Peace

East Cape, New Zealand

Peace is what we are, our natural state. If we do not feel peaceful, it is because we are telling ourselves stories of who we think we are. The stories often involve worry about the past or dread of the future. We tell these stories to people that we encounter and people repeat these stories back to us. The cycle of reinforcement (and conditioning) started when we were babies and continues until we wake up to what we truly are: love, peace and joy.

How do we break the cycle of addictive thought? By bringing awareness to our thoughts, our emotions and our actions. The light of awareness will allow us to release our stories and surrender to our natural state, which is peace. What is the light of awareness? It is simply attention without judgment. Let's be aware of our conditioned thoughts and beliefs, look at them without judgment or labels and let go of our stories, which are boring anyway.

Let's return to what we are. Let's embody peace.

The Instrument

Sedona, Arizona

Our bodies are our instruments for interacting with the material world. When our bodies are operating at peak efficiency, it is easier for the energy to flow through us. When we clog our instrument with fast food, drugs or alcohol, our awareness becomes foggy. When we do not get enough rest, or stress is being held in our muscles and organs, our connection to the Infinite Energy Source can be blocked. We can nurture our body by being conscious about what we eat and drink, exercising, and getting sufficient rest and relaxation. In addition, unused parts of our brains can be activated through meditation. We should care for our bodies as we would a beloved classic car. On the other hand, some believe the physical vessel is of no importance whatsoever. Up to you.

Let's bring awareness to our physical manifestations.

Outside In

Nara, Japan

A way to access our inner selves is through fully inhabiting our outer selves. The way to activate our inner senses and experience our inner dimensions is to be fully aware of our 5 three dimensional senses. Let's see with our eyes, without labelling or judging what we see. Let's hear the sounds all around us without thinking about who or what is making them. Let's feel the ground below our feet and be aware of the taste when we chew our food. Let's bring our attention to our breath going in and out. When we are fully inhabiting our bodies without judgment or thought, we are in harmony with Source. Our awareness grows and new dimensions of being will be activated. We will see things we have never seen before.

Let's bring our attention to the present moment.

Stress

Waipoua Forest, North Island, New Zealand

Many experts teach us how to manage stress. They assume that there will always be a certain level of stress and that is a good thing as long as it is not too excessive. We try to make sure that our stress levels do not become so high as to be debilitating. We should not be managing stress, but eliminating it. No amount of stress is good. Stress literally kills. It can cause an otherwise healthy heart to shut down in a moment. Or it can kill us slowly over a period of years. 75% of doctor's visits are stress related. In addition to its adverse physical effects, stress makes us unhappy, frustrated and unfulfilled. Our relationships suffer. We are unable to communicate with others. We lose touch with our spiritual selves. Our lives are out of balance.

Stress is caused by the accumulation of "negative" thoughts (mostly fear) reinforced by our present thoughts. The only value stress has is to give us a shot of adrenaline when we are being chased by a sabre tooth tiger. We do not have to live with stress. When we surrender our thoughts and feelings and bring our attention without judgment to them, they will start to dissolve under the light of awareness.

Let's release our fears and replace them with love for others, for animals, and for ourselves.

Enlightenment

Waihihi Bay, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The concept of "Enlightenment," like the word "God," is so loaded with judgment and dogma, as to be almost unusable. When we think of the concept, different stereotypes enter our mind. We may picture someone meditating Buddha-like in nature. This is an outdated and superficial description. It is much easier to be centered away from the media and other distractions of modern society. Those who are tested by society's relentless conditioning are often the ones who are truly awake.

Enlightenment is the realization and embodiment of who we truly are. It is not something that can be learned. It is not something that can be accomplished. There are no rules as to how to obtain it. How do we know when we meet someone who is enlightened? It is not simply someone who is charismatic and magnetic. Hitler was magnetic. Movie stars are charismatic, but often are devoured by ego. A CEO of a corporation could be as self realized as a zen monk living in a cave.

There are vast differences among people who are self realized. Their personalities differ wildly. However, as different as they are, there are several traits which are shared by all those who are self realized. They always embody peace, love and joy. We can spot enlightenment in others, as well as ourselves, when we are in the presence of those traits. When a leader does not embody those characteristics, they will not lead us where we need to go.

There is nothing we have to learn or do or be to become enlightened. It is what we are. The time is now to realize our true Selves.

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.