Part Nine: Awakening Through Gratitude

A friend sent this excellent video from a site called Soul Biographies and it was about gratitude.  Gratitude and appreciation are really powerful for shaping a person’s experience of life.  As I have mentioned before, Oprah has stated that her gratitude journal has been the key to her success.  So gratitude can bring success and it can also help us to become more conscious human beings.

Gratitude brings you present, in the moment everything is possible including awakening.  In gratitude you replace whatever occupied your mind with a thought of appreciation, of hope that life can continue in such a rich and rewarding way.  These moments of gratitude brighten the rest of your day.

How do you develop a practice of gratitude?   

First make it a priority each day to note what you are grateful for, this is best done towards the end of your day when you can review all that went well and felt good.  Just taking a few minutes to appreciate what you are grateful for sends out an energy that will bring more to appreciate.  The more you look for things to be grateful for, the more you find them.

Second in this moment as you read this look around or tune in and see what you appreciate right now.  This being present throughout your day to tune in and feel grateful will enrich how you experience everything.  The negatives of the world seem to drop into the background when you are fully present to what you appreciate. 

You are invited to start a journal, do a before sleep gratitude review or throughout your day note often what you feel gratitude for and all that you appreciate.  This will awaken you to how wonderful life can be and make you a happy and understanding human being. 



Part Eight: Awakening Through Empathy

I am realizing as I write this series that there are going to be 25 or more of these.  Don’t worry they will be placed in a downloadable book after I complete this series on Simple Ways To Awaken.  I will also mix in some other posts along the way.  My excitement about this series seems to grow daily as inspiration flows effortlessly.

Empathy is a natural human state.  In The Empathic Civilization Jeremy Rifkin writes about the world transforming through the expansion of empathic consciousness.

The world of empathy is a world guided by the heart filled with compassion for each other.  Rifkin says we have a primal driving force within that seeks relationships and connection to each other.  This force has the capacity to bring positive change to the planet now when it is genuinely needed.  This flies in the face of the present paradigm of competition as a sacred cow, big stick diplomacy, and ego domination. 

What would awakening through empathy feel like for you?  Notice when you feel compassion for someone or some situation that is empathy.  Sense when your heart goes out to another as they take on their challenges in life that is also empathy.  It is as if you have put yourself in some else’s shoes and feel for them.

Empathy means your heart is open and as you know only an open heart can lead to awakening.  How do you learn to have empathy for another?  There are two ways that are the simplest: one in that you have empathy for yourself; the other is that you learn to listen with compassion and sense where the other is coming from.

Empathy for self begins by paying attention inward with a caring and accepting heart.  Your life journey has its ups and downs and challenges and you want to be supportive of yourself along the way.  This empathic support comes in the form of lots of kindness and compassion for your imperfections, for the times you mess up and when things don’t seem to work out.  Watching all of this impartially with empathy awakens in you empathy for others.

Listening with compassion comes by setting your needs and concerns aside and putting your entire focus on being fully present for another.  This listening with compassion is a great gift to give those you care about because it helps them to feel totally validated and loved.  To listen in this way also teaches you to be aware beyond yourself and this grows empathy in you. Being aware beyond you/self is a wonderful doorway into the infinite knowing of unity consciousness.



Part Seven: Awakening Through Adversity

These times you and I live in offer unique opportunities to awaken to our higher nature.  When the world seems all mixed up and the economy is not working for most then this can be a great time to look inward in search of insight and personal growth.  Adversity can be a time to watch our reactivity, which when watched inwardly can bring awareness about who and how we are that would benefit from the light of consciousness. 

Now if you don’t know adversity then count yourself fortunate but if you do let’s explore how struggle can enrich your life.  First lets start with the idea that mindfulness along the way of the ups and downs in life can be very helpful.  If you can be mindful when you check your balance online and see “no money” in your bank account then you could feel how you feel, sense the fear arise, watch your mind go on overdrive, and notice the body tighten wandering about how it will be fed.  

This reaction to a set of numbers is informative.  You may go into outright fear and panic.  You could make a life changing decision and go about setting yourself up financially for the rest of your live.  You could simple move money from one account to another.  You could fall into self-doubt and stir the inner critic into full activation.  All these responses bring light into who you are and how you deal with life.  With awareness you then can make choices about changes you want to make both internally and in your life. 

Remember there is no good or bad or right or wrong about much of the dramas of life, there is just opportunities to be more aware and conscious.  If you choose consciousness then the ups and downs are just the ride and your state of mind and heart shape the experience.   A few good questions to ask: how do you grow from the experiences you face; what in you needs to expand or shift to be a more realized human being; what inner guidance is available to show you how to express yourself with more heart and wisdom? 

