Peace

Asakusa Festival, Japan

With all the turmoil, war, terrorism, ignorance, cruelty, degradation of the planet, chaos, etc, how is it possible to find peace?  

We find peace by turning away from compulsive thinking and towards presence (turning off the news once in awhile doesn't hurt either!).  The more we turn our attention towards being present, the more peaceful we will become.

We choose to bring our awareness (i.e., our attention without judgment) away from frustration, anger and fear towards love, joy, freedom and peace.

How do we become peaceful?  By reacting differently to whatever occurs.  We choose peace.  How can we choose peace?  We choose peace by slowing down our thoughts in order to realize that we have a choice.  We slow down our thoughts by having a daily meditation practice.  It's as simple as that.

Let's choose freedom.  Let's choose love.  Let's choose joy.  Let's choose peace.

Awakening

Zombies at the Pier

Thoughts about awakening are not awakening.  Awakening is simply the shifting of our attention away from thought and towards Present Awareness.

We acknowledge and surrender our thoughts.  We continue to surrender our thoughts that come from the deepest part of our subconscious.  Painful thoughts, happy thoughts, frightening thoughts.  Like peeling an onion, we surrender layer upon layer of thought and beliefs.

We even surrender thoughts of spirituality, thoughts of God and thoughts of awakening.

We surrender our thoughts to the fire of the light of Awareness.

Let's surrender our thoughts and awaken to Presence.

Surrender

We do not have enough information to know what is good news or bad news.  We may be excited about a new job or a promotion, but it does not do us much good if we are hit by a bus the next day.  If we get divorced or get fired, how times have we heard people say a year later that getting divorced or fired was "the best thing that ever happened to me."

Similarly with death, we have no way of knowing whether our consciousness continues to have wonderful experiences or whether our awareness is extinguished.  Why would we assume the worst?

Since we have no way of knowing how life will unfold, what is the best way to live our lives?  When we surrender our desires and expectations, and surrender our will to the Infinite Energy Source, we are in harmony with Universal Intelligence.  When we align ourselves with Source, we will always receive the best outcome for all concerned in every situation.  We see the beauty in life.  We understand our life's purpose.  Unexpected, Divine, positive occurrences  (i.e., Miracles) happen at an increasing rate the more we surrender to Divine Intelligence.  We embody peace, love, joy and freedom.

All we have to do is try it to experience the truth.

Let's surrender to the Infinite Void.

Meditation

Venus in Venice

The more we slow down our thoughts, the better able we are to make the choice between love and fear.  In every given moment we have that choice, whether we realize it or not.  We can choose fear, which makes us stressed, damages our health and causes us to be frustrated and angry.  Or we can choose love, which brings the highest outcome for all concerned, including ourselves.

We do not make a choice, because we do not know we have a choice.  If we did know that we have a choice, why would we ever choose fear and misery over love and joy?

In order to realize that we have a choice, we have to slow our thoughts down so that we have awareness of them.  Only in that awareness, choices can be made.

The best way to slow down our thoughts and realize that we have choices is through meditation.

If we meditate first thing in the morning, the whole day will go differently.  We will make different choices.  When we choose presence or love in the face of "stressful" circumstances, we will experience different outcomes.  By reacting differently to things that occur, not only will we be better able to handle the situation, reality will change.  Things will go our way.  We will manifest more positive and more fulfilling events.

Do we really not have time to spare 20 minutes a day in order for our entire day, and actually our entire lives, to dramatically improve?

Let's meditate daily.  

http://www.feelguide.com/2014/11/19/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks/  

Simplicity

Central Park

It is very simple.

We can live a life of peace, love, joy, freedom and fulfillment, or we can lead a life of frustration, anger, fear and self-loathing.  The choice is that stark.  We can either live a life of compulsive thinking, where our every action and thought is programmed through our lifelong conditioning, or we can live in presence, where every day is fresh and a new opportunity to be fulfilled.

Freedom from compulsive thinking is possible.  It seems too difficult, but it is only as hard as we make it.  It requires a strong intention, discipline and courage,

Thoughts about awakening are not awakening.  Awakening is the transcending of thought through presence.

We need a strong intention, because, while simple, awakening is not easy.  The pull of compulsive thinking is very strong.  We need discipline to consistently apply the tools which we have at our disposal.  Meditating daily is certainly one of our best tools.  And we need courage to face our unconscious thoughts which come to the surface.  We acknowledge them without judgment and surrender them to the Void.  Acknowledge and surrender.

Let's choose presence.

Energy

Red Rock, Topanga

We are like an appliance plugged into an electrical outlet.  When we are stressed or resistant, we are blocking the flow of energy.  We become listless, depressed and frustrated.  Our health declines.

When we turn our attention towards presence, we are plugged into the Infinite Energy Source.  We are Energized!  Supercharged!  Revitalized!

This may sound like nonsense, but all we have to do is try it to see that it is true.

Living in presence allows us to live with passion and find our true purpose.  We choose to bring our attention away from compulsive thinking and towards being, fully inhabiting our senses.

Let's be present.

Choices

Natadola, Fiji

Every moment is a new opportunity to make a different choice.

When we are lost in unconscious thought or gripped by emotion, we do not realize that we have a choice.  When we are faced with a "difficult" situation, fear often overcomes us.

Fear, stress and resistance have never brought any benefits to a difficult situation.  They are only destructive.  When we are relaxed and open, we can deal with any situation, no matter how difficult, with clarity and effectiveness.

Since we have a choice and we know that fear and resistance do not help us in any situation, why not make a different choice?

How do we make a different choice?  It seems difficult because we are unconscious.  We can make a different choice by bringing the light of awareness to our thoughts.  We can make a different choice when we know that we can make a different choice.  We can make a different choice when we remember we have a choice.

When faced with a difficult circumstance, challenging crisis, or an irrational person, let's bring as much love as possible into the situation.  Let's bring as much openness as possible into the situation.  Let's bring as much presence as possible into the situation.

Let's choose love.