17 Lessons to Enrich your Life

Throughout life, we rise and fall like the ebbs and flows of the tide.  Experiences come and go in cycles. Existence is a continuous opportunity for learning, unlearning and growth. Here are 17 Lessons  or revelations that can enrich your own winding journey.

1. What people tell you is not who you are  (Walk your own path)

2. Thoughts are like boomerangs (thoughts create feelings and then experience) 

3. The only constant in life is change

4. Facing fears is the road to unconditonal love & self-acceptance

5. Savouring every moment loses sight of time 

6. The same energy can be experienced as fear or excitement

7. How you live your life is your message

8.  Courage dismantles your own illusions

9. Generosity and nourishing an open heart are the key to feeling abundant

10. If you do not define your limits/ boundaries, someone else will

11. Humility is the solid foundation on which all truth resides

12. As it dawns life is a mirror, duality (illusion) loses its hold over you

13. Forgiveness benefits two people–the giver and receiver 

14. Reality is constantly being creating by every thought and feeling

15. Only in losing yourself (letting go) do you actually find your true self 

16. Wherever we are is where happiness resides

17. Gratitude is source of true power

Redefine Time between Birth & Death

 Notice a wise being comes to realize that true meaning of life is unrelated to anything that doesn't last. What has meaning is how you use the time you gift yourself between physical birth and death. What do you do with it? Most people do not see existence this way. They often seek to do the most in least time or focus on crossing items off a bucket list. Well, some would ask, what else is there?

We are born crying and often think life is about acquisitions, emotional rollercoasters and denying inner disturbances. If we feel bad, scared, uncomfortable, restless, we will do that which enables us to feel better, reduce pain. We are either clinging to what we think will feel better, or reaching outside for it. Then, we strive to keep it. We resist death unless we experience that which enables us to feel successful, comfortable, satisfied. Irony is, ego is insatiable.

The essence here, is why do we not feel okay? Films like the Matrix echo taking a pill can ease discomfort temporarily, but the root cause of unrest does not go away. Not a single thing we are trying to do in the external will solve what bothers us deep down. Trusted external authorities advise running after compensations or quick fixes for the problem we think we have. Yet, its not a lasting solution. We must deal with the root cause of our loneliness, discomfort, false beliefs. Spirituality is never about getting what you want or avoiding what you don't. Its about finding courage to uncover inner issues. Most people do not want to know about this. Most people are focused on quick fixes for external symptoms.

What if everything is pointing to the option of turning inward and seeing everything as experience without judgment? If we truly aim for lasting joy, turning inward is the only option. This is the source of happiness. When inner disturbance subsides, joy is all. The meaning of life is the experience of life itself, its about aliveness. If we feel whole and complete within ourself, then we can be happy anywhere. There is no loneliness when we know we are energy, interconnected with all. Every experience we have stretches the soul, enables it to grow and come full circle.

When we are okay, the struggle ceases. We can honour and appreciate every moment of our lives.  Many people do not know what its like to not feel fearful and needy.  Yet everyone can also outgrow this.  Every moment can feel fresh and new.  Every sunrise and sunset is like the first one. The experience you get to have is the one you are having. Make the most of wherever you are. That which is unfolding in front of us is where we are meant to focus.  Imagine wanting, fearing and needing are gone.  Be here now.

The reason you have trouble with decisions, is because you think there is something wrong. A spiritual person is experiencing the moment that is in front of him/her.  Life is neither for or against us.  Which part of the quantum field is wrong? Let go of whatever you think you need to be okay.

A wise person awakens and realizes external challenges point to issues going on inside the self. Stop avoiding and compensating for what is imbalanced inside. Stop attempting to control or blame others.  Situations and circumstanes are going to present regularly to trigger us.  Life bothers us until we have worked through all our inner "stuff." Awakening is realizing we have a minimum time between birth and death to expand experiences. We are inviting ourselves to love and honour every moment of existence like the sunset. In this instant, when our stuff is triggered, we can be more open and learn from it all. When we leave this 3D plane, we want to be more mature and evolved than when we arrived.  Every event in front of us has to come through us energetically.  Are you ready to grow, come back to God self? Let go of any lingering feelings you are not ok.

"Birth and death are simply passages, not of life, but of time. " -Sadhguru

Do inner work, reap the benefits

Doing inner work on ourselves guides us to insights about the idea of God, the divine or sacred. The word is less important than the process of going iinward, feeling into what this is for yourself. What does it mean to grow personally? It implies you grow in maturity and awareness of issues you have inside of yourself: fears, desires, insecurities, needs, wants, self-consciousness, shame, embarassment, guilt, anger, resentment, the list goes on. These words refer to sample currents of energy unfolding within.

