Unsolvable Illusions?

by Beca Lewis -

Once in a while it hits me. Life is simple, we make it complicated, and then I forget, and make it complicated again. But in those brief shining moments it is brilliantly evident that what we know and experience is all perception and that the answer to everything lies in this premise. The problem, of course, is not only do we forget this simple fact, but also that there are those whose desire is to manipulate or confuse us, and we forget that too.

My sister sent me a math riddle that appeared freaky and impossible. I couldn’t figure it out until I did what I remind myself to always do, “Shift your perception, and begin with a different premise.” When I did that, the answer was obvious. The intention of the riddle was to confuse. It started with a perfectly logical premise and one that was easy to accept. But in that premise there was no answer - ever - because the premise began with an error.

When I shifted my premise, the answer was immediately evident.

The worldview is exactly like that. It begins with a premise that appears perfectly logical. It’s a premise that we easily accept. In fact, our five senses tell us that it’s true. Within that premise we search and search for answers. We read books, talk to friends, get counseling, let it go, have faith – but none of these methods provide an answer that works for long because they begin with a premise that is an illusion. There will never, ever, be a correct answer to an illusion.

When we begin with the correct premise, the answer is easy.

I was working on some writing that required me to copy what I had written on one piece of paper to another. I copied and pasted and saw nothing. In the past I would have assumed that I didn’t copy and paste correctly. I would have spent some time being confused and probably irritated at the problem.

This time I paused. I started with the premise that I had copied and pasted correctly. I highlighted the area on the page that I had pasted into and chose black for the text. “Magically” it appeared. It was always there. It was simply that I had pasted white to white so it was invisible to my eyes.

During a rescue attempt in the first Star Trek Episode, “The Menagerie,” the crew tries to blast through a mountain with their phasers. Nothing happens, so they attempt many other means of rescue without success. Finally, Spock and Captain Kirk realize that the Talosians, the inhabitants of the planet, are masters at creating illusions. Kirk and Spock begin again with the correct premise that their phasers DO work. Without additional effort, the illusion of the untouched mountain dissolves revealing the hole in the mountain that had been there all along.

It’s that simple really. The premise determines what we perceive as the outcome. What premise do we begin with when attempting to discover an answer or dissolve a problem? If we begin with the premise that the worldview is correct, and that our senses report the truth, we will never see the Truth and what is already present.

It is a lot less work to begin with the correct premise and let it reveal the answer than it is to try and make something work inside of an illusion. The great teacher Christ Jesus has told us all, “Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.” Hum. Doesn’t that sound like the idea if we begin with the Truth – the correct premise – that it dissolves the prison of the worldview, without effort?

The effort belongs to the shift of perception. The effort belongs to the letting go of false premises. The effort belongs to giving up personal preferences and ego. Once that is done, the work is over and what already is in abundance is ours to be and enjoy. Let’s celebrate together that the illusion has been revealed and all that is asked of us is to let it go and live in Truth.

theshift.com

In and Between Two Worlds

The Great Balancing Act:

by Guy Finley -

I receive many questions concerning how to achieve a proper balance between physical and spiritual longings; how much time should be spent working on one's higher, interior life, versus running around and doing what life demands as a result of being in this world. For those of you who want to learn a little more from a different perspective on this question, here are some thoughts to ponder.

Life, in the broadest sense of it, both spiritually and materially, is an expression of an eternal descending and ascending set of forces: "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"--the principle of expansion and contraction, light and darkness, ascending and descending archetype ideas then brought into physical creation. The descending forces are what give rise to creation as it "falls" from one level into another, constantly dividing. This is the force of manifestation, and it moves from within to without.

It is what essentially "does" in the man, with him just identifying with its movement and--in a matter speaking--choosing what this energy will manifest itself into through whatever his immediate environment and conditioning dictate. This force (in conjunction with unconscious imagination) promises completion through whatever is subjectively created. Of course such "completion" is impossible because the force itself is a divisive one, providing only temporary satisfaction, at best. What this means is that, as a rule, sleeping man is always identified with this exteriorized sense of himself, and has virtually no awareness of his interior life and, accordingly, the ascending force within it. (Think of the prodigal son as an expression of these two forces acting within and upon one being.)

