Tag Archives: oneness

Connections: Reaching Out

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In this blog I am drawn to writing about our innate need for connections. We are NOT solitary beings. Often times in our modern world, our connections are lacking. Lacking in depth, in emotional value, in the support which is required, and in the basic instinctual desire to know that we are all “one” and part of a much greater Divine. So two perspectives.

First, we were born into this world as helpless, dependent beings. There is no chance to survive without basic nurturing care. We can not feed ourselves. We can not bathe ourselves. We have parents who love us and take good care of us, if we are lucky, or we survive an existence with emotional and maybe physical scars. We learn from the people around us and the environment that we are born into. We do better when we are loved and we do not thrive when love is lacking. (I have read research conducted on children raised in an Eastern European, sterile, orphanage where the babies/children were fed and changed but not held or loved. These children grew up deprived and with serious physical and emotional challenges, different from children who were held and loved.)

We can not thrive without love and connection as an infant. This does NOT disappear as we age. Most people require human interaction, to varying degrees, and the “connections” that go along with these relationships. We continue to learn and gain perspective by communicating with other people and lifeforms (pets, plants, nature.) People often strive for “Deeper Connections” and more intimate relationships. We do not thrive when we feel alone or lonely or separated from the nurturing of friends and family, our “tribe.”

But in our culture, in our modern world, we are often separated by technology and “Judgements” from the people we live around and work around. Have you ever seen people out to dinner with both people on their smart phones, texting, or checking social media, or posting pictures of their meal?… What is this really about? We are not encouraged to put down our technology and be truly “present” with our partner. Many of us have lost the basic skills of verbal and non-verbal communication that were so essential when we were in tribes (and family groups) where our survival was based on interaction and support from the group. Do not get me wrong, I do not want to go back to live in a primitive, life and death struggle to survive but we have lost some of our fundamental skills (and are paying the price.)

Today, we may want to join a community to find human contact. Maybe we wear jerseys of our favorite sports franchise and root for them on Sunday with other fans. Or, we think about going to a “MeetUp” group to hang out with people of similar interests. Or, we go on a “dating” website to find a perfect partner. (Though we still have to meet and do the “Mating Dance” which includes communication and hopefully honesty…) This pursuit is desperate, often unfulfilling, and generally superficial. If so, then it does not satisfy the need to connect deeply. (Our egos and our judgements of the mind are constantly comparing and keeping us separate from other people who are searching for the emotional and spiritual exchanges which form the best connections.)

Secondly, our most important purpose is to support and assist the people we meet on our path through life. Most people floating around unhappily, or at least unsatisfied, are people thinking that their success is defined by how much money they have, or how many toys they have acquired, or how many trips they have taken, or how many MeetUp groups they have joined (but not attended.) People, today, feel that the number of friends they have and how many people respond to their social media posts (about themselves) are important and valued as levels of success. Maybe, it is NOT about “me.”

Think back when you did something “good” for someone else. It probably allowed you to feel good and connected. Get out of your head and back into your heart. Feel good by doing good things for other people! If you want to be loved, you have to go out and give love, unconditionally. If you are giving anything with an expectation that it comes back, then you will be disappointed.

Connections with value are based upon people caring, truly caring, about others and finding the best ways (you can) to support and assist these other souls on their journey. Even the simplest smile or kind word can show the love and respect for the person in front of you who “showed up” to have a place in your world (and your journey.) Yes, you need to work and support yourself, but you can do so with the feeling of loving acceptance for the other pilgrims in life whom you meet along the way. (Easier said than done, but work on this.) Your happiness and joy will come more frequently when you realize that we are “ONE” with all lifeforms and in this life together to grow, to learn from our challenges, and to love the connections which we can create.

Connections, healthy connections, are the most important thing to work on. Your success in life comes not from how much money is in the bank but how many people call you a friend.

Namaste. Your are a Master and it is a great blessing to find these few moments to connect with you. Your sharing of your time and attention as a “witness” is a blessing… Know that you have done good in our world just by being you, even with imperfections and flaws…

Masters of the Journey is a community that supports everyone who are on their path through life and would like to find supportive, hopefully, non-judgemental connections.

