Rise Above

“There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realization is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges–the power of Presence. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.”
~Eckhart Tolle~

Transformation happens in the Now. This moment is all that matters. Face it with positive intention and allow the energy to unfold as it will. As you become more aware, you’ll recognize any unconsciousness that arises and cultivate the ability to see through the mechanisms of the mind.
When working through loss, anger, fear or resentment… notice, notice, notice. See what arises for you. What patterns repeat? What is your inner dialogue? How do you feel? Once you have drawn your awareness to the source of your discomfort, make a conscious choice to take responsibility for it. Experiencing pain is an aspect of the human condition; however, so is rising above.
You do not need to know all the answers before moving forward. Begin with gratitude and choose to take one conscious step. This trust expands your perception and opens the ability to see more clearly. Act with integrity, do your best and accept what is.

Imagination

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.”
~Gloria Steinem~

Some people can look at a stone or a piece of wood and see something unique and beautiful waiting to emerge. They look through the lens of possibility and dare to remove the excess in order to bring something new into being. They recognize the beauty in both its forms – the raw, pure potential as well as the exquisite finished masterpiece – and they explore the process with love.

We can choose to view life in the same way. Find the inherent beauty in what is and also see what could be. It takes courage to chip away at the excess, and perhaps the vision may change as you go through the process; but it’s love, consistency, bravery and empowered action that spark the imagination and create movement in our experience.

Stillness creates space within the intensity of life and within that space resides the wisdom of your soul. Imagine cultivating the ability to walk through changes with a sense of inner grace, balance and peace. This aura of empowerment is yours to claim. You are a work in progress. What wonders are waiting to make themselves known?

Living With An Open Heart

When entering into relationship with a lover, child, friend, business partner or pet, remember not to collapse yourself into that union. Leave enough room for each of you to be separate and whole so that you retain your unique authenticity. This freedom creates room for growth and discovery. Allow the winds of heaven to dance in between you and choose to experience life with an open heart.

Partnerships provide a reflection of your self love. As you evolve, you are less needy and less likely to attach your happiness to others’ actions or choices. You discover the beauty of creating space in which each person can thrive.

The Universe supports every aspect of your growth and will always provide the perfect situation to assist in your soul’s development and expansion. When you encounter patterns or beliefs that no longer serve you, observe and release them.

As each layer of limitation falls away all that remains is the pure potential of love. You stand at the doorway of infinite possibility. Choose to bring an unprotected heart to your meeting place and you will transcend perceived blockages, ultimately transforming them into ever-evolving aspects of your strength and empowerment.

Acceptance, Joy and Enthusiasm

In order to bring a higher consciousness to all that we choose to do, each action must be approached with acceptance, joy or enthusiasm. These three states of being bring empowerment to every aspect of our lives. They ensure that we are giving the best of ourselves to the Now.If you are functioning from a space of obligation, resentment, impatience or boredom, you will find that you are creating pain for yourself as well as for those around you. At the very least, move into acceptance. Even tasks that aren’t “fun” can be transformed into awakened doing. Acceptance means that you are at peace with whatever needs to be done.

If you cannot access one of these three states, immediately stop what you are doing. Remember that you are responsible for your own state of consciousness in the present moment and shift your thoughts and motivation into a healthier vibration.

Joy and enthusiasm create a flow of expansion and positive change in your life. When you bring these heightened dimensions of energy to your actions, everything becomes an opportunity to awaken. You’ll find yourself discovering the sacred within the mundane and life itself will rise up to meet you.

Labels Create Limitation

“I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Once we drop mind-made labels of race, religion, sexuality, health, politics or heritage, we can explore life more fully. Labels create limitation that is often expressed throughout our varied interactions. Righteous judgment or reducing others to one dimensional entities is the ego’s way of creating division. Judgment and love cannot coexist in the same space; therefore, we evolve more quickly by choosing to love our way through challenging situations.

