Tag Archives: acceptance

Spiritual and Emotional Bullies

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Have you ever met a spiritual or emotional bully? Allow me to ask you once again, have you ever been blessed to meet a spiritual or emotional bully?

Are you a spiritual or emotional bully? You know that spiritual bully. You have met many of these people in your day-to-day interconnections. Yep, you know, the person that makes you feel really good. Even when you do not want to feel really good. They may force their emotions and their joy upon you. Yep, those are the people who spread joy unconditionally. They might spread their love unconditionally. They may spread their feelings of acceptance unconditionally. AND, you may be one of those special earth angels who spread love and joy unconditionally. All of those light workers and people striving for enlightenment should really move in the direction of becoming a spiritual or emotional bully. Our world needs more earth angels who are bullies who spread their joy and their love.

You have come across these people. You may not always remember who they are but the feeling that they evoke within you is very positive and special. Even if you were at a low point or wanting to stay in some role as a victim, they may give you the perspective that you are special, you are loved, you are connected, and you are a part of a much greater divine spirit. Why would these people go out of their way to torment you when what you want is to be left alone to wallow in your depression? Why would they go out of their way to do something that is spiritually and emotionally uplifting? Is it their bad breeding? Is it coming from years of meditation and spiritual work? And how should you respond when you were confronted by these spiritual or emotional bullies? Should you dance and celebrate letting that deep reserve of happiness and joy come to the surface? Can you tolerate being in the spotlight and feeling the warmth of the bonfire of unconditional love?

The truth is, that every one of those spiritual or emotional bullies thanks you. They thank you because you are their victims. Yes, you were the one that they have focused and directed their positive attention upon and they bless you, and thank you, for allowing them to share their joy, and love, and acceptance with you. These bullies could not exist without you. Whether you know it or not, you are so important and you are perfect just the way you are. You are a beautiful soul living in a fragile human life and surrounded by human drama. You are the focus of unconditional giving and love when you bump into one of these spiritual or emotional bullies. Thank you for being you.

And perhaps you should try on the role of being a spiritual and emotional bully yourself. You can experience the deep sense of purpose as you fill the void and drag people out of the darkness into the light. You can be the leader or the guide that allows people to have perspective on what is possible at a human conscious level. You can open the door and share your wisdom and your love and your enlightenment.

And what have you to lose? Nothing! But you can start a chain reaction of positivity as you share your joy and your unconditional love with the world around you and the souls that you touch. Yes, you can feel the joy and the happiness by being of service as that beacon of light and love. You have nothing to lose. You have so much to gain. And, the world really needs that kind of bullying and positive energy. Someday, when you may least expect one of those earth angels may pop into your life and allow you to bask in the positive and joyful energy. Please, allow yourself to be open and available to receive this joy this love and this happiness. You will serve that bully by accepting their love and joy.

So remember to dance like no one is watching. Be in the present moment looking for the miracles of life. And when you find the perfection of that moment and all of the things that surround you, feel the joy within you and then share it as best you can as a earth angel who is a spiritual or emotional bully.

Chasing Enlightenment

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First, let me say that I believe each and every one of us is perfect. We each have a Spirit and soul which is connected to the Divine Source. We each serve an important role in Divine Consciousness. AND, deep within each of us is the “Enlightenment” which many of us are consciously seeking. Yes, I am saying that if we run in circles with our hair on fire, we have the purest form of the Divine Spirit within us. And, if you do NOT run in circles with your hair on fire, pure, perfect Divine Spirit is within you, as well. However, many people live their lives in quiet, or non-quiet, desperation attempting to gain a consciousness regarding our “Enlightenment.” What is “Enlightenment” and is it worth chasing?

For me, Enlightenment, which does not find easy words to be defined, is a state where we are able to live in higher dimensional consciousness. A state where we have Equanimity as we walk through our lives. Personally, I struggle to not get sucked into the human dramas and the politics of living as a human. Equanimity does not mean that you do not feel the drama but you do not get caught in the currents which throw you mentally or emotionally into the extremes of reaction. (Boy, do I need to be reminded of this constantly…) Besides Equanimity you live in a state of Non-Judgement. You can Accept what you encounter. You take full responsibility for your life, your choices, and where your path leads you. You look for the Joy in life (and find it,) even in the dark times and places you travel through. You feel connected to the Divine Spirit and all of consciousness because you are an important part of the much greater whole. So, when you look into some other soul’s eyes you see and know yourself. Namaste!!! You can appreciate that the human linear concepts of Time and Space are illusions existing within our humanness because our three dimensional thinking, as humans, can not cope with the many multi-dimensions of higher realm consciousness. And, you “Know” and “Remember” what Divine Unconditional Love feels like. (It is an integrated combination of all the qualities listed above.

