TO TRULY KNOW THYSELF IS DIVINE

What is it to know oneself? Can we truly ever know ourselves on the most deepest of levels in this hustle and bustle world? How can it be maintained? Is it possible to achieve enlightenment growing up and existing within the Matrix we inhabit? How is it possible when we are immersed in a paradigm that is seemingly the opposite of spirituality, the opposite of loving kindness and compassion. 

I would submit, my friends, that it is possible to achieve a heightened state of clarity, i.e. enlightenment within an urban environment, but that it is a fickle achievement subject to numerous pitfalls for one not fully committed to it's attainment. For, in order to maintain such a pristine state of awareness from moment to moment would require one to become a Master of focused concentration, not easily distracted by the wants and needs of this world nor swayed by the various emotions we're subject to each day.

Living in an enlightened state from moment to moment does not require one to rid oneself of naturally occurring thoughts, feelings and emotions. So from this moment forward, stop guilting yourself for feeling feelings or thinking thoughts. They are natural. It's the ACTIONS we choose to take that are destructive. The challenge for anyone from a Monk to a Manager or a Priest to a Painter is to become a Master at PACIFYING those naturally occurring processes all the time. 

I can think all I want about how I'd like to punch someone in the face, but until I actually act on it, it's simply a passing thing without substance that I can choose to bring into the material world or not. In the hands of someone with the clarity of self awareness, those thoughts, feelings and emotions are simply understood as naturally appearing and disappearing and are allowed to come and go without disturbing one's balance.

The only question one must pose oneself when deciding to embark on a journey of self-discovery is this:

Am I committed to a path that only leads in one direction?

The path of which I am referring does not involve 'quitting' anything, for how can one quit something that simply no longer has a place in one's life? It does not involve setting goals, for the path itself is the goal. It won't make you sexier or smarter or funnier and it certainly won't get you that new car, girl, guy, jewelery, house, or whatever else you've been drooling over. In fact, none of the THINGS sitting in your closet, garage, storage locker etc. that you've been accumulating for whatever reason over the years are coming on the journey. Because this journey is one of DEVOLVING, if you will. Of pairing down, of trimming the fat (literally), and of opening the window to let a little fresh air in.

If the thought that you will end up with nothing of material value in your possession with only the promise of the immaterial makes you cringe, then perhaps the time is not right to embark on such a perilous quest. As an example, a friend of mine once suggested I read a book by a well-known modern day spiritual guru to many, Eckhart Tolle. Although I've now read many of his writings, at first glance, even the word 'God' caused me to close the book immediately. I just wasn't ready for years after that...

One must first come to understand that in order for people to define something indefinable, a word must be used so that all are in agreement based on how each of us defines the feeling we get when we say it or think it. A feeling is like a relationship. None but the subject can truly define how something invisible and intangible affects them. So the WORD God is also, in and of itself, indefinable by none but the definer. IT is simply an idea, an allegory, a metaphor or what-have-you. (Maybe we should change God's name every once in a while so people don't become attached to it...) Anyhow, the specifics of that word will be discussed more another time. 

Okay, so... Ask yourself if you're ready. Nobody needs to know but you... If you are, then let's proceed, shall we?

First things first. Let me ask you this. How do you feel about God? Don't tell me. I know your first impulse was to tell me in words how you feel, but don't tell me. Don't even direct your answer at me. I asked you how you feel about God, not to tell me how you feel about God. So take a moment...take two, in fact, and really think about...oops sorry, my mistake...take a moment or two to really FEEL how you feel about God.... Wanna know a secret? That's your connection to God... And that's all you need to know, oops...feel.

Bruce Lee said it best in one of his films, "Don't think, feeeel."

Your homework assignment: Leave your phone at home and go for a walk alone to a safe place. Sit and listen to as many different sounds as you can without adding any judgement to them. Even if you hear a sound that would normally cause a reaction i.e. loud motorcycles, construction, vocal babies etc., try practicing observing things in their basics rather than with added emotion and judgement. 

