Are You Special?

This morning I checked my email inbox as I do every day, and I was greeted by a few status quo emails. But there was one email amongst the lot that was not status quo; it stood out above the rest.  This email was directed to me, I mean REALLY directed to me. I felt a real sense of love as I began to read the words of this one particular email. The email was from the blood donation centre, and they were wishing me a happy birthday. But this was not your ordinary birthday wish. The basic message of the email was this: ‘Even though you get to feel special one day of the year on your birthday, to us and these people whose lives you save, you are special every day.’

For some reason this email really struck a chord with me. So much so that I have been pondering over what it really means for a person to be special ever since. In my pondering a simple truth has begun to repeat in my heart, a truth that often escapes us in the pursuits of daily life. The truth is this: each and every one of us is special, every single second, of every single minute, of every single day of our lives.

The most important question though is do you really believe it? Normally we only feel special when something outside of us triggers us to feel that way. An example being the way I felt after reading that email this morning. But the reality is that our specialness is always there within us, it never vanishes away or ceases to be a reality. It is an innate part of our essence, and forms who we really are. We are each children of the Divine. And as such each of us possess the attributes of Divinity waiting to be brought into full blossom.

Why then do we not always feel special in our day to day lives? Is it because we are not as good looking as our best friend? Or is it because our neighbour gets more attention than us because of their million dollar house? Perhaps it is because we don’t get as many people post on our facebook wall as other people we know? Could it just be that our job isn’t special so we are not special? There are many such examples, but you get the picture.

And so it is that most of us associate being special with having something outside of us. In order to feel special we need to be told from an external person. Or it is some other external source in the form of a quote or a book that fires up the feelings of specialness within. But is this really where our specialness exists? Does our being special reside in a book? Does it exist in facebook? Can it be found in having blonde hair? Or a fast car?

The answer is no, it cannot be found in anything external to you. The reality is that we are always special. Where then does this specialness reside? Where can one find it? The answer is within your true self. Now there is a difference between your true self, and your fake self. Each of us has a fake self. The fake self is formed by others opinions and beliefs. It is formed by our own judgements of ourselves as we go throughout life. Our fake self creates the mask which blocks the true self.

Within the true self is our innate specialness. It is always there, and is never not there. The only time most of us see or feel this specialness is when something external causes us to remove the mask for a time. But the reality is we have the ability to remove the mask ourselves, any time we choose. The moment we stop comparing ourselves to others, looking outside ourselves for self-worth, judging ourselves etc., is the moment we remove the mask. The mask is merely an illusion, a mask we all have to varying degrees.

So when will you choose to take off your mask? When will you step outside the shadow of your fake self and into your true self, who you really are? Are you ready to stop accepting what other people say of you and start accepting your true special nature? Special is who you are, who I am, and who the all are. As it is for one, so it is for all.

All the answers to life are within you this very moment. You are the very thing you’ve been looking for. You are the most special person in existence. As the old proverb goes, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Right now my heart is telling me that I am special, and that you are just as special. Glorious be the day when we can accept this every single second, of every single minute, of every single day of our lives.

You Are Your Life

You are the centre of your universe; as I am the centre of my universe. What you see in the world around you is, well, YOU. Hang on a minute, you are probably thinking. Did he just say what I thought he said? Yes ladies and gentleman, you read it right. YOU are what you see in the universe around you every second of every day. As an individuated conciousness, you are the centre of every thing that is happening in your life. In essence, you are your life.

Most people think in a very limited sense as is conditioned in us as we grow older in this world. We are taught in school that everything in the universe is separate and independent of everything else. Traditionally we think that no one can be the center of the universe because everyone cannot be the center at the same time. Again this is based of the thinking that consciousness is separate from itself. But in actual fact, consciousness is projected from where you are. All conciousness exists in one place and time and that is where you are.

