Everyday Is A Good Day

Most of us have heard, "Everyday above ground is good day." Previously, I did not really agree with or see the truth in this saying. After the shift in my perspective, the great depth in the truth resonates with me.

The definition of good I have realized helps to make it even more clear. (See the post Good Is God) Every day is a God day.

The part about being above ground is not even necessary. Everyday is a good day regardless. Even tough situations and hardships actually can be seen as growing pains and are still moving you in a direction to be free of the stress that actually caused them. Every thing that can possibly happen is a step in the right direction. (See Every Little Step and School of Hard Knocks)

The Love of My Life

People often refer to another person as the love of their life. Funny enough only you can be the love of your life.

Here's an excerpt from the book, "What Is Really Good?"

There are many people all over the world who are blissfully happy in their current relationship and may give the credit of their happiness to their significant other. There are also many people who are utterly miserably due to a current situation with a mate or an ex. They may also credit the other person for turning their life into a living hell. The truth is, they would all be wrong.

No one can make you feel anything. You experience yourself through interaction with others. We even acknowledge this when we describe our experiences.
If you are with someone you find attractive and has a great persona, you say, "I really enjoy myself when I'm with them." You enjoy yourself.
If you had to spend time with someone who you did not really care for, like, or found repulsive, you say, "I can't stand to be around them." You (yourself) do not find joy in their company.

In most cases, people have a relationship with themselves through other people. In other words, a person creates an idea in their mind of what the other person is or should be, and if their expectations are met, 'good' describes the experience of their company. If the expectations are not met, 'bad' best describes the way it feels to be in their company. In this way, we can see that it is all perspective and the only absolute truth is your observation of what is. How you interpret the observation determines your experience.

Relationships, in general, are great place to showcase the ego's identification with what a person's role should be with you. If a person sticks to the script that the ego has written; an attachment is formed and happiness, pleasure, gratification, infatuation, and 'falling in love' is the result. These feelings are all relative, however, because they are all borne of the ego's identification with what should be. They all come with the seed of their opposite ready to sprout as soon as the other person strays from ego's script. The happiness turns to sadness, gratification to regret, pleasure to pain, 'love' to hate, and infatuation changing polarity from positive to negative. The attachment remains for a time after the switch or the negative feelings toward the person would have no power. It would be more of an indifference.

The 'love' that Tina Turner sings about in, "What's Love Got To Do With It," is the 'love' of the ego's identification with what should be. The egoic 'love' really is "a second hand emotion." It is not the love of your true self. As a matter of fact, the majority of 'love' songs are of the egoic mind persuasion.

The egoic 'love' is relative while true love is absolute. The love of your true essence is never anything to be sad about. True love is unconditional. True love has no opposite. True love and acceptance is the natural feeling we have towards everyone and everything when we are conscious without egoic mind interference. It is the attraction we have for our true selves that we are able to perceive in all creation when we are in the present moment. It is the reason for sayings like "God is love" and "it's all love." It is the reason why people perform selfless acts and feel rewarded.

The ego's checklist of what a mate should be is what most people in the world are looking for in a relationship. There would not be such terms as 'trophy wife' and 'dream husband' if there was not a preconceived ego identification with what the perfect mate would be like. The very idea of being romantic or what your definition of romance amounts to, is totally relative. There can be as many definitions of romance as there are people you ask to define it.

People, more often than not, are looking for their happiness in and through another person. You can share good times with someone. You can share a lifetime with someone. But it is never the other person that is the source of your happiness. The source of your happiness and everything else you feel, is you and the way you perceive life situations. In other words, if you are not in the frame of mind that supports being happy; it doesn’t matter who you’re sharing your life with or what the situation is, you will not be happy. It is easier for most to believe that someone else is making them happy than to accept the fact that you can not be happy unless there is a level of acceptance. No body else outside of you can be your everything because you are your everything.

For more, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

The Power of Light/Love

You can take a flashlight or a candle into total darkness and eliminate the darkness wherever you see fit. If you have mirrors, you can eliminate it everywhere.

Can you bring darkness into a room full of light? No. A little darkness can not exist surrounded by light.

In reality it's all love. It's all light. Love is the light. Fear is the darkness. Darkness is a lack of light. Fear is a lack of love.

In terms of how things have been explained in the majority of this blog and the teachings in my book; acceptance and adaptation of what is, is love and light. Resistance to what is, is fear and darkness. Don't let the words or specific terminology get in the way of the understanding that they are pointing to. Words can not express the true experience of the message.

This all goes to show how much more powerful light is than darkness. Love is more powerful than fear. Acceptance is more powerful than resistance. It feels really good to acknowledge this fact.

For more on these concepts, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

It Is Unstoppable. Can't Stop - Won't Stop

Is it possible for the present moment to stop? Is it possible for what is referred to as 'right now' to not be in existence?

Even if the Earth stopped spinning and stopped its orbit; even if every single heavenly body in the cosmos ceased all movement; if every single sub atomic particle stopped in its tracks; the present moment would still be running. The tape would still be rolling, so to speak. If the universe ceased to exist, the now would still be the now.

