Put Your Mask On First

I’m sure you’ve all heard the longstanding example that’s been articulated when trying to convey the importance of taking care of yourself first before you can take care of others. This analogy refers to the in-flight safety checklist performed by flight attendants prior to the take-off of a commercial airline. Included in the explanations of how to fasten your seatbelt and how in the event of landing in water the seat cushion can be used as a flotation device, is the explanation of how to use the emergency oxygen mask. It basically goes like this…“In the event of a sudden change in cabin pressure while the flight is in progress, an emergency oxygen mask will be deployed from the ceiling of all passenger seats. If you are traveling with special needs passengers or small children, please be sure to put your mask on first before assisting with the needs of others…” I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the gist of the instruction. You have to take care of your needs first (so as not to pass out due to lack of oxygen) before helping anyone else with their needs. This in-flight safety example has multiple meanings and has served many a motivational speaker in illustrating the proper progression of directed focus one should use in order to be most effective for themselves and others.

I use this well-worn analogy here because in my own personal life, I have come to realize that this poignant example has an even greater level of spiritual importance than even the obvious parallels would suggest. It speaks directly to a spiritual sequence of events that must take place before any measurable success can be attained in our personal quest for spiritual enlightenment and the manifestational creation of love and abundance in our lives. You see, it’s all about building a strong foundation; the cornerstone of which is self-love. Before any of that other (woo-woo) spiritual stuff can even begin to work, you must first start with a clean spiritual pallet of unconditional self-love. You must first learn to love yourself unconditionally before you can be a conscious co-worker and channel for Source.

As I said, this serves as the foundation…the cornerstone for everything else that you do spiritually in order to have the greatest impact. Think of it this way. You may be going through the proper motions of exercising the laws of attraction and abundance in your life, but if this manifestation is being performed in an internally toxic vessel of fear, worry, and a compromised self-esteem, what do you think will be the outcome; what do you think will out-picture? If these attempts at enlightenment and abundance are being performed in a womb of self-loathing or thinking yourself unworthy, then you are merely sabotaging any attempts at success you may be trying to attain. Another way of looking at this is when you are living from this lower vibrational state of consciousness, you are spiritually misaligned, and subsequently offline. Remember this simple truth, YOU ARE GOD; God is love, therefore you are love. There is no separation because you are Source itself. The feeling of separation is merely an illusion. Begin to express within yourself that you love yourself unconditionally, regardless of whatever you may have screwed up yesterday or an hour ago. Your love of self is not and should not at any time be based on any external reason or excuse (or internal for that matter).

It’s all about choice. You have a 50/50 choice to decide how you want to feel about yourself. You see, what is implicit in this argument but rarely articulated verbally is that by not exercising unconditional love, by default you are practicing a form of unconditional self-loathing. Can you imagine saying an affirmation like that out loud? “I hate myself unconditionally.” Well, you may not be saying this outwardly but this is certainly the energy that we all too often give ourselves while trying to go about our day-to-day existence. THIS MUST CEASE.

So now, let’s assert a new affirmation. Repeat after me, “I am God, …and God is me. I love myself unconditionally.” See, it even rhymes! Repeat this over and over again until you actually start to feel the love building up inside of you like a warm nurturing flame. It is Source love reconnecting and filling in the spaces. When you do this, you are aligning your consciousness with your higher self and with Source. This is the foundation, the strong and essential foundation (like building a sturdy home) that forms the basis for everything else we try to manifest in our lives using the spiritual principles. It’s all about the proper sequence. You have to fuel the inner tank with pristine love first before driving the wonderful spiritual vehicle that is you.

When you live from this center point, there is no fear in the equation. When you live from this consciousness, you become the glowing conduit of love that Source needs and requires in order to light up the world around you. So put your mask on first; love yourself unconditionally first. Feel the power of a conscious recognition that you are of Source. Then go about doing what Source does, creating universes. Happy manifesting everyone!

Upgrading your Awareness

There is a phrase that goes “Heaven must be re-won everyday.” What this speaks to is the importance of not resting on your laurels, to not simply coast on the momentum of past spiritual and creative expression, but to re-engage everyday with a fresh sense of purpose and spiritual commitment. It also means consistently reevaluating your state of consciousness on a daily basis, because our existence on this physical plane and within the multiverse is dynamic and not static. You are not who you were yesterday, nor are you who you will be tomorrow. You are ever evolving, ever growing, so it is important to exercise a conscious awareness of this process regularly. The goal here that we are ultimately striving for and moving towards is a state of full consciousness, the ability to be aware of our multi-layered existence in both the inner worlds and outer worlds simultaneously, while working from the framework of the higher self so as to live in an enlightened, balanced way.