As we walk through our human lives, it can be very difficult to maintain your highest consciousness. We are tested. We are limited by human survival mechanisms. We have prepared ourselves for interactions with other incarnated souls where we lack full trust regarding their intentions. This is the fear based human consciousness of separation which comes along with ego thinking and living. So, many of us find ourselves living with our human limitations chasing after full consciousness and Enlightenment. But, does this work for us? This brings us to the purpose, or intention, of this posting. Can we chase down Enlightenment successfully? The very “effort” of this chasing can scare our soul’s Enlightenment away. Like a shy creature we come across in nature, this animal will run away if we chase after it. Its survival is based on the survival of it’s flight/fight response. The faster we chase, the faster it goes in an opposite (or different) direction.

So striving for Enlightenment may chase it away. “Wanting” Enlightenment may chase it away. Trying too hard to attain Enlightenment may lead to this same result. Trying too hard gets in the way of the Enlightenment we seek. Perhaps, being available without a chasing behavior gets us closer. Perhaps, accepting that we are chasing this elusive prey is a good place to start. Maybe, living in Gratitude with a “lack of wanting” allows this consciousness to find us… Consider, living in the present moment with a lack of expectations and judgement are keys to developing the feelings within your heart of what Enlightenment is… Making the human effort of chasing after it, may be getting in the way of achieving the state of consciousness which I consider Enlightenment.

Since it is already deep within you, you may not have to seek after it externally. You can not be forced or even lead to Enlightenment by people or forces outside of yourself. You may find yourself engaged in programs or processes which can begin to open doors by creating awareness or perspective on what is possible, but it will not take you all the way. It is to be searched for and accepted as the deep, perfect soul you are… Feel it to “Know” it. And, when you get to that state of consciousness, you can “Remember” your connection to the Divine and the perfection which is YOU and within every soul you bump into as walk the path through your human life. (And, someone else’s path or philosophy for achieving a state of enlightenment may be a a good example of what is possible BUT you are required to walk your own unique path. Your individual search is a unique experience for you to explore.)

Your tools to brighten your path may include: meditation, conscious breathing, being present, acceptance, equanimity, service by loving with no strings attached, and your sincere awareness that consciousness expansion is a key. We must look to assist other human souls which we encounter as we travel through the Universe. We are all in this together. By raising our consciousness, we raise all consciousness. And, remember that YOU are perfect. You are a Miracle! And, You are Loved!

Thanks for this consideration. You are a Blessing!
————–
And, my friend and mentor, Paula Forget, has added another point of view:

“Hi John,

Something that was missing is JOY!

Enlightenment is a state of being. Like you said: “Feel it to know it.”

I don’t think you can “practice” enlightenment, to become enlightened. It’s qualities must develop naturally. Otherwise, it is like trying to be good, not to be bad. It is a duality based approach, and still creates friction inside a person.
You cannot practice being “joyous”, for the same reason. By “practicing”, something is being suppressed.

I think, for myself, enlightenment, to be enlightened, is something that is discovered. To find something that was always there. It is a feeling, a knowing, that is found again, rediscovered. Its feeling is so full, that it transforms you into all those great qualities that you mentioned.

It is GRACE, to touch It.
That is something to be grateful for.

Of course, that’s only my opinion.

Paula”
Author of: Guided to the Higher Realms: A Personal Journey of Ascension through Meditation

I think Paula’s addition in adding her perspective is brilliant! So, set your intention to allow yourself to rediscover the Joy and the Enlightenment which is within your soul. I know that this is easier said than done but it “is” the way. At some point this may lead you to drop your human, cultural striving. Then you may be able to sit in the “present moment,” accept what flows before you, and share your love without strings attached in service to all the Divine Spirit.

Connections

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Interacting with fellow pilgrims you meet on the road through this life is important for you and an act of service to the souls you connect with on your path. If you are most conscious, every soul you pass is there for a reason. Their soul is perfect even if you allow your mind/ego to have “buttons pushed” by something about this person. Perhaps the greater reaction you have, whether in Joy or in seeming annoyance, the greater the awareness you can follow into a lesson which is there for you to learn from or for you to be involved within to be of service.

Do NOT miss the opportunity to reach out and to connect.

Any interaction is an opportunity to test your new consciousness and to gain further perspective on what is possible. Any, and every, interaction may create the spreading waves of love in spirit which can wash across our Universe, and beyond. Your most positive energy, that of unconditional love, when shared in interaction, can assist in creating greater consciousness and greater Divine change.

