Tag Archives: namaste

Discovery Regarding My Judgements

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I just returned from a hike in the hills and a thought came to me…

When I was a young man I viewed people through my filter of insecurity. I judged people looking for their flaws, imperfections, and perceived weakness (probably to make myself seem superior.)

Today, I still judge people that I see but, more often than not, my filter is looking for their beauty, their uniqueness, their energy levels and their stories. I will celebrate the interesting characteristics I find. I can bask in the passion from their life experience, sometimes with eyes wide open interest.

Someday, perhaps, I will drop all my judgements and look through the filter which finds perfection and acceptance for every beautiful soul I pass…
Someday…
Namaste…

YOU are a Miracle!
YOU are Perfect and an important, necessary, piece of the Divine Spirit!
YOU are Unconditionally Loved!
YOU are a Blessing!

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Spiritual Self-Acceptance

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Spiritual Self-Acceptance has come up again. For me, this resurfaced when my mentor Brother Bob Trask spoke about the Power of Acceptance. It seems that it is difficult to find Acceptance of others without knowing yourself and finding the highest levels of self-acceptance. It is not just finding a way to accept some of your minor (or major) flaws of personality or physical features. It is much bigger and more challenging. You must find a way to know and then to accept, your real self. Your real perfection and Divinity.

Before we get to that, I want to tell you a story from my personal “out of the body” experience when I was 19 years old. I was blessed to have had an STE (Spiritually Transformative Experience) when I was guided in a visualization to leave my body and go into the higher realms to discover what our final transition, death, was about. I was innocent and naive so I was able to do what was asked of me by the meditation’s guide. I had no pre-conceptions or resistance or expectations. As I floated up and away, I stopped “half way to death.” Some how I “Knew” I was half way there. There was a dark horizon in front of me and I knew death was over this horizon. I was not concerned or scared. A warmth surrounded and enveloped me. It was the Divine warmth of unconditional love. It was unique, though in some form this is what everyone will experience. Along with love was pure “Acceptance.” I was perfect and loved. There was a calmness, a sense of deep peace, and a feeling of Universal “Connection.” I would never be alone. I was a part of something much greater. I felt freedom with no limitation of time and space. I felt “Joy!” It was perfect and 100% inviting.

I did not want to leave this feeling… EVER! And, I was told I had to return to my body and my life. I refused because I did not want to return to my life. I was told I was not done doing what I had come to do, though they did not tell me what I was supposed to do. I was told I could return, and would return, when it was my time to return. So, I grudgingly returned to my body and my life with no fear of the transition of dying. AND, how does this fit with this blog, you ask? I found out that I AND EVERYBODY ELSE, are Divine Spirits and PERFECT. We all have our unique lessons and purposes. We all have unique personalities but we are all connected and Perfect in our imperfections. We are all perfect holograms of the Divine Spirit manifested in our unique, seemingly imperfect incarnations. Stop me if I am wrong, BUT, this is where YOU doubt me for saying that YOU are Perfect! This is what you must ACCEPT! And, you must also love and accept every being, soul, or spirit you bump into. You must Know, and say, AND MEAN, “Namaste” whenever you gaze into every the eyes of every other pilgrim you meet. We have lessons to share and we must support every other spirit in whatever way we can. Maybe by just loving and accepting these incarnated souls.

AND, you have to START with yourself. You are Perfect! You are a Blessing! You are a Gift to this world and YOU need to take responsibility for your Perfection. You are so much bigger than you allow yourself to know or believe. This is so much easier said than done but no one said this was to be easy! This is your awareness, your challenge, and a major part of your purpose. (And, you have choice! You can choose to do life differently and to live in your Divine self.)

You may not feel ready. It may not be your time to fully awaken to your power and your light. But, you have read these words and your consciousness will NEVER BE THE SAME! You can not go back into the darkness without knowing your acknowledged or unacknowledged Divine Perfection. You can not unsee this Signpost! You are getting closer to your conscious “Enlightenment.” You are a Master and you have your stories to share for the benefit of the “witnesses.” Your time to KNOW your Spiritual Perfection and have Acceptance of your place in the Divine, is now.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Do You Not Like Me?