As I had mentioned in a recent article, A New Normal, we’ve existed in this physical realm for eons of time in a state of conditioned illusion, believing that we are separate from our divine source, and as such have found ourselves at the whims and woes of our outer environment. We have been led to believe that we are victims living in a world of fear and oppression, unable to make a difference or effect positive change in a substantial way. These states of consciousness are all pretentious negative hogwash, stimulated through an unrelenting, manipulative, and coercive conditioning; a sort of slight of hand that moved us from a conscious awareness of our true identity as divine connected Souls, sparks of God-source, to separated and hapless victims. The truth is, we are not our conditioning. We are all magnificent sparks of God awareness, endowed with the same potentiality and freedom of expression. But in this false belief of separation, we have come to judge one another and ourselves quite harshly. I say to you now that it is time to cease this practice; you all feel it, the energy is there. Do not sit in judgment of yourself or others. Learn to love yourself and your fellow Souls unconditionally. Now is the time to be who we were meant to be.

We are fast transitioning from 3rd dimensional reality to 4th & 5th, and with it evolving into a new and wonderful awareness that allows us to see our true origins as sparks of God-centered energy. Just knowing and acknowledging that you are a divine spark of God, that you are God itself moves you beyond duality. Ego can hold you back, but the truth is that there has never been separation between you and Source. Say it a couple of times, dare to think it…“I and God are One”. Feel the totality of this truth; there is no separation, this is illusion. There is only connectedness with All That Is.

As you go about your day-to-day activities, bombarded by the drones of negative media, dysfunctional imagery, and harsh selfish human interaction, do your best to rise above the negative fray and be a conduit of love, for when you do you more and more begin to see the stage play that is unfolding around you, and that in truth you may be in it but you are certainly not of it, unless you choose to be. This is not an attitude of spiritual arrogance, but a conscious recognition of the illusions that play out around us everyday. You still do your daily work and fulfill your daily requirements, but your consciousness is able to rise above the mundane physical into Soul awareness and eventually God consciousness. When you achieve this, you are always living in a state of bliss for you know that you dwell in the most high. It is what we all were brought here to eventually remember. The universe is inside of each and every one of us. We only need to do the daily work in order to lift the veil of spiritual amnesia and get back into a conscious awareness of our true identity. Don’t be afraid of this process. Nothing can hurt you, not really. The only thing to fear is… you know the rest. So work at being a conscious practitioner of your own enlightenment. It will be a wonderful journey, for eternity awaits.

Embracing the Silence (True, Necessary, and Kind)

As seekers of the light, as awakened Souls, part of our ongoing exercise during this lifetime is to refine our personal levels of awareness and spiritual skill sets in order to become optimal channels for Divine love. Within this refinement comes an innate understanding that where your thoughts are will invariably be where you reside. To put it another way, our personal universe is determined by our state of consciousness and the thoughts and feelings we choose to allow in it. Throughout history, man/woman has sought to discipline these thoughts and embrace the light, even while living in a world of pain, fear, struggle, and darkness. Some have resorted to extreme measures of spiritual depravity through vows of poverty and celibacy, hoping ultimately for absolution in the end. Still others have chosen a monastic existence vowing an oath of silence. This particular modality is one that I’d like to focus on briefly, not so much from the standpoint of a separation from societal challenges into the more communal existence of an ashram, but more from the standpoint of embracing the power of silence as a tool for living the spiritual life while engaged in the world of 3D and all of its limitations, personal foibles and “mind” fields.

The silence that I speak of has less to do with non-communication to any and all you may encounter, and more to do with the exercise of what has often been called right-discrimination. This right-discrimination has as one of its key features the ability to determine what is appropriate and/or not appropriate to think, say or do in any given situation, and the internal mechanism (the internal filter) used to help replace any lower based thoughts and energies with higher, more refined levels of consciousness. For so long, we have been conditioned within 3rd dimensional existence to accept and embrace gossip, selfishness, slander, ridicule, deception, mean spiritedness, and an overall Machiavellian spirit as just the way the world is, almost dismissing it as simply being part of normal acceptable behavior instead of the scourge of lower fear-based consciousness that it truly is. As lightworkers, this level of consciousness can no longer be tolerated as acceptable behavior; not because of any hard and fast rules dictated from outside, but because they are no longer consistent with the higher vibrational energies of Divine love that now flow through you.