Most every human requires connection to other people or organizations or the greater natural world. This “need” is for support and to expand perspective. We can “feed” off the energy of passion we find in connecting with another soul. We also benefit from being the witness to another person’s story as a service to them and as a consciousness raising tool in our act of witnessing. Learning to listen and to ask open ended questions is a most useful skill and demonstrates that we have expanded beyond the need for controlling conversation and a need to be the center of attention. And, this is a skill many of us could better demonstrate. Remember the times and interactions you have had where you feel like you were really “heard.” A conversation where you are NOT interrupted by someone else’s drama or need to control the conversation can seem like the support we craved in sharing our story. “No man is an island…” and the human incarnations are set up to help us “test” our new skills and to share our newly conscious wisdoms. Obviously, we can not do this without connecting with other pilgrims.

Many of us lack great social skills or the ability to offer clear communication. This then becomes a lesson in patience, acceptance, and empathy. Wow, there is so much to learn from practicing communication in the limited 3 dimensional human world. (Words, especially in English, are limited when sharing the feelings we experience which are so key to our spiritual development.) Working to perfect these skills is a major part of our spiritual development. Those often awkward interactions can be beneficial, so pay attention when you feel like walking away too easily, there may be an important lesson you can experience. And, there are times when walking away sooner rather than later is also a great and necessary skill. Setting limits and not getting caught in the circling eddy of non-productive rehashing of a “story” can be required to keep moving forward. If you have heard the same story over and over again from certain people, they are not completed with their drama or have found a useful technique to continue receiving attention but this may not be your ongoing lesson except for limit setting and to realize that not everyone can be talked out of their specific drama.

Guidance has reminded me that interacting with other souls is why we are in our human incarnations with the human limitations as our test. So, do not miss any opportunity to attempt connecting and be most conscious of what YOU can learn from your interactions. Less Judgement, more Empathy and Unconditional Loving Acceptance can be the goal to move toward… Boy, I have So Much to learn and my habit of impatience is my constant companion. Well, no one told me that this pilgrimage toward Enlightenment was going to be direct or easy…

Whether you know it or not, YOU are a Master of the life you are living. Sharing your wisdom from learned experience is a major reason you have come into this life. Interacting with other pilgrims is why you are here. And, you are so important as a witness to another soul’s sharing of their story. Both sides can learn from these shared experiences.

With all this said, remember, YOU are Perfect in who you are and the role that you fill. Yes, even with your seeming imperfections. In fact, YOU are a Blessing and a Miracle! Thank you for being YOU!

Whether you know this, or not, YOU are Loved and an important piece of the Divine Spirit!

Woke Up This Morning

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I got up and readied myself for the day. Today is a special day. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, June 20th, 2021. The beginning of Summer. The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (the beginning of the waning of the Light) and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere (the return of the Light.) In celebration of this special day, I headed down to the Bay, Bellingham Bay. A good sunrise service was considered but I missed sunrise by nearly 2 hours. Did I mention that this is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the sun comes up quite early in my day? So, I missed a good sunrise celebration of this amazing, in fact, miraculous day. But this did not stop me. So I prayed for our world, our planet, our amazing third rock from our sun. And, Guidance said, “there is no need to pray for the world, for it is perfect.” I prayed for humanity and for peace and for consciousness. And, Guidance said, “there is no need to pray for humanity for humanity is perfect. Consciousness takes care of itself. And, peace is so overrated.” I was beginning to get an idea that Guidance was messing with me. But, Guidance said, “live in Allowance. Find Acceptance. Know Equanimity. Be most fully Present. Be the Light of Unconditional Love. Everything is Perfect just the way it is.” I argued that our world and our humanity could be so much better. Guidance called that a Judgement. Guidance said the Wisdom and growth in Consciousness comes from human struggles and we would get too fat and lazy if the the World was too easy, safe, peaceful, and filled with Divine Wisdom manifesting in every human scenario. I did not argue. I did not fight with the reality of the never ending struggle of humanity to find true humanity. After all, we are only human and as humans, we are trapped in our three dimensional limitations.

