Living in the moment – letting go of material expectations
As I write this, the sting of grief has pierced my heart once more. It does not matter how much of an expert I consider myself to be in grief, the piercing of the sting hurts as much now as it would at the beginning of my journey. The pain of grief travels throughout my body tearing it apart.
Only a few days ago, my wife and I lost our best friend. In fact, this woman was more than a friend, she was family. She was my greatest supporter and we enjoyed so many wonderful experiences together over many years. We were nicknamed the three musketeers and we enjoyed many adventures together in many places. We spent many Christmases together, as well as other important life events. The tapestry we wove together was exquisite and told a tale of our intertwined lives. Materially, she had more than enough and worked immensely hard all her life to get to where she was and now, in a moment, it is gone. What was the point!
Life is delicate. It is eternal yet finite in the material
Life is a delicate balance, a finite tapestry woven with the threads of time, relationships and experiences. This recent personal loss has served as a stark reminder of the inevitable fragility of our existence within the earth plane and a poignant lesson in the essence of truly living – living for the moment.
Every day, we are bombarded with an avalanche of societal norms and expectations, an unending race towards the accumulation of material possessions. We’ve been conditioned to understand success as owning a luxurious house, a fancy car, or flaunting designer clothes. And in this ceaseless pursuit, we often lose sight of what really matters.
The world we inhabit is far more than a sphere of concrete, consumerism and competitive urges. It is also a place of wonder and beauty, a space for profound connections, joyous experiences, and soulful introspection. Yet, we are liable to forget this, lost in the maze of materialistic expectations that seem to command our existence. We live in fear of those who make the rules, we panic at not having enough and we are constantly conditioned to want more.
But life, I’ve come to realise, is not about the number of possessions we accumulate; rather, it is about the quality of moments we experience. Each day is an opportunity for unforgettable encounters, spontaneous adventures and gentle reflections. Each moment is a chance to feel, to love, to live.
If you want to know what life is really about, then look deeply into a photograph, for it will tell you a story and captivate your mind and your heart.
Use your imagination to connect with truth
Imagine walking through a forest at dawn, the world around you coming alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, the smell of damp earth filling your senses. Picture yourself gazing at a star-studded sky, feeling an overwhelming sense of awe at the marvellous, infinite cosmos. Ponder on the joy of shared laughter with friends, or the silent comfort of a loved one’s presence. These are the experiences that enrich our lives, that leave imprints on our hearts and souls. They are the simple yet profound moments that make life worth living. Instead, we remain focused on what we have, what we can get and the need to conform to expectations. The world is imbalanced and full of a negative fog that engulfs us. The need for power, the need for more and the need for control create distance from the miracle that was divinely bestowed upon us.
Lessons from loss are invariably harsh. The pain of losing someone close is beyond words, the void left behind, vast and unfillable. And yet, amidst the grief, I encountered an enlightening revelation: Life is fleeting, transient and impermanent. But rather than leading me to despair, this realisation can serve as an empowering motivation and lesson for you to make the most of every moment, to honour our ephemeral existence by soaking in every experience life offers.
It’s your choice, so make it a good one
I urge you to make a conscious choice today. Choose to live your life for the moment, not for societal standards or material possessions. Don’t let the noise of the world drown out your own voice, your own needs, your own desires. Allow yourself the freedom to cherish the present, to experience life with all its intensity, its chaos and its beauty.
Let’s move beyond the obsession with materialistic expectations, towards a celebration of life, and existence. Focus on creating, cherishing and immersing yourself in experiences. Embrace the joy of connection, the power of presence and the beauty of the simple, everyday moments.
In the tapestry of life, each thread represents a moment, an experience, an emotion. A thousand threads of material possessions won’t complete the picture of a beautiful life, but a single thread of cherished memory can. This is not to renounce the material world completely but to give it less precedence, to understand that the core of our being is not defined by what we possess, but by how we live and cherish each moment.
Life is too precious to be solely devoted to striving for materialistic expectations. So, breathe, live, feel, love and, most importantly, cherish the now. Trust in the wonder of life, in the beauty of experiences, in the magic of each passing moment.
“Create memories, for they have more currency in spirit that anything that exists in the material.” Jock Brocas
Many people get caught up in grief and refuse to live after loss. Few people live life and instead, just exist without truly ever experiencing what it really means to feel the wind in your hair or the drop of rain on your face. Even now I sit here and am worried if I have enough to pay taxes, but really it does not matter. In the grand scheme of things, the suffering created by the material world does not serve us in any way. If only we could take back our divine power, we would create the experiences that bring us joy and, of course, fulfil what is needed for our soul’s expression.
I do understand that we have responsibilities of life such as finances but, again, this is a construct of man and we do have the power within to fulfil that which is needed. Man can take things from you if you do not conform to expectation, but your mind is yours and it is the psychological building blocks of your reality. Your memories will exist far longer than the coins or paper in your wallet or the instance of digital currency you accumulate.
Your loved ones would not want you to create that prison in your mind. Remember, you are not just existing, you are living – a marvellously unique human experience. So, live without fear, live without regrets, live for the moment. For in the end, it is not about the years you have, but it’s about how you lived and experienced those years and, in the grand scheme, how you served without condition.
As you move forward, consider each day as a blank canvas waiting to be filled with colours of joy, lessons, love and experiences. Break free from the chains of materialistic obsessions and embark on the captivating journey towards living for the moment. Because living is not merely surviving; it is a celebration, a wondrous adventure filled with countless moments of joy, love, pain and beauty.
Every heartbeat is a rhythm in the symphony of existence, every breath a reminder of the transient beauty of life. So, make each one count. Live for the wonder, live for the moments, live for a life filled with experiences.
In memory of Sheila Colaluca, who went home far too early. You will know the impact you had on the world and, though you could not see it here, you will know now. You are, to us both, an integral part of our lives and your tapestry of life is now complete; we are grateful to be a thread in your tapestry. May it be woven throughout the cosmos for all to feel.
We love you!
Bring some sunshine back into your grief journey with Jock’s ‘Grief Group’
https://jockbrocas.com/grief-group/ or find out more https://jockbrocas.com/
Jock Brocas is a renowned evidential spiritual medium, best-selling author and respected paranormal researcher. With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, Jock blends his rich spiritual experiences with extensive scholarly study, inspiring thousands across the globe. His intuitive abilities and dedication to truth have fuelled his popular books, such as Deadly Departed and Powers of the Sixth Sense. Jock uses his deep understanding of the afterlife to support those grieving, providing comfort through afterlife education. An influential figure in his field, Jock continues to captivate audiences with his fascinating insights into the spiritual realm and the unexplored corners of the human psyche. His work reshapes our understanding of life, death and what lies beyond, offering us a unique lens into the extraordinary.