It is truly a marvel when one considers the fact that no matter what could possibly ever happen; the present moment has always been, and will forever be going. In any possible situation out of a multitude of infinite possibilities, the present moment is the constant that must be included in each.

Since the present is such an unstoppable constant, the best thing to do is to use it to your advantage. Roll with it. Acknowledge how much power dwells with in the moment. When you can literally feel the present moment, you can feel your own presence. Feeling your own presence is feeling the present moment.

For more on getting in tune with the unstoppable nature of your self, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Holiday Spirit Is Spiritual

During this time of year, the idea of holidays help many people to allow them selves to experience high spirits. Christmas carols, the good times with friends and family, the spirit of good will and giving; the energy in the air is generally at a higher vibration. If feels great if you are open to it.

When people think of spirituality, they often get a picture or concept in their mind of a "holier than thou" kind of perspective or a way of being that has religious or righteous overtones. Funny enough, this is only a minuscule cross section of what spirituality actually is. Do you know who else is spiritual? Everybody!

If a person is alive, they have a spirit. If a person has a spirit, they are spiritual. It does not matter if they are aware of this or not. Spirituality is just a word. It draws upon a distinct idea or concept in the person who hears it. Any word can only convey to you what you are already familiar with. New concepts require new understanding and experience to grasp.

Everybody in existence is a spiritual being. It is our very nature. Don't take my word for it. If you have or ever had the holiday spirit, you have experienced a little bit of what it feels like to have your spirit on a higher frequency.

Of course, there are lots of other times in your life you have experienced this as well. Any time you are feeling peace, joy, love, gratitude, etc.; these are higher frequencies of spirit. There have also been times where you have felt your spirits at very low frequencies. This is any time you are having feelings of hate, fear, stress, pain, jealously, etc..

To recognize, understand, and embrace the fact that we are all spiritual beings is very beneficial and empowering. A person can change every single aspect of their life. A person can come to know lasting peace and reach heights not previously imagined. For more on this, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

"Home is where the heart is."

We have all heard this. Appreciating and recognizing the true value of the wisdom in this saying is to have the perspective that allows you to feel at home anywhere you are.

The 'heart' is often used as a synonym for the way a person feels at the core of their being. It goes beyond the calculating mind and refers more to the vibrational level of a person's consciousness. Your heart can be "filled with joy" or you can be "heart broken." You can "give your heart" to someone or you can become "cold hearted". Regardless of what the situation is, your heart determines how you are feeling.

No matter how one feels, or the object of ones feelings, the heart is always 'home'. Once a person realizes that no matter where you go, there you are; they will understand that 'home' is always with you. The only thing that separates the place where you physically live and 'home' is an idea. Most of us have heard the phrase, "Make a house into a home." This saying supports the point exactly. Basically, you are 'home'. 'Home' is composed of your essence.

So how do we make 'home' an enjoyable experience all the time? How do we make it into "Home Sweet Home"? To put it simply, we have to feel it. We have become aware of what we are focused on. We have to account for the state of the heart. Once we can still the mind, let go of ego attachments, and recognize ourselves without the ego identity, what is left is pure and sweet. Home Sweet Home.

The Illusion

Many philosophers have pondered the nature of reality and often questioned if it is real or merely an illusion. Albert Einstein said, "Reality is an illusion, albeit a persistent one." The ancient teachings in many spiritual scriptures and religions refer to our reality as an illusion as well. Hinduism, to name one, refers to this illusion as 'Maya'.

What is it about the nature of reality that could possibly have philosophers, religions, and science all in agreement? What raises doubt of the authenticity of what we experience our universe to be?

Dreams are an excellent clue to point to the fact that we may experience a reality that is not necessarily real. In the middle of a dream, we are convinced that it is real and we react to everything as if we are physically going through it. In fact, the dream is real. It is just as real as your waking life in the moment you are experiencing it. When you realize that reality is all created in your brain, the source of the stimulus is irrelevant. The end result is exactly the same. Whether you are actually walking down a country road in the physical world or you are dreaming that you are doing so, the electrical activity in your brain is virtually identical. In other words, your brain does not know the difference.

From the scientific point of view, when you examine what the physical world is made of, you will come to realize that it is made of mostly empty space and energy. Matter that was once thought of as solid is actually mostly "not there". What is there is merely vibrating energy. On top of these mind boggling facts, it has also been documented that the act of observing and the intention of the observer actually influence what is being observed. In other words, we shape this vibrating energy.

Spiritual teachings have been speaking of this now scientifically documented information for thousands of years. However, today it is easier than ever to connect the dots. It is easier than ever to inform yourself and see through this illusion that we all live in. It is easier than ever to awaken from this dream.

For more on this and related concepts, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Self Appreciation

Self appreciation is a major key to happiness. It is a tremendous part of happiness itself. It can truthfully be said that with out appreciation of your self (your true Self), happiness can not be experienced in any situation.

