Inspiration for All You Are
All You Are, or AYA, is a lifework of me, Jamie Shaw. In an extremely varied lifestream I had taken on roles as a Cambridge University social anthropologist, an electronic music DJ, an underground music event organiser, a project worker with unemployed young people and a champion of apprenticeships in North London, a teacher in a number of different guises, a world traveller, writer and outdoor adventurer. In 2008, after a difficult few years, I accepted that none of these roles was adequately resonating with who and what I really was, and that, at least how I perceived it at the time, I was rather lost. Surely there must be more to life than this?
A decision was made to take time out from the stresses and strains of the daily grind, to ignore the noise around me, to undergo a period of re-structuring myself and attempt to piece together a way forward that could more fully encompass whatever it was at the core of my being. This process led me to what can only be described as an awakening, an understanding of the crucial importance of being here now, and a deep acceptance of the path that had led me to that point of potential. Breakdown had been transformed to breakthrough!
It also brought to the fore an embryonic idea that I'd had in my mid-20s called 'The People's Museum'. This idea involved setting up highly affective community spaces where the local public were invited to contribute both an object and an associated story, in whatever format the contributor saw fit, which would then be anonymously exhibited, with the space becoming a real hub for the local community and a spark to its imagination and expression. There was a lot of confusion in me surrounding this idea, it felt clouded and incomplete, so much so that I had never really given it a chance. If anything, it had become a block to me pursuing anything with any ongoing commitment. It had knocked about in my consciousness for so long, but had never gotten close to seeing the light of day. Does this experience ring any bells for you?
Despite all this, the process I had undergone had showed me that somewhere within this seed was the vision I'd been looking for. So, how to get from A to B when you're not even sure where B is? For me, the next stage involved simply jumping into the unknown and trusting that the vision would crystallise and solidify into something real and achievable. I knew I had to rejoin existence and create the conditions through which I would find out what I was here to do and do it...
This initial jump took me to Brighton, in the South East of England, where I began teaching a content driven English language course at a rather idiosyncratic establishment called The European School of Animal Osteopathy. This position allowed me several months of the year off to research, develop and begin putting all the pieces of my vision together. This process involved remaining open to guidance from life and seeking to integrate what was put before me in my direct experience so as to clarify what this vision was. Most importantly, my new life situation enabled me, during each summer break, to walk the various Camino de Santiago routes across Northern Spain. It became almost a constant cycle of letting go and allowing the constituent parts of the vision to come into my lifestream. The Camino was a truly wonderful catalyst for that.
These profoundly transformational journeys acted as the birthing ground for All You Are and the vision did indeed begin to crystallise in ways that I had not anticipated. I was also reconnected with those aspects of myself as a creative being that in many ways I had put to the side. I found myself encouraged and guided to begin developing my musical persona as a transformational DJ: Magic Torch, something that I had actually let go of entirely! I began writing spiritual poetry (see Mind and Heart and Bridge) and my novel of the same name which I plan to publish soon. I saw that there was also a need to put together my own personal brand, Be All You Are, to provide guidance and support for others who are embarking on similar processes of realignment, and to provide a platform for my own creative expression. Soon the enormous potential evolutionary impact on our path to becoming human began to reveal itself. I have to admit that at many points I felt over-whelmed by what was taking shape. I had so many remarkable experiences along the way, experiences which I was, more often than not, unable to share with others - they simply couldn't relate to what had happened. I was, however, enabled to focus on engaging my own inner power to change and I was brought into contact with many like-minded people and projects which have informed the base concept of AYA. What was perhaps most powerful and illuminating was the fact that, as each constituent part of the project came into being, I could see how each of the avenues I had explored during this lifetime was, in fact, key training and preparation for what was to come. I was beginning to awaken to my own unique role as a visionary creator.
As the vision solidified, I could see how the elements of All You Are perfectly reflected the parts of myself that held the most interest, fulfilment and, indeed, pleasure for me. The journey I had embarked upon became one to 'true' 'authentic' self, and a steadily increasing resonance with a state of unconditional love - for my own being, for the journey thus far, for another and others, and for the planet which we inhabit. I began to realise, through my own lived experience that what was happening was the opening up of the possibility for all of something many refer to as ascension. The potential for self-realisation and self-actualisation and finding our place within the total social body has clearly upgraded and become more readily accessible than at any time in human history. More than ever before, people are looking to discover, align with, express and realise the paths they really need in their lives. AYA is ready to come into existence now to answer that call. These truly are exciting and critical times!!! I now spend most of my time in Galicia and the Canary Islands, as well as maintaining connections back in Brighton and Bristol in the UK. I am focused on grounding the plans I spent so much time developing as well as continuing with my own creative work.
The journey was always challenging in ways unique to myself, sometimes rather turbulent, and required such a lot of letting go that, at times, I was ready to jack it all in. But I kept going, kept walking, and, despite many mistakes made and perceived wrong turns taken, have arrived at a point where All You Are can begin taking shape and having its affective and effective impact on the world. I am now putting the call out to bring on board everything and everyone that AYA needs to begin operations. If that includes you, just get in touch and let's open a dialogue. Your place within what we are doing is sure to bring you joy and fulfilment and a place within the whole that will make your heart sing. What AYA will provide is a framework for what many would call 'unity consciousness', a structure for individuation to more functionally and more beautifully manifest. AYA provides the means to do all this, and perhaps most importantly, one does not even need to approach it with a 'spiritual' mindset, or any beliefs. I get a lot of extremely positive feedback from those who would define themselves as atheists or agnostics or whatever else you can think of. For me, I understand that our spiritual and our physical journey are one and the same. What could be better than choosing to believe in yourself and now, and begin accessing a pathway that can transform your life. Nothing is written in stone, of course, but here is the starting point. I hope you like it...
