What does success feel like?

The external world invites us to adopt different visions of success and fulfillment.  Ever notice what drives or motivates you at different stages and seasons of your life? You might respond by describing a particular object you dream of, an envisioned experience, a set of conditions or outcome. But does success always have to be out of reach? What is the deeper message?

Consider the analogy of a young person who just gets a driver's license.  This person is eager and often has a heavy foot, as if always speeding to get somewhere.  You may encounter drivers who appear impatient, are always looking ahead, but never at you, never here, in this moment.  You may begin to see this as a mirror of yourself.  Why chase after success in the future?

Observe what happens as you notice the slower drivers that are no longer in a rush. What happens to stress, anxiety and intense emotions? What are you willing to notice and outgrow? How do you view slower driving behaviour in light of your sense of success? Does speed matter?

Notice what happens as you accept yourself fully. Any pursuit loses significance.  Notice how it feels to savour every moment, and to be aware of why you view success in different ways. Watch the impact of a simple shift of attention. Thoughts and emotions point to what mind does not want you to see. Recognize what you fear/ cling to, what you run from and who you truly are.

"You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity." -Thomas Wolfe

What does it take to transform?

Every moment of your life is what you make of it.  The ego mind tells you to decide what to love, whom to love, when to love, under which conditions to love, how to love and what this really encompasses. The mind also says love transforms your life.  To begin with, you might say love and fear shape everything and nothing ...Yet why speak?

Take this opportunity to reflect on the books, people, choices and circumstances that invite you to step back and see the world from a new vantage point.  Notice what stands out.  Does anything in particular capture your attention at this moment and transform your life? What story or revelation would you like to share? Go on!

"I'm saying look, here they come, pay attention. Let your eyes transform what appears ordinary, commonplace, into what it is, a moment in time, an observed fragment of eternity. " - Philip Levine

Tap into inner wisdom

Regardless of your current situation or focus, you create it to learn and you are ready to access inner wisdom. In this moment, you may hesitate, hearing different voices that beckon your attention.  Perhaps you know what its like to feel torn, to question or self-doubt.  After all, how do you know what is the best guide? Consider these tips:

1) Know the value of waiting:

"Do you have the patience to wait until the mud settles and the water is clear?" Can you wait until the right action arises by itself?" - Lao Tzu

2) Be aware of what you think and feel:

"You must know what you are feeling. If you don't know what you are feeling, you will create (or act) unconsciously." - Gary Zukav

3) Notice everything can be reduced to love versus fear:

"only two emotions exist in the Physical Universe - LOVE and FEAR. All other emotions are just variations. LOVE is the emotion associated with a 'knowing' that everything in the Universe is an expression of a singularity (i.e. God) and is therefore interconnected, whereas FEAR is the emotion underlying the perception (i.e. illusion) of being separate from God." -Alex Paterson

4) Recognize love does not rationalize or argue

"feel the presence in your heart, and to know that this presence embodies the blessings, compassion, energy, and wisdom." - Sogyal Rinpoche

"There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear." -1 John 4: 18

5) Identify the choice that is true to who you are:

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." -Marie Curie

"Don't try to understand love. Move into love.  Then you will know and that knowing will come out of your experiencing." - Osho

6) Recognize what brings harmony to heart and mind: 

“Follow the Eightfold Path, that is to say: Right view, right aim, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, right contemplation.” -Buddha

7) Detach from outcome: 

"Those who are attuned to the truth, remain balanced and detached forever."
-Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Notice who's worldly wisdom stands out for you at this moment.  Everyone is a mirror inviting you to listen deeper to what the spirit echos.  Consider universal wisdom speaks through everything.  Notice what you are ready and willing to hear of the truth.

"Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying." -Baba Ram Dass

Be with yourself

Ever get tired of words? Ever get tired of talking? Notice the mind tends to create stories and ideas about fear and other emotions. Sensations are like doorways that beckon you to walk through the drama into something else.  What happens as you realize form is the stepping stone, anchoring yourself deeper in dormant senses? 

The body is a bridge to the meditation that unfolds as the state of being. Awareness is open to the natural flow of things. Feel what its like to be with yourself. This is not an invitation to think with ego mind what this means. Be aware of your own conditioning. Notice that awareness is connecting with what the heart is drawn to do every moment.  Allow everything to be as it is.  Discover within yourself what happens as you allow and accept everyone as he is. Love never argues for itself or rationalizes its presence.

Every moment, the one being that is speaks through what the ego mind perceives as separate self. You may feel you oscillate between clarity and confusion, acceptance and self-doubt. Being with yourself is not about escaping the problems or suffering. It is an experience beyond concepts. When the ego mind asks the question, the mind cannot come up with and trust the answer fully. Listen to the heart. The soul knows what feels right. You cannot know the best course at the level of mind.  Accept that.

"You're just left with yourself all the time, whatever you do anyway. You've got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It's all down to you, mate." - John Lennon 

At the threshold of the unknown

The moment you reach the threshold of the deeper unknown, nothing you are taught makes sense anymore. It is outgrown.  Intuition is the dependable compass in all areas of your physical life.  Awareness of the deeper journey arises when you begin to ask questions about the unknown and unknowable where no traditional answers exist.

Everything is felt as a bridge to love, to the recognition of the oneness of being. This is not the concepts mind would have you believe but is known through direct experience.  You may notice a guide during the journey, but such a guide cannot experience for you. Just like the presence of any mentor or inspiration, you come to sense each one is an extension of you.  Each one is reminding you that knowing complete acceptance and self-worth transforms your perceived life experience and what you sense beyond it.

The essence of being transcends any world you believe in or imagine.  The presence of being is in the world but not of it.  At the level of presence or awareness of real self, that which cannot be known, objectified or described, silence conveys timeless messages.  As you notice the stillness, this frees you from an illusions of ego that are never real to begin with. Fear of freedom is ultimately what keeps you focused on identifying with the person you think is you.  Be free and know what souls knows.

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." -Kahlil Gibran