Embrace changes

Every change you encounter awakens your soul a little bit more.

That’s Right! Knowing that friends and lovers were once strangers, I welcome new people and situations into my life

It’s said that the only constant is change itself. Resist nothing. Flow with the energy of life as best you can with ease and grace. Often what comes to us looking like a blockage or a loss in reality, is a transformation that opens up new ways of being.

The mind will always choose to stay with the known rather than explore the unknown, even when the unknown has the opportunity to bring joyous expansion. Live through the heart for it is fearless. The awakened spirit desires to evolve, and evolution, by its very definition, is the embodiment of change.

This moment is sacred. It is not something to merely pass through on the way to some imagined future. All of life is happening Now. Immerse yourself within it – enjoy the textures, the feelings, the insights and experiences with an open heart.

Today my intention is to celebrate all the changes that have flowed (intentionally or unbidden) throughout my life. They have brought me to this beautiful moment and I am grateful.

We are One

The infinite love of the Divine flows through all.

That’s Right! The answers within me come to me with ease

When you connect with teachings and concepts that are powerful for you, what you are really recognizing is your own power. When you see another as beautiful, inspirational or awakened, you are recognizing your own attributes. Only spirit can recognize spirit.

Awakening consciousness affects us at the deepest level. As the soul begins to become more aware of itself, it releases the layers of illusion that have outlived their usefulness.

The ego relies upon the concept of separation, seeing oneself as somehow better or worse than another. Because of this we identify with particular roles, appearance, numbers in a bank account and the struggles that come from the belief in superiority or inferiority. In essence, when the roles and judgments are stripped away we begin to understand that no one can be inferior nor superior. This is where true humility, self-confidence and compassion begin.

Make a point today to sense the sacred in all things. Begin in the mirror and expand outward. You may find yourself seeing through illusion to the formless and eternal dimension of life itself.

Today my intention is to live with an open heart.

I Am

“I Am”… are the two most powerful words you can use, for whatever you say after them creates your reality.

That’s Right! I am able to handle all my experiences with wisdom and ease

You are more powerful than you know. The words you say create the flow of your experience and it’s important to be conscious of the energy that you bring to any situation in which you find yourself.

Someone who says, “There’s never enough time” or “I’m always late” certainly creates a stress-filled experience, running from one project to the next, never realizing that life is responding to the ingrained pattern or thought they repeat so often.

It can take a bit of practice to break a lifetime habit. Begin with where you are. Affirmations are a way of retraining the mind, and in the beginning the ego will try to thwart your best intentions by planting the limiting thought that no matter how many times you say “There is enough time” or “I am always on time, which is a wonderful way of showing respect to those in my life”, it’s just not who you are.

As an infinite, multifaceted being you have many choices. Pay attention to the choices you make, keep those that bring you joy and purposely shift anything that no longer serves you. Changes will come. Miracles happen when you cultivate positive intention and awareness.

Today my intention is to remember that I am one with the Universe. I have all that I need.

Limitless possibility

vineyard_landscape_sunset.jpgThis moment is filled with perfection. Your level of awareness determines how many possibilities you can discover.

That’s Right! I see the best in everyone and help them to recognize their most wonderful qualities

As you move into greater awareness, new levels of consciousness open to you. The higher you go, the simpler things become. You are far greater than your body, your role or other people’s perception of you. Knowing this, can you sense the infinite energy of the Divine that flows through you? This is Presence.

We live in a mystery. Everything is inter-connected, often in amazing ways. The awakened soul is the loving witness of life itself. Let each moment be your meditation. Bring the transformative power of awareness to all that you do – allow it to be the backdrop of your awakened life.

Pay attention to your breath, the gaps in between breaths, the gaps between thoughts. This is the infinite space in which everything unfolds – the space which contains infinite possibility.

Today my intention is to live and walk in gratitude.

Life is the journey

Quietly observe life as it unfolds around you. Discover the expansiveness of Presence – experiencing without judgment.

That’s Right! I constantly find new ways of looking at the world. I see beauty everywhere

This moment is sacred. Experience it fully. See if you can detach from the mind and simply be. To know love, you must taste it, immerse yourself within it, let it speak through you, feel safe in your perceived vulnerability.

A famous story: One night the great German philosopher, Professor Von Kochenbach, saw two doors in a dream, one of which led directly to love and paradise, and the other to an auditorium where a lecture was being given on love and paradise. There was no hesitation on Von Kochenbach’s part – he darted into the lecture.

The mind is more interested in wisdom, the “hows” and instruction; however, the only way to tap into the love that is within you is through experience. You already have all that you need. Awakening allows you to consciously experience life through the heart. One way to center yourself in the moment is to ask, “How can I bring love to this situation?”

Nothing is insignificant. Even the light from the tiniest candle dispels the darkness… life is the journey, love is the destination.

Today my intention is to open my consciousness to all the wonderful possibilities of life

Conscious choices

LifeIn every situation you have a choice – acceptance or rejection, joy or pain, adding to your story or releasing limiting patterns…

That’s Right! I am responsible for my own joy

Life happens. The only thing that is 100% in your control is how you choose to respond to it. Whenever you learn something new, situations will immediately arise, providing opportunities which allow your new strengths to be put into practice.

