The current environment is certainly one mired in fear. Wall street up to its antics again and the media pushing huge fears of a deeper rooted "double dip" recession etc. What humans at large fail to realize is that what we focus on manifests - and nowhere is this more evident than on Wall street where we see giant drops in the market based on people's fears and talking themselves into a frenzy. It solves no problems, produces no solutions and ultimately causes pain - why? because we allow it, we engage in it and we let others tell us why "the sky is falling". (remember chicken little? good read lol)
Throughout history mankind has been very good at letting his fear get the best of him - remember the persecution of witches for example? Mass hysteria where everyone turned on everyone for fear that evil was afoot and sure to destroy their lives. This is just one of many historic examples of fear and paranoia destroying lives. On hindsight we look back and say how stupid and juvenile that behavior was, but in the moment, those people were swept up in that powerful fear movement - so much that they couldn't see the forest for the trees and the result was great suffering.
Fear is a wonderful way for those in power to instill control and complacency in others. When we fear the bogeyman we can be convinced to do all sorts of things we normally wouldn't consider.
Fear is very effective for marketing - how often do you notice advertisements play on your insecurities and fears to get you to buy a product or service? If you don't use this you won't be beautiful enough, if you don't have that your neighbors will think you suck etc. We are so constantly bombarded with fear based thought/propaganda in so many areas of our lives it can be difficult to "break free". We come to accept it as "normal" - and a constant state of anxiety/alarm, even when it feels subtle, causes us to miss out on joy in our lives. It also causes health problems, mental/emotional stress, and feeling disconnected from our source.
One of the biggest threats to you ever reaching your fullest potential is to be swept away by the "sky is falling" mentality - that constant state of alarm/anxiety that is foisted upon us by everyone from wall street to advertising agencies and even the television programs/movies we love to watch to "escape".
The key to overcoming fear - and the hysteria that ensues , is to step back and take a deep breath and realize that there is nothing to fear truly but what you let in and decide to fear. Don't get swept away in the currents of despair and turmoil. Fight back - not by raging against fear, but by embracing its opposite.
If you fear money (loss of stability and freedom etc) you will attract more debt and less money (you'll repel it) - focus instead on manifesting opportunities, solutions, and doing what makes you feel "free to be you" - when you act authentically, and focus on manifesting (rather than avoiding or worry) you will find there is more than enough sustenance to go around. Opportunities are there for everyone who embrace them. People who get rich don't do so while believing money is hard to come by - if they believed that then money would not manifest and they would not feel compelled to act on the business ideas etc. that generate the high levels of income etc.
If you are afraid of how others view you - chances are you fear rejection, fear lack of acceptance etc. - in that instance the best way to "combat" that fear is to focus on loving you, turning your mindset around and focusing on your importance in this universe. You are a living expression of the creator/universe/God - whatever you deem it to be. Stop separating yourself from this source and stop being small - it doesn't serve you and it doesn't serve the whole. When you learn to value yourself you'll find that what others think of you truly won't matter to you as much - and you'll also find that you tend to only draw those who support and encourage you because you have aligned your vibration to love and acceptance which allows more of it to manifest in your life. You cannot give others and others cannot give to you what you don't have within yourself. Many people make the mistake of expecting others to "make them happy" - and at the end of the day still feel lonely and unfulfilled. Fulfillment, acceptance, love all have to be cultivated from within to be truly experienced.
Be what you want to see in this world - don't succumb to fear and don't allow yourself to be controlled by external circumstances - you are at the helm of your own experience - always were and always will be - take the wheel and change your destiny.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
When Time is the Enemy
When learning to work effectively with the universal laws it becomes important to reevaluate how we look at time. When we get stuck in the past - pining away over how we wish something would have gone, feeling guilt, regret, etc. we remain stuck there. We cannot hope for progress or new joy if we remain victims of the past.
Those who direct all their energy towards "future" goals also get caught in a similar trap. They postpone joy and full awareness believing that happiness is a goal rather than a choice and part of the journey itself. Joy, peace, gratitude should all have a place in the "now". If you give all of your energy to the future, you will find that your bliss also remains in your future.
Does this mean you shouldn't have goals for the future? No - of course not. Dreams and inspired actions because of those dreams are what keep us motivated and growing - embracing change. What you should not do is pin the results (happiness, satisfaction) on the future - embrace those now. Allow yourself to love the journey itself, be grateful for all of your experiences and you will find the universe opens so many doors for you that you can't fathom them all.
Being in the present, fully aware takes practice. It requires us to slow down, to consciously direct our thoughts/emotions to "what is" as opposed to what was or what will be. When we slow down to pay attention to our thoughts we often find they are directed anywhere but now - but the present is where you manifest. Your thoughts right now are manifesting the energies that are making their way into your life. If you interrupt that "now" thinking and redirect your energy backwards or forwards you lose momentum.