Knowing

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What happens when you “Know” something but there are no words or rational proof for what you know? In our language we struggle to convey the description of emotions and feelings. We struggle to find words for smells or tastes. Even defining colors can be difficult. Even worse is to take a strong position regarding something that you “know” to be true but can not prove to someone else. People have different opinions about things and so build different factual foundations to assure themselves that they are “right.” This is why “Nationalism” and “religious beliefs” can start wars.

When I was a young college student studying psychology a philosopher challenged me with the statement, “For every Truth, the Opposite (opinion) is equally True.” There are facts, even research, which back up almost any point of view. We are still arguing about whether Global Warming really exists or, even, whether Darwin’s theory on Evolution is more true than the view of Creationism.

We learn from personal experience. Things we read in books or see on TV or spoken of in class or church, are often NOT true until we actually know this through experiencing it. I have learned from personal experience that losing my parents to death by stroke was not nearly as difficult for me as losing my wife (and my chosen partner for 28 years) to Ovarian Cancer. Before my wife passed, I thought I could more easily handle her terminal diagnosis and death because I had gone through the loss of both my Mother and Father. Boy was I wrong! However, the greatest learning I have experienced in my life has come from the coping with my wife’s illness and her death. A Blessing, which I would NOT wish on anyone else! A Blessing which I would not change, even with my pain. Which brings me to the real topic of this Blog Rant.

One year after my wife passed away, I was “Guided” to meet with a psychic/intuitive person on my travels to find a new life on my visit to Tucson, AZ. She “channeled” my wife in a way that I was convinced was true and accurate. (A great story by itself. Gripping.) The psychic told me these words which were coming from my wife, “I am in a better place. It is bigger and better than you could ever imagine.” A jolt of “Knowing” went through me. Not from these simple words but from the intuitive or emotional reaction that went with them. The “Knowing,” which I know I can not find great words to accurately convey my deepest feelings, was that she dwells now in what some people call “Heaven” with the Divine Spirit. She is not constricted by time or space. She is “One” with all souls. She is basking in the warmth and light of “unconditional love.” She is tapped into all wisdom. This moment and these few words changed my life by being able to feel this “knowing.” It felt like it was not a coincidence that I met this psychic in Tucson or received this message. I had been “guided” by my wife to have this encounter and to learn this lesson.

Knowing for me can be a very strong and life changing experience. It is my purpose to share this story and this learning. Maybe it is better said to share this “Remembering” because it felt familiar, as if I was experiencing information that I already knew, at some deeper level. It felt like I was tapping the collective unconscious and this particular experience is not unique to me.

Thank you for spending time with my ranting stream of consciousness. The point is that we all have “knowings” that can not find an easy form to share but are as true as any rational, researched, fact that exists. We are all Masters and have wisdom from life’s experiences within us. We simply need to remember this wisdom and find ways to share it! This is your purpose! This is what YOU are supposed to do in this life.

Blessings to you on your journey. Where possible reach out and take the hand to assist fellow pilgrims along your way. Go out and do GOOD in the world!

The Masters of the Journey is community forming to offer resources and support to everyone who is on their path, whether they know it or not, that they are Masters. Find your way to connect with other pilgrims and share the wisdoms you have been gifted to receive.