Referring to the 'Self ' in 'Self Appreciation,' I am referring to the ever present Observer (see 'I' of the Beholder, and The Tape Is Always Rolling). This is the part of you that allows all feelings including happiness, to exist. If not for the space that is the Self, nothing that we feel would have a place to exist. Experience would not have a stage to stand on and walk across. If happiness can not be felt here in the Self, no outside source can supply it. You will not be happy in any "great" situation or set of circumstances unless you are happy with in yourself. Likewise, nothing can get you down if you realize you are the source of happiness.

Referring to 'appreciation', I am referring to the act of being aware of and/or raising the value of something. Appreciation was looked at in a previous post (Life: To Appreciate or Depreciate?) When we appreciate the Self, we become aware of just how precious a gift we truly are.

Self appreciation, self love, self praise, and joy of one's self, are all different ways of describing the same kind of feeling. Celebrating and appreciating the life that you are, is being in a high state of acceptance. Appreciating your self literally raises the value of your life. When you look at it; it raises your value because you are life.

You Gotta Laugh!

Ever thought about what laughter really is? What is it that makes us laugh? Why does it feel so good? Why does it have healing qualities? How or what makes it such a universal experience? Well, your in luck. Here's some food for thought.

It has been stated in many philosophies and spiritual teachings that one's experience in life is all dependent on their chosen perspective. Don't take mine or any one else's word for it. Simply look at your own life and you will have no choice but to acknowledge this truth.

To be a little more specific though, a person's perspective can be split into two main groups. The first is acceptance. This has many degrees or levels of intensity to it. Acceptance may range any where from simple contentment to ecstatic bliss. The second group would be resistance. This too has many degrees or levels. Resistance may range from minor irritations and low level background stress to major life and identity threatening, pain and stress. Acceptance of what is leads to adaptability to any situation and the perspective that allows one to be optimistic and feel good if not great. Resistance of what is leads to stress of varying degrees.

So what does all of this have to do with laughter? Laughter is a very high form of acceptance. It is one of the strongest and most evident ways we acknowledge that we are in acceptance of what is. Think about what actually makes us laugh. No matter what your sense of humor is like, people always laugh at what they are willing to accept. Resistance to life situations crumble before the power of laughter.

To illustrate this, think about a good comedian's material. A good comedian can make people laugh at some of the toughest and/or most awkward situations a person can go through. People often say, "It's funny because it's true." When you really look at it, the comedian is making light of a situation that a lot of people would be in resistance to. He or she is literally relieving the stress of resistance and replacing it with a high dose of acceptance. This is why laughter feels so good. When people are in any form of acceptance, they tend to feel good. The higher the form of acceptance, the better you feel. When we laugh at any incident or situation in life, there is a feeling of lightness or levity. We acknowledge what it is and at the same time embrace it with all of its ramifications, consequences, and repercussions. It is your spirit showing how it can really adapt to anything possible.

Being in good spirits of any kind is always good for a person when it comes to their health. It has been continuously proven how stress is the main reason our bodies succumb to sickness. Even the word "disease" points to this fact. 'Dis-ease' is lack of ease, better known as stress. Of course a high dose of acceptance is a major stress reliever and goes far beyond that to the process of healing.

Laughter is such a universal experience because we all have the spark of life known as Consciousness within us. It is what animates each and every one of us. It is the Observer before thought, labeling, and judgment. Therefore, the choice as to how we perceive our experience is universal. It is always a choice of resistance or acceptance. Laughter, among many other perspectives and emotions, does not discriminate.

So have you had a good laugh lately? Sometimes you can have the best laugh just observing your own self and how you might react to some life situations. Attitude and perspective is everything. You gotta laugh. :-D

To get more in depth on a lot of the concepts mentioned here, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Life Is an Art

There is a science to life and what our reality is. As a fan of quantum mechanics, I can really say there are massive mathematical equations that actually help to map and explain the forces that make our universe what it is.

But like most things with great depth, life is a paradox. Not only is it a science, but it is an art. Perhaps this is the reason why science may never fully explain everything. The more answers we find, the more questions will be revealed. Thus the intuitive and artistic perspective of life holds just as much value; if not more.

In quantum mechanics, a quantum observer is recognized to collapse a wave function of possibilities into a specific reality. When the ancient sages of Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnostic Christianity, Jewish Kabbalahists, Muslim Ismalis, and other less spoken of spiritual teachings spoke of a true Self or objective Observer they spoke of the same occurrence; only with out the benefit of experiments to back up their wealth of knowledge. They had the art of knowing as opposed to the science of it. Both ways of looking at life yield the same results. The following are a few artistic illustrations of the point of being the observer.

• You are the author of your own story.
• You are the sculptor of your own image.
• You are the illustrator of your own big picture.
• You are the writer, director, and star of your own movie.
• You are the singer of your own song.
• You are the star dancer in this "life is a stage" performance.

These all help point to the fact that it is your perspective, and yours alone, that determines your life's experience. No matter what happens, it is the context of how you percieve it, that detemines how you feel about it. Life is an art. Be a great artist.

Does Evil Really Exist?