You know you have awakened to what is possible in you, when you can step aside and enjoy the drama for what it is, learn from it and then take your life higher.  In the mind you could even change all your dramas to comedies.  Stepping aside can be your higher self, the spirit within, the impartial self, or whatever name you want to give this watching free of judging; this watching that is aligned with the great wisdom of the universe.

Adversity is a friend on the journey of life.  It is positive thing to become friends with the struggles and hurdles because they seem to be placed in front of you to invite you to awaken.    



Part Six: Awakening Through Self-Acceptance

Most people struggle at times (if not all the time) with being ok with who they are.  This struggle however keeps you and I from awakening to what is possible in us because we are so busy not being ok with who we are.   Not accepting yourself is a roadblock that needs to be removed if you truly want to be a more conscious and alive human being.  

The following are 25 ways to explore and expand your positive sense of self, which will help you step into deeper and deeper awareness and ultimate liberate you to awaken in so many ways:

1. Today forgive and release all the past and live in the now, awaken can only happen in the now
2. Acknowledge and accept all your feelings, respecting your feels expand your consciousness
3. Make sure your self-talk is positive and supportive so you can be receptive to insights
4. Keep your mind open and your thoughts positive and awakening happens naturally
5. Be aware of your body and listen to its needs and you will be in touch with a great force for self-discovery
6. Establish contact with your Higher Self and you will be talking with the Divine
7. Make a list of all the things you do well and in appreciation you will feel more self-aware
8. Spend time each day being more aware of who you are and that naturally helps you to find your true nature
9. Silence the inner critic and be welcoming to what wants to be known from inside
10. Find ways to deepen your relationships with those you love, expanding love means expanding who you are
11.      Live in the moment not in the past or future, there never is insight in the past or the future, only in the moment
12. Have compassion for yourself and others because compassion comes from an awakened heart
13. Be honest with yourself at all times then you self-inquiry is true and powerful
14. Give up trying to seek the approval of others and you will see what matter is only the discovery of your higher nature
15. Become comfortable with expressing your uniqueness and in that expression, self-understanding will blossom
16. Set realistic expectation for yourself and that keeps you exploring what is possible within you
17. Live with purpose, do what gives your life meaning
18. Be active in your growth and your life long learning will be very enriching 
19. Be mindful each day and the result will be a more conscious human being
20. Focus more on being and less on doing, in being awareness will be present
21. Be internally focused and less concerned about the outside world and you will sit in the wisdom of the moment
22. Listen and follow your intuition, this internal guidance system will take you higher and higher
23. Find and explore the spirit within and you will find your oneness with the highest of consciousness
24. Go for a walk and learn to slow down because in the slowing down you can awaken even more powerfully
25. Experience the joy of being you and in the joy of discovery you will become what wants expression inside

Hope you found these ideas inspirational and make use of them soon.



Part Five: Awakening Through Exploring Energy

Energy is a great measure for how open you are.  If you have no energy, you are not open.  If you feel full of energy you are open.  By open it means that your mind and heart are open.  When either your mind or heart is closed you restrict your energy. 

In essence all spiritual work could be called energy work.  The higher your connection to Spirit, the higher your flow of life force or energy.   If you have an open heart and an open mind then you are in the flow of spirit, which manifests as energy.

The basic question for this path of awakening is, “Am I alive with energy or am I blocking energy?”  Any lack of energy flow is because you are blocking it.  Blocking can be in the form of: rigid thinking, resentments, emotional denial and repression, unfinished business with others and situations, turning away form those you love, being self-critical, living in the past or the future, need to be right, judging others, denying pleasure, addictions, and other forms of limited thinking and detrimental behaviors.

Being open is so much more joyous, peaceful, compassionate and hopeful.  You can be open by: doing your best to keep open; by moving towards a deeper connection with others; by keeping your heart open through open thoughts; by being open to a wide variety of ideas, points of view, cultures, wisdom traditions, and beliefs; by focusing on what you appreciate; by practicing kindness; by helping those in need; by listening with compassion; and by being supportive and encouraging towards yourself and others. 

As you go through your day you can watch to see if you are opening or closing in any given situations.  This watching as to your state of contraction or openness will give you clear feedback about how available you are to life.  Open or closed, energized or depressed, it all depends on you. 

Your heart is the most important component in the energy of your life.  If you have an open loving heart, you will feel full of the energy of life.  This is why being compassionate, loving, kind, and caring to others feels so energizing.

The focus of your mind is another essential part.  If you focus on exploring life receptive to all it offers, if you keep an open, appreciative and positive mind then you will feel the limitless energy available to you. 

