On Awareness and Becoming Aware

On Awareness and becoming aware.

In 2005, author David Foster Wallace was asked to give the commencement address to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon College. However, the resulting speech didn't become widely known until 3 years later, after his tragic death. It is, without a doubt, some of the best life advice we've ever come across, and perhaps the most simple and elegant explanation of the real value of education.
We made this video, built around an abridged version of the original audio recording, with the hopes that the core message of the speech could reach a wider audience who might not have otherwise been interested. However, we encourage everyone to seek out the full speech (because, in this case, the book is definitely better than the movie).
-The Glossary

Read the full speech here:
web.archive.org/web/20080213082423/http://www.marginalia.org/dfw_kenyon_...

Honoring The Calling

Today I honor my calling.  I accept it with its full weight and responsibilities.  I also accept with all its joys, laughter and blessings.  I step into it, not knowing where the journey leads, but knowing it brings me full circle to the reason I chose to be here on this earth, in this time, in this body. 

I call forth out of my being, out of my Divine center, the full luminosity of Divine purpose and energy to assist me in my calling.  I speak to those mountains and obstacles that I have insisted stay in my path to now be removed, and I take all appropriate actions to move beyond them. 

I step into the fullness of my being.  I step into the fullness of my Divine center and as I do so, I step into the abundance that is mine by Divine right.  I call forth every gifting, every skill and strength I came into the time and space with, and I call forth every skill and strength I've learned along the way.  I feel the waves of Divine energy coursing throughout all of my being now, even as I write this, and I know it is all being brought to fruition. 

I honor the Divine gift within me.  I am blessed.   I am honored.  I am grateful.

The Whole World Belongs to You

"Be Content with what you have;

rejoice in the way things are.  When

you realize there is nothing lacking,

the whole world belongs to you."

-Lao Tsu

"Our Personal Work is to Find the Love..."

 

Shakti Gawain is the bestselling author of Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Creating True Prosperity, Developing Intuition, and several other books. Her books have sold more than six million copies in thirty languages worldwide.

I Awaken to the Divine

My meditation throughout the day today.

I awaken to the divine in me.
I awaken to the divine in you.
I awaken to the divine in all of us.

This has been my mantra today; during my meditation and in filling my being afterwards. It has brought me to tears, and has filled me with joy. I am humbled by the presence of the divine.

Namaste.

"Life has loveliness to less..."

Barter

By Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)
 

Life has loveliness to sell,

      All beautiful and splendid things,

Blue waves whitened on a cliff,

      Soaring fire that sways and sings,

And children's faces looking up

Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,

      Music like a curve of gold,

Scent of pine trees in the rain,

      Eyes that love you, arms that hold,

And for your spirit's still delight,

Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,

      Buy it and never count the cost;

For one white singing hour of peace

      Count many a year of strife well lost,

And for a breath of ecstasy

Give all you have been, or could be.

A Beautiful Place...

 

 

 

"Be soft.  Do not let the world make you hard.  Do not let pain make you hate.  Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.  Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place."
-Kurt Vonnegut

There's No Destination to Arrive at.

“Mystics are not themselves. They do not exist
in selves. They move as they are moved,
talk as words come, see with sight
that enters their eyes. I met a woman
once and asked her where love had led her.
Fool, there's no destination to arrive at.
Loved one and lover and love are infinite.”

-Farid al-Din Attar

This is an interesting article on spiritual awakening from spiritual teacher, author, musician and intuitive Sara Wiseman.  I've met Sara in person, and her work is amazing.  You can find more information on her books, courses and radio show at www.sarawiseman.com.

"Many people are going through a spiritual awakening right now. It’s like consciousness, going viral.Yet while awakening sounds so exciting, when you’re suddenly in communication with guides, angels, the departed — it’s not easy to integrate that experience into your perceived reality.If this is happening to you, understand that the road to awakening extends perfectly, and contains all the time you need to shift, change and transform your consciousness. "

http://www.sarawiseman.com/3/post/2013/04/are-you-having-a-spiritual-awakening.html

I Open My Heart

I open my heart to forgiveness. I open my heart to joy. I open my heart to gratefulness and I open my heart to faith. I open my heart to the source of life and all that is. I open my heart to love.

You Can't Give What You Don't Have

I think the hidden lesson in the parable of the Good Samaritan is that we can’t love our neighbor as we love ourselves if we don’t first love ourselves.

Have you ever heard the line “You can’t give what you don’t have?”  We can only give to others what we have first given to ourselves.   If we are to live an authentic life and have a positive effect on our world, we must first have that positive effect on ourselves.  This doesn’t mean that we have to live a life of perfection.  Perfection is a work in progress, something that only happens as we let go of the ego and start living towards a higher ideal.

We can be so blocked in our life by the things we refuse to first offer ourselves.  We can’t offer permission to others to live their life as they see fit, because we don’t offer that same permission to ourselves.  We don’t extend grace to others because we don’t first extend grace to ourselves.  We can’t offer forgiveness to others because we haven’t first offered forgiveness to ourselves.

We can only give to others what we have given ourselves.  We judge others because we judge ourselves.  We fear others because we fear our own power.  We don’t open ourselves to others because we don’t trust ourselves.

It takes courage to offer ourselves forgiveness.  It takes strength to extend grace to ourselves and others.  Sometimes, we have to unlearn old behaviors before we can begin to love ourselves, but if we are to truly offer our love to others, we must learn to love ourselves.

5 Simple Rules For Happiness

Why Do You Live Small? You are Bigger Than This.

Why do you live small?  Why do you choose to believe that you are limited by the things you possess, and by the things you do not possess?  You are more than what you own, and you are more than what you feel owns you.

You have been told this before, yet you need to hear it again: you are more than your education.  You are more than your career.  You are more than your lack, and you are more than your gain.  You are more than you ever supposed you were. 