Speak no evil.
See no evil.
Hear no evil.

As a kid, I often heard this saying. I never really knew the true significance of it until earlier this year though. When I was younger, I simply thought that it meant to be a "good" person. In other words, don't say bad things. Don't listen to bad music or rhetoric. And don't watch things that may poison your mind.

With the shift in perspective and the understanding that 'good' and 'bad' can be all together transcended; the true depth of meaning has occurred to me. When you understand that the source of all labeling and judgment comes from the ego and that it can all be transcended by seeing life through the objective eyes of the Observer; you recognize that there really is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' outside of the eye of the beholder.

In other words, with out someone to witness a situation or event, there is no judgment of that situation or event. The judgment does not exist in the universe independently. It only exists with in the mind of the person witnessing it. When you fully realize this, you understand that when something is deemed evil; the evil really only exists with in the mind of the person who gives it the label. Just as beauty does not exist outside the eye of the beholder, neither does evil.

This was touched on in several other posts. (Eye of the Beholder - Morality Is Relative - You Can Be Right or You Can Be Happy - Who Is the Judge? - just to name a few)

Speak no evil. See no evil. Hear no evil. When you transcend evil, it no longer resonates with you the same way. When you are able to separate your observation from the labels you would have otherwise given it; you actually observe it less. It is not as if you become blind to it. It actually happens less around you because you no longer attract it. A strong resonance with anything (be it positive or negative to you) helps to attract more of it into your life. When you transcend the label of evil, you as a co-creator of reality help to reduce the amount of evil that exists.

Find Your Dreams

Realizing that all possible realities exist is a mind boggling experience. It can give you a new perspective on the concepts of visualization and inspiration.

Literally there is nothing that you could possibly imagine that could not exist somewhere some how in the infinite possibilities.
Have you ever thought about the idea that your dreams (be they the dreams you have when sleeping or the dreams that goals and visions are made of) are all windows into an alternate reality? The fact that they are not as continuous in nature as our everyday life does not make them any less real.

"What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can hear, what you can smell, taste and feel then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain." -The Matrix

If you follow quantum physics at all or even have a vivid imagination, you may subscribe to the concept of multiple universes all existing simultaneously. These other realities are infinite and different because of the infinite amount of choices that nature may take when unfolding the reality or in the choices that people make. These vary from the most simple to the most complex of choices. In other words, there is a reality that exists now where I never wrote this blog and you are not reading it right now. There is also a reality where you where never born because your parents did not meet. You get the idea. To explore this idea in great detail, I recommend Rob Bryanton's book and blogs "Imagining the Tenth Dimension."

If you do subscribe to the 'multiverse' or the idea that because of the infinite amount of ways reality can unfold, all possibilities exist simultaneously; then you must entertain the notion that there is nothing that you can possibly picture, or imagine that does not exist in one of these infinite realities! Looking at it in these terms, it is as if your imagination, inspiration, intuition, and the like are all ways to tune into what else is out there; what else is possible. This means that even the abstract nature of a sleepers dream can actually exist some where out there.

The fact is that we as observers, in effect, are co-creators of our reality. The very act of observing is collapsing a wave function of possibilities into one particular experience of reality. This is, in a way, moving through the infinite amount of possible realities mentioned earlier. What we think and what actions we take will affect what we observe. We can actually navigate through these infinite possibilities to get to a desired destination. We actually "find our dreams!"

Any time a person accomplishes a goal that was only an idea before it was tangible, they navigated from one reality to another. They moved from the reality where their idea was only a vision to the reality where their vision was materialized. They found their dream. Will you find your dreams?

Who Is the Judge?

Ever notice who the judge is in your life situations? What makes you feel the way that you do about what you perceive in everyday life? What part of you determines whether an experience is deemed awful, great, or somewhere in between? These are all questions that can literally change your life once you come to an absolute answer for them.

What ever part of your psyche it is that makes this judgment call does indeed hold the key to having a happy life. The judge determines what your experience of life is. If you could some how recognize that part of you that makes the judgments and gain full control of it, it stands to reason that you could choose to be at peace with all that happens. As a result of accepting and adapting to all life situations, one could live a life free of stress. Having no resistance to what is actually puts you in a more powerful position to make changes to what is because you acknowledge that you are one with it and not separate. You will come to realize that you are not fighting against what happens in life but only your reaction to what happens.

So, who is the judge? It is the ego. It is the ego and the list of concepts and idea it is identified with that determines if you are having a good time in life or you are horribly depressed. If you are identified with the concept of having a good job or a specific living situation and you do not have that right now, the judgment handed down from your ego to your mind is one that says your experience is not what you want and you will have a degree of stress. If you are identified with having a very attractive spouse and you have one, the judgment handed down to the mind from the ego will agree with this experience and the thought may give you some fleeting pleasure.

The funny thing about this judge though, is that it is never satisfied for long. What ever you get that you once desired is soon replaced by another desire. It also wants more. To find true and lasting peace and happiness is to recognize the part of you that does not judge but presents life to the ego to be judged. It is the Observer before any thought and judgment. To see life through the eyes of the Observer with out a judgment is to be without stress. It is to live life with peace of mind.

