Love resides at the core of all that we experience.

We are called upon to view everyone we meet as a teacher. When we bring openness and humility to our interactions, something new emerges. Rather than seeing some as broken, wounded or evil, see them as absolutely necessary for your souls growth. How can you approach those who challenge you with love in your heart?

The best way to learn is to listen. Observe what others project and you will gain great insight. Your insight will lead to compassion and compassion will create the space in which transformation is possible.

You have a great deal to offer. Your consciousness has the power to awaken the consciousness in others. Even if you must distance yourself temporarily from toxic behavior, you can shower that person with white light, healing, gratitude and love from afar. Plants seeds of kindness and nurture them with joyful expectation.

Every moment is an opportunity to awaken.

“Life is an adventure. Invite constant adventures, and whenever a call comes from the unknown, listen to it. Risk all and go into the unknown, because this is the only way to live at the maximum.”  ~Osho~

You can live life from the deeper sense of self rather than the conditioned self. The conditioned self is the surface level of existence where we observe all we see through the filters of our imprinting, our parents’ beliefs, societal expectations and the like. The deeper sense of self is the true “I am” of consciousness – the universe expressing itself through you.

No matter what arises, you can look deeper. See beyond the appearances and the roles we play to the truth of the soul. Ask yourself: “What is happening? What is real? What is illusion?”

Spirituality is formless, the unknown. It cannot be intellectualized nor grasped. It cannot be something that is achieved in the future. The moment of awakening is Now. Spirituality is something beyond concepts or words, though they can point to truths. Ultimately, you can measure the process of your awakening by observing how you respond to life. In the midst of a challenge, rather than being reactive, you’ll operate from a powerful foundation of peace and balance, and this energy will be transformative.

Be the change you wish to see.

“Just a little bit of understanding can bring a tremendous revolution in your life. All seeds are small – the trees may grow high, almost touching the stars, but the seeds are very small. This is just a seed that has fallen into your heart; now allow it to grow. Give nourishment to it, support it, remove all hindrances in its path, and a small seed, which seems to be nothing special in this moment, may bring thousands of flowers.”  ~Osho~

To offer another the space to be who they are is a miraculous gift. Everyone we meet wants only one thing: to be accepted as they are. Plant seeds of love and kindness by recognizing the sacredness in those who grace your life.

Think of how much energy is depleted by defending one’s viewpoint, life choices or expression of self. Rather than participate in this egoic activity, begin by accepting yourself as you are, as a work in progress. There is nothing to defend, nothing to explain. You are perfect, even in your perceived imperfection. Something new to learn is always within reach; therefore, the spiritual student seeks to recognize the gifts inherent in every situation.

Your self-acceptance will have a great impact on how much you are able to accept those around you. They will feel safe in your presence and will shine in unique ways. All that you experience is a reflection of your awakening consciousness.

Seek to disengage from harmful, collective thought patterns.

Self-realization is the ability to discover, in yourself, the ability to be present. We currently live in an outrage culture. It seems that there is always a group ready to be offended and angry; however, one does not need to be angry in order to create positive changes. Seek to distance yourself from group thought. Most of the population are Young Souls interested in power, control and greed or Mature Souls who are driven by family, community, drama and karmic contracts. As Old Souls, we are called upon to bring a different energy to the mix.

While they are wonderful tools to keep us connected, phones and social media can also be addictive distractions. Consider changing your usage to one of conscious choice rather than using when bored or impulsively throughout the day. Observe those around you and you’ll discover that many opportunities one could use to simply be present, meditative, conscious or at peace are instead filled with games, checking social media or drowning in the 24/7 news cycle.

Anytime you begin to reach for your phone, take a moment to breathe. Pull yourself completely and consciously into the Now and ask if it’s necessary or if the desire is a habitual pattern. As you begin to regulate your usage, you’ll discover the many quiet moments that are available for exploration of your own state of inner awareness, thus accelerating your spiritual growth.

Challenges push us into areas of growth we would never choose to explore on our own.

“Perhaps it’s the belief that we shouldn’t have any problems, any discomfort, any pain, that makes modern life seem so distressing. Life doesn’t match our image of how it should be, and we conclude life itself is wrong. We relate to everything from the narrow, fearful perspective of “I want” – and what we want is to feel good. When our emotional distress does not feel good, we recoil from it. The resulting discomfort generates fear, then fear creates even more distress, and distress becomes our enemy, something to be rid of. Let us instead examine our basic requirement that life should be comfortable. This one assumption causes all of us endless difficulties.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

Our human experience is one of collective awakening. This planet was created as a playground to offer myriad ways to explore the infinite facets of love, connection, compassion, empowerment, joy and healing. We live in the realm of contrasts: hate teaches us love, weakness teaches empowerment, separateness teaches Oneness, judgment teaches compassion and illness teaches us about healing. Most importantly, resistance teaches us the power of acceptance.

Drop the expectation that life is meant to be easy and it will become easier. It’s not the challenges that make our experience difficult, it’s our resistance to them. See them instead as opportunities to evolve more quickly. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have moments where everything falls into place, for you will certainly experience times of great beauty and joy. The key is to continue with your spiritual work in those quiet times, strengthening your gifts and relating to the world from a higher state of consciousness. Then, when the next challenge appears, you’ll be ready to face it with the knowledge that you are right where you need to be.

