Expanding Into Love

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”   ~Rumi~  
See your world as a tapestry of exquisite design and recognize the unique gifts you have to share. No matter what you wish to manifest, it begins now, in this moment. Consciously choose to focus your thoughts, words and actions in a way that expands your experience.

Joy is the foundation of life. Seek it in all things. Cultivating the willingness to look for beauty ensures that it will be found. Joy acts as a magnet, whereas fear or desire repels those things for which you reach. Can you imagine a life where peacefulness and acceptance are the basis of all you experience? You have the ability to shift your attention to things which inspire you. Spiritual evolution is a process – each conscious step builds greater strength and ability.

Your soul is in a constant state of expansion. Weave your future by recognizing the talents, lessons, synchronicities and opportunities that are available in the present moment. The journey of awakening utilizes contrast to advance spiritual evolution. Paradox opens a world of love and possibility.

The Celtic Vows of Friendship

“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh~

Relationships offer fertile ground for spiritual practice. When in doubt as to the appropriate action or response, utilize the Celtic vows of friendship. Ask yourself, “Am I honoring his or her path as sacred?” Often we try to get others to adjust to our path. The key is to allow enough space for each person to thrive while offering love and support. Love is simply discovering who you are in the presence of another.

It’s important to be self-observant. Are you bringing an open heart to your interactions or do you keep protective measures in place? Relating to another is authentic when we feel safe and empowered; therefore, notice when you are closed down and tend to your inner state of consciousness prior to your interactions to ensure that you are open.

Nothing is more important than your state of consciousness in the present moment. Zen calls upon us to reside in the Now without distraction. Practice being fully present with those who grace your life. You’ll discover that time slows as inner joy is awakened. Love creates a space in which a transformation can occur.

Ruthless Acceptance

“Intimacy is a totally different dimension. It is allowing the other to come into you, to see you as you see yourself, to allow the other to see you from the inside, to invite somebody to that deepest core of your being.” 
~Osho~

When you love and accept yourself, there is no fear. You allow others to experience the truth of who you are. You share your light with the world without seeking outside validation, for there is no need. You are safe in your expression of the Divine.

It’s easy to be open with someone who accepts and understands you. It becomes a little more challenging with those who judge or even attack you, and harder yet with those who trigger old wounds. However, each of these situations teaches something different. Every moment is an opportunity to bring the best version of yourself to your life situation. Act with integrity, do your best, accept what is.

Love has nothing to do with desire or neediness, only giving. It is a powerful flow of energy that attaches to nothing but resides openly within the present moment. It does not fluctuate based upon events because it isn’t dependent upon external factors. It has the capacity to create dramatic change due to the purity of the energy.

Life is a dance of contrasts, experience and expansion. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing the mystery of ruthless acceptance in motion.

Going Inward

“Go inwards, find your inner space and suddenly you will find an explosion of light, of beauty, and ecstasy.”

~Osho~

Awakening occurs as we release the need for outward validation and become deeply aligned with our authentic, true nature. The journey inward is a powerful one. Within it, we discover the courage to face our shadows – both personal and collective – only to emerge completely transformed by the experience.

Going inward is a perfect description of one who is fully present within the Now. The deepness of the present moment is unfathomable. Beneath the layers of desire and interpretation is pure Presence, a joy that sparkles as we recognize and embrace the sacredness that is both within and without.

Your conscious awareness brings a unique nuance of peacefulness and beauty to the planet. Imagine how our experience of the world would change if each of us could recognize the love that connects us. Begin within. Use the lessons and challenges of the past as stepping stones. Let your wounds be the place where the light enters you. Ultimately, you will discover that an infinite wellspring of light, love, possibility and purpose within you… and that light will guide you home.

The Light of Consciousness

“Those of you who turn your back on this are loved every bit as much as those who accept it… but there is so much more joy of Spirit celebrating those who choose to look in the face of something so difficult only to suddenly find a familiar face looking back…the one they have known forever… a familiar remembered face that smiles in congratulations for a job well done. Then the arms of Spirit are free to support you in full enlightenment for the rest of your days in lesson.”
~ Kryon channeled through Lee Carroll ~

The infinite love of the Divine surrounds us at all times. Although, there are certainly moments when it is easy to feel separate, bewildered or overwhelmed, there it waits, patiently honoring the process of discovery until we 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. The spirit seeks to experience the magnificent as well as the mundane and everything in between.

Inspiration

“Know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.”