To learn more about quieting the judge in your life, go through the other posts in this blog that speak about the ego and read What Is Really Good? Stay tuned!

The Evolution of Consciousness

Do you believe in evolution? People have disagreed for ages about whether or not we were "created by God" or we evolved randomly out of natural selection's "survival of the fittest." Personally, I do not see why it should have to be one or the other since they could both really be responsible for life as we know it right now. Intelligent design seems to me to go hand in hand with natural selection as it was the design of the Creator for survival of the fittest to help shape life.

Whatever you believe; it is almost irrelevant because in our very lifetime, we have been a witness to the evolution of human consciousness. You need not theorize the origins of our species to see evidence of our continuing change and growth from the time that you were born. The tremendous jump in technology and some cultural changes is proof enough. There really is no question as to if evolution is real. It is only how far back one is willing to take it.

We now stand at the threshold of the next major leap in human evolution. The next phase in our evolution is not one of natural selection, but one of individual choice. It is a choice in perspective. It is how we choose to see the world and therefore ourselves.

How is this so? The average human psyche is severely dysfunctional. The mismatch of the very primitive human ego and the very advanced human mind has lead humanity down a path of ever increasing speed, technology, and efficiency and yet we struggle with the same issues of conflict, fear, greed, and disharmony as people thousands of years ago.

I call the ego primitive because we have quite literally outgrown or evolved right past the way it functions. The ego works as an anchor for identity so that the mind knows what to protect. An animal's ego works in the same way. It's purpose is self preservation. In humans, we have a primitive part of us directing a highly advanced part of us. What else makes this ego mind combination so dysfunctional for us humans is that we identify with ideas and concepts as if they are us. People will fight and die for ideas and concepts as if they were defending their very existence.

The ego controlling the thought process of the mind is the source of the dysfunction. Most people can not stop thinking when ever they want. Paradoxically, moving to the next level of consciousness requires less thought. Higher states of awareness exist beyond the realm of thoughts created by your mind. It is when you can be without thought that intuition can exist.

There have been people throughout history who have tried to show us how to snap out of the old and destructive perspective the ego mind presents, but their message was often misinterpreted or used to the benefit of some leaving others in the dark. Never the less, consciousness is in a constant shift toward becoming aware of itself and it seems now more than ever this shift is spreading further, faster, and wider.

To learn more about the evolution of consciousness in detail, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Focus on Nothingness

Look around. Notice everything around you. Now notice where there is nothing or no-thing around you. Notice what is not there. Notice the empty space. Nothingness is all around us. Nothingness is constantly overlooked and under rated. Noticing the nothingness allows you to be in the present moment and realize that it is the nothingness that allows all the "somethings" to exist.

This nothingness is not just the space that allows all matter to exist. It is also the complete silence that is the birthplace and graveyard of all sounds. It is the stillness that allows us to detect any and all motion. This nothingness allows reality to exist as a contrast to itself. But it remains part of everything that it enables to exist.

Focusing on nothingness helps to still the mind. This is because you must be in tune with the moment to be aware of nothingness. Being in tune gives birth to intuition and inspiration. Zen Buddhists (among other spiritual scriptures and teachings from around the world) often speak of nothingness in various sayings. Here are a few:

"We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want." ~Tao Te Ching

"Knock on the sky and listen to the sound!" ~Zen saying

"What is the color of wind?" ~Zen koan

"The purpose of a fishtrap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.
The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.
The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to." ~Chuang-Tsu

So why all the riddles and talk of nothingness? It is because paradoxically, in nothing is everything. When you focus on true nothingness, you are focusing on an infinite amount of possibilities. A more vibrant depth and deeper understanding may be gained by examining what is not there.

Focus on nothingness.

"Make" Money

The term "make money" is very common place and widely used. Of course it refers to earning money and/or turning a profit. It does make perfect sense ( :-) makes cents too) when you really look at what money really is.

Money is really energy. How else could we make money? Money is an external representation of the power of our focus. Any time money is earned or a profit is turned from providing goods or services, it is a reciprocation of the energy put into manifesting the goods or services. The energy put into manifesting anything is purely the power of focus.

Taking a good look around you, no matter where you are, everything that you lay your eyes on that is not a creation of nature; everything man made; was a thought in someone's mind before it existed. It was simply the power of focus behind those thoughts that manifested them into the reality that we see before us.

Of course it is a given that most people have no access to a currency printing press; but we all have the power to "make" money.

Clouds and Smoke

Ever look up at the sky and notice how transient and temporary the clouds are? They move around so easily when the wind blows. They change shape and size so quickly and so often, before you know it, you are looking at a totally transformed cloud. They also often breakup and join together making the new and the old indistinguishable. Smoke moves the same way, although usually at a much quicker pace and appears to disappear without a trace.

