The path to self-realization begins with being fully present in the here and now. So much of our suffering comes from regretting the past or worrying about the future. But the present moment is all we ever truly have. When you can surrender to what is happening right now, with acceptance and non-judgment, you open the doorway to inner peace.

Observe your thoughts and emotions with the compassionate gaze of a witness, rather than getting caught up in the dramas of the mind. Realize that you are not your thoughts, but the awareness beholding them. Thoughts will arise and pass away, but your true nature is the stillness underneath.

Let go of attachments, demands and expectations that cause you to resist life as it is. Embrace uncertainty, meet each moment with beginner’s mind, and be guided by a sense of curiosity and wonder about the unfolding mystery.

True self-realization arises in those moments of pure presence, when the mind lets go of its incessant noise, and you are abolished into the sacredness of the eternal now. From that state of consciousness, your natural state of being can flower – a state of love, joy, compassion and freedom.