Category Archives: Life Purpose

Meaning, purpose, inspiration, empowerment and passion.

Dedicated Spirituality

Dedicated spirituality is living spirituality. This means that abilities and skills are honed and refined continuously in daily life. Dedicated spirituality means revolving the rest of our lives around our spiritual practice and not the other way around. It is not for everyone, just as becoming an Olympic athlete is not for everyone, but achieving high levels of ability in any field will always require dedication.

The path of dedication will leave many of us behind. It will require many sacrifices, but to those of us with true intent and commitment, these sacrifices will be as little as dust. Dedication will leave behind all the illusions of spirituality, all the “should” and “should nots” will fade as we pursue real experience to define the way of true meaning and value. Our choices and actions will begin to frighten the spiritual “hobbyists” not because of any true moral slights, but because we bring light to illusions which they would otherwise hold on to. This is true power. While some would have us believe that power exists in denying fear and insecurity, we find it in facing and conquering fear, at first with trembling hands and eventually with hearts so strong that fear flees at first contact.

This is what the masters meant when they reminded us that what we truly fear is not our weakness, but our true power. We fear it because it separates us. It separates us not in truth, but in perception and it is this perception of separation, of being apart from others that frightens us. This perception is the “closed mind.” It is the outcast, the hermit, the isolated, the lonely and the alone. It is our weakness when it controls us, but when we are in control, then it is our strength. It becomes our commitment, our discipline, our dedication and purpose. This meaning and value becomes a power in itself, it inspires and gives us reason to be who we are. We change from a person who is scared to utter one word out of line, to a being who lives to be who they are.

Each and every facet of life changes through our dedication. At the same time each and every facet of our life must be faced and observed critically in order to be dedicated. Life is a succession of moments, each moment is a test of our integrity. And what is integrity? It is a being that is aligned with itself. It is a being that walks its talk. Each time that we act in a way that we feel at any level is not true or right or within our value system, we can feel our own energetic, mental and physical integrity distort. Likewise when we act in a way, that is aligned and congruent with our values and meaning then we will feel our spiritual, mental and physical integrity strengthen.

When we put off implementing and acting on what is true and right for us, then we are affirming that these inner values are not important enough right now – and so they manifest exactly as such. The will becomes weaker, clarity less so, the mind and emotions create lower energy states that help to manifest and affirm these limiting belief. It is exactly what was ordered! On the other hand when we pursue and implement our inner most values with dedication and commitment we manifest the strength to integrated these into the world, the expression to make certain that we are not ignored, the clarity to achieve the highest vision possible and the energy to match the expansion of mind and body that we are commanding.

.

Where Spirit Exists

What is the purpose of spirituality? What are the reasons for it? Why have we created it? Why do we seek spirit? Why is it important to some and irrelevant to others? What has it done for us lately?

Spirituality like anything, only holds power because of the value and meaning that we perceive in it.

This is the reason why real ability and skill is important. Without the ability to perceive and connect with spirit, spirituality is simply a set of blind beliefs. These beliefs remain blind until the ability to see is developed. As long as we are blind or partially blind to spirituality we will not understand the opportunities or benefits available to us. So in a very literal sense, the purpose and reasons for us seeking it will continue to elude us. We may hear stories of spiritual knowledge and power and think “Gee that sounds alright!”, but these will just be thoughts and words without actual experience.

Defining spirituality from experience is important because it separates and distills what holds meaning and value for us from what does not. We need to be clear on what it is that we are seeking and this requires blunt and direct honesty. If we rely on theory and concept over actual experience then we are compromising real understanding. Theories no matter how good are simply ideas. Real understanding comes from taking these ideas and integrating them into a course of action. For example we may have an idea that expressing our emotions is of some use. We may gather all the evidence to support this idea and in our mind it may seem like God’s have gifted us with their wisdom. However without putting this idea into action, without actually expressing our emotions, we will never know the truth of this wisdom.