Abundance + Curiosity vs Judgement – 3 Thoughts

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  1. Abundance: Being Abundant and Living in Abundance is NOT always financial success! Dollars are not always the prosperity that makes you happy. Look at the Billionaires who are insecure and still trying to achieve satisfaction and happiness. I grew up in a wealthy community and most of the inhabitants were so busy making money or guarding their properties that they were anxious and many were driven to alcohol or drug challenges. So Abundance may be better defined as the joy, love and energy which flows through you. (Thank Wenty our “Fairy Godmother”) Friends are often the greatest source wealth and happiness. Sharing your love, finding & working YOUR purpose, and fully living is the blessing of true abundance. “Follow YOUR Bliss” is a quote by Joseph Campbell that bears consideration. Once you find your purpose and your bliss, SHARE it! Teach others. Embrace your role of service. Share the gift of your abundance and it will return to you, many times over.
  2. Judging has been a huge challenge that I struggle with in my pursuit of consciousness. Why do I/we judge other pilgrims? Why do I seek to compare and then separate myself from my Divine partners? In reflection it may be better to view with wonder and curiosity the different approach that the person in front of you may take (to learn their lessons.) Be curious and ask why is that person doing it (or believing it) in the differing way that they are? What is their lesson? More importantly, What is MY lesson in bumping up against this dissonance? There is a reason that this person/challenge has touched my world. Is it here for me to provide a teaching counter-point or am I to examine my specific learning? The perfection of the Divine Spirit stands in front of me in a form that triggers my deeper emotions, so what am I to remember and how can I grow in consciousness?
  3. I am exploring the concept that “thoughts” and words are “lies.” The “Truth” lies in the “Knowing” and the “feelings” of what the Divine Wisdom embraces us with. Oneness, unconditional love, no boundaries of time and space, and connection to the source of all wisdom, Love, can be “known” and felt, but not put into words in a way that does this justice. Words and thoughts can create a framework/structure for human interaction to begin communication. It can create a foundation for sharing which can lead to “Knowing.” We are born into human form to communicate and to remember our Divine Wisdom. How we choose to communicate can be frustrating because very few languages have words for the deepest feelings and the full spectrum of emotions. As an example, how do find words for the flavor of the best sauce you have ever tasted which will convey this to a person who is not there to taste? How do you describe there essence of Divine Grace to someone who has not had a near death experience? The descriptions are shallow and superficial (just as these written words as you read them.) Thank you for your attempt to understand my burgeoning insights.

Each of these topics could be a full blog/article. These are in process and not fully formed. More about these in the future. Please contribute your words and thoughts until we can all find the truth in feelings and the “Knowing” and the “Remembering!”

Blessings to you in our search.

Paula Forget has added these thoughts to consider…  “My thoughts about Knowing are:

Knowing comes as a flash of recognition. (It is not learned.)

It often comes during meditation as an intuitive understanding that is perceived beyond words. It is an indisputable Truth.”
Paula Forget, author of “Guided to the Higher Realms“

If you wish to discuss these topics, find more resources, or get support for your own pilgrimage, consider the Masters of the Journey’s website or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney. Take good care of yourself and find ways to serve other seekers you meet along the way.

How Did You Get HERE?

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Whether you know it or not, you are: Loved, Blessed, Guided/Protected, Safe, & Free! Think back on the path you have followed which has led you to be here now! There is a reason, known or unknown, that you have found your way here. At the many forks in the road of your life, YOU chose the direction that led you here. Why? It may not be a conscious knowing but each challenge you have chosen has offered you the chance to learn the spectacular lesson you desired. And, here you are!

Know the blessing and the guidance which has brought you here. Share the wisdom from the experience gained along the way. Celebrate each encounter bestowed upon you with the next soul you are blessed to meet and use this coincidence of connection to find YOUR reflection in your fellow traveller. Where ever possible, assist your fellow pilgrim to remember THEIR perfection and divinity.

As you remember, find your connection in the oneness shared with those fellow travelers you are supposed to encounter. We are all connected. We are one! Let separation and judgement melt away. Find acceptance and respect for every being (pilgrim) you meet. (We are all in this together and if your ego is challenged by the interaction with another, bless the lesson that this creates for you, even the struggle. Especially the struggle…)

When your experience of this life appears grim, Light your candle and disappear the darkness. You can and will create the miracle which serves the divine. Share your wisdom and your love!

Exercise: Remember the past 10 or 12 years to find the “Forks in the Road” that lead you to this moment in the present. Did you make choices? Were you “Guided?” Are you able to take full responsibility for the actions taken along this path? AND, what have you learned? (Where possible, please share your insights and wisdoms. Thank you.)

If appropriate, consider the support you can find in a non-religious community such as the Masters of the Journey which you can find, and participate in at: www.mastersofthejourney.com

Bless you on your path. Honor and celebrate each step along the way in the present moment… As best you can…

 

Channelled from guidance, August 14th, 2016. Editing 8/15/16.

Connecting for Peace

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This Summer, 2016, the world has been inundated by difficult news from around the world! Now, more than ever before it is time to come together AND to connect with the spirit of peace. To “judge” these developments as “bad” is easy for most of us who want the people of the world to get along and to work together for the common good of everyone on this planet (some think before it is too late….) Perhaps these man made disasters are not “bad” but necessary “wake up calls?” WHY do we need such “wake up calls?” My heart is troubled by the lengths people must take to be noticed! The innocent “victims” giving their lives, or their health, to the attention seeking, disenfranchised mayhem seekers.

It is NOT time to feel powerless or to wallow in the Media driven frenzy. It IS time to find the peace and the deepest seated LOVE to send out through your thoughts and prayers to all humankind. Now is the time to picture peace in the world. When enough of us focus on this highest level of unconditional love, knowing that we are all “one” with each other souls, we can begin to change the consciousness of others spirits, even the ones suffering with anger, rage, and hostility. A daily dose of blessing seems more appropriate than time spent watching the “news” on TV.

At the end of my daily meditation, I picture the golden white light of love going out from my heart to envelop the world, the solar system, the galaxy, and then the Universe. Why not? It can do no harm to focus upon LOVE and to pray for peace for ALL! I have no way of “knowing” with my mind if this helps, but I KNOW that my heart and my soul feel good to offer these positive energies…

Blessings to you, whether you work for peace or not. We are all in this together no matter what your mind tells you. We are ALL one with the Divine Spirit.

Please take good care of yourself and find the best way for YOU to go out and do good in the World! Be the shining beacon of hope as you role model the goodness of spirit!

No matter where you are, connect with a “Loving” community and collectively meditate on a Universe filled with Joy, Happiness, Love, and Supreme Consciousness. Mankind may be just a brief “Blip” in the history of our Universe but I wish that we can learn our “lessons” and more fully “Remember” the blessings of the Divine within our souls and spirits. YOU are NOT powerless in the face of the world’s challenges. You must fill the void with a positive thought and your positive energy! Broadcast LOVE!

Peace.

L. John Mason, Ph.D.

Founder of the Stress Education Center and Masters of the Journey, Transformational Community

Getting Spiritual

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You are on a path which leads you, in your own unique way, toward the lessons and the purpose for your life. Whether you know this or not, you are here for a reason and your path leads to the experience you require to move toward mastery of your challenges and lessons. Every interaction is a step along your way toward spiritual consciousness. Every person who blesses your life is a fellow traveler and participant in your enlightenment. You may never consciously know the importance to your development, even if you treat every interaction with each fellow pilgrim with the same respect you would give an audience with God. Many advanced masters believe that everyone you meet is God and we are all “One” with all lifeforms and so we must treat every living thing as a foundational piece of “Ourselves.” (With that said, “Be Humble, demonstrate Humility because you were once (in some past lifetime) a lowly Newt.)

When we reach out to our “higher selves,” we find the connection which allow us to feel the oneness and connection with all life and all consciousness.

We are all in this together. You are unique and you must find the path that leads you to the experience you require. The good events and the most challenging events are the flowers from the garden of life you are meant to harvest to create the bouquet of higher consciousness placing these into the vase of your pilgrimage. So, though your path looks like you are plodding alone, in fact, you are a part of the “River of Life” and one with all others. Your graduation in spiritual consciousness is connected to the spiritual success of all. Reach around and take the hands of all the fellow pilgrims you meet along your way. We must all cross the finish line together.

Your struggle is the “point.” Learn to love the struggle. Bask in the delight of the insights these struggles provide. Accept and Love each interaction. Release your fear, especially your fears of the ultimate transition which we all must embrace. In case you do not know this, death is NOT the enemy. It is the freeing experience which leads to a release from the constraints of your current mind and body! Learn to feel and then follow your guidance! You are loved. You are Blessed! You are Safe! And, you are Free! (Thanks for this inspiration, Brother Bob Trask!)

Be Love. Share Love. Live Love! Bask in the warmth of unconditional love… You will remember how. And then, remember the Divine Spirit within your Heart and Your Soul!

Be Grateful and know gratitude, for you are further along your path and you were once a snail…

With Love and Blessings. Your Masters of the Journey, stumbling but “Gettin’ Spiritual” founder, John

www.mastersofthejourney.com and www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney

Find a way to be of service and go out and do GOOD in the world. You ARE a Master so share your wisdoms and insights!

Finally, Live in Joy! Follow your Bliss. Have Fun! AND, do NOT take your spiritual growth TOO seriously. The people with the most wisdom find laughter close to the surface. Celebrate life!

Masters of the Journey Ideals and Principles

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The Masters of the Journey: Transformational Community offers you a list of our developing guiding principles. Would you consider getting involved with our new community of support for your spiritual goals?

1. Take responsibility for your life
2. Do not blame or make excuses
3. Love Yourself & accept all parts even weaknesses-flaws-imperfections
4. Grounding (daily as a practice)
5. Meditation (daily as a practice)
6. Keep your eyes up! Look to the Horizon
7. Set goals – celebrate success. Honor and celebrate your challenges.
8. Never give up on your passion & your dreams
9. Love Nature & Mother Earth… Appreciate the beauty of life. Find Beauty Every Day
10. Learn to Listen:
A. Be Focused
B. Maintain Eye Contact
C. Mind clear of strong judgement/other thoughts of response
D. Ask Supportive, clarifying Questions

11. Be open for Love and Connection (learn to share and to love)
12. Learn better to control: stress, fear, anxiety – Learn to Let Go
13. Practice the skill of self-acceptance- then develop self-love
14. Love and Protect all Children- Cherish their souls – Celebrate youthful enthusiasm, Innocence
15. Daily exercise and meditation is important
16. Build a solid Foundation – self-care/grounding, open your heart to unconditional love & then share it – Love unconditionally
17. Oneness: ALL of us are on the pilgrimage together some of us are more conscious than others – reach around & give all those you touch support and assistance so WE can all evolve together.
18. Embrace each moment as best you can! Each moment is a microcosm of all life & all consciousness – GRACE
19. Build a healthy support team –Find Your Courage – Celebrate your process & the success/gifts of learning.
20. Find Your Passion! Live your Passion! NO excuses! Along the way, do something good everyday- Perform a daily “Mitzvah” (a good deed)
21. Honor your mentors & healthy role models. Learn to bask in the wisdom they share (or provide to you)
22. Look to Create Good in the World. Do not miss the opportunity to acknowledge & celebrate good deeds & creative demonstrations of passion!
23. Turn off TV & Media – Read – Discuss – Learn to THINK for YOURSELF!! Do not blindly accept other people’s perceptions NO ONE! (Certainly not mine….)
24. Follow Your Heart! Listen to your Gut! Follow guidance & honor these strong messages
25. If you are striving to grow up to the heavens find solid roots to feed, nurture, & build a strong foundation for your work.
26. Do not be Lazy! Consciousness requires effort. (It is worth it!) Do not close your eyes to the daily experience of life. Rest & meditation are good. Lethargy & avoidance are not nearly as helpful.
27. Never stop learning or challenging yourself… Do not pretend that you know it all.

A partner with common values can be helpful & also a trap. Do not be a closed system.

Live with no fear of Death or Dying. Or, learn enough about dying so the thought of this transition does not get in the way of Living!

Get a mentor who is old, wise, & can share their lessons from living through their challenges! Honor their insights & wisdom though you do not have to agree with all their beliefs and insights. Their insights can offer you perspective & depth to your thinking.

DO NOT Avoid people with handicaps & challenges. They can teach you how to overcome limitations. We are all unique & loved creatures!

    DANCE like no one is watching! Live with passion and reckless abandon!

Basking in the Brilliance of Spirit

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What feeds your spirit? What activities connect you with your spirit? How often do you seek to develop your spiritual nature? When we speak of “spirit” or spiritual development in this article, we are not speaking about learning religious philosophy or in practicing religious rituals. Instead, we are speaking of the deeper connections with the brilliance of love and light that comes from deep within every living being. In doing so, there is no exclusion of spirit due to different philosophical or religious beliefs or attitudes. There are no qualifications or exclusions from connecting with spirit. One of the main understandings regarding this celebration of spirit is that “we are all at one” with all other living creatures. We are all “connected.”
Time and space (place) are less of a division in the world of spirit. Spirit may be more a feeling rather than a thought. For people who have been able to bring these feelings back from a spiritual experience often describe a feeling of “oneness” or a sense of deep connection. There may also be a feeling of “unconditional love” which can also be described in some religions as a feeling of connection with the religion’s God, but not necessarily with all the morale or cultural beliefs.

People will visit a glorious natural environment and feel the power of connection with natural beauty that has the power to create calmness and sometimes healing. When learning to connect with your spirit it is good to be reminded that you can get there more easily if you “Quiet your mind” and control your expectations. (Neither of these is easy to do when getting started but can come more easily with practice.) It is important to be “still” and to let “it” come to you. Chasing the spirit can make it more difficult to do. A final reminder: Be Open… You may not experience the process in the way you think you might need, but actually get the experience that you will best learn from…. If, you are open to it.

I am reminded of a time when I was in a late afternoon meditation on a cliff that over looked the waves churning unto a beach in Sonoma County, CA. With my mind reaching to be in “neutral” (no extra thoughts), I found myself listening to a dialogue in my head. One voice seemed to come from the perspective of a “guide” in the form of a seagull who was describing the birth of the winds as a power to consider. The “Voice” suggested that the winds were created by the difference in temperatures of the ocean and the land. As the land heated up and warmed the air over it, the air would rise and the cooler air over the ocean would rush in to fill this void, so creating a breeze. Waves are generated by the movements of the wind and their force is respected for the great power that this force of nature manifests. The Voice asked me to consider harnessing the power of the winds as seagulls do as they soar, almost effortlessly, by using the currents of wind. A part of me listened to the dialogue with fascination. Another part of my mind was asking where this Voice was coming from and where the information of this Voice was coming from. I considered the experience as a connection with the “collective unconscious” described by many famous psychologist and philosophers. I felt blessed to be allowed to share in this mind expanding experience.

Another late afternoon meditation created a powerful but not uncommon learning experience. In my visualization, I imagined that I was sitting by a river with my back against a tree. I pictured myself meditating and seeing the transformation of the river in front of me into the “River of Life.” It was golden in color. It flowed from my right side to my left, slowly and evenly. I “knew” that the waters would eventually empty into the sea. Each golden molecule of water represented a living soul. The molecules of water would evaporate from the sea to form golden clouds which would lead to a golden rain high up in the mountains. The molecules would join other molecules to form small streams flowing downhill to join larger rivers until the “cycle of life” would be repeated by following the path of the golden river of life back to the sea, once again. I saw myself as a molecule of water swirling downstream occasionally being caught in an eddy and swirling in circles to learn my lessons. Most importantly, I felt myself “connected” to all other living things in this river of life. I knew that I was never alone or separate from other living beings as we struggle to improve and move forward with our lessons of life. Though this meditation happened for me 40 years ago, I remember it and I feel it as if it was happening right now… This type of connection with the oneness of consciousness is far from unique. It has happened before and will happen again in some form or another for people who are open to this transformative experience/lesson.

Please consider taking time to connect with your spirit and celebrating the learning that you can achieve. It will change your life.

For life balance and stress management, it is important to maintain your ideal state of mind, body, and spirit. Too focused attention on any one area, over the others, may provide an imbalance that will not allow the best quality of life. Please take good care of yourself.

Please comment on this blog if you are so moved. Share this blog if you find value, thank you.