The World Needs You

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

All change begins within. 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 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.

The world needs you to be your beautiful, unique self. You bring something imperative to our collective experience. Rather than limiting that unique expression by trying to keep everyone else happy, seeking inner happiness and balance will allow your joy to transform the world around you.

Integration

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.”
~C.G. Jung~

This lifetime is the culmination of all the experience and knowledge you have gathered throughout many incarnations on this planet. The higher self seeks to integrate the wisdom it has accumulated and thus you will attract the teachers and circumstances which allow you to do so. Be patient, open and trusting throughout your exploration.

Our sojourn here is a continuing exploration into the expansion of the heart chakra – expansion which leads to greater compassion, more peace and infinite possibilities. Ultimately, the process of your awakening is to honor, forgive, accept and love all that you have ever been.

One of my favorite ways to nurture the seeds of inner growth is to light a candle. Sit a few moments contemplating the flame, perhaps even losing yourself in the flickering light. Gently draw the energy from the flame into your heart chakra with both hands and then visualize your soul light expanding outward. Touch the world in love, sending light and compassion to those who have walked the journey with you.

Creating Grace

“It is only with true love and compassion that we can begin to mend what is broken in the world. It is these two blessed things that can begin to heal all broken hearts.”
~Steve Maraboli~

From time to time you may face challenges that allow the ego to slip in and momentarily take over your state of consciousness. This can be felt as anxiety, fear, confusion, stress or simply feeling off-balance. Part of the human experience – which is ultimately the expanding experience of the Divine – is learning how to utilize spiritual tools to shift our perception.

View challenges as opportunities to apply your skills and spiritual knowledge. You have the ability to change how you respond, how you think and consciously direct the flow of your energy back to joy.

There is nothing more empowering than witnessing the incredible results of your energy and intention in motion. The creative aspect of the awakened manifester is recognized by unshakable faith despite moments when things appear to be blocked on the physical plane. There is nothing more important than your state of consciousness and as you outgrow old conditioning, you may discover new facets of beauty that are ready to shine.

Allow the healing energy of the Divine to help you to create habits and patterns that are more aligned with what you’d like to experience in your life. Be patient and stop believing stories that bring you pain. You are called upon to transform what you experience and it begins, always, within your thoughts and how you choose to utilize your energy. The Universe loves and supports you at all times and is ready to help you rise above any perceived limitation or past programming.

Self-Love

“Stand up for who you are. Respect your Self and ignite the divine sparks in you. Access your powers. Choose your rights and work together with others to bring blessings into the lives.”
~Amit Ray~
There is nothing more beautiful than someone who shines from within…

Everyone who has manifested you into their life, has done so because of the unique light and energy that you possess. When you can be yourself, love yourself and occasionally laugh at yourself, you are providing them with the perfect experience.

It’s that lightness of non-expectation that is so appealing. When you first meet someone, the attraction begins because you are simply being you. When we load ourselves up with the weight of expectation, fear and desire, that beautiful, original and carefree spirit gets buried underneath layers of thought.

Love yourself. Reward yourself with thoughts of praise. Know that others respect you and appreciate all that you do. With our loving attitudes, we help to create a world where it is safe to love one another.

Rise in Love

“All your life you have been waiting… And now the time is here.
We are all being called upon to shine our brightest light. Where there is confusion know there are answers. Where there is pain show compassion. Where there is darkness beam your light. We are all related one to the other. Open your heart and feel the connection. Shine your light and heal the world.”
~Jodi Livon~

Expressing compassion creates a joyful and fulfilling life experience.

Your perception creates your reality. Consider the impact that unconditional love brings to your life experience. There would be no fear, no complaints, no judgment and no blame. Because you seek it, you would discover love in every situation no matter how it unfolds.
All that you experience is either an expression of love or an opportunity to bring loving energy to the present moment. Think of that before you speak and before you act. Ask yourself, “Am I adding love to the situation?” If so, proceed.
In the midst of a challenge, it may be difficult to immediately move into higher consciousness. In these moments, simply observe the thoughts that arise, notice what action the ego prompts you to take and either do the opposite or move into stillness. To see those who challenge you as souls that are helping you to grow and evolve is is a wonderful expression of self-love and your life will be better for it.

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.

Endings

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
~Rumi~

Growth and change may involve endings as part of the cycle of new beginnings and transformation. We must be willing to let go of what we have outgrown, honor the passage through the unknown and create peacefulness in our experience each step of the way.

When you choose to relate to life from the expansive mind of the Divine (rather than through the limitation of ego), it becomes possible to walk in spacial awareness in the present moment. Here we can choose to simply be at peace, stepping out of conflict and into communion.

There is no future, only this beautiful moment exists. No matter what twists and turns you’ve experienced on the journey so far or what stories you’ve lived, you can step into empowerment Now.

Spiritual practice is about consciously choosing to enter into love – not romantic love, but the deep and empowering love that is the true nature of your being. From this space of awareness each step brings the joy of relating to life with a open heart.

Contrasts

“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.”
~Alan Watts~
Our collective experience of being human is to learn Oneness through the illusion of separation. As we learn how to reside fully in the present moment and become aware of the beauty in the contrast, we discover how to allow the dance of dark and light to unfold. The awakening soul is the observer. You are the portal through which the universe experiences itself.
The higher your level of consciousness, the more expanded your vision. If you are the conduit of awareness, then nothing is more important than ensuring you are clear. It does no good to run clean water through a rusty pipe. We view life through the filters of perception.
The polarities of time and space provide opportunities for us to explore the many nuances of experience. As the pendulum swings first to one extreme and then another, we learn though the contrast. We ultimately discover the many facets of love, finding our balance in the neutral position – a field of energy filled with infinite possibility.

You Are Loved

“May you realize that you are never alone,
that your soul in its brightness and belonging
connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.”
~John O’Donohue~
The infinite love of the Divine rains down upon you from all dimensions and surrounds you at all times. Though there are certainly moments when it is easy to feel separate, bewildered or overwhelmed, there it waits, patiently honoring the process of discovery until you are ready to access it once again.

When the light of consciousness shifts your perception, it allows you to recognize the guidance and support that is available, see your infinite potential and trust yourself enough to step into the flow of life.

Awakening is a free will process. We have plenty of room to play here in time and space while exploring all aspects of being human. Ultimately, the soul seeks to experience both the magnificent and the mundane. Your awareness is a dance of connection between the two.

We learn by experiencing contrast. A life filled with love is typically discovered by rising above our fears. When you are willing to face the shadows of the soul, you will emerge changed, empowered and courageous. Consciousness and self-love awakens life’s embrace.

Right Action

“Step into the fire of self-discovery. This fire will not burn you, it will only burn what you are not.”
~Mooji~

There is no need to struggle. As you move to higher levels of consciousness, you’ll naturally learn to find the flow of life and move into it rather than fight against it. The human tendency is to create stress. Anxiety, tension, fear and worry are so commonplace that many have come to believe that dysfunctional states are natural and unavoidable.

The process of awakening is not about change. It is the incremental release of everything that weighs us down. Layer by layer we let go of old patterns, beliefs, conditioning, expectations, resentments and ego-created stories until there is nothing left. In that space of no-thingness, we learn to love and experience things as they are. We become the space in which transformation occurs.

Imagine how much energy you’d have to utilize in the present moment if you were completely clear of unnecessary baggage. The gifts of transformation are already within you, waiting to be discovered. Enlightenment is a process rather than a destination.