There are no problems, only situations to be handled (paraphrased from Michael Singer). An example, I like to run but have been experiencing some foot pain which is interfering with my ability to run. I could view this as a problem ("Oh what if it gets worse..." "How terrible that I can't run right now") or as a situation to be handled (e.g., I need to take a break, adjust my running form etc.) It is the meaning that I give the situation that makes it a problem, not the situation itself.
Our minds are constantly chattering about what we need, what should happen, what will make our lives work... But this only leads to struggle and trying to control our lives.
"The ways that we struggle keep us locked and confined within the prison of the ego. When we begin to see that our mind is just a storyteller, however, then we begin to listen-not for more thoughts or more complicated understandings, but for silence." (Falling into Grace, p. 88)
"As one wise Christian mystic said, 'Stop telling God what you want, and instead listen to what God has to say to you.' " (Falling into Grace, p. 87-88)
I have already tried making my life work by using the mind, but to no avail. Instead, I choose to listen to God by immersing myself in the silence. The silence can be found through meditation or by moving one's awareness to the Observer and listening.
Be the Observer and watch your mind, take a breath and relax, look for the place within that is not struggling and let the rest go. God is always with us, guiding us, we just need to be quiet long enough to listen.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
moving out of struggle
Adyashanti talks about the idea that when we struggle we contract. He says:
"When you feel a contraction in your body-whether it's in your stomach, your heart, or even in your head- you experience a narrowing down, a squeezing in. When we're contracted, we're actually pulled out of wholeness, out of a sense of completeness, and into a sense of being small or separate." (Falling into Grace, p. 74).
Adya says that the way out is to "begin to notice the place within you that's not struggling. To do this means there's really no future for which to hope. In fact, the idea of the future is one of the barriers of awakening to our true nature. This is because the future keeps us looking at something other than what is happening right now." (Falling into Grace, p. 77)
The peace and joy that we are looking for is happening right now, no matter how our lives are showing up.
I was struggling with a fearful issue recently, a fear related to the future which was very hard to let go of. When I began to look for the place within that wasn't struggling (Michael Singer would call this witnessing) I became more deeply in touch with the feelings that I was trying to let go of...from this place I was able to let go.
If you are having trouble letting go of something see if you are resisting the feeling in some way. If so, begin to notice the place within that is not struggling and see what happens!
"When you feel a contraction in your body-whether it's in your stomach, your heart, or even in your head- you experience a narrowing down, a squeezing in. When we're contracted, we're actually pulled out of wholeness, out of a sense of completeness, and into a sense of being small or separate." (Falling into Grace, p. 74).
Adya says that the way out is to "begin to notice the place within you that's not struggling. To do this means there's really no future for which to hope. In fact, the idea of the future is one of the barriers of awakening to our true nature. This is because the future keeps us looking at something other than what is happening right now." (Falling into Grace, p. 77)
The peace and joy that we are looking for is happening right now, no matter how our lives are showing up.
I was struggling with a fearful issue recently, a fear related to the future which was very hard to let go of. When I began to look for the place within that wasn't struggling (Michael Singer would call this witnessing) I became more deeply in touch with the feelings that I was trying to let go of...from this place I was able to let go.
If you are having trouble letting go of something see if you are resisting the feeling in some way. If so, begin to notice the place within that is not struggling and see what happens!
Monday, March 12, 2012
waking up from your limited idea of yourself
Whenever an unwanted situation shows up in my life, I usually start with witnessing the feelings and thoughts. Sometimes they move right through me and sometimes they do not. When the same problem keeps showing up in my life, I recognize that perhaps I am not fully accepting the thoughts and feelings and allowing the energy to pass through me.
Adyashanti talks about a woman who was depressed for years until she decided to stop, stop trying to push it away. When she did this she found a sense of well-being existing alongside the depression and eventually the depression stopped. Adya says that the "phenomena of finding well-being amidst the difficult isn't something that most people have experienced, because they haven't really ever stopped trying to grasp at or push away a certain quality of thinking and feeling." (Falling into Grace, p. 69)
But when you fully immerse yourself in the feelings/thoughts and surrender to them you will receive an "invitation to wake up from your idea of yourself and the whole emotional environment with which you identify....The truth is that a whole new state of consciousness already exists, that every part of your experience that's unfolding right now is already enclosed within absolute stillness, absolute ease." (Falling into Grace, p. 70).
The invitation is to move beyond the mind...remember the thoughts in our head are the thoughts of the neurotic roommate. Instead of listening to that crazy babble, completely surrender into the experience that is happening to you in that moment. By resisting what is, you will be holding on, not letting go. Surrender into what is in order to find your true nature.
Adyashanti talks about a woman who was depressed for years until she decided to stop, stop trying to push it away. When she did this she found a sense of well-being existing alongside the depression and eventually the depression stopped. Adya says that the "phenomena of finding well-being amidst the difficult isn't something that most people have experienced, because they haven't really ever stopped trying to grasp at or push away a certain quality of thinking and feeling." (Falling into Grace, p. 69)
But when you fully immerse yourself in the feelings/thoughts and surrender to them you will receive an "invitation to wake up from your idea of yourself and the whole emotional environment with which you identify....The truth is that a whole new state of consciousness already exists, that every part of your experience that's unfolding right now is already enclosed within absolute stillness, absolute ease." (Falling into Grace, p. 70).
The invitation is to move beyond the mind...remember the thoughts in our head are the thoughts of the neurotic roommate. Instead of listening to that crazy babble, completely surrender into the experience that is happening to you in that moment. By resisting what is, you will be holding on, not letting go. Surrender into what is in order to find your true nature.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
God is my source
I wrote this affirmation based on "The Path of Unconditional Happiness" (chapter 15 in TUS):
God is my source of Love, Peace, Joy, Harmony, Well Being... God is all that I need. What happens in my life does not determine my peace, joy etc. When I think that my happiness depends upon what is happening in my life, I recognize that I am still in illusion. I witness this and let it go.
The world is a museum to be enjoyed. Just as I walk through a museum allowing the various works of art to touch me and move me, I allow the events of my life to do the same. They touch me and change me but I do not cling to the events nor the people in my life for my happiness.
God is my source, not this world. I open to God. I choose unconditional happiness because I know that I am one with God, my source.
God is my source of Love, Peace, Joy, Harmony, Well Being... God is all that I need. What happens in my life does not determine my peace, joy etc. When I think that my happiness depends upon what is happening in my life, I recognize that I am still in illusion. I witness this and let it go.
The world is a museum to be enjoyed. Just as I walk through a museum allowing the various works of art to touch me and move me, I allow the events of my life to do the same. They touch me and change me but I do not cling to the events nor the people in my life for my happiness.
God is my source, not this world. I open to God. I choose unconditional happiness because I know that I am one with God, my source.
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