Day 102: You Are Not the Content of Your Life

When we take on too much, are working on multiple projects, have several deadlines to meet, and feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done with not enough time to do it, it can be hard to step out and look at the big picture.

Walking on the beach allows me to do that.

For you, it could be a walk around the block, sitting in your backyard for five minutes, or taking a hike.

It pulls you out of whatever you were in the middle of and gives you a chance to reset.

Zoom out for a minute and breathe.

I have a spot on my calendar every morning that says “5 minute hourly breaks.”

Most of the time, that gets ignored.

But it’s there.

It’s a reminder.

And sometimes I actually do it.

If I continue to do it more often, at some point it will become a habit and a regular part of my routine.

So I don’t feel bad about the times I ignore it.

Baby steps.

This morning I read this quote from Dr. David Hawkins:

“To know that the Self is context—and, in contrast, the self is content—is already a huge leap forward. The naïve seeker merely keeps reshuffling the content.”

Many of his books can be a little esoteric, and this quote can be a head scratcher until you break it down.

Think of it like this:

Your thoughts, emotions, and experiences are the content.

They’re always changing.

One moment you feel calm, the next moment something triggers you and you feel unsettled.

That’s the content.

But there is a part of you that notices all of that.

The part that can say, “I’m feeling anxious right now”
or, “That didn’t feel good.”

That part of you isn’t changing.

That’s the context.

Most people spend their lives trying to rearrange the content so they can feel better.

Fix the situation.
Change the person.
Control the outcome.

But real power comes from recognizing you are not the content.

You are the one who is aware of it.

Another way to look at it is the difference between the sky and the weather.

The weather is always changing.

Storms.
Clouds.
Sunshine.

That’s the content.

But the sky itself never changes.

It holds all of it.

That’s the context.

Most people try to control the weather.

But you are the sky.

Your Self is already whole and perfect.

There is nothing that needs to be added or changed.

It simply is.

What you’ve been working on is the content.

Trying to make the pieces different so you can create a better picture, better weather, or feel less emotional.

But when you zoom out, even for a few minutes, you reconnect with something bigger.

You remember that you are not what’s changing.

You are the one who sees it.

And from that place, something in you relaxes.

You don’t need to control everything.

You don’t need to fix everything.

You can let the content move.

Let it be what it will be.

And focus on allowing what you truly want in your life.

Open the door to the good things.

And accept that you are already good enough.

You are already deserving of what you desire.

Nothing else needs to be done but to release your grip on controlling the outcome of everything, and allow.

Today’s Gentle Practice

Take a quiet moment today.

Pause whatever you’re doing.

Even for just a minute.

Notice what’s going on in your mind.

The thoughts.
The emotions.
The reactions.

Then gently remind yourself:

“This is only content.”

Take a breath.

And notice the part of you that is aware of it.

Rest there, even for a few seconds.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear what shifted for you when you stepped back instead of trying to fix everything.

With you,


Lynn