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Archive for the ‘Self’ Category

Power

Posted in Being, Self, tagged , , on June 9, 2011| 4 Comments »

Power. I used to wince at this word when I came across it in spiritual books. It felt like the opposite of what I was seeking, conjuring up images of domination and greed. But the empowerment of the spiritual world is a gentle, benevolent mastery we have always had. It is our eternal, creative power that is an essential part of the universe.

So many of us have never been told that we are powerful. We have been taught the opposite instead. We have been told that we are limited and in need of being controlled by a higher authority – even by God. But, we are each a very special and direct aspect of God. And I feel that we’re all going to be rediscovering our spiritual power.

We have a gentle and omniscient power from within that is compassionate, wise, and free. It is loving beyond the imagination, and has a strong desire to help others. This is who we really are at the spiritual core. Enlightenment is rediscovering this natural power, and when we remember it (for that is what it is, a remembering) we can take responsibility and transform the human experience.

These changing times that we are living in are all about becoming self sustaining. They are about becoming stronger instead of relying on others for what they will never be able to provide – such as inner happiness. This is why the spiritual journey is, in essence, a discovery of the self. That is why it is about finding your own power that has always been within you.

Right now, we humans are slowly waking up from a deep sleep of conditioned beliefs. We are realizing that we’re not unworthy and hopelessly flawed, but just the opposite. We are realizing that we’ve been purposefully dumbed down. It begins early in life, when people tell us – “You don’t know anything, you have to prove yourself (with your ego) in this world, and look at all that you’ve done wrong.” We carry this background noise of judgment into adulthood. The old systems around us reinforce this, as does our modern disconnect from nature.

The unhealthy power that our egos strive for was born out of survival and spiritual forgetfulness, and this has harmed our world, but it has never been our true identity. Now, we can begin to reclaim our spiritual power by no longer defining ourselves with limitation. If you don’t already know it, dear friend, you are limitless. You are an incredible, direct spark of God, and you have immense power to lovingly co-create life.

Recently, I felt my power, and here’s what I experienced. I felt a pure feeling rather than a vision – a deep and natural all-knowing within my whole self, not my left brain. The familiar confining layers of life opened up, and suddenly I knew the wide expanse of existence. And all that I knew was incredible joy.

This feeling was so benevolent, easy, and euphoric. It filled me with the belief that anything is possible. I realized that I’m not separate from anything, and at the same time, I laughed at how overwhelmingly free I really am. I knew with certainty that I am a compassionate co-creator at heart, just as you are too. This feeling lingers with me, and I will never be the same.

I believe that this feeling is who we really are. We don’t have to live under the control of others and be at their mercy, or go along with agendas that harm our world. We can powerfully lead the creation of a loving environment, and it starts with accepting that we are each worthy of fulfilling our dreams – the earnest yearnings within our hearts. We are spiritually powerful, but have simply forgotten amidst the amnesia of life. For what you seek has always been within you on this long journey home.

I think power is such a vital topic that I’ll be writing more about it next time. And, if you’re searching for your power, I’ll be offering some ideas on how to find it. Please share your wise voice with me, and stay tuned.

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Higher Purpose

Posted in Purpose, Self, tagged , , on May 30, 2011| 4 Comments »

Each of us has a grand purpose for our lives. This purpose harnesses our unique talents while also serving humanity. You have such a calling. You see, there is a primary reason why you are here that heightens all of our experience, and it is called your Higher Purpose.

Your Higher Purpose feels joyful and free of struggle. It is in tune with your beautiful soul. Your Higher Purpose is naturally fulfilling and what you wish to spend most of your time working on. It is your passion and what you were born to do.

When you find your Higher Purpose, you thrive in your talents that help others. You lose yourself in total creativity, and your purpose appears obvious to everyone.

But what if you’re still searching to find your Higher Purpose? How do you identify it?

Look within yourself instead of the outside world. Stop and listen to what your heart tells you, and spend some time studying who you really are. Recognize what is meaningful to you alone – what makes you feel fully alive and fulfilled. Follow your spiritual path, and even ask for it to safely accelerate.

Your Higher Purpose is often something you are naturally gifted at, that you loved to do in some form as a child. You can pinpoint it by asking, “What can I create with my favorite talents? How can I enrich both myself and those around me? How do I really want to help our world?” As many have asked, what would you work at purely for the joy of it, if making a living were not an issue?

Once you fully own your purpose, the universe makes it possible on all levels. But it’s easy to block yourself from Higher Purpose by worrying over practical details. Practicality has its place, but it can squash creativity. Be bolder and braver than that. Be the courageous leader you really are at heart.

