Suicidal Thoughts

Ever had thoughts of wanting to wipe the slate clean and totally start over? I have. I never went as far as planning a way to do myself in, but if I were a video game, I would have wanted to hit the reset button.

I'm sure I can speak for anyone who has ever wanted to kill themselves, or at least had thoughts of erasing everything and starting fresh. This way of feeling and thinking is always brought on by a tremendous amount of stress (be it mental or physical).

The times I felt like this were years ago at this point, but I can easily remember what I was upset about and trying to avoid. I don't regret going through this depression stage because it played a role in bringing about an awakening within me. Since my shift in consciousness, I can see how and why this is a feeling more common to a whole lot of people than you may be lead to believe.

At the root of this urge to purge oneself of "life," lies a major paradox. You are life itself and will never die. You can move on past this physical world but will still live. So how can you "kill" yourself? You can't. You are only trying to kill your current situation.

Think about it. Who really wants to die? The ego. The identity you have adopted as yourself is in a huge amount of stress. Once separated from the identity, relief is experienced. Who wants relief from the identity? You do. The real you.

It really is like there are two people there. The phrase, "I hate myself," implies a 'hater' and a 'hatee', so to speak. To be unhappy with yourself/life situation is to be a house divided against itself. The solution is to become whole again. But how?

You can die while still living and gain even more life in the process! Sounds like another paradox, but it's true. Allowing yourself to become more aware of the part of you that is the eternal observer, will bring balance to your perspective. There is the part of you that cares so much about the stressful situations (ego identity) and there's the part of you that is good either way and just observes. Allowing yourself to simply, objectively, observe your ego identity and it's drama, you will watch that part of you die. It will start to seem less and less important and less of who you are. It will lose all power and you will regain it.

Killing your body is a waste of time. You will continue on and have to overcome the same tests that drove you to it in the first place. Killing the attachments that cause you stress will achieve all the relief you desire plus so much more! Meditate on theses words and suicide will never seem logical again.

Related posts:

• Why So Serious?
• Attachment and Identity
• Ego Trippin'
  

Just a Matter of Perspective

Ever thought about how 'perspective' and 'awareness' are two completely different aspects of our consciousness? They are tied together in our minds because one can not exist without the other. Because they can't exist without each other, they are indivisible, or one in the same. This is clearly a paradox since they are indeed different.

'Awareness' exists before 'perspective' can be formed. Awareness is the very sense of being that allows us to observe the outside world, and the inner world as well. Though 'awareness' comes before 'perspective', it will take the defining factors that 'perspective' brings to make any sense of 'awareness'. Or more simply stated, one doesn't make sense without the other.

I mention the difference because I've noticed that no matter how your perspective may change or shift; your awareness always remains the same in nature, only growing in degrees of intensity. You have the same awareness that you had when you were an infant. It is only the focus of this awareness and the perspective that have shifted. Who you think you are is all 'perspective'. Then there is the 'awareness' that gives this perspective life.

It is amazing how radically our perspective can shift while maintaining the same force of awareness. Some great movie plots illustrating this are "Face Off (1997)," " District 9 (2009)," and "Avatar (2009)." In all three films, main characters shift appearance and perspective greatly while remaining the same awareness. With almost 180 degree turns in seeing themselves and everything else, how else can you explain still being the same person? Though these are just movies, people in real life are able to change just as dramatically by way of changing who they 'think' they are!

When people talk about ego identity, they are referring to this 'perspective'. I've realized that 'ego' is indivisible from 'awareness.' When people speak of the ego as the part of us to be transcended so that we may experience the peace that is always with us, they are speaking of the small 'perspective' of being solely an individual. When this concept is transcended, there is still an ego. There is still a broader 'perspective.' The difference is that it is a perspective of wholeness, or oneness. If you are aware of this perspective, you have not discarded the ego, but matured and purified it.

Everything is literally a matter of perspective! And remembering that we are the unchanging (in nature) awareness that gives light to all perspectives, is a very powerful alley and brings balance to all perspective.

Become aware of your perspective on everything!

Related posts:

• The Evolution Revolution
• Attachment and Identity
• Ego Trippin'
  

Life Is Open To Interpretation

I'm sure that everyone can agree that the way a person feels throughout life is what actually determines their experience of life. What a person is exposed to and observes is not nearly as important as how they interpret what they observe. It is the interpretation that will determine the experience of life.