Spirituality is a big word. It essentially means to connect with spirit, but this in itself holds many unknowns, one of which is “where is this spirit thing?” Interesting then that many aspects of spiritual society choose to hold onto the known and shy from the unknown. Spiritual logic or logic of any kind would suggest that if spirit has unknown qualities, that delving into the unknown would then be a valuable course of action. This is where faith comes into it once more. Faith is a concept and as a concept it becomes refined when it is tested. There are so many untouchable qualities about “spirituality.” Keep pushing and digging in our consciousness and we find a point that wants to cling to dogma, faith and concept. Dig a little deeper and we find fear. It is essentially the good old God fearing persona, the one that does not want to question or investigate its betters for fear of punishment. It is no wonder that with this type of fear that mastery, enlightenment and real power elude us. Again, these fears and beliefs are simply concepts that require testing.

The battlefield where all our beliefs, ideas and concepts are tested is within our own practice. It is through aligning our inner values into our actions. Things can get sticky at times. Sometimes our most cherished ideas get trampled on mercilessly by experiences that reject them. We may for instance have the idea that “spirituality is everywhere and in all things”. It is experience that will either reflect this – or not. Our findings here give us something tangible to work with. If this idea holds under the steady and rigorous criticism of actual experience, not just intellectual argument, then it contains true value. If it does not hold this does not necessarily mean that the idea is invalid, it may simply require that our abilities and skills require further development. Of course sometimes we need to admit that what once seemed like a novel idea just doesn’t cut it in the real world.

This is how we evolve our spiritual understanding and as our understanding evolves, so too does our understanding of where spirit exits. This is essentially what is happening – we are understanding connection, but connection can only be understood by experiencing where the object of connection exists. Spiritual connection or existence then is a process of looking and finding, as well as looking and not finding. The places where spirit exists then provide a connection – places with which to develop paths to our consciousness. The places which do not connect are not discarded, but rather we refine the method of connection within ourselves.

An interesting thing happens when we test our ideas, concepts and beliefs. The destruction of these makes the mind more fluid. Through this flexible flow, we regain the ability to connect where once we could not. Once again our understanding changes, as the places that we knew with+ certainty that spirit was not, open up and show us that it is in fact there. This opening does not occur through wishful thinking, holding onto ideas, concepts or beliefs. It occurs through practice, critical thinking, developing ability and understanding.

.

Arrogance – Transcending the Ego – Finding the True Higher Self

The fear of being arrogant is one of the greatest hindrances to spiritual development. This perception prevents us from acknowledging our strengths and accomplishments. Without full acknowledgment, it is impossible to fully understand these strengths and abilities. Acknowledgment is awareness and honesty. Just as limitations need to be seen in order to be transcended, strengths need to be noticed in order to further evolve them.

The development of skill, power and ability will take us through the full gamut of emotions. When we fail we feel humbled, when we achieve we feel proud. This is emotional scenery. They have nothing to do with the achievement of real mastery. If we are to reach the goal of mastery, then pride, humility, arrogance and joy must become second to the main journey. We enjoy, we grieve, we rage and love, but we do not allow any of these to sway us from the path.

Arrogance is a strange one indeed. The path of spirituality is inextricably linked to that of self-mastery. Mastery is simply the ability to control our mind, body and consciousness. This control becomes a precision instrument for connecting and communicating with more expansive and subtle levels of reality. However we may choose to define spirituality, there is most definitely the opportunity to communicate with more than the “physical” when we develop the abilities to do so.

The fear of arrogance almost implies that we cannot acknowledge a difference between ourselves and others. The irony is that it is our perception of difference that started us on this journey in the first place. As we develop a little skill we believe that we must remain humble and so we repress the parts of us that would acknowledge these skills. This repression is a conscious and direct shutting down of our awareness. For anyone who has ever felt that they have practiced much and yet felt limited somehow, this may have some significance.

The other controlling element of arrogance is the fear that if we are perceived as such by others, that we will be thought of badly. This belief stops us from straying too far from the group consciousness. There is only so much development that can occur and be integrated while we allow ourselves to be controlled by this fear. Whole integration is the only way to complete and thus real mastery.

