Outward Expressions of Peace

“When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.”
~Roy T. Bennett~

Everyone has a unique way of being in the world. Throughout your search for enlightenment and fulfillment, consider the energy that you bring to your life situation. The awakening soul seeks ways to demonstrate non-reactivity with the understanding that change (both personal and collective) must come from within.

Outward expressions of peace might include holding space for another when they struggle with a challenge, choosing to refrain from gossip, opinion or judgment, or kindnesses when no one is watching. Your life can be a statement of love and compassion.

Seek only to bring the best version of yourself to the present moment. Look for those who see a need and respond consciously – these are your people. Our shared responsibility, our shared vision, can be the turning point that is so desperately needed. Yes, there will always be young souls who thrive on conflict, anger and the need for power. But so too, will there always be enlightened ones who teach by example.

Whatever choice you make, let it come from a deep sense of who you are. Authenticity is the foundation of empowerment.

 

Personal Responsibility

Blame is often used as a tool of avoidance and solidifies victim consciousness. We project energy at another person, situation or idea to distract ourselves from looking within. Since the world is our reflection, circumstances will often arise to provide an opportunity for us to recognize what we’ve spend a lifetime trying to avoid. It’s important to remember that the core of life’s practice is awakening. We can only reach that state by stepping into personal responsibility.

Empowerment requires that we face our fears. Until we do so, they will block our ability to love. Personal responsibility operates through several different levels of experience. It brings mindfulness to the way you choose to respond to the present moment and a heightened awareness of your self-talk. It allows you to walk through life with the understanding that every situation and person has something to teach – and because you operate from that mindset, you accelerate your own awakening.

Once we take responsibility for our own state of consciousness, we begin to realize that what we have considered to be “reality” is merely a reflection of how we see the world, what we expect, what we believe, or what we fear. When we choose to surrender to a situation, stop trying to force those around us to change and go within for the answers, we begin to heal.

Empathy

“We have been to the moon, we have charted the depths of the ocean and the heart of the atom, but we have a fear of looking inward to ourselves because we sense that is where all the contradictions flow together.”
~Terrence McKenna~

When we are attached to an idea of how life should be and it differs from what we are experiencing, pain ensues. The awakened soul has the ability to turn and face whatever fears arise, thus, addressing the imbalance while it is smaller and more manageable. If we allow the mind to create and repeat stories that reinforce the original attachment, energy is fed into the problem increasing it’s presence in our lives. Choose instead to bring peace and balance into your experience. Become a channel for light to enter your life.

The more you see any challenges you encounter as vehicles of awakening, the more empathy you’ll cultivate for others who struggle with their own challenges. Compassion teaches us the value of creating space in relationships, allowing each person to thrive and grow as the winds of heaven dance in between.

Everyone has something beautiful to offer – a moment of kindness can be life-changing for those who are touched by your energy. Sharing new insights, artistic vision, passion or laughter can open new avenues of experience. Never doubt the power of your positive choices and interactions.

Understanding

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.”
~Hermann Hesse~
Experience creates understanding. Those who walk through challenges emerge transformed. They have a compassion and depth of knowledge unknown to those who have played it safe. Think of the difference between someone who has studied honey extensively – it’s molecular compounds, how it’s made, uses for it – and someone who has simply paused to taste and enjoy its sweetness. While one may have more time invested and learned complex words to describe it, the second has personal experience and greater clarity.
The mind, pretending to be important, will often ask questions that delay (how? why? when?) as a form of procrastination. The heart will prompt you to conscious action based upon your newfound wisdom.
Understanding will ultimately set you free. With each experience your perception of life broadens. Immerse yourself in possibility and choose to see beyond good and bad to the love that resides at the core of everything. Armed with depth and nuance, you can trust the whispers of your heart. Taste life. Allow its sweetness to inform you. No matter what arises, your compassion will continue to expand until it encompasses all that you see.