For an added boost to this exercise, try switching to a focus on your breathing (don't worry, we're not getting into breathing exercises...yet ;0) and notice what different sounds you hear or how many sounds you now become aware of. 

Oh, and although it might sound silly suggesting closing your eyes is advanced, but you'd be surprised how difficult it can be to try sitting in a public park or city street with your eyes closed for any length of time without feeling like you'll be robbed. A very uneasy feeling comes over us in a very short period of time that both prevents us from relaxing and closing our eyes for too long. This might seem minor, but know that any resistance to this process must be looked at from this point forward as ego based. When they refer to interacting with the drug and not the person in cases of addiction, this is that situation when it comes to uncovering your true self. The child who wants it's blankie is what restricts your spiritual emergence. 

ACCEPT there is resistance to change that comes from a part of us we can't explain and move on... I really dislike corporations for stealing great sayings, but it's so true. The only way for you to make change is to just do it. Btw, I didn't mention the corporation on purpose and didn't cap their slogan, but if you instantly knew who I was referring to and saw a logo in your mind's eye (you know, that place in our head where we see the mind movies), then you've come to the right place... 

See you next time.

GIVING IT ALL AWAY

"The true philosopher, the student of the Esoteric Wisdom, entirely loses sight of personalities, dogmatic beliefs and special religions. Moreover, Esoteric philosophy reconciles all religions, strips every one of its outward, human garments, and shows the root of each to be identical with that of every other great religion." - Madame Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, 1888

In a follow-up to my post about American Nomads I thought I'd post a link to this movie. It's called 'Into the Wild'. It came out in 2007 and was directed by Sean Penn. It's based on the true story of a young man who decided to leave it all behind and eventually found his way to Alaska. Great movie!

When I first began to see the world with fresh eyes, it was (and continues to a lesser extent now 4 yrs later) an awesome time in my life. I don't know how else to say it. For a good two years afterward, I felt that each time I walked out the door, I was struck with a sense of awe and wonder at what I saw. Colors, lots of colors. That's the first thing I saw and still do. Plants, flowers, animals, people. Not people watching in the 'Starbucks' sense, but seeing people for the spirit an intention that drives them. I could see to the core of what drives us with unimaginable clarity. Just like when you turn the heater on in your car and slowly watch the frost melt away from the windshield to the point that you can clearly see and understand there's a depth in the world you had never seen.

Along with a blinding clarity and an understanding of things I previously could not even comprehend came a list of numerous changes that suddenly occurred. One of those changes was an increase in energy and recovery time. I felt like the source of the energy of the entire universe was coming from my center. I'll talk about how that has continued to effect my life later, including losing 40 pounds to the most stable my weight has ever been. 

I wanted, however, to first say that the change I talk about was not a new sense of WILL POWER; it wasn't creating a new 'game-plan' for my life or 'motivating' myself or finding a new diet plan. It was a new understanding, a new way of thinking and perceiving the world. As a result, different circumstances were naturally produced from the thoughts in my head. 

It also meant that what I had been addicted to because of my previous way of thinking (which attracted those circumstances to support that world) no longer had the same hold on me. Whatever addictions I had, whatever habits I couldn't control, I now saw deflated like the air leaving a balloon. None of those addictions had any power over me any longer. NONE OF THEM. Addictions to salt and sugar, to fast food, to alcohol, to cigarettes, to sex, to power and control, to 'things' like cars and clothing, jewelery, watches, colognes, sunglasses, etc., etc. In short, I became every marketing and advertising firm's biggest nightmare...

My new intention, my newly rediscovered connection with the true will of the universal creative force was no longer connected to the circumstances needed to support life in the matrix. At the very moment of awakening, I was literally bombarded with images of Neo from 'The Matrix' when he sits up in the incubation pod and looks around. Every moment of that scene played in my head over and over in a loop combined with an overwhelming sense of growing relief as if I had been given a reprieve from execution as I was being led to the gallows.

