The conscious heart

I read this insightful quote today…

“There is pleasure and pain, gain and loss, slander and honor, praise and blame. The Awakened Ones are not controlled by these external things. They will cease as quickly as they arise. If others speak against you, do not be angry, for that will prevent your own inner freedom. Learn to hear their harsh words patiently until they cease. Similarly if they praise you. Find out what is false or true and acknowledge the facts.” ~ Digha Nikaya and the Dhammapada

Those who have yet to awaken lived trapped in the lessons and cycles of karma and drama without realizing that there is a way to escape the intensity. Anger, unacknowledged or honored, feeds hatred and aggression. It become easier to project than to examine, and thus, the cycle continues. To understand how anger affects you, pay attention to it when it is small. Catch it when it is still in the more manageable states of resentment, dissatisfaction or judgement. Notice when it arises and ask yourself if it is due to the stories of the mind, your physical state of being, old habits, patterns or expectations. Then sit with it for a moment. Consider that the situation or person has done their part – they have shown you a wound that you carry and the moment of transformation is at hand.

The more awareness you bring to your state of consciousness, the more empowerment you will discover. Each step of awakening has a purpose and all things work to your highest good.

Today my intention is to be willing to see clearly. May I be a loving example of kindness and unconditional love.

Creativity

The joy of creativity lies in the act of creating itself. When we open to inspiration, our energy and actions enhance life on every level. We cultivate more beauty, gratitude, joyfulness and passion in our experience. Whether you write, play music, celebrate the art of cooking, add your flair while decorating your sacred space or dance your way through raindrops, in creativity we discover our unique connection to the Divine.

Creativity connects you to your bliss and adds dimension to your experience. In solitude you find a space to play alone in your vision. You experiment without fear, discard what doesn’t work and celebrate when it feels right. In the greatest moments thought disappears, the art disappears, the artist disappears and all that remains is the Divine, expressing itself in physical form.

Be the watcher, the observer as you dance with the Divine. Open to expression from the highest vibration possible and you will touch the energy of the masters. Then life itself becomes a mystical experience for you are a channel of light and wonderment.

Today my intention is to be open to the inspiration of love.

Freedom

Freedom is a choice. It is a state of mind that we consciously seek – freedom from limitation, pain, fear, anger, resentment, or the stories from the past. Each of us has the opportunity to create the momentum of empowerment in the present moment and one of the greatest joys of awakening is the discovery that we have the ability to rewrite old scripts and transform ourselves by exploring new ways of thinking.

It’s simple, and it begins with a thought. Begin by setting an intention and visualizing the end result of happiness. Then, live the present moment as if you have already manifested the change. Immediately, new ways of experiencing the Now open to you. Energy creates momentum and soon you’ll find yourself realizing the power of your thoughts, words and actions because you’ll be a conscious witness to the transformation as it occurs.

Today my intention is to be a conscious creator.

 

We are one

The more you develop a greater understanding of yourself, the more you feel connected to the whole of which we are all a part. This connection allows us to see that we are involved in the same process of awakening, that we are brothers and sisters and ultimately, related in infinite ways that we are just beginning to understand.

The human condition is to believe in boundaries. We create them within our heart as a form of protection. We create them in our homes, cities and countries thinking somehow that this blocks out the “bad” and they exists within the mind as forms of judgment. In awareness, we learn to approach ourselves and one another with open hearts. One by one boundaries begin to disappear and we merge with infinite possibility.

With each breath we come together. Breathing the same atmosphere, sharing the same energy… have you noticed that certain people’s sense of purpose and vitality uplifts you while others bring you down? We are constantly affecting one another. The conscious spiritual seeker uses this awareness and can transform situations with their authenticity and intention.

Accept yourself. With clarity and acceptance you can create a space in which transformation can occur. Then fear disappears, boundaries diminish and we can once again greet one another as friends.

Today my intention is to rejoice and celebrate in gratitude.

Releasing old patterns

Sometimes when we are in the midst of transformation, the situations in which we find ourselves immersed seem to worsen for a while. This is an indicator that the energy is getting ready to move. The ego will use this as an opportunity to “scare” you back into the old pattern because of it’s resistance to change, but it’s important to press forward. For example, if you are focused on changing your patterns around money, you may lose your wallet, manifest breakdowns that cost additional funds to repair or get a ticket. When you work on improving relationships, you may have a fight with your significant other or create a misunderstanding. When learning unconditional love, you may encounter sometime truly difficult to love and accept. When focusing on becoming healthy, you might get sick or have an accident. Should anything like this occur, know that you are on the right track and practice handling the challenges as consciously as you can.

The patterns of our lives give us the opportunity to recognize limiting beliefs. They also provide the opportunity to utilize new skills that you are learning or allow you to see how differently you respond compared to where you were earlier on the Path of Transformation.