In achieving this embrace of silence, I would like to share something I learned quite a while ago that may be very important in achieving this goal. There is a long held understanding in evolutionary consciousness of a simple rule; a litmus test through which everything that you think, say or do should be filtered through. Within this prism of right-discrimination are three basic questions that should always be invoked:

- Are what you are about to say, think and/or do TRUE, NECESSARY, and KIND?

Notice that I used the word “and” instead of “or” in the three choices posed. This is because in order for the filter to be effective, all three criteria must be met. You may have something to say that you consider true, but is not necessary or kind. You may have something that you consider to be true and necessary, but again is not kind. You get the idea. All three categories need to be met in order to fulfill this filtering process. Obviously, in extreme circumstances, exceptions might have to be made in resolving issues, but as a general rule, this criteria should always apply. Give it a try; see how you do. If you are true to this exercise, you will discover something extraordinary and immediate. The vast majority of what you may be saying to others will become noticeably restricted, since much of our conversation is often filled with gossip and mean-spiritedness. You will find yourself becoming more and more quiet, ultimately embracing the silence. As I said before, it is a means to an end, not an end in itself. At first it may seem a real challenge; it certainly was for me. But after a while you find that something very transformative occurs. Perhaps those within your social circle to whom you had considered “friends” may begin to fall away, because you realize that the only thing you had in common with them was gossip or the putting down of others. When they say something negative, you either give it no energy or counter it with something positive. Your social circle will begin to look at you differently and perhaps even turn on you because who you were is no longer who you are, and as the old saying goes, “If you can’t change your friends, change your friends.” Things begin to fall away that are no longer consistent with your state of consciousness and spiritual growth. In the long run the rules that you live by are of the highest spiritual vibration, and the circle of your relationships begin to adjust to meet this new state.

Some may view your kindness as a sign of weakness, but what they don’t yet understand is that you are not doing this for their sake, you are living within your truth, and that while they are still existing in the illusion, your inner strength and awareness of “reality” is moving you far beyond 3rd dimensional conditioning. It is just one of the many sub-plots of waking up to your true identity as Soul. So to recap, embracing the silence is an end result to refining your internal filter so as to live, love, communicate, and exist from the highest spiritual vibration; the highest Divine realm. Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind? If not, there’s no need to say it, think it, or be it. When you live within this consciousness, your inner light will begin to shine ever so bright, your inner chatter begins to quiet down and is replaced by the loving energies of Source. You are moving closer to ascension and your personal universe is being changed forever. Don’t forget to wear your shades.

Time to Step Up

Ok, where are you now? How are you feeling? Are you in balance? Are you in a happy place, a loving place? Are you taking good care of yourself? Are you honoring your relationships? How is your diet? Are you exercising regularly? Does your exercise include a physical and spiritual emphasis? Are you meditating or some other form of daily inner work? Are you finding time to embrace the silence? Are you handling your outer stress better? Are you reading and/or taking in things of a high vibration? Are you striving for greater awareness every day? Is your inner light shining bright? Well…?

I’m sure you must be asking why all these questions and who are they directed towards. Well if you don’t already know, I’m speaking to those of you have either just recently awakened and come online to your true identity as Soul, or those of you who have had your lights on for some time now, but may be slacking off a bit. How are you? As for why, it’s really quite simple. You see, right now the energies and vibrations of our universe and specifically our planet are increasing exponentially, and it is so very important that we all do our respective parts to align ourselves with the flow of these energies and the ascension that is already occurring, and will continue to occur. In this new year, it’s time to do an honest self-assessment of where you are and what you’re doing (non-judgmental of course), and determine where you may be in the process; this is your wake up call folks. This inquiry is designed to impart a little bit of tough love to all of you out there, because depending on where you are right now or what you are or aren’t doing, it is now time to step up; we need your energy.