Just as two women can observe a man and have completely different opinions of him and why they do or do not like him; life is open to interpretation. With the right perspective you may make everything in life aid in your experience of a 'good' life.

When you take a good look at yourself, and trace to the source, what it is that dictates how you interpret life situations; you will see that it is a collection of ideas and concepts identified with by your ego. In other words, the part of your psyche that determines your identity is identified with these ideas and concepts just as much, if not more, than you as an individual.

To make this easier to understand; the ego is like a checklist of pros and cons. The ideas of good things happening to us are on the ego's pros list. The ideas of bad things happening to us are on the ego's cons list. It is always directing the mind to stick to the boundaries of theses lists. When things are adding up on the cons list; stress is experienced. When things are stacking up on the pros list; pleasure is the result.

If it were possible to scrap theses lists and have no boundaries for interpreting your life experience; what do you think would be the result? If there is no more good and bad, then what is left?

One thing is for sure. You will no longer suffer from self inflicted stress (which is over 98% of all stress). You would also live more in the present moment because worrying about that checklist no longer takes up so much of your attention and energy.

There are so many possibilities in life. It is the way we choose to interpret our situations that determine our experience. Since we have a choice; let us choose the path of least resistance to life. In other words, accept life. Adapt to life and it will become your greatest friend.

Awakening Relapse

After awakening from the control of the ego mind and feeling the freedom of tranquil vitality that is our true nature, a person can assume that there is no going back under the spell of the ego. I, myself, believed this to be true. I was not happy to find out I was mistaken.

On the other hand, I am truly grateful for the experience of a relapse back into the murky depths of the primitive ego mind. Even in the rage of a lost temper, I realized that I was being possessed by my 'lower self.' I could still look at my behavior objectively. I could still see myself from the vantage point of the Observer.

One of the reasons I am grateful for this experience is that a mood like that would have stayed with me a lot longer previous to my awakening shift. I also would have been completely enveloped in it as opposed to seeing it for what it really was; resistance to what is, simply running it's course. Shining the light of consciousness on any resistance to life situations weakens and transforms the resistance. What is left is acceptance and adaptation to the situation.

When we realize that unlearning a lifetime of behavior patterns through being aware and conscious of our higher Self happens extremely quickly, a relapse is not really a big deal. It can actually be more of a re-affirmation of what we know to be true and a chance to study the ego with more experienced eyes. It also helps to insure that a relapse of that nature will never happen again because whatever triggered it has been fully accepted and made peace with.

They say, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and I agree. Every step is a step forward, even if it seems like a slip up. The evolution of consciousness is always in action.

Related posts:

• The Evolution of Consciousness
• Every Little Step...
  

Death and Heaven

Many people through out mankind's history have speculated on the afterlife. There are many religions and cultures that place a tremendous value on the eternal afterlife of man kind. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife is irrelevant to this discussion. Your beliefs, or lack there of, in such things does not contradict or nullify what we are speaking of here. This message is all inclusive.

Whether or not there is an unseen kingdom of heaven in the clouds is not within the realm of our current knowledge to totally prove or disprove. What is infinitely more important is the life and experience we have in the present moment; right here, right now.

Believe it or not, heaven can be attained on earth. Heaven can be attained in your very life right now. Even so, you must first die to enter this heaven. How can this be? What am I talking about? I am referring to a major shift in your perspective.

All death can be considered the ending of an identity. Death in the traditional sense is not the end of life, but only a change in location of your perspective. It is the transformation of your identity. The death that I am referring to is not the end of your life here in this physical realm. It is the death of the grip the ego identity may have on you right now. Every time an attachment is broken, a little death takes place. It is a death in the ego. It is the releasing of a bond that was formerly part of your identity.

When your ego has died to the point of being able to see past it; when it has been weakened enough that your perspective is able to shift from it to that of the objective Observer, you will be able to enter heaven.

What is this heaven? It is exactly what your definition of heaven would be. In the traditional definition of heaven, there is no pain or suffering. There is only the good life. Realizing that we as individuals can control the source of pain and suffering in our own lives gives us the ability to eliminate it. Becoming the master over your ego mind can give you the freedom to enter heaven at any given time.

Related posts:

• Heaven or Hell
• The Benefits of Death
• This Perspective is Priceless
• You Can Be Right, Or You Can Be Happy

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!

You Are the World

It is truly amazing how every single individual has a different perspective of the world. Even people who have an incredible amount of similarities in their points of view will not agree on 100% of their interpretations of the world. This is all because of our individualized identities. It is because of what concepts and ideas we feel are part of who we are.