Consider the analogy of rocks creating disturbance or current in the flowing river. Simply removing individual obstacles to spirituality reveals the natural state of things. So why are we taught to make complicated what is simple? Obstacles we face are the roadmap to spiritual states of expanded consciousness. They are the pointers to a more peaceful existence, a completley new perception and vibrational sense of reality.

At the perfect moment, it dawns no recipe or technique exists to meet or get us to God or magically make us divine. Disturbances within invite us to see them as they are. This requires sheer honesty about what we are looking at and projecting into the external world. We have to be willing to see clearly. The path to liberation begins with our willingness to see the the nature of rocks which represent our own shadows.

We can evolve to look at ourselves objectively. This requires we rise above judement, complaint, self criticism. Changing our attitude about ourselves and what we see inwardly is a huge step to transforming our lives in ways that benefit Soul growth. To see the obstacles (garbage) within ourselves as they are is to reduce suffering around us. The bigger the obstacle we face, the more we reduce suffering.

Normally, those who are not awake are unaware of the nature of their thoughts and feelings and get lost in their emotions. They are unwilling to face truth, or take full responsibility for what they create. Rather than see what causes the disturbances in their lives, they may get stuck in survival mode, simply taking action the best they can to keep their head above water. IN order to get beyond this state, we must be willing to get out of the water, be the witness and see deeper into what is unfolding.

Choose Soul-based decision-making

My child is unhappy at daycare, growing noticably more anxious, and getting sick more often. I will regret it forever if I don’t leave my job, change my livelihood, to care for my child at home.

“I feel stressed in my workspace. There is so much negative energy among colleagues, even discrimination. I don’t know where to go for grievances. Just know that I can’t stay.”

“ I feel an urgency to pursue my dream. I have a vision but lack full clarity.”

I can relate to quandries about parenting and work-life balance, as well as roles in public and private sectors.  As a coach, clients consult me for guidance about life change without always knowing the next steps on their journey. What they and we all come to realize if open and receptive, is that our body-mind is constantly giving us signs and signals. We can learn to read them. Part of us knows what is not aligned with our soul. The messages are loud and persistent, to where they are difficult to ignore.  The voices invite us to give up the needs of our ego – earned job title, predictable income, security, maybe how and where we live and take leaps of faith without knowing how things will turn out! Its an exercise in trust. Can you relate to that inner urge to change?

With the onslaught of the global health concerns, wildfires, environmental calamities, political upheavals, and far more, we are repeatedly to prompted to act differently.  The inner voice is getting louder. As we begin to see our lives in terms of energy, the stakes are high when we are out of alignment! How can we learn to make decisions that are aligned with collective wisdom and that reliable intuition?

Six Modes of Decision-Making

In the book The New Leadership Paradigm, Richard Barrett talks about Six Modes of Decision Making.

1. Instinct-Based
2. Subconscious Belief-Based
3. Conscious Belief Based
4. Values-Based
5. Intuition-Based
6. Inspiration-Based

Question is, in day-to-day life, what sort of decision-making evokes more joy and freedom? If we are guided by internal feelings, or the soul, then these modes take us closer or further away from the best choice on our path.

1.    Instinct-Based Decisions 

This is about biological survival. For example, babies instinctively know how to suckle and cry when they are born, in order to help them gain the food and attention they need to survive. As adults, your instincts kick in when you are in danger, such as the fight or flight response.  In this realm, actions proceed thought. You are not consciously in control of your decisions.

2.    Subconscious Belief-Based Decisions 

This is about personal memories and experiences from the past and are often driven by emotions rather than rational thought. When you make subconscious decisions based on beliefs from the past, you are often responding to unmet ego needs.  In this realm, action still proceeds thought and you are still not consciously in control of your decisions. The key decision driver is your personal experience rather than your biology.

3.    Conscious Belief-Based 

This is where the realm of rational decision-making based on conscious thought, information, and experience.In this type of decision-making you switch to thinking before you act. You are in control. Yet, you still tend to make decisions based on past experiences and feelings, rather than on your future and infinite potential.

4.    Values-Based decision-making

This involves examining your past beliefs and experiences and letting go of what no longer serves you anymore. When you move into values-based decision-making, you can create a future that resonates with who you truly are and want to become.  Values-based decision-making is based on your personal values and the future you want to create. You are in control of your actions and consult with others to consciously create the best outcome.

5.    Intuition-Based decisions

This is about allowing you to tap into a deeper and collective wisdom of a larger group. This may involve giving up your personal preference in service of the whole. You shift away from your ego-system into a larger eco-system view.

