You Are Unique

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit”
~E.E. Cumming~

There is something extraordinarily captivating about someone who is authentic, unique and comfortable in their own skin. See if you can drop the need to have any defining labels in your experience. The ego seeks to belong and therefore, will often identify strongly with a particular ideology, culture, political party, religion, or role. This is an act of separation and creates division.

Older souls create a unique path. Yes, we don’t fit in and are often misunderstood, but that’s ok. The awakening spirit learns how to see beyond the identifiers and roles to the Oneness of which we are all a part.

In a world beset with conflict, you have an opportunity to be a source of peace. Embrace your uniqueness, see all life as sacred and utilize love instead of judgment. It’s not the easiest path to be sure, but is one that will uplift your soul and create something beautiful in the world.

Let’s bring about a radical transformation of the mind and find ways of living differently. You are love in human form.

Inner Mastery

“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Spiritual Mastery is often not something that is learned, but remembered. An idea or teaching touches your heart or ignites your passion and the soul opens to receive. Your practice will likely lead you to many wonderful teachers and ideas. Each of these is merely a reflection of you. The aspects that are ready to awaken make themselves known. In the words of Rumi, “Don’t go back to sleep!” Find a way to keep them relevant in your experience until they become natural aspects of being.

Consistent practice and authenticity create inner mastery. It’s likely that your expression of consciousness will mature over time as you activate new facets through experience and exploration. Ultimately, your journey is unique. Be your own guru. Celebrate the many manifestations of the Divine as you walk the path of transformation.

May your life contain the richness of spirit that you desire. May your light be a blessing to those who seek inspiration. May the gifts of your soul expand with every step you take.

Stillness

“It’s as though, knowing that everything is possible, suddenly nothing is necessary.”
~Diana Gabaldon~
There are moments when life goes quiet. In the gap between what is and what could be lies a world of infinite possibility. There is nothing quite so beautiful as immersing oneself within the embrace of stillness.
We humans can cause ourselves so much pain. Excessive thought fills these spaces of pure potential with clutter that is then carried into day to day life. Everything becomes too much and the overload causes reactivity, which leads to additional conflict and drama.
Each journey is unique; therefore, there isn’t one passageway into stillness. Those seeking to expand their consciousness must experiment with different ways of engaging the mystery. One thing to remember: it exists for everyone. We can access stillness in the midst of chaos and choose to be at peace, even within the cacophony of experience.
When you discover your own way of going deeper into the present moment, make it a priority in your life. Find ways to work it into your daily routine until it becomes your natural way of being in the world. There will come a time when this magnificence, this expanded vision, is simply who you are.

Right Action

“We go through our days responding and reacting, but it’s rare to really pause and ask…’Is this the kind of thing the person I would like to be should do?”

~Ryan Holiday~

Awareness ensures that your responses to life are empowered rather than reactive. Once the ego is no longer in control, your stillness and alertness will allow you to bring a higher consciousness to any situation. From that space of awareness, the action (or inaction) that is for the highest good of all involved will make itself known. Then you can act with integrity, do your best and accept what is.
Another way to observe right action in motion is that, once completed, it drops completely from your consciousness. There is no need to replay it, take credit for it, wonder if your choice was ‘right’ or worry about how things will unfold. This is the Divine working through you without ego-driven interference.
Cultivate mastery through the simple things of your experience such as driving, interactions with your children, the energy you bring to your work or your self-dialogue. The peace of Presence is always there. Honor the present moment as sacred by experiencing it fully.

Conscious Non-reactivity

“When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.”

~Fred Rogers~

You don’t have to be a master to be peaceful and non-reactive. Just do your best to be conscious. When faced with someone angry or offensive, your greatest weapon is neutrality. Rather than lowering your vibration to meet them where they are, seek instead to pause, check your own state of consciousness, and then respond.

This slight gap between noticing and reacting allows you to connect with your higher self rather than the ego-driven personality. To be moderate and mindful is a powerful way to interact. One can still speak truth or take right action without moving into judgement. Your integrity, wisdom and awareness can be a powerful example.

We can weave higher consciousness into the mundane aspects of our life situations. Your spiritual practice is in the here and Now.

The Path

There is no one in the world like you. Your unique insight, history, passion and talents are meant to be expressed. The journey of your soul can inspire others in ways that you cannot imagine.