The task of the individual who would awaken is to be present to both of these forces at once; he needs to be aware of his interior life and its native longing to ascend, to return home; as Whitman would say, "the central urge of every atom to return to its source."

In order to be present in this way -- to this eternal presence that expresses itself through these twin forces -- one's attention must be properly divided between the world of a descending will that always wants to go--do--pursue, manifest in some way -- and the world within him that is capable of being aware of this movement, and that remains present to itself within itself rather than becoming caught up in the sensation of being identified with some new creation.

So you see it's not a question of doing or not doing, but of placing one's attention and awareness within that presence that doesn't "try" to balance one's life according to some idealized spiritual state; it (this presence) is perfect creative balance itself.

One must work. We are created to create; but when we create for the sake of producing any sense of self-formulated identity, we create in vain and suffer the inevitable consequences of seeing the truth of it.

guyfinleynow.org

Consciously Choosing Love

Love is often presented as the opposite of fear but true love is not opposite anything. True love is far more powerful than any negative emotions, as it is the environment in which all things arise. Negative emotions are like sharks swimming in the ocean of love.

All things beautiful and fearful, ugly and kind, powerful and small, come into existence, do their thing, and disappear within the context of this great ocean. At the same time, they are made of the very love in which they swim and can never be separated. We are made of this love and live our whole lives at one with it, whether we know it or not.

It is only the illusion that we are separate from this great love that causes us to believe that choosing anything other than love makes sense or is even possible. In the relative, dualistic world of positive and negative, darkness and light, male and female, we make choices and we learn from them.

This is exactly what we are meant to be doing here on earth. Underlying these relative choices, though, is the choice to be conscious of what we are, which is love or to be unconscious of it. When we choose to be conscious of it, we choose love.

We will still exist in the relative world of opposites and choices and cause and effect, and we will need to make our way here, but doing so with an awareness that we are all made of this love will enable us to be more playful, more joyful, more loving and wise, as we make our way. Ultimately, the choices we make will shed light on the love that makes us all one, enabling those who have forgotten to return to the source.

This world makes it easy to forget this great love, which is part of why we are here. We are here to remember and when we forget to remember again, to choose love.

dailyom.com



♥Angel Love♥

You Gotta Have Heart!

Attract the flow of love.

by Deborah King -

The heart is the central organ in the body, the life giver. A heart that is closed to minimize pain can become the catalyst for illness. Many people who show up in my office with angina, arteriosclerosis, or other conditions related to the fourth chakra have unknowingly shut down their hearts to protect themselves. They may not remember when or how they shut down, but the price they pay is high.

As I slowly healed from an upbringing that wrenched my heart and almost destroyed my ability to love, I realized that I had to develop a new capacity. I began to test and explore the strength of my heart by unabashedly exposing it to the changes and growth playing out in my life. I regularly “took inventory” of my heart chakra to stay conscious about remaining open to loving and being loved.

If you are not attracting love into your life, you might ask yourself if your heart is truly open to love or if you are harboring and feeding old hurts. Taking personal inventory is a powerful way to see if your heart is open or closed.

Sit quietly with yourself and ask:

* What am I feeling?
* Where am I hurting?
* How am I holding love back?
* Why am I withholding love?
* Could I be more loving to others and myself?
* Do I think I need to be perfect to be loved?
* How could I love myself just as I am?
* What does self-acceptance look like to me?
* Have I isolated myself from others?
* Do I lack empathy or am I afraid of intimacy?
* Am I excessively drawn to others, in need of their approval and their love?
* Am I co-dependent, giving too much attention to the needs of others and not enough to my own?
* Am I enough now? If not, when will I be enough?

These explorations can help us evaluate imbalances in the fourth energy center. As we come to know ourselves better, the answers to these questions can help us know when, where, and how our hearts need healing.