Does this mean you have to have total mind control at all times? No, but it does mean you need to learn to be mindful of where your thoughts/energy are going and redirect them. When you notice things are not going as you like or you are feeling "off" or confused etc. it is a sure sign you've been living in the past/future and not in the now.
Retraining the mind takes dedication and practice, but it gets easier in time. Your mind is the most powerful thing you have, yet people often don't realize it and neglect it - and they find themselves struggling because of it. Your mind is a great gift - and it is connected directly to Universal Knowledge and Wisdom. "I am one with the Universal Mind" is a mantra I use regularly when I feel answers are not flowing easily. I meditate on that, put myself completely in the present moment and let go of "time constraints" and impatience. I know that the infinite flows through me and that my correct answers will appear in the time that is right - not the time constraints that I place out of a fear based need for a false sense of control.
Impatience and wanting everything immediately - that desire for instant gratification is a fear based belief system. We get impatient when we fear things are not going to go our way. That energy - fear, impatience, etc deafens our receptivity to the universe and causes our answers to elude us. Put your problem or question out there to the universe in the now and know that your answers are manifesting and coming your way without a need for you to struggle to see them etc. They will come to you if you let go and relax and allow them to happen according to divine providence/timing.
Those who learn to consciously focus their thoughts achieve greater levels of inner well being and find that they open up to many new possibilities. Don't focus on "timelines" rather focus on where you are and how to use that to its fullest benefit so that the universe will lay out the clear path for you to walk into the future.
As for your past, look back long enough to bless it for what it has taught you and then redirect your attention/energy to the present.
Those who direct all their energy towards "future" goals also get caught in a similar trap. They postpone joy and full awareness believing that happiness is a goal rather than a choice and part of the journey itself. Joy, peace, gratitude should all have a place in the "now". If you give all of your energy to the future, you will find that your bliss also remains in your future.
Does this mean you shouldn't have goals for the future? No - of course not. Dreams and inspired actions because of those dreams are what keep us motivated and growing - embracing change. What you should not do is pin the results (happiness, satisfaction) on the future - embrace those now. Allow yourself to love the journey itself, be grateful for all of your experiences and you will find the universe opens so many doors for you that you can't fathom them all.
Being in the present, fully aware takes practice. It requires us to slow down, to consciously direct our thoughts/emotions to "what is" as opposed to what was or what will be. When we slow down to pay attention to our thoughts we often find they are directed anywhere but now - but the present is where you manifest. Your thoughts right now are manifesting the energies that are making their way into your life. If you interrupt that "now" thinking and redirect your energy backwards or forwards you lose momentum.
Does this mean you have to have total mind control at all times? No, but it does mean you need to learn to be mindful of where your thoughts/energy are going and redirect them. When you notice things are not going as you like or you are feeling "off" or confused etc. it is a sure sign you've been living in the past/future and not in the now.
Retraining the mind takes dedication and practice, but it gets easier in time. Your mind is the most powerful thing you have, yet people often don't realize it and neglect it - and they find themselves struggling because of it. Your mind is a great gift - and it is connected directly to Universal Knowledge and Wisdom. "I am one with the Universal Mind" is a mantra I use regularly when I feel answers are not flowing easily. I meditate on that, put myself completely in the present moment and let go of "time constraints" and impatience. I know that the infinite flows through me and that my correct answers will appear in the time that is right - not the time constraints that I place out of a fear based need for a false sense of control.
Impatience and wanting everything immediately - that desire for instant gratification is a fear based belief system. We get impatient when we fear things are not going to go our way. That energy - fear, impatience, etc deafens our receptivity to the universe and causes our answers to elude us. Put your problem or question out there to the universe in the now and know that your answers are manifesting and coming your way without a need for you to struggle to see them etc. They will come to you if you let go and relax and allow them to happen according to divine providence/timing.
Those who learn to consciously focus their thoughts achieve greater levels of inner well being and find that they open up to many new possibilities. Don't focus on "timelines" rather focus on where you are and how to use that to its fullest benefit so that the universe will lay out the clear path for you to walk into the future.
As for your past, look back long enough to bless it for what it has taught you and then redirect your attention/energy to the present.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Understanding What Drives You & Learning to Shift
A lot of awakening people tend to struggle with the guilt of emotions. There is a misconception of "perfection" that itself is merely an illusion and tied to fears. Many believe that to be enlightened or spiritually awake means you never get angry, never say something dumb, or have fears that you struggle with etc.
If you are "enlightened" suddenly you should be a perfect being who never grapples with the lower end of the emotional spectrum. This is simply not true. What awakened people do is look for the underlying reasons behind the undesirable emotions and then shift accordingly.
As humans there are times when we all feel angry, afraid, overwhelmed, sorrowful. These emotions are all great, they serve a higher purpose so long as they are not allowed to take over and fester and grow into something truly damaging (anger into violence, or anxiety into crippling fears for example).
Learning to Shift
One of the quickest ways to shift your energy from the lower vibrations (anger, fear, depression) to the higher vibrations that help you manifest what you truly desire - is to stare your "demons" straight in the face.
The natural human response is to avoid or push aside or ignore negative emotions. We are taught to push aside or ignore anger and sadness. We believe that if we avoid these emotions they will simply "go away", but what actually happens is they build up gradually and fester like an infection that will eventually take over.
Those who are going through a process of awakening find that suddenly all the garbage they thought they had cast aside comes back up to be cleared away. Purification of the spirit is some of the hardest work we do because we have to face our pain with honesty. We have to look at it and then muster up the courage to finally walk through it to free ourselves. This process, although healing and cleansing, can bring up some very unpleasant experiences and emotions.
The key to further expansion is to not run away - recognizing that the only way to enlightenment is a willingness to walk through the darkness, eyes open and aware. When someone angers you and you feel impatient (think traffic jams for instance) we often justify this anger with "I have important things to do I'm going to be late" etc. What you are really angry about though is feeling powerless - suddenly your destiny is not in your hands (seemingly) and that feels bad. Getting mad is actually easier to feel and deal with than feeling like you have no control... Chances are at other points in your life you also felt others were in control of your destiny and you didn't like it. Perhaps it's not just the traffic - but you still feel that you are not in control, that your voice is lost in the sea of other voices and that you are not "heard" etc.
This goes back to separation and duality - not recognizing that you are a powerful being. No one wants to feel powerless - it churns up other deeper emotions and feelings so we just get pissed off in the moment because it feels better than the deeper feelings that anger is likely pointing to on a deeper level. A lot of "chronically late" people are actually rebelling against feelings of powerlessness ;) They don't mean disrespect etc. they are exerting their power (whether they realize it or not) by doing things on their own time - but in a way that is more self-sabotaging than helpful.
To deal with the pitfalls in life - you have to be willing to take the fall... really look at what is bothering you. Typically we vent frustration at things that don't truly matter to avoid facing what really does.
What you do to avoid pain now will cause greater pain later - shift your perspective and empower your life!
That "path of least resistance" allure is actually what tends to lead us to deeper pain ultimately. Have you ever noticed how often times great growth comes as the result of deep pain? People will often resist change until it is foisted upon them through a painful experience, simply because we are masters of avoidance. The irony - what we are avoiding is usually less painful to deal with head on than the circumstances that pop up later on to force us to change.
An example in my own life I can share. I had my heart broken by my first real love many years ago and I swore I would never date a scum like that again, I was going to find a nice guy that would appreciate me etc. Fast forward 3 years and I met and married a very nice man. We married quickly, both for the wrong reasons, had a child and quickly learned that marrying the wrong person (even if they are nice) is a bad choice.
Well we had a child so we kept ignoring the larger problems that were brewing. Eventually after nearly 8 years it reached a breaking point and we divorced with a lot of initial hard feelings and resentments... These didn't last however and we became what we should have been all along - fantastic friends who both love and share a wonderful child.
Eventually when the pain was too great that it exploded in our faces, we could no longer push aside or avoid what needed to be done. After the pain of divorce though we both went on to find our ideal partners and so ultimately it worked out for the good of all, however in the interim we spent many years in a painful situation that we could have empowered ourselves to end all along, but we always had excuses. We didn't want to hurt our son (but our constant fighting was what was hurting him, he was happier when we split) We didn't have the money to live separate lives, we didn't know if we could make it etc. so we kept living a lie trying to "make it fit" .. ignoring the emotions that were telling us constantly 'you're making the wrong choices"...
In life, your fears, anger, and hurt are gauges that are telling you something. You can ignore and push aside and target your anger/fears onto "smaller targets", but that will never fix the larger problems until you face them with honesty.
You don't need (and shouldn't) push aside anger, fear, sorrow etc. they are a beautiful part of human expression and knowledge. Learning to control emotions doesn't mean beating them into submission - it means working with them and trusting them as the barometer to your truth that they are.
Often what we do to make life "easier" - leads to more of the very thing we are trying to avoid. It isn't enlightened or spiritual to demonize and push aside your emotions - love them and honor them (ALL of them) and allow them to teach you how to shift your thinking.
If you are "enlightened" suddenly you should be a perfect being who never grapples with the lower end of the emotional spectrum. This is simply not true. What awakened people do is look for the underlying reasons behind the undesirable emotions and then shift accordingly.
As humans there are times when we all feel angry, afraid, overwhelmed, sorrowful. These emotions are all great, they serve a higher purpose so long as they are not allowed to take over and fester and grow into something truly damaging (anger into violence, or anxiety into crippling fears for example).
Learning to Shift
One of the quickest ways to shift your energy from the lower vibrations (anger, fear, depression) to the higher vibrations that help you manifest what you truly desire - is to stare your "demons" straight in the face.
The natural human response is to avoid or push aside or ignore negative emotions. We are taught to push aside or ignore anger and sadness. We believe that if we avoid these emotions they will simply "go away", but what actually happens is they build up gradually and fester like an infection that will eventually take over.
Those who are going through a process of awakening find that suddenly all the garbage they thought they had cast aside comes back up to be cleared away. Purification of the spirit is some of the hardest work we do because we have to face our pain with honesty. We have to look at it and then muster up the courage to finally walk through it to free ourselves. This process, although healing and cleansing, can bring up some very unpleasant experiences and emotions.
The key to further expansion is to not run away - recognizing that the only way to enlightenment is a willingness to walk through the darkness, eyes open and aware. When someone angers you and you feel impatient (think traffic jams for instance) we often justify this anger with "I have important things to do I'm going to be late" etc. What you are really angry about though is feeling powerless - suddenly your destiny is not in your hands (seemingly) and that feels bad. Getting mad is actually easier to feel and deal with than feeling like you have no control... Chances are at other points in your life you also felt others were in control of your destiny and you didn't like it. Perhaps it's not just the traffic - but you still feel that you are not in control, that your voice is lost in the sea of other voices and that you are not "heard" etc.
This goes back to separation and duality - not recognizing that you are a powerful being. No one wants to feel powerless - it churns up other deeper emotions and feelings so we just get pissed off in the moment because it feels better than the deeper feelings that anger is likely pointing to on a deeper level. A lot of "chronically late" people are actually rebelling against feelings of powerlessness ;) They don't mean disrespect etc. they are exerting their power (whether they realize it or not) by doing things on their own time - but in a way that is more self-sabotaging than helpful.
To deal with the pitfalls in life - you have to be willing to take the fall... really look at what is bothering you. Typically we vent frustration at things that don't truly matter to avoid facing what really does.
What you do to avoid pain now will cause greater pain later - shift your perspective and empower your life!
That "path of least resistance" allure is actually what tends to lead us to deeper pain ultimately. Have you ever noticed how often times great growth comes as the result of deep pain? People will often resist change until it is foisted upon them through a painful experience, simply because we are masters of avoidance. The irony - what we are avoiding is usually less painful to deal with head on than the circumstances that pop up later on to force us to change.
An example in my own life I can share. I had my heart broken by my first real love many years ago and I swore I would never date a scum like that again, I was going to find a nice guy that would appreciate me etc. Fast forward 3 years and I met and married a very nice man. We married quickly, both for the wrong reasons, had a child and quickly learned that marrying the wrong person (even if they are nice) is a bad choice.
Well we had a child so we kept ignoring the larger problems that were brewing. Eventually after nearly 8 years it reached a breaking point and we divorced with a lot of initial hard feelings and resentments... These didn't last however and we became what we should have been all along - fantastic friends who both love and share a wonderful child.
Eventually when the pain was too great that it exploded in our faces, we could no longer push aside or avoid what needed to be done. After the pain of divorce though we both went on to find our ideal partners and so ultimately it worked out for the good of all, however in the interim we spent many years in a painful situation that we could have empowered ourselves to end all along, but we always had excuses. We didn't want to hurt our son (but our constant fighting was what was hurting him, he was happier when we split) We didn't have the money to live separate lives, we didn't know if we could make it etc. so we kept living a lie trying to "make it fit" .. ignoring the emotions that were telling us constantly 'you're making the wrong choices"...
In life, your fears, anger, and hurt are gauges that are telling you something. You can ignore and push aside and target your anger/fears onto "smaller targets", but that will never fix the larger problems until you face them with honesty.
You don't need (and shouldn't) push aside anger, fear, sorrow etc. they are a beautiful part of human expression and knowledge. Learning to control emotions doesn't mean beating them into submission - it means working with them and trusting them as the barometer to your truth that they are.
Often what we do to make life "easier" - leads to more of the very thing we are trying to avoid. It isn't enlightened or spiritual to demonize and push aside your emotions - love them and honor them (ALL of them) and allow them to teach you how to shift your thinking.
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