We need to let go of trying to control how others perceive us. We need to let go of trying to control how our own mind perceives us. How long can we struggle with these before we notice that the main journey has been on hold? These illusions are like carrots held in front of the donkey so that it keeps on plowing that field.

The truth is that as we develop in ability and awareness we will notice vast and massive differences between ourselves and others. This is no time to give into fear. These differences are what we set out on the journey for in the first place! We wanted to become something different, we wanted to evolve and grow! Of course the ego will begin to preen itself and say “Look at me, look at what I’ve done!” That’s just the ego doing it’s thing. It’s no big deal. In fact it is ridiculous to limit our skills, abilities and self-mastery because we fear that our ego is enjoying it too much. We let the ego do it’s thing and we continue on our way. This is just another aspect of inner strength.

Hindrances to the journey come in many shapes and sizes. Beating down arrogance may not seem like a bad thing, because we’re told that arrogance is bad and humility is good. These rules don’t apply to inner mastery however. Inner mastery is not about playing a game of illusions with society. Inner mastery is about creating inner control. Real control is not repression, it is not denial, it is not about being played by our fears. Real control is the ability to reach out and grab our destination regardless of the hindrances that may appear. It is in this light that we must look at arrogance.

The purest humility exists when we allow all aspects of life and this includes our inner self, mind and consciousness, to just be. Out of this landscape we find the element or stream of consciousness that is congruent with our highest goals or intentions. Then we simply jump on board. At this structure we will find that those aspects that we thought needed controlling and repressing actually don’t hinder us at all. In fact, the only time they hinder us is when we get off the boat and start brawling with them. The moment we step into our own direction all these other elements become scenery. Sure, they may hawk their wares to us from the shore, but they only hold power over us the moment we decide to buy.

.

Judgment – Discernment, Wisdom and Insight

Judgment is a tool for growth and evolution. It is the aspect of our consciousness that decides our priorities. By definition everything else becomes less of a priority. This is by the way where the famous line, “judge not lest thee be judged,” fits in. As soon as we judge one thing as better than another, then we automatically judge the elements of ourselves that are not aligned with the “better” aspects as being lacking – and vice versa. But that’s the price of conscious evolution really. Each direction, choice and action is a weighing of priorities, values and meaning. We can’t have one without the other. The famous line rather than being a moral statement is more of an explanation of universal law.

More important than debating whether judgment is morally sound or not is to understand it’s meaning and value. The fact of the matter is that without judgment none of us would exist here and now in this form anyhow. First off, without judgment our lungs wouldn’t be able to breath because they couldn’t perceive the difference between the feeling of air and no air. Without judgment we would walk smack bang into pain and danger because we could define it as an experience that was detrimental to life.

Essentially, growth is about realizing what direction has real meaning and value and then going for it. The main factor that gets us there is judgment. Judgment is what takes in the over view, looks at the cards we’ve got, knows what to hold, knows what to fold and knows what to keep back from the game for a later day. Judgment is what recognizes opportunity and sends the message to jump to it. Without judgment, well all those opportunities would just float on by. There is no argument about it. The greatest ally of conscious growth, evolution and personal development is good judgment.

Now the “lest thee be judged” part is another story. This part is a reminder to look at the reasons why we seek growth, evolution and development.

Why do we do what we do?

Past the intellectual reasons we come to feeling. If we consciously seek something other than what we have right now, then it is because the mind is not at peace with what is right now. “Better must be there, not here,” – this is the perception that we have created.

This is the “be judged” element. If over “there” is better, then over “here” is by implication just not good enough. Sound familiar? It’s the story that begins every journey of personal development. Buddha walked out of his palace because it just didn’t cut it, Mohammed went looking for his mountain, Moses thought his people deserved a better deal, even Jesus had a few complaints. By all accounts these guys could have judgment like an avalanche at times, but they got results, there’s little arguing with that.

The peace that seekers realize over the course of their journey comes as they gain a deeper understanding of their purpose. They begin to see that what they truly seek is lacking within themselves at deeper levels.