You as a human being are consciousness itself. Every single human being is an individuated aspect of conciousness within the One conciousness. Every single one of us as an individual conciousness in connected through the One great conciousness, that which is often referred to as God. As such whichever point of view you are experiencing within a certain point of time and a certain place is a projection from you. It is this way so that you as an individuated conciousness can experience everything else from that point of view. Essentially we experience what we choose and we choose what we experience. This is the object of this physical life. The appearance that everything is separate is an illusion. In reality, every human being as conciousness is connected with everything and as such exists in a state of Oneness with all that is.

This truth holds the key to understanding why things happen in your life. Essentially what this means is that you are the creator of your own reality. God, the Source, the First Cause, or however you prefer to define Deity, has intentionally organised the universe in this way. And when you come to understand how it works more fully, you begin to see how perfect it really is. This universe is perfect in every single way possible. Why? Because the Grand Cosmic Director who organised it is perfect. A perfect universe is a reflection of a perfect conciousness.

This amazing truth applies to all areas of your life. You notice positive qualities and attributes in another because they are within you. When you get angry at something someone says or does, it is because you do that very same thing and it makes you angry. You project from your conciousness every person and every circumstance in your life. All illness is created from within, as nothing outside of you can effect you unless you let it. Essentially, every experience or situation in your life is an extension of your conciousness. The universe, or more specifically, your world, is a mirror of who you are at any given moment or point in time. It has been designed like this intentionally and purposefully, and is certainly no accident.

In order for you to fully experience yourself as the creator of your reality, you first need to be aware. Awareness means being fully concious in the moment, not lost in thought or dulling your senses with TV, music or anything else that distracts your attention. As you become aware, you will realise that you are the centre of all that is taking place in your life, your universe. By thinking that something or someone outside of you is the centre of what's taking place in your life, you are essentially giving your power to that thing in the external world.

The reality is we are concious creators, we cant be conciousness and not create. The very fact that we are conciousness with choice means we by nature and right create the reality in which we live. We therefore are the observers and the observed. We observe the very things create, and we create the very things we observe. When you truly understand this your world and universe begin to change accordingly. No longer are you a victim of circumstance or at the mercy of chance. There is no longer any room for luck, as you are the luck in your life, both the perceiver and the perception of it.

When you live from this mindset you realise that no longer do things and people move around you without your approval. It quickly becomes apparent that you are able to cause the things and people around you to move according to your will and desire. You are the centre of all that happens to you. The more you move closer to living from this reality, the more power you will have of the world outside of you. You will find that you are the master and creator of your own reality. And in a very real way you will begin to experience the reality that you are your life.

How Precious We Each Are

This past week has led me to some great reflection on what is important in life and how precious each one of us is as human beings. Someone that I knew and regarded highly passed away exactly 7 days ago to the day. This young man was only 19 years old at his passing through the veil and it came as a shock to everyone that knew him.

This young man along with his immediate family belongs to the same faith as I do, that being The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With our faith comes the knowledge that death is not the end of life but merely a transition from one phase of life to another.

Even so it difficult to say a temporary goodbye to someone you know. I can only imagine the feelings of his closest relatives. Nevertheless it was the means of this friend’s death that caused me and most everyone else to feel the way we did. Unfortunately he took his own life for reasons that are only known to him and God at this time. It was this circumstance that provided the feelings of sadness in our hearts and streams of tears to our eyes.

As I was standing near his grave this morning for his burial I was pondering over his life and who he is as a son of the Living God. I wondered how his exiting this phase of life would affect his eternal destiny. No mortal among us can judge or know for sure, that is up to our Heavenly Father and those assigned for such tasks. But nevertheless it was these thoughts that plagued my mind during his burial service.

What if I was to exit this life ten minutes from now? What if I left this world tomorrow, or the next day? What words have I left unspoken? What feelings have I not conveyed to those I love? Who might I have been able to touch during my life if I tried a bit harder? Would I be sufficiently prepared to meet my God if I were to leave this earthly abode today, tomorrow or the next day? Have I dealt justly and fairly with others during my mortal stay here? What would I be remembered for? Would people speak kind words of me at my own funeral?

These questions and more have fluttered through my mind space over the past week since this good man has left our physical presence. Even with all these questions going through my mind, there was one thought in particular that really impressed me and lured me into further reflection. It was the thought of ‘How Precious We Each Are’. As I pondered upon this single profound thought I began to be inspired by something grander that had its source outside me. I was blessed with an experience immensely greater and nobler than anything I could ever conceive of my own accord.

I was impressed within myself that each one of us is truly magnificent in and of ourselves. Even though this young man had taken his life, it didn’t detract from the fact that he was and still is as precious in the eyes of God as any other human being on this planet. At this very moment I have a burning desire to be of greater service to my fellow human beings. It is up to me now to make sure that I continue to fuel this fire with my own righteous thoughts and actions throughout my day to day life.

How easy it is to get distracted from what is really important in life. In reality our relationships with others is all we really have. Humans receive life through other human’s. At times we think the computer gives us life; or we get confused and think a car is the source of our life; or maybe it is money that has blinded you at times in your life. Whatever the counterfeit, the effect is the same. It detracts our attention from those things that really have life in life.

Behind every computer is a person that has either made it or put the information on it; it is a human being that makes the car and drives the car; and the same goes for money as it is people like you and I that print and use money on a day to day basis. Behind every THING in your life is a person, a living breathing human being like yourself. The source of all life in life is human life. We are it. You are it. You’re an individual, but part of a greater whole. While we may seem separate, we are each interconnected in a very real way.

I sincerely hope that I can take this experience and let it have a positive impact on my life and my being. I owe it to my brother who has just recently gone before me and all those other ‘precious’ and wonderful people that live on this planet. My desires are that each one of us might also open our eyes and hearts to the undeniable truth of who we really are. You are precious. I am precious. And all of life is precious. 

Living Life In The Flow

I have been contemplating recently how sometimes in life we seem to be "in the flow" and everything just happens naturally and effortlessly. It is in these times that we are most happy and it almost takes no effort on our part as things just seem to fall in place like slipping our feet into a sock. Now here is the conundrum, how do we get into this "flow of life" more often?

It seems to me that life is most natural when we are in this flow. What do I mean by "living in the flow"? I am referring to those times in life when there seems to be no resistance, where each new block is placed before us and we intuitively know where to place it. It is in those tranquil phases of life where we don't seem to put in any particular effort, but yet everything falls into place. It is during these times that we feel the true peace and joy that life has to offer.

Yes it is true that for some of us these times can be fleeting and short lived. But I'm pretty confident that each of us has had at least glimpse of this "living in the flow" at some point in life. Admittedly some of us experience this more frequently than others, and it is here that I wish to direct my attention. Is it possible for a person, any person, to intentionally create more of these "in the flow" moments in life?

From my own experiences and intuition I would answer strongly in the affirmative. I firmly believe that it is possible for each of us to experience and get in touch with this phenomena known as the "flow of life". From what I have come to know, this "flow of life" is none other than the will of God. When we are living in the flow we are living according to God's will.

Now I am not saying that when one lives in the flow that life is easy and devoid of challenges and trials. This is certainly not the case. Even when one "lives in the flow" there will be challenges in one's life. When we face a challenging situation or trial "outside the flow" it seems unbearable and we wonder if we can make it through. It seems to us as though we are banging our heads against a wall and getting nowhere. On the flip side, when we face a similar situation while "in the flow" it is a completely different story. We accept it as an opportunity to grow and it seems like a natural part of life just like it was natural when we decided to walk as babies. 

It is my belief that when we experience any pain, suffering or resistance in life it is because we are NOT "living in the flow". It has been my observation that life in its natural state flows and moves effortlessly without any pain, resistance or suffering. Just look out at nature and see for yourself. The trees stand in elegance and serenity as their leaves and branches sway in the peaceful breeze. Birds grace the sky in freedom, bees patiently search for nectar to take home and the mighty Sun gives life and vitality to all life. Yet the true power in all this is that it all happens so naturally and effortlessly.

Life in its natural state is "in the flow". There is no pain, resistance or suffering in nature. It is in nature that we can witness the true order of life. Now when any human being experiences pain or suffering in any form it is because they are doing something that is going against the natural order of things. Put another way, nature lives according to God's will and prospers accordingly, because the Divine will "is the flow" of life. It is only when you step outside the Divine will that you begin to experience any type of pain or suffering.

It is true that we each have a unique purpose during our lives here on earth. Each of us fits into the giant jigsaw puzzle and we each have our place within it, without exception. "Living in the flow" is about letting the higher aspects of life guide you into place on this giant jigsaw puzzle. We only begin getting "out of the flow" when we think we know better than the Divine. When we live according to our own will we begin experiencing pain, suffering and resistance. We try and move our own puzzle piece and place it where we feel is best.

The trouble with this is that we can only see a tiny aspect of the entire puzzle at any one time. So when we decide to move ourselves around we are doing it blindly, not knowing how we fit into the grand scheme of things. But there is One who knows the entire jigsaw puzzle at all times and who sees it in its entirety. Now let me ask you a question. Is it not easier to follow the One who knows everything than to follow your own comparatively tiny viewpoint?

The natural answer to this question is "yes, of course it is". So then how do we begin "living in the flow?" In my experience I have found that the heart is where the will of God resides within us. It is manifest in our feelings, not our emotions, and also in our intuitions. When we let go of the mind and trust the still small voice within we begin to get in touch with the will of God that leads us to "living in the flow". Feelings are of the heart, emotions are of the mind.

When a person turns their attention to the deeper aspects of themselves they begin getting in touch with the deeper aspects of life. As within, so without. By deeper I do not mean anything complex or dark in nature. By using the word deeper I simply mean those aspects of ourselves that we often overlook the 'real' parts of ourselves. Often times we are all guilty of viewing ourselves only superficially without really learning about who we really are within.


It can be challenging but it is possible. Each of us has a unique place to fulfil in the grand puzzle of life and there is only One who knows how it all fits together. We can either learn how to get in touch with the parts of us that guide us down that path, or we can choose to follow our own path based on the more familiar parts of our being. Either way it is within our power to determine which path we go down.

Therefore life is a choice. Do we choose to move our own puzzle pieces or do we choose to let the Divine move and direct our puzzle piece? One leads to being "out of the flow" and the other leads to being "in the flow". At the end of the day it is our choice. All of life is about choices. In this instance, one choice leads to pain, suffering and resistance; and the other leads to peace, joy and freedom. Now which path you choose to follow is completely up to you!

Follow Your Heart, Uncover Your Passion

When you wake up in the morning are you lethargic and dreading getting out of bed? Do you feel dismay in thinking about the day ahead? Does it feel natural to be doing the things you are doing in your life? Or does it seem like you are walking against hurricane force winds day by day?

If you are like most people, then you have experienced and felt all of the above at some point in your life. If not, then this article is not for you, and you should probably be writing an article or book of your own on the topic! But few there are out there that can say they haven’t experienced all of the above at some point in their lives.

I can definitely say that for the most part of my life I have felt this way. There have been the fleeting moments where I just felt in the flow of life and everything seemed so natural. But those times have been few and far between. And so it is with most of us. To most of us life is a drag and it feels like we are constantly butting out heads against a wall and never getting past it. And so I ask you this one question, why is that?

There may be many of you that have never seriously asked yourself that question. But yet it is one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves on a consistent basis. Is life really meant to be so dull and boring? Is our purpose to merely live meaningless lives where we never seem like we are accomplishing anything of any real worth? Surely as human beings we are destined for better circumstances than these in life?

Again you may not have an answer for these questions, or maybe you do. It is also possible that you try not to think about answers to questions like these because it only leads to more sadness and depressed thoughts. If so you need not think that way any longer. You see life is not meant to be like that. Each human being is born onto this earth with a specific purpose innately within them. Every single one of us fits into the overall jigsaw puzzle, with all our pieces being the same size, yet different in appearance. No one person has a greater or more important purpose than the other.

One of the hardest aspects of our lives is to find out what our purpose is. In actual fact it can be just as hard to find out that we actually have a purpose in life. For most of us we are brought up being told what to do and who to become. There is no freedom for us to express our individuality and unique purpose to the world. Nevertheless it does not detract from the fact that each one of us has a purpose. This purpose is manifested in the things we are passionate about. When we find something we are passionate about, we are beginning to uncover part of our life’s purpose.

The question still remains though, how do we find and uncover our passion in life? Many people, including myself have been looking for the answer to this question for many, many years. But yet the answer, as I am beginning to learn for myself, is simpler than you might expect. It is simply a matter of getting in touch with and following your heart. Now I am not talking about the physical heart, but the spiritual aspect of the heart, the one we usually associate with love and joy and other such things.

It is within this aspect of our hearts that our true passion lies. It is here that all the answers about your purpose in life are found. This is where you must seek, and it is there that you shall find. The problem is most of us live our lives completely lost in our minds. When the mind goes to work, it seeks only the answers it already knows. Therefore it is impossible to find your purpose and passion in life through your mind.

The mind is limited by knowledge that we’ve attained throughout our lives, or in other words, by our memories. So by seeking from memory only, our minds unconsciously limit us only to what is known. And if you have never known your passion in the past, it is impossible to find it in the future within the mind. The true solution to this problem and most of life’s problems lie outside our conscious awareness. They real solutions reside in our hearts.

When we are in tune with our heart’s desires, we are in flow with life. This is because our hearts are connected with the higher aspects of life, the unseen elements in the universe. Our heart is literally the connection between us and everything else in the universe. The heart is the key. When we connect with the heart aspect of our being we connect with the very Source of life itself. This is where true inspiration emanates from.

So then how do we connect with our hearts? How is it that we can uncover our true purpose and passions in life? Simply follow your heart’s guidance. Follow the feelings and hunches you have in life. Go with your gut instincts and intuitions when you feel them within you. They are all sourced from your heart. Those things don’t come from your mind they come from a deeper aspect of yourself.

When you stop living from your mind and start living from your heart, then everything in your life will begin to change. The mind casts a veil over us that we cannot see beyond when we look through its blinkers. The heart is able to see clearly without the tainting and constraints that are associated with the mind. It is not easy to let go of the mind and trust the feelings and instincts that come from the heart. But in order to uncover your purpose in life it must be done this way. You will never find your true purpose in life within your mind.

When you start living from your heart you can expect to have the following things occur in your life. You will wake up in the morning feeling energised and alive. You will feel enthusiasm about the day ahead. Everything in your life will feel natural and things will just fall into place for you without any effort on your part. And you will find the resistance beginning to disappear until eventually you find the wind is now behind you and guiding you forward in life.

And so it is as you follow your heart, you uncover your passion. The joy and excitement you have always longed for is within you. The trick is in getting in touch with the aspect of yourself that possesses all those things you are seeking for. You are the key. Now it is up to you to use the key to unlock the aspects of yourself that will allow you to live the life you have always dreamed of.

What is Our True Potential?

The answer to this question has been a topic of discussion since the dawn of time itself. But in order to understand the answer fully, one needs to fully comprehend one simple fact. The very essence of our being is of a dual nature. One is real, the other just an illusion. The real part of us, the spirit, that immortal aspect of us, had it's existence before we were born into this physical body. The illusionary part of us, the ego, that mortal aspect of us, came into existence when we were born into this life with a physical body.

This is such a fundamental truth of our existence, yet so very few people have a knowledge of it, yet alone understand it. This is especially so in the western civilisations as there is such a huge focus on the physical, worldly aspect of life that the spiritual, unseen part of life is often completely overlooked and disregarded. But this very fact remains even when knowledge of it is absent, that human's and life share a common bond of having a dual nature, one being physical and the other being spiritual. The spiritual part of life is reality. One of the fundamental laws of the universe is the law of cause and effect. The spiritual aspect of life in all its forms is the cause level. And the physical aspect of life in all its forms is the effect level.

Let me ask you this question. Where do most people place all their attention and awareness? Is it on the spiritual, cause level; or the physical, effect level? That's right, most people only have their awareness in the physical, effect level of reality. Now remember, the physical aspect of life is an illusion, it is not real. The physical merely reflects the effects of things that are taking place on another, deeper level. And that deeper level is the spiritual level, the level of true reality. This is the level where all things existed BEFORE they became physical. That's right, ALL things that have previously existed, do now exist and will ever exist physically had their existence first spiritually.

This truth is consistent through all of life. All things on this planet have a dual nature, including Human Being's. Now our TRUE potential exists in only one of these aspects of our being. The problem is, most of us Human Being's believe our true potential is found and expressed in the physical aspect of ourselves. This couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is this, that you are a spiritual being have a short physical experience. The truth is that you existed long before entering this world as a baby with a physical body, and you will exist long after you leave this world through the process we call death.

You see the nature of the ego is separation. The ego is limited by our beliefs, values, thoughts and perceptions. When you look at life through the ego you are destined to encounter fear, anger, hurt, sadness etc.. All emotions are created from judgement. The day you stop judging the world, and others in the world, is the day you will never experience another emotion. Emotions are the physical bodies response to judgements and perceptions taking place in your mind. Remember the physical is the effect level, not the cause. So in order for something physical to be created, it first had to exist in the non physical.

When you live life through the ego aspect of your being, you are automatically limited. Looking at life through the veil of ego is like living in a dream. In this dream you only see things according to your beliefs, values and perceptions. You do not see life as it really is, you see life as you are according to your beliefs, values and perceptions. It is not possible to experience life as it really is in this dream like state. This is why it is an illusion. And the funny part is that we live life as though the illusion was reality. Funnier still is the fact that we created the illusion and then believe it is reality without even knowing it. Trust me I know as I have been there and am still there in many facets of  life.

So then where does our true potential lie? It is in the other half of our nature, the spiritual, immortal part of us. Some refer to this as our conciousness, the untainted awareness that lies beyond our thoughts. This awareness is accessible only in moments of peace and clarity. It is the stillness that exists beyond thoughts and is accessible through meditation and other such practices. This state of pure conciousness and presence is where your true potential lies. It is the immortal aspect of yourself, the real you so to speak. This is the part of you that possesses all the seeds of Divinity and unlimited potential.

As a person gets in touch with this aspect of themselves a whole new world opens up to them. An aspect of themselves they never knew existed. When you go through your day to day life looking through the real aspect of yourself it is a completely new experience. It is through this pure conciousness that you see life as it really is. Emotions do not exist when you live from this aspect of yourself. Emotions are replaced by states of being, or in other words, the true parts of yourself. You realise that you do not need to be anyone other than who you are in this state. All judgement is non existent from this aspect of yourself. Separation is also non existent as all things are one and equal. A person is only able to express their true nature and potential when they get in touch with this immortal aspect of themselves. It is here that we must seek to live from. It is here where we get in touch with the reality of who we are and what we can really achieve in this life and beyond.

 

The truth is that each Human Being on this planet has unlimited potential as a Son or Daughter of the Divine. Call this Divine personage or essence what you may, but the truth is that each of us has the same blueprints within as inherited from our Divine parentage. Remember we are each beings of a dual nature. One is real, one is an illusion. One is spiritual, the other physical. One is conciousness, the other ego. One is our true potential, the other our fake potential. It is our choice which side we live from. No one can make the choice for you. 

Knowledge is not enough. For knowledge to work it needs to be put into action, and that also is your choice. You can either live from the cause side of life where you create the life you want; or you can live on the effect side of life where your life is created for you by forces outside of yourself. Either way it is your choice.