Suddenly and all the trappings of the type-A life I had been immersed in fell away or were easily overcome. I looked at my former self like someone I used to know. Like an ex-husband or wife. You understand they weren't good for you at a particular time in your development, (but served a purpose for that time none-the-less) and you know that even though they are still out there somewhere, they no longer server that purpose and no longer have a hold over you. You understand now.

Unfortunately, at the same time I was hit with a feeling I never truly felt before and it bothered me to the point of tears. Of course, now that I was in touch with the source of all my feelings and emotions, a leaf falling from a tree made me cry, but this was particularly hard to see for the first time ever at 42. 

I had always professed to being a compassionate person, a nice guy. But now that my eyes were open, I suddenly saw what I had never seen before. I'm not just talking about the suffering of homeless, abused children, starving and oppressed, but the suffering of us all. It suddenly became clear to me that we are ALL the source of our ills. To suddenly understand that WE are the crazy influence that begets all that follows in this world is a sobering realization, but definitely one circumstance that is inherent in the world of the awakened. 

Don't worry, my friend, if you'd like me to let you know where you are on the compassion meter, let me say this. Regardless of how compassionate you may 'feel', toward something or someone, unless you act immediately on those impulses and without self-awareness, you've still got a ways to go. The good news is this is what our spiritual practice is for. The better news is that acting immediately on compassionate impulses is one of the circumstances inherent in the world of the enlightened. So if it doesn't come to you as a result of a spiritual awakening, you can certainly practice it which will eventually lead you to the light inside.

Once I perceived my earthly experience differently, my primary impulse for a while was to rid myself of all the 'stuff' I had accumulated in my lifelong shopping spree that had resulted not only in my living space being crammed with useless junk, but a full storage locker of crap that I dragged around with me everywhere I moved. 

I began to give things away at a rapid rate, $500 watches, boxes of accessories, boxes of sporting equipment that I donated to schools in depressed areas of the city, clothing to shelters, friends, and acquaintances. I used to drive around with my car full of crap and open the back to allow street people to rummage through my leather jackets, shoes and boots, hats, gloves, blankets, sleeping bags and so much more that I was keeping to myself while others suffered. 

I looked into the eyes of people I'd previously ignored, I touched the people I was led to believe were 'untouchables' with a clear understanding of their existence and our connection to each other. The divisions I had placed between myself and everything/everyone were now gone just like the walls I had placed between myself and the creator. What was now seen could not be unseen.

Four years later, I'm clearly aware of the impulses in this world that trigger responses; the causes that produce certain effects so-to-speak. When we live without the circumstances of the former world controlling us, we are able to clearly see when one of those impulses arises. We are now able to see the forest for the trees and we can immediately pacify the impulse before it has a chance to get a foot-hold and become a habit/addiction. It simply goes back to being the thing it was before we gave it meaning.

I would recommend to anyone on a spiritual journey, whether or not you're currently living an awakened existence, to make an inventory of the 'things' you've accumulated and either drag around wherever you go or seldom see (if ever) while you pay for a storage facility.

You don't have to give it all away, my friend, but perhaps consider lightening the load of the things you tell yourself you need in your life...

REALITY MINING

Collecting and analyzing your cell phone GPS data may take on a whole new purpose in our lives very shortly. Imagine having a God's Eye View of the world, much like Google Earth, street level maps etc., but being able to see where you've been throughout your days. Not only will it track your movement, but would analyze levels of activity, where you've been in relation to others, what your likelihood of stress, disease and other lifestyle issues based on where you go and what you do. Think of it like tracking your heart rate, but now being able to see so many more things, even the things we're so brainwashed to do, we're unaware of it. 

Imagine seeing right in front of you a map of your movements in relation to others; seeing the habitual patterns we've become so used to we don't even consider what it's doing to you. By analyzing your data in relation to others, you'll be able to see your likelihood of having an accident based on your movements through high accident zones, your likelihood of getting heart disease based on where you go and your particular patterns in relation to others who have the same habitual patterns. Forget tracking your caloric intake. This will track your walking vs. driving, the amount of energy expended based on tracked speed, elevation etc. and make recommendations to you on how you can make changes to your lifestyle to avoid or reduce your percentage of self harm, at the same time increasing your chances of running into that elusive business contact. It will track how often you eat out, where you eat out including the kind of food served at the restaurants you visited and give you a picture of the person you are health-wise and socially.