On the other hand; it is equally amazing how people of all walks of life, different backgrounds, different social and economic classes, and so on; can transcend the individualistic point of view and see the world in more of the same light than people who might appear to have more in common with their material selves. When anyone is able to see the world without looking through the warped perspective of their ego, they can start to see how much more vast everyone's similarities are than the differences that appear on the surface. A tremendous amount of depth is added to reality.


It maybe realized that the world we have become accustomed to is really an illusion and that we are the ones who keep it real. We reinforce the illusion with our egoic perspective. Here are a few quotes by very "different" people who transcended the traditional egoic point of view.

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." ~Albert Einstein

"The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing." ~ John Muir

"When there is no place that you have decided to call your own, then no matter where you go, you are always heading home." ~ Muso Soseki

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." ~ Helen Keller

"If you understand, things are just as they are... If you do not understand, things are just as they are." ~ Zen Saying

Science is already starting to prove that our entire world or universe, for that matter, is created with in us. Don't take my word for it. Do some search engine research yourself. Nothing exists independently of intelligent observation. Realizing the depth of truth in these concepts; one must realize that they are their entire world. I am the world. You are the world.

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

Ego Trippin'

Before a person comes to realize what their ego is and how and why it works; it can be difficult to distinguish themselves from it. It is the strange task of trying to see who or what you are beyond who you think you are; beyond your known identity.

For some great illustrations and insight on what the ego is and how it works, check out theses previous posts. They can give you practical examples of your ego in action in your life. Once you are aware of it; it loses a significant amount of power. This is half the battle.

10 great posts on the ego and it's perspective.

• I Can't Believe It!
• You Can Be Right or You Can Be Happy
• Why So Serious?
• Who Are You?
• Who Are You? [Part II]
• Dogma
• You Scared? Have No Fear
• Shatter Proof
• 'I' of the Beholder
• Either Master or Slave

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

You Scared? Have No Fear

Fear, pain, and stress are almost synonymous. They are all resistance to what reality is right now. They are all ways for us to interpret the experience we are having in that moment as something that should not be. They are all defensive modes of being that are actually there to protect us. Think about it yourself. Don't take my word for it.

Think about you own experience of fear. What is it really? What does it come from? What is the relationship with pain? What is the relationship to stress?

Here is an excerpt from What Is Really Good? on the topic:
The root of all stress is fear. Of course fear is a survival instinct. It is imprinted on the design of your ego (your sense of 'I') to motivate you to take protective action.

This is true for both physical and mental stress. Physical stress is
physical pain; subtle or blatant. It is a signal that something is wrong and to remove yourself from the situation. Mental stress is mental pain; subtle or blatant. It is a signal that the situation does not meet the ego's definition of well being. In both cases fear is the motivating factor that brings the signal of stress/pain.

Physical fear is always short lived and only comes from a direct physical threat. Mental fear is the real issue. It is at times mistaken for physical fear and it is actually over 99% of the fear you experience. The fear produced by your mind attempting to keep the ego and its many identifications in a state of well being is produced at disproportionate and dysfunctional levels.

Fear is supposed to keep us safe. Problem is, it has gone way past doing for us what it does for the animals. A wild animal gets scared; they fight or take flight. Then it is complete. A person fears about the future and stresses about the past. A person holds on to fear like a ball and chain.

Ironically, the fact that the animal doesn't hold on to the fear after the cause of it, is the same reason that we are so much more advanced. Their minds can not hold the ideas and concepts that ours can. As a result, their egos can not identify with ideas as ours can. Their only sense of identity is their physical selves and maybe offspring. Our egoic identity spreads as far as our concepts and ideas can take us. My stuff, my money, my house, my country, my business, etc. Our fear is magnified by the identifications.

To live without fear; live without stress; and minimize all physical pain is not as far off as you might think. As a matter of fact, you hold the key right now. It just needs some attention.

Learn how to be free of all fear. Read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

Why So Serious?

Though it's one of the best lines of this past summer's blockbuster movie, "The Dark Knight;" "Why so serious," is also a really good question that most people might like to ask themselves.

Why do we take certain things so seriously? What is it about those particular topics that gets us so worked up and stressed out?

A lot of times we can take a step back and say to ourselves, "Is it really that serious?" or even know right from the jump that, "It's not that serious."