The spiritual force that flows through you is always waiting to be expressed.  It is most powerfully realized when the heart and mind are in the flow of the now, open and expressing you as fully as you can.      



Part Four – Awakening By Slowing Down

What if the only thing you had to do to fully awaken was to sit down and do nothing?  Slowing down in your life so you can be present to what is going on is all that is needed.   Doesn’t life seem too hectic?  It is and slowing down will bring you into a more peaceful and enlightened state.

Slowing down and doing nothing are about moving away from doing and moving toward being.  When you are just being, you are present to life in a receptive and peaceful way.  Slowing down is about being in the now mindful of your thoughts, sensing your emotions, and settling into a peaceful presence in your body.  It is a joy to be in the moment and to be aware enough to fully appreciate all that can be known in the now.

How do you slow down? Think of life in general being full-speed ahead with everything in a rush and rarely any time to even notice what is going on inside or around you.  Slowing down is: to take a step back from the action; to notice the beat of your heart; to feel the life force of your breath flowing in and out of you; to pay attention to your thoughts, to sense the ups and downs of your emotions; and any other way of being fully present to what is going on in you in the moment.  Any of this inward awareness causes you to slow down. 

You can slow down through meditation, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, prayer, and other contemplative practices.  You can slow down by slowing down.  Instead of rushing to a place walking or in your car, you can move at a relaxed pace, take a scenic route, pay attention to where you are instead of just going to get somewhere.  You can slow down by participating with life at a relaxed pace, in a friendly way, or for the enjoyment of whatever you are doing.  Creative expression can’t really ever be done in a hurry.

You can slow down by taking one step at a time.

Once you slow down and see how enjoyable it is, you will want more of these experiences.  Soon you will see at least parts of your life have taken on a quality of peace and appreciation for living that feels uplifting. 

Now sit back, take a long slow breath in and out, contemplate the practice of slowing down and then do nothing for a while until you are guided to glide towards some expression in you that comes from your soul or sings in your heart.



Everyday Is Precious If We Have Awakened To The Moment

It is 10:30 in the evening and I have pumpkin bread in the oven and our Addiction Recovery staff picnic tomorrow (now today).  I had another post written but the timing of it was changed when my meeting with the director was rescheduled.  So now I am sitting here open to ideas for a quick and inspired post. 

There have been a few very sad losses going on lately with our clients.  One client had one of his nephews stabbed three times and another nephew shot and killed.  Another found out his girlfriend has a tumor that the doctors say she only has 6-9 months to live.   Another client due to his felonies of 20 years ago can’t find any place to live.  Two recent grads from our treatment program have fallen back into their addictions. 

All of this makes for both a sense of heaviness and a reminder that life is precious and today is the day to enjoy living as fully as we can.    We never know when our well-being or the life of those we love may come screeching to a halt.   Life is rich with meaning and meant to be lived today.  If living today is not what happens, when will it?  If we pass on going for life as fully as possible each day then don’t we chance missing out.

Today is the best day of our life.  It can never be better than it is in the present.    Where are we stuck in old holding patterns?  How do we squash ourselves from really enjoying each day?  When do we arrive at the best moment of life, isn’t it now?



Part Three: Awakening Through Imagination

This morning I was working with the power of my imagination and I was able to have a conversation with a powerful guide who had guidance for me about my life.  This guidance gave me new insight and was encouraging about my path for growth.  The power of imagination in you and I is unlimited.

 Imagination is the power to see inside on the screen of your mind what you want to make happen in your life.   With the help of your ability to visualize you can encounter the future, interact with guides, see results you want to create, and most profoundly you can imagine you in your fullest expression and at your deepest knowing. 

You could even imagine light pouring into your life.

This inner practice begins by finding a quiet and comfortable place where you can go into a relaxed state.   Relaxation can happen in a number of ways but the simplest is to breathe more deeply and count down slowly from 10 to 1 with a full breath of inhale and exhale for each number; then do the 10 to 1 count down again this time letting go and relaxing even more.  Now you are in a state of relaxation where you can tap into your imagination.

In a relaxed state you then begin to see on the inside screen of you mind what experience you want to have.  When you visualize what you want, you awaken within you the possibility of making that happen.  You can visualize your connection to your Higher Self and soon find yourself in conversation with the part of you that is directly connected to the Creative Force of the Universe.

Imagination is most powerful when you include all your senses.  For example: if you want to feel more at peace with yourself, you might imagine yourself surrounded by wonderful scents, in a beautiful place, feeling warm and comfortable, with the sounds of the ocean in the background, and sensing how relaxed you feel.  If you can see it, feel it, smell it, sense it and even taste it you can make it happen.  Imagine having a delicious dessert that was made for you by someone who loves you very much and eating it sends you into a very uplifting state of appreciation and joy.