Knowing the absolute truths that, "Nothing lasts forever," and, "Everything that has a beginning has an ending;" it occurred to me that we are just like a cloud or a puff of smoke, only moving at a slower rate of change. Not the true essence of who we are, but the external identity that we appear to be. Our appearances and life situations are in a state of constant flux. Change is a constant in all of our life experiences, varying only in the speed of the change.

From the standpoint of quantum mechanics' string theory, the vibrations of the strings that create our physical reality is in constant flux. Amazingly, we have more control over how these changes take place than most people realize. This has also been proven through the science of quantum mechanics by way of the observer influencing what is observed, just by the act of paying attention.

Life is truly like a dream and the more awake we can be in this dream, the more control we will have over how it unfolds. We can be lucid dreamers in the dream of life.

Accepting the fact that situations are always temporary can give you tremendous peace of mind for the more difficult periods in life and for the fun times, it can allow you to appreciate them even more. The clouds are constantly rolling by. It's best to enjoy the show

"Good" Is God

Since my shift in perspective, I often find the meanings behind words that are often overlooked. I feel that I can many times get a good idea of exactly how a word came to be coined and the significance behind it. One such word that I continuously observe is the word "good".

As stated in a previous post entitled, "It's All Good Intention - It's All God Intention", it's no coincidence that 'good' is 'God' with an extra 'o'. It can also be looked at as 'God' is 'good' minus an 'o'. However you choose to see it or which ever word was coined first, it makes no difference. The point is the correlation of the two words.

I find it funny (to the point of entertainment almost) how synonymous these two words can be. I have made it an occasional practice to switch the two words in my head whenever I come across them. It really is amazing to see how interchangeable they are. At the same time, it seems only natural that they are.

A few examples:

• I see the [good/God] in you.
• [Good/God] morning to you.
• Share the [good/God] feelings.

You get the point. Try observing this your self. Along with what was stated in the previous post (It's All Good Intention - It's All God Intention), you may gain a new insight on What Is Really Good.

Stay tuned!

The Source of Greatness

People from all walks of life aspire to be great. People of all walks of life achieve greatness. Though greatness is perceived only in the eye of the beholder, most people have a perspective close enough to each other to agree on greatness when they see it. What is the source of greatness? Is there a formula that can be followed to achieve it all the time? Let's take a look.

The source of all greatness is intuition. Intuition is the ability to tap into the intelligence that has nothing to do with the mind. Intuition is also known as inspiration and imagination. The mind's job is to label, judge, and calculate a person's surroundings for survival purposes. It does not actually create anything. It takes past experiences and uses them to evaluate your current state of well being.

Intuition is the part of a person that operates beyond the parameters of the mind. This is the source of creativity, imagination, and precision vision. This is where innovation and art come from. To illustrate how greatness comes from a higher intelligence than the thoughts produced by the mind; imagine a superstar athlete. The spur of the moment improvisation that they may display in the middle of a game is pure intuition. No thoughts from their analytical mind were involved. They were simply in tune with the present moment and made incredible things happen with their intuitive nature. We often say that they were "in the zone." Being intuitive is definitively being in the zone.

To illustrate further; choose anyone of greatness in any field. From people that we think of as artistic; like musicians, dancers, actors, sculptors, painters, etc. to people we might think of less in this fashion, like lawyers, doctors, scientists, politicians, and so on; they all use intuition to create, and innovate giving them the status of great. They all tap into the same place of infinite possibilities when they are in tune with what is. A music composer is not using his mind when he comes up with a spectacular piece of music that will impress and inspire people for generations to come. It is pure intuition. A scientist who comes up with a theory that explains part of the nature of the universe is not using his mind to come to his conclusions. Once again it is intuition. This holds true for all people considered to be great, whether they are conscious of it or not.

To get more in depth on this and other topics, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

One of a Kind, Like Everybody Else

Isn't it amazing how people are one of a kind? Even identical twins are easily identified by those who are closest to them. A mother will not be convinced if the kids switched places.

Have you ever wondered what it is exactly that makes each and every one of us a "rare child"? Being the only person to ever be you makes you a one of a kind combination; never to be effectively reproduced or copied. Even if you were cloned, and the clone child had all of your physical attributes and instincts; the child would still be an individual. There may still be a major difference in how that clone would develop based on the perspective the child has. Perspective comes from what we think, what we feel, what we know, and what we choose to focus on.

No one else in creation can ever see life through your eyes. No matter how similar in appearance and opinion; there will always be some little detail or other that is not seen the same way. The experience of life will not be identical for any two people. Realizing this fact, it may shift your perspective so that you notice how important your experience is. Your attention is sacred. It is priceless. It is unable to be duplicated, and it is temporary. It never existed previous to your arrival and will never again exist after this combination expires.

It's funny how often we run across a paradox when looking at things from a perspective of greater depth. Though our individual experiences are one of a kind, the fact that this is true for everyone makes the one time individual experience common place. This illustrates how being one of a kind actually makes us more alike than different. We have more in common than whatever differences exist.

For more, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

The Benefits of Death

Death really has a bad name. People hate, fear, and despise death. It's just one of those parts of life that isn't too popular. It's pretty obvious why. Death means the end.