Having said that, is this really the way to find out who you are? Do we need cell phones, internet, electronics etc. to do our thinking for us? Or is it possible to do our own reality mining in the moment when a choice is presented to us? Are we complicating something that is actually best in a simplistic form? Are we making a mountain out of a mole-hill? Perhaps in an ever-increasing world of electronic gadgets, the only way to find out who we really are and what our chances of getting hurt or dying are is to rely on that technology or at least use it in conjunction with our brains. I'm not completely sold, especially now that I see the world with fresh eyes. Of course I never thought I would see Monks with cell phones and iPads or clergy wringing their hands like a teenage girl at getting a smoking deal on a tablet on eBay. One's religious experience is not the same when the priest's cell phone goes off during Sunday mass.

But I NEED my cell phone! It's my life! Without it I'd be lost!... There's your answer, my friend. You're an addict. But, what if there's an EMERGENCY!... There's your answer as well my fearful, brainwashed companion. But WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF!... If the thought of something not being available to you creates a sense of panic in you, then there's your answer my friend. And all you needed to do was slow down long enough to allow the answer that's right inside of you to materialize. We'll touch on the voice (or voices) inside another time...

Any question you ask yourself with focus and sincerity will be answered by some part of you. You ask yourself questions all the time in fact. Should you keep wearing the same clothing until it wears out instead of continually feeding a desire to be something and look some way, should you choose to see the homeless person or keep walking, should you choose to be a positive influence in this world or keep taking and taking, should you continue to spend $5 a day on special coffee brewed by a coffee 'expert'... the list goes on. 

Our lives are the way they are because of the choices we make in every moment and the thoughts we think. Why does this happen to me!? We shake our fists in the air. The answer is simple. You made it happen. Why is this life so hard!? Again, simple. You made it hard. The real hard part is first slowing down and paying attention to something other than you in order to see it, in order to be available when the answer to your question comes, then acting on it as long as it's good for you and others. Right now, it's mostly good for you at the expense of others. The next most difficult part is to tell the TRUTH to yourself and others. Obviously, that's not working for you since you've been led here (led by whom?). We'll talk more about these crucial steps, SLOWING DOWN and TELLING THE TRUTH in laying the foundation of awakening in future posts. 

The purpose of this post is to ask you to consider the extent to which you may be controlled by your dependency on your electronics (tv, internet, cell phone etc.) and everything that goes with them as well as who's doing the controlling. What do I mean by everything that goes with them? This is the first opportunity to tell the truth, to actually take the time to avoid the excuses of what you NEED to happily exist in this world and to act on it in order for the circumstances of real change to occur. I'm sure any of us can create a long list of reasons why we NEED one thing or another in order for us to be able to function. But at what point do these little 'conveniences' start to have a negative impact on us (the definition of negative being something that takes us away from lasting joy and a connection to the Light Inside)? So once the list is made, then we can begin to start paring down those unnecessary things from our lives. Simplifying or as I like to call it, DEVOLVING.

So perhaps it's time to start your own reality mining; to start paying attention to your own habitual patterns; the things you tell yourself you need to be happy, the things you need to support the other things you've piled onto this mortal experience. You're the only one who can honestly analyze the choices you make and the way you perceive the experiences you have in each moment.

May the right circumstances always be present for joy to emerge...

GIVING IT ALL UP

Above is a clip from a BBC4 documentary called 'American Nomads'. It's about all the folks who have given it all up to live life on the open road. Whether it's the retired, the affluent, the poor, abused, the enlightened, anarchists, gutter punks, old, young, sane or crazy (we'll touch on labels later). This is the perfect example of the melting pot of who we are as a whole. Whether you're riding the rails or in a modern day RV wagon-train, all these people have decided to give it all up. No bills, no commitments, no responsibilities. Under nobody's control, but their own. Above is just a short clip, but I would more than recommend checking out the entire show. There are more than 1 million people out there who have decided to go off-grid and are much happier as a result. Would you be?