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Does it matter if YOU like ME? Surely, you have wondered about whether another person, perhaps an important person in your life, actually likes you. Maybe this matters because you want something from this person and they may be keeping you guessing regarding their intentions for you. Wow, what a dilemma? You may not have any control over whether this person likes you or even cares about you. What are you to do?

Perhaps, you can start by being nice and you find yourself doing things to please this other person. Or, you may be more generous to buy their positive feelings toward you. Or, you become entertaining, even funny, to win them over. Or, you try other strategies, even being forceful, to get the desired goal you aspire to achieve. If any of these strategies work, or if these attempts do not work, how will you feel about yourself? Some people will feel proud for the effort in spite of the outcome. Some people may feel hurt, angry, demoralized, or depressed when things do not turn out as they expected.

No matter what, is it worth it to try so hard to get this person to like you? Sometimes, it is. Lots of times it may not be worth your effort considering you have to live with yourself and take responsibility for your actions and your expectations. The bottom line is do you like yourself? This is your challenge because no matter what the outside people say or do, you must live in your own life. Most importantly, will you like yourself?

Can you take responsibility for your actions and your expectations? Can you accept yourself with your successes and seeming failures? Can you learn from every experience even if things do not turn out as planned. (Most people learn more from their failures than from their successes, when they take full responsibility.) Besides, expectations always screw things up. At the very best, you expected as much and often do not value your success.

It may not really matter, in the long run, whether another person really likes you and your behavior. It seems most important that you like and accept yourself even if you have flaws or imperfections or weaknesses. You have imperfections so you can learn from these, in spite of these flaws. If you live for external approval then your insecurities will dominate your life and then this becomes your lesson in this life. You can care about how you come across but you can not control the way another person may react. You must live with yourself first and not be a victim to your own expectations.

Start by knowing yourself with your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to accept what you can not change. At some point you find the perfection of who you are and the Divinity that dwells within you. You will remember that you are a perfect part of the whole of the Universal Spirit and you can like yourself and the role you have come here to play. It does not matter if another person bumps up against you and they appear to not like you… Just, love them for the perfect Divine Spirit they are and enjoy the role they are playing even if they appear to not like you… They are a part of your challenge and they can be thanked. It is a part of your spiritual enlightenment. Namaste!

Can you walk the path alone?

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

The Power of Witnessing

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Recently I heard Gregg Braden discuss the “Power of Witnessing.” My interest was peaked immediately because it sounded like he was discussing the basic premise that Masters of the Journey is based upon. Connecting with people and really listening, without judgement, can have a very important benefit for both the storyteller and the witness. In a bit we can discuss how to be a witness.

What Gregg Braden said, which really helped me, was the perspective that by listening – witnessing another person’s experience of consciousness, awakening, or remembering, YOU, the listener, can broaden your perspective regarding what is possible. As he said, “you can expand your belief system.” When I hear a story based on a Near Death Experience (NDE), it makes me think, and to be open, to the possibilities that there is life after life or at the very least that death is not the scary enemy…
More than that, be prepared for witnessing a “Miracle” in the shared story that will offer you the blessing of perspective which may save you life times (more incarnations to return to the Earthly plane to learn your lessons…)

When Paula Forget, the author of “Guided to a Higher Realms,” shares her story regarding meditations which take her to the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th chakras, I knew that I have not been aware of these additional chakras and can that maybe I can go there. Paula says “sure” (I can visit these higher realms) and teaches you how she does it. Wow, my perspective changed regarding what is possible. By the way, I know and trust Paula. She does not exaggerate or lie. So when she shares amazing stories, my perspective on what is possible in consciousness takes a radical leap.

When Brother Bob Trask talks about being the captain on a ship in a hurricane who has run out of safe options and calls upon the Divine for Guidance, I know he had an experience with Divine Guidance and Protection. I also know Brother Bob does not make his stories up and this sharing changes my view on what is possible.

