The Gift of Awareness

by Robert Cosmar 

Awareness is the greatest of all gifts. It's free to share when appropriate; it's never manipulative or controlling, and it so easily harmonizes two hearts into a loving agreement. Awareness is the division of existence through the mind, which is what creates our turmoil and pain. Life is seen in parts and is divided by judgments about the nature of reality. We are forced to choose and, thus limited in our ability to see comprehensively all sides of a situation. We become blind, prejudiced and divided.

Awareness is the gift of seeing totally from a higher perspective within us. It comes as a knowing and not a series of propositions, arguments or theories. We know and we are certain we know, but we may not know how it is that we know -- we just do. Awareness equalizes the playing field and applies understanding to our minds and hearts. 

Peace is a gift and byproduct of awareness -- conflict is ended and harmony is then restored to us and others. It is the lack of awareness which prevents the world and its people from coming together. Awareness reveals that there is but one world, one universe, one people and one truth. This truth is not of religion or God, but of a personal connection to it through consciousness. You cannot learn awareness.  Awareness arises out of the conflict of mind and heart and is often born out of turmoil.

Awareness is the true gift of life, the energy of the eternal, flowing from one heart to another and healing the separations of race, creed and color. It is tasting our true identity and remembering the greatest good within us. Dare to be aware ... and then dare to share it.

Namaste

Gemstones and Crystals

Are gemstones and crystals lucky and do they impart healing or protective powers to those who own them? This has been my latest quest -- to find the answers.

This has been intriguing to me for awhile, because Robert gave me a crystal quartz and a very large amethyst crystal when we first became a couple. At once, I was awed by their beauty and I found that when I held one or the other in my palm, I thought I could feel an energy coming from it.  I also enjoyed the comforting weight of the crystal itself. At that time, it was enough to know that they were a treasured gift from someone who believed in them and who also cared a lot about me.

One weekend last summer, we came across a gemologist at a local flea market. This man had a treasure trove of crystals, some I was familiar with and many others I had never seen before. I asked him how in the world you would know which ones you should own. He said, based on what my soul needed for clarity and healing, the "right ones" would speak to me ... (uh huh, sure). I picked all of them up, one by one. I listened, but I didn't hear anything. I decided I would have to base my decisions on something entirely different.

I will say, as I picked them up and held them, there were a few that stood out as either being prettier or feeling more comfortable in my palm than the rest -- so that's what I based my decisions on. I chose a tiger's eye, a rose quartz, and a lovely smooth bloodstone, which surprisingly, wasn't red at all, but a deep marbled green.  But I still say, nothing actually "spoke" to me. 

When we got home, Robert told me I should purify them so they would harmonize with my own vibrations. Other than looking up how to purify them, and then doing it, I didn't give them much more thought until this morning, when I did a quick search on gemstones and crystals, after glancing over at my little collection here on the desk by my keyboard.

I read that the first stones were probably used for ornamental purposes, like a smooth colored river rock. Or maybe, a hunter spotted a pretty river stone just before he successfully got his dinner, so the hunter then carried it with him as a lucky hunting stone. Stones of all kinds have played an important part in the history of humans. From the little river stones to the gigantic ones, such as those at Stonehenge, stones of all sizes and shapes have been called "the bones of Mother Earth". Stones have been used as talismans and amulets since recorded history and probably even before that. Even the Bible mentions the use of stones.

I'm sure there is much more to be learned about both gemstones and crystals. As time permits, I will read and learn even more, but as for today, I've come away believing that it's a personal thing. Most of the luck lies within our own belief system -- if we truly believe the stone or crystal is beneficial -- either lucky, protective or healing -- then it will be. I know how each of mine feels in my palm. It feels good ... and that's good enough for me.

Namaste

Avatar

I've watched the movie, Avatar, so many times now that when I got up this morning, I asked myself, "What is this unnerving fascination I have with the movie?" The only thing I'm sure of is that it strikes a deep spiritual chord in me every time I watch it. It's like something I recognize from a memory, from my dreams, and from my visions of home.

