Make Love Your Foundation

The foundation of personal integrity and compassion is love. This is a much higher vibration and more powerful than any moral codes, commandments or judgement. Those who are willing to judge others are also ready to suffer separation in order to feed the ego’s need for superiority. It’s much easier to condemn another than to look within and face the need for change.

Conscious spiritual seekers bring an entirely different quality to their experiences. Always ready to forgive (or to recognize that forgiveness is not even necessary), he or she embodies compassion for those who struggle with unconsciousness and understands that everyone is in the process of transformation, regardless of how it appears.

The awakened version of morality comes not from conscience, fear or societal pressure but from a higher state of consciousness. Seek always to become more aware of your own inner mastery and wisdom – this will allow you to live in complete harmony with the Divine and you will see it reflected by the world around you.

Often society will not understand the peacefulness of an enlightened person – Where is your anger? Why aren’t you complaining about the state of the world? Aren’t you worried about what might happen? Let love express itself through you in unusual ways and be the change you wish to see.

Growth and Acceptance

According to The Michael Teachings, we arrange several overleaves when planning the blueprint of a life. These set the framework for our personality type and create the perfect foundation for the lessons that we seek to learn in this lifetime. The seven goals are: Re-evaluation, Growth, Discrimination, Acceptance, Submission, Dominance or Stagnation.

This is not a rigid system of thought. One can utilize any of the goals when working through a challenge, but the primary goal is often the answer that we seek when navigating through the intensities of life. The two most commonly used are Growth and Acceptance.

If Growth is your goal it indicates that your soul seeks to expand rapidly; therefore, you’ll often have many intense situations that set the stage for moments of awakening. Someone working with that particular goal instinctively learns how to seek the lesson inherent within the challenge.

For those using Acceptance as a goal, the answer to almost every problem is that they must learn to accept what is and then work with it rather than against it. Rejection is the hardest thing they face. After several years of fighting to fix something they perceive as wrong, they ultimately learn the peace and unconditional love that Acceptance has to offer.

“Know thyself” is written at the temple of Delphi. Once you understand your purpose, strengths and foibles in this lifetime, you are well on your way to enlightenment.

Control

“The ego relies on the familiar. It is reluctant to experience the unknown, which is they very essence of life.”
~Deepak Chopra~

There are times when we need to remind ourselves to be light, playful and accepting. To be lost in the illusion of control is to be stressed and judgmental. The ego projects it’s idea of what is acceptable and then attaches to it, often to the determent of joyful, meaningful interactions.

There is nothing wrong with having preferences; however, suffering ensues when preferences solidify into absolute requirements. Attachment causes pain.

If you can set the stage for a balanced life, you can enjoy the unfoldment of the day. Rather than seeking to control, seek to experience. Be open to following the flow of energy wherever it may lead. Life may present new friends or encounters that enrich your soul. When we are comfortable with the unknown and the unexpected, life becomes an empowering journey of discovery.

Releasing control is a conscious way to enter the joy of being. This moment  is the doorway to enlightenment – when you step into the fullness of who you are, worry and control become antithetical to your natural state of balance and Presence.

 

Letting Go

Why do we cling when clinging causes pain? It’s empowering to truly understand that we can utilize any situation as a vehicle for awakening. One practice is to notice attachment when it arises, consciously observe how it impacts our state of consciousness Now, and then take right action when appropriate.

If you notice yourself fighting to retain the status quo at all costs, insisting that circumstances unfold in a certain way or losing your personal integrity to placate someone else, you are giving away your power. Some people and things are bulwarks in our lives, others play their role in our awakening and depart. The question then becomes how do you know when to fight for something and when to release it?

Awareness always begins with your inner work. Why are you attached? What is the story that replays in the mind? Who would you be without that story? (thank you, Byron Katie!) Your journey is unique and, ultimately, you will find your way to enlightenment.

Act with integrity, do your best, accept what is. Letting go is easier when we have been purposeful in our actions. Sometimes seeds are planted and circumstances need time to change. Just because something doesn’t happen on your schedule, it doesn’t mean that you have failed. When you release all attachment to outcomes, you create greater peace in your experience.

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is a life-long process. In the light of consciousness we begin to see more clearly and can consciously participate in our own awakening. Understand that life is full of distractions – some personal, some collective; however, you can choose to expand in a way that is empowering.

Ultimately, the soul heeds the call of awakening and we are able to break free from the ravages of karma. While life still unfolds as it will, we no longer feel victimized by circumstance; instead, we learn to transform challenging situations through love. To find a personal state of grace and balance, we must cultivate the ability to allow life to unfold without attachment to outcomes. The dance between dark and light opens our consciousness to explore the space in between, a resting place where healing occurs.