Real love is an emotion of truth. Love has the power to heal all the wounds we may have suffered—if we allow it to flow.

healyourlife.com

The Heart of Unconditional Love

by Harold W. Becker -

From the laughter of children at play to the golden rays of the sun beaming through the sky at sunset, the eternal song of love permeates all creation. Each beat of our heart pulses to this rhythm in a majestic and graceful dance connecting us to everyone and everything. Life is magnificent when we quiet our outer selves and become fully present and aware of our own loving essence.

To know this grander love is to go beyond the sensation of a first kiss or a mother's tender touch in time of need. Although these extraordinary expressions reveal the existence of love, there is so much more. This universal love is unconditional and its very presence ignites our passion and our compassion. It breathes life into our being and sustains us. It encourages and illuminates the infinite possibilities while simultaneously providing all that we require to be alive.

It is our heart center that gently nudges us to know and express love in all that we are. However this does not always come easily. Through eons of time, the conditioning by our mind to seek logic and reasoning in our daily affairs has left little trust in the wisdom of the heart. Learning to once again cultivate our intuition, be intimate with our own unique understanding of love, and to feel this love deeply, takes both courage and strength.

Unconditional love is our consistent source of nurturing, inspiration and potential. Interestingly, we often seek the beauty of nature for its extraordinary ability to be in constant change while ever expressing its interconnected uniqueness. This is what captivates and also reminds us of our own innate capacity to do the same. Nature has the ability to cycle, recycle, adapt, reclaim and reinvent itself over and over by simply fulfilling its distinctive purpose with love for all.

When we allow unconditional love to be our personal guiding intention, our energy flows in the same manner. We stay present in the moment and share our love without reservation or hesitation. We change, evolve, expand and express our creativity in new ways ensuring that it benefits the whole. In this way, life itself evolves through each of us. You are the heart of unconditional love. What you choose, we all experience.

thelovefoundation.com

Supportive Grounding

by Ann Albers -

Message from the Angels:

My dear friends, we love you so very much. Allow yourselves to breathe deeply and relax dear ones. There is so much impatience, and so much fear running rampant these days. If you are not impatient and fearful, thank the heavens, but others are, and you have to deal with them. When you must do so, do so with great care for they are in need of love.

When you are around others who are all worked up, rather than stepping into their chaotic energy, breathe deeply, remember God is with you, and ask them to slow down and breathe as well. It is ok to say to someone in a soothing and caring voice, "You seem so stressed right now. Breathe, I am listening." This simple show of care often helps another realize that they are not alone, that they are cared for, that someone understands their situation.

If you are in a fearful or impatient state, slow down, sit still, breathe. So many of you feel so alone, and yet God gave you everything on this earth that you need to comfort you, to reassure you, and to relax you. Sit on the ground, and feel the nurturing presence of mother earth herself. She gives you life. She feeds you. She sustains the oxygen you breathe. Sit quietly upon the earth and imagine you can connect with her. Say to her in your heart, "Mother earth, it is me, one of your children. I am scared. I am stressed. I am impatient. I need a hug right now." And then shut your eyes and allow her energy to reach up around you, blanket you, and comfort you.

Earth has a living consciousness that is aware of each and every one of you, much as your body is aware of each and every cell that comprises its totality. She appreciates your care and concern. She celebrates your desires to be 'greener' and take better care of her physical presence, but like a good mother, she wishes to GIVE to you, to comfort you, and to love you. And all she asks in return is that you receive with gratitude and treat her other children with respect.

Sit quietly upon your earth. Feel her love and comfort. It is this grounding that you are seeking now as the energies of your planet continue to amplify. Earth will absorb your pain and, with simply a little gratitude on your part, she will transmute it to love. When you are upset turn your palms to the ground and breathe, and with each exhale release the energy into the earth. Cry in your mother's arms when you are sad. Give her your concerns. And do not forget to thank her for all she does, for mother earth has allowed humanity for centuries to take her for granted, to fight upon her, to violate one another and her very body. All she wants, like any mother, is for her children to receive her love, and to get along better with one another.