When you begin to focus your attention on a particular issue, other aspects of you life may become more uncomfortable. Be aware that we are the creators of all of our experiences and everything serves a purpose. As you look inward without resistance, you may have new insights regarding the energy around the pattern, understand how it weaves throughout your life and see the beauty that awaits you when you break free from it.

The only thing that you can control is your response to the present moment. Change your thinking and everything else will flow from that.

Today my intention is to choose joy knowing that all things work to my highest good.

Mastery and balance

The beauty of your unique gifts lies in the way that they blend together. Like an exotic spice or a new twist on familiar ingredients, the wonderment resides in the unexpected. Those who grace your life seek this energy and information to add to their experience – this is why it’s so important to be true to yourself.

Imagine that you are focused solely on the journey rather than the destination. See yourself as a traveler who is only in search of new experiences. Imagine that you are long past being defined by others’ criticism or flattery, knowing who you are and enjoying your experience. Imagine that you can see yourself reflected in everyone you meet, dropping all judgment, stories or expectation – honoring each interaction only as an opportunity to shine in the present moment. Imagine that you bring such an energy of peace to situations that others calm down merely by being in your presence. Imagine that you feel comfortable with each decision you make and enjoy where you are. This is mastery.

Today my intention is to create a space of freedom and peacefulness in my experience.

 

 

Integrity

Part of our early imprinting is to be politic. We are taught how one should behave, what is expected and hypocrisy becomes embedded in our way of being. Judgment of those who are found wanting then becomes the norm and a righteous indignant response seems justifiable in various situations. This is a mechanism of the ego. Until you delve deeply into your own integrity, you may never discover the ways that hypocrisy has invaded your experience.

Become the observer so that you can understand the layers of energy that blind you to your own truths. How often do you do what is expected because of a desired outcome? An empowered person is filled with personal integrity, humility and kindness – reflections of his or her inner integrity. They are fearless because they can simply be themselves, knowing their strengths and foibles, accepting them all, hiding nothing.

In your strength you will discover the joys of walking through life without needing to prove yourself. There will be no need to explain or justify your actions or beliefs and serenity will flow through you into whatever you do. Each action becomes a gift of truth.

Today my intention is to remember that my world is a reflection of my thoughts and beliefs. My life is filled with love and kindness and wonderful experiences.

Be gentle with yourself

With soul work we must be patient with ourselves. As the Divine makes itself known to you, you’ll become more attuned to the harmony of which you are a part; however, the ego loves to plant the idea that we should be farther along by now… and we become impatient with the process of awakening. As you walk in the realm of time and space, keep in mind that you are an infinite being. Time is a construct of the mind and impatience can be our greatest barrier.

Waiting – for enlightenment, healing, healthy relationships, safety – is a future based activity. The most empowering thing that you can do for yourself is to choose joy Now, in this moment. Then life takes on it’s own momentum and we cease to limit ourselves with expectation and desire.

Patience can teach you how to be more aware, more alert. We cannot force things to reveal themselves before the appropriate time; however, the more patient you are, the quicker things seem to move. Awareness requires kindness, compassion and a peacefulness that begins within… and from there anything can happen.

Today my intention is to be willing to grow and change. Every moment presents a wonderful opportunity to explore more facets of my personality.

Breakthroughs

When emotional intensity hits our experience, we have two options: to breakdown or breakthrough. Changes bring opportunity for growth, structures become unstable and old patterns can be discarded. All too often when challenges hit, people spend a lot of time and effort trying to get things back to the way they were; however, the whole point of dramatic shifts in consciousness is to move to a new level of experience.

Use the opportunities provided in your life to move away from outmoded ideas that no longer serve your growth. Seek to live more and more through the heart and allow love to be your center. Sometimes this can mean recognizing when it’s time to move forward, when to allow, when to release or explore new ways of being.

As humans, we can get stuck in our own patterns. They deplete our passion and life can become quite mundane. When this happens, the Divine will often shift us into experiences that shake things up a bit and get us to think, quite literally, out of the box. Take notice, for these are moments filled with limitless opportunities for growth and movement.

Today my intention is to remember that when things look like they are falling apart, they are, in actuality, falling together.

Completion

All of existence longs for completion. We desire balance in our experience and are always seeking ways to fulfill that desire. Once something has been completed, we release it. The energy neutralizes and a sense of lightness occurs. Anything that is imbalanced is carried until it too has been brought to completion.

In this eternal playground, there is no need to hurry. Sometimes we will carry energies for lifetimes waiting for the perfect opportunity to balance and discard them. Whatever you choose to do, be completely present with it – this is the easiest way to bring things to completion. Honor the present moment as sacred, pay attention, enjoy it, feel it and experience authentic completion. This sense of contentment is ultimately what the soul desires.

If the present moment brings a moment of anger, be fully present with that as well. Suffering has no value unless it is conscious suffering which brings wisdom and insight if done with awareness. Express whatever needs to be expressed and then silence will return – the energy will come to completion and it will not be carried forward into your experience.

Today my intention is to live in limitless love, light and joy.