I started by looking up the word, Avatar. Here's what I found:

"A fully freed 'soul' incarnating directly from God on this physical planet or elsewhere. An Avatar fulfills a highly spiritual task in the name of God and returns to God after accomplishing his task. His faith in God is absolute. An Avatar, by his nature, leads an entire culture home to God, while a Guru leads a number of individual disciples to God."

Wow, even the word, "Avatar" is spiritual! The director, James Cameron, must know something about spiritual awareness.

The movie is set in Pandora, a mystical and beautiful world, home of the Na'vi, a peaceful people who ferociously protect their home, the clan, family and Eywa, their very deity, which is centered within the Tree of Life.

James Cameron took movie realism to a whole new level with Pandora's exotic floating mountains, glowing plants, six-limbed animals and wonderful flying mountain banshees which can be tamed by the spiritual connecting of the Na'vi's 'queue' to these animals.

When you study Avatar, you find there are many spiritual messages within the movie:

** Everything has energy and purpose and is interconnected. All energy is borrowed -- you must give it back. The energy of the living and non-living is what creates our universe.

** Love is the most powerful of all energies. Love creates and only love is real. All else is ego-driven and only destroys. Even the way they say "I see you" to one another, which means, "I see into you", indicates a person's connectedness with the spiritual world.

** There is no death, only a change of worlds. Everything is infinite.

** Physical birth begins our consciousness. What we do with this life is up to us and is our own free choice.

Avatar is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular films of all time. I can see how it would -- it certainly has enveloped me in its charm. It represents a growing universal and spiritual need in America and the entire world, for those of us already searching for a spiritual relationship with our Creator and the universe. Avatar is merely a brilliant doorway that fills you with the same sense of overwhelming peace and joy and love ...

Serendipity vs. Synchronicity

After I posted the blog about synchronicity the other day, I got a short email from a reader, asking, "Instead of synchronicity, don't you actually mean serendipity? Don't both words mean discovery?"

I had heard of the word, serendipity, but I had a notion that the two were only vaguely related.

It was my understanding that serendipity was finding something by accident and feeling lucky that you did, whereas synchronicity as we've already discussed, is a whisper, a message, a helpful incident, that comes directly to us from the universe and it feels like a mini-miracle.

I decided to go visit Mr. Webster for an answer ...

Serendipity
ser·en·dip·i·ty  [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee] –noun
1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

The best thing about my discovery of the meaning of the word serendipity is that finding it was serendipitous.

While looking for the full dictionary/encyclopedic meaning of discovery so I could provide more of a description for the blog, I found that discovery is very similar to serendipity but their meanings differ in how a something, or a thing, is found.

Discovery is finding and learning something on purpose, while serendipity is an accidental discovery, or a finding, that turns out to be fortunate.

Previously, I had thought serendipity had something to do with fate.  In a fuzzy way I guess it does, depending on what you believe.

However, I am glad I found the full meaning of the word, because now it will help me describe some of the discoveries I come across that you’ll find here in the blog. This would be instead of you thinking I’m a doddering old fool by saying it was accidental, now I can elegantly describe it as being serendipitous.

And no, serendipity is not the same as synchronicity ...

Namaste.

A Major Synchronicity

I've talked before about synchronicities, those happenings that seem to be like a small miracle, or as some call them, a coincidence -- which they are not. To use an example for those just now reading about synchronicity for the first time: you're late for an appointment, but you have to stop at Walmart for something first. You know it's usually packed, but it's something you have to do. Just as you pull into the parking lot, a space opens up right in front. Then after you finish shopping, you head to the cash registers only to see the lines are long ... but just then a register opens and the cashier motions for you to come to her register. Synchronicity = a little miracle, just for you.

The word 'synchronicity' actually refers to wheels of time, though the actual concept cannot be scientifically proven. We can only enjoy them as they occur and take us on all sorts of little journeys into awareness. The more 'consciously aware' you become, the higher your frequency becomes and the faster you manifest positively. Every day we encounter meaningful synchronicities that we have attracted to us. This is one way our reality works.