Each of us will forge a unique pathway to higher dimensions. The most beautiful thing that you can do is share your insights and wisdom and act in a way that exemplifies them in the world of form. Delve into the delight of consciousness, for once you explore the mysteries of life with an awakened heart, you will never be the same.

Strength

“No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just come out the other side. Or you don’t.”
~Stephen King~
 

When life presents our darkest moments, we have an opportunity to rise above. Know that your soul is ready to face whatever life offers – and realize that challenging situations only come into our experience when we have the tools and ability to handle them.

Beliefs about our own worthiness, strength, ingenuity and vision create internal blockages. Challenges provide the opportunity to leave behind the baggage, take action and break through to new levels of enlightenment.

The Universe has creative ways of propelling us into growth. Life sometimes take a turn into the unknown and we must either face it or give up. Fortunately, our tendency is to evolve. By facing the darkness, we ultimately emerge transformed by the light of consciousness.

Trust the processes of life and know that you have the fortitude to conquer your fear… not only facing it and conquering it, but shattering the old beliefs and patterns that created it in the first place. You are stronger than you know.

Rising Above Ego

“Enlightenment is the ego’s ultimate disappointment.”
~Chogyam Trungpa~

Prior to awakening, the mind is in control. Always comparing, seeking, distressing, planning, fixing or creating dissatisfaction with the present moment, it mercilessly controls our lives. It’s important to honor the ego as a teacher rather than see it as an enemy. It’s purpose is to maintain the illusion of separateness. This prompts our quest for Oneness.As we move to higher levels of consciousness, we become more aware of the mechanisms of the ego. We learn to transform challenges into empowerment while cultivating the ability to see clearly. The ego must then find news ways to function, so it shifts to a more subtle but still disruptive force. You’ll know ego is activated in some fashion whenever peace and acceptance elude you.

As you cultivate wisdom and taste the freedom and expansiveness that is discovered, you will begin to view the ego as a teacher – nothing more, nothing less. It then becomes easier to see through the illusion. In moments of imbalance stop and observe your thoughts. See them objectively and then consciously move into love. Every moment is an opportunity to be still and deepen your connection to the Divine.

Releasing Worry

“Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose”

~Eckhart Tolle~

Challenges can draw us together in miraculous ways. It’s easy to get lost in the stories of the mind, the collective dramas we experience and fears regarding an unknowable future. Every day ego-driven souls fill our consciousness with “what ifs?” that attempt to destroy the peace of the present moment. As an enlightened spirit in the process of awakening, utilize this tendency of our culture to practice your ability to see things differently.

The higher your vibration, the greater your perception. Life’s interpretation is far different when viewed from the levels of Acceptance, Love or Peace. You have chosen to incarnate during these times with a specific purpose in mind, perhaps to teach others a new way of being and assist in the awakening of a new level of consciousness.

Challenging moments are usually followed by an outpouring of love, kindness and compassion from those who have reached a level in their soul’s growth to recognize the potential that resides in the midst of heartache. Each time you choose to allow challenging situations to empower your spirit rather than corrupt your mind, your soul awakens to limitless possibility. Become a living flame of awareness.

Seeing Clearly

“Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.”

~Adyashanti~

We use the term awakening to indicate seeing through the illusions of this world. There are multiple layers of interpretation. Each level of consciousness creates a different filter through which we process information. Part of the process of revisiting old issues and circumstances is to gain a deeper understanding through the exploration of these varied perceptions.

Those who remain stuck in a particular mindset create a prison of limitation. When we are willing to drop the things that no longer serve our evolutionary growth, we create space in which transformation can occur. Humility combined with a sense of adventure guides us into the unknown, and there we can discover something new.

Let your innocence guide the way. You are a wanderer, and this sojourn is filled with the magic of new beginnings.

Enlightenment

“Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead it’s about becoming more fully human. . . . It is the end of ignorance.”
~Lama Surya Das~

Enlightenment is a slow, transformative process. The journey inward hesitantly begins with many starts and stops. The heart feels pulled to engage the mystery and we begin the fumbling movement towards ecstasy.

The ego equates enlightenment with death – and indeed, enlightenment is the death of the ego. As we evolve, it must become more subtle and so we visit the same type of circumstances repeatedly until we have gleaned insight from many differing levels of consciousness.

Ultimately, the soul heeds the call of awakening and we are able to break free from the ravages of karma. While life still unfolds as it will, we no longer feel victimized by circumstance; instead, awareness transforms even the most challenging situations through love.

Each of us will forge a unique pathway to higher dimensions. The most beautiful thing that you can do is share your insights and wisdom and act in a way that exemplifies them in the world of form. This is the process of transformation.