So, Just Say Thank You! Thank you to the Blessing which is our lives and our struggles which are all, clearly, perfect and the way they are for a reason…???!!! Divine Reason!!!??? We are all here to learn from our human experience and to test the Divine Wisdom we are learning or the Wisdom we are remembering. We signed up for the “adventure travel” to this primitive human consciousness experience. In some ways, your human incarnation is like going back to a simpler more primitive time to re-discover your roots. To attempt “survival living” as a way to know the beauty and elegance, the refined Grace, of the higher realms. Like going away to Summer camp and hanging out with the dirt, and the campfires, and the mosquitos, and crappy camp food just so we could appreciate our families and “civilization” when our Summer camp ended and we got to go “back home….” We will remember the adventures through life and gain perspective from everything we stumble across along the way. We could just sit at home, in the dark, and choose not to participate but life would still come knocking even if we were lazy at our Summer Camp called human life.
AND
Yes, we all get to go back home with a human adventure to offer us perspective.

AND, if you do not like the way your human life is going, and think you could be more, You have a choice. Yes, You can be responsible for your life’s direction AND You can change it! You still have the Love of the Divine Spirit and all the lessons you came into this life to experience… so, love and appreciate the Miracle of Life. (It is perfect in its imperfections…)

BTW, I shared a draft of this blog with my friend and mentor, Paula Forget, author of the amazing book, “Guided to the Higher Realms: A Personal Journey of Ascension through Meditation.”
Her response was: “Loved it!

Charles (her mentor and meditation teacher) used to say that we are not here to save the world. We are here to have a relationship with God.

And I (Paula) add… ‘to have fun.’ That is the first thing they will ask you when you get to heaven, ‘Did you have fun’, in the words of Mickey (Michael) Singer (author of “The Untethered Soul” and “The Surrender Experiment”, business man, and amazing meditator.)”

Observing and Judging

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I am a bit confused today as I write. Recently, I was confronted regarding a habit I have and I got a little defensive. You see, there is a longstanding habit of being a keen observer of nature and behaviors and then considering what I observe. During considering, I appreciate, I learn, I question, and I “Judge.” So this blog is designed to “J.J.” or Justify Judging. Are you laughing or are you Judging? Well, both would be correct in this case.

As I admitted, I am an above average observer. Notice the Judgement. Most of the time, I can find most of my way into being “present” and noticing the surroundings and the behaviors in my surroundings. Sure, everybody “notices” and everybody misses things but I catch a lot in my observations. (A Judgement.) Since I am a “visual” person, I take in a lot of information and experience through viewing what goes on around me. As I process these images, I put them into context and look for anything unusual and out of the ordinary so I can “note” this and possibly figure out what is going on AND then maybe learn something new. As you can see, this is NOT unique to me or uncommon. BUT, and there is a But, I do not just accept what I discover, I analyze and then record my thoughts and feelings about this experience. Yes, I judge it…

Lets’ look at some examples. It is Spring, as I write. New growth is happening. Green leaves are blossoming. Beautiful flowers begin to bloom. My heart sings with this new growth and abundance of budding new life. Or, at the end of a Summer day, I look into the Western sky in late afternoon and I observe a glorious colorful sunset. Yellow, and orange, and pink as the sun begins to set behind the far Western horizon. Again, my heart sings with the Divine beauty created. Heck, I might even take out my smart phone and take pictures. I might even want to share this beautiful creation with other people so I post this sunset on social media. Now, J.J. kicks in… The green leaves are budding from a tree. Did I judge the tree? Yes. I decided that the leaves were green and the bark of the tree was shades of brown. It may be an agreed upon fact that the leaves are green and the bark is brown but am I OK in thinking this? Is this an observation or a JUDGEMENT? The beautiful blossoming flower was spectacular but unusual. Was it natural or an invasive species about to procreate in our natural world and negatively affect our native vegetation? And, the glorious colorful sunset was it colored by smoke or smog or other pollutions in our atmosphere or just a bit of dust? And, what am I supposed to do or think about these possibilities? Is it a “Fact” or a “Judgement?”

Likewise, if I am walking in a store or down the street and I observe an adult beating a dog or a child and I feel uncomfortable with what I see, what do I do? What do I do with my Judgement? Maybe the child or the dog like being beaten and the adult is just making them feel good. I have no idea what is really going on with these people or dogs. Perhaps if I had perfect equanimity and acceptance, I could view this incident without any judgement but I AM HUMAN and I can not view this scene without responding in some level of judgement.