How do they realize this lack?

Judgment.

The more intense the drive is to create a better tomorrow, the more intense the agitation today. The trick however to maintaining direction is not necessarily to cut back on the drive, but to make peace with the agitation and intensity. This is the balance point of weaving growth within inner peace.

.

No – Staying True to Your Path

Spirituality and personal development suffers the same fate as trends such as fashion, perhaps more so. One of the current trends is that to be spiritual we must surrender to everything. “Say yes to the universe!” so it has been said. There is no specific direction within this, since all directions become valid when we say yes to everything. More to the point, is that when we say yes to everything we throw what we hold to have true purpose and value in the trash. This leads to confusion, passive aggressiveness and lack of purpose, meaning or any semblance of true power.

All these obstacles are destroyed when we say no.

One door opens and another one closes. When we close all the doors of lesser relevance and priority the true doors are given leave to open. The philosophy of saying yes to everything is ludicrous when we have purpose and meaning in our lives. Purpose and meaning is a direction, achieving these requires resistance and resistance is the holding back of specific elements that would limit us. In short resistance is saying no so that the aspect of life and experience that we would say yes to are allowed to manifest.

Personal and spiritual development is extremely logical. It is as solid as a rock and as down to earth as dirt. It lacks in clarity only when we try to force in-congruent elements, dogma and concepts onto it.

If we sincerely wish to achieve self-mastery we need to be honest first. We need to admit that we want this. Taking the spiritually politically correct route of saying “I’m fine with myself just the way I am,” doesn’t serve us well if it is not to the truth. We need to be honest and be done with it. So much better to say: “No I’m not fine with the way I am, and that’s why I’m going to move the universe to become fine.” This is the sort of motivation that achieves self-mastery. This is the sort of honesty that creates the inner strength and real personal development.

Once we choose what it is that we want then it’s just a matter of saying no to all that doesn’t help achieve this goal. We need to say “no”, and we need to learn to say “no” without shame or guilt.

The more we say “no”, the more in tune we get with what we want to say “yes” to. This “yes” is an indication and affirmation each and every time of what it is that we believe to be of value, meaning and purpose. It appears through the simple process of acknowledging the intentions of “yes” and “no.” As we create a life that is full of that which holds meaning there is no longer a problem with saying “no”, because we understand clearly why it is that deny these other experiences. We deny them because we have embraced our purpose.

.

Work Smarter and Harder

Somewhere along the line the desire for achievement without effort came into play. “Smarter not harder” became a kind of motto. Nowhere is this more evident than in many of the metaphysical theories of manifestation that suggest that no physical action need to be implemented when the right mind set is in place. Ironically what actually needs to be injected into this mix is a healthy dose of “smart”. The truth of the matter is that “smart” has little to do with clinging blindly to phrases, concepts and theories. “Smart” is all about taking in the reality of the situation and observing the most appropriate way of action.

The best way is not always the easiest way, nor is it necessarily the hardest.

Essentially, the best way will often be the way that gets the job done.

Creating aversion to hard work has nothing to do with intelligence, smartness or positive results. Aversion is aversion and it is an unclear mind that seeks to justify this aversion through creating slogans and excuses. A smart mind is a critical and analytical mind. It is a mind of judgment and needs to be capable and ready of breaking down any obstacles that are limiting achievement. Nine times out of ten these obstacles are ones of our own making.

Intelligence only has real power if it serves a real purpose. Otherwise it is simply like a computer, a number cruncher but unable to create or find any real meaning or fulfillment. As soon as the mind believes that hard work is bad and needs to be avoided like the plague, then it has created its own stupidity. From this point on every time it sees hard work it doesn’t recognize it as a true opportunity for achievement. The limitations on potential become massive. Effective intelligence recognizes what needs to be done, then reflects on what resources are needed to get the job done. It is not about hard, it is not about easy – it is about results.

