The greatest gift that you can give is non-reactivity.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”   ~Rumi~   

It has been said that we must be the change we wish to see. Each of us is a microcosm of our collective energy; therefore, instead of projecting blame or frustration at the disharmony we observe, we instead seek to heal any hidden wounds that we carry.

With so many people awakening, the tiny ripples of transformation merge and multiply and thus, the world is transformed. By going within and placing our focus on our inner state of balance, we are actively addressing the one thing over which we have any control. At the higher states of consciousness we become less reactive. When enough people step out of ego-driven drama, something new will emerge.

Some express higher energy through creativity, others through leadership or building, some join spiritual communities to experience a different type of group experience and many become frequency holders who anchor the new energy we are bringing to the planet. Whether you are drawn to be a creator, a builder, a reformer or a frequency holder, you are a living expression of the sacred and thus, play a significant (though often unseen) role in the awakening consciousness of the planet.

Reactivity and resistance are pretty good indicators that we have work to do.

“Resistance is a conditioned response of the ego; it’s the ego’s effort to maintain control, the ego’s fear of giving up the known. Often our resistance prevents us from staying in the present moment for more than a few seconds. We resist because we want to avoid feeling the underlying jangle of our actual experience. We move away from discomfort into the false comfort of our thoughts. But no matter what form it takes, resistance brings no peace; we strengthen whatever we resist. By resisting something we solidify it, empowering it to stay in our life.”   ~Ezra Bayda~ 

One way to diminish the ego is to purposely refrain from defensive posturing. If someone criticizes or blames you, notice the ego’s desire to immediately react or defend and instead, choose to be silent and observe what is happening within you. Initially, this may feel very uncomfortable; however, if you are able to stay present you’ll discover a spaciousness around the situation.

Now that you’ve created space instead of reactivity, you may notice a greater ability to be neutral or compassionate. Without ego interference, the soul expands in ways that we may not expect and the situation becomes a portal to another dimension of your awakening.

Fear that arises out of reactivity is a product of the ego. The ego fears a rise in consciousness and of course prefers to maintain it’s hold on your experience. These ‘little deaths’ of the ego are a necessary aspect of our development. What would your life look like without fear, resistance, reactivity or struggle?

Let go of self-definition.

“When you let go of the belief that you should or need to know who you are, what happens to confusion? Suddenly it is gone. When you fully accept that you don’t know, you actually enter a state of peace and clarity that is closer to who you truly are than thought could ever be. Defining yourself through thought is limiting yourself.”
~Eckhart Tolle~ 

Seek to observe how often we limit ourselves or others by adhering to narrow roles or archetypes. Often, when discovering one particular aspect of someones experience we will jump to a particular set of conclusions about them without actually discovering their unique expression of life. 

The need to label is a product of the ego. When we reduce others to one dimensional entities, it’s easier to move into judgment about them. Work consciously to expand your vision. We, as multifaceted beings, have infinite aspects to explore and the willingness to drop limitation is required. 

Some people get lost in their identities. They see themselves in a particular role and forget that infinite possibilities are always available to them. You might notice that you temporarily assume a role based upon the person with whom you’re interacting. Can you be the loving, expansive soul seeker with children as well as adults? With servers as well as billionaires? With someone who attacks you as well as someone who supports you?

Just notice. When you fully accept yourself and act from the heart, you may discover an authentic continuity that is far beyond any human conditioning.

Your story is still being written.

“Just let it go” is more a philosophy than an option. If it were possible to “just let it go,” we’d all know freedom right now. Often our only real choice is to just let it be.  ~Ezra Bayda~ 

We arranged this lifetime by selecting the perfect parents, place of birth, personality traits, temperament and physical appearance to facilitate specific lessons. While we do create a blueprint of experiences and karmic agreements prior to birth (and seek to follow it), we still have free will and thus are active co-creators of the life experience.  

In the midst of struggle, remind yourself that there are gifts waiting to be discovered. If they are not yet apparent to you, it typically indicates that the energy or the lesson is still unfolding. Karmic situations, especially the important, life-changing ones, often continue to teach us for years after they have ended.   

As you grow in awareness, you’ll move into higher levels of consciousness. Each level allows you to see more clearly and your perception will expand until you are able to embrace every aspect of your journey as sacred. If you are not there yet, do not fear, you are simply still in process of transformation.

We are all masters in the process of awakening. The only difference between us is where we are on that journey.

“Notice your ideals and expectations. Watch your habitual patterns. Observe your emotional reactions. See them for what they are. This is the path to transformation.” ~Ezra Bayda~ 

It’s important to remember that you have always done the best you can based upon your soul age, imprints, life experiences and level of consciousness. …and so has everyone you have ever encountered. As we awaken, we are able to do better. This continual evolution of the spirit is the whole point of our human experience.

Sometimes spiritual seekers will become lost in self-judgment or shame. They believe that knowing about an aspect of growth guarantees that they have learned the lesson and “should” know better; however, intellectual knowledge is only the beginning. We must face challenges that allow us to first miss the mark, then learn how to apply newfound wisdom through practical application in daily life. Growth is a mixture of success and failure. It is not a straight line to a fixed goal, rather it is the infinite and expansive awakening of the heart.

Be kind to yourself. Know that you are consistently learning and teaching with every step that you take.

