Rediscover who you are

You may not realize it, but your views on consciousness are shaped by everything that contributes to your beliefs. This includes the community in which you live, the people you know and have known, as well as your perception of whatever happens around you. How aware are you of your true self?

As you reflect, you may interpret your dreams based on how people react and judge. For example, Western cultures promote and value physical objects. This means, in some settings, productivity is measured by output other people can see and use. Some people believe if you have nothing to show for what you do, or if you aren’t like them, then, you must be lazy, or not contributing or working in meaningful ways. If you sense people are judging your choices, you also judge yourself.

In other cultures, the value you offer as a human being is not necessarily quantifiable. In this view, your identity and self-worth aren’t measured based on what you do, incomes you generate or how similar your choices resemble those of other people. In this view, you can daydream, meditate, explore creative abilities and work on your inner self in ways that promote self-growth. Such initiatives are respected for the effort. Activities aren’t judged as good or bad based on what is visible or accessible to other people. Passive, intuitive gestures can be valued for what they are.

What if you became aware that your choices emerge out of fear-based beliefs? What if you began to realize that what you do may relate to your fear of rejection, guilt that someone may not approve or, fear you may not “fit in?” What if you tolerate the life you lead for reasons other than your own?

As you look back, you may have been conditioned to behave as you do because people around you did. For instance, to be aggressive, competitive, obscene or confrontational may have ‘worked’ for other people. They may measure self-worth in terms of power, certain results and qualities that reinforce their beliefs about what is valuable. So, why would similar behaviour not work for you?

No matter who you are, you can always learn meaningful things about yourself from other people. If you behave as you do simply because people do, then you have not yet exerted efforts to get-to-know yourself. Is that because of a lack of courage? Only by following your own journey can you discover “what fits” for you. This can be described as those things that enable you to feel good.

Now, you may arrive at a point where you’re unsure what it means to feel ‘good’ separate from what other people tell you should feel good. Each revelation you experience is a milestone worth celebrating. To become aware that even some of your choices aren’t your own is another step toward discovering who you are.

Dream your way to infinite gateways

What would you say if you realized training yourself to recall night dreams strengthens your conscious memory?  What if you discovered that the more control you develop over your astral body, the more control you would sense over the dream of your waking life? 

Its all about discipline and learning to control your attention.  Your energy (astral) body is always with you.  It leaves and returns to your physical body at will, day or night, but remains attached by an invisible, etheral cord.  This energy body survives the death of the physical body and it senses experiences the physical body doesn't, even now.

You may ask, 'how does the astral body know what to do?' It exists and functions without your knowledge until you are ready and willing to learn.  Its astonishing to discover you can do things you have consciously conditioned yourself to believe you can't.  Its unnecessary to grasp the how you do everything.  You discern what you need as you go.

Gateways are like energetic challenges you must face in the astral dimensions in order to progress.  Some human beings make an analogy with levels of complexity of electronic video games.  You acquire tools you need to reach each gate and pass through when ready.  The number of gates you will encounter is less relevant that the mental process you develop to build personal power. You always have choices. Which ones will you take?

Reclaim your personal power

Your sense of personal power hinges on your self-worth and whether you believe your life is at the mercy of others. Your personal power is also affected by fear-based beliefs, how you view yourself, and whether you permit emotion and drama to control you.

To reclaim your personal power, its helpful to review and reframe life experiences. If you are truly honest, you will admit occasions where your reactions stem from pride, personal importance or, your refusal to take responsibility for your actions. Denial drains power.

Your self-awareness grows as you evolve to stop explaining, rationalizing, defending or justifying situations and choices. Such thought processes drain your energy. As you move to the mental place where you no longer compare and judge, you stop viewing opposites. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, prove you're right or wrong, or feel superior or inferior.  New priorities transcend all that.  You move to become more objective. 

And so, why detach? This isn't a way to become aloof or disconnected. Its a process of choosing to no longer permit ego to control your thoughts and perspective. As you learn to step outside your typical thought processes, you strengthen a sense of connection with everything. You gain deeper insight into yourself, dreams and you open your heart.

To be free of attachment means you sense you can deflect words and actions of other people. You begin to sense a mindset that drives them, and recognize it differs from your own. You move beyond conditions, limits, boundaries and self-doubt. You choose with what or whom to connect. You move beyond conditioned interpretations of the mind. Expectations need not drain your personal power. Take it back, whenever you're ready.

Interpret tough experience as an exercise in compassion

You may already be thinking, "that's all well and good, but to find the positive isn't always a piece of cake."  Do you really listen to yourself? When will you focus on who you are?

Its common to encounter people who seem negative, undiplomatic, critical or even downright nasty.  Your impulse may be anger and a desire to retaliate, to show them some of their own medicine.  Other options exist. What about showing some compassion?

How easy it seems to forget reasons explain why people are as they are.  Once a thief, always a thief?  Not necessarily.  Recall the story of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo? As a child, he stole bread to eat and was sent to prison. When he got out, people wouldn't hire him as he had a record.  So, he stole again.  It was all he knew to survive.  When a clergyman forgave him and generously gave him the silver he had stolen, this man encouraged Valjean to use it to become honest.  He did and it changed his life.

No doubt you think of people you know who have been very judgmental of your life or behavior.  They may disagree with your views on what is moral, legal, appropriate, justfiable or fair.  Maybe you are also very critical of yourself. How often do you chastise your own choices or results? Do you ever hear yourself echo sarcastically, "I told you so?"

You might ask yourself the purpose of passing encounters with difficult people.  How do they serve you?  What if they invite you to gain new insight into your own reasons for sensitivity or defensiveness?  What if they are a valuable tool to expand your self-awareness and open yourself to new ways of expressing and experiencing love?

Next time your reflex is to show someone 'the cold shoulder' or, avoid them as their behavior repulses or annoys you, reframe opportunity.  Rethink what makes you who you are.  You react as you do for hidden reasons.  How well do you truly know yourself? 

It may be easy enough to avoid people who 'press your buttons.'  You may have alternative places you could go rather than face repeated forms of discomfort. Yet, learning to interpret a tough experience as an exercise in positive thinking and compassion teaches you more than you realize.  Why not discern situations as teachers?

Some people have never been shown love or compassion or, don't have any memory of what this means.  Imagine the feeling of how your life would change if you knew different.  To express love and compassion to other people, to remind them of the power in positive thinking, you must start by reminding yourself its the core of who you are.

10 Tips to clarify your future

People often seek clarity about their future.  You don't need a fortune teller.  Who you are is not who you seem to be.  Clarity requires heightening your awareness and opening your senses to what you've always known but consciously deny.  Why is that?

You sense more about your future than you have been willing to admit.  To seek greater certainty is like a journey to unveil hidden confidence.  As you move beyond your patterns and routines, you will uncover bursts of energy. Consider these ten tips;

1) Lose your expectations.

2) Accept destiny is unalterable.

3) Learn the value of detachment.

4) Develop versatility and improvise.

5) Be content as an astute observer.

6) Use time wisely.

7) Dissolve your self-importance.

8) Take responsibility for your thoughts, words and action.

9) Channel energy with intent.

10) Grasping clarity will escape you so long as your beliefs are mistaken for reality.