Even seemingly normal or mundane stories, when you listen between the words, without judgement, can become amazing tales of surviving in life’s mine fields. Shared stories of travel to different cultures, parenting travails, health challenges, intuition experiences, even problem solving reviews can all offer you perspective on your life and what you might do differently. Being “open” and using focused listening skills enables these miracles to come alive for you!

In past blogs, I have channelled messages regarding interacting with other people from the true feeling of Namaste. When you look into a person’s eyes and then into their souls and remember that they are perfect and fully connected to you in the sharing, at the deepest levels, of the Divine Spirit, you listen more openly and with the respect that you would give God (because they are a manifestation of God) or as the Master that deep inside, they actually are. Listen fully, at all levels, and without judgement. Their story, their lesson, can prove useful to YOU! That is why they appeared in your life, at this moment, to share their wisdom with YOU… Sure, you can ignore them, pass them by, but you may be missing an amazing opportunity to awaken in perspective to the wisdom you may need. Consider in the wonderment of the “Beginners Mind” what the deepest purpose of an interaction might actually be in YOUR service and what value this experience has for YOUR lesson in this life.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Namaste Revisited

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In early 2016, at a monthly meeting of Masters of the Journey in Bellingham, I butchered the word and concept of Namaste. People who know me just laughed at my naive struggle with this spiritual expression. It is time to revisit Namaste and my understanding of this principle.

Do you know this word? Do you ever attempt to use this concept? Is it “Just” a word or concept to you OR do you really “Know it” and more importantly, do you “Live it?”

What has changed for me is the “feeling” I get when I believe that I fully connect with this belief. The definition of this concept might sound something like: “The divine and perfect spirit within me sees and knows the divine, perfect, spirit within you.” Remove the separation of “me” and “you” to find the idea that the Perfect, God Spirit within my soul feels the connection with the perfect, God spirit also found within your soul. We are “One.” As my present incarnation’s eyes look into the eyes of your incarnation, I know the divine perfection which your incarnation is a manifestation of…

YES, even the people (incarnations) who “Trigger” me are “Perfect” AND “One” with me and the Divine. SO, the challenge is to see, find, know the perfection and the Divine within EVERY person/soul my incarnation comes into contact with…. This next person I encounter in another version of me and the Divine Spirit that burns within my heart and soul. If I “Judge” this person harshly, I am “Judging” myself harshly. If I do not unconditionally love this person, I must learn my lesson of separation and my lack of self-love.

Most of my time, I can not get my mind around this concept and feel the deep “Knowing” of what Namaste fully entails. This awkward and difficult lesson is not an uncommon one for “incarnated souls.” To truly smile and to love unconditionally every person/soul I encounter is the goal as I move along the path toward “Enlightenment.”

We are all holograms of the Divine Spirit (God). The Universe can not exist without each piece of the oneness which is the Divine. When we remember and bask in the State of Grace, we know the connection to all souls and the have the acceptance and freedom to be without the limits of time and space. YOU are a blessing. YOU are a Master. Your purpose is to learn and to grow in your knowing and to contribute to raising consciousness of all.

If you would like support, resources, or connection to a community of conscious “seekers,” consider participation and your contributions to: Masters of the Journey. Namaste

Practical Connections

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If you have followed the recent blogs, the theme of the importance of quality connections has been a topic of several recent blogs. The question came up regarding how can you begin to use this information in a practical way. How can you incorporate the building of connections into your daily life? A simple but powerful practice is listed below.

The first and most obvious part of this practice is to set your intention to create connections. Be aware of the possibilities which commonly arise in your day to day life. We are never alone. We are all in this cosmic universe together. Our souls are all connected. Every soul is perfect and unique, like snowflakes. We are all here for different reasons and to learn our special lessons. We are here to support each soul which dances into your life (our current incarnation.) Yes, even the manifestations which trigger your judgement, fear, anger, or frustration. Perhaps, especially these more challenging encounters. These are here for a reason! Your interactions and your lessons come from your attempts to deal with each of these encounters, no matter how subtle, brief, or distracted by your other points of focus. But, if you have the intention to create and honor your connections, even if incidental, these will have value, at some level, for your life experience.