One of the first urges one has when their eyes have been opened is to leave it all behind. Obviously, based on the above documentary, many have already done so. But it's not just the one's who have all their ducks in a row so-to-speak. Living without a home, car, stuff, financial or other responsibilities may seem like a dream, especially when the show you're watching is set in a gloriously sunny locale and many of the folks out there seem to have found the same joy we see on the faces of tribes who've been untouched by our society's ills. But this documentary also shows the abused, downtrodden, and addicted are literally fighting for their survival out there.

Now that you see the world differently should you give it all up? Should you leave it all behind and take to the highways and byways? Sure, why not. But don't ever come back. Why? Because everything you've left behind will still be waiting for you when you return. I'm not just talking about things either. The very circumstances that trigger the automatic responses in you remain as well, waiting to be called to the surface. 

You can surround yourself with all the circumstances in the world that trigger a calm, peaceful response in you, but without dealing with the underlying source of anger, jealousy, hatred, etc., the automatic responses to those circumstances will still be triggered. Just like the circumstances necessary for the flame to materialize, when those circumstances are present they naturally produce the flame. The flame is still here, but may not yet have the circumstances in place to allow it to materialize. Neither does anger in a place where the circumstances that trigger anger don't exist.

The point is we must first deal with the underlying cause of the effect of anger, jealousy, etc. before we can think about 'leaving it all behind.' So if all those negative emotions are still here just waiting to resurface upon our return from living in a cave in India, then what hope do we have to rid ourselves of them? None my friend, none... Say what mofo!? Doesn't enlightenment mean being free from the bonds of negative emotions and actions? Kind-of. It means being free of the influence those inherent emotions have over us to make us unconscious. Yep, unfortunately you still need to live with them. But now that you've experienced this new-found clarity, you are more aware those emotions exist and have power over you. 

You now have the opportunity through clarity to see the triggers and understand they cause an automatic response. You can now learn through practice (hence, the term spiritual practice) to PACIFY them as they arise. Just like earning a black-belt in martial arts helped give me the clarity to understand the journey was just beginning, an enlightening moment is a window into what can be a lasting way of being. Just don't muck up this opportunity by burying part of yourself alive until you dig it up at some later date. 

Besides, there's no reason you can't walk out the front door on a Friday with a backpack of supplies and find somewhere to camp alone for the weekend... In fact, I have friends in their 30's who spend half the year in a converted bus on the beach in Florida and half the year in the big city and are perfectly happy. No one but you says your life needs to be a certain way. You are the creator of this experience. You are the ultimate cause of the effects of your life. The balance is your to maintain.

Every Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a First Step - Lao Tzu, The Tao.

EMBRACE THE STAGES LEADING TO LASTING JOY

When I was a kid I was fascinated by the martial arts. Plus, I grew up in the era of Chuck Norris, Arnold, and Jean Claude. Bruce Lee was still alive and I had the poster of him in the yellow jumpsuit with the double nunchucks from 'Enter the Dragon'. Dojo's everywhere were full to the brim and the movie of the day was the first 'Karate Kid'. I read a book called 'Wisdom from the Ninja Village' (or something close to that) by a Westerner who went to live in the mountains and became a ninja. For some reason I had never associated the violent side of things like Ninjas. When you're a kid violence and death is just a part of the game. We would run around the woods near my childhood home, swinging from the branches, running through the bushes hunting each other, yelling, "Bang, bang! I got you!" "No, I saw you first! Timeout! No fair!" Even when you're a kid taking martial arts classes, they're not associated with hurting or killing. It's like playtime. Running, jumping, rolling, cartwheels, punching the air and yelling, "Keeeyaapp!" The goal of teaching children martial arts is to introduce the idea of self-discipline and structure in a fun way, combined with core principles such as fairness, kindness and good will. One seldom knows from the start that the ultimate goal of every martial art is a connection with the self and one's place in nature...essentially, the search for enlightenment and non-violence (inwardly or outwardly).