We've all heard the expression, "There are no accidents. There is a purpose for everything." This is true. Everything we experience is by design, and what we attract to our physical world. There are no accidents just synchronicity wheels of time, or karma, in the evolution of our consciousness. Our souls are always multitasking to create new experiences for us to learn from. The higher and clearer our frequency and intent, the faster we will have synchronicities. They may occur to make a quick point, like with the trip to Walmart, or they can take time to manifest, weeks and maybe even months. Sometimes they even create major learning lessons ...

This is precisely what happened to me. Several months ago, my spirit guide, Dinahh, whispered that I had a purpose to fulfill. I was to help others face their buried memories and help them heal their pain and grief by writing about my own experiences with the loss of my husband, Doug, in Vietnam in 1969. I chose to start a blog, dedicated to Vietnam veterans.

I put my heart and soul into the blog, determined to do what I could. I certainly wasn't prepared for what I received back from them. With each one I met through emails and letters, with every shared story and memory they recalled, I felt their pain and grief as though it were my own. At the drop of a hat I cried. It was puzzling. These were people I had never met, but they had been there, maybe saw what Doug had seen, and I felt their pain.

Yesterday, Veterans Day, was a major and traumatic day for me. It began like any day -- I posted on all three blogs and as I was reading some conversations in Facebook, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of sadness that reached all the way to my soul. Sadness for all of the soldiers who never returned, sadness for their families and friends, sadness for those who did come home but were carrying around such awful pain, sadness for a country at war yet again, sadness for my grandchildren who, since their birth, have never known our country in peacetime and think war is the norm! Lastly, I felt sadness for the heavy baggage I had been carrying around with me since 1969. I went to the couch, buried my face in a pillow, and sobbed for over two hours. Huge gut-wrenching sobs ...

When I had finished, I sat up, blew my nose, and said out loud, "What was that all about?" And yet I knew. With a certainty I can't explain, I knew. Then Dinahh confirmed what I already knew. I had faced the pain I had buried for so long. I had finally embraced it, felt it in its entirety, and I was finally able to let it go. This is what Dinahh had known would happen. This is why he had been silent for such a long time. God doesn't make mistakes -- the universe works its magic in us in subtle ways, in ways which, as Larry the Cableman would say, "Gitter done." This particular synchronicity had been a deep and soul-cleansing lesson that I had to learn before I could go any further in my awareness.

These veterans touched me. They touched something deep inside me and each time, it caused a little piece of hurt to rise to the surface where I saw it, felt it, and in the feeling of it, I was able to grieve a little bit more. To them all, I say, thank you and ...

Namaste.

Longevity of the Universe

I've had the most disappointing conversation in a public forum today with someone on Facebook. I posted a simple quote about wanting to leave something worthwhile behind that will live forever. Just a simple quote which, to me, just meant I want to make a difference during my human experience while I'm here in this lifetime.

Suddenly, it became a personal debate with one who believes there's no use in even trying to make a difference because the Universe has no future. Who are we to debate the Universe's longevity? Wait, I'll copy and paste the conversation for you.

Here is the quote that started everything:

"We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to do something, or create something, that will live forever." ~CJ Heck

(Name Removed): "Nothing lives forever. So create nothing."

CJ Heck: "Excuse me? Poetry and stories do live forever, (Name Removed)."

(Name Removed): "Forever's a much longer time than this universe has."

CJ Heck: I don't really care. I'm an optimist and willing to take that chance ... I'm willing to write for the future, the forever we and the universe DO have ..."

CJ Heck: "So what are you saying, (Name Removed)? You are just giving up and not experiencing all you can as a human to the fullest because you don't believe the universe will last? What a waste of a beautiful lifetime, this spiritual journey your soul chose to take ..."

Wow, if this is the mindset of every soul on their human journey, we're in trouble, folks. I don't believe for a minute that the Universe won't go on, and that it won't continue for eons.

What a waste, not to learn everything we can while we're here. What a waste not to remember who we are and where we came from. What a waste not to know, to remember what our purpose is and further humanity in whatever ways we can ... what is your opinion?

Namaste.

Breakfast at McDonald's

This morning, a good friend sent me this wonderful story about love and acceptance. I tend to think of it as a synchronicity, because I was thinking along these very same lines just before I read the email, and there was this story ... I'm told it's true, but regardless, it sure touched my heart, as I'm sure it will touch yours, as well.


Breakfast at McDonald's
Author Unknown

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and I've recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.' The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their various reactions. I'm a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's on a crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing some special time alone with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I didn't move an inch, but an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned around to see why they had all moved. As I turned around, I smelled a horrible dirty body smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman closest to me, I saw that he was smiling. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of spiritual light as he searched for acceptance. Meeting my eyes, he said, "Good day", as he counted the few coins he had been clutching tightly in his fist.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I quickly realized the second man was mentally challenged and it was apparent that the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter curtly asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss", because that was all they could afford. (You could almost read in the lady's demeanor: if they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. It was obvious, they just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it -- the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That's when I noticed that all eyes in the restaurant were focused on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. After she handed me the tray, I then walked around the corner to the table the men had chosen as a resting spot. I set the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said, "Thank you, Ma'am."

I leaned over, patted his hand and said, "I didn't do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, "That's why the universe gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope."

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the gifts that we were given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers in a higher authority.

That single day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in my project and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and asked, "May I share this?"

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read aloud and that's when I knew that we as human beings are a part of something so much more. We all share this need to heal others and to be healed ourselves in the process. In my own way, I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with so much more than a degree. I learned one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn during my lifetime: Unconditional Acceptance. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this. Let's continue to learn how to love people and use things -- not love things and use people.

Namaste.

The Way Home

I would like to re-introduce Robert Cosmar, a gifted writer and blogger, who just happens to be someone very special to me. Here is a story I know you will enjoy as much as I have.

The Way Home
by Robert Cosmar

One day, God sat with three of His friends waiting for the return of two of his creations, Man and Woman. He had three special gifts to give to them. As the two creations approached, God smiled, but He sensed something was wrong. He could tell Man and Woman were hiding something. Still, God decided to keep His own counsel and not say anything to see what would happen.

"Hello Father" they said at the same time, as they approached. “We want you to meet some friends we met on our journey.

"Fine," God said as He looked at them. He loved them both dearly and wanted only the best for them. "Where are they?"

The two were so nervous that they forgot to see where there new companions were. Looking around, they found them hiding behind some rocks. Excitedly, they motioned for the new friends to come closer. Timidly, each crept from behind the rocks and rubble along the path.

God frowned. He knew who they were, but realized He had given his creations freedom, and they could choose their own friends. Slowly, the five new friends approached God and his two creations.

"Father, we would like you to meet our new friends, Pride, Reason, Logic, Ego, and this shy one is Fear," said the male creation, as if he were seeking God's approval.

"I see, and where did you meet them?" He asked.

"Well, after You gave us the freedom to explore Your kingdom and learn what we could, they just ... well, appeared." Man answered.

Woman added, "We became confused and anxious one day as we talked. We began to wonder who we were inside."

God smiled, and watched as the companions sought to hide behind Man and Woman to shield themselves from any direct contact with Him. "Well this changes everything," said God, with a knowing look.

The two creations looked surprised and a bit stunned. "What do You mean?" they asked.

"Well, I had three valuable gifts to give you, but now I cannot," God told them.

Sadness filled their hearts and they felt an inexplicable loss.

"But," continued God with a compassionate smile, "you can still choose to receive the gifts because you have the freedom to choose.  Man and Woman both smiled. (God always gave great gifts).

"However," warned God, “there is a choice you have to make."

The smiles turned to concern as they realized they would have to make a decision and the responsibility would be on their shoulders. Up to this time, they were used to God giving them everything.

"My gifts have nothing to do with your friends. It is not that My gifts harbor any ill will towards them, rather, it is that your friends have nothing in common with the gifts," said God.

"Well, can we see the gifts and may we talk to them?" asked the two.

"I am sorry, My children, I cannot do that. You will just have to trust Me and decide for yourselves," said God

A perplexed look came over their faces and for the first time, they felt alienation. They had always let God decide and now they were going to have to choose. Not knowing what to do, they decided to confer with their new friends.

God watched. He knew what would happen. It was inevitable and necessary. For them to know the importance of His gifts, they had to experience the freedom to go their own way. They needed a reference point from which to compare His gifts against their choice in friends.

A short time passed and then they spoke. "Father, we have decided to go with our friends. We will discuss Your offer in more detail with them. They have some excellent suggestions and we need more time to explore them."

"Fine," said God. I will even create a world for you in which time exists. This will be a place where you can be away from My influence and learn from your friends. But, there is a danger! In that world, you could forget how to contact Me and you might forget My gifts for you."

The two were worried, but their new friends assured them they would not feel alone.

"Have you reached your decision?" asked God.

"Yes, Father, we will go to the new world with our friends," they answered.

"Very well, children. You may meet My gifts before you go," God told them.

"Here are Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. They are My closest counselors and they help Me in all that I do. I was prepared to share them with you, but you have chosen otherwise. You will experience the freedom to choose in the place you have chosen. You will also have your friends’ counsel.  Remember what I have told you about the danger of forgetting these gifts. I have placed their longing in your hearts, which will grow weary, in time. You will create and discover many things in your new world, but they will not last.  But, so you will not despair, I am giving you one companion to help you remember your true hearts. This one is called Death."

"What is Death, Father?" asked Man and Woman.

"It is a friend of Fear. Death will help you remember what is important and eventually expose the true nature of your friends’ counsel. It will help your hearts seek out Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge.  They will help you remember Me and seek your true home again.

The two creations smiled wanly at each other as they turned and walked away from God with their new friends. With each step, loneliness filled them. Something was leaving them and they could not understand what it was. Fear, Pride, Ego, Reason and Logic all explained that it was okay, because they were with them.

Soon they arrived at the place with time that God had created for them. The lonely feeling left and was eventually replaced by excitement for the beauty and abundant possibilities in this new world.

Together, they discussed great plans and shared new ideas about this world and what they might do. Nonetheless, something was always missing. They missed God and, over time, they realized they had forgotten how to even contact Him, just like God predicted. They even forgot where He was and what He looked like, so they made up stories to hold the memory. But even the stories did not help them. Something was still missing. While the stories distracted the mind, the very core of their being felt lost, alone, and empty.

As the years went by, Fear and Death reminded them of their emptiness, but they would talk to Reason and Logic and forget again. It was worse for their children, because they grew up with only stories about God. They had never experienced His presence, so their despair was far greater.

Finally, with the help of Death in their later years, they began to see that Pride, Logic, Reason, Ego and Fear had lied to them all along. They had promised a fulfillment they could not deliver. God had been right.

Despair filled them as they saw the choices of their life and realized the dire consequences. But while Death was showing them the truth of their condition, he also reminded them of the promise God had given them. They were to remember in their hearts that Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge were there to lead them home again to God.

Tears filled their eyes as they realized everything had been in vain all the years they had been away from God. Nothing had ever really mattered, except Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge and the way back home.

Levels of Consciousness

by Steve Pavlina

From the book, "Power vs. Force"
by David R. Hawkins

There’s a hierarchy of levels of human consciousness. It’s an interesting paradigm. If you read the book, it’s also fairly easy to figure out where you fall on this hierarchy, based on your current life situation. While we can pop in and out of different levels at various times, usually there’s a “normal” state for us. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re at least at the level of courage because if you were at a lower level, you’d likely have no conscious interest in personal growth.

I’ll go over these levels in order, mostly focusing on the ones between courage and reason, since that’s the range where you’re most likely to land. The labels are Hawkins'. The descriptions are based on his descriptions but blended with my own thoughts.

Shame – Just a step above death. You’re probably contemplating suicide at this level. Either that or you’re a serial killer. Think of this as self-directed hatred.

Guilt – A step above shame, but you still may be having thoughts of suicide. You think of yourself as a sinner, unable to forgive yourself for past transgressions.

Apathy – Feeling hopeless or victimized. The state of learned helplessness. Many homeless people are stuck here.

Grief – A state of perpetual sadness and loss. You might drop down here after losing a loved one. Still higher than apathy, since you’re beginning to escape the numbness.

Fear – Seeing the world as dangerous and unsafe. Usually you’ll need help to rise above this level, or you’ll remain trapped for a long time, such as in an abusive relationship.

Desire – Not to be confused with setting and achieving goals, this is the level of addiction, craving, and lust — for money, approval, power, fame, etc. This is the level of smoking and drinking and doing drugs.

Anger – the level of frustration, often from not having your desires met at the lower level. This level can spur you to action at higher levels, or it can keep you stuck in hatred. In an abusive relationship, you’ll often see an anger person coupled with a fear person.

Pride – The first level where you start to feel good, but it’s a false feeling. It’s dependent on external circumstances (money, prestige, etc), so it’s vulnerable. A state of irrational denial and defensiveness. Religious fundamentalism is also stuck at this level. You become so closely enmeshed in your beliefs that you see an attack on your beliefs as an attack on you.

Courage – The first level of true strength. Courage is the Gateway and where you start to see life as challenging and exciting instead of overwhelming. You begin to have an interest in personal growth. You start to see your future as an improvement, rather than a continuation of the same.

Neutrality – This level is epitomized by the phrase, “live and let live.” It’s flexible, relaxed, and unattached. Whatever happens, you roll with the punches. You don’t have anything to prove. You feel safe. A lot of self-employed people are here. A very comfortable place. You’re taking care of your needs, but you don’t push yourself too hard.

Willingness – Now you start using your energy more effectively. Just getting by isn’t good enough anymore. You care about doing a good job — perhaps even your best. Think of this level as the development of willpower and self-discipline. These people get things done and don’t complain. This is the point where your consciousness becomes more organized and disciplined.

Acceptance – Now a powerful shift happens, and you awaken to the possibilities of living proactively. This is the level of setting and achieving goals. I don’t like the label “acceptance” that Hawkins uses here, but it basically means that you begin accepting responsibility for your role in the world. If something isn’t right about your life, you define your desired outcome and change it. You see your life more clearly.

Reason – At this level you become capable of using your reasoning abilities to their fullest extent. You now have the discipline and the proactivity to fully exploit your natural abilities. You’ve reached the point where you say, “Wow. I can do all this stuff, and I know I must put it to good use. You start making meaningful contributions. At the very high end, this is the level of Einstein and Freud. It’s obvious that most people never reach this level in their entire lives.

Love – This isn’t the emotion of love. It’s unconditional love, a permanent understanding of your connectedness with all that exists. Think compassion. You now place your head and all your other talents and abilities in service to your heart (not your emotions, but your greater sense of right and wrong — your conscience). This is the level of awakening to your true purpose. Your motives are pure and uncorrupted by the desires of the ego. This is the level of lifetime service to humanity. You also begin to be guided by a force greater than yourself. It’s a feeling of letting go. Your intuition becomes extremely strong.

Joy – A state of pervasive, unshakable happiness. Just being around people at this level makes you feel incredible. At this level life is fully guided by synchronicity and intuition. There’s no more need to set goals and make plans — the expansion of your consciousness allows you to operate at a much higher level. A near-death experience can temporarily bump you to this level.

Peace – Total transcendence. Hawkins claims this level is reached only by one person in 10 million.

Enlightenment – The highest level of human consciousness, where humanity blends with divinity. Extremely rare. Even just thinking about people at this level can raise your consciousness.

I think you’ll find this model worthy of reflection. Within your own life, you’ll see that some parts of your life are at different levels than others, but you should be able to identify your current overall level. We naturally fluctuate between multiple states throughout the course of any given week, so you’ll see a range of 3-4 levels where you spend most of your time. Progressing even one level can be hard, but that change can radically alter everything in your life.

The most important work we can do as human beings is to raise our individual level of consciousness. When we do this, we spread higher levels of consciousness to everyone around us. What an incredible world this would be if we could at least get everyone to the level of acceptance. According to Hawkins 85% of the people on earth live below the level of courage.

Look at this with an open mind and see if it leads you to new insights that help you take the next leap in your own life.

Namaste.

Exercising Trust

Can a person ask for trust without first earning it? Can a person demand to be trusted? These questions came to light recently in my life. At times, I think I know my answers, but what surprises me is, sometimes the answers seem to change with the weather, based on the circumstances. I decided to research trust this morning -- see what the experts had to say -- here is what I found out.

What is Trust?
Trust is both emotional and logical. Emotionally, you expose your vulnerabilities, hoping you won't be taken advantage of. Logically, you've studied gain and loss based on past information, and decide a person will act in a certain way. Trust is some of both. (1) I trust you because I've seen you are trustworthy and, (2) I trust you because I have faith in human nature and the Universe.

We have to feel trust down in our soul. Trusted emotions include loyalty, companionship, friendship, love, faithfulness, honesty, agreement, relaxation, and comfort. There are as many ways to define trust as there are things to trust in, but here is the gist of it:

Predictability:
It's normal to look ahead. We build models based on experience and what others tell us, and then use them to guess what will happen. This allows us to spot threats and make plans. A reliable enemy can be preferable to an unpredictable friend -- at least we know where we stand with an enemy.
Definition 1: Trust: predicting what people will do and what will occur. If we are with people we trust, we can create a safe present and reliable future.

Value Trade:
Most of what we do is based on trade, the basis for business and relationships. I'll swap you two sheep for one cow. It's easy to figure value in a trade. A parent trades attention for love. A company trades pay for the output of its workers. This works because each values things differently. If I have a flock of sheep but no milk, I can trade with someone who has a herd of cows but no clothes. This principle binds society together.

Trust in trade is wondering if what we get is what we should expect. When we buy a car, we don’t want what the seller knows is a lemon. If I get business advice, I want it based on fact, not opinion.
Definition 2: Trust: a trade with someone when you don't have full knowledge about them, their intent, and what they are trading you.

Delayed Trade:
Trade isn't only swapping cows and sheep, or hugs and kisses. What makes business or society work is, something is given now, and the return paid back over time. The advantage is, we create a flexible trade: we get what we need now, rather than having to save for it.

Trust is important, otherwise we are giving something for nothing. The delay we put in the trade adds an uncertainty we need to work through when we trust. What we call the ‘Golden Rule’ creates the trust. It allows me to give you something now, with my hope of getting something in the future.
Definition 3: Trust: giving something now with the hope it will be repaid in time.

Exposed Vulnerability:
When we trust others, we not only give them something in hope of getting something, we also expose ourselves in a way they could take advantage of. If I buy a car from you and I don't know a good price, you could lie to get more money. If I tell you in confidence about problems I have at work, you could use it to further your own career at my expense. For our deal to work, I must be able to trust I won't get hurt and end up with the short end of the stick.
Definition 4: Trust: allowing others to see your vulnerability and expect they will not use it against you.

What Did I Learn?
If the most important thing in the universe is love, then trust would have to be the ultimate foundation of all things in life. In our human experience, just as we must know and embrace love, we also should know all we can about trust and its vital importance to our existence -- how it works and what it takes to build and, more importantly, how to ultimately deserve it. If we are able to build trust, no matter how long it takes, others will gratefully hand us the earth, the sky, the air we breathe and the very keys to the Universe. When you betray a trust, besides bruising your soul, those same people will hunt you down to the ends of the earth ...

Namaste!

Being Alone

This afternoon, I was meditating quietly in the silence. I had found my center, finally. After so many failed attempts at meditating in the past, I had at last been able to separate my mind and ego from my self and find my center. This was somewhat of a miracle, for me. I'm not known for my patience ... just ask Dinahh.

When I was finished, and mind and ego had found their way back in, I patted myself on the virtual shoulder for a job well-done -- and then I thought about it. What truth had I learned? At first blush, I thought, 'nothing'. Meditation is a really lonely thing to do ... you are alone, totally alone. Then the irony of it hit me. That is the truth I had found. The truth being, on earth in this lifetime, we really are all alone here.

Without exception, each of our souls chose to take this journey, knowing we would be alone in our human experience. No matter which paths we choose to take, the decision for each rests with us. We do meet up with other souls and soulmates along the way, all through our lifetime, and we spend a certain amount of time with each of them. Some we'll be able to help in some way, but there will be others we meet that answer a need in us -- but with each of those experiences, we ultimately have something to learn, something that will help us on our journey. With each experience, we add to our growing awareness.

I did learn something today with my meditation. We can be surrounded by people, even in love and happy with someone, and yet ultimately, we are each alone.

Namaste.