You can imagine anything.  If awakening is what you want, what will you imagine?  How will you take yourself beyond ordinary states into an extraordinary life?   



Part Two: Awakening Through Walking

This series is really exciting for me because I am exploring and enjoying these techniques in new ways that make me feel inspired.

Walking has been an inner practice for me for many years and it keeps feeling more profound and more enlightening.  There are a couple things I want to share with you about walking and why it is so powerful and also some specific techniques that I know work very well. 

Walking is very natural thing to do and it has benefits on a number of levels.  Walking is good for your health; it is the great exercise; it naturally regulates emotions; it has the ability to quiet your mind; and it can easily bring you into a deep connection with your spirit while expanding your consciousness.

When you walk it seems natural to slow down into a more relaxing and appreciating pace of life.  The practices of mindful walking or walking meditation incorporate the slowing down, the relaxation and the appreciation for the moment. 

The simple practice that I use most often is walking at a relaxed pace with my emphasis on a long slow exhale and a deep inhale.  This breathing pattern works in a number of settings but especially when walking.  I find it helpful to have soft eyes, which take in the beauty around me in a relaxed and receptive way.  Sometime I find it helpful to bring my hands together in a way that brings creates a kind of energetic circle (thumbs and first two fingers encircling each other).  I encourage you to experiment and see what works best for you.

Another focus is on my feet and their contact with the ground.  Thich Nhat Hahn emphasizes being aware of each foot as it touches down and lifts up.  I have walked on the beach in Santa Barbara with this great teacher and I love this technique.  My slight alteration of this method comes from another wonderful spiritual teacher I had: I put all my focus on one foot and it seems to work better for me.   I imagine my left foot can take me on the journey to awakening and it has in many places.

One last note of importance:  this type of walking is not about getting somewhere, it is about being fully present in your mind, your heart and your spirit and then magic can happen.  There is also something very special about this practice when I want to seed my creativity.  I go out on a walk and I open to inspiration and it seems to always find me.

May your walks bring light to your life.



Part One: Awakening Through Beauty

Yesterday’s post got something stirred up in me.  A creative flow began to arise in me about the importance of awakening you and I so we can help others awaken.  This flow gave me a list of ideas/practices that are simple but effective in helping us wake up and be more conscious and aware human beings.  I decided to do a series on basic practices for our own awakening and to share them so you can bring them to others and together we can all become more conscious and awake.

This will be Part One since the last post was the introduction to this new series.  I am confident you will find these ideas and practices very enriching.  Please let me know how it goes.

The first simple but powerful practice is to notice the beauty around you.  This beauty is most often found outdoors in nature, in your neighbor’s flower filled front yard, in the park nearby, in the view from your window, or the walk you take on a warm night or even in the sky scrapers that hug the sidewalks in your urban cityscape.

Beauty is all around us and it comes in the form of amazing colors, intricate patterns, eye-catching visuals, and inspired design.  Beauty may be a loving smile, the melody of a song, an idea that turns into a creative project, and other encounters when something in you is touched.

These encounters, all though rich in themselves, gain a deeper meaning when you are able to fully see your connection to the beauty before you.  When in the presence you are filled with love for a bonanza of vivid colors in a garden or jump out of you car in excitement to watch a sunset, you become transformed by the moment of beauty.   Just being in appreciation of beauty is expansive and when you acknowledge this appreciation and you welcome how you are being made more conscious, then the result is that you and the beauty are one.  This oneness with beauty brings you into oneness with your own beauty and the eternal beauty and wisdom of the universe.

This weekend if you are willing, take a walk in the most beautiful place you know and let that beauty call to you where the grace of the moment resides.   In the grace of beauty, you will be invited to be aware and to awaken to what in you wants to realize and express its own beauty. 

Let the beauty express its nature, breathe into it, soak it up, love it, feel the appreciation for the joining you have with what is amazing and beautiful. 



Waking Up And Helping Others Wake Up

“No Agenda – except for waking up fully and helping others do the same.  This is a Buddha’s full-time occupation.”   I believe this is a quote from the Dalai Lama that ended up on one of my collages that I had done recently.   I am not a Buddha but it seems my purpose at this point in my life is to “wake up fully and help others do the same.”

Here is one of my recent collages that I thought you might appreciate:

I have a number of inner practices that I have shared with you over these now almost 1500 posts.  Yet I am always reading about, learning, and practices new ways of waking up.  My latest practice is one of going inward beyond the words, emotions and sensations and making contact with the “me” that is infinite and eternal. 

This moving below or above (however you want to imagine it) the noise of life is something I try to do throughout my day.  As I touch in and get below the chaos of thoughts, emotions and sensations I feel this expanding place of peace.  Then I breathe into this space and who I am becomes clearer.   Breathing in this case is a long slow exhale which I find very soothing and relaxing and a deep inhale.  A few cycles of this type of breath enriches the moment.

I see that I am the energy of consciousness not bound by my stories or dramas.  I am not held back by the limits of my body or the ups and downs of my emotions.  In these moments I have become free to be infinite and eternal.

This expanded place within is comforting because I can step back and see whatever is going on doesn’t really matter.  There is none of the noise of the outer stuff of living when I am aligned with my spiritual nature.  There is just watch and being.  

In case you wondering - this quiet knowing is not boring in any way because the outside is still going on, I am seeing the beauty around me, tasting a delicious dessert, having fulfilling interactions with others and more.  I am still human so I can see and appreciate the benefits of my humanness but thankfully I am freed up from the mistaken identity with all that is going on.

Every time I do this tuning in, the awareness of this infinite state expands.   This practice is simple but it has great benefit.  In the tuning in, the awakened part of me gets larger.  The more my awakening, the more I can help others do the same. 



Be Like A River

On Sunday I listen twice to an amazing interview over at Sound’s True (see ad to the right) in their free podcast series.  The interview was of Michael Brant DeMaria who is a psychologist, writer, painter, musician, workshop leader and more.  He talks about being in the flow of life and uses water as a source of great inspiration.  His music is full of the inspiration of flow.  I realized that I too am deeply inspired by water especially rivers and the ocean.

I sense the call to flow, to water, to living life from being in alignment with the higher knowing within me.  Flow to me is about living moment by moment in touch with the wisdom that resides in me.  This flow is sourced deep inside where my spirit is always in oneness with Infinite Supply/Source Energy.

There are a few flows that I want to focus on because I can sense they are alive and in need of intention and attention.  So I intend to pay attention to the flows of love, creativity, intuition, infinite supply and soul/spirit. 

If you like you can join me in exploring and expressing these flows.  Here is what I know about each of these specific flows: 

The first flow is the flow of love.  The heart is the physical manifestation of love, compassion, kindness and caring.  The heart center is the philosophical location of all that is love.  Love itself flows from a higher state within all of us that seems to be linked to the Source of all Creation.  Our capacity to love is infinite.  To love is to be in the flow of our highest human capacity.

The second flow is the flow of creativity.  In each of us is a abundant flow of creativity waiting to be discovered and explored.  There never has been found a limit to creativity.  Exploring the creative flow means to tap into where we are being called to express our uniqueness.  Creative flow is uplifting, energizing, and empowering.  To create is to live both an inspired life and to be uplifting in our expression.

The third flow is the flow of intuition.  Each of us has the ability to be a highly intuitive person.  It is not complicated to nurture our inner source of guidance and inspiration.  All we have to do is listen inside to the quieting knowing that is always whispering to us.  Intuition is the most wonderful resource for the most wonderful life if we only take the time to pay attention to its guidance.

The fourth flow is the flow of infinite supply.  There is all that we need waiting for us if we enter in the flow of supply.  The universe lies in waiting to supply us if we only get clear about what we need and align with our higher nature.  There is no lack in the universe only infinite supply ready when we are.  To flow in infinite supply is to live in the oneness of the universe.

The fifth flow is the flow of our spirit, our soul.  Spirit and soul are difficult to sort out as to what is what so I will use them both interchangeably.  Living a soul-filled life is to be in touch with the grace of being human in touch with our higher nature.  This flow is the flow toward our magnificence, toward an appreciation of who we are in a fullest expression.  When we step into this flow it feels as if we have arrived at the place we were born to realize. 

I noticed as I write this that I love to write about flow and that is because my writing is absolutely at its best when I let the flow go.  My work with clients is also at its freshest and most inspired when I am open to the flow within me.  My presentations and workshops also work best when I am in the present and trusting the wise flow that wants to express through me.  



Politics Needs Truth Not Opinion

Lately I have written a couple of blog entries focused on politics but I didn’t post them.  My reluctance is because the world of politics seems more and more like a black hole where all reason is lost, where opinion is empty of deeper thought, where consciousness is missing, and where the ego mind runs unchecked down an absurd road of nonsense.

Here is my current list of concerns that people actually have strong opinions about but seem to lack any deeper understanding of the truth: 

The Earth is in trouble because of the impact of human beings, anyone who denies that is invested in not seeing.  We live in partnership with the Earth and if we take care of it, it will take care of us.

The wars the US are in have nothing to do with keeping us safe. They are clearly driven by the agenda of those seeking control over others for financial gains and to expand their hold on power.  Soldiers in these wars are not dying to keep us free but because for wrong minded political agendas. (It is costing us about $2,000,000 per day for the war in Libya and that is nothing compared to the other two wars) The wars we are in make no sense so they have to be about making profits for the military-industrial corporations.

Healthcare corporations don’t care about serving the needs of their customer; they only care about profits.  They have become heartless in the pursuit of more money as do many corporations.

Politicians work totally and completely for those that pay for them to get elected.  People don’t like government because they know our elected official don’t care about them.  It is time for our elected official to work for the people.

The bailout of the financial sector was a total robbery of the American people.  This was to make sure those with much invested in this sector got richer on the backs of the working people.

The US budget is a mess for two main reasons, one is the Bush tax cut and the other is the US participation in three wars.  The tax cut is a Republican strategy to break the government so it cannot regulate the unchecked seeking of profits no matter what harm they cause. 

The food industry is being run by corporations who have no interest in healthy food, in the environment, in looking out for the well-being of the nation and it people.

The oil companies are destroying our world by killing alternatives and polluting our air, water and earth and we a paying them subsidies to do so.

The media is run by corporations that have no interest in the truth but a big investment in keeping the people entertained and distracted.

The justice system has become more about punishment and less about treatment and that does not work.  We lock people up who get in trouble because of their mental and emotional problems and then we make them worse in prison.

My biggest questions are: What should we do about these situations?  If we have the will and the consciousness to make a difference, where do we start?

In Search Of Clear Guidance

When I go in search of guidance I like to talk to others, read up on ideas, and listen inward.  What feels most important though is the listening inward.   When I tune-in I am seeking the wisdom of: my heart, my intuition, my gut instinct, and my spirit/higher self.

These four gateways into my inner knowing are each unique and here is what I mean.

The heart is the place of knowing on a feeling level.  The heart is also the place of love and sensitivity.  My heart tells me whether it loves an idea; it tells me what to have compassion for; and how to deepen my connection to any questions I might have.  This kind of knowing from the heart is informed by love.

Intuition is a kind of knowing that comes as a quiet message about which is right for me and which is not.  Intuition sits in waiting and then when I am open it shares with me what I should do, where I should go, and what fits best for me, my needs, and my values.   When I listen to my intuition I act in ways that enrich my life; when I ignore these messages of inner knowing I often cause suffering for myself.

The gut instinct is very important to listen to because it is more primal then the others ways of knowing.  This is a survival kind of inner message system.  This keeps us alive in dangerous situations or shows us the way when instance action is needed.  This kind of knowing is more an overall body wisdom that is not influenced by the workings of the mind.

The knowing of Spirit can also be known by other names such as the Higher Self and Wise Mind.  This knowing is guided by the part of us that existed before this lifetime and will continue after the body is no longer alive.  Spirit links us to the Great and Holy Spirit and is Divine and eternal in its nature.  Higher Self or Wise Mind are linked to the wisdom beyond the recognized human knowing of the mind.  This way of knowing is very expansive and connected to the highest consciousness of all beings.

Other kinds of knowing exist within all of us but the four above when listened to will more than meet our needs and have the capability to take us to new and richer levels of success and peace of mind.



Are You Ready To See The True Nature Of Your Mind?

Most people have no idea about what is going on in their own mind.  When asked they will say not much or seem not concerned. Actually there are tens of thousands of thoughts going on each day inside all of us and they completely shape our experience of life.  So what is going on does matter.

Try this experiment: when you get up tomorrow morning listen to every thought that comes up.  By breakfast you should have some idea that there is a lot of words and ideas rapidly flowing through you. If you are feeling brave keep paying attention to you inner dialogue through your morning until lunch.  Pay particular attention at times when you can just listen inward and not be distracted.  Do all of this without judging, just watch and become aware.

What you will find out is a number of things about your mind.

You will see you mind is almost constantly judging you and the world around you

You will notice that your mind feels uncomfortable when you have even a moment when the mind is not busy

You will find how much the mind wants to be in control of everything it encounters

You will learn that fear is present most of the time about so many things

You will see that your mind is more comfortable with struggle than with things going well 

You will hear inside that you spend an amazing amount of time rehearsing upcoming situations or endlessly going over events from the past

You will discover that there are many things and situations the mind obsesses about

You will find your mind is stuck in cycles of complaining and blaming and feeling stuck

You will notice that you have many beliefs that run you and yet you are not even sure where they came from

You will realize that for you to be in silence can be very unsettling

You will come to understand that your mind will do anything it can to distract you when feelings come up you don’t want to deal with

You will hear that the mind is hardly ever present

You will become very aware of how your thoughts create your experience of life

Yet most seem almost allergic to tuning into their mind and get to know its nature.  Why do you think that is?  Will denial of what’s going on inside make you feel better or take away the struggle or suffering?  What if you became watchful and impartial enough that your mind became a supportive and encouraging friend in your life?  

