Find Your Voice

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“The Buddha left Bodh Gaya to teach others. Jesus came out of the Judaean desert to preach. Spiritual awakening is meaningless if it does not culminate in finding your voice and speaking up for what is right.”

~Anthon St. Maarten~

Creativity is the art of expression. No matter what form it may take – music, cooking, writing, decorating, beading, sculpture, color and texture in your wardrobe, painting, chanting or anything else you can imagine – creativity is an authentic union with the Divine. We become channels of light and it flows through us into all that we do. Tangible items then carry a spark of the infinite as expressed through you.

Whatever you choose to do, do it joyfully. Fill your creations and actions with love and conscious intention. When we over-think creative action, the mind attempts to be clever and sabotages our efforts by blocking that powerful and mysterious flow of unity. You can break free from patterns that limit your creative expression. It is simply a matter of finding your voice and living in the flow of your truth.

Your gifts are unique, your story divine. Find the joy of sharing them without attachment or expectation.

Celebrate the Day

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“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, love is knowing that I am everything, and between the two my life moves.”

~Nisargadatta~

You bring something beautiful to the world that will never be seen again.

When you are able to share your gifts with the world, something amazing happens… People respond to your authenticity. They seek to interact because your energy is uplifting and together, you become part of the dance of awakening.

In every moment we have a choice: to participate or to be the observer. Participation allows you to discover the various nuances of life in a way that observation cannot. Taste, see, touch, feel, hear. Immerse yourself in the beautiful experience of rising consciousness. Your loving energy is an integral aspect of our collective awakening.

There will be moments when you choose to rest in the stillness of infinite possibility. These pauses are also necessary and help to keep you balanced. Peacefulness, when combined with a sense of adventure and humor, provides the foundation for your spirit to thrive throughout your human experience.

See yourself as an explorer in the midst of discovery. Rather than wishing others would awaken, help them to awaken. Your life is your message.

All Paths Are Sacred

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All conflict arises from wanting someone to be different than they are. This one misguided approach to life is a source of great distress for many and it plays out in myriad ways every day.

 

Become a compassionate listener. Pay attention without internal commentary and cultivate the ability to see beyond the conditioning of the mind. When we approach one another with genuine interest and acceptance, the other person begins to feel safer. They drop some of their defenses and we experience an authentic moment of connection.

 

Consciously practice this with each person with whom you speak today. Listen and honor their path as sacred. Ask probing questions and see if you can discover something new. Expand your awareness through conscious interaction.

 

Seek the Divine within the present moment – the majestic energy of the infinite is all around you. Choose to see beyond labels and roles to the truth of the spirit within. Support each journey with compassion and kindness.
There is no greater gift than acceptance. It opens the heart chakra and cultivates our ability to be fully present. Celebrate the dance of awakening, in whatever form it may appear, knowing that all ultimately works to our highest good.

Rise Above

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“There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realization is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges–the power of Presence. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

Transformation happens in the Now. This moment is all that matters. Face it with positive intention and allow the energy to unfold as it will. As you become more aware, you’ll recognize any unconsciousness that arises and cultivate the ability to see through the mechanisms of the mind.
When working through loss, anger, fear or resentment… notice, notice, notice. See what arises for you. What patterns repeat? What is your inner dialogue? How do you feel? Once you have drawn your awareness to the source of your discomfort, make a conscious choice to take responsibility for it. Experiencing pain is an aspect of the human condition; however, so is rising above.
You do not need to know all the answers before moving forward. Begin with gratitude and choose to take one conscious step. This trust expands your perception and opens the ability to see more clearly. Act with integrity, do your best and accept what is.

Releasing Limitation

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Limitation is nothing more than outmoded conditioning. Somewhere down the line, one accepted an idea that blocked them from seeing their true potential. Over time, they managed to that idea, creating self-fulfilling prophesies and reinforcing the belief with myriad examples that become their perception of truth… “That’s the way I’ve always been.”

The teachers’ purpose is to hold up a mirror so that you may see your own divinity. Even then, the filters of belief are initially so strong that many have trouble believing the image they see… And yet, there is a resonating response from the deepest part of the soul.

Spiritual awakening is a process. Celebrate the moments of connection, insight, authenticity and breakthrough. Periodically look at your life and compare where you are now to where you were a year ago, or five or ten. There will come a day when old patterns shatter and you realize that you’re no longer reactive to the same issues.

This is how to create the life of your dreams. Imagine it, accept it, and live it in this moment to the best of your ability. Find ways to explore that bring fulfillment and know that your unique journey of awakening has just begun.

