This week I have noticed and resisted the urge to fix situations that stirred up inner discomfort. In a couple of instances I chose to accept what was happening in the moment and then witnessed and released my feelings about the situation. One of the situations resolved itself without any effort on my part. In the other situation I ended up finding the guidance that I needed, again without effort. I guess this is what Michael is referring to in the analogy about us being on a planet...spinning in the middle of nowhere...worrying about the most insignificant things.
Imagine, all of the planets, stars, galaxies...working in perfect order and harmony without any direction from me!!! Could this be true in my life as well? If I let go more often and resisted the urge to fix would my life flow as smoothly as the planets revolve around the sun?
It does not make sense to worry, control, figure it all out when everything unfolds according to some bigger plan anyway, does it?????
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
find your Self
In chapter 14 Michael talks about letting go of the model of who we are and how life should be. We built this model to protect ourselves from inner disturbance, thererfore, as we let it go we will have to face the inner disturbance. There is no way to perfect this model or this self in order to avoid pain and discomfort. The only way to freedom is to watch what the head and the heart are going through...to move ones awareness from the self to the Self.
"The Self simply notices that the mind and emotions are unraveling, and that nothing is struggling to hold them together" (T.U.S., p. 135).
Moving one's awareness from the self to the Self is so challenging because we have to engage in life. And as we do, the self is always being asked to perform. The trick is to learn to allow the self to be, while keeping the neutral Self in the forefront of one's awareness. Multi-tasking at its best!
A difficult yet worthy practice.
One of the most helpful tips for me is the following:
"When your mind is disturbed , don't ask, 'What do I do about this?' Instead ask, 'Who am I that notices this?' " (T.U.S., p. 135)
"The Self simply notices that the mind and emotions are unraveling, and that nothing is struggling to hold them together" (T.U.S., p. 135).
Moving one's awareness from the self to the Self is so challenging because we have to engage in life. And as we do, the self is always being asked to perform. The trick is to learn to allow the self to be, while keeping the neutral Self in the forefront of one's awareness. Multi-tasking at its best!
A difficult yet worthy practice.
One of the most helpful tips for me is the following:
"When your mind is disturbed , don't ask, 'What do I do about this?' Instead ask, 'Who am I that notices this?' " (T.U.S., p. 135)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter
In honor of Easter I wanted to pass on a message that I read in a different book, The Naked Now by Richard Rohr. Richard Rohr says
"If you want to find God, then honor God within you, and you will always see God beyond you. For it is only God in you who knows where and how to look for God." (The Naked Now, p. 161).
When we move our awareness to the neutral Observer/Witness we are clearing the space for the God within to show up. Of course God is everywhere present all of the time, but as we witness we open our awareness to recognizing God's presence within.
On this Easter day, witness the human drama/experience and as you let it go honor the God within.
Sweet Blessings to you!
"If you want to find God, then honor God within you, and you will always see God beyond you. For it is only God in you who knows where and how to look for God." (The Naked Now, p. 161).
When we move our awareness to the neutral Observer/Witness we are clearing the space for the God within to show up. Of course God is everywhere present all of the time, but as we witness we open our awareness to recognizing God's presence within.
On this Easter day, witness the human drama/experience and as you let it go honor the God within.
Sweet Blessings to you!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
experience the moment
Today I am experiencing a head cold. I am keeping my heart and chest relaxed and open...Michael (and others) say that this can help the body to heal. I am observing what it is like to be a human being experiencing a cold.
Back to chapter 14. Please check out the first paragraph on page 135. Here is a little bit of it:
"Why should anything that anyone says or does cause you to get disturbed? You're just on a planet spinning around the middle of absolutely nowhere. You came here to visit for a handful of years and then you're going to leave. How can you live all stressed-out over everything?..." (T.U.S., p. 135)
Michael goes on to say that the only reason things bother us is because they hit our "model" - the identity that we have given ourselves and others.
How nice it would be to be able to let the model go and greet each moment as it is showing up (instead of how I think it should be showing up). Whether the moment includes a head cold, rainy weather, a new car, or a reunion with a loved one...touch it and then let it go. Although it seems like clinging, worrying and ruminating about our lives causes us to 'get it right,' it is actually when we experience and then let go of situations that they are able to deeply change us.
Happy spinning!