Many feel the need to belong or explain the tendency to act in a particular way; however, there’s a fine line between understanding ourselves and managing to a particular belief about a diagnosis or way of being. Rather than adopting an identity based upon one aspect of yourself, know that you are multifaceted, infinite and ever-evolving. Should you be working through a particular challenge, you may find it helpful to say, “I am working on becoming more balanced and present” rather than repeating the label and managing to it.

Work consciously to expand your vision. There are infinite aspects to explore and the willingness to drop limitation is required. Each person’s story is unique and through them, we can discover new ways of viewing the world and cultivate greater compassion. By giving up  preconceived ideas about others, we open to the love that already connects us.

Humility Silences the Ego

“Spiritual practice is about increasingly entering into love – not personal love, but the love that is the nature of our being.”
~Ezra Bayda~

The souls only desire is to awaken. Once you have mastered a particular attribute, be willing to expand into unknown territory. As a lifetime student of love, you can interact with others knowing that they have entered your experience for a specific purpose. Life becomes layered with nuance when we discover that every aspect of it is simply a loving conversation with the Divine.

There is always something new to discover. As you expand into higher levels of consciousness, your perception changes. Old challenges or situations are experienced through a new filter that provides an opportunity to explore the lesson in a different way.

Humility silences the ego. When we recognize everyone and everything as a teacher, we become willing, open and aware. Drop your judgment, move into love and honor your own path as sacred. You are surrounded by miracles… you are a miracle.

When you live in celebration of life and love, you scatter the seeds of possibility. Everything around you expresses the harmony of that love and sparkles of energy dance in your light.

Expansion

As we enter higher levels of consciousness, our energetic frequency changes. We respond differently to life and see the world around us through new filters. Growth always elicits a response. Sometimes it is met with resistance and fear by those who have not yet awakened, while others are inspired to join us in the delight of freedom, new perception and the joy of expansion.

When you encounter push back or ridicule, it is simply the arising of wounds that require healing in the other person. In that moment, you become a catalyst in their awakening and you can choose to see that as a gift. Allow your light to shine, see through the fear and honor the process of transformation.

Do not turn away from the challenges in your life. They provide opportunities to put your newfound knowledge, beliefs and talents to the test. When the soul is ready to expand, it goes through a deep cleansing and purification process which prepares it to receive new levels of wisdom. This is why profound change often follows moments of breakdown or confusion. The structures have been shaken and one will ultimately emerge with a greater sense of peace and inner strength.

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.

Moments of Connection

No matter what you choose to do, do it mindfully. Take a moment to enjoy the uniqueness of your journey, your preferences, those who grace your life with their presence, and all that you’ve discovered thus far. We have much to learn from these simple moments of connection.

Eventually, you’ll find yourself living outside the cycle of story and drama and treasuring the Oneness you’ve discovered within your experience. Life opens up into new dimensions when we put down the burdens we have carried and become attentive to the mystery.

Spiritual awakening and raising ones consciousness is a process. Sometimes it comes bursting through our experience as an insight or revelation, while in others, it manifests as a gentle, subtle flow that goes unnoticed until life presents a situation that demonstrate how far we’ve come.

You are here to make a difference. You are here to bring peacefulness into the space you inhabit. You are here to awaken and share your gifts. Your life is meant to be one of discovery, a book in which you write the story of your choosing. We reside in a wonderful world of choice – will you choose resistance or celebration?

Space to Grow

“People don’t need to be forced to grow. All we need is favorable circumstances: respect, love, honesty, and the space to explore.”

~Ellen Bass~

Collectively we all travel the same journey of awakening; however, every experience is unique. Give those you love the space to grow, to discover, experiment, succeed and fail. Life teaches every step of the way. Challenges create facets of strength and empowerment that ultimately lead to a unique expression of the Divine.

Our shared experiences teach us how to connect to one another. The energy that flows in contrasting circumstances creates expansion through the synergy of the dance of opposites.

In the ever-shifting flow of life there is a constant movement of growth and change. We are forever in the process of endings and beginnings, expanding into new areas of understanding and recognizing the validity of what serves us best on the journey. Don’t fear the amazing potential that wishes to express itself through you. Underneath the layers of thought and belief lies an infinite source of life that lovingly waits to be explored.