If you are awakened, are you living the life of an aware spiritual being? Are you doing the daily work necessary to get your inner and outer self in balance? Are you connecting with your higher self in a conscious, knowing way? Are you asking for help and guidance when you need it from your many loving Angels and spiritual guides, your inner family always ready and waiting to provide for you whatever you may need? Bottom line, are you walking the talk of a conscious, awakened Lightworker? If not, why not? Not judging, just asking.

Perhaps it’s because of the seemingly constant demands placed on you in these uncertain times by 3D existence, to continue the daily grind that a survival mentality requires. Perhaps it’s simply the conditioning you’ve received by virtue of the many incarnations we’ve all had on this earth and the intoxication that Maya (illusion) so strategically plays on each of us to forget who and what we are; that this is the illusion, not the reality. Whatever the reason may be, snap out of it! : )

It’s your time now. It’s your moment to step up. It is the beginning of the final leg of your journey in 3D. It’s just about graduation time. But ascension won’t be handed to you on a silver platter; you have to do the work. You have to step up and do what is necessary to prepare yourself for the inevitable shift that is already taking place. The transition really isn’t that hard, but it does require a commitment to a conscious shift in attitude and intention. You have to want this. You have to be a conscious conduit of love. There is a wonderful quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” I’ve always loved this quote because it speaks directly to the idea of personal empowerment and the ability to decide for yourself what you choose to accept or not accept. With this as a template, Eleanor’s quote could just as easily be restated, “No one can make you feel anything without your consent,” or even “No one can impact your consciousness without your willing intention.” You have the power to choose what you accept into your consciousness. This is your inherent power; your inalienable right. Illusion simply makes you forget, and fear is an illusion. The awakened individual no longer falls victim to this trap, and lives his/her life in a conscious, aware and loving way. The awakened individual does not rest on his/her laurels, but does the daily work necessary to consistently maintain a higher state of vibration. This vibration is necessary to both protect you and allow you to serve as one of the many spiritual vessels necessary to help the planet and everything in it ascend in the perfect way. We are conscious lightworkers, and there is no need to take a vacation from this state of being because in so many ways it is the freedom we have always sought. Why, because we are consciously connected to Source in all of its love and glory at all times. We remember what our true missions are and what our tasks at this pivotal moment of NOW should be. We are in a constant state of bliss because we know what Divine truth is. Most importantly, we know that the multiverse was created through Divine Love.

Whatever you need to do, whomever you need to speak to, wherever you need to go in order to connect, plug yourself back in and amp it up! Source loves you unconditionally, but as the old saying goes, “God cannot do for you what it can only do through you.” Be the channel, the conscious channel that you are. Do your spiritual work daily to maintain that heightened vibration you know will keep you above the fray. Remember, you are God itself; there is no separation. You only need remember and all will be here for you. You just need to roll up your sleeves and get to it. Much love and light.

Count Down

…5, 4, 3, 2, 1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It’s been a whirlwind year, this 2009. Much has happened and there is much more to do. In many respects, it seems like several years have passed by in just this one. This is no accident. The vibratory rate of existence is indeed speeding up at a blistering pace, with karmic burn-off from both an individual as well as collective group consciousness level moving along at light speed, and we’re all feeling it. Many of us are waking up consistently at around 2 or 3 a.m., experiencing a download of information and spiritual insight, our bodies vibrating with refined energy. We’re also noticing an increase in the speed it takes to manifest things in our lives as well as an overall heightened sense of expanded awareness. No my friends, you’re not imagining this stuff, it is happening; it is real.

As we move headlong into 2010 and beyond, it is important that we all begin to take stock of what is happening. We need to take this stuff seriously and really begin to listen to our inner voice and what it is telling us. Most importantly, it is time to let go of the fear and really, truly, in your heart of hearts and with all your essence, embrace the LOVE. There are those that would like to keep this transition to a new reality at bay, and are trying with growing desperation to maintain the herd mentality through fear and propaganda that so many of us had (up to now and for far too long) been victims of. But now is a new day, and all of you wonderful Souls that long ago made a conscious decision to incarnate into this world at this important time in our history are starting to awaken more and more to the truth of who and what you are. You are wonderful, magnificent star children, lightworkers, and earth angels. You are incredible healers and beacons of love energy. It is your time now. Awaken to it and claim it. You know who you are, you’ve simply forgotten.