So does death have any benefits? Yes. Death is a natural process and exists like everything else; with a purpose. It is actually part of life. It gives meaning to what we call living.

In speaking of death, not only am I referring to a person's time in their body being up; I'm also talking about every single time a person's identity is shattered. In reality this describes all death. Whether a person leaves their body or a person's ego is taken down by a major life change; it is still the end of a self identification; the end of an identity.

To illustrate; if a person loses their job, their spouse, or their arm; they have lost something that they identified with as part of themselves; as part of who they are. They have experienced a death in their ego. This is beneficial when taken with the right perspective. Many times it is a major life situation change that allows people to realize that they are not the story, but that they are what allows the story to be. They are not what has been lost, but the consciousness that observes the loss. Realizing this, the person may understand that if they are the consciousness and not what was lost; then no part of who they truly are was lost.

With every death, the walls of an identity are demolished, and the consciousness which believed the walls to be their home; that believed it was separate from everything else and that the walls defined it; is now able to feel connected to the whole. It's like an ice cube floating in water. All the while the ice cube and the water are one. It is not until the ice cube melts that the ice cube realizes it is completely one with the water.

The idea that death is the end is an illusion. It is a shift in our reality but it is not the end. It is only a transformation. It is a broadening of perspective and a reminder of our true essence.

Unbelievable

We often come across things in life that we label unbelievable. Usually not much attention goes into why we can consider anything "unbelievable."

For an good look at what causes us to perceive something and consider it to be surreal, check out this previous post: I Can't Believe It!!

Crimes of Passion

Broken hearts lead to crimes of passion. A person will lose their head and do something totally out of character because of a broken heart. A woman scorned, may break the windows out of her mate's car. A man betrayed, might attack his mate or her lover. But what is a broken heart? And what is it that possesses someone to loose their everyday composure and act so out of character?

'Heart' is often used as a synonym for the way a person feels at the core of their being. It goes beyond the calculating mind and refers more to the vibrational level of a person's consciousness. When a heart gets 'broken', it is warped or bent out of shape. It is disturbed from its usual way of being and thrown into a vast amount of pain and stress. You could say that a person with broken heart is a person who is in resistance to what is. They are in resistance to what ever the situation is with their mate.

Being in resistance to what is, is why people temporarily loose their sanity. The crime of passion occurs when the check list the ego has for well being is violated and the egoic mind goes into "stress mode;" effectively drowning out all logic to try and stop the pain felt by the bruised ego. It is as if a person becomes possessed in this moment by the concepts the ego is identified with. As as result, they may wonder, "What came over me?" or "What was I thinking?" after the fit of rage or sadness is over.

The thin line between love and hate only exists because there is a thin line between the true Self and the ego identity that we often think we are. To feel the love all the time in any situation is to shift from the perspective of the ego to the perspective of consciousness itself.

For more on this, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

The Way I Am

"I am," is a statement of power because of the truth it points to. "I am," is a statement of absolute truth for the person who utters it. It can not be denied by any one regardless of their beliefs or opinions.

If you attach anything after "I am," it will be a description of the inarguable truth. The description becomes a label or judgment of that truth because it is seen by a particular point of view. It becomes the way that "I am" as seen by the person describing it.

When a point of view is individualized, there can always be another point of view that differs because of their own individualized vantage point. For example; I can say, "I am a poor man." Another may look at me, and my life situation and see it much differently. They may say, "What are you talking about? You are a rich man." There is no difference in the fact that I am. There is only a difference perceived in the way I am.

When ever I hear people say, "That's the way I am," it is a great reminder that it is only one way to be or to look at the infinite amount of ways there are to be. It is a reminder for me that "the way" is always relative and what is absolute is "I am".

"I am" represents the objective ever present Observer. (See Who Are You and 'I' of the Beholder) The way I am represents the individualized perspective colored by the ego. Peace of mind is achieved by shifting perspective from ego identified views of the world to the vantage point of the Observer.

This Perspective is Priceless

The word priceless is a funny word. Priceless is defined as "having a value beyond any price; invaluable." Though the price of something is supposed to be a representation of its worth; if something is 'worthless', it is considered to be of little or no value. On the other hand, if something is 'priceless', it is considered to be of immeasurable value. In other words, there is no limit to the value, or the value is limited only by how much you appreciate it. In a way, this makes 'priceless' a word that can only be defined by the person using it.

It can literally mean both 'worthless' and 'infinitely precious', depending on the object being referred to and the perspective of the person using it. A person's life can be regarded as priceless.

The best things in life are free. When you take a good look at what these "best things in life" are, you will notice that they can all really be seen as the same thing. What is it? Perspective. And when you gain the perspective that I'm referring to, you will realize that not only is it free; but it is priceless.

The best thing in life is life. It takes the priceless perspective being constantly referred to here to fully realize this. When looked at through a warped view, life can be seen as worthless. As a result, there are people who commit suicide and people who kill others. When realizing the miracle of consciousness observing through your senses and animating your body, the infinite value of being here right now shines through like a million suns.

