What you believe is not what you assume

Ram Dass said, "If you think you are so enlightened, go and spend a week with your parents."  Who do you know who recognizes the influence of this relationship on their dreams? To learn what it means to just be yourself is a journey you must take alone.  Reorient your focus with these questions;

1) What you believe is not always the truth.

2) Who defines your functions may not know you.

3) Which perspectives you adopt may be limited.

4) When do you learn what it means to simply be yourself?

Overflow with new ideas

As a person evolves to discover a lack of perceptible fulfillment despite his achievements, that person realizes his quest is redirected.  Seeking something is not the same as finding it, relishing and sustaining it.  To begin to sense something within is out-of-balance is a step to re-aligning.

1) Think less and feel more.

2) Refine and sharpen your senses.

3) Learn to be fully attentive to every moment.

It is widely believed that you must become rich to be happy.  The kind of wealth that people generally seek is not the kind that serves them. How expensive or simple your desires affects everything. What are the treasures you already have?

One belief is that the secret to happiness does not depend on having more.  Rather, it grows from nurturing unconditional love and self-acceptance, and the capacity to enjoy less. 

As you evolve, you are aware the mind creates fewer illusions to defend. You attune to your physical body to keep grounded in present moments. The mind lures you away from the now. Whenever you wish to grab your own attention with urgency, just scare yourself. The gesture jolts you back to here and now.

5 Ways to begin to conquer the mind

Many people do not realize it would be in their interest to let go of certain perceptions and beliefs.   Individuals concerned with self-image are not serious about self-awareness. They do not exert effort to get rid of the distracting noise in their mind.

When you are not ready to register or see the truth, you would still benefit from hearing about it. The process of learning you identify with your mind is a way to start working through it.  Peel away the layers of your thoughts and you will find more illusion and deeper layers until you finally transcend them all.

As you move through each phase of your life experience, you describe thoughts and sensations with words.  This silently reinforces misunderstandings.  If you choose, you are invited to explore five ways to begin to conquer the mind;

1) how do you resist what you view as abnormal situations?

2) why do you believe you have no insight into their cause?

3) when will you learn the meaning of attention?

4) what is required for you to meditate and master all action?

5) where will you be when you stop deluding yourself? 

Energize your spirit

An ancient saying goes, "We have no friends; we have no enemies; we only have teachers."

He placed a screwdriver in my outstretched hand. "My name doesn't matter; neither does yours.  What is important is what lies beyond names and beyond questions.  Now, you will need this screwdriver to take apart the carburetor," he pointed.

"Nothing lies beyond questions," I retorted.  "Like how did you fly on that rooftop?"

"I didn't fly--I jumped," was his poker-faced reply.  It's not magic, so don't get your hopes up.  In your case, however, I may have to perform some very difficult magic.  It looks as if I'm going to have to transform a jackass into a human being."

"Who the hell do you think you are, anyway, to be saying these things to me?"

"I am a warrior!" he snapped.  "Beyond that, who I am depends on who you want me to be."

"Can't you just answer a straight question?" I attacked the carburetor with a vengeance.

"Ask me one and I'll try," he said, smiling innocently.  The screwdriver slipped and I skinned my finger. "Damn!" I yelled, going to the sink to wash the cut. Socrates handed me a Band-Aid.

"All right then.  Here is a straight question."  I determined to keep my voice patient.  "How can you be useful to me?"

"I have already been useful to you," he replied. pointing to the bandage in my finger.

That did it.  "Look, I can't waste my time here any longer.  I need to get some sleep."  I put the carburetor down and got ready to leave.

"How do you know you haven't been asleep your whole life?  How do you know you're not asleep right now?" he intoned,  a twinkle in his eye.

"Whatever you say."  I was too tired to argue anymore."

Excerpt taken from Dan Millman's Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives

Value the silent assistants

As you go about your daily tasks, the ego mind harnesses your attention to focus you on the doing. The process and details escape you. This is a level of selective awareness. For example, you move a finger but cannot explain how the process is actually done. You flick the switch to turn on electricity without knowing how it works. The what matters more than the how.

As you perceive disruptions in your life, notice you get irritated, compare or judge, you are gaining insight into how the ego renews itself. When you do not love what happens, you create distortions in your energy vibration. To relate to mind and emotions creates dense energy and activates unconsciousness. Even so, a silent assistant knows what you resist.

Life experience offers you ways to recognize levels of awareness and resistance to intuition. A silent assitant guides you to access inner wisdom and invites you to trust your own authority. begin to sense how it feels to get out of your own way and see who you truly are.

Ask, "who am I?" Begin to dislodge firmly ingrained ideas that block a clearer view. The process of exploring reasons why you go against your nature actually invites you to detach from what does not serve you. Learn to consciously let go of the ideas and emotions you adopt to create the illusion of unhappiness.

Some people do not require intense suffering to discern they are not being true to themselves. They may have eureka moments or, simply evolve to attune to the state of being present. These individuals learn to dissolve resistance by breaking through the bricks and mortar that support it. They relate differently to silent assistants, and know stillness.

Every person can choose to value the silent assistants in their lives, those things that trigger awareness. Your beliefs prompt you to label them and determine whether you trust. Notice when you permit yourself to slide into undesirable patterns. 

As you refer questions to the silent, loving voice within, you always get answers that reveal what is vital to your true being.  Call it a guardian angel, higher consciousness or nothing.  Appreciate yourself.  Be kind to yourself.  You are your own best friend, here and now.