When I was still a model and actress, I wished so much to change my life. Chasing fortune, fame, friends and fans was not attractive to me. I wanted to make a difference. I had a law degree, yes, and I studied Human Rights and International Relations, but entering the legal world didn’t feel right to me. It felt too heavy and complicated for my simple mind. I was clear in my intention to the Universe: I did not want to build anything, I didn’t want to manage anything or anyone. I wanted to live an unembellished life and be useful. I wanted to experience happiness like a child again, full of wonderment and awe, with laughter, play, art, music and dance, and I wanted to share that joy with others.
The Universe clearly understood my baby babble because about a decade later, here we are.
After years of serving at the ashram, going into solitude and facing my traumas head-on, and learning the arts of meditation, mindfulness, and mantra chanting, I was released back into the wild, so to speak. And what wonderful wilderness it is out there! The same addictive distractions of the world exist, but I am no longer drawn to them and my old way of life. And I’ve discovered there are as many ways to live in this beautiful world as there are rivers and streams. This was inconceivable to me before. The frog in the well has no idea of all that is out there, even if the sky is in plain sight.
It’s like becoming a toddler again, figuring out my new likes and dislikes, and what’s good for me and what isn’t. Life’s challenges remain, as they do for everyone, but the way I see them is vastly different from before. Each time I stumble, I watch myself actively apply the wisdom I have acquired over the past years from my guru’s teachings and my experiences, and every time the result is peace.
The key really is so simple.
It’s what my guru, Om Swami ji, has been saying since the beginning:
Smile, Breathe, Meditate, Let Go.
&
Live, Love, Laugh, Give.
There really isn’t much more to it.
Sometimes it takes a little longer to get there than at other times, but the result is always peace. And when I’m very still or feeling devotional, or following my breath with enough focus, then drunken bliss flows. It’s very real and very achievable. No booze or drugs needed, and no hangover!
And while I’ve been traversing the great outdoors again, I’ve been with some incredible people who share the same values of kindness and service. Together we’ve served in hospitals, care homes, day care centres, schools, youth centres and refugee centres worldwide.
I have been especially honoured to serve with four incredible women:
One, my mother, Mataji, who lights up people and animals with her love, and from whom I learn so much. Watching her interact with the elderly and unwell helped me overcome my initial shyness, and a whole new world opened up. I discovered a reservoir of love and connection with them that I didn’t know was possible.
The other three: Anna-Sophie Brüning, Sara Ezzell, and Marzella Steinmetz, are magicians in their fields of music, dance and teaching.
Anna-Sophie is a master classical violinist, pianist and conductor, frequently working with the most renowned orchestras worldwide. Sara is a classically trained ballet dancer and a choreographer invited to lead performances on prestigious stages in many countries, including Russia and Germany. Marzella is the youngest of us and a gifted musician with the voice of an angel. She shines like the sun in a classroom, her natural playground, sharing her gift with children. I teach the importance of mindfulness and the values of kindness, forgiveness, and gratitude. And, where appropriate, I share talking points from my journey that might be relevant to the group or the person. Building trust, some of them open up about their lives and find some healing and relief in sharing.
There is a beautiful theme of love, unity and peace that runs through our interactions, and we put all of our hearts into every single one. We each do this in the spirit of service. None of us is wealthy, still, we don’t charge for sharing our time and skills like this. We’ve come to understand the futility of simply living for ourselves, and we find our joy in sharing our expertise outside the ego-driven industries we once worked so hard to be a part of.
I rarely take photographs, and there are many places, such as hospitals, of course, where I would not take photos to preserve privacy and dignity. In some places, such as refugee centres, we cannot share anything due to legal and political sensitivity. So, here is just a tiny snippet of what I have and can share with you of my time back out in the wild so far.
Maybe we are all a little frog living in our familiar little well until something, or someone, invites us to question how we live our lives. I’m not saying you have to give up the material world, wear robes, and live only for others. Not all. We are all unique beings. In a world of 8.3 billion people, there is no one exactly like you. I’m saying work patiently and persistently at something that you love, anything that has a positive impact on the world. And it doesn’t have to be something big. Even just one conscious act of kindness a day. The natural byproduct of that is bountiful love, peace and joy. And share it! That’s what we’re here for. Live, love, laugh, and give because then not only are you really living, you’re giving life to others, too. This is a blessed life, in my opinion.
It may have taken a decade of towel-wringing transformation for me to come this far, and I am still evolving, no doubt – but I have never looked back since the day I questioned my life, strapped on that jetpack and skyrocketed out of the well.
Where’s your rocket? Fly 🧡