Ego

Follow Your Heart

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Listening-to-inner-guidance

Following an alternative spiritual path can be a difficult choice. Often, there is little support from friends and family. This is especially true if you are leaving an established religion. Others may feel that you have become the “black sheep” of the family, or worse, that you are losing your mind.

But, other opinions are minor compared to your own fears and doubts that will emerge while letting go of the familiar and following an unknown path. Since, every spiritual journey is unique, you will have to learn to rely on the Spirit’s guidance. This can be scary in the beginning, because you haven’t learned to trust the Divine guidance yet. You will vacillate between listening your own “common sense and judgement” and listening to the Divine. This means your new-found path may be riddled with “mistakes.” A mistake is a clear sign that you relied on your own judgement instead of Divine guidance.

“Mistakes” are learning devices, offering contrasts between light and dark. And, after each mistake, you’ll be a little wiser. You’ll see where you didn’t listen to the Divine, Who quietly nudged your heart. Soon, you’ll learn to consistently ask/pray for guidance before making each decision and wait with a quiet mind, letting the Divine breakthrough, offering you guidance, which you then follow. This process seems simple, but it’s amazing how we much resist Divine guidance, and how much doubt and fear will rise to the surface when we feel/hear it. We’ll think things like, What if it wasn’t the spirit’s voice, but my own?…What if people think I’m crazy…What if the Voice is wrong? 

How do you know the difference between the ego’s voice and the Divine’s voice? Ask yourself, Does it feel loving?, Does it feel right? Your feelings are much truer than your thoughts. Thoughts are of the ego/world, while loving/peaceful feelings are of the Divine. Fear-based “feelings” (anger, anxiety, hopelessness, irritation, etc.) stem from thoughts produced by your ego. Fear signifies that you are listening to yourself, and not the Divine. When you follow your heart, without caring what other’s think, without listening to the fears that bubble to the surface, you can be sure it’s the right thing to do.

 

If you have a problem letting go of your fears, try these mediations.

Seven Guides to Happiness and Peace

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Every decision based on fear is the wrong decision. Not because of the outcome, but because of its motive.

How do you face situations when the answers seem beyond your understanding or ability? How do you go through life feeling comfortable you are on the right path, even when events don’t seem to be going your way?

Here are seven guides for living a happy and peaceful life:

When fearful, call for love. Call on the Spirit who transforms all that is fearful into love. Offer Him your fear and He will take it from you. You will feel the emotional transformation almost immediately, if you are willing to let it go. For a detailed explanation on how to give fear and other unwanted emotions to the Spirit, please read my blog post Meditation Techniques.

When making decisions, ask for divine guidance. Ask for help throughout the day when making decisions. And, then wait for guidance that may come in the form of a gut feeling, heart’s desire, knowing, or you may actually hear the quiet voice speak to you and offer Its guidance on how to handle the situation. The Spirit will help you respond in a loving way.

When you feel guilty, realize that you are responding from fear. Guilt can be immobilizing, infecting so many others aspects of your life. Guilt stems from the fear that you have created a situation that was harmful to others or yourself. It stems from a belief that this dream is real. Can such a temporary moment be real? Can anything that was not created from love be real? There is a message from the Spirit in my book Shaman Stone Soup that answers this well: “Guilt—the universal punishment. For what? What have you done? Illusions of deeds gone wrong, misspoken words, actions that seemed to kill or harm others, all are dreams of injuries to ourselves and others, and yet they are only dreams. The spirit realm, where all the loved ones wait, is a much more accurate portrayal of yourself. Yet even this is incomplete. You are ultimately only love, extending itself for all of eternity.”

Forgive. Remember that your life is a dream created by you. Don’t spend your time blaming others. And like any dream, it’s not real! Let it go. Remember that you and everyone are perfect spirits who have dreamed of imperfection. You are not your body, your actions, your failures. Remember to laugh at your mistakes—they are just a blip on the radar. Forgive every trespass that comes to your mind. Let them all go.

Remember Your Perfectness. You cannot achieve spiritual purity, you’re already a perfect spirit. All you can do is remove the thoughts that keep you from remembering your perfectness. A message from the Spirit in Shaman Stone Soup states: “We are all divine spirits, helping others on conscious and unconscious levels. The past, present, and future exist simultaneously—all lives, all events have already occurred—leaving you with memories of illusions that you pluck from the recesses of your mind. You have reached enlightenment because you have never left it. So, you have the ability to act as an angel, reaching out to others, offering miracles and love, now.”

Surrender. You are like a wave in the ocean, fearful that the ocean will swallow you, and you will be no more. Yet, you have been alive for eternity and always will be. Release your attachment to the dream you have made, and allow your true self, your eternal spirit, to shine through. Don’t fear being part of the ocean. Accept your role in this greatness, and you will realize how mighty you are, instead of how lonely and separated you feel.

Respond with love. Life is about learning to release and forgive everything that is not love. Every temptation to be anxious, guilty, or depressed is identification with fear—an attempt to make this dream real. Love is the recognition that you are an eternal being that can never be destroyed, attacked, or diminished in any way. When you respond with love, you remember your true self.

The Monster Under the Bed

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There is a monster that lurks under my bed. He doesn’t live there during the day. When it’s light, I can easily search for shoes and chapstick that have rolled under the bed. But when the day has faded and the lights are turned off, he comes alive. It is then that I am afraid to stand by the bed—sure that he will grab me by my ankles and devour me, starting with my toes.

This monster has followed me from my childhood home. He is the same monster that used to live in my closest and stare at me until I screamed for my mom and dad.

Another favorite hiding place of his was the basement. And, when I least expected it, I would feel his presence coming up the stairs. He always seemed to know when everyone had left the room and I was alone. His ominous presence would fill me with fear, as I stood defenseless. Thankfully, my current home doesn’t have a basement.

I had thought I would grow out of my fear of the monster who lurked in dark, but even as an adult, I find it difficult to stand next to my bed for more than second…but only at night.

My old dog, Mickey, used to sleep under our bed. He was the bravest creature I have ever known. He calmly walked under our bed every night and slept peacefully. His lack of fear kept the monster at bay.

Who is this monster, who’s presence is only felt in the dark, and where does he hide when it’s light?