Living Courageously

“The crowd neither wants nor seeks knowledge, and the leaders of the crowd, in their own interests, try to strengthen its fear and dislike of everything new and unknown. The slavery in which mankind lives is based upon this fear.”
~G. I. Gurdjieff~

To be a spiritual seeker is to discover your courage. Leaving the confines of the familiar we venture out into a new world, risking all. The willingness to explore the unknown paves the way to adventure as we learn to experience life with an open heart and open mind.

Throughout this process we encounter a stripping away of the ego. Layer by layer we drop beliefs and blockages that no longer serve us. Challenges allow us to cultivate fortitude as we discover new ways of experiencing all that life has to offer.

It’s important to be vulnerable and authentic. Don’t hold yourself back out of fear. The path of awakening calls upon us to recognize our potential. Faith and action transform that potential into actuality.

When you recognize the sacredness in all things, it brings a different quality into your experience. Operating from a detached sense of unconditional love also brings courageousness to the surface. Detachment allows us to give without demands. It is a purity that expresses itself through us. What would your expression of life be if you were fearless? Be that. Do that. Live that.

Simply Present

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”
~Leo Tolstoy~
Awareness is the removal of distractions. The human condition is to complicate; however, the role of the spiritual seeker is to see through the distractions to the simplicity of a joyful life. All that you seek is already within you. There is no need for outside validation.
Our society is primarily made up of young and mature souls. Young souls seek power, fame, money and control. Mature souls seek to redress the imbalances from previous selfish young soul lives through healing, family and community, using excessive drama as a tool of learning. It can be challenging, as old souls, to stay true to oneself in the face of such limited perception but that is a powerful aspect of our journey.
See if you can simplify your life, expectations and desires. Find joy in the little things. Give when you can. Love with all your heart. Allow your presence to make a difference by planting seeds of kindness and giving them time and space to grow.
The mind may want you to believe that such an approach to life is boring, but you’ll discover that it is a vibrant, inclusive, limitless, empowered existence… beautiful in its simplicity.

Soul Friends

“Just be friendly. Rather than creating friendship, create friendliness. Let it become a quality of your being, a climate that surrounds you, so you are friendly with whomever you come in contact.”
~Osho~

Sometimes we meet others and feel an instant connection. From the moment of ‘hello’ there is a feeling of safety and warmth and this person brings something special to your life experience. These are typically reunions of two souls who have played together in many lifetimes. The ease you feel is the natural result of the many interactions and karmic agreements you two have shared.
As an older soul, you may have this feeling often. Your long history on the planet has repeatedly included many members of your soul group. This is why we must be accepting and grateful for those who grace our lives. It might be a brief re-connection or you may share the journey for a while but the feeling is one of coming home.
And when someone leaves your life, know this: you will ultimately spend far, far more time together in eternity that the few moments here in this lifetime that you spend apart. Soul friendship is the highest form of love.

You Choose Your Experience

“Let’s trade in all our judging for appreciating. Let’s lay down our righteousness and just be together.”
~Ram Dass~
Life will always present the situations that are most appropriate for your spiritual growth. Approaching each circumstance with openness and acceptance makes it easier to walk through challenges when they arise because you know that they are there for you rather than something happening to you.
Our purpose is to awaken. As we play in different realms of experience we learn amazing things about ourselves and from one another. However you choose to live your life, be there completely. If you wish to make changes, do so. There is no right or wrong way to experience the infinite.
What would happen if we dropped all identification with a particular group. The need to create definitions and labels limits and separates us. How could our collective experience change if we simply accepted what is and celebrated our time here together? One may say that’ll never happen because too many are not willing to do that; however, you can live life in any way you choose.
Remember, old souls do not fit in. That too is a powerful aspect of the spiritual journey. Learn to embrace your uniqueness, be the observer, and allow your spirit to shine.

The Practice of Compassion

“Rage — whether in reaction to social injustice, or to our leaders’ insanity, or to those who threaten or harm us — is a powerful energy that, with diligent practice, can be transformed into fierce compassion.”
~Bonnie Myotai Treac~

It can be challenging to watch others who choose to be in great pain. Each of us has a role to play in this life and ours may be to foster a sense of compassion for those who are lost in the lower levels of consciousness, delusion and dysfunction. At times, their struggle feels like someone who is drowning who inadvertently clings to another in their panic, overwhelming the would-be rescuer.

The practice of compassion is linked to a deep sense of peace, wisdom and detachment. When we learn to be in the world but not of it, we cultivate a soothing response to the challenges of life. Rather than judging those lost in distress we act from empathy and compassion, teaching by example.

You are a blessing. It’s natural to feel misunderstood – and, in fact, that is a powerful aspect of being an old soul. If you can stand alone in your truth and comfortable with your own journey, you are awakening.

 

Be the Light

“I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion – and where it isn’t, that is where my work lies.”   
~Ram Dass~
No matter where you are, you can choose to be the light of that place. We cannot control events that occur around us; however, we can consciously choose how we respond to them. Let your life be your message.You can plant seeds of powerful change in the world by holding space. First, you must focus on your own state of consciousness. Take the time to create a sense of gratitude, grace, peace and balance so that you are at ease in the present moment. Your very presence will teach others that alternative perceptions and responses are available.
Old souls see life differently, and that’s the way it is meant to be. Choose too, to be at ease with those who are still at lower levels of consciousness. We all walk the same path of awakening, each at our own rate of spiritual development.
Walk forward knowing that you are exactly where you need to be. You bring something beautiful to the world and your path is sacred.