The Miracle of Your 5 Senses And Other Sensitivities

Everyday you wake up with the miracle of your 5 senses AND do not take these Lightly. Your 5 senses include the sensations: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. Some would add your intuition and more about this later. Some of us have suffered the loss of one or more of these 5 senses and those of us who wake everyday to the use of these senses might not appreciate the miracle that these senses are or the difficulty dealing with your life should one or more of these senses become non-functioning. Recently, I have suffered the near complete loss of my hearing. Hopefully, this is not permanent, time will tell, but it has me appreciating the senses differently. Quite a learning experience.

Imagine if you could not see another sunset or the faces of your loved ones. How would you navigate or take in information if you woke up blind or severely visually impaired? Your world would be a different place and a struggle you might not understand or be able to adapt to. Your vision is a miracle which can not be fully explained in its chemistry or physiology. How does your eye turn sights into impulses which travel through nerves to be translated by parts of your brain? It is a miracle. You were born with this sense and, by the way, YOU are a MIRACLE!. We have all met visually impaired people, some blind since birth or from accidents or illness, and yet how many fully sighted people can fully appreciate the situation which would challenge us if we were blind (without visual ability?) Most people find this scary and anxiety producing to consider having to move through life with a severe visual impairment. Do NOT use this as an unconscious excuse to keep visually impaired people at a distance or totally out of your life! Your loss of this relationship will reflect on YOUR insecurity… (And, lessons can be learned from interactions with people who live with any of the handicaps which humans experience. Appreciation and gratitude could be at the top of your list in expanded awareness regarding the “what ifs” possible in your life.)

The loss of smell and taste might seem easier to deal with but consider the importance of smell and taste. These miracles help us know the world in different ways. We can smell our lover. We can smell and taste the fragrances and tastes of a loving childhood memory. The sweet smell of Spring or Summer flowers would be missed. We can remember the trauma of death and some disease in certain smells. An example, the learned sickness a chemo-therapy patient might know as they associate certain “clinic” smells to the adverse reactions their bodies have had to the chemo-therapy agents. Or the taste of a dangerously spoiled food we unfortunately tasted. (The “Smell of Death” or very poor hygiene are more a cause for compassion than the often felt disgust our mind can lead us to feel.)

The miracle of touch is so incredibly important. New born babies and infants will not thrive unless they are touched, hopefully, lovingly by a mother or father or family member. The hug you offer or receive are nurturing to both people who share this embrace. The loving sensations of intimacy with your lover are very often addicting, nourishing, and anxiety relieving. Walking barefoot in warm sand or grass is a pleasure to experience for many people. A warm bath or therapeutic massage gives you so many possible positive sensations. I could go on a very long time describing the miracle of the sensations or touch. Remember, physical pain is a necessary sensation to protect our bodies. And, also remember the necessary nurturing from “connection” both emotionally and physically with other pilgrims you bump into on your path through this life.

And, I am dealing with the loss of hearing. To most other people I do not look much different than I did one month ago but my ability to communicate in conversation has been 90% damaged. My hearing was poor before but today, as I write, I can barely hear the voice within a few steps. In a crowded room, I can not have a conversation. I can not hear a verbal presentation on the internet or watch a movie (without captions) or listen to my new grandson. Taking in information through hearing, like seeing, is a miracle. How does the body translate a sound from the environment into a impulse sent through the nerves and then interpreted by the brain? Loss of hearing is not uncommon. Coping with a suddenly very quiet world, for me, is difficult. I, like many people, am fairly social. Interactions and communication are something I have built my life around. Sitting quietly by myself reading is possible but it is not how I have chosen to live my life. Hearing impaired individuals can get lost, overlooked, in their struggle to live normal lives. What if you could not hear the waves on the shore or your favorite music? Just be aware AND more fully appreciate your miracles which may be less appreciated.

Do not take the miracle of the 5 senses lightly! Do not assume that YOU will never be challenged by the loss of one or more of your senses.

And, by the way, your 6th sense should not be ignored. Your Intuition, Your Knowing, Your Sensing at a deep feeling level are even more miraculous. Where does it come from? What does it mean? How will you be “Guided” by your powerful and important 6th sense? And, how can you develop this miracle if you are conscious enough to realize its full importance and value? Better connecting with your intuition can help to move you forward on your spiritual path.

If you have read this far, I went to the doctor this week and he was able to clear much of the damage from the infection. I can hear poorly again and it is a blessing. Even though muffled, I can do my work and interact with people in most ways, at least better than I could for the past several weeks. Hearing better for me is a miracle and a blessing!

If you want to use your 6 senses to interact with people to enhance your consciousness, you can consider joining a community of consciousness seekers…
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

Coming of Age: Being Role Models for Living!

We all have needed role models to help us know how to conduct ourselves through life. Sometimes these role models offer us a bright beacon of light to follow. Sometimes our role models are examples of what NOT to do in our lives. If you were born with any level of awareness, from early on in your life, you learned by observing the people and the culture which surrounded you. No matter what this was like, remember that YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM to this environment. You have a choice. You can choose the most positive direction to follow. You can choose whatever path that exists but remember that you will be responsible for what you end up doing and what you end up learning from the challenges which present themselves to you along the way.

Some people “Come of Age” when they enter a certain age, or school, or job, or relationship which asks them to be more responsible for their thoughts, beliefs, actions, and their feelings. For some, this comes earlier in life than for others. Eventually, we will all be reminded to remember the Divine Spirit from where we came and to attempt to live in the most ideal ways to serve the greatest good of all the Universe. This is a tall order to fill and many of us are not ready to be conscious enough to know how best to serve. We all have our role to play. Here we require role models. Are YOU willing to be the role model!!!???

Sometimes this means leading. Sometimes just listening. Sometimes it means living in a state of presence and being fully responsible for your actions. Sometimes it means demonstrating how to die with dignity and mindfulness. Yes, even letting go becomes an important role model… As important, as how to live mindfully. There comes an age in the current life when you contemplate the “end game.” Maybe when you start slowing down. Maybe when you body starts “giving out” or when a more serious health challenge arrives. If we live long enough, we all must face these transitions. How we deal with these changes and transitional events becomes a very important part for role models. Do we age as victims or do we take this responsibility seriously as the learning challenge we must experience AND share? Can we be as conscious and as present as we as role models are meant to be??? I am told that the Dalai Lama practices 7 times per day his own transition from this life so he can be the most present and mindful soul as he transitions. That is a huge commitment!

Whether you are “Brave” or filled with anxiety regarding your death matters less than if you can be most aware and open to sharing your feelings. Though I must say, in researching interviews with people who have had NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) most have the view that death is NOT the enemy or “scary” but the chance to move to the higher dimensions and freedom from the limitations of the body in the three dimensions we agree to exist within in our mortal life on the Earth plane. NDE survivors can live more fully without the anxiety of the unknown which death transitions entail. Add these interviews and conversations with NDE survivors to your list of role models in this life.

Being “Mindful” and “Present” are awesome qualities for amazing role models.
Qualities of Mindfulness, which are great to consider and to live by, include:
Awareness
Beginner’s Mind
Acceptance
Insight
Impermanence
Equanimity
Interconnection
Compassion
Gratitude
Joy

Do some research and check these out especially if you do not understand what these might mean. You will gain in consciousness as you explore what these qualities are and how they might become manifest in your life.

These qualities are easier said than done for most of us but worth considering and moving toward as we journey our sacred path toward “Enlightenment.” Taking steps which move us closer includes observing and then mimicking role models, in our own unique way, and then finding a way to be the best role model for other people who enter our lives. Never forget that with every step you take, in your soul and spirit you are perfect and contain the DNA of the Divine Spirit! You are not alone and the Universe can not exist without you…

As you find yourself “coming of Age” in your passage through life, consider being the supportive and master role model for all who experience you and your pilgrimage through this life…
You are a Blessing!

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

Struggles of Life: Coming Into This World

Being born and thriving in the world is full of struggles and challenges. It is this challenge that is our purpose for incarnating. Struggles come with the territory of manifesting in Human Form. We have enough consciousness to make physical and emotional survival an interesting process. Born helpless, we rely on parents or adults to feed us and to teach us how to survive. As babies, we offer these caretakers the opportunity to give unconditionally to a tiny human with the hope that this child will survive long enough to enter their own period of adulthood. (Though, sadly the unconditional love piece is often missing… And, surviving to adulthood is NOT guaranteed.) This set of struggles to be born, to be raised, and to participate in our life’s lessons is what life, as a human incarnation, is about. We are often conscious enough to know the challenges and lessons as we are caught up in them. Young parents adapt their lives to accommodate their babies (hopefully.) The parents are tired and emotionally tested. Sometimes they wonder why they chose to have children enter their lives and to distract them from other life issues. Most parents will eventually love and appreciate the struggles of their babies and perhaps all of the other souls who participate in this challenge called life (on Earth.) It is never without drama. It is never done error free. It is a learning and balancing act. The bond of the relationships in families is often forged as one of the strongest emotional bonds we humans can experience and we can pay the emotional price when a family member transitions from life (dies.) Coming into the world always ends with a transition out of the current worldly existence. This is a certainty we can not elude or change…
Love and appreciate all days and moments, and the souls you bump into.

The miracle of birth and of the growth of the physical and emotional being is always surprising. The joyful good times are fun and the pain of life traumas are scars which all concerned bear and must learn from. We all have our scars and life’s travails are so very important. We are all born unique and as our lives develop we have our individualized lessons. The goal is to be as conscious as possible and to share the wisdom we develop from life’s experiences. We are here to learn and to share. We are here to Love and to support the fellow pilgrims we meet. If you “circle the wagons” and keep from sharing your story, you may miss some golden opportunities to grow by teaching what you have learned from your struggles.

Life as a human is not supposed to be easy as in a fairy tale. Yet, when we come closer to enlightenment, we might find joy in even the most difficult challenges we confront. A wise friend of mine reminds me often of the great honor it is to live and to work through the struggles we negotiate along the way. Every moment is a blessing, if we allow ourselves to view the event from a spiritual perspective… AND, that is a Big If…

Find Joy! Live in Joy! You are a perfect manifestation of the Divine Spirit! YOU, like all life on this Earth, are a MIRACLE!

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

Your Gift to the World Is YOU!

Do you like receiving a gift? Do you get pleasure and satisfaction from giving a great gift? If you are like most people, you get a great sense of satisfaction by giving a thoughtful gift. Hopefully, the gift has no “strings attached” to the process of giving. (You know what I mean when you give a gift and EXPECT something in return for your efforts…) Your present may be heartfelt and wrapped in the elegance of your warm wishes and tender love. It may be given in a more functional, less extravagant wrapping. It may have been thought out and well planned or a spontaneous act of sharing. You know when your act of giving is especially well received and when it does not meet the highest response.

A genuine act of kindness is often the most thoughtful gift which you can offer. “The thought counts” and the endearing follow through can be most meaningful. AND, many of us do not appreciate the present we can offer when we are sharing our love and our time and our compassion. You know that moment in time when the person in front of you offered you their “presence” and their listening skills as you share the most emotional memories. What a great gift when you are fully heard and this connection reminds you that you are not on your own. There is someone who listened and who cares…

Whenever, you increase your consciousness, you improve yourself. By enhancing your awareness and listening skills, you become more precious in your interactions. And, if you ever touch the Divine Spirit so that you fully celebrate the “perfection” of the person in front of you, you become the beacon of light which heals and warms the souls of every spirit you touch. There is no greater gift you can give. Honor yourself, for you are perfect even in your seeming imperfections. There is no one exactly like you. You are unique and at the same time Divinely connected to all other souls. Your lessons in this life are for you to move forward on your path BUT your movement on your path supports and assists everyone. Remember how Divine you really are and the source of unconditional love you can offer.

Be the best you can be. Not competitive but in your open ability to share love. If possible, drop your judgement and perhaps ask a “challenging” person you encounter, “What has happened to you in your life to lead you to be the person in front of me?” ALSO, remember that just as YOU are a Gift for the people you bump into, THEY are a Gift for you as well. You have a lesson to learn from every encounter and it is a blessing to learn from this challenge. You might want to consider honoring the beauty and perfection in front of you when next you lock eyes on the person standing in front of you!

YOU are a gift to the Universe! Sharing your Love and your wisdom gained through your life experience is an amazing service to the Universe. Grow in consciousness and share your Light!

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

Your Enlightenment and Your Environment

Have you considered the best environment for developing your “Enlightenment?” Does your “spiritual awakening” require a special environment? Does Enlightenment only come for those who sit in a cave, undistracted, over a period of time Which creates the solitude required to lead you to the “Light?”

Some experienced, and a bit rigid, (want to be) enlightened masters might say that solitude offers less distractions and a better “space” to go within, to find the Universal Divine Spirit. AND, I believe that this can work for some people but not for everyone, every time enlightenment “hits.” So, I began looking for some of the words used to describe a pilgrimage into the “cave” of undistracted solitude. Words that might be used to demonstrate a reduced distracted environment might include: Isolation, Vigil, Seclusion, Solitude, reclusive, withdrawn, possibly: Celibate and Abstaining from physical pleasures, Contemplative, Introspection, Reflection, Consideration, and Focused. These concepts can make it difficult and exclusive for many people running around in my culture. Are we all doomed to be un-enlightened? Perhaps…

Or, are there other environments or circumstances which can allow for a “spontaneous Awakening” like a NDE (Near Death Experience) or an “Ah Ha” moment in meditation or in experiencing a major “insight” in life (perhaps a STE (Spiritual Transformative Experience.)) An example for me was when I hiked up into Evolution Meadow and viewed the surrounding mountains and sky with a surprising, for me at 25 years of age, insight of being in “God’s Cathedral,” realization. (Since at that time, I would never say the word “God” let alone find an experience that would trigger me to use this word.) Can activities and interpersonal interactions lead you to a moment of enlightenment? Once you have had a real moment of knowing the state of Grace or feeling the Universal “connection” to the “source” and all a “oneness” with other souls, you can never go back into complete un-enlightenment. You can NOT get the Genie back in the bottle… Though, what you do with this new insight varies and may take a very long time to surface as a useful gift to be shared.

Some “moments” of insight have come for me in deep meditation but never in a cave of solitude. For me, a private act of self-discovery, realization, or a “remembrance” have come in a variety of environments and with varying degrees of social interaction. Though these have been private in the moment, many of these experiences were not in deep isolation or seclusion. Oddly, sometimes I focus better with distractions around me, as if I would trust someone else to protect me (feeling safer) and I can “let go” of my defenses in a group. (Not always true, but sometimes…)

Your path to Enlightenment will be unique for you. The environment will be of your creation. A quiet, meditative environment may prove helpful but may not be required. Keep your eyes open for any possible “awakening” (perhaps in a Zen like way.) Allow your soul/heart to be receptive to new experience and insights. Feel your guidance which may lead you to a chance of a lifetime and a special moment of “Grace!” You are on the path, whether you know it or not. You are here, in this life, to experience and to learn. AND, when your “Awakening” happens, you are here to share this wisdom and your most recent leaps into consciousness.

Tip for Enlightenment:
No matter which path you take either as an aesthetic using deprivation to assist you in focusing or as a seeker bouncing off all the other people you bump in to in the “warm dryer called life,” you can help to clarify your consciousness by being mindful, present, and open. To be aware of the possibilities is more than half the battle. Being “closed” to new thoughts, Wisdom, Feelings, insights, conscious “knowing,” or simply the “remembering,” will slow your process and pilgrimage down. It is not always an easy task but being open AND present to enjoy, the “JOY,” can assist you greatly. All of these qualities are assisted through meditation and begin by following your breath. Slowly inhale, pause, and then slowly exhale… Attempt to feel the cool air as you breathe in and then the warm breath as you slowly exhale. Continue to breathe slowly and most consciously. Allow your thoughts and energy to flow as freely as possible. Perhaps you can “open” your 6th and 7th chakras for a better connection to the Divine Spirit. You may even attempt to allow yourself to elevate (out through your Crown Chakra) to an 8th or 9th chakra and higher dimensions. Paula Forget’s book, “Guided to the Higher Realms,” may be a useful guide to assist you to expand your consciousness to what is possible. (Check her website at: www.paulaforget/inspired for more information.)

It may also be useful to practice holding the intention that you are open and available for the Guidance to and the experience of an “Awakening!” The Divine Spirit surrounds each of us. It is embedded in each of us. A dark cave is NOT the only place where this unconditional love and energy abides…

YOU are amazing and perfect no matter where you are on your path! YOU are a blessing. Thank you for being YOU! In any way possible, allow yourself to be Open, Present, and Mindful of the wonderful adventures you find yourself within (even the challenging ones…) Whether you are actively seeking “Enlightenment” or not, you are still moving along that path.

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

Though I am Just a Man…

Yes, I am just a Man! Nothing special! AND, I am as perfect and as special as every person I meet! As a man, working on my 7th decade in this life, I appear to be “average,” whatever that means… I have been a son, a brother, a lover, a friend, a worker, a business owner, an author, a coach, a trainer, a father, a husband, a widower, a team member, a grandson, a grandfather, a facilitator, a teacher, a traveller, a student, a spiritual being in a human body, a neighbor, an enemy, a “ball player,” an athlete, a hiker, a camper, a photographer, a sage, a fool, a driver, a bike rider, a runner/jogger, and many other common roles in this lifetime.
SO ARE YOU! AND….

I am not special or different in many ways. I am unique and perfect in many ways. Just like YOU! I am NOT the role model for you to follow nor the person in the front of the room who tells you what to do and how to live your life. AND, I am the perfect role model which you were guided to bump into for the perspective I can offer. I am a wise older man and a completely immature fool… You can like me. You might find me annoying and difficult. We are on the same path, perhaps at different places along the way. AND, we are in this “thing” together, to support each other, as we find our way toward higher consciousness.

A am a Man! Metaphorically, take my hand and we will walk together. I can NOT live your life for you but I can support you and the adventure WE are on… As a man, do not expect that I will not make mistakes or I may even appear to let you down… Because as a man, I (& you) learn from my mistakes and transgressions. Our perfection is in how we play the role of the person we pretend to be. We do these roles so well. NO one can play YOU as well as YOU! BUT, we are so much bigger than our human roles. We are a perfect part of the divine spirit. We are so small and we are greater than the known Universe! We can feel like we are alone but we can remember that we are connected to all other souls and share unconditional love for each other… YOU are amazing and a blessing to me and to our Universe!

Do Your best to remember who you really are! You are a miracle! You are perfect in your seeming imperfections. Take responsibility and make good choices as you move through this human experience of life… AND, wherever possible share your story and your wisdom with the unconditional love from your heart and soul! Be a beacon for the good that is possible in every way possible!

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

Life is Great! How is it going for You?

Have you ever felt that Life is Great?!!! Are you a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty” kind of person? Sure, life is full of difficult challenges and there are many difficult experiences we face. Many people get caught up in the fearful side of life or dwell in the status of victimhood. This is not “bad” but it is a lesson in personal responsibility that most of us must try to understand and then move through in our quest for higher consciousness.

Fear??? What is the worst that can happen? You will get around to dying someday…
Why live in Fear? (Book resource: “The Afterlife of Billy Fingers” lots of information from the “other side” (or maybe there is no other side only an earth bound less conscious side???)

In my understanding, life is not meant to be too easy. We tend to learn more from the mistakes and failures we encounter than from the easier, and more pleasant, successes. I believe that we are born into our lives with certain built-in flaws and imperfections which are our “lessons” to experience and learn from in this life. None of us are “perfect” and our imperfections make us the valuable characters we are meant to play. We bump into other imperfect souls and, whether we like it or not, are meant to learn from these exchanges and interactions.

I have heard other people exclaim, “Life would be so perfect (or so much better) IF this or that was different…” Well, that is what we are here to do. To change “this or that” especially when we actually have some choice or control and this means changing “this or that” about ourselves (or at least our beliefs.)

People have very different opinions on what is “Great” in life. These opinions do not often match up very well. Each one of us is unique and how we feel about the things we encounter is different and unique. “That is what makes horseraces,” is an expression exemplifying why difference of opinions creates the wonderful diversity of experience in our lives. Sure, we bump into other people’s opinions which “trigger” our mental or emotional states of mind.

You are special. You are unique! Your soul is part of the larger Divine Spirit and the Divine can not exist without YOU and your challenges. So please consider the self-awareness of taking responsibility for yourself and your lessons. Learn to smile at the difficult challenges you face because these can be the most important lessons you have to learn from in this life. When you do smile at these life challenges you may end up “knowing” that life is Great!

One last rant, the other seemingly imperfect souls we bump into in this warm tumbling drier called life, are all connected to us and to the Divine Spirit. They are simply other perfect manifestations of ourselves. We are all in this together. Enlightenment comes when we realize this and know that our “purpose” is to reach around and grab the hand of the next person to support them and to assist their consciousness building efforts even if these other actors seem remote and unconscious…

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

Good Communication: A Secret to Your Success

For good communication, STOP trying so hard to be heard! Quit telling YOUR story! Start listening and asking the right questions. Easier said than done but good communication involves using your ears more than your mouth. Why do you have two ears and only one mouth? So you can listen twice as much.

Sure you want to share your story and your wisdom and your experiences. Good communication allows for all of this and it is critical for the supportive, wisdom sharing relationship you want. However, how do you know how to put the correct emphasis on your story when you have not discovered the need or shared experience of your communication partner? Besides, talking “at” someone is not the same as speaking “with” someone. The “with” includes respecting your partner enough to listen and ask the clarifying questions where you can both learn from the subject being discussed.

Good communication involves some patience and respect which is demonstrated by NOT interrupting with YOUR story AND caring about your partner and what they are attempting to convey. If they seem to be repeating, redundant, perhaps they need to be guided and sometimes reminded that other members of the relationship would like their time to share…

We, as a culture, are often lacking with good communication skills. We need to learn them and practice. We need to start by realizing that all people we bump into are “perfect” even with their flaws and imperfections which they have brought with them in this life to “learn” from. We all have flaws. We all have lessons (challenges) to take responsibility for and then to learn from. That increased consciousness and our skills of supporting other pilgrims who we have met on the “path” is our purpose.

Besides, other people will like you and respect you more when you show them respect and really listen. Ask good questions to help your partner clarify their story. You will both be better able to learn from this shared experience. Be interested and people will find you to be interesting.

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?

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

Evolution Away from Great Communication

Communication is a lost, or disappearing, art! Do YOU want to improve YOUR life? Interpersonal, eyeball to eyeball, communication is going the way of the dinosaurs or rotary telephone or TV Western shows. But where has it gone and what has replaced people eloquently conversing in thoughtful, heartfelt interactions? Social media has taken its place AND social media communication skills have not found their way past superficial levels equal to what toddlers or, at best, middle school level people might use. Great “adult” conversations do not happen commonly, if at all, on social media. Social media is not designed that way.

Are we evolving away from face to face interpersonal communication? Or, are the newer generations “wired” differently than older generations who grew up before the technology revolution took over?

Loneliness is an epidemic especially affecting the millennial generation. Why? Possibly because the skills and practice of good interpersonal communication are poorly used, if used at all. Just look around in our culture and you see people are addicted to checking on their social media instead of the person in front of them. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more appear to be more interesting and satisfying than attempting to connect with the words, gestures, and feelings used in communication by the live person sitting in front of you. Mature adults have complicated relationship needs and these are not well resolved with cute social media, snarky statements or behaviors.

If there is doubt in you regarding the changing patterns of communication, just get on an commercial airplane. People used to talk to the people in their row or watch the movie. Now, fewer people actually speak to the people they are sitting next to on the plane. People disappear into their “devices” even if they are not on social media due to “airplane mode.” Why are we not sharing our stories with live human beings sitting right next to us?… Perhaps, we have just lost the skill of chatting. Perhaps, we have “evolved” and speaking with words heard by the person near to you is being lost as a social activity to be replaced by loneliness…

Why? Where did this come from? Is technology so seductive? Are young people so insecure that they have to fall into the social media trap just so they can fit in? If so, what are they fitting into? Or, are we moving away from verbal and interpersonal, physical interaction into a future where we all communicate psychically and through our developed skills of intuition? We are evolving into a culture of addiction to our “devices,” social media, and instantaneous, though shallow, responses. As if the number of “likes” or clicks has given us a sense of value. (The answer is “YES.”) This misses out on finding a smile or raised eyebrow or a noticeable shoulder breath in your communication partner.

Truly and deeply connecting with another person is created by as many non-verbal perceptions as by the actual words themselves. This connection has greater emotional and spiritual value than checking on the “likes” to a recent posting. No wonder we are in an epidemic of loneliness in our society. Consider putting your “device” aside and looking into the eyes of your partner with as little “Judgement” as possible get to know their story! Employ the skill of asking open ended questions to stimulate clarity and greater consciousness in your communication partner. (Quit thinking ahead for some cute, but snarky, response and show your partner the respect they deserve as another struggling life form.) You may find the long awaited information you have been seeking….

Our culture has become polarized. Many people lack all civility when they are confronted by another person with a contrary belief. This lacks perspective and keep us narrow minded, reactionary, and emotionally fragile. A different opinion can be very useful in forming a longterm style of behavior and lifestyle. Living only within your familiar beliefs seems safe but in the long run it is not easier or even safer. More about this in another blog on communication. Be open. It does not mean you have to agree with or even like what the next person will say but this perspective came into your consciousness for a reason. Learn what you came here to learn. Bless and respect every interaction which occurs in your present 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