~Oprah Winfrey~

When sparks of energy transform a situation, it’s astounding. You will begin to interpret life differently and share that vision with the world in your own unique way. You can live a life of passion and awareness by being your authentic self.

All of life is a reflection of your state of consciousness; therefore, pay attention to those who inspire you. They are showing not only what is possible but also what is ready to awaken within you. The resonant frequency of energy always seeks compatibility and expression.

Mastery comes through the practice of present moment awareness. When you bring the best version of yourself to this moment, the future will take care of itself. Nothing is more beautiful than one who is a peace on the inner plane.

Be patient with the process of your awakening and keep your goals high. As you rise above the mechanisms of the ego you’ll discover how closely aligned you are to the Divine. Strive to be a pure channel for the energy that seeks expression through you. We are graced by your Presence.

Compassion

“Detachment does not mean non-involvement.
You can be deeply involved but not entangled.”
~Jaggi Vasudev~

Love, whether expressed through romance, friendship, our relationship to the planet or to ourselves, requires the gift of space. When we drop expectation and neediness, what remains is authentic compassion and kindness. We learn to honor every path as sacred, thriving during moments together as well as those spent in solitude, and consistently tend to our own healing. In this manner, loving relationships are based upon mutual respect rather than excessive drama and there is no desire that anything be other than what it is.

Many people believe that emotional reactivity and conflict proves that someone cares. This is an ego-driven concept that measures worth by how much energy we absorb from one another. When you notice that you are no longer interested in participating in drama, love becomes a higher, more accepting quality that is born from the culmination of experience. From there, we enter the realm of detached compassion.

Allow those in your life to learn their own lessons in their own time-frame and in their own way. Let the winds of heaven dance in between you. This is a gift of love.

Be True

“Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”
~Maya Angelou~

Our relationship to the world reflects our true relationship to ourselves; and through that, awareness of our connection to the Oneness of all life. When we allow the present moment to be as it is without expectation or resistance, we begin to experience the world in all its beauty.
If you encounter conflict in any area of your life – relationships, body image, traffic jams, drama, etc. – understand that it is meant to alert you to the fact that you are out of alignment with your true nature.
Peacefulness in the present moment is needed to become aware of the beauty, the majesty and the sacredness of life. When we become engaged in the discovery of the Self, lessons present themselves everywhere we look. The art of stillness connects us to love. As you watch the sun lighten the sky, you are greeted by love. As the birds awaken and sing in the stillness, you are serenaded by love. In the flow of breath, you are connected to love.

Release Judgement

Judgement, whether directed outward or inward, blocks all possibility of love. One gets caught in the maze of self-deception, believing the reality of their mental projections. The ego wants to distract from honest self assessment and healing; therefore, it spends a lot of time and energy complaining, blaming and judging the world as wrong.

Conscious awareness cultivates the ability to see through the mechanisms of the ego. Rather than getting lost in the story, we purposely pause the cacophony of thought in order to see through dysfunction and utilize opportunities for growth.

Love is demonstrated by consistent, unconditional support. Judgement typically triggers an eg0-driven defensive response causing both parties to become mired in distraction. Rather than pointing out missteps of others, we can focus on the possibility of breakthrough. Gentle advice, words of encouragement or simply holding space are powerful tools.

Those who operate from higher levels of consciousness demonstrate how powerful energy can be when it is not depleted. Focus and peacefulness come from clearing personal triggers, wounds and distractions. Humility, empowerment, and awareness are emitted by those who know and appreciate their own value and way of being in the world. This is a powerful place to reside.

Earthkeepers

“To an Earthkeeper, love is not a feeling or something your barter with. Love is the essence of who you are, and it radiates from you as a brilliant aura: You become love, practice fearlessness, and attain enlightenment.”

~Alberto Villoldo~

There is something beautiful about nurturing what you love. Selfless acts of kindness and personal responsibility  demonstrate the power of a loving heart. The awakening master walks gently in the world with no thought of recognition, and a higher state of consciousness infuses every decision.

We are defined by what we do when no one is watching. Enter into the stillness of your soul and bring that grace and wisdom into your daily journey. Quietly become part of the solution by honoring this playground as sacred. We all have our roles to play in our collective experience and each is vitally important.

Everyday offers the possibility of discovery and insight. When you walk through life with an open heart and mind, you create space for inspiration, motivation and right action. Dance with the breezes, revel in the mystery of awakening, sing with the birds as they greet the dawn. We are the Earthkeepers.