In a world of limitless possibility, there is great joy in exploration. New experiences can awaken facets of your spirit that are ready to shine. When we choose to share our gifts with others, we are transformed.

Periodically examine your life experience to discover where you are limiting your joyfulness and positive expectations. Remember that you are here to thrive and to expand your consciousness. Any challenges that arise are providing opportunities to cultivate empowerment and lift your soul to new levels of understanding.

Each of us needs to observe any personal obstacles or behaviors and know that they can be overcome. Be clear and gentle with yourself and re-program your mind to see the love that resides at the core of all situations. Together, we walk the path of exploration and discovery, each life a thread interwoven in the tapestry of existence.

The layers of energy and insight that you are now experiencing can bring you to a place of clarity and passion. Seek to fill your life situation with circumstances, things and people that inspire your soul. Contemplate the perfection of the present moment and it will make itself known to you.

Appreciation

“It’s as though, knowing that everything is possible, suddenly nothing is necessary.”
~Diana Gabaldon~
There are moments when life goes quiet. In the gap between what is and what could be lies a world of infinite possibility. There is nothing quite so beautiful as immersing oneself within the embrace of stillness.
We humans can cause ourselves so much pain. Excessive thought fills these spaces of pure potential with clutter that is then carried into day to day life. Everything becomes too much and the overload causes reactivity, which leads to additional conflict and drama.
Each journey is unique; therefore, there isn’t one “right time” to enter stillness. Those seeking to expand their consciousness must experiment with different ways of engaging the mystery. One thing to remember: it exists for everyone. We can access stillness in the midst of chaos and be at peace, even within the cacophony of experience.
When you discover your own way of going deeper into the present moment, make it a priority in your life. Find ways to work it into your daily routine until it becomes your natural way of being the world. There will come a time when this magnificence, this expanded vision is simply who you are.

Conditioning is Attachment

From earliest childhood we are conditioned to think in a certain way. This varies from family to family or country to country, and the attachment to beliefs and ideas becomes a powerful playground for the ego.

Adulthood adds additional expectations regarding money, possessions, relationships, appearance and the like, and we are bombarded daily by merchandising, manipulation and the story that the next thing we achieve or purchase will bring happiness. Add to that the rampant ego driven judgment and opinion by social media and it can often feel overwhelming.

Awakening compels us to question these rigid sets of rules and we begin to step outside the current set of norms. We expand into new thoughts patterns, practice stillness and shed the old layers of limitation. When you truly understand your own sacredness, there will be no need for outside validation. The inner expression of peace and harmony takes precedence over the trappings of the physical world.

More than ever, it’s imperative to create spaces of Presence in your experience. Disconnect and reside in the fullness of who you are. Your spirit will see through the illusions of this world and sense the vibrant energy which underlies all things. Then, you can be in the world, but not of it.

Your Smile

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

~Thich Nhat Hanh~

Smiles are infectious and can spread like wildfire. Sometimes we get so caught up in the tenor of our thoughts that we temporarily forget the magic of life… until a brief moment of laughter breaks through like a ray of sunlight on a cloudy day.

In moments of concern or imbalance, remind yourself to find joy in little things. The pure happiness of an animal or child can likely elicit a sympathetic reaction. A well-loved book or comedy can direct your energy to a higher vibration.

In turn, your smile can light up the world. Unshared joy is like an unlit candle. It is said that any light, no matter how small, transforms the darkness. Know that your authentic radiance shines as bright as a thousand suns.

The muscles that we use to smile change the body chemistry, releasing neurons that inform the brain and activate health and happiness. Bless yourself today by smiling often. Share your smile and watch the world smile back. There is nothing more important than your state of consciousness in this moment.

This Sacred Gift

A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help.

~Albert Schweitzer~

True ethical practice requires reverence for life. Within this concept lies freedom. When we can see everything as One – interconnected, sacred, beautiful, and valuable – we enter the realm of love.

You have been prompted to be here now, reading these words. Are you ready to explore the core of your innate goodness and embrace life as it is? While often messy or frustrating, there is a dance of awakening occurring on a deeper level. Can you feel it?

Sometimes the idea of residing in the frequency of unconditional love and acceptance can seem an impossible task. If we desire to be accepted as we are, we must first demonstrate how that appears in the world of form. Remember, the soul desires connection.

Choose to treat everything and everyone in your experience as sacred. Bring the light of awareness to your interactions, great or small. Be kind  and empowered. At the end of the day your heart will be at peace.