This perspective is so priceless, that it can affect every single situation and passing moment in your life. Perspective determines your experience of life. Life is experience. They can not be separated. A person has the ability to shift their perspective at any time. This means a person has the power to determine what their life is at any moment. All that is required is the attention to the moment and your perspective.

For more on perspective and how to fully realize the potential of this priceless perspective, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Blur the Lines

Lines are often looked at as a division amongst the things that we see. Because of our frame of reference and the perspective we are used to; our reality really does seem to be divided into several categories which can all be divided into several more.

When one shifts their perspective somewhat, it easy to see that lines of division (which are really all lines) can be seen as places where things meet; where everything connects.

To illustrate this; picture the horizon. This is (from our view point) a line that divides the earth and the sky. This very same line can be seen as the plane where the ground actually meets the sky. The ground and the atmosphere are actually all part of the planet Earth. They differ only in matter density which is merely the quantity and speed at which the energy that they are made of is moving. This is true of all division amongst matter. If we could see everything as the energy it is made of; the lines dividing them would be blurred tremendously.

At a quantum level, reality would look very different from the lines that we see in our everyday life. Talk about lines being blurred. When a person really looks, they can see how much more alike everything is than different. They can see how the lines can be blurred and how we are all connected.

I Love You

A statement that means the world to some people and means next to nothing to others, "I love you," has become as ambiguous as the word love is by itself. But, as many other things in life, a deeper meaning can be seen in these words if examined with the right perspective.

When a person stops and realizes that the way they see and feel about any and everybody they perceive is actually a reflection of themselves; it can give them a profound understanding of themselves and the way they operate. As stated in the post, Synonymous With Life; you, life, and your experience are indivisible. They are one in the same. This is further illustrated in the clip Holographic Universe, mentioned in a previous post, Keep It Real. It illustrates scientifically what sages and philosophers have been saying for thousands of years. This is the fact that all that is perceived outside exists within.

When you say, "I love you;" you are expressing the love you feel within yourself, even though you feel you are directing the feeling toward somebody else. When you love somebody you are loving yourself. Of course this is true with any interpretation, emotion, feeling, or conclusion you come to about anyone that you perceive. It all exists within you as the beholder. (See Eye of the Beholder).

You can not love another person unless you love yourself. "I love you," is practically a positive affirmation. It naturally feels good to give to yourself through another person. The other is a reflection of you. It is the same as saying, "I love me."

For more on this and other topics, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Only One Total Experience at a Time

Have you ever considered the fact that no matter who you are, you can only have one total experience at a time? This may sound kind of obvious, but it is really an amazing concept.

Even if you were a being that had the consciousness to experience multiple senses of perception and be aware of past, present, and future simultaneously; it would still only add up to one total experience for you.

The picture above is a good illustration of this. Of course, we could not effectively focus on all the screens at the same time; but if we could, it would still only be one total experience. Imagine each screen represents a full array of perception of the displayed area in its own right. In other words, it is a representation of you actually being in that location and being able to see, hear, feel, touch, and taste everything there. It would be a scaled down version of being omnipresent. And yet all of it being experienced by a single being is still only one experience all together.

To understand this concept is to understand why the present moment is so powerful. There can only be one present moment experienced at a time; no matter your perspective. Even if space and time can be transcended and all of eternity is but a moment; it will still be experienced as the present moment.

Do We Have A Choice?

Excerpt from the book, What Is Really Good?

Destiny and Free Will

There has been a millennia long running debate on man's free will verses destiny. It has been argued that man's free will is an illusion and that fate, destiny, or God’s plan can not be escaped. It has also been argued that man has absolute free will and can control his destiny.

A major supporting argument for man having the ability to forge his own fate is the nature verses nurture example. This deals with what influences the lives of mankind more:
• Nature - natural circumstances such as the genetic make up of people, preprogrammed instincts and characteristics passed down by DNA through ancestral lineage
or
• Nurture - as in environmental influences on people. This includes cultural influence, educational opportunity; basically all learned behavior

It has been proven that what a person is exposed to and adapts to, has a much greater influence over their lives than genetics alone. Therefore free will is what a person learns and applies.

On the other hand, one of the supporting arguments for free will being an illusion is that everything about our life is predetermined. We have no control over our genetic predisposition and over events that happen to us throughout our lives. We can not fully control our environments in the same way that we can’t control our genetic make up. From this, many conclude that we have no free will.

So which is it? Is it all predetermined from the moment we are conceived or do we have a real choice in the matter? The answer is a combination of both.

It is an absolute inarguable fact that we do not choose our genetic make up. It is also true that we do not choose many of the conditions and situations that arise in our lives. This is where acceptance of what is, is useful. We can, however, choose our environment. We can also choose what we allow to influence us. Even if you are incapable of relocating, your very perception and interpretation of it is all the choice you need to change your experience. This has already been illustrated in the first chapter. Two people can have the same situation with totally different experiences.

For more on this and other topics, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned.