Stillness

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“When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.”
~Eckhart Tolle~
Awareness brings a new type of energy to any situation. We cannot control other people or the events of life as they unfold. We can, however, control how we choose to respond to them. The quickest way to a healthy, conscious experience is to cultivate peacefulness and balance before challenges arise. Make inner stillness a priority. Slow down, breathe, observe. When the ego demands that you react or opine, purposely choose to move into mindfulness, acceptance and compassion prior to taking action.
In the midst a cacophony, stillness can be accessed by dropping resistance to the chaos. Your acceptance is another gateway into stillness. As you practice being at peace with what is, you’ll discover new depths of perception and serenity. In every moment you have a choice, accept or reject. Whether pleasant or not, what is, is. Rejection takes us out of the stillness of the present moment while acceptance takes us deeper into it.
You are a source of love and light in the world. When things are quiet, stop and take a moment to actively listen to the silence and it will awaken your inner peace. Nature provides wonderful opportunities to connect with the present moment through stillness – let your awareness rest upon a flower, a tree, a stone, and allow them to teach you.

 

Life is a Journey

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“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.”  
~Winnie the Pooh~ 
What will we discover together?

Life should be an exploration, a dance of discovery. When we live fully immersed in the present moment, amazing things begin to happen. Coincidences unfold and we draw in the people and circumstances that conspire to move us into new directions. Have faith in this process of awakening and be willing to step out of your comfort zone.

Walking through the unknown awakens all of your senses. There are times when we simply must risk all and accept the gifts that life has to offer.  Allow new friendships to enrich your your experience, teach you how to love and how to let go. Give up the perceived safety of control, expectation and attachment and simply learn how to embrace joy and celebration in the present moment.

A Change of Perspective

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“Divisions are imaginary lines drawn by small minds.”
~Paramahansa Yogananda~
Division is a byproduct of ego-generated thought. Once the mind begins to cling to an idea, a narrowness ensues. Everything that falls outside of those self-made parameters now becomes suspect and much be challenged, disregarded or actively opposed. The spiritual student, seeking to expand consciousness, must be prepared to step back and view life from the broadest perception possible while realizing that there is always something new to learn.
What if you could encircle the world with your love? What if your presence transformed the energy of all those with whom you come in contact? If you had the power to touch another and witness the miracle of expansion would you only spend time with like-minded people or would you feel safe enough to engage with the world in an authentic way? You do have all this power and more. Any challenges you face are opportunities to put it into practice.
Ask yourself why many are collectively intertwined in extreme divisiveness. We may be in the process of an energetic breakthrough that will bring us closer to one another than ever before. The law of contrasts states that both polarities are possible in every situation. Where there is hate, let us demonstrate love.

Live the Mystery

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“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.”
~Frank Herbert~
We live in an infinite Universe filled with unlimited potential. All that we see is constantly evolving and changing, as are we. No matter how much we have learned so far, it’s humbling to realize that we have barely begun to scratch the surface.
Keep a childlike sense of wonder and adventure. The mind will often distract by wanting to know “why?” or “how?” or “when?” and may plant the idea that you must know the answers prior to moving forward or being healed. Conversely, a child will explore and become immersed in the present moment while living in a constant state of discovery.
Allow room for paradoxical truths to live side by side with the understanding that all dualities ultimately merge into Oneness. As we awaken, we cultivate a life that is immersed in exploration and conscious experience while becoming more comfortable with the unknown.

Non-Judgment

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“Nonresistance, nonjudgment, and nonattachment are the three aspects of true freedom and enlightened living.”

~Eckhart Tolle~

In a world filled with opposing and increasingly divisive viewpoints, it can be challenging for those seeking enlightenment to stay neutral, compassionate and loving. Yet that is the ultimate goal of being an awakened soul. Practice seeing everyone you encounter as a sacred expression of the divine. Choose to see through the mechanisms of the ego to the soul within.

The human condition – often loudly expressed by Young Souls who are here to learn about power, control, and greed – is to demand adherence to a particular set of beliefs or perceptions that limit all possibility of an authentic interaction. They label others based upon race, sexuality, political affiliation, religion (or lack thereof), looks, weight, titles or wealth, etc. All of these illusionary attributes are merely a temporary expression being used by the soul for experience and awakening. They are not the deepest truth waiting to be discovered; rather, they are distractions through which we must wade throughout the course of our practice.

Our purpose is to awaken from the world of thought. Mastery is the ability to set aside judgment and open one’s heart in love and Presence. Quiet your mind. Seek to interact without expressing opinions and, instead, choose to walk through each moment as a source of peace and grace. Your ability to lead by example is more transformative than you can imagine.

Choices

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“When you act out of present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple action.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

Here you stand at the precipice of a brand new day filled with infinite possibility… how will you choose to use it? There are new dimensions of the Self to be explored, friendships to discover, wonders to see and old wounds ready to be healed.