My friend said that my long term habit of judging perhaps came from my past insecurities and that I should examine my past, get resolution, and move beyond my judgement. Personally, I take this as a Judgement but this comment is worth examining. When I was a very young child there were adults hovering around me to guide and to protect me. To teach me and to protect me, these adults said “NO” do not touch that fire (hot appliance) or electrical plug. They were right as in correct. Because, when I put the bobby pin in the electrical outlet the shock and my little legs straightening out sent me across the room. But, these adults sometimes judged my behaviors and later I had to compensate for my insecurities and some aspects of my self image which grew out my interactions with adults. As an observer, I learned that there were certain things to be aware of and certain people to be careful around. To this day, I do not like large crowds of drunk people. Is this an unnecessary judgement? Maybe…

My son is a keen observer. His son is a keen observer. I joyfully J.J. (Justify Judgement) by wondering whether they learned this from me or is it this just passed down in our DNA code. They watch and learn. They make decisions from what they observe. They learn stuff. But, there are levels of judgement which exist in our world that are based on fear, insecurity, anger, generational beliefs and lies which I can not accept or attempt to justify. This is a blindness of prejudice and closed thinking which I judge in other people as less than ideal. I draw the line in the sand regarding many judgements. Yes, I judge the judgements which seem to offer tolerance to racism, sexism, and religious or philosophical intolerance. Yes, I am intolerant of intolerance. Most of the time, I give people the “benefit of the doubt” when I first meet them unless they are engaged in abhorrent behaviors or activities. And, this bad habit proves that I am judgmental. I do not always wait for an explanation or excuse for intolerant behavior.

I labelled the witnessed behavior as bad or abhorrent. I did not remain in equanimity. I did not accept the behavior. So, I know I have a long way to go to move into full enlightenment. I am a human living in a human and imperfect incarnation, struggling with my challenges. But, more often than not, I take responsibility for my behaviors and my judgements. I am not a victim or unconscious about my role in what runs past my eyes as I observe the drama of life. AND, I am looking to lead with love and acceptance, though it is not always possible for me to carry this out… This is:… My challenge & My dilemma.

With all of this said regarding my relationship with being judgmental, I am still confused regarding where I am headed with my learnings from this human challenge. Will I someday be unemotional and accepting of all human behaviors and all relationship interactions or will I still discern whether actions witnessed feel right or wrong? Will I act upon my feelings? Will I be judged for my judging? And, will I care if I am judged or judge myself for being judgmental? (A lot of J’s in these past few sentences.) I will continue to be an observer and vigilantly watch the miracles of life unfold around me. No promises regarding my reactions to what I witness…

I am self-confident enough to know how bone headed I am. (And, that is another Judgement.)

Thank you for your time and consideration as a witness to my confusion.

Are You Conscious?

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Are you conscious regarding your soul’s full strength and capacities?

Can our Individualism which separates us from our fellow pilgrims be standing in our way as we attempt to move into Higher Consciousness? Oneness and connectedness are underlining principles of the Higher Realms. Our beyond human 3D existence, Higher Realm Souls, are in conflict with people identifying as “Rugged Individualists.” Our belief that we have “constitutional rights” to be guided by our individual beliefs, at the expense of the the Universal Spirit, run contrary to what I believe is Enlightenment. When we are taught (or adopt the attitude) that we have to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” (whatever that means) people assume that we are in life to get ahead without other people’s support for our own greedy expectations. Sure we have the “self-made men” (sexist concept) in our glorified history but should these selfish figures be our role-models?

Other figures like: Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha, and Nelson Mandala may be a few of the more commonly known and revered examples of leaderships with a closer connection to the Divine Spirit. It is my understanding, without having personal relationships with these people, that their model was selfless and above and beyond the “driven” business and political leaders we celebrate these days. Perhaps our culture and world has less well known, and not attention grabbing, leaders who are working to create consciousness at lesser levels in the modern world. And yes, we do have self-made men giving their wealth away to charitable causes like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and many celebrities. But, maybe too few of the greedy 1% wealthy (Self-Made Men) engage in giving as the role models we need as positive examples.

Until we can sincerely respect other souls and be prepared to support the Universal Divine’s theme of oneness and interconnection, we are trapped in our human dramas with its cultural need for separation. To “get ahead” as an individual at the expense of others is the epitome of human selfishness and the necessary lesson for higher consciousness we struggle with too commonly in our world.

This may sound like “sour grapes” thinking to wealth seeking individuals, however, the expression “wealth does not buy you happiness” has truth to it. I grew up in a wealthy Southern California community. Before I left town at the age of 19, my emotional perception was that the newly made wealth seekers were not happy. In fact, they were anxious and self-medicated (alcohol and drugs) to maintain their unhappiness and to deal with their paranoia/fear regarding losing their material possessions. At the time, and still true for me today, I did not fit in with these cultural beliefs and this shallow attempt to appear successful in life… Wealthy people can be happy and conscious but their driven need to pursue wealth and power does NOT translate into their happiness, Joy, or higher spiritual consciousness, easily.