Receive dear ones. You are all in need of comfort, grounding, and feeling supported right now. The earth under your feet is always willing to share this with you. She wants you to see her beauty which reflects your own. She wants you to taste her bounty. She wants you to know the abundance of God's love as it is given to you through the richness of her creation. This is according to God's grand design. You are never without love from the heavens, and you are always able to tap into God's great love through the love of his creation - your dear Mother Earth.

visionsofheaven.com

The Journey of Clarity

by Jennifer Hoffman -

Most of us would define ourselves as mature adults, usually in control of our emotions. Then something happens and we surprise ourselves at how quickly and thoroughly we can fall apart, our emotions scrambled, feeling so out of control that we wonder whether we will ever be normal again. How did we go from feeling mature and in control to immature and out of control? The answer lies in whether we are spiritually or emotionally mature and how we ground that energy in our life.

Many clients ask me why their lessons are so challenging. My response is that it appears that way because the most challenging lessons always involve something that really matters to us. We notice the issues that put us face to face with every fear, doubt, insecurity, and emotion that we have kept hidden. Why can’t we be mature, calm and objective in these situations? We can if we are acting from our spiritual maturity instead of trying to control our emotions and justify our experiences through them.

Without the knowledge, confidence and support that we get from spirit we rely on our ego’s maturity level to get us through whatever we are facing. And its maturity level is at the first trauma we experienced in our life, plus all of the emotional baggage we carry. Since every issue we face is an opportunity to heal our emotional wounds and to bring us into spiritual maturity, no wonder we get stuck, overwhelmed and feel out of control. We’re looking at the problem from its ego perspective instead of moving into a higher one. The clarity we seek and maturity we need come from spirit, not from the ego.

Clarity takes on a whole new meaning with spiritual maturity because we are not looking for validation or confirmation of our worthiness, our intention is on healing and we are open to the truth in whatever way it is presented to us. With spiritual maturity we can ask ‘what is next’ instead of the ‘why is this happening to me’ and use the answers we receive to complete that level of growth and healing. With clarity we have the truth we need, although not necessarily the answers the ego wants. But with truth and clarity we can complete our lessons and move into more joyful, peaceful, loving, mature and controlled living.

Uriel’s Message – Forgive Generously

Giving forgiveness to others is what allows you to release them and you from your souls’ shared karmic journey. This is more than an optional step on your journey, it is required for you to move from karma to creation, from the path of destiny into your role of co-creator with the Universe. Without forgiveness you are blocked from receiving the fullness of the divine guidance, blessings, support and grace that allow for joyful, effortless living. That is why you should apply forgiveness generously, fully and completely to everyone.

So often that which you must forgive has been the source of great pain, coming from those who have wounded you to the depths of your soul. You struggle with what they have done, try to understand their reasons and motivations, and wonder why they can be so cruel. You question whether you can forgive them and their actions as you feel this is a form of approval or acceptance. But you think this way because you have a limited awareness of your journey with them.

You are asked to forgive so that you can end karma and what you know of others through your pain is where you are the receiver. In other lifetimes you have been the one who caused pain, consciously or unconsciously, and what you are receiving is the other side of this cycle. The cycle repeats because everyone is reliving what has been done, again and again, over the course of lifetimes. It is not possible to undo what has already been done, but you can stop these cycles from repeating, which is held in your choice to forgive.

When you forgive you are only focused on ending the karmic cycle. Nothing else is part of that decision. The choice is not whether you can forgive others or whether they have done the unforgivable, but whether you want to end your karma with them, to be free of these cycles and the patterns they create in your life. This is a choice you make for yourself, so you can be free of these energies. You do not make this choice on behalf of anyone else. So forgive generously, fully and completely; give the gift of forgiveness to everyone in your life and free yourself of the connections that have defined your life until this moment so that new paths, possibilities and potentials open for you.

urielheals.com