You make it all up

Each person forges a path, decides on his or her dreams, and evolves based on innermost wishes. You may even imagine your life as if you already taste the experience of forthcoming success. Yet, what does all this mean? Would it be possible for your mind to transform reality into the images projected by your own mind? And what of success you may be living in the here and now?

As you reflect, you begin to realize that mentors, guides or idols all do precisely what you would have them do. You admire them because you aspire to be like them. Part of you desires to usurp their power, rise to their status, adopt their view or lifestyle. You make it all up; who they are and what significance they have for you.

To experience a different kind of success, you must move beyond examples you have created and projected. To do so, its useful to decipher your true values and the underlying motivations for your choices. If you aspire to be a famous bodybuilder, does this imply you feel insecure and unaccepting of your physical body? If you desire to engage in thrill-seeker activities, would this mean you crave attention or aim to face fear? Success seekers have hidden reasons for their quests they may not even recognize. It’s amusing and enlightening to reframe your understanding of the truth.

Success is a proposition created in your mind, based on your values, and perceived wants or needs. Money for example, will buy material and other things, and it has its own place in the hierarchy of illusions. Miracles and a sense of success may transcend borders. Where you believe you originate and what you think you’ve accomplished don’t have to matter. To establish meaning in your life means you make some kind of satisfying contribution. Attract the life you desire.

See through the warning signs

Any kind of unease, from basic discomfort to more intense anger, is a symptom or warning sign. If you assume negative feelings are caused by your relationships with people, well, as you learn to see deeper, you'll discern another meaning. Discomfort isn't reason to fear, run or ignore what's happening. Look closer instead. Realize this is just a dream you're creating in your own mind to overlook the underlying truth.

To see through the warning signs would be to recognize discomfort is a form of hidden guilt that stems from your unconscious.  Those uncomfortable feelings demand release.  Your ego would like you to believe that the guilt is outside you by projecting the reason onto an illusory image. You may choose to feel victimized by a person in your midst. You may also conflict with people during night dreams. Learn to expect and see through your own projection that follows your denial of fear.

What can you do about this kind of thing? Be alert to warning signs as negative feelings. Learn to stop yourself from reacting and blaming others. Choose instead to forgive yourself. People tend to resist this truth because it may go against their conditioning and what they assume is best for them. As you learn to recognize the warnings, decipher your feelings and forgive, you'll find that rather than neglect or break down your relationships, you'll nurture and raise them up to a whole new level.

What if?

What if you didn't exert effort to persuade people of anything? What if you didn't judge anyone or anything either? Self-improvement doesn't require you to convince people you're right or that your action is always justified. Rather, it's about sorting through your own ideas and perceptions to gain a sense of moving forward.  This doesn't affect anyone as directly as yourself. 

What if using your own progressive learning to induce behavior in others is unrelated to your own self-improvement?  Instead, it may distract you from the path you follow to greater self-awareness and udnerstanding.  You can become the type of person who makes the most of where you are right now. Learning is seldom linear or perceived as being completely logical by you or by anyone else for that matter.

What if seeking to improve means being open to learning at different levels of consciousness? Consider your mind retains information yet, all areas of your mind aren't aware of all others. As you learn to open your mind wider than before, you will realize more ideas are accessible to you than society generally leads you to believe. You decide what it means to improve and the most appropriate means to do so.

Ride the back of a butterfly

Premonitions have been known to happen. You may be in a familiar place and glimpse an event flash by your eyes before it actually happens. Been there? Sound like a bit psychic? Perhaps you sense a connection to things beyond typical sight? What if you were pruning bushes in the garden while humming, and were startled by white butterflies that emerged as if from nowhere? What could that really mean?

In essence, the butterfly symbolizes change for the better. I remind myself though my maternal grandma recently went to heaven, she still watches over me and sends signs to tell me she is there. She could be anywhere, even riding invisible on the back of a butterfly. My mind creates a vision. From there, dreams take shape.

Admit it: miracles happen when you choose to believe. Many people seek miracles to save them during a crisis. Yet, how often do you overlook little miracles that happen everyday right in front of you? How might guardian angels be guiding or protecting you right now? Which areas of your life would benefit from less judgment and more perspective? Are you genuinely open to possibility?

A great majority of people assume natural miracles reflect intermittent, heavenly grace, simply happen by chance or, bless only the lucky few. Amidst such views, we attract things that reflect our thoughts. We see what we choose to see. In my mind, simple miracles reveal more than we think we know. Listen to your inner voice.

Ghost encounter

Let's see, if a ghost or another form of a deceased person approached you, how would you know unless the spirit told you? How would you react to such information? You may just assume you're dreaming and you'll soon awaken. This draws your attention to different illusory levels of thinking and resulting experiences. After all, how do you perceive and ground your reality? What are the sources of these beliefs?

Many people compare what they think they know with what people have told them. Separating internal from external perception can seem quite tricky, if you don't buy into the idea that you project what you choose to perceive. Some people never learn to distinguish dreams from reality. Others believe these are one in the same.

Spirits appear when its helpful to them and to us for them to do so. We don't always have to know, though you may sense as much even if you're told nothing of the sort. You are always in the right place at the right time, although you may believe that's a matter of interpretation. Ghost encounters happen all the time, even near you.

Consider how you take what you already believe and consciously or unconsciously impose it on others. When a stranger appears in your life and challenges you to rise to his level, why would you keep attempting to bring him down to your own?

Not knowing the essence or true identity of a spirit may also mean not giving yourself the chance to be jaded by fear. As such, you would likely perceive ghosts as you would anyone, through the filter of your illusory belief and self-understanding.