Stuff

It's been a few weeks since I last posted. It's funny how relative time really is. From one standpoint, it seems like a period where nothing much at all happened. From another, it was a time of rapid growth and change. Both are incredibly accurate.

During the time away from the blog, I moved. You know, changing residences. There's no better way to see how much stuff (earthly possessions) we have than having to relocate everything.

I have moved plenty of times in the past, but this time it was different. The shift in my perspective allowed me to see how strange it really is to hold on to so much stuff in the first place. It is a perfect illustration of how the ego mind works. Every single thing we own can be considered a thought that our ego identifies with.

I have moved a few times in the past, taking things with me that no longer served me. They were just taking up space. The funny thing is, I kept bringing them from residence to residence until I became aware enough to recognize I was attached to stuff that did not serve me. More than not doing anything for me, it was bogging me down, or causing unnecessary clutter. The same is true for many of the thoughts and concepts that bog us down and clutter our minds. And they can be eliminated in much the same way. By becoming aware that they do not serve us, we can easier dis-identify with outdated and stress causing perspectives.

Here is a classic bit (and hilarious too) on "Stuff," by George Carlin.

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

Are Your Lights On?

Are your lights on?

This is not a literal question, but abstractly it may be considered one. It does not refer to the lights in your house or the headlights on your car being illuminated. It is referring to your sense of awareness.

The question itself is a reminder and can be used as a tool to direct your attention to your awareness in general. Noticing your awareness you can determine if you are aware of anything at all, and if so, what your awareness is focused on. The answer points to your awareness, and this alone forces you to take notice or become aware of your awareness. This is, in my definition, consciousness or self awareness.

The moment you are aware of your awareness, it is as if you are looking in opposite directions at the same time. You are looking out at the world or wherever your initial sense of focus is, and you are simultaneously looking in at yourself and the amazing phenomenon that is consciousness. You are observing yourself be the observer.

It is from this type of perspective that we may become aware of ourselves separate from the everyday identity that we at times confuse ourselves with. In other words, we may see our selves through the eyes of the Self and recognize that we are more than any attributes of our ego identity. It is from this perspective that we may separate ourselves from our thought and still the mind from it's constant thought processes. It is from this perspective that we may feel the underlying stillness, peace, and joy that is often covered by the ego mind which fuels the mind chatter and the resulting self induced stress.

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

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!

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!

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!

Either Master or Slave

If someone takes a good look at how their mind works; the inner conversations they have with themselves; they might ask themselves some common questions. Who is the master? Who is in charge? Who is in control? It is obvious that we have more than one thought process or way of seeing life. If not, we would never have a doubt, or be conflicted about anything.


So which one of these voices is the one that you feel? This is the one that determines your experience. Even if you do not act on this voice; the fact that you feel and identify with it, colors the way you see life in that situation. The voice that you feel is the master. This perspective has control.


So how do you know if the voice that has control is really you? Being that there is more than one voice; how do you know you are the master, and not just a slave to this voice? It all comes down to the way you feel.


If you've ever felt a way you did not choose to feel; you have been a slave to that emotion. If you have ever been depressed, heart broken, or stressed out in any kind of way; you have been a slave. If you are the slave in this case; who is the master? The ego. (Check 'I' of the Beholder) It is the limited perspective of the ego and the ideas it is identified with that bring all the feelings of stress.


To become the master over the ego is as simple as becoming present. It is a choice that can only be made in the present moment and is a choice that is made constantly. When you are the master; the voices have been quieted. There is no longer an inner debate. There is no stress or unease. There is only peace and joy.


Read WhatIs Really Good? and stay tuned!

You Can Be Right, Or You Can Be Happy

A long time ago, two brothers who were very close had a big fall out. They were only a year apart and grew up together sharing all kinds of experiences together. The reason for the big falling out was over lifestyle choices when they got older. One just could not tolerate how the other chose to live. As a result, they did not speak for at least 25 years. Fortunately, they were able to put the issue behind them and become close again.

Both brothers missed years of each other’s lives. The one who did not approve of the other's choices actually held a grudge against his brother. He became a sore topic if ever brought up by other family members. He actually became very mad whenever he thought about him.

Have you ever had a difference of opinion with anyone close to you? If so, maybe you can relate. "You can be right or you can be happy," is another old saying of everyday wisdom.

At the end of the day, what determines your life is your experience. Many times being right will not make your experience better; but worse. How valuable is being right in that case? Being right is what the egoic mind is identified with. It actually becomes part of one's identity.

Some people will put being right over their very lives. "I'll die for my chain," or "I'll kill if I'm disrespected." Being right is really not that serious. The ego has poor perspective and makes big deals out of minor things.

Happiness is a mere thought away. Being happy is to be without the egoic mind. It is freedom from an often irrational list of demands for the ego's well being. This list usually always causes resistance to what is and causes unnecessary stress.

The choice is always yours. You can be right or you can be happy.

Read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!

'I' of the Beholder

When we talk about ourselves; we usually refer to ourselves in the first person as 'I'. When you really stop and look at it; there is more than one perspective of 'I'.

We have spoken of the significance of the eye of the beholder. But to go a little deeper; the eye of the beholder is a combination of 'I's. It is the 'I' of the ever present observer. It is also the 'I' of the egoic mind.

The 'I' of the observer is the first 'I'. It is the awareness of reality before you are able to label or judge the experience. It is alertness. It is attention. It is conscious intelligence without identity.

The 'I' of the ego is the secondary 'I'. It is the identity created by the ego. It is second because you must first experience reality before the ego has anything to react to. It is what allows you to form an opinion of a situation. It determines whether your experience is considered good or bad. It is the list of things required for well being that the ego identifies with. It is the 'I' that adds the story to the fact of what happened.

Most people identify with the secondary self; the egoic self; for the majority of their life experience. A lot of people never seriously ask themselves the question, “Who am I?”

People suffer because they mistake themselves for their thoughts. It is the egoic mind that is the root of all stress. It causes stress by resisting reality as it decides what is happening is wrong.

When you can feel the isness of the moment without the commentary from the egoic mind; you are feeling your presence as the true 'I' of the beholder.

To find out more 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.