Since I was a child, my main goal had been getting my black belt. I spend countless hours working toward that goal (years in fact). The understanding that martial arts is also associated with violence and death grew as I got older and I embraced my board-breaking, weapon-wielding, fists of fury. I had mastered the double nunchucks I had seen in the Bruce Lee movies, I could do the splits, I could do the flips, I was even attacked by three guys once and defended myself in a combination of moves Bruce, Jean-Claude, and Chuck would have been proud of. 

So after all those years of blood, sweat and tears I finally got my black belt. After all those years of training to achieve what I thought was the pinnacle of those efforts, what did I realize with my shiny black belt in hand? I realized I was still essentially the same person. I wasn't fending off bad guys coming from all sides, tough-guys weren't running away from me at a glance, and women weren't swooning at my feet. It was kind of a let-down. What it did, however, was make me realize the goal I had set was a false marker. Because once I got there, like a mirage on the desert floor, it was gone.

It's kind of like that with a spiritual journey. You set your goal of living a spiritual life. You go to the gym, oops, I mean your place of worship, on a regular basis (of course, going to the gym is in no way related to going to church). You perfect your skills at defending your spirit from evil intentions, you practice the art of 'Goodness and Light' in order to banish the darkness. Some even tell you that you need to kill your ego or at least engage in a form of divine battle to save your soul. If all the circumstances are in place you will achieve the first step (beyond the initial decision to embark on the journey in the first place). This is a moment of supreme clarity. It's a blindingly joyful experience. You don't need anyone to tell you what it is. You'll know it when it comes my friend. In Japanese it's referred to as Satori. Here's the Wiki definition of Satori:

Satori (悟り^?) (Chinese: 悟; pinyin: wù; Korean 오; Vietnamese ngộ) is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment that literally means "understanding". In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori refers to a flash of sudden awareness, or individual enlightenment, and is considered a "first step" or embarkation toward nirvana. Satori is typically juxtaposed with the related term kensho, which translates as "seeing one's nature". Kensho experiences tend to be briefer glimpses, while satori is considered to be a deeper spiritual experience.

My own 'Satori' occurred almost seven years from the moment I decided to embark on a spiritual path and a year after I pulled the plug on my father and watched him die in front of me (making death very real for the first time). Once I hit that moment in time; after all the blood sweat and tears (sound familiar?) I thought, "This is it! I've arrived!" That was close to four years ago... 

When I look back at the video I posted of Jim Carrey, I can see the same thing. He's experienced a sudden and unexpected flash of understanding. The dark clouds momentarily parted allowing a glimpse into the blinding light of clarity. The good news is your life will never be the same again...the bad news is your life will never be the same again. Now here's where a choice MUST be made as you see the house of cards you've worked so hard to build slowly start to crumble. All the lies you told to yourself and others, all the family and friends who begin to label you as a nut, seeing the veil of lies and manipulation that's been perpetrated against you by you, seeing the path of destruction you've left behind in your selfish wake all those years before come flooding back to you. You're now face to face with something very real in your fantasy world. Listen to what Jim says as he appears stunned by his new-found revelations. He describes discovering something monumental adding that since that moment he's been desperately trying to get back to it. That's perfectly normal. So is placing all your faith in a guru whom you mistakenly think can lead you back to whatever it was and make it stick this time. What? Now that you're 'ready' you can handle the big secret? Okay, here it is...you should sit... The big secret is there is no secret...

Like any major achievement, black-belt or spiritual there are different stages involved. Each stage must be celebrated, accepted and understood. The decision to embark on the journey, the satori moment, the pious times, the guru search, discovering the guru in you, learning to understand and pacify the ego, the search for the like-minded, coming to terms with the real world vs. the REAL world, seeking out and accepting the path others have taken (whatever their faith), among other stages. Each one has it's own set of circumstances that you need to come to an understanding of before you can move on.