Please share with others what you learn so that they to can see the true nature of their own mind.  Can you imagine a world where most people had friendly, inspirational and peaceful minds?



10 Ways To Help Realize Your Potential

Self-realization is a very positive idea about growing into our potential.  Self-realized people often have a deep connection with their hearts, open and peaceful minds, a knowing relationship with spirit, and a passion for life.  I believe it was Abraham Maslow in his research about healthy and happy people that came up  with the idea of a self-realized human beings.

It seems to me one of the reasons you and I are here is to realize what is possible within us.  Each person has an unlimited number of possibilities and potentials.  This means we can live a very exciting life just simply by discovering what is possible in us.

How are you exploring those potentials in your life?  How do you get in the way of more fully expressing your possibilities?

If you want to feel good about yourself and your life, growth is necessary and realizing what is possible in you is what growth is all about.  The following are 10 questions and ideas you will find very helpful if you want to be more a self-realized person:

1. What do you want to do more than anything in your life?  If you answer that question you will be guided by a knowing inside towards a more fully realized human being.
2. Where do you feel drawn to explore, to investigate some aspect of life?  This wanting to explore is a calling toward a higher realization of who you are.
3. What makes you feel all excited as if you can’t get enough of it?  This is the energy of aliveness calling you towards where you know inside is a place to go exploring.
4. What strong desires flow through you?  These desires are there inviting you to go in search of more growth
5. What do you dream of, hope for or spend your time thinking about?  This inner focus is a direct call to express more of what is waiting inside.
6. What have you wanted to do since you were a kid?  These early hopes can express the purpose of why you came into this life
7. What do you do in your life today that gives you a great feeling of satisfaction?  This satisfaction is a clear sign that you are on the right track towards what waits in you for expression.
8. Who inspires you by how they live their life?  Those that inspire you speak directly to the part of you that longs to be expressed
9. What turns the light on inside you mind and heart?  If the light goes on that means some part of you is home and ready to take your life in a higher direction.  Expressing your potential is always a movement towards your higher nature.
10. What edge calls you to explore?  Walking the edge between fear and playing safe when it is right can stretch you into new ways of seeing and expressing who you are.

Answering these questions can take you in unlimited directions and enrich your life in endless ways. 



A Deeper Examination Of Your Interior State Of Being

After my post yesterday I felt I wanted to share my thoughts about a few of the quotes from the two of the books I am reading.  The following is what got stirred in me in response to the ideas posted.

“The only sin is self-hatred.”  First I don’t believe in the existence of sin but if there is such a thing then hating oneself would be a sinful thing to do.  Our very nature is infinite and beautiful in so many ways.  If we can just step beyond the limiting beliefs and mixed up perspective of our lifetime of conditioning, we can experience the wonder of who we are.   “You are beautiful, be, be, be” goes right with this idea of seeing the deeper truth of your nature.

“Love is affirmation.  You are God.  Give us your blessing.”  These statements "rock" because they say so much about what is possible within us.  Any love we partake in is an affirmation about who we are.  We have an endless capacity to love, be kind, and show compassion.  Why not expand our expression of love each day in some way.

Our nature is purely Divine, we are made up of the same exact stuff of whatever Source is behind the creation of the universe.  How could we not be one with the Great Creative Force?

If we tune in and be with our higher nature, we can be a source of light and grace in everything we do.  Being that light, being that inspiration to the world would be an incredible blessing.  Why not make it your intention every day to spread light and love?

“The only real solution is to take the seat of witness consciousness and completely change your frame of reference.”  This is a powerful solution but it will take a real commitment and strong intentions.  Yet this solution is not that complicated once you begin to develop a witnessing presence within.  The ability to look at yourself free of judgment, free of criticism, and with a spacious heart will naturally change your frame of reference.  You are never the story of your thoughts or the drama of your life and to fully realize that would be very liberating.

Here are several more ideas inspired by Michael Singer’s book:

“How would you feel if someone outside really started talking to you the way your inner voice does?”  Can you imagine someone talking to you as much as you talk to yourself?  If someone did talk that much, you would most likely turn and run from them as fast as possible.  Have you noticed how talkative your mind is?  Is your inner dialogue supportive and compassionate or fearful and critical? 

Be well and love and blessings.



Let Yourself Be Expanded

Words often don’t adequately explain the realm of spirituality and consciousness.  Over the last few days however I have come upon a variety of ideas that I think will speak to you because they speak to me.  I decided to share with you some of the highlights from two books I find very inspirational.  I know you will find these ideas of great value.