If you simply have the desire to recognize your purpose and you pay attention, it will make itself known. In fact, at some level you already know what your Higher Purpose is. Sometimes, it is so simple and obvious that you might over-think it. You might assume that it has to be overly grand.

Most likely, your Higher Purpose is already in your life in some way. You have probably done more with it than you realize and over many lifetimes. Your purpose might also have more than one expression.

It’s important to look at what might be keeping you from living your Higher Purpose. What if you were to let those things go – the things that are preventing you from living in true fulfillment? Is anything more important than this?

Sometimes, we need to become rebels in order to live out Higher Purpose. We need to rebel against society and what’s expected of us in order to embrace our passion. Ultimately, this elevates many lives around us in meaningful ways.

So try to drop what feels unimportant to you. Drop any obligations or distractions, because we need you in bigger ways. And remember that it is never too late. Even if we only spend the very last bit of our lives in Higher Purpose, that time illuminates all that came before.

My favorite example of fulfilling Higher Purpose is the life of the naturalist John Muir. He was born with an incredible passion for nature and began expressing this love to others through his writing. His journals made people notice the beauty that they often overlooked, and this brought these people fulfillment in return. Muir went on to protect the very nature he loved, founding the Sierra Club and helping to create America’s National Parks. To this day, America’s unspoiled natural beauty reconnects us with the grandeur of nature, and Muir’s writing continues to inspire this curious soul herself, over a century later. That is Higher Purpose, but again, it doesn’t have to be so grand.

To paraphrase Orin and Sanaya Roman, our Higher Purpose is our spiritual evolution. It is our creative process that we grow through. And it has nothing to do with fame or ego pursuits. In fact, our purpose comes naturally when we put these things aside and decide to help others.

As I was working on this post, I heard Oprah sum it up perfectly in her final show: “Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and to get about the business of doing it.” She goes on to say, “Know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.” I am envisioning an earth where we encourage and support each other to do this.

I passionately believe that you can change our world, and you are meant to do so joyfully, through your own incredibly special Higher Purpose.

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Gut

Posted in Self, tagged , , on April 10, 2011| 4 Comments »

I believe that our most basic intuition is our gut, and I think it holds invaluable wisdom. I am trying to listen to my gut more often by being aware of how situations, people and places make me feel. When I start to feel uneasy, negative, or defensive, I know that something is unhealthy. This signals me to stop giving my energy here. I then refocus on the things that make me feel joyful, positive, and valued.

I love that we all have this built in barometer to navigate our way through life. And I also love that it’s based on feeling and being, rather than thinking in words. The gut warns us to avoid negative energy, or reminds us that we’re not on the right track and to change direction. We can listen to these warnings without judging the negativity that we sense, but instead simply identify it and become aware.

Feeling uneasy means that we don’t feel free, and that we need to detach from negativity, whether we’re holding on to it or whether it’s simply in the room. Ultimately, we are the ones who trap ourselves through attachment, and we have the power to set ourselves free.

For me, if uneasy feelings linger, I try to be completely honest with myself about why. If a person or situation is devaluing me, I need to walk away, but if I’m hooked into my own stubborn emotions, I look for my hidden shadow. I try to find what I’m attached to, whether it’s an outcome I’m expecting, or another’s opinion, or a goal for my ego. This attachment is not healthy, and it’s important that I not make excuses for it. Excuses trap us, whereas honesty frees us.

For example, I have found that when I share with a friend why I really, deep down don’t want to do something, instead of giving the answer that might make me look good, then we both experience an opening of the heart. Understanding blooms on both sides. And if I find myself focusing on negativity, I work on letting it go in myself, and this often involves forgiveness, compassion and love.

Severing negative attachment can be challenging and can take time, but ultimately it brings a feeling of liberation that is transformative. The most healing way that I’ve found to resolve my attachment is to share truthfully from the heart – to express fully what I am feeling and to see it from a new compassionate perspective.

Looking back on life, I see that the warnings are always there. If we heed them at the first sign, we can save ourselves and others a lot of suffering. You can check in with yourself regularly, and simply ask – how is this making me feel? Don’t give your beautiful energy to anyone or anything that makes you feel less than you are. Don’t harbor those who operate against you. Seek out healthy places, people and situations that support you in extremely positive ways. You deserve to feel harmonious and valued as you’re meant to. You deserve to be free, joyous and light, always.

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Self

Posted in Self on March 12, 2011| 3 Comments »

This post is on the often overlooked importance of self-love. Of course, focusing on the self can appear selfish, but it is the key to spiritual growth.

You see, we originally come from the same incredibly loving place, where we are united as one blissful energy. Because of this inherent unity, when we value the self, we are valuing others. If we can be more accepting, compassionate and kind to ourselves, then we know how to be this way to each other.