Many remain in negative situations out of a fear of facing the unknown because the ego cleverly masks that decision as one born of duty or charity. Fear creates limitation, not only in regard to self-image but also in the possibilities we allow ourselves to recognize.

Practice making all of your decisions from a space of love rather than one of fear. When selecting a job, beginning or ending a relationship, spending time with family or anything else you can imagine, let love be your guide. Facing challenges then becomes a conscious act of devotion – you may strive to find the lesson or help another to heal. Integrity and passion provide a foundation for your actions and infuse greater strength into whatever you ultimately choose to do.

Illusion of Separateness

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“Whatever existence has given to you must be a subtle necessity of your soul, otherwise it would not have been given in the first place.”
~Osho~
Whether walking with you for a moment or for a lifetime, honor those who grace your life as fellow travelers sharing the journey home. We created this world and it’s illusion of separateness in order to explore the vast realms of human experience. It can be easy to get lost within the illusion and forget that we are simply companions on the same path of awakening. All will ultimately discover the same infinite truths. The only difference between us is the level of consciousness, which dictates the types of experiences required for the purpose of awakening, and how far along with path we’ve come.

Many people use the Sanskrit term “Namaste” to greet one another. Roughly translated, it means, “I bow to you.” What would happen if we simply brought this kindness and respect to every person with whom we interact? We can create space for an authentic connection by choosing to honor the others soul rather than getting caught up in the role they currently play.

Your purpose is to awaken and every aspect of life assists you in this endeavor. Be a reflection of light and kindness. The journey is long and it’s wonderful to share joyful moments together along the way.

The Law of Contrast

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“The greater the contrast, the greater the potential. Great energy only comes from a correspondingly great tension of opposites.” 
~Carl Jung~

One powerful aspect of expanding consciousness is the willingness to take complete responsibility for our own experience. As we awaken, we are more apt to see the beauty in the contrast, find the gifts within the challenge and view all life as sacred.

This journey is one of opposites. Through facing our darkness, we embrace our light. This process of learning will take us on many adventures. Sometimes you have to be who you aren’t in order to discover who you are…

Embrace this moment knowing that it will provide exactly what is required for your soul’s growth. Should you face periods of darkness, either personally or collectively, recognize the perfection that is inherent in the process of awakening and take one more conscious step forward.

The contrasts we encounter teach us that all things are possible. Everything contains positive, negative and neutral energy. Through these shifting polarities we learn how opposition plays its part in our collective awakening. The greatest challenges provide the greatest opportunity for growth.

Learning to Articulate the Language of the Soul

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“Accept yourself, allow your unconscious to be revealed to you. By accepting it, cherishing it, you bring a revolution to your life. And when you look at others with that understanding, you will not find strangers; you will find all are friends.” 
~Osho~
 
On the Path of Transformation, solitary practice is an important part of our development. We learn to walk in our truth and find our unique way of being in the world. Powerful too, is the heart-focused connection discovered within a group of like-minded individuals. The synergy created within group energy transforms and accelerates the growth of all those who are actively involved. When used consciously, group energy expands us into new dimensions while uplifting and nourishing the spiritual journey of others.
Meditate, chant, be present and pray with those who resonate with your being. The combined intention and synergy has the power to lift the entire group into a new frequency. For those of you who are natural leaders, allow yourselves to participate without exercising control and receive the blessings generated by the group energy as well.
Our spiritual knowledge must be articulated in order to be fully incorporated into our experience. Thus, we discover the power of sharing with others. Each of us simultaneously plays both roles – student and master.
So, balance your journey in the way that is best for you. Spend healthy time in solitude, connect with those who support your walk and share what you have learned. There are always new dimensions waiting to be discovered and the best is yet to come.

The Power of Forgiveness

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“Anger and blaming others takes a lot of energy away from healing. One of the most powerful emotions that has to be expressed is forgiveness.”
~Candace Pert~

It is safe for you to live beyond the expectations of others.

Anger and resentment are a waste of your precious energy. They drain vitality and ease from your life experience and harm no one but yourself. This energy can be transformed into gentleness through gratitude, meditation, mindfulness and a conscious choice to be free from the past.
The spiritual path calls upon us to reside fully in life, as it is in this moment. If there are pains that you carry, do not feel that you must push them down or deny them; rather, bring them to the light of your consciousness and transform them through acceptance and forgiveness. See the past through the filters of your current state of awareness and you may discover that freedom is at hand.
Forgiveness is really not about the other person at all. It is a gift that you give to yourself. There is no need for physical closure or a meeting of the minds (though these may occur naturally in time), just a quiet peace in the present moment will open your ability to love, trust and believe once again in the beauty and mystery of life.