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to walk forward in spite of the fear.

“The willingness to open to life’s difficulties does not depend on liking them.” ~Ezra Bayda~ 

When challenges arise, when we encounter loss or disappointment or experience the upheaval of the unexpected, the first response is often to think that something is wrong and that it needs to be fixed. This is the natural human tendency.   

The spiritual seeker has a greater ability to bring higher consciousness to these moments of challenge. Observing the ego-mind response or reactive instincts, we can choose to pause, recognize repetitive patterns and open to the messages inherent in the present moment.  

It can be helpful to utilize questions that move you into a higher level of awareness. Traditionally, one might ask, “What is this?” using the question as a koan to break free from rational thought. 

All the words or explanations we use are merely pointers to higher truths. Beyond the lessons we receive from life’s duality and contrast is the law of love, the peacefulness of evolution. To see clearly we must be present with what is and work with it, rather than against it.

“Our self-images define our own boundaries, limiting us to the narrow ideas of who we believe ourselves to be.” ~Ezra Bayda~ 

If you’ve ever spent time with someone who criticized your every move, always found fault with your choices or nit-picked the decisions you’ve made, you’d likely consider that person to be toxic, and would probably limit your interactions.

Yet, the unkindness perpetrated by others often pales in comparison to the dialogue of our inner critic. Many people place impossible demands upon themselves and carry the mental weight of perceived mistakes, lost opportunities, guilt or shame.

Should you observe negative self-talk, stop and change the momentum of your thoughts. Affirmations, gratitude and self-love can shift the energy into a more productive direction. Instead of demanding that you be perfect, seek to transform your experience through conscious acceptance. Don’t hate your way to change. Let love open you to the transformative energy that is all around you.

Ultimately, since the world is our reflection, we can actively practice kindness on every level: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As your self-love increases, you’ll notice that you complain less. Acceptance, compassion, balance and harmony are the by-products of of a person who is at ease in the present moment.

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to what they don’t say about themselves.

“We set goals that we think will guide us through the course of life. But we forget that our goals are not so much conscious choices as they are aggregates of our innate disposition, our particular conditioning, and ever-changing life circumstances. To think that we can will our destiny is a false prop, the vanity of needing to see ourselves as the agent of change.” ~Ezra Bayda~ 

We have an inner purpose and an outer purpose. Our inner purpose is to awaken. The outer purpose facilitates how we will awaken and will likely change as you move through the journey of your transformation.   

Higher consciousness calls upon us to experience life without attachment to outcomes; therefore, it is normal for the awakening student to go through a period of feeling disconnected from what drives the world around us. Releasing ego means that we no longer seek outside validation of our value. We may drop out of the endless pursuit of “making it” and instead seek only the grace of transformation. 

This doesn’t mean that we have no goals or preferences. It means only that we are not defined by them, nor are we striving for some idealistic, ego-driven future moment. Our actions become infused with spirit in such as way that we are able to transform the world around us simply by being authentic, joyful expressions of the Divine.   

When we are mindful, a new quality comes into our experiences. Rather than being a means to an end, the present moment becomes a doorway into the Infinite. In A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle writes, “Not what you do, but how you do what you do determines whether you are fulfilling your destiny. And how you do what you do is determined by your state of consciousness.”

See yourself as a lifetime student of love. There is much yet to discover.

“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing,
Love is knowing I am everything,
and between the two my life moves.” ~Nisargadatta Maharaj~ 

We are on an incredible journey. No matter how many lifetimes you’ve had so far, no matter how high your state of consciousness, remember that earth is simply the beginning. This playground allows us to explore the concepts of separation, contrast and opposites in order to discover the higher truths of balance, compassion and Oneness.  

When we have named every star in the sky, counted the grains on every beach, loved through a thousand lifetimes and experienced this world in every possible way, the adventure will then take us to new levels of existence.   

Life can sometimes be overwhelming, though. Our physical senses create a sense of solidity out of illusion, and often we can feel trapped by tunnel vision. The purpose of meditation or conscious breathing is to briefly allow you to connect with the infinite aspect of who you are. As we learn to see beyond appearances, we can touch eternity. You are far more than the role you are currently playing in this lifetime.  

All that we experience is a projection of our inner state of consciousness.

“Love is the bridge between you and everything.” ~Rumi~   

Whenever I see someone caught up in anger, judging, blaming, attacking or spewing hatred in it’s various forms, all I feel is compassion. Imagine going through life carrying the weight of all that self-hatred. Imagine being so afraid to take personal responsibility that the world appears to be a dangerous place filled with evil people.

This type of behavior indicates that the ego-mind has repeated negativity often enough to trigger what Eckhart Tolle refers to as “the pain body.” Once the pain body is in control, it seeks to steal energy from others by getting a reaction.

As you clear the layers of negativity from your own experience, you’ll notice that you react less to others who are in the grip of unconsciousness. This healthy neutrality provides greater objectivity and awareness when dealing with those who are temporarily insane

When someone in your life leaves you feeling tired, head-achy or drained, observe your own reactivity. Even if your actions are measured, chances are that your thoughts are still allowing psychic vampirism to occur. Do your best to move into compassion. See the other as someone who is currently unaware of their own potential and beauty and become a reflection of their sacredness. There is no greater gift than helping another to find their way out of fear.