Buying your way into heaven is a myth. Jumping to the head of the line does not get you into heaven easier or sooner. Cutting corners by buying people off does not earn you respect or truly loyal relationships. Cultures and societies which honor and allow corruption as a means of getting ahead are morally bankrupt and weaken their longevity. But, these are all my “Judgements” regarding corruption because I know that there are important lessons, if only what not to do, for the human dramas our Earthly existence thrives upon. In the telling of the story regarding Buddha, he started life as wealthy and privileged but renounced this life style to gain his consciousness through hardships and a devout life. In my understanding of this story, Buddha gave up on on the punishing rigors of devout spiritual life for a more normal meditation practice. He found happiness and life satisfaction in the “simple” life as a man who ferries people across a river. This finally lead him to his Enlightenment. Is this a myth to keep less fortunate people from rebelling against the 1%? Or, do the “trappings” of wealth and privilege distract the consciousness seeker from Divine Consciousness?
A great question… YOU need to seek the answer for yourself. It is your lesson.

For me, a more simple life has been helpful. Dealing with shallowness and envy has been a part of my challenge. Consciously chasing wealth and power has not been my path. And, humility has been a striving in my life… We are not as special as we want to think we are in our human lives. But, we are most uniquely special in our spirits. And, we are all in this together. We are here to support one another’s pilgrimage to Divine Consciousness. When will YOU realize that your greatest wealth is in your connection with the Divine and all other souls? When will you know or remember your true power in spirit? Consciousness includes learning that our flaws and insecurities are the challenges we are here to learn from and accept.

As you can assume from this blog, my personal pursuit is to better understand and control my “Judgements” especially of people I perceive as pursuing the passion of wealth hoarding and the gathering of material possessions. For me, caring about our fellow souls and protecting our miraculous planet hold more importance, and respect, than gathering material trappings of wealth. You may share this lesson or feel that your path is in conflict with mine. Hopefully, we will still find ways to love and support each other’s spiritual development.

YOU are so much more than your human existence. The perfection of your soul underlies the dramas and judgements we tend to engage… At the end of this incarnation, we will both be basking in the love and light of the Higher Realms…

I ask you to consider rebuking “Fear” as your motivation and consider Love and Acceptance as your foundational core for finding your motivation in your current incarnation. Yup, try it on! Along the way, release your self-victim status and honor the true power of your perfect soul and spirit! And, Wake Up to your true self and full consciousness beyond our human dramas and self-limitations.

You are a Miracle! You are Loved for who you are. No one can do YOU better than you and you serve a purpose as you travel the path toward higher consciousness…

We Are Here to Love!

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It is not easy! It is not complicated! We are here to love. To know love and to spread love. Our human lives pretend to honor the drama we create as the useful challenges we have to learn from. But, in the end, our learnings and our challenges are less complicated when seen from the perspective of the “Source.” We are here to serve each soul we bump into on our pilgrimage through this life and we are here to Love…

We want this to be more complicated and seemingly more important! Our egos want us to judge our deeds with relative values which are just constructed by our minds. We want to separate ourselves and to feel more important by comparing our “goodness” or our “successes” with the other people we meet. However, this judgement and separation is a challenge to release. At some point, we remember and then “Know,” that we are all in this together and are all heading in the same direction of being tested by our human dramas and then finding loving acceptance of all the souls in this Universe…

We are all being tested by the dramas we experience in our human existence. Isn’t it great! Difficult, depressing, painful, and challenging, BUT, Great! Our test to remember where we came from, The Divine, and where we will return, if we ever really “left” in the first place… Our goal as we grope toward an Enlightened state is to continue to connect with other pilgrims, know we are all in this together, and Love every spirit we encounter. That is “Enlightenment” and what we seek to carry forward in our human lives. We ARE the Divine, manifested into this human drama… (Not to belittle our struggles and our lives, but, perhaps we can step out of our dramas and imagine that we are looking at, viewing our lives as if we were watching a movie or a TV drama. The characters draw us in to their stories. If the acting is good, we are drawn in to the roles being played and the drama being played out. But, at the end of the movie we have new perspective but we return to our lives… It may serve us better to be slightly removed from the dramas we experience as humans so we can gain perspective without being to sucked in… But, this IS the lesson of our existence…) By “we return to our lives,” I refer to rejoining our spirit lives in the higher realms of the Divine.