This perspective shifts the entire paradigm of hard and easy. The reason for this is because the mind understands the purpose. The shift goes from one of avoiding hard work and seeking the easy, to finding the path of results. Fulfillment then comes from achieving these results, rather than simply finding an easy way to achieve lesser or no results. This process purifies the mind also. “Hard” and “easy” are relative and they are perceptions. The more that we avoid hard work, the harder it becomes. The more that we just do it, the easier it becomes.

It is this shift that brings a realization of what “working smarter” is really about. “Smarter” truly is more about getting these beliefs of “its all too hard” out of our heads. These beliefs more than anything, are what make the work really hard.

.

The Integration of Power – Awakening Inner Mastery

Integration is the practice of aligning meaning and purpose into each facet of our mind, body and spirit. Each of these is reflected in the experiences, thoughts and actions that we manifest in everyday life, so this is the where integration is cultivated.

Knowledge, information and the ability to act on these resources is power. This power needs to be aligned and used toward our purpose, otherwise it is basically useless. For example psychic skills can be used simply to read that so and so has a friend who is talking about them, but to really push the level of personal and spiritual development these skills could be used to fathom why this individual is manifesting these experiences in the first place. Just as importantly these same abilities can be used to access the knowledge needed to reconcile and transcend the source of these experiences.

We need to look deeply and honestly at our goals and why we want them. At the core of our purpose is the desire to be free of fear – to stand fully in our power, complete in our knowledge that we are one hundred percent worthy to be standing on this planet. This will not come to pass unless we make ourselves worthy. We need to stand for what we know to be true and let go of that which is not.

It is easy to become confused when purpose is only expressed outwards. The world will change, our interactions with people and experiences will change. The relationships between these and ourselves will change.

Everything becomes clear when purpose is reflected inwards.

All skill, ability, knowledge, information and power is about self-mastery. Self-mastery is the ability to create the experiences that we want. From the spiritual, to the physical, to the mental, it is self-mastery that brings us step by step to what we want. Frivolous experiences have their purpose – they bring us release from the tension that is inherent in all practices of conscious expansion and stretching. They must be recognized however for what they are – a rest or a respite from the real journey. This truth will always be felt at the core of our being, and no other sensory entertainment will ever be able to hide from its call.

The integration of power occurs by making our lives revolve around our true purpose. Our true purpose becomes powerful when we focus our lives on revealing and expressing it. This is integration also.

Integration occurs at many levels, but essentially it is about action. If we are unclear of our purpose, if we are unclear of what has meaning, then we must prioritize reflecting on meaning and purpose. If we are unclear of how to align our skills and abilities with our every day lives, then we must prioritize reflecting on how our skills and abilities are able to help us – and by helping us, help the world. These levels of reflection and thought are integration in action. It begins with understanding the value of what we have and it then shifts into sharing what we have. Through out it all what keeps our intention moving in the direction of our truth is strength.

.

Destroying Apathy – Conquering the Barriers to Your Success

The battle within the self is between apathy and purpose. Apathy kills purpose. Purpose kills apathy. Apathy is a terrible and poor companion for life, business or romance.

Why anyone would choose it deliberately is ludicrous. It is only when we seek to avoid effort that we find reasons to justify apathy’s apparent control over us. It is mediocre at making excuses, but even less satisfactory at creating inspiration or meaning. There is not much going for it really. Its only power lies in the fact that we would deceive ourselves into believing it has power at all. In actual fact purpose and discipline have nothing to do with the existence of apathy at all. Real discipline, purpose and drive moves forward regardless of obstacles.

Walking the easy path is not in itself disempowering. It is the reason for the choice that decides whether we have power or not. If we are choosing the easy path because we cannot face the feeling of putting in the effort, then we are playing a self-perpetuating game of running from effort and seeking ease. This patterning will take us from putting in whatever it takes to find meaning and purpose and replace it with the game of always seeking what requires the least effort.

A mind that gives in to its fear of expending effort will not move, stretch or expand. All movement, stretching and expansion takes too much effort for it, and quite frankly the apathetic mind is quite all right where it is thank you very much. What results is a mind that is clouded, confused and slow to make connections. Trying to work with an apathetic mind is futile. What needs to be installed is a new managing director. One of those hotshot upstarts that knows all the lingo and has productivity as number one. The mind of the director is about results – period. If straight out firing the apathetic mind doesn’t work, if cajoling and begging it to get in line fails, then the director consciousness must look to see what will work.

The fact is, in creating a managing director mind in spite of the apathetic mind, consciousness as a whole has already expanded. It’s a sneaky trick to play on the apathetic mind, but before it knows it energy has already been funneled into creating the director. Where before it seemed like there was only one mind to make choices, now there are at least two. By choosing the managing director every time, the apathetic mind doesn’t get a chance to run the show. This actually suits it just fine because it has no energy to run shows anyhow.

Apathy destroys all purpose except that of apathy itself. We need to avoid influences that would try to sell apathy to us, for in doing so we sell our own mastery and self-control. It may seem laughable that anyone would willingly choose apathy over mastery, but reality has and is illustrating this very fact. Our civilization has embraced a fast food “everything is too much effort” culture and this attitude is literally destroying our ability to connect to purpose and meaning. This is a fact. Without the ability to move our mind, to exert effort and discipline for creating clarity and control, we have no means to communicate or explore deeper meaning. We need to enter the battle, summon our resources and destroy the form that is apathy. Its control is destroyed when we no longer allow its presence to dictate our actions. Its form is destroyed when we move from a mind that chooses self-discipline and control. We need to remember that if we do not choose self-discipline and control over ourselves, then something else will.

.

Integrity – Aligning your Inner and Outer Being for Mastery and Empowerment

Integrity is our word as law. It is keeping our entire being aligned with that which is of true value and meaning. This is not to say that there will not be struggles. It is to say that even if our ego and emotions are bucking like wild horses, that we remain resolute and persist in keeping to our path.

It is no secret that the path of self-mastery is paved with challenges. This is what mastery is all about. Mastery is not about sitting back and waiting for the accolades to rain down from the heavens. Without challenge there is no path to mastery. There is only stagnation and perhaps apathy. Integrity is not tested in shallow waters. It is tested in tsunamis. It is this constant battle testing that makes integrity strong. This is what makes it worth something. Without action and reality to challenge, prove and reflect the true worth of our integrity, it is simply a nice word.

We need to know and define what has meaning for us in this world. We need to know and define that which destroys our potential and limits our growth. We need to know what our goals are. We need to know what we want. Then we need to remain true to this destination.

Let all things that stand in our way become challenges to make us stronger and knowledge to make us wiser.

Let all setbacks and falls provide us with the opportunity to increase our discipline and persistence.

We need to honor that which is important and that which holds value and meaning. Each time that we do not, we essentially slap ourselves in the face. Integrity is not about waiting for others to give us permission to do what is right. It is about taking the reins and showing others what happens when we do what is right.

Some of us are born strong, some of us are born weak – all of us have the potential to be powerful. In other words: It is not necessarily what we’ve got, it is what we do with it that counts. Real power begins and ends with integrity. It is about remaining true, remaining resolute and keeping our word as law.

.

Purpose – The Key to Life Mastery and an Empowered Mind and Spirit

Purpose comes from having meaning, the deeper the meaning, the stronger the purpose. Meaning is born from self questioning. Incessant self questioning – the more the better. Questions often reveal more that needs to be answered, but rest assured that each question whether satisfactory or not is leading us closer to meaning.

Questions are an acknowledgement that there is knowledge worth having and answers worth discovering. The search for answers in itself is a worthy purpose. It is a purpose that reflects a desire for meaning. Without questions we are in effect saying that we do not have the drive to seek more. Without drive, there is no meaning and without meaning there is no purpose. This path of existence leads only to perpetuate suffering.

Meaning reaches its highest peak when every moment of our existence contains the promise of expressing and creating influence.

The greatest obstacle in our way is apathy. It has been said that all the tragedies of our time occurred because everyone else just did nothing. This is the same essence that kills all potential. It is the consciousness that is shaking in its boots and doesn’t want to cause a single