Take these ideas in, let them swish around, and see which ones take you into deeper awareness:

The only sin is self-hatred.  It is an act of negation

It is the flow of energy that gets us high

If you let go something will happen

Each person creates themselves

It isn’t what you know that matters; it’s what you are that matters

Do not be afraid to love

Love is affirmation.  You are God.  Give us your blessing.

Revolution is a personal matter.  You create the world; you must change it.

You are beautiful, be, be, be

Abandon all security, you have nothing to lose but your chains, stop clinging, set yourself free

Truth is found within, and bringing it to consciousness is the act of creation

These above words are from a 1973 book by Paul Williams called Das Energy, which I rediscovered at my visit to my favorite used bookstore yesterday.  This book is a little treasure of ideas.

Your inner growth is completely dependent upon the realization that the only way to find peace and contentment is to stop thinking about yourself.

The “I” who is always talking inside will never be content.

The only real solution is to take the seat of witness consciousness and completely change your frame of reference.

To attain true inner freedom, you must be able to objectively watch your problems instead of being lost in them.

These are a few of the insightful ideas in The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. 

 (I am not able to make the click and look inside work but if you go to Amazon.com you will be able to.)

So much is going on in my own mind as I sort out some things about my life in the midst of change.  I do seem to be gaining clarity.  I hope you enjoyed the wisdom of these two authors. Have a great week.



Come And Join The Movement Toward Awakening

As is usually the case, I am in the midst of reading several books that are filling me with ways to the see myself and the world from a more expanded state of consciousness.  The one book that seems like a must read for every human being interested in waking up is called The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer.  This book will knock your consciousness seeking socks off. 

 My passion for seeking higher consciousness/for realizing my potential has been inspirational force for most of my adult.  These almost 40 years of reading, exploring, and inner practicing have enriched my experience of life in more ways then I could ever count.  This blog is inspired by this life long hunger for knowing more and living with an open heart. 

Now it seems time to boldly go out into the world beyond the safety of a job and sitting comfortable at my desk writing my posts for the Explore Life Journal.  What that looks like is getting clearer all the time.  How it will happen is not as clear but courageous action is needed.

Are you ready for a shift to happen?  What does your soul tell you about what to do next?  Is your intuition sending your messages you know you need to pay attention to and act upon?

Just yesterday one of my favorite teachers of self-realization, John Sherman and his wife Carla sent out a wonderful letter, which put forward a plan to help shift humanity towards a greater well-being.  Please read this letter and see if you want to join them or explore their work.   Also there is a very clear explanation of John’s basic practice (see this link to The Fear Of Life.) in this plan.

My wife Bobbi and I are feeling a similar strong calling using some different words and ideas but still wanting to help raise consciousness and self-awareness.  John and Carla are further down the road and they have much to offer with John’s talks, intensives and retreats.  We too have talks we are planning, individual session to offer and retreats to give. 

If you listen inward you may also feel the call to go out into the world in a fuller expression of your higher nature.  This calling is a universal one that seems to be vibrating around the planet at this time.  Of course the timing is perfect because the need is intense as so much struggle seems present in the world.  

Whatever you feel drawn to, please go follow it with passion and purpose and you will enrich us all. 



Change Is In The Air

It was a warm and windy day.  As I sit down to write this post it is cooling off and a wonderful scent of freshly bloomed lilacs is blowing in through my open window.  The sun is disappearing behind the mountains and I sit her knowing I am stalling hoping for clear guidance.  My home is a rental and the lease comes up shortly and my wife and I feel ready to move on and alter the course of our lives.

 

The guidance I seek is: What next? Where should we go to live?  How will we make it financially? How do we get past the fear?  Can we trust in things working out if we do what we need to do?  I do hear the ocean calling.  The more questions, the more self-doubt creeps in but to not question leads my wife and I down a blind alley of the unconsidered.

Trust is a word that comes up lately because I feel sure trust is needed to be the inspired author of the changes we need to make.  Trust in myself, trust in the guidance that comes our way, and trust in the universe.  To live in trust means a belief in the innate wisdom within and in the greater forces that hold the universe together.  There are no forces of evil, no forces of destruction, no forces of punishment or judgment except between our ears.  The opinion of others does not matter unless we value them.  What matters only is the wisdom inside and the dance with the flow of the universe. 

As I write this I know the truth speaks through these words and I also know self-doubt will pop up at very inconvenient times and send shivers through me.  I can fight these low moments off but to do so I have to step with confidence into the moment and see what I am made of, what will blossom in me like the late lilacs outside. 

Listen to the call, the whisper, the longing, the knowing, the desire, and move with strength forward into the unknown because that is where the edge of living fully calls us.