Love and Compassion

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
~Neil deGrasse Tyson~
Awareness transforms the way that we walk in the world. Collectively and uniquely, we fumble our way towards enlightenment and as our consciousness expands, we gain a greater understanding of one another and view life from a broader perspective. This dance of awakening calls upon us to give greater consideration to how our actions impact one another as we move forward. Integrity is found in the choices that we make when we’re alone.
I feel honored when I am witness to loving behavior. I see people picking up trash as they walk their dogs, opening doors for another as they enter the store, working in community gardens, helping those whose voices are not heard and countless other demonstrations of love and compassion. These kindnesses are the by-product of awareness. Rather than being lost in the world of illusion or trapped in their own problems, they reach out – simply and quietly, fulfilling the souls purpose to awaken.
Open your heart today. Hear someone’s story. Understand a different point of view. Research a new topic. This world is filled with many opportunities to learn from one another, to love one another and to honor each path as sacred.

Levels of Consciousness

“World is a multi-dimensional reality. At lower level it is full with unconsciousness and competitiveness.
At higher level it is full with beauty, bliss and divinity. Focus on higher dimensions.”
~Amit Ray~
One’s level of consciousness not only determines their interpretation of life, but also how they will respond to it. The lower levels of shame, fear, anger, pride or grief lead to erratic, dysfunctional behavior as well as a limited mindset, and those who vibrate at the lower frequencies tend to be very draining to be around (psychic vampirism).
The awakening soul must first focus on their own state of consciousness. When you are deeply aligned with courage, willingness, acceptance or love, your expansive vision creates an opportunity to see things from a broader viewpoint. Rather than getting dragged downward energetically, we can take ourselves higher and create a mindful experience instead of one that is reactive.
Love and light surround you, always. While it can be easy to feel overwhelmed in the midst of life’s chaos, it helps to remember that all beings are working toward enlightenment. The only difference between us is where one resides on that journey. Let compassion open your heart and mind to new possibilities.

The Human Experience

The whole point of being human is to enjoy the various aspects of physical life… as beings of spirit, we had never experienced the taste of chocolate, known the warmth of a hug, or felt the intensity of emotions that arise from falling in love or feeling disappointment.

And so the experiment began. As One, we created a playground within the realm of time and space. We decided to dance in the arms of the Divine by taking a journey into new levels of illusion, and getting immersed within the dream, forgot the original point of human existence… experience.
However, even that forgetting was something that the infinite source of love had not experienced before and so, it too, fulfills an important aspect of a grander design – the joy of awakening.
Choose to slow down and savor all the tiny, exquisite aspects of being human today. Without inner dialogue or mind-made labels, simply be present with whatever unfolds. Let every action, sensation and experience be considered sacred. Consciously enjoy your food or an engaging conversation, run your fingertips across various textures, revel in your dog’s smile and take the time to enjoy the beauty and majesty of being human.

Awakening

“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Don’t go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep!
People are going back and forth
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,
The door is round and open
Don’t go back to sleep!”

~Rumi~

You can utilize anything that arises as a doorway to awakening. Seekers of enlightenment find sparks of illumination everywhere because the desire to awaken is ignited within them; therefore, they experience a reflection of that desire.

We choose how we experience the present moment. Teachers are everywhere. Walk with gentle humility and you may discover facets of your soul that are ready to shine.

Your life is a work of art, ever-changing in nuance and expression. Paint your dreams, share your story, become an inspiration and allow yourself to dance in a state of wonder.

Spiritual practice is not about finding the perfect way to meditate or how to manifest the ideal mate, career, living situation or health. It’s about bringing a higher awareness to your experience. Each person you meet is a unique spark of eternal consciousness that ultimately seeks to experience the synergy of awakening.

 

Gentle Strength

“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.”
~Kahlil Gibran~
True strength is measured by authenticity, consistency and compassion. The higher your energetic frequency, the more power you can access. Those who vibrate at lower levels such as anger, pride, apathy or shame must use force in order to feel heard. No matter what change you wish to create in your experience, it must be cultivated within you before you can bring it into the world of form.
When those for whom you care become lost in the illusions of this world, do your best to remain at the highest level of consciousness that you can in your various interactions. We must remain engaged in unconditional love in order to teach: situation by situation, moment by moment. This takes conscious and consistent practice. You are a conduit through which the Divine manifests; therefore, it’s important to clear anything that blocks your ability to love.  View the challenges you face as realms of infinite possibility that deepen your wisdom, cultivate your strength and bring aspects that require attention or healing into the light of awareness. This is the moment of transformation.

Creating the Momentum of Change

“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 to stop dialogue; however, you have the ability to create powerful changes in your experience.

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. And finally, be willing to receive with the knowledge that you are a powerful co-creator of your experience.