Stillness

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“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.”
~Eckhart Tolle~
Silence is more than the absence of noise. It is an inner communion with peace and awareness. In the stillness we become open to receive and it is within that gap of ‘no mind’ that we can touch the infinite.
Our current experience of the world is one of bombardment – a blend of sound, marketing, opinions, expectations and ego-driven thought. Our senses are often overwhelmed. Many spend each day running to accomplish various self-imposed tasks while neglecting the one thing that truly matters – grace.
Create pauses throughout the day to appreciate the beauty around you. Stop and breathe. Find something for which you can be grateful. Imagine joy flooding every aspect of your being. Touch the realm of limitless possibility and you will discover inner sacredness and beauty.
In the midst of cacophony, stillness can be accessed by dropping your resistance to noise. 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. This is where inner wisdom resides.

Intuition

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Intuition is like a muscle. We all have it, but not everyone chooses to develop it. People often ask how to differentiate between the inner voice of wisdom and the voice of the ego. The intuition typically comes through quietly and speaks once while the ego is loud and repetitive.

The quieter the mind, the more you can hear. Intuition is a tool that we can utilize as an powerful aspect of spiritual growth. Integrating the spiritual and the mundane awakens true mastery. As we evolve, we bring a different viewpoint to our life circumstances and learn to trust our inner wisdom.
You will discover your own unique way of deciphering the messages from your higher Self. Be patient with this process. Practice different approaches and see what works best. As you play with this energy, you’ll learn to differentiate intuition from ego-generated thought. Always,  ego creates anxiety while intuition (even when forewarning of a potential challenge) brings empowerment.

Whatever you place your focus upon grows stronger. You also may experience accompanying physical indicators, such as goosebumps, tummy flutters or tears. The more you trust your inner wisdom, the more clearly these indicators will be felt. This process of connection eventually transforms your experience into a life that is awake and connected to the energy of the Now.

Open Mind, Open Heart

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“Until the mind is open, the heart stays closed. The open mind is the key to the open heart.”
~Byron Katie~

When you open your heart in the midst of life, miraculous things happen. Many fear vulnerability; however, it is a necessary component of spiritual growth. Life is a mystery to be lived, not a job to be managed or a game to win. Our life experiences teach simultaneously on several levels and as you integrate the new energy of your discoveries, results are seen within your mind, body and spirit.

Open your heart to the mystery. Allow your light to shine and respond to the present moment from a space of confidence and balance. Empowerment comes from taking little trips into uncharted areas while expanding your perception and understanding.

Spiritual awakening is a process so it’s important to be patient with yourself. Often changes are happening just under the surface and they manifest into your reality all at once. The openness and willingness to flow with what is will prepare you to step into this new dimension when the opportunity arises. All the seeds you have planted come to fruition in their own perfect time.

New Levels of Awareness

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“It takes a little effort to get our of illusions because we have invested in them very much. They are our hopes; It is through them that we go on living.”  

~Osho~

It’s a powerful practice to see beyond the illusion. Observe how often the word “I” is used when referring to how you see the world. Everything is a projection of our beliefs. We can get trapped by the “I” when pursuing goals and dreams. Remembering this can set the stage for awakening.

Meditation helps us to see through this illusory state of being. Once we strip away the goals, dreams, thoughts of past and future and simply be, the present moment comes alive. To be fully in the present means to be aware of the immense beauty and perfection that is already here. There is nothing for which to strive, nothing is missing.

A different kind of experience waits for you. Your joyousness, when complete, allows you to become fully aligned with the Now. Give up needing to understand the “whys” and “hows” and leave that to your spiritual guidance. Instead, focus on higher awareness, step into Presence and allow a new consciousness to be born in you.

The Wise Passage

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You can embody the love, presence and freedom that is the essence of your true nature by finding simple ways to quiet the mind and open the heart.

There is a wise passage through life… one that calls the awakened to walk its journey. As we cultivate awareness that is found through mindfulness, generosity, loving-kindness and integrity, our lives become living examples of how to create an atmosphere of safety and trust in an all-too-often frightened world.

The human experience is meant to connect each one of us in compassion that is learned through commonality of our experiences. At some point, all of us have known love and loss, joys and sorrow, life and death, hopes and fears, and ultimately we will discover the thread of understanding that connects us. This takes lifetimes to achieve and leads to freedom and liberation.

When you can seek for the joy within the sorrow, the beauty within the challenge and the light of the Divine in your interactions, then you are playing within the paradox of being a spiritually awakened human. Trust your intuition and begin with actions that best serve your heart. As your perspective expands, the world around you is transformed.