If you are trying to create peace in your experience, you will have the opportunity to be peaceful in the midst of conflict. When you wish for strength, challenges will show you how strong you truly are. When working on unconditional love, someone may disappoint you – and the only way back into balance is to tap into your deepest authenticity, love and acceptance.

Seek your greatest attributes with reckless abandon. Fear not the challenges that arise for they are gifts that will ultimately provide you with exactly what you desire. As an evolving soul, a master in the process of awakening, your light shines through the darkness in ways you cannot imagine… and all of life supports you.

Today my intention is to honor the processes of my awakening. I am a lifetime student of love.

 

Interconnectedness

InterconnectedWe are One. Part of the same vastness of being, traveling the same journey, we are all just walking one another home.

That’s Right! Peace begins with me. The more peaceful I am inside, the more peace I have to share with others

Everything is interconnected. Because of this, even the smallest of things has the potential to show you the way back to the Divine. Looking with the heart, see a rock, an animal or a flower as sacred. Sense it’s perfection and allow it to be as it is without any commentary whatsoever. What arises is a childlike sense of awe and wonder that silently communicates your own beauty and divinity back to you.

When you discover the inner dimension of the Divine within yourself, your actions and relationships with reflect the Oneness with life that you are. This is how we move into the vibration of love.

From this space of high vibration, any conscious action, motivation or conversation carries greater power behind it. Remember, life will provide whatever experience is most appropriate for your soul’s growth. Be at peace with the present moment. Act with integrity, do your best, accept what is. This is how we live in harmony with life itself.

Today my intention is to be in total harmony with my environment: the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain and the earth. With my loving attitude I help to create a world where it is safe to love one another.

Attachment

The degree of pain you feel in any given moment is directly related to how attached you are.

That’s Right! I am one with the power and wisdom of the Universe. I have all that I need

The greatest gift is already within you. At the sacred center of yourself is freedom from the bondage of the mind, from limitation and from fear. Cultivating the art of non-attachment frees you to live a life of purpose in harmony with all those around you… and because your heart is open, more will be drawn to you.

The Tao teaches that when we shift our energy from acquiring to being a conduit for the Divine (allowing light and energy to flow freely), we realize that there is more than enough.

This same approach can be applied to anything or anyone in your life. The tighter you cling, the more the ego causes you to operate from fear, and the more lack you create in your experience. Conversely, allowing creates a space a fulfillment. Start small. Give away something that matters to you. Share the joy that this object has brought you.  Then observe how you feel. Is there a lightness? A sense of freedom? A lingering regret? Pay attention to your degree of attachment.

Next, focus on a specific belief. Lose your rigidness. Observe when you want to speak up to give an opinion and consciously choose to remain silent. Again, the degree of discomfort shows your attachment to an idea or to being seen as right.

Non-attachment creates a flow of ease and grace in your experience. Call upon the silent knowing of your soul and offer loving compassion in every corner of your life.

Today my intention is to be an authentic example of unconditional love and acceptance. Divine peace and harmony surround me at all times

The willingness to receive

In order to receive love, you must first be willing to completely love and accept yourself.

That’s Right! Love operates in all my relationships, from the most casual to the most intimate

“The spiritual practice of relationships is about working on ourselves only, freeing ourselves from the constricting grip of our own unhappiness. It is not the other person’s job to take our unhappiness away, our discomfort is our own responsibility. Attending to our own spiritual tasks – seeing our judgments, opinions, beliefs, demands, and staying present with the fears out of which they all arise – frees others to move toward us. Then, when they no longer feel the need to defend, they become more willing to take care of their job. Thus joy in relationships becomes possible .”
~ Ezra Bayda

The pathway of transformation is filled with opportunities to heal the barriers to love that we carry. Even the most casual acquaintance can trigger a deeply held limiting belief to rise to the surface. It’s equally important to be conscious of self-talk in fluid situations with strangers or co-workers as it is with our daily interactions with significant others.

Many people carry their wounds very near the surface. They view life through the filters created by these wounds and project them onto every situation. Be compassionate with others and even more importantly, be compassionate with yourself.

Awareness is the first step of healing. Every time you decide to make a deeper change in your life, to release yet another barrier to love, you create a space in which something new can be experienced.

Today my intention is to choose to be free from limiting patterns. With every new day, my consciousness expands in amazing ways, positively affecting every aspect of my life.

Wisdom

All change begins within

That’s Right! Every moment presents a wonderful opportunity to become more of who I am

“The path to love requires open-hearted attention to the very things that seem to block our way to it.”
~ Ezra Bayda

When we consciously bring the light of awareness to the challenges of our lives, we begin to recognize the illusions from which they arise. Transformation occurs as we dissolve our self-imposed limitations and boundaries, strip away any preferences that have crystallized into demands and enter into the stillness of the Now.

The ego will tell you that you must work with the other in order for things to change. Talk, expectation, desire, compromise, blaming and justification simply tie you in deeper to the egoic mechanisms of the mind. As a spiritual seeker, it’s important to realize that everything, everything, everything is your path of awakening. Don’t bury the lesson underneath your fear, simply keep bringing the light of awareness to it. This is the slow transformative path to freedom.

Today my intention is to remember that when I find harmony and balance in my mind, I find it in my life.