Developing Our Awareness
The essays in this section are about how to develop one's non-physical based awareness and perception. We all have the capabilities to do so and if developing yours is a goal these compositions will be of benefit to you.
On Doing and Being
In this essay I will be examining one of the notions that comes up frequently in the public sphere as it has in my conversations and writings. The notion I am referring to is that of "doing versus being". It is also something that is found in many of the thousands of inspirational quotes that flow through social media every day. When you hear the phrase it rolls off the tongue easily and being sounds simple to do ... it is not. It is elusive, as many quickly discover. When you try to find it - it becomes like trying to catch your own shadow and remains beyond one's grasp. It occasionally surfaces, in unexpected and brief moments that leave one in awe and wanting more.
It is hard to attain a state of being because the ability "to be" is trained out of us to the point where many do not even understand or even remember what being is. It is also hard to attain because most have only a vague notion of what it is and such definitions do not help us figure out how to get to a state of being. This is not different than how vague directions will not get us to a particular destination. So, just what is this strange thing or state of consciousness or awareness that I am referring to as being?
Subtle Perceptions
Expanding our awareness in any fashion is often seen as both mysterious and elusive. There are many who cannot seem to put their finger on it, so to speak. Hearing or perceiving the subtler vibrations can be akin to trying to reach out and grab a handful of the wind or of water. The wind cannot be captured and whatever water is grasped will either slips through your fingers or soon evaporates. This is because in the attempt to sense beyond the physical realm people have a tendency to try to use what they are familiar as if that which they would perceive will suddenly appear before their eyes or become “tangible” in some form. They try to use the thoughts they are familiar as if by thinking a little clearer, trying a little harder or listening little better they will be able to “see IT”, whatever “IT” may be. This almost never works. One could liken this to staring at a glass of water and trying to discern individual drops within it.
I See You... Or Do I?
None of us is an island unto ourselves. Any perception we may have to the contrary is merely an illusion. I will grant you that the illusion is strong and hard to break, but it is breakable. If we choose to get past it we can and should chip away at it, stripping away the mistaken notions that allow it to persist as we discover them. If we do not do this the illusion will continue to keep us separate from others and ourselves. The source of this illusion of separateness is our own mind.
Some have suggested to me that even if there is an illusion everyone has the same one, hence it does not really matter. They also question what the value of seeing through it would be, if that is even possible. My answers have generally been to state that it doesn’t really matter unless one decides it does and ignorance is not always bliss.
Developing Our Spiritual Foundation
I have met many people over my lifetime that are seeking enlightenment or pursuing greater awareness. This is wonderful and can be very beneficial if done properly; however, it is not always the panacea that many believe it will be. The reason is that developing ourselves requires more than knowledge, it requires us to build our awareness on many levels and in many areas so that we stay in balance as we grow. When we are out of balance we find that we can feel disconnected from those in our lives or from the world as a whole.
I am intimately and personally aware of how this can affect people. It can lead to general unhappiness, disillusionment and even angry, a sense of abandonment or even withdraw from ones daily life. As someone who shares knowledge that can aid people in developing their awareness it is incumbent upon me to also assist people in building a strong foundation so as to avoid these problems. This is the purpose of this composition.
Awakening Our Gifts Part 6: Seeing and Knowing
The day has been a good one despite starting with a steady stream of rain. I enjoyed the rain though it was heavier than a light shower as it is another part of nature and I love listened to it patter, in this case on the window in my study. I enjoy getting out in it and was looking forward to a round of golf later in the day despite the steady drizzle, though it did not last as the clouds yielded to the sun by noon. After I got my morning tasks done I headed to my home course and played a relaxing round of golf.
Part of the reason it was so relaxing was I love the challenge of the game, but it also the grounding that comes when one is wrapped in the beauty and the energy of nature. I felt its soothing embrace and as I went along I found my thoughts wandering back to the series I have been sharing over the last few weeks. My thoughts did not go into the details of what I had written, nor the many concepts that were included. They lingered on the reasons I started it in the first place and what I had hoped to communicate through it.