So on this momentous new years eve of 2009, may I wish all of you a happy, safe, prosperous, abundant, awake, aware, enlightened, and Source filled New Year. 2010 is going to be really interesting. We hope that you experience it awakened and fully engaged. Namaste.

Connecting to Your Higher Self

Scenario 1: You’re rushing out the door for your morning commute. As you head to the bus stop, a clear mental impression comes to you, “You left your wallet on the dresser.” Immediately you check to find out that your wallet is missing. You run back to the residence and get your wallet, hoping you’re not late for work.

Scenario 2: You’re driving in your car not sure where you’re going, but you have a general sense of direction. Your inner guidance tells you to turn left, then right, then left again. You see the highway sign up ahead leading to the on-ramp you’ve been looking for, and you feel relieved and grateful for the help you’ve been given.

Scenario 3: You’re at a pivotal moment where you have to make an important decision; a crossroad between two or more delicate options, and you do not have all of the information necessary to formulate a clear choice. You’re intuitive nature kicks in and you begin to trust your instincts (follow your gut), resulting in what becomes the perfect solution.

These are but a few every day examples of a connection we all have (and have had from the beginning) with something that has always been there (here) with us, but many of us have as yet failed to recognize what it is. As we are all Divine sparks of All That Is, we are in fact the microcosm of the macrocosm of existence and have a direct link to Source. This link is in the form of something that has come to be known simply as our Higher Self; the true essence of who and what we are within the Divine connectedness of Source. Some have given it the tags and groupings of Universal Mind or Cosmic Consciousness, and I don’t dispute these references, but for me it is much more personal than this.

My higher self is me, beyond the ether and illusion of physical reality and restriction, completely connected and in tuned with Source, allowing my physical manifestation to experience what it needs in order to fill in the gaps of knowingness already possessed. It is alive and simultaneously aware of what is going on in my physical existence and expanding multi-verse. It is completely aware of inter-dimensional existence beyond space-time and is constantly growing in awareness while I physically grow in my current life. It is working with me and within multiple reincarnational experiences simultaneously, and often allows me to connect with these varied states of consciousness and identities while in the dream state. My higher self is my inner connectedness with all of existence, constantly feeling the infinite love of God at all times. An absolutely excellent fictional reading that describes in great detail what I am referencing here is a book by Jane Roberts entitled, The Oversoul Seven Trilogy. It is currently out of print but still available at some bookstores.

My higher self is my best friend, always companion, absolute confidant, eternal compatriot, and constant advisor and protector. It is an amazingly important layer of the Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent Divine energy known as Source. If God is the ocean, then my Higher Self is the iceberg, and I am merely the tip. I attribute my Higher Self with authoring most of what I share in these blogs. Goodness knows that most times when I read back on what I have shared, I am often amazed at where it came from, but I trust it and know that it comes freely and willingly whenever I request and summon it. What is important to understand here is that I am no different from anyone else. My only difference (if any) is that I am consciously aware of this partnership and work on a daily basis to develop and strengthen the relationship so as to help “us” grow.

It is worth noting here that if there is a Higher Self, there is also a polar opposite. This opposite can best be described as the Little Self. It is the emotional body; it is the child. It is the bio-computer that we all possess and move around in on the physical. It is the irrational narcissistic side of each and every one of us that fights with us constantly for the sole purpose of self-gratification with no consideration for outcome. It is within these polarities of consciousness that many of us live while on the physical. As is consistent with the law of free will, our Higher Self will advise and make aware, but will not force us to make any decision we do not wish to make. This is a part of the growing process, and it is hoped that after banging ones head enough times, we will eventually come to trust that our inner guidance is being provided for our eternal good.

Throughout this dialogue I have tried to describe what the Higher Self is, but I have not as yet discussed how to connect with it. The best thing I can say to this is that we are already connected to it. We need only allow ourselves to find that calm within the storm of emotion and stress that plagues us daily, and feel the loving warmth that is always at the core of our being. It is always communicating with us, but we so often ignore its presence. Stop doing this. Strike up an inner conversation and allow the dialogue to progress. Your familiarity is already there. In one of my earlier scenarios, I mentioned something about following your gut. This is a very important inner barometer, which is an integral part of identifying your Higher Self. If the information you are receiving feels intuitively correct, chances are this is the right instinct. We must learn to trust it more and more, and act when it calls.

Much of what I have described here as your higher self could also be an apt description of a personal communication with God. If this is the case, perhaps the next question that arises is how do we know the difference? I submit to you that this may be the wrong question to ask, because it is a question stuck inside an old paradigm of thought that presupposes a separation between various aspects and layers of our existence. As I have said over and over again, WE ARE ONE. Your higher self is God; you are God. When we are connected to our Higher Self, we are connected with Source. So don’t worry about whom specifically you’re talking to. It’s all coming from the same Source anyway. Ponder this for a while; contemplate on it. You’ll start to feel that amazing sensation of oneness when you do. When that happens, embrace it.

What Is Your Next Lesson?

When one makes the conscious decision to live a spiritual life, a conscious life where you start to become more of the observer and co-creator of your own personal universe and less a victim and pawn, the pursuit of spiritual lessons become ever more important. When ready, these lessons serve as the building blocks for enlightenment as they slowly reveal themselves to you. We then begin to take on and work through these lessons in the ever-elusive pursuit of spiritual upliftment and perfection. Now some consider this aspiration for perfection to be an unattainable milestone. I kind of tend to agree with this and personally have no problem with the assertion. Within the course of my own spiritual journey I have come to recognize that my true identity is that of Soul…who inhabits a physical body to serve as a vehicle while still on this coarse plane of existence…but am in fact a divine spark of God awareness created in love by All That Is… for the purpose of gaining experience and enlightenment. Within this fundamental understanding of Soul is the realization that I am eternal; that I will never die. Knowing that I live in eternity bodes a very basic question; what do I do with all of this duration (…see, time is an illusion)? There is a saying that goes, “There is always a plus (+) element to spiritual unfoldment.” What this basically means is that there is always a next step, a new challenge, something more to learn and that we will never stop growing. I believe this to be a good, good thing because truth be told, we need something to do. So I have no problem with the probability that I will never reach ultimate perfection because then what would there be left, floating on a cloud playing a harp (or in my case a saxophone) for eternity? I think not.

So within the premise that there is always something more to learn, how do we determine what our next spiritual lesson might be? In the initial personal audit of our own respective character defects, some of the lessons may be quite obvious. It is up to each of us to have the courage to look at that “man/woman in the mirror” and call it like you see it. Admission and acceptance is the first step, then daily maintenance and the replacement of one habit or action with another that is more in alignment with Spirit. I won’t go into any details in this entry on what this might entail because that is a personal journey for everyone, and I will leave you to your own introspection and insight. Suffice it to say though that much of the initial self-critique is often low hanging fruit. Over time however, these lessons are learned and adjustments are made, and things that were considered negative in nature begin to fall away; you simply don’t need them anymore. Karma is one of our best teachers and serves as a major catalyst for bringing to our attention what we need to focus on. As we come closer and closer to the God-loving life however, the lessons tend to become more subtle and intimate in nature, and we may need to use other measures besides karma to make us aware of what we should focus on next.

There is one very close and simple barometer for determining what your next lesson might be. This measure has always been with us and often times has been an unforgiving nemesis during crucial times in our life. If you want to know what your next lesson might be, simply ask yourself, what are you most afraid of? Your answer may very well be your next lesson. I have mentioned in earlier blog entries the nature of fear (see March 16 blog) and how it can often cause you to shut down and become unable to accept divine love. Fear takes on many forms, and it is incumbent on us to really examine what we are afraid of. Fear, in truth, is an opportunity for growth. Another way of putting it is something I heard once, “…pain is a sign that soul is growing.” We must again have the courage to tackle the fear within us that is most pervasive and find ways to overcome it. Once achieved, you will be stronger and wiser for having taken the journey.

Having said all of this, I feel it only fair to mention here that nothing really occurs in a straight line, but within waves of unfoldment. There are good days and there are bad days, peaks and valleys to life. Daily maintenance of spiritual lessons learned becomes important. There is another saying that basically states, “Heaven must be re-won everyday”. What this basically means is that vigilance is always important, and that you must be mindful to practice what you already know and have already learned (remembered) on a daily basis to maintain where you are so as not to slip backwards in your own personal unfoldment. Remember, you can only coast in one direction.

Radiating Unconditional Love

This is a discussion about love; love in its purest form, love that seeks nothing in return. I’m talking about unconditional love (e.g. love without condition). There are many forms of love, or at least feelings often misconstrued as love, but are nothing more than marginal subsets of the true divine energy. The love between a man and woman (or variations thereof) can be a deep, abiding and sincere love, but often it becomes tainted with petty conditions that form the determinant for whether or not that love will be given and/or shared in return. This type of love states “I love you if…” or “I’ll love you when…” or even, “I love you because…” It is often the pursuit of love for personal gain, and in many respects the pursuit of power. In relationships, there is an old saying that goes, “…The person with the least emotional investment has the most power.” Far too often this becomes the dynamic for many a relationship, and the outcome more than not traps an individual into a continual cycle of intimate domination. Love becomes a battlefield for many because it is a test of wills that loses sight of the initial reason for finding each other in the first place; to form a personal expression of Divine love (love of God).

Other forms of love such as love between a parent and child often have a much deeper grounding in divine connectedness. How could it not? When a child is born into the world and the parent sees him/her for the first time, the magnitude of this personification of divine love becomes immediately apparent. The bond is quickly formed and the journey begins. But even in these instances, the tests of wills inevitably grow, and the strains of childhood vs. parenthood come to bear. Nonetheless, the love is there, hopefully overriding any dramas, choices and decisions either party may make. In these instances, the foundational feeling is “I love you no matter what.”

I site these examples to illustrate how many of us misunderstand the true nature of unconditional love and how we can unknowingly place serious obstacles in its way. In all cases the key component of unconditional love is love without any expectation of reward. As Soul, a divine spark of God, your very existence is one based on unconditional love. You exist because God simply loves you. Love is a force; love is an energy. Love is the ultimate power. You are love. The sub-atomic makeup of your being is created from Divine love. One might ask, if this is the case, then why do we have so many problems in this world? The reason is simple (and complex); we have forgotten who and what we are and have been conditioned into believing that we are separate from Source (Divine unconditional love) and that there is not enough. Also in some cases is the belief that you are not worthy. This is all an illusion.

I have often found that nature provides the answers to so many of the spiritual conundrums we struggle with, and if we would only take the time to look for and practice the spiritual awareness necessary, we would know that God is with us all the time. One day when I was looking out my kitchen window, I was blessed to witness what I consider to be an incredibly Divine example of unconditional love. In the backyard of our house was a hanging bird feeder left behind by the former homeowners. It looked like a cool thing to have and my wife and I decided to get some birdseed. About a day or so went by after filling it when I noticed a little finch land on the feeder. He looked around for a bit and after seeing that it was safe to indulge, he proceeded to enjoy the birdseed provided to him. After a couple of minutes of personal gluttony, he flew away. Five minutes went by and then I saw two birds land on the feeder. Another couple of minutes went by and then there were 5 birds. Before I knew it there were over 20 or 30 little finches all fluttering about waiting for their turn to feed from the feeder. I thought I was in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. I was simply astonished at the spectacle before me, understanding that this amazing moment was started after just one bird told another about the discovered bounty. That bird could have easily kept it to him/herself but immediately shared it with others, resulting in an exponential explosion of birds taking part in this nutritious windfall. What moved me so much about witnessing this was the fact that it was simply the natural order of things. It was God’s Divine plan in the perpetuation of the species to have as a natural inclination to always consider the good of the whole, not just the one. This is God’s plan for all species, including the human species.

I believe in my heart of hearts that it is our base nature to love one another and care for one another without condition, but over time we have been conditioned to think otherwise. Perpetuated by a dog-eat-dog social existence presented as the norm, we have forgotten our true base nature, and have fed into an illusionary fear of limitation; there is not enough and you must fend for yourself. The truth is that there is enough; there is abundance! We have simply been programmed to think otherwise. It is our true nature to express unconditional love. This is a part of our makeup. This is who we are as Soul, because when we are conscious of the fact that we are Soul, we also know that we are ONE. It is time to awaken to the oneness that is all of us, and share the bounty that is available to each and everyone, without fear that things will run out. Understanding who and what we are and realizing the illusion we live in is the first step. After that, it is up to all of us to live our lives creatively within the conscious reality of this new Spiritual paradigm, and outwardly express a conscious awareness of our divine nature and make up. We can do this. I know we can. We only need claim it and bring it into our lives as truth. Your fellow Souls await. Greet them with open arms and unconditional love. It doesn’t cost a thing. What you will gain from it though will be one hundred-fold.