Even Eckhart Tolle in his book 'The Power of Now' talks about spending 10 years after his moment of realization sitting on park benches wrestling with the stages that followed his moment of clarity. Speaking of which, that book is on my all-time favorites list and I would highly recommend it. Just don't make Mr. Tolle your guru. Remember, he's simply one of those signposts along your path. Think of him as one of those people who hands you water from the side of the road in a marathon.

I'm going to say this once. Spirituality, the spiritual path, the search for enlightenment, your quest to find the light within etc. is FREE!! You should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pay anyone to guide you in this quest and they should never, EVER accept a monetary reward for doing their duty. Shame on them all...

Also, one of the stages you'll go through is expressing your new-found way to the world. If you are moved by the Buddha and his own journey, that doesn't mean filling your mansion with Buddhist artwork or adorning yourself with crystal prayer beads, exotic jewels and clothing. It means you've discovered the timeless connection you share with countless others over many eons who have sought the same destination and walked the path before you... both living and dead my friend, both the living and the dead. And if you want to get back home, you need to get there in the most simple, silent, and peaceful way...alone. Don't be afraid my friend. They're all still here with you...all-ways and forever.

Oddly enough, one of the first things that popped into my head upon the moment of my own paradigm shift, was the movie 'The Matrix' (the first one). Make no mistake. It is the story of enlightenment. You could say it's a blueprint for what this life is. It's also combined with one of the stages I wrote about earlier following Satori. That is the absolute clear understanding of having been lied to, manipulated, and brainwashed your whole life and the firm knowledge that remaining in that world goes against the specific set of circumstances needed to keep from getting sucked back into that life, (but now under the guise of leading a life connected to the light inside). Are you Neo who takes the Red Pill or the character of Cypher who wants to remain in the Matrix with no memory of the real world? Fortunately, in this case, there is no going back once you've had a glimpse of the light inside. You can't have your cake and eat it too so please don't be a hypocrite. It's the greatest lie you can tell now that you know the truth.

Seek the light, but understand and accept the stages that follow.

POWERFUL SPEECHES

I've attached a few speeches below that I've found on the tube. I was affected by them.Was I permanently changed as a result of watching them? Perhaps, but what they did do was remind me of the purpose and intention of my journey. It reminded my spirit and kept me on course. For anything that taps into your emotions is tapping into your spirit. The constant reminder of the spiritual life and one's commitment to living a joyful existence is, in my opinion, the single most important choice a person can make from moment to moment.

When I embraced the type-A lifestyle, I surrounded myself with reminders of that life. I kept that intention alive perfectly well and had certainly gotten good at justifying the choices I made that kept that life going. I was an expert at cultivating that life by filling it with whatever perpetuated it. All my party people on speed-dial including the dealer, going to the big games to see and be seen, hanging at the bar till all hours, MMA fan, owned two guns, paranoid of the other guys including the 'terrorists', coffee and energy drinks, high fat, high sugar, high salt diet, fast food, fast woman, fast cars. Even seeing one of those supercars (you know, one of those 2 million dollar ones the playas own) would elicit a flood of emotions, excitement, jealousy, inadequacy...I wanted one and might have given a limb for one if given the choice.

The point is we all have a choice. Let me be more specific. In every moment we have an opportunity to steer our lives in one direction or another by the choices we make. We can choose to remind ourselves that we're creating good in every moment and surround ourselves with nothing but good and emitting nothing but good from within ourselves to every thing out there. Or not. The choice is yours. 

So please watch these videos and if they light a spark of feeling differently than you're used to, maybe choose to go with it, and then choose to go with it more, and remind yourself some more, and before you know it, it's who you are.


THE GREATEST SPEECH EVER MADE - Charlie Chaplin

THE GIRL WHO SILENCED THE WORLD FOR 5 MINUTES

SPEECH FROM THE MOVIE 'NETWORK' AS SEEN IN THE MOVIE 'ZEITGEIST'