Back to chapter 14. Please check out the first paragraph on page 135. Here is a little bit of it:
"Why should anything that anyone says or does cause you to get disturbed? You're just on a planet spinning around the middle of absolutely nowhere. You came here to visit for a handful of years and then you're going to leave. How can you live all stressed-out over everything?..." (T.U.S., p. 135)
Michael goes on to say that the only reason things bother us is because they hit our "model" - the identity that we have given ourselves and others.
How nice it would be to be able to let the model go and greet each moment as it is showing up (instead of how I think it should be showing up). Whether the moment includes a head cold, rainy weather, a new car, or a reunion with a loved one...touch it and then let it go. Although it seems like clinging, worrying and ruminating about our lives causes us to 'get it right,' it is actually when we experience and then let go of situations that they are able to deeply change us.
Happy spinning!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
staying centered
I am beginning to realize that there really is nothing to lose when it comes to getting rid of my identity. My personal identity, although it feels so real, is actually no-thing...it is an illusion that my psyche created...a figment of my imagination...and most noteworthy, it is a blockage to my freedom.
I may feel like I can't live without it, and yet it is keeping me from living to my fullest.
When I shift my focus away from the 'world without' to the 'place of centeredness within' I feel more anchored.
Today I will practice letting everything else fall away (the positive and the negative) and staying present with that which is the source of LIFE and LOVE.
I may feel like I can't live without it, and yet it is keeping me from living to my fullest.
When I shift my focus away from the 'world without' to the 'place of centeredness within' I feel more anchored.
Today I will practice letting everything else fall away (the positive and the negative) and staying present with that which is the source of LIFE and LOVE.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Letting Go
In chapter 14 Michael talks about how it is a struggle to keep up this identity...to make every thing go the way we think it should every minute of every day.
He says "What it means to live spiritually is to not participate in this struggle. It means that events that happen in the moment belong to the moment. They do not belong to you." (T.U.S., p. 134)
You are the witness to the moment. Let the moments pass through you. Do not cling to them. Let go of the urge to fix the situation. Michael says there are 2 things that we need to do to let go. The first is to relax, especially the heart. And second, we need to fall back. Instead of diving in and getting involved with the situation, fall back and let go.
Today, see how long you can keep your awareness on the Observer/Witness and let the moments of the day pass through you.
He says "What it means to live spiritually is to not participate in this struggle. It means that events that happen in the moment belong to the moment. They do not belong to you." (T.U.S., p. 134)
You are the witness to the moment. Let the moments pass through you. Do not cling to them. Let go of the urge to fix the situation. Michael says there are 2 things that we need to do to let go. The first is to relax, especially the heart. And second, we need to fall back. Instead of diving in and getting involved with the situation, fall back and let go.
Today, see how long you can keep your awareness on the Observer/Witness and let the moments of the day pass through you.
Friday, April 15, 2011
the peace that passeth all understanding
In Chapter 14, letting go of false solidity Michael talks about how we use the psyche to build a concept of ourselves, a self-concept which provides a sense of security. We cling to ideas and thoughts about ourselves in order to “build an inner structure for consciousness to focus on.” (T.U.S., p. 128) We feel safer that way. It is easier to navigate through life when we know what to expect from ourselves and others. Other people reward us for building a stable identity.
But this false identity that we have built ends up limiting us (remember the examples of the dog penned in by the electric fence, or, the person who builds the comfortable house in the middle of the beautiful field?)
We build and cling to our personal identity because it would be very scary if we did not.
“If you let go of your façade, and don’t try to trade it in for a new one, your thoughts and emotions will become unanchored and begin passing thorough you. ..You will feel panic deep inside, and you will be unable to get your bearings…However, you’ll find that if you’re willing to face that sense of panic, there is a way to go past it. You can go further back into the consciousness that is experiencing it, and the panic will stop. Then there will be a great peace, like nothing you’ve ever felt.” (T.U.S., p. 132)
“If you let go of your façade, and don’t try to trade it in for a new one, your thoughts and emotions will become unanchored and begin passing thorough you. ..You will feel panic deep inside, and you will be unable to get your bearings…However, you’ll find that if you’re willing to face that sense of panic, there is a way to go past it. You can go further back into the consciousness that is experiencing it, and the panic will stop. Then there will be a great peace, like nothing you’ve ever felt.” (T.U.S., p. 132)
I can fully relate to how scary it would be to let go of the facade. This week I experienced a taste of this discomfort when I posted something of facebook that was "out of character" for me...meaning that it was not in sync with the typical "Donna" façade that I like to put out there. I was concerned about how the person whose wall I posted on viewed me. I wondered how many other people read it. It felt very uncomfortable.
