I made my life into a healing journey after becoming a healer more than 20 years ago.

Dealing successfully with life’s struggles as a daughter, sister, entrepreneur, athlete, wife and mother has taught me that the list you are about to read works.

How do I know?

I’ve practiced this discipline and made a fierce effort to make it the way I am in the world. This list has saved me from the box in my head in which I lock myself and has pulled me back to the joyful reality of the present moment. That’s where the magic happens.

The old label that used to sit on my box was Unworthy.

Yours might be another label, probably put there a long time ago. Whatever it is, realize that the only thing getting in the way of freedom and  illegal amounts of happiness is reaction to thoughts and feelings.

As soon as I stepped outside that box and started looking in at my thoughts, feelings and emotions, I had the key to the kingdom. And now I’m giving it to you.

1. Wake up

Observe, feel and live in the present moment. This is the key to healing and living a life you love. Make it a way of life from the moment you wake till the moment your head hits the pillow. Wake up by noticing everything…how you feel, what you are thinking, how you are reacting, how you are behaving and what you are saying. Everything counts and everything is an opportunity to be fiercely alive.

Everything that happens to us happens through awareness. If we aren’t paying attention, we’ll miss the important stuff. If you need extra instruction in the awareness department, see my man Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth.

An important part of waking up is recognizing your inner critic. When we start really watching our thoughts like a hawk, we see that the messages that are sabotaging our happiness are that voice in our heads.

2. Be brave

For me, getting brave means feeling my physical feelings of fear, shame or unworthiness, observing the thoughts that go along with the feelings, and then moving toward something that serves my bigger mission.

I learned to use the feeling of fear as a compass; to realize that the thing I’m afraid to do is helping me know exactly what I need to do.

Being brave is a daily practice. It means speaking up, and being myself, no matter what negativity, criticism or judgment comes my way. Being brave is about feeling that debilitating feeling inside and taking action despite it. It’s about standing up for myself and my desires. It’s about knowing my worth. When I knew my voice mattered, and that I was meant to share my gifts with the world, I got brave, and so can you!

3. Heal your sh*t

Healing won’t happen without the awareness you have to heal. So pop back up to No. 1 on our list, and wake up! We begin to heal only by being aware and willing to recognize our fears, patterns, triggers and baggage.

Next is searching for the way. The world is a playground for seekers right now. There are many wonderful, effective techniques for healing. Find what resonates.

Unless we start to integrate our body, mind and soul, healing won’t feel complete. Every emotion has a physiological manifestation in the body. Every pain has a mental or emotional link. Give yourself permission to feel everything, including your emotions.

The most important thing to know about healing is that we are not broken. We have everything we need inside us.

Finally, don’t give up. This journey is lifelong. It’s not about getting to some magical destination of “perfectly healed.” It’s about realizing the moments along the way are the miracle.

4. Stay awake

If you aren’t awake and aware, you’ll fall asleep again and the good stuff will pass you by. Everyone goes in and out of conscious living; I’ve tried to make it about the practice itself.

I drop down into my body and center my energy in a space of feeling and then I move out into my world, staying that way as much as possible. When I drift off and out of my body and get locked up in that box in my head again, I notice it sooner because it doesn’t feel good. Things get more difficult, less clear, and more confusing. That has become my clue that I’m asleep again.

Get good at feeling your body. It’s the magical key to your intuition. The sensations you get, both physical and emotional, are your body talking to you. It talks all day long. It’s just a matter of learning the language, and listening.

5. Do what you love

What’s the thing you love to do so much that you lose track of time? Do that. Then do more of it.

When we follow our heart’s desire, when we make time to do the things that light us up, when we make our lives about doing what we love, then the universe has a way of giving us more of that. I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure this out. It seems like such a simple idea.

If you were taught that what you do has to be hard work or that it has to be difficult to matter, wake the heck up and realize that there is absolutely no reason you can’t do more of what you love. Today.

Not only will doing what you love bring you joy, it will change the way you are being in the world. When people become fiercely alive, lit up with passion, and do the things they love, they heal themselves…and by healing themselves this way, they help heal the world. What could matter more?

Repeat all steps over and over until you die. When in doubt always go back to waking up—it will never fail you. When we are aware, we have choices. When we have choices, we’re free to create the life we desire. Ultimate happiness is ours—just wake up, be brave, heal your sh*t, and do what you love.

~

Author: Laura Probert

Editor: David Lewis

Image: Flickr