The second part of the practice can be as simple as making eye contact. This sounds simple but a conscious, soul enhancing contact includes more… Perhaps you can engage those eyes for a moment and find yourself led to a deeper understanding, and acceptance, of the soul behind the eyes. Maybe there are those moments when you connect with this soul behind the eyes and look to find the perfection of the spirit. Easier said than done, you may avoid, or limit, your ego’s judgement and know that you share a “oneness” with this spirit. You may even find that “They” are you in different form. Appreciate that this soul has found your gaze for a reason and is here to support you on some level to learn your lessons. Know, also, also you are here for this person and their soul development. Maybe you are the shining role model of unconditional love and acceptance. (Your ego will never know or understand the deepest levels of this exchange.)

In the moment of gazing into those eyes, your conscious self can find many things. Are those eyes and full of joyful energy? Are those eyes sad and flickering with the pain from current travails? Are those eyes dark and seemingly dead like black holes with little or no energy escaping? Are those eyes “impish” or playful? Are they inquisitive and asking questions in the pursuit of wisdom? Are those eyes judgmental like a young soul who is still locked in fear and ego? Much can be experienced from connecting with the feelings of a story behind those eyes.

Now, hold that connection through your eyes and when you see the perfect spirit in front of you, welcome them into your consciousness as if your were greeting the most innocent beautiful child into your family. If your heart melts with joy and love, then you have reached a special level where the both of you can feed off the healing energy of acceptance and love.

Finally, acknowledge this being of light with a sincere and joy filled smile. It is a blessing to warm their consciousness with this simple gesture. Your sincerity can shine through and help to build connections with all of the souls in the divine. Your acknowledgement serves to demonstrate the positive role that this encounter has had upon your life.

Do not take this too lightly, for eye connections and the warmth of your smile sets positive energy into motion and can start ripples and waves of joy across, and then beyond, our universe.

When you can be conscious, celebrate and so cherish every connection, every soul with the blessing of your radiant smile.

The concept of Namaste is a manifestation which can come from this practice… (Not just a wish or a thought but an action…)

When it is time for you to seek conscious support from a community of fellow “seekers” please consider our non-religious spiritual community, the Masters of the Journey.

Count Your Blessings!

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Have you ever heard that expression, “Count Your Blessings?” Why would someone say this to you? What is the purpose for looking for the “Positives” in the life you are here to live? For many people, it is easier to look for the problems and the negative interactions and perhaps even play a “Victim” to these challenges. But does looking for and living within the “negative” give you the joy that can be found in this world?

What do YOU give thanks for in the world? Even the most brutal lessons can be honored as important opportunities to learn from, even if the learning is what NOT to do. Personally, I have learned more from my mistakes and my painful relationships than I have learned from when my life was most easy and successful. The 8 years I lived with my wife’s terminal cancer I would not wish upon anyone and yet these were some of the most important years for learning in my life. The lessons of empathy and compassion were so valuable. The fear and the sharing within our many crisis’ was such a powerful tool for learning about the human dilemma. The closeness that we grew into, with the love at a level tested by trauma, was an amazing and important experience for me. AND, from all of this learning, I find that I have wisdom and gifts to share.

So, look for the difficult experiences as well as the joys when you look for the many blessings that YOU have been granted. Do not keep these a secret. Share them! Challenge others to appreciate being more fully “Present.” Bask in the drama that is your lessons of this life. Do not hesitate to reach out for other people. Allow them to support you AND reach out to share your love and support with them. Find compassion and caring. Find the perfection of the divine spirit within every soul you encounter, even the ones who trigger your fear, anger/frustration, and your defenses. Each encounter is there for a reason. Each encounter is there for your learning.

Blessings to you! Love and appreciate each moment and share your love and wisdom whenever you can.

If you are looking for support and resources to focus upon your spiritual growth and development, consider the Masters of the Journey community. YOU are a Blessing! You have a Purpose! The Universe would have a huge hole in it if you did not exist… With Love – Namaste!

