Enlightenment

No one can tell us what enlightenment is. It only has the meaning we give it. No one can tell us the path to enlightenment, because there is no path. Our experience of enlightenment is unique to each of us. It is what we want it to be.

It cannot be taught. It is fruitless to seek to acquire knowledge to achieve it. It cannot be achieved.

Only by surrendering our thoughts, judgments and beliefs can it be experienced. It is our natural state. We can recognize it by stripping things away, not by adding any teachings or belief systems.

We experience the Eternal by recognizing that it is what we are. We recognize it by surrendering and allowing. Let's surrender to the Eternal. It is our true selves. The rest is an illusion.

Inspiration

How do we know the difference between inspiration, which is derived from Source, and thoughts that come from the conditioned mind?

Thoughts and action inspired by Source are accompanied by feelings of calm and peace. When we act in accordance with our conditioned programming, we will eventually feel frustrated and unfulfilled. The more conscious we become, the easier it is to discriminate between Inspiration and unconscious conditioned desires.

Until we know the difference intuitively, we may have to follow our impulses regardless of where they are coming from. For example, we may have an impulse to buy a flash car. As much as we may enjoy it, it can never make us feel fulfilled. If we identify with our possessions, they will reflect back to us the insecurities which compel us to feel important in the eyes of others. We need to seem important because we feel unimportant.

If we feel peaceful while following an impulse and the action promotes understanding for all concerned, our impulse is inspired.

If we allow Divine Inspiration to guide us in all our activities by surrendering to what is, everyone involved will benefit from our actions (although they may not realize it at the time), and we become a fundamental part of human evolution.

Simplify

We cannot make ourselves whole by adding things on to ourselves, such as obtaining material possessions, knowledge, beliefs, etc.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with having things which make us comfortable or learning things. However, we will become disappointed if we think that additional things will make us fulfilled, or when we identify ourselves with our labels, friends or possessions (e.g., "I am a Mercedes owner," "I am President of a company." "I wear the latest fashions," "I am accomplished at this or that.").

We can experience fulfillment by releasing our identification with things. We can feel connected to the Source by dropping the labels that define us. The less we know the wiser we become.

Let's strip away all of our labels and identifications, and become what we truly are: Peace, love and joy.

Affirmation

What we say and think affects how we feel. If we change what we say and think, we will change the way we feel.

When people used to ask me how I was (which, since I am mostly on the phone all day with different people, is sometimes dozens of times a day), I would always answer "I can't complain," signifying that, although I am not too well, there are a lot of people worse than I. Although I usually felt OK, I was often frustrated and angry.

One day I realized the connection between what I said and my state of mind. Now when people ask me how I am, I only answer one of two ways: "fantastic" or "great." I noticed that occasionally this response lifts the spirits of the person I am speaking with. I also noticed that I began feeling less angry and frustrated when little things went wrong.

I had a cold this week, yet when people asked how I was, I answered "fantastic." When I realized I sounded sick, I would sometimes follow it up with "I have a cold, but otherwise feel fantastic." I also realized that I felt great despite being sick. Even though I had the symptoms of a cold, they did not affect my state of being. I did not feel sorry for myself, did not expect sympathy from others or wish that I was not sick. I also did not identify with being a sick person.

Let's bring awareness to our words and thoughts and, if they are not reflecting who we want to be, let's release them. Our words and thoughts should reinforce what we truly are: love, peace and joy.

(I feel better now, thanks.)

Death

The fear of death follows us like a shadow. It colors every action we take. We are afraid because we were taught that there is something to fear.

When we float over our bodies and realize that we are more than our bodies, we know that there is nothing to fear. Our physical manifestation is just a small part of what we are.

There is no reason to have preconceptions about death. It will be what it will be. Our Spirit will continue.

Let's surrender our fears and be one with the Infinite.

Forgiveness

As we bring awareness to our thoughts and feelings, it is easy to feel frustrated and angry at the small-minded, selfish and, indeed, crazy thoughts that we have. This frustration and anger perpetuates the conditioned programming that we experience in our thoughts and our actions.

Although it may seem that these thoughts represent "ourselves," they do not. They are merely conditioned responses to programming that we received long ago and which is constantly being reinforced. As our awareness increases, the crazy thoughts recede into the background.

Let's bring gentle awareness to our thoughts and feelings and forgive ourselves for whatever we might observe. Those thoughts do not represent what we are.

Stress

Stress and fear are the same thing. Stress is a euphemism for fear.

When our bodies are in a perpetual state of stress, adrenaline is constantly coursing through our muscles and organs. The system was designed so that adrenaline is released in short bursts when we are under imminent threat.

When we are stressed, it is as if an automobile was running at maximum revs constantly. The car's life is greatly shortened and it is susceptible to mechanical breakdown.

We can release the stress by bringing awareness to our bodies, our activities, our thoughts, our emotions, and our breathing. The awareness brings acceptance of our current situation and allows the stress to be released like a balloon slowly releasing air. Otherwise the balloon will continue to expand and eventually burst. Similarly, if we do not release our stress, we could suffer a heart attack or a stroke.

Let's be aware of the fear and the stress within our bodies and release it by awakening to presence