With intuition-based decisions, you expand our awareness of the whole, suspend your judgment, empty your mind, and are open to thoughts that arise and reflect a wisdom that is greater than your own.

6.    Inspiration-Based decision-making is responding to the promptings of our soul. This decision-making enables your soul to fulfill its purpose in this world. Barrett mentions that some forms of depression arise from ignoring these insistent promptings of the soul.

In this realm, thoughts seem to appear from nowhere, they are persistent, and there are emotional consequences for not listening to them.

Three Ways to Align Decisions with the Needs of Your Soul

Here are some tips you can practice to begin shifting to making decisions aligned to the needs of your soul:

1. Be Aware of the Level at Which You are Making Decisions 

• Do you tend to get stuck in rational decision-making based on your past experience, without considering values? When is that appropriate? And when might you need to shift to exploring the involved in the situations.

2. Consult others 

• Through consulting with others and becoming more aware of diverse perspectives, you begin to expand your own knowledge, gain deeper levels of understanding, and tap into a collective wisdom that is greater than your own.

3. Meditation, Prayer, Spiritual Practice

• Tapping into values, intuition, and inspiration is a spiritual practice. Take 5 minutes per day to quiet your mind, be present, and seek wisdom from your ancestors in the spiritual realm and the wisdom of the universe. Ask for guidance in decision-making. It may come in a dream, while immersed in nature or in a quiet moment. Listen carefully and pay attention.

At what level do you tend to make decisions? At what level would you like to make decisions?  What is most effective for you in different life areas?  Would you benefit from coaching along these lines? Contact us.

Align with 12 Universal Laws

Many ancient cultures suggest true success and fulfillment relate to living according to 12 Universal Laws. Hermes (Thoth) known for ancient Egyptian Hermetics narrow this down to 7 Universal Principles.   The ancient Hawaii Ho'oponopono meditation for freedom and other cultures embody these Laws. They echo life is mastered as we align with love and joy.

Consider where they reonate or not and how they could serve to guide your life in new directions:

1. Law of Divine Oneness

• "How can I show more compassion and acceptance?"
• "What would love do?”
• "Why/How would the highest version of me respond?"

2. Law of Vibration 

• "Why are my dreams not happening or being realized?
• "How can I align my thoughts and feelings to manifets more authentically?"
• "What are effective ways to elevate my frequency/ vibration?"

3. Law of Correspondence 

•  "As above, so below. As within, so without."
• "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven."
•  "It's happening for you, not to you. 
• "A chaotic and fearful life echoes chaos and fear within. A calm and grounded life, echoes peace within."

4. Law of Attraction

•  "Like attracts like, and you get what you focus on. 
• "Congruence or aligned beliefs are needed to obtain/ manifest what is envisaged."
• (Similar to Law of Vibes)  "Attraction is based on vibration"
• "Give love to receive love " (otherwise you send universe a message about your priorities."  
• "When we focus on what we want versus what we don't want, it will show up in our life,

5. Law of Inspired Action

• "Follow intuition/ listen to inner guidance"  
•  "Let go of control of outcomes and be open to all possibilities"
• "Where in life are we evolving/ flowing/ realizing dreams differently"

6. Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy

• "Energy is strengthened/ transmuted or depleted based on intention"
• "see the power of positive thought"
• Actively uplift negative energy/ create opposites"

7. Law of Cause and Effect

•  "effects are not always instantaneous"
• "every action will have an equal and opposite reaction" 
• "The vibration of our every action has a ripple effect- anger leads to suffering"

8. Law of Compensation

• Visualize the value of energy exchange 
• "You reap what you sow"
• "Where am I being called to serve and support others today?" 

9. Law of Relativity

• In reality, everything is neutral
• Relativism exists in all things (meaning comes down to our perspective and perception)
• Appreciate what we have without comparison

10. Law of Polarity

• Every polarity points to power of neautrality / balance
• "contrast brings more clarity " 
• "Challenges invite us to feel into a blessing, new perspective or lesson"

11. Law of Rhythm

• "Integration is just as important as growth"
•  "Cycles and flows are natural in every life area" 
• "Inner rhythms shape outer reality"
•  Feeling depleted? Rest or saying no to some things may be what is required.

12. Law of Gender

• masculine and feminine energy exists in all things. 
• Patriarchy oeprates from masculine mentality
• Authenticity is about creating balance between the divine masculine & divine feminine

Summary  

Integrating and living from these 12 Universal Laws is more about understanding and visualizing them in the context of our own lives. Apply them in a case-by-case basis and see the difference for yourself directly.