AND, the “Love” being suggested is NOT human love with human conditional concerns. True Divine “Unconditional Love” seems to be beyond mental comprehension, and so beyond human definition. Even human love is really undefinable. Words do not do justice to the deepest concept of the emotions and understanding of love. “Divine Love” can not even be felt (well) or described by the human mind (and certainly words in English.) We “Know” Unconditional Love in our spirit and when dwelling in the Higher Realms. (In my personal experience, after returning from a spiritual “awakening” visit to the Higher Realms when visiting Death at the human age of 19 years old, I “remembered’ and felt Unconditional Love but could not clearly feel it when I returned to my human life. Though I “knew” it was available beyond the limitations of my human self. This was a life changing experience for me, which I was gifted.)

With all this said: Find Love. Share Love. Be Love… (You do not need to make excuses or make it more complicated… But, you will… Until, you do not need to…) And, Unconditional Love, Freedom, and Acceptance awaits You in the Higher Realms…

Paula Forget, my mentor and author of the book, “Guided to the Higher Realms,” contributes to this story:
“If I can add as a side, it is easy to Love when you see the Beauty of the Divine in others and in the whole world. It is there in its essence, even in the pain and difficulties, and in the joys and moments of awe.” (BTW: a recent rereading of Paula Forget’s book was the trigger and inspiration for this and many other of my blog postings…)

You are a Miracle! Thank you for being you.

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

Late Summer Sweetness

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It’s getting to be late summer in the Pacific Northwest. As the days are beginning to grow shorter it is also time to find the ripening berries. It is time to pick the ripened raspberries and blackberries. In my life, it is getting to be the late summer and fall of this incarnation for me. It is time to pick The ripened berries of my life. Their sweetness and my wisdom gained from all of my years is now time to share.

I do not look for the future with the optimism of youth. I look much more into the present moment rather than looking into the what is possible and what could be. Though I am aware of lessons learned from my past, I attempt to mitigate the anxiety from most past trauma in ways to see the present without the filters born from past difficult learnings. I find Gratitude for all the lessons… Past Joys and Sorrows can be equally Blessed.

These days with less judgment, I enjoy the sweetness of my life and of the world that surrounds me. It is a time to reflect on lessons learned, even with sour taste or the bitterness of certain life challenges. It is time to find the joy in working through the lessons that I have experienced and the things that I have accomplished. Not every ripe looking berry picked is sweet. The Joy which can be found in sour life experiences can find sweetness as shared wisdom.

There are times when I have to put my head down and walk into the breeze which my day presents. It is refreshing and yet requires extra effort to weather any storm or any headwind that I may encounter. It is also time for me to share value from my lessons in a way that may save some of the time and energy for the witnesses of these conversations. In sharing, I am acting in service from the perspective of my current incarnation. As a possible guide or beacon, my learnings may light the way and offer perspective to those souls I am lucky enough to connect with.

Without the metaphors, this past Wednesday, August 19th, I celebrated what would have been my 36th wedding anniversary. My bride passed into her next life over 8 years ago but the sweetness and the joy of our lives together still vibrates within me. The difficult lessons We learned, I learned, are ever present and awaiting any appropriate chance to share, with gratitude, my memories and learnings. That is what life masters attempt to offer when appropriate. I no longer need to force my grief on others. I can share when the time is correct for a soul whose life buzzes close to what I encountered. The richness of learning from difficulties can be of service and give me a sense of value… (In sharing I also find perspective and value in my “old” story.)

It is not that I do not care about the future. The future of the world. The future of my children and family. It is that I am not as attached to the outcomes. I am not living with the expectations that the world is going to be easier or better. My lessons have taught me that the struggles have been the most valuable thing in my learning. And it is time to acknowledge that everyone must work through their difficulties as these are the lessons that they have come to learn from in this life.

It has come time to acknowledge that if I were to die today, I would have no regrets. I have found a level of acceptance of myself and of the accomplishments that I have made which allow me to find peace. One of the goals in life is to learn about oneself. To develop deep self knowledge. And to find a way of accepting even the flaws I may find as tools for mastering or changing my life and then living in the most positive ways.

Living your life is a miracle. It is a treasure. But to be too attached or anxious about your life seems to me to be an unwise use of time and energy. Self-love and self acceptance seem so important to me as I near the end of my seventh decade. There are adventures and appreciations in life yet to be AND I honor all that has been presented to me along my way…

You are a Miracle! Thank you for being you.

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

Self-Acceptance

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Self-Confidence & Self-Acceptance

Many of us struggle with confidence and self-acceptance. This may be born from our early learnings in this life or possibly as an inherited trait from our family. Our culture tends to control our behaviors as we grow by magnifying our “flaws” which are judged by our supervising adults and competitive, and insecure, peers. We begin to strive to “fit in” even if this is the antithesis of our individual natures. We can lose ourselves. We can begin to advance our feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. We often feel that we do not fit in and so reduce our levels of self-acceptance.

