- Journal Entry #4 — Seeing It Otherwise
The world is lost. I heard Eckhart Tolle mention this in a video presentation recently.
He was speaking in reference to blindly following the dictates of culture or letting society (yes, including family, friends) define us.
Tolle also pointed to the need to use intelligence in the service of consciousness (spiritually awakened), as opposed to intelligence serving the unconscious (or still sleeping) mind, which, for the most part, has been the history of mankind.
- So if the world is indeed lost, it seems extremely important to focus on spiritual refinement. And to look within, more often than not, for guidance.
For instance, I can always choose to be mindful.
Regardless of anything else–circumstances, challenges, complications–I can be fully present now, not dangling one foot in the past … the other in the future. When mindful, I can also choose contentment even when the world seems to prefer drama, conflict, controversy, constant “doing,” and obsessive “thinking.”
Easier said than done, perhaps. But I also have come to understand that reaction flows from habit; from the conditioned mind and everything we “think” we believe.
Response, however, flows from something deeper. Presence. A peaceful perspective. Spacious awareness. The ability to look beyond self, ego, and the perpetual striving for “quick and easy” external solutions.
- The difference may feel subtle at first, but as awareness grows, the difference becomes obvious.
For one thing, reactions are often predictable and based on in-the-moment emotional content. They often serve the demands of ego and are rarely insightful, creative, unique.
But a response has soul, doesn’t it?
A response invites others to be part of our world; a response reveals respect and reflection. And often a response isn’t about the “story of me.” It goes beyond a mortal time frame with an expansive, possibly inspired, outlook on things.
- So even if the world is lost, and often it does appear that way, I can still find my way by ignoring cultural dictates. By looking beyond the unawakened reactions of others, knowing that mindfulness takes practice, effort, commitment. They simply may not be there yet. And I can also try to be a beacon of light by having the courage to live my spirituality … not only privately, but publicly.
Certainly, many won’t “get it.” (Or, so they say.) And, admittedly, many will resort to a self-protective or negative stance in the face of apparent spirituality in choices, in mindset, in priorities. Only the most aware among us will pause long enough to “see” beyond automatic reactions — to move beyond expectations of old, the need to be right or to feel justified in an antagonistic reaction that is often poor camouflage for self-doubt.
Only the most “conscious” among us will appreciate the importance of dedicating one’s life to greater spiritual awareness. Yet, what could be more incredible than knowing and sensing that someone has found their spiritual roots? ~ dh
- For the next couple of weeks, see if you can live your spirituality despite your perceptions of the world. Try to push beyond the “old you” to discover something more … something beyond the constraints of culture and society, beyond habit and the conditioning of childhood. Have you found your spiritual roots; are they visible to others? What might be holding you back, keeping you stuck in place … worrying about a lost world you have no control over? Your shift in consciousness is the change you may be envisioning.
Thanks for stopping by. See you in a couple of weeks!
Seeing It Otherwise, our spiritual journey for 2013, focuses on exploring perceptions, assumptions, and reactions. It’s a great opportunity to journal or meditate on the ideas and questions presented. Blog posts will serve as brief journal entries every other Friday morning. Next post: March 29, 2013.
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