Sunshine is here to stay

Many people feel positive and upifted by the light and warmth of longer days.  Allow yourself to tap into the sun shining from the heart. What happens as you begin to feel as though sunshine is here to stay? How does this shape your outlook and evolving life?

Look around you. Be aware of the living creatures, plants and everything else around you.  Maybe you are familiar with mountains or valleys, beaches or desserts.  Maybe you gaze into the sky at the stars.  Notice what feels natural, what brings a twinkle to the eye.  Notice what you have to feel happy about.  Allow the silly jokes and laughter to erupt from within you.  Take life less seriously.  Allow all that you have been missing to capture your attention.

Release the thoughts

Everything you think helps or hinders innate ability to see things as they are.  Thoughts arise on four levels relating to ; a) the body, b) the mind, c) the soul and, d) the invisible realm.  Watch what happens as you realize that thoughts are impermanent and release them.  Holding on to them keeps you from seeing clearly.  Notice what it feels like to be at peace with and without thoughts.

1) Open the heart to all that can be known. Be receptive. Be aware that you are the only thing that stands in your way. Let go of doubt, fear and all that blocks panoramic views.

2) Practice discernment. As you cease mistaking the mind for Self, pain, pleasure, and suffering no longer exert a hold over you.  Accept it allwith grace. Joy is ever-present.

3) Notice when you confuse the Seer for the seen. To identify with the external is to judge, be drawn into emotion, illusions of ownership and power. This confuses a road map with the road.  Attain mastery of the senses.  Allow being true to self as if its the first time.

4) Look with the inner eyes. Perceive all the conditioned mind misses. Lose your fascination with the body. Be open to the Spirit within. Know the mind and physical world arise only because you dream them up. Be aware of how it feels to penetrate deeper into the essence of being.

5) Identify with your True Self. This is infinite, knows no boundaries, observes where thoughts take form and sees through the games the mind plays.   True Self is grounded in peace and is unaffected by external events.

Have a happy mind

Many experiences are universal yet, must be discovered and rediscovered by each of us at our own pace.  We allow wisdom to reveal itself through us when we are ready and willing to accept it.  We each weave our own tapestry of life by making choices. How to maintain a happy mind?

1) Break free of the traps of the mind: Let go of the past, stop focusing attention on fear and the future. This releases you from ties binding you to karma/ family histories (recover the 'original self'). As identities are seen as the masks they are and shed, personal histories shrink and fade.

2) Be aware of and let go of attachment to inner possessions; judgments, thoughts, values, and ideas about right and wrong.  Notice everyone is a teacher pointing to existing contentment.

3) Break free of the traps of the body/ impermanent world. Thinking about doing anything is the hard part. Notice how the mind stalls and postpones things. Taking action itself is easy.

4) Explore the true nature of freedom & what it means to be 'liberated in life.' Notice you deny the ultimate freedom. You only step beyond parameters after you create them and grow aware.

5) Bring together the elements of a fragmented existence.  Each person who is open and receptive grows aware of an inner pilgrimmage and unique experiences with Spirit.

6) Be here in this present moment in mindfulness and kindness. 

"Renounce the self that does the renunciation." -Swami Venkatesananda

The truth of intrinsic value

Brainstorm what you value. Notice certain metals, gems, and currencies may appear on the list. Notice physical and non-physical things you value evolve with you. Think some things are more valuable than others? Pay attention to who interprets what has value for "you".

Now, step back.  You begin to see nothing has value, or holds importance, unless you believe it in the mind, unless you buy into collective agreement about what has value. You begin to see the inner judge in action. Notice what happens as you begin to see through your beliefs. How do you feel about an inner shift to valuing more peaceful, mindful awareness? 

Whether or not you get that job, the relationship breaks up or stays together, or your wildest dreams come true, what has intrinsic value always provides what you need.  Observe: The less attached you are to people, weather, seasons and other things, the more you accept what unfolds in your scope of awareness with grace and gratitude. As well, the more receptive you are now, the more empathic you are of people and their circumstances, and the more willing you are to reach out and lend a hand. Everything points to what has intrinsic value.

It is said the more things of value a person acquires, the more fearful and insecure he is about losing them. As you remain reserved, do not allow yourself to attach or cling,  you come to appreciate where you are and an amazing thing happens. Fear and selfishness disappear. What you have or not is less important than how you feel. You only see the good in people.  Everything points toward it. You only see things as they are (not as the judging mind does).

Letting go of expectations shifts the focus inward.  Keep in sight the nature of impermanence and non-self.  Accept the insight of impermanence in this moment.  When you resist being here as  wholeness, you resist embracing true self.  Be nothing.  Understand everything. As human beings, we share one Source, one origin. What we cannot change has intrinsic value.  Send energy of love and compassion to every part of the body.  All that matters is revealed.

"We are the men of intrinsic value, who can strike our fortunes out of ourselves, whose worth is independent of accidents in life, or revolutions in government..." -George Farquhar

Take a lesson away

This morning, in a public place, a friend of mine lost her 22 month old toddler. This woman was frantic. It appeared to her as if everyone around her appeared unaware or simply minded their own business. A few people were helping but not panicking. As my friend raced around, looking high and low, her focus shifted from composure to fear.  I reassured her and yet she felt time was running out and so, started calling the police.

Even so, I continued to search the immediate area. Soon afterwards, I discovered the child happy as can be. This toddler had innocently wandered out of a busy library, unnoticed by a manned reception desk, by automatic doors to the street, run down a corridor, by an open toy library, passed doors to toilets and by people before entering a playgroup area. The child easily blended in and started playing with toys. This child continued acting as if all is well.  How you would respond in her mom's shoes? Feel relieved by a hug and move on?  Come what may, are you always calm as a cucumber? Or do you struggle to let go of fear?

Very often the body is here, but the mind is not.  It gets caught in the net of uncertainty.  It is not totally here.  The past is totally gone and future not yet here. Breathe mindfully to focus on the present.  The next time you are fearful, follow your breath.  You touch the miracle and insight of being alive.  Exhale tension, fear, anger, regret and guilt in the body.

It may surprise you that nobody in the area responded as if a wandering toddler is out of the ordinary.  Even the adults near their children attending playgroup did not look for a missing parent. Its not about others though, is it? Its about how each of us responds to the situations life throws our way. Every situation offers lessons. We can be grateful for guardian angels, and focus on knowing all is well, or assume the worst.  Notice visions triggered in the mind.

What causes you to shift away from peace of mind?  What do you take away from situations that scare you? Who or what prompts you to lose your cool and freak out?  How is each new focus of attention a true gift? When are you 'calm, cool and collected?'

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.” -Steve Marboli

"God is happiness and available twenty four hours a day." - Andre Gide