So really; why so serious? If you look at your own 'serious' reactions and those of others you know; you will see that it is always the things that people are ego identified with that brings the stress into the picture. In other words, it’s always a concept or idea that has become part of that person's identity which raises all the hell for them.

To illustrate this; everything that Tim considers his, is what he is ego identified with. His car, his house, his job, his wife, his bills, his retirement fund, etc. If anyone of these things is lost, comes into jeopardy, or is even slightly threatened; Tim's very identity comes under fire. Why so serious, Tim?

This just goes to show you the power the ego has over our minds until we are totally aware of it. Once we start operating above the ego, our minds are free. We are free to be sharper and more intuitive. We are even free to cultivate and protect what we know to be ours. The difference is that the chains of stress and the burden of bondage and attachment will no longer bog us down.

Life is no where near as serious as the ego makes it out to be. As a matter of fact, that seriousness is only a mental construct fueled by the ego. It does not really exist except in your head!

Life is meant to be lived. If there is anything at all stressing you right now; think about what's good right now. You may see that the source of the stress is but a thought and that it's really not that serious.

To find out how to chill out and let the stress go; stay tuned to the blog and read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

I Can't Believe It!!

'I can't believe it,' is one of those phrases that we all are quite familiar with. Ever thought about why we say it? I mean, ever wonder what really causes disbelief?

To figure that one out; we have to take a look at what a belief is. What is it really to believe? Webster-dictionary.net defines believe as: To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine.

So in order to believe something; we have to take somebody else's word for it. A belief is something that a person has been persuaded to take as truth. It has nothing to do with first hand knowledge or experience. To know something and to believe something are altogether entirely different.

To believe requires the mind. It requires the super advanced computer of intellect to weigh the evidence presented and make a judgment call. Trouble with this is; the mind is usually under control of the primitive ego. The ego identifies with beliefs making them part of your identity. So many people have made part of their identity something that is not part of their true life experience.

The egoic mind is not involved with raw experience. It is not involved with true knowledge. You gain true knowledge through raw experience. It is the egoic mind that then interprets this experience. To illustrate this; notice the weather. You can see a weather forecast and choose to believe it or not. That is a judgment call on your mind's behalf. When you go outside; it is not your mind that tells you it is hot and hazy out there. It is the pure sensory experience. This is true knowledge. Nobody can convince you otherwise because it is first hand experience.

So what about 'not believing it'? When people say that they, "can't believe it;" they are speaking the pure truth. Notice than when people can't believe something; it is usually a first hand experience. If it is not first hand, it is from a source that is known to be factual. The reason this phrase stands up to its literal meaning is; if you experience something, you do not have to believe it. You know it. Belief only gets in the way at that point.

When people can not believe something; they have the experience of something that their mind did not expect. Once again; belief is in the mind. This could be something they think is extremely good. It could be something thought of as horrible. Nevertheless, it is an experience that surpasses all expectations of the egoic mind.

'I can't believe it,' is a phrase of that confirms that we are more than our minds. We have perception and experience that can leave the mind behind. The mind is a tool used for making judgments, after all. Without our perceptual abilities; there would be nothing to judge.

Do you believe me? It does not matter. I do not want to persuade or convince you of anything. I want you to see for yourself. It is the only way to truly know.

For a more in depth explanation of these concepts; read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned to this blog.

Dogma

What is dogma? Wikipedia defines dogma as the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization, thought to be authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from.

Dogma exists and thrives because most people personally identify with their beliefs. In other words; these beliefs become their identity. The ego attaches the same or even greater value than your physical life, to these beliefs.

More people than ever are awakening their consciousness; but dogma is still a real issue among most. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you know one or several people that will not even investigate or entertain the thought of anything that deviates from their beliefs.

The vast truth of their beings, of which they really are; is being overlooked. The person they think they are is being challenged. This ego identity does not want to let go of them. It is threatened because when they really start to see who they are and how it makes the former person they thought they were incomparable to their true essence; the ego is gone. In the time this awareness is held; the ego can not exist.

Dogma is the ego’s way of blindly grabbing hold to an identity for dear life. It is the opposite of using your own sense of perception to come to a conclusion. It is a path of denial of one’s true self.

Forget about what you heard. Belief is not required to know something. Belief is required to trust in someone else's conclusion or interpretetation of reality. This includes what I am saying as well. It is always up to you to put the information to the test. Apply the concepts to see if they hold any weight. It’s not about what you heard. It's about what you feel.

Stay tuned!