What we may have to learn or remember is that we are perfect even with our imperfections. Re-learning to love ourselves and to accept ourselves even with our flaws is one of the great learnings of our lives. We have to love ourselves and accept ourselves if we wish to make the changes that we may feel would be appropriate. (If we want to improve our “flaws” we must first embrace these and then experiment with alternative behaviors to change these parts of our human incarnation.) To learn our lessons in this life, we are tested or challenged by our weaknesses or imperfections and we then have the free choice to choose to do things (our lives) differently. We test out new or “better” behaviors. Dealing with our insecurities is one of the lessons that we have.

As a general perspective, if we can’t love ourselves it is very difficult for us to love others and to be most fully present in our lives and to live in service. It seems that one of our goals is to live the dramas and have the struggles of our body’s imperfections in our own mortal lives. We learn our lessons through this struggle as we move through these dramas and hopefully find that Joy is the great beauty in our struggles with our imperfections. (Yes, maybe even learn to laugh at ourselves and our foibles.)

As we said in the most recent blog, we’ve created mountains between us and other people. We have also created a mountain between ourselves and the acceptance and self-love of ourselves. Do you realize that you are a miracle and that you as a soul are a unique fingerprint? You are unique like a snowflake. You are a perfect and necessary part of the Divine and the Universe cannot exist without the wisdom and energy of your soul and spirit. It is with your uniqueness, as a miracle, that you must find the acceptance and then the self-love of who you are, where you’re going, and your purpose. You are a blessing.

Other people may judge you as less than who you really are. That is their drama. That is their lesson and you have to respond to that by knowing that you are much more perfect than they might know or imagine. Other people’s judgment and expectations are not under your control. You can not argue with them. This is a test for you to hold true to who you are and know the strength of your self-love and acceptance. Be the role model of self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Show your confidence and strength in your strong posture of self-acceptance!

Your self-confidence and self-acceptance are born out of self-knowledge. Know your strengths and weaknesses and accept both. Do not use personal flaws as an excuse. Find a way to accept and change any identified flaws if you feel this is a necessary goal in this life.

You are a Miracle! Thank you for being you.

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

What Happened to You?

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“What happened to YOU?” (Looking at someone’s “unusual behavior” or their “look.”) Yes, that is the question I could be asking instead of leaping into a negative judgement if you are not doing something the way “I” would be doing it. Perhaps I can work on a Total Acceptance with NO Judgement when I do not understand or feel like I agree with someone who cross my field of vision. But, total acceptance takes a special quality that I do not fully possess. So, it feels better to ask an unanswerable question. What happened to you which makes you act or respond the way that you do?

We are all different and have had different influences in our lives. We each came to our current incarnation with special lessons to learn and special lessons to teach… Why we act as we do may be related to our ancestors, or our DNA, or our unique childhood, or something in the environment we grew up within. What can be difficult for our minds to understand is that even with our flaws and imperfections, each one of us is perfect. We are all unique. We are here, in this life, to learn and to grow as we bump into the people and the challenges which we bump into. If someone “pushes your buttons” and “triggers” you, you can get judgmental or you can an ask what happen to them AND what is YOUR lesson for bumping into these seemingly annoying souls. They could be angels and we might not notice because we have been “triggered.”

It is great to attempt to understand why they did what they did. It may be more important and more within our control to attempt to better understand why I was “triggered” and not accepting, neutral, nonjudgmental, and totally in forgiveness. Forgiveness, yes, forgiveness with no need to go back and change the behavior which set me off. I am not saying “turn the other cheek,” I am saying that this judgement may have been triggered by taking MY life TOO seriously. Considering myself to be at the center of the Universe, in a sense. My Insecurity and lack of self love and self-acceptance, has created a sensitivity within me that wants, or needs, to Judge others to feel more in control and to delude myself into thinking that I am “better” than them. Not their equal. Which does not allow me to realize that I am God. I am perfect. I am a miracle. I am JUST like every other soul I bump into. I am unique but I am not “better” than they are. We are all perfect and here to trigger the lessons we need to teach each other until we are conscious enough to know that we are all connected and in this life struggle for higher consciousness, together.

Besides, when I ask what happened to you, I can ask what happened to ME to respond as I do and where is this lesson is supposed to take ME… But, asking “what happen to you?” is more conscious than responding with negative judgment.

In case you need reminding, or you do not remember, yet, YOU are a blessing! You are are perfect! No one could do YOU better than you and you have a unique role in the fabric of the Divine Spirit!

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