We Are ALL in This Together

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In many spiritual practices, one of the main principles is the belief that we all have the perfection of the Divine Spirit within us. As if we were a hologram of the Divine, we are all a perfect and necessary piece of the much larger spirit of pure consciousness and we are living our lives in the constraints of our current “meat suit” (body) in the effort to “remember” our role in the “greater consciousness.” We all have a purpose which is, in our own unique way, to serve the Divine and assist fellow travelers by helping enhance their process toward enlightenment. We are here to help each other.

So why do we hold grievances toward other people? Why are we often impatient or quick to anger or to judge? Perhaps our “egos” which seek to separate us from other people and judges their actions without the unconditional love and acceptance which our divine spirit celebrates. We are raised by our worldly fear-filled existence to be separate and comparing each individual we meet as we search for their weaknesses, protecting ourselves from attack. When we become more enlightened, we feel the connection and the “oneness” with fellow pilgrims in a way which allows us to accept even the people we disagree with because of their actions or beliefs. Acceptance is often difficult until you realize that these other people are learning their lessons on their path AND that they are actually YOU in a different life (because we are “One” and all in this together.)

Yeah, I do not want to accept, much less love, those people in human form whom I disagree with, sometimes strongly. My lesson is to know that if I hold the grievance toward another, I am only hurting myself (because they are me) and this becomes MY lesson. (A spiritually bruising lesson to not react but to only accept.)

I believe that you are a Master of your Journey! I believe that you are perfect and have the Divine Spirit burning brightly within you. You are here to learn your lessons and use your “Meat suit” to communicate your wisdom with other travelers. You will “remember” your divinity in your time and way. AND, I celebrate this divine perfection which you reflect… Namaste

There are many paths to enlightenment and you will find your way. If you want resources or better still, you want to share with and support other seekers, consider participating in the Masters of the Journey community, or Unity Spiritual Center, or Center for Positive Living, or Course in Miracles study groups, or A Way of Mastery study groups, or…

Blessings to you on your path. We are all in this together… whether we recognize this or not…

Words to Live By

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Brother Bob Trask of Bellingham’s Unity Center spoke last Sunday. Several thoughts bear repeating.

“Trust that who you are is uniquely needed, special, AND you have a unique purpose!” Yes, YOU have a purpose and a reason for being! Every soul is a piece of the Divine Source and whether you know this or not the seemingly larger Divine Spirit is not whole without YOU! “You are Loved. You are Blessed. You are Safe. You are free.”

EVERY soul that you bump into is there for a purpose and there is a mutual “lesson” that you derive from each encounter. It has been said that we are all connected as souls and the hate or fear you may feel or express for another soul is to hate or fear yourself. So it is better to accept the souls you encounter because you may not know the lessons they are here to learn and the role that you may have in creating higher consciousness.

Namaste is a concept I am only beginning to fully grasp. But everyone you encounter is part of the perfection of the divine. Even if you do not seem to resonate with a person, their spirit has value and the lessons you share are not always easy, but important.

Be well and travel safely the road to your full consciousness. I bless you, Namaste, and salute you and the struggles we share as we seek to remember the perfection and unconditional love of the Divine Source we share.

Masters of the Journey

Masters of the Journey Video Conference

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You are a Master.

Today we offered our first live, video conference for spiritual development. The topic was an introduction to the “State of Grace.” Presenting were Brother Bob Trask of Bellingham’s Unity Center and author, Paula Forget, who wrote the recently released, “Guided to the Higher Realms.” Most people on the call also contributed from their wisdom and life experience. The callers were from around the country and their sharing made this a perfect example of what Masters of the Journey can be, a leader-less community of “seekers” who are willing to share their stories.

We will be adding this video to our expanding library others who were not able to get on this call, “live.” In the future, we have many topics of spiritual development with contributions from members and experts in the field. The support and excitement for this consciousness raising process is growing with contributions of many people who are traveling through on their path and willing to reach around to support fellow pilgrims.

Consider joining our membership by visiting our website at www.mastersofthejourney.com or by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney. Our members will benefit from the resources and trainings that we offer and by participating in our interactive sessions.

Please continue to learn and grow. If appropriate please share this information.
Namaste