Meditation

Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Meditation is the easiest and the hardest thing we will ever do. The most important rule of meditation is that there are no rules. We could sit on the floor, in a chair, lie down, walk, listen to music, be in silence, use candles, use incense, have our eyes open or closed. We have to discover what works for us.

People everywhere are beginning to awaken to the power of stillness. We can jumpstart our lives and rid ourselves of our neuroses and unhappiness by meditating. When we are in the present moment, the whole Universe seems to cooperate with us. Even the traffic lights turn green. When we devote even just 20 minutes a day, we are recharging our batteries by plugging into the Infinite Energy Source. Is it worthwhile to make room in our day for 20 minutes in order to make our whole day and even our whole lives better and more fulfilling? I would say so.

Let's take time to rest in stillness.

Transparency

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

When we present a face to others that is different than who we are, we create a split in ourselves. There is who we are. And there is how we present ourselves to the world, who we pretend to be. This split cuts off our connection with Universal Source. When we are cut off from Source, we will become unhappy, our relationships will suffer, and our bodies may break down and we may become ill.

We pretend to be happy when we are not. We pretend to like someone when we do not. We keep our anger and frustration hidden from the person who is causing it. We may be afraid to express ourselves or not want to hurt someone's feelings. We may act the way someone wants us to act in order to have them like us. Every time we do this we create a split in our personalities.

We have the courage to be who we really are in all circumstances. When there is no difference between who we are and how the world sees us, we allow the energy to flow through us unimpeded. It is so much more relaxing to be ourselves. Our stress is released because it takes so much energy to pretend to be something that we are not. If people do not like who we are, that is their problem, not ours. We may lose friends, but we will find other friends, ones who resonate with us and who like us for who we are.

Let's be who we really are.

Awakening

Long Bay, Coromandel, New Zealand

As we grow older, the years of conditioned programming we have been exposed to take their toll. Our relentless thoughts and belief systems break down our bodies and our spirit. Our conditioning started at birth and continues year after year from the media, our friends and families, and our institutions. We begin to shrink from its weight. The expectations we had for ourselves were never fulfilled. We become frustrated and cynical. If we do not become aware, we will suffer. We will get a heart attack, a nervous breakdown, our relationship will be dysfunctional, or our lives will be dysfunctional. Life no longer seems to serve us. It seems like it has turned against us.

Relief is only a moment away. At any time, we can release all of our beliefs, ideas and judgments all at once, and immediately awaken to a new world. We can be reborn in this moment. All that we have to do is surrender our judgments and turn our awareness to the present. Awareness is simply our attention without judgment. Once we bring our awareness to the present, everything changes. The things that seemed so important no longer concern us. The things that frustrated and annoyed us do not bother us at all. We are in harmony with the Life Force. We glow from inside and from outside. Our health and vigor are renewed. We become stronger and more alert every day. We understand our life's purpose. Life unfolds before us in a fulfilling way.

Every moment is a new opportunity to be reborn. Why not this very moment?

Let's awaken right now.

Truth

Rangitoto, New Zealand

What we believe is true is not true. What society tells us is not true. What our teachers taught is, what our religious leaders tell us, what the media projects, all our not true. The world we believe is a hologram of our programmed beliefs and conditioned responses, just like in the MATRIX films. Truth can be experienced by surrendering all of our beliefs about what we think is true. By not knowing, we will know. By seeing without judging, we will know truth.

Meditation

Asakusa Festival, Japan

There are so many distractions and there is so much noise in our daily lives that it is difficult to appreciate stillness and silence. The media and information that inundates us every day rattles our brains.

If we take a few minutes of every day to simply sit in silence, everything will be different. There will still be the noise, but we will be less affected by it. We will be bemused by it instead of it carrying us away. We will choose to watch a pigeon or an insect, rather than the loudness of watching television. We will appreciate the simplicity of life. We will see through the conditioned layer of society to the inner core of our being. When we quiet the mind, thoughts that we have been avoiding come to the surface: thoughts that make us uncomfortable, thoughts that make us angry, thoughts that make us afraid. We acknowledge these thoughts without judgment and release them.

Let's choose stillness.

Gratitude

Waihihi Bay, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

It always comes back to gratitude. It is the key to fulfillment and abundance. When we are constantly striving and desiring more, we are reinforcing our feelings of lack and we will always be frustrated and unfulfilled. When we surrender our envy, desire and ambition, and feel grateful for our many blessings, everything comes to us naturally. We are humbled by the richness in our lives.

Let's be grateful for all that is.

Courage

Mr. Electric, Waitemata Harbor, New Zealand

No matter how frightening and unproductive our thoughts are, we receive comfort from them. At least they are something to hold on to and shield us from the Unknown. Ironically, if we surrender our thoughts to the Unknown, we will achieve the peace, love and joy that we crave.

Sometimes it takes courage to take that leap of faith away from compulsive thinking and towards being present. As we begin to take that leap, and surrender our thoughts, our anxieties and neuroses begin to peel away. We realize that there was never anything to be afraid of. On the contrary, we feel a connectedness that we have never experienced before.

Let's have the courage to surrender to the Unknown.