You are more than the pain you find yourself in.  You are bigger than this.

Why do you live small?  Why do you believe you must live in the box you find yourself in?  Do you not see that it is a mere illusion; and if you but choose to believe, the box will disappear and life will open up to you?

Why do you take your present circumstances for granted?  They too are but an illusion.  They are merely the box you’ve allowed yourself to wallow in for far too long.  You think these circumstances are real.  Life is so much bigger than that.  Give yourself permission to live outside the box of your own making.

It is wise to live within your means.  However, living within your means does not mean that your means have to remain small.  Life is meant to be lived large, to its fullest, and for your highest good.   

I Believe

I believe in grace and the power of redemption.  I believe in love and the power of love.  I believe in the forgiveness of self and others.  I believe in living a life of peace.  I believe in living a life without placing judgment on myself or others.  I believe in our humanity and in our divinity.  I believe that we are not our behavior, and that we have the power to overcome the obstacles we see placed in our paths.
I believe we are more than holograms on this earth and that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I also believe we are humans having a spiritual existence.  I believe in extending help to those who have an outreached hand, even to those who are unable to stretch out a hand. 
I believe that we are placed on this earth to do good deeds, and to make the world a better place, even if we go unrecognized for our efforts. 
I believe that we choose our experiences in this lifetime, and that every challenge presents an opportunity for growth.  I believe that there is good in all of us, and if we choose to recognize the good in others, we make the world a better place.
I believe in God as the central force of the universe and as the spark of life that give each of us our humanity and our divinity.  I believe that we are all connected and every action we each take individually affects each other.
I believe it is our moral imperative that we seek to make the world a better place, not just for ourselves, but for the generations that will follow, and for the sake of earth herself.  I believe in self responsibility and self accountability. 
I believe that we each do the best we can with what we have and where we are at in our present circumstances.  I believe that we should work to always do better, to gain more knowledge, wisdom and understanding.  I believe that if we stop learning, we stop growing.  I believe in our ability to create our world and our circumstances.  I believe that no decision is final and I give myself permission to change my mind.
I believe that I am neither better than you, nor you than me.  I believe that your strength and power is not better or worse than mine.  I believe that we are co-creators with every person we encounter in this lifetime, and we get to choose what we create.  I believe in the power of choice.  I believe in your power and right to choose what is right for you, just as I get to choose what is right for me. 
I believe that we are stronger than we think.  I believe that we can accomplish anything we set our intentions towards.  I believe we are made weaker when we do not use our strengths to help others in need.  I believe that you are loved, valued and accepted, regardless of your response to me, because true love is unconditional.
I believe we have the power to heal; both ourselves, and others.  I believe that most of us do not recognize our own power because we have never been shown, taught, or believed in.  I believe in recognizing and affirming the strength and power in others, because most people are not recognized, affirmed or valued enough in their lifetime.
I believe that as we recognize the divinity within us, we begin to recognize our purpose and place in the world.  
I believe in grace, forgiveness and the power of redemption.  I believe in love.

Geek Meditation from geekculture.com

Confronting the lie: God won’t give you more than you can handle

Confronting the lie: God won’t give you more than you can handle

What's Wrong with Peace?

I don't understand what's wrong with peace.  I've gotten quite a bit of feedback on my profile picture.  You see, I'm wearing a t-shirt with a peace symbol on it.  I didn't purchase it because I'm some sort of anti-war activist who is fighting salivating for peace.  I purchased it because I happened to like it.  Nothing more; nothing less.
I realize that the peace sign has come to symbolize lots of different things to different people.  I was born in the tumultuous 60's, and I have the utmost respect for veterans and the brave men and women who serve our country in times of both peace and war.  I appreciate and cherish their willingness to place our great country above their own life.  However, I don't believe that the peace sign symbolizes "the great American chicken," or that it means that those of us who wear it are necessarily "foaming-at-the-mouth liberals" and pacifists.  Wearing a peace sign doesn't mean that I'm "un-American", or that I'm not patriotic, or that I should move to a country that took in people who refused to go to war as a matter of conscience.
Most of the backlash I've received has come from people who happen to be religious.  I was raised by and with many of the people who have made disparaging comments.  But here's why I don't get what is wrong with peace:  In Psalm 122:6, we are told to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem."  In Isaiah 9:6, the future messiah is called the Prince of Peace.  In Matthew 5:9, Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
We are told to advocate for the peace of Jerusalem.  If Jerusalem is also used as a metaphor for Heaven, a perfected world, and a metaphorical image of wholeness, then why would we not pray for the peace of our Jerusalem?  Why would we not advocate for our own inner wholeness and for the peace of the world we live in?  Would we rather live in conflict with ourselves and others?
Today, I wear this t-shirt proudly.  I wear it because I choose to live a life of peace.  I choose to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  I choose to pray for the peace of all our Jerusalems.

Taking Responsibility

The necessity of taking responsibility for one's self, choices and circumstances cannot be abdicated. There are no shortcuts in life; there are only choices. Choose wisely, and if you do not, move on and know that few choices in life have to be permanent.

The "Flash Effect"

The flash effect:  It is a brief moment of insight that occurs at any given moment in time.  It can be a flash of self-realization, an eureka moment, or even a glimpse of the future. 
When it occurs, your life can change forever.  It can spur the gods of creativity and inspiration; cause the universe to act on your behalf; or allow others to step into or out of your life.
The flash effect: It changes your internal energy, and electrifies the energy around you.  It is so powerful, it can cause the universe to pause and take notice.
When we are in control of our lives, and by that I mean that we have given up the power to control our life to a higher source, then we are open to creating and receiving more frequently these moments that unite with each other and the universal consciousness.