This experience made me realize how dependent I am upon keeping up this façade. I am totally and completely addicted to it. Honestly, it is hard to imagine that I could ever live without the comfort of my identity.
Yet, I yearn to have a closer, more intimate relationship with God; to embody my true Self; to experience my oneness with Spirit; to be an expression of pure Love. I know that I must transcend this personal identity in order to do so. I am willing to let go of whatever is not necessary in order to find the great peace within.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"transmutation of energy" Part 2
Energies (inner disturbance, discomforts) come up all day long that I try to fix, some are stronger than others. Michael suggests that we "Work with the tendency to get sucked in. Don't work with stopping the energy so there is not a tendency to get sucked in. Don't work with trying to stop the world so it doesn't create the energy which causes the tendency to..." (CD by Michael Singer: "The Clarity of the Witness Consciousness. Part 2 - Beyong the Pull of the Energies Track 9). Instead, watch yourself being drawn into the changing energies. Don't touch them. Use your will power and determination to not get drawn in. Relaxing your body, especially the heart, will help.
So what happens to the energy when we manage to stay seated in the Self and not touch it? Michael says "This energy that came up to try to fix your problems will change direction all by itself...It will come up to you...its called transmutation of the energy." (CD by Michael Singer: "The Clarity of the Witness Consciousness. Part 2. Beyond the Pull of the Energies Track 9). This energy will lift your consciousness up...to heights that you have never experienced before.
Today, be the witness and allow your consciousness to be raised higher and higher.
So what happens to the energy when we manage to stay seated in the Self and not touch it? Michael says "This energy that came up to try to fix your problems will change direction all by itself...It will come up to you...its called transmutation of the energy." (CD by Michael Singer: "The Clarity of the Witness Consciousness. Part 2. Beyond the Pull of the Energies Track 9). This energy will lift your consciousness up...to heights that you have never experienced before.
Today, be the witness and allow your consciousness to be raised higher and higher.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
"transmutation of energy" Part 1
All week long I have watched my energies go up and down. Last weekend my daughter was placed on the waiting list for OC High School of the Arts. This has been a dream of hers for years...last year she was not accepted...acceptance into the school is extremely competitive...the program would be PERFECT for her...blah, blah, blah. From the human perspective there are lots of reasons to be excited and hopeful, and, a lot to be disappointed about should she not get in this year. As great as it would be, however, I know that my joy is not dependent upon my daughter getting in to OCHSA. I also see how easy it is to get lost in the energy of this situation.
This morning I was listening to one of Michael's CDs "The Clarity of Witness Consciousness" Part 2 - Beyond the Pull of Inner Energies, Tracks 8 and 9. (All of the quotes below are from this CD). He talks about "watching the dance between the energy that comes in through the senses and the urge to fix it." When the energy comes in (i.e., inner disturbance) we either try to fix it or push it away (e.g., me happily anticipating an acceptance letter coming in the mail, or, worrying that this might not happen).
Michael suggests that instead of getting drawn into the energies, we watch and relax. Do not touch the energies. Just "watch a human be human."
The challenge is to remain inside despite the strong pull of the energy. "There is no working with this humanness...work with the tendency to get sucked in...Leave the energy alone."
So I will notice when I have become drawn into the feelings (either positive or negative). I will not push them away, nor try to change them. I will take a deep breath and relax my muscles, especially the heart. I will work with the Self (i.e., noticing where I am putting my awareness), not the situation.
As we do this our energy changes. I will talk more about this in part 2 of 'transmutation of energy.'
This morning I was listening to one of Michael's CDs "The Clarity of Witness Consciousness" Part 2 - Beyond the Pull of Inner Energies, Tracks 8 and 9. (All of the quotes below are from this CD). He talks about "watching the dance between the energy that comes in through the senses and the urge to fix it." When the energy comes in (i.e., inner disturbance) we either try to fix it or push it away (e.g., me happily anticipating an acceptance letter coming in the mail, or, worrying that this might not happen).
Michael suggests that instead of getting drawn into the energies, we watch and relax. Do not touch the energies. Just "watch a human be human."
The challenge is to remain inside despite the strong pull of the energy. "There is no working with this humanness...work with the tendency to get sucked in...Leave the energy alone."
So I will notice when I have become drawn into the feelings (either positive or negative). I will not push them away, nor try to change them. I will take a deep breath and relax my muscles, especially the heart. I will work with the Self (i.e., noticing where I am putting my awareness), not the situation.