We are on a grand adventure of awakening.

“Residing fully in the present moment allows the unconditioned energy of life to flow through the conditioned body and mind.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

This is the moment of transformation. All that you require is already here and all you need to do is open to the blessings that surround you.

When you bring your awareness to your inner state of consciousness, something miraculous happens. You discover the ability to see beyond the illusions of life and become a loving witness to the sacredness of all things. Use whatever arises in your experience as part of your spiritual practice. Your greatest measure of success is how conscious you have grown.

Periodically take measure of the subtle and powerful changes that already flow through your life. Notice when you are less reactive and discover your ability to be fully present in the Now.

Choosing to take full responsibility for your own experience leads to empowerment and spiritual mastery.

“Feeling disappointment is a natural part of being human. Festering in resentment is against our deepest nature.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

When you seek movement in your experience, operate from a state of empowerment rather than one of victim-hood. If a situation has created challenges in your experience, recognize that it has a valid purpose in your spiritual growth. Initially, it may be challenging to know the right steps to take: is it appropriate to leave it, change it or accept it?

Begin by attempting to create change using the tools you have cultivated thus far on your journey. Communication, compassion, conscious action and intention can shift the energy dramatically in many cases. If you have tried these to no avail, consider if it’s in your highest good to step away and pivot into another direction on your life path. If you are stuck in the situation, then you must accept it and change your perspective.

No matter which approach you deem appropriate, each brings unique lessons, insight and energy that will ultimately assist in your awakening. Everything works toward your highest good. Everything.

What you fight, you strengthen.

“When stuck in apathy, procrastination, or the morass of depression, choose one small task and complete it mindfully. Momentum will follow.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

Sometimes the changes we seek to create in the world (and within ourselves) seem daunting or overwhelming. Discomfort arises when we begin to realize that something needs to shift and, of course, the ego-mind immediately jumps in with momentum stopping dialogue.

Bring your focus to the end result and celebrate the fact that if you can visualize it with passion, you can draw in what you wish. Rather than fighting what you perceive as “wrong”, purposefully feed your energy into what inspires you as you create positive changes.

Most people do not realize how powerful they are. Making even one small positive change can shift the momentum of your life. Set an intention and speak it out loud in the present tense as you set the tone for the day. Then support your intention by ensuring that your thoughts, words and actions are all in alignment with it. And finally, be willing to receive with the knowledge that you are a powerful co-creator of your experience.

Forgiveness is about setting yourself free from anger and resentment.

“Spiritual practice always entails forgiveness – at least as long as there is even one person we can’t forgive. But real forgiveness is not some form of magnanimous acceptance of others ‘even though they did us wrong,’ Rather, with true forgiveness we loosen the grip on our treasured resentment. Often the most difficult part of forgiving another is facing the fact that we don’t actually want to forgive them. yet the process of forgiveness also requires that we experience, within ourselves, the fact that we are not so different from those we are so ready to judge. Experiencing this shared pain of humanity – the realization that all of us are acting out of protectedness and fear – allows forgiveness to come forth on its own.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

When we view life from a higher perspective, we are able to access greater wisdom and insight. The ability to rise above the ego while in the midst of betrayal, anger or when on the receiving end of an attack is a powerful aspect of spiritual mastery. We bring consciousness to our challenging situations rather than reactivity.

The key is to drop the “I” of the little mind. The ego may say with indignance, “I do so much for him! How can he treat me this way?” Keep in mind that everyone is doing the best they can from their level of consciousness. If someone behaves in a way that you perceive as negative or as an attack, recognize that your anger only reinforces the situation and keeps both of you stuck. Find a way to view the situation through the filter of compassion, and then choose your actions (or inaction) from that perspective.

We are all works in progress. Remembering that can help us to see clearly.

The ego always fears the unknown and will often sabotage our efforts to break free from suffering because of it.

“Few circumstances awaken our aspiration to live more directly from the heart than the grave illness or death of a loved one. In such times of naked pain, we’re no longer so intent on clinging to our protections, so interested in preserving our small comforts and our fleeting goals. At such times, we may become aware of just how strongly we hold our hearts back in fear. At this point, grief becomes a doorway to enter more deeply into our life.”  ~Ezra Bayda~

Suffering has no value unless it is conscious suffering. People can become trapped in the story of loss, sometimes for years, and accept it as part of their ego-identity. As humans we all experience the joys and distress of life… the ebb and flow of energy, the loss of those we love, fear of pain from sickness or accident. Yet, these extraordinary challenges call upon us to rise above the mundane.

As spiritual seekers we have a different set of tools that help us to process our painful moments and transform them into the strongest aspects of our growth. Then the ego-driven story and identification as “the one this happened to” becomes the back-story of the empowerment, breakthrough and insight of the soul.

When you feel overwhelmed, go back to basics. Sit in stillness, do gratitude walks, cleanse your home and crystals, take a moment to bless the food you eat. All of these little actions are compassionate gifts that you give to yourself to set yourself free from victim-hood consciousness. And thus, you open yourself to receive the love, light and laughter of the Universe.