Going through the self is the way to truth. Every issue we have is here. Self-awareness prevents unnecessary fears that blame other people for our problems. It also helps us to have a caring awareness of those around us. When we nurture ourselves, we see this healthiness reflected in our relationships.

Orin and Sanaya Roman write, “What is loving to the self is always loving to others. Transformation of the planet begins with transformation of the self.” If we start on the inside, we can change the world.

Here is an exercise by teacher Maureen St. Germain that fortifies the self. It generates more love from within.

1. Start by writing down the loving statements that you’ve heard people say about you in your life. Take a little time to remember and list them, starting with your closest family, then present and past friends.

2. Next, call your cell phone and record these words with great tenderness and feeling, beginning with “I love you.”

3. Listen to this voice message twice a day for 45 days, re-recording your message as you remember more and can add more feeling. I have found that you can also record a message purely in your own words to yourself, when self-compassion is evident, to listen to as needed.

I know that it sounds so narcissistic, but this exercise helps to create a solid foundation of love from which to live. It makes us centered and whole, and able to contribute our strongest gifts to the world – what every person deserves.

When I began this exercise, I immediately realized “I just have to love myself better. It has nothing to do with anybody else.” I felt my heart open. When we open our hearts to loving ourselves one hundred percent, we can support and forgive ourselves, which is at the root of all healing. And, when our hearts are opened, we can fully love others. It then becomes obvious that self-love is essential. When everyone sees how special they are, and we can throw our outdated egos out and live harmonious lives.

Another way to strengthen self-love is to create a positive, supportive inner dialogue, to replace the one that judges our unique qualities. We often reject ourselves for not measuring up to human definitions, but we need to accept ourselves exactly as we are, and to recognize the divine perfection that we embody. One way to help with this is to look with compassion at the baby picture we have of ourselves and our loved ones. To me, this illustrates that we are all on this challenging adventure that began with very brave hearts. I believe that we agreed to play roles for each other, in order to help each other to grow. I wish to express to each of you how special, beautiful and brave you are to be here.

*Check out Dr. Kristin Neff’s inspiring web site on self-compassion, http://www.self-compassion.org/

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Higher Self

Posted in Self on February 5, 2011| 1 Comment »

I’ve been told that the most important thing a person can do is to get in touch with their Higher Self. What exactly is a Higher Self? I’ve come to know it as our personal, direct connection to the universe and who we each really are.

Your Higher Self is your very soul – your infinitely eternal and original self that was created directly from God. As I understand it, part of the Self splintered off to experience different dimensions in order to grow. We each actually exist in this way at many levels of awareness and consciousness, transcending our concept of time (whoa!)

Our Higher Selves operate from a place of unity, while we, on this particular level, experience separateness and polarity. Because it’s so difficult to have a direct connection with God while we’re in this dense environment, your Higher Self acts as a mediator and watches over you, and loves you unconditionally.

We also have a Lower Self that is the child within, reacting to our desires. When we tap into our intuition, we must recognize the difference between the two, something easily done because the Higher Self feels “higher” and enlightened.

I believe that the form of guidance we want to seek above all others is from our Higher Self. This is how enlightenment begins.

So, how do we connect with our Higher Self? First, we need to ask. Because we are given Free Will, our Higher Self cannot answer directly until we call. One can begin with a simple exercise:

Take 10 even and deep breaths, and then state out loud, “I ask to establish clear and aligned communication with my Higher Self. ” Include a statement of gratitude. Continue asking until you feel you’ve expressed yourself from your heart and been heard.

When I did this exercise, life opened up for me and became more joyful. I felt connected to my soul like never before.

From here, you can practice listening to your Higher Self by following the detailed methods of a good spiritual teacher. These methods teach us how to get into a completely relaxed state so that we create an inner dialogue with our Higher Self. Then, we can ask for guidance.

I’ve started using the book “Spiritual Growth, Being your Higher Self” by Orin and Sanaya Roman, and have already been given wise, invaluable advice from my Higher Self (it’s amazing!) I can describe it as being flooded with the highest wisdom that speaks so personally and feels incredibly loving and encouraging. Our Higher Selves champion unconditional love and tell us to take the high road always.

Establishing clear communication with our Higher Self allows us to flourish in life. Sanaya Roman writes: “Spiritual growth is the process of becoming your Higher Self. As you open to the higher dimensions of yourself, you will be able to lift the veils of illusion…and express truth and love in all you say. Your mind will be illuminated and your emotions will be harmonious. You will experience friendly smiles, love and peace wherever you go.”

The Higher Self helps to illustrate that we are each a direct aspect of God, and are so incredibly powerful, wise, and eternal. Looking at the people in our life this way can help us to feel the elation of connection. And we see that we are all indeed divine at heart.

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