As we do this our energy changes. I will talk more about this in part 2 of 'transmutation of energy.'
Thursday, April 7, 2011
leaving the comfort zone
Michael talks about how we feel we have to stay on top of everything in order to feel comfortable. We impose limits on ourselves otherwise we feel afraid, anxious, hurt (e.g., ‘I need this person to like me so I can feel good about myself or so that I can stop feeling lonely.’ ‘I need more money so I can live more comfortably.’) Staying within our comfort zone means we are limiting ourselves. I love the example of the brave dog who decides to withstand the discomfort of breaking through the force field of the electric fence in order to obtain freedom.
"When you hit these edges you either pull back or try to force things to change so that you can remain comfortable." (T.U.S., p. 124)
Yes this is so true for me. I either pull back (and sometimes I even convince myself that what ever I am pulling back from is not bothering me!) or I try to make the situation better.
Michael suggests that we just walk on through without avoiding or fixing. Just watch the pain, irritation, jealousy, insecurity etc. and let it go. These feels are just like the zap of the electric fence in the brave dog example. The feelings themselves will not harm you…they just hurt for the moment and then they pass.
Imagine being caged in a yard and never knowing that there is a big, beautiful world out there for you to explore. Be willing to pass through the force field and allow yourself to experience all of life.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
beyond your model
Take a look at the first couple of pages of Chapter 13: far, far beyond. Michael talks about how we break the world down into little thought patterns so that we can have some semblance of control….to make the unknown known. We love it when people are predictable, when we are “right,” when things go as expected…
We don’t even realize that we are doing it, yet, it is part of the job that we have given our minds – to make everything okay all of the time so we can feel good on the inside. But then we have to make everything in this huge, complicated, unpredictable world fit into our little model of how we think things should be. This just doesn’t work so we experience stress, depression, fatigue…
“If you want to go beyond your model you have to take the risk of not believing in it.” (T.U.S., p. 120)
If I didn’t have a model through which I filter every experience, I would experience each moment as it is showing up, not as I would like it to be. It would be much easier to be present in the now and my experience in the moment would be richer, more fulfilling. There would be less judgment.
Why trust my model when I know that it is just built on past experiences…there is no inherent wisdom in it. What if I trusted God, the Universe, Love, Nature (whatever you want to call your Higher Power) more than I trusted my model? Hummmmm... that sure would make sense since I am not Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, yet God is.
Today I will practice recognizing when I am using my model to see the world and letting that go so that I can begin to see through the eyes of Spirit.
Friday, April 1, 2011
An ever expanding awareness
Michael suggests that instead of focusing on enlightenment, focus on taking down the walls which are blocking the light.
I have had a trying situation come up the last few days... a situation that requires my presence, my attention in a worldly sense. I need to deal with this situation as best as I can, and then let it go. No holding on to worry, resentment, regret... I know that right in the midst of this challenge is an opportunity for spiritual growth...an opportunity to take down some of my walls.
Leaving the comfortable house built in the middle of the sunlit field requires facing my fears and letting them go. Life will show us our fears that are blocking the light. How beautiful this is, really. I don't have spend time and energy figuring out what is keeping me from embodying my Truest and Highest Self. Life gives me the answers to that puzzle each time I experience fear. All I have to do is watch and release.
"Your awareness can expand to encompass vast space instead of the limited space in which you dwell. Then when you look back at that little house you built, you will wonder why you were ever in there...True freedom is very close; it's just on the other side of your walls." (T.U.S., p. 117-118).
I have had a trying situation come up the last few days... a situation that requires my presence, my attention in a worldly sense. I need to deal with this situation as best as I can, and then let it go. No holding on to worry, resentment, regret... I know that right in the midst of this challenge is an opportunity for spiritual growth...an opportunity to take down some of my walls.
Leaving the comfortable house built in the middle of the sunlit field requires facing my fears and letting them go. Life will show us our fears that are blocking the light. How beautiful this is, really. I don't have spend time and energy figuring out what is keeping me from embodying my Truest and Highest Self. Life gives me the answers to that puzzle each time I experience fear. All I have to do is watch and release.
"Your awareness can expand to encompass vast space instead of the limited space in which you dwell. Then when you look back at that little house you built, you will wonder why you were ever in there...True freedom is very close; it's just on the other side of your walls." (T.U.S., p. 117-118).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)