We are on a collective journey of awakening. There are many roads to explore throughout the process of enlightenment; however, the one most worthy of your attention is compassion.

Judgment, no matter how it is expressed, simply shows where your own thinking is limited. Practice setting aside your opinions and simply have your own present moment experience. Look deeply into the Now with your heart rather than with the mind.

Let nature show you the secrets of the universe. When we learn to slow down and pay attention, life becomes a teacher. We must expand our vision to encompass the whole world. When you honor all things as sacred, are you not transformed?

Like the sun, you shine ever more brightly as you become more spiritually aware. Whether you’re conscious of it or not, this energy does have an impact on those around you. For this reason, it’s important to cultivate compassion with the understanding that others may not yet be ready to see their own shadows… shadows created by the light you cast.

Often we have to stand by and witness as people create additional challenges in their own experience. The ego’s reactivity creates excessive drama causing them to make choices that keep them stuck or they simply make things much harder than they need to be. These patterns come to the surface because they haven’t yet reached the necessary level of understanding or integrated the lesson they are working on.

Compassion comes from remembering how it felt to be asleep yourself. There was likely a time when you fumbled toward ecstasy, lost in the dark, frustrated and looking for answers… until something within you awoke. Shamans call this illumination. The process of awakening is different for everyone – a chance meeting, the perfect teacher comes at the right time – a burst of inspiration shatters limited perception and suddenly, growth is possible. As loving beings, it is our job to offer support without judgment and be there to act as guides when someone is ready to ask for direction.

Patience is more than just being willing to wait. It is choosing to remain conscious and peaceful while waiting.

Often, the spiritual approach to life is the exact opposite of what we witness as physical beings. Our society tends to rush, to place great value on how quickly things are achieved… and then we rush on to the next thing. When we slow down and really pay attention, the entire construct of time begins to change. It slows down with us.

Make patience a focused aspect of your practice today. Observe when you feel you must “kill time” with your cell phone, talking or reading or playing a game while waiting and choose instead to be extra alert and aware. When someone is moving too slowly (figuratively or literally) for the pace you have set, consciously adjust to their pace. Become a receptive listener. When others speak, do not plan ahead what you will say when there is an opening. Listen with your whole being, pause, and then speak.

Because it goes against the grain of our human tendencies, cultivating the art of patience will not only provide valuable insight, but you will witness the varied miracles and synchronicities of life that are often missed in the rush.

Your thoughts create your reality. Where do you choose to allow your mind to dwell? It’s time to break free from any self-imposed prisons and explore infinite possibilities that await your discovery.

Shifting consciousness is a practice. Within it new ways of being are revealed and our interpretations of the world are transformed. As our perception broadens we begin to recognize more opportunities, different outcomes, and bear loving witness to the subtle shifts that shape our lives.

We are evolving beings; therefore, it’s healthy to allow yourself expand into new areas of growth. Throughout the process you may just discover aspects of your being that have long called out for expression. These transformative seeds of light exist within you, and are ready to unfold in your experience.

The time has come to honor your innate power and allow yourself to be transformed by love. When you choose to recognize all that you see and experience as sacred, your choices will consistently demonstrate a higher awareness and you will bring a new energy to your interactions.

As we release the need to control, we expand the parameters of possibility. Awareness, acceptance, compassion and empowerment blend to create a new reality. Higher consciousness changes how we relate to one another and ignites an inherent ability to see life differently.

Our world has always been a chaotic place filled with people operating from varying levels of consciousness. This blend of energies has a dual impact, one can either get pulled into limited perception – feeling trapped or powerless – or evolve to an entirely different type of encounter. Both are vital aspects of the human experience. The contrasts of dark and light combine to teach us the hidden mysteries of love.

Each of us must walk our own path of initiation. The loss of a loved one, relationship, health, identity or dream forces us to enter a dark night of the soul. The challenges we face often prompt us to explore lessons we would never purposely choose on our own. They provide the opportunity to discover new facets of our strength while teaching how to access our inner wisdom. Eventually, we emerge blinking into the sunlight, changed, the dark passage now a pivotal piece of our history.

Those of who have been tempered by challenging experiences have a sense of empowerment. You can recognize your ability to face the shocks of life with a quiet sense of acceptance and no longer see any losses that occur as wrong or punishment. Know that your transformation and courageousness is an inspiration to those who grace your life.

We do not need to add more knowledge or new beliefs. It’s far more powerful to learn to rise above the antics of the mind into a place where we can commune with the Divine. We need to experience more wonder and more awe at the beauty that surrounds us. The minds noise can sometimes become a wall that closes us off from the miracle of the present moment.

There is a great depth of spaciousness which resides within you. Step into the silence and see if you can sense the infinite wellspring of potential that is waiting to be discovered.

Learn to be loving in your silence, otherwise your silence will become filled with closed-off energy that is helpful to no one. Love is only possible when you are fearless and exists in the absence of judgment. Simply breathe in the truth of your light, feel a smile of gratitude and observe. Bring healing and grace into your life situation by falling madly in love with life itself.

Intense feelings, when they arise, are indicators that something within you is ready to be observed, healed and released. When you become aware of your own reactivity, move into stillness and simply notice it. Your awareness begins the process of transformation.

These moments are fleeting and can be just as mesmerizing as clouds moving across the sky. Watch them dance in your mind. Honor them as your teachers. Should they prompt you into action, ensure that you choose to come from a place of love and compassion.

Emotional upheaval shall pass. You may choose to pull back from others as you quietly and mindfully allow the new lessons and insights to emerge. The contrasts of life experience are wonderful teachers when viewed consciously.

Participation is key. Be willing to explore, experience and feel. Don’t close yourself off out of fear, for you never know what beauty may be waiting to unfold in your life.

Consciously keep your attention rooted in the present moment. Break free from the patterns of reliving the past or imagining the future. Resist nothing. Experience the sacredness and mystery of life. When you attach to an end result, you shut out all other possibilities and create pain in your experience.

Plans are meant to inspire movement. They open the heart to new ideas and start a flow of change in our lives; however, often that is their sole purpose. Once we set sail, the winds determine the direction of the journey.

Don’t wait for some achievement to give meaning to your life. Instead, see yourself as an adventurer into the infinite. Life’s magic awaits discovery.