NASCI (I arise)

"If a person becomes more conscious, naturally his character is transformed. But that transformation... is not managed by the mind -- it is natural, it is spontaneous. And whenever your character is natural and spontaneous it has a beauty of its own." (Osho)

Today, I feel joyful, serene, quiet and contented, as I have been for weeks now. I don't quite understand what brought about this transformation, but I accept it gratefully instead of frenetically seeking to understand its root causes. All I know is that the "I am" of me has been found, uncovered once again to live in and rejoice in it.

The peaceful joy that arises from living in my authentic self is my new default mode, and it is noticed by others before I even saw it myself. People tell me that I'm glowing. People tell me that I have an "aura" of "bright," "joyful," "zen," "energy" about me. People tell me that they want to have what I have inside of me -- "Can I have some of that?" --  an inextinguishable flame and lightness of being.

Somewhere along the process, I realize that I stopped "becoming" an Artist, and just started "being" an Artist. I just started being me, embracing my totality and living from the place of unconditional love which is my essential Self. It is no exaggeration that this relapse and rebirth process has been the most profound realization of my life to date. Every event, every process, unfolded exactly as it did in order to allow me to shed my old skin, ego, and ideas, and embrace my essential Self as a being of love. I needed to break through the pain of an ego shattered, a small "me" annihilated, so as to rise above, transcendent into a higher level of consciousness.

I embrace my past pain and suffering with deep gratitude, for the new Self that was forged in the flame and arose from the dead lives, truly, fully and honestly lives, in unconditional love, joy, and bliss. I transcended the pain. I transcended a small self. I have been reborn, yet again, at a higher level of consciousness and in a new realm of existence. 

Each step I take, I take with the totality of my Being and with unconditional love. Each breath I take,I take with the totality of my Being and with unconditional love. I find a serene smile seemingly permanent across my face, bursting forth from the glow within -- I can't stop smiling, I just can't stop smiling -- and I know it's because I'm just being me.

I am thankful to the Universe for walking me through the suffering and into a greater understanding of life. I AM DANA -- ARTIST IN RECOVERY.

NASCI.

My art is my reconciliation.