future - waiting for the next moment as we struggle to reach our imagined goal, destination, or whatever we perceive will MAKE us happy, or is on the past as we ruminate over things we should've done or longing for the way things used to be. No longer are we attending to or fulfilled by the moment and what is really happening in our lives, or feeling the interconnection with all that is supporting it. This shift causes a subtle and persistent discomfort. And, unfortunately, most of us continue to look externally for ways to address it.

But this can all change by making the decision to shift your reference point, and reestablish your soul-center. And this internal reference can guide you even in the midst of change. You see, your soul, your being, who you essentially are, is naturally balanced, stable, strong, wise, patient, everpresent, and loving. And you can connect to this aspect of yourself on purpose by shifting your awareness back inside toward your inner realm, creating a new reference point.

A proven way to reestablish this soul-center is to engage in daily meditation (read the 5 Essentials for a Successful Meditation here.) It's not that you have to sit around and meditate all day, but if you set aside a little time each day for a meditative practice, turning your attention inward, attending to present moment, and focusing on one thing at a time, you will retrain your attention inward, and re-establish a deep connection with your peaceful center-point. 

From this center-point, you engage in the world: responding rather than reacting to external stimulus, determining where you want to put your attention, and being completely present with the moment at hand. You fully experience and radiate the qualities of who you really are: peaceful, creative, loving and compassionate. This is what I call living a soul-centered life. Read more in about being soul-centered in my new book download an excerpt here. 

Thank you for your interest in self-awareness and creating personal peace. Feel free to share this issue of  Inward Bound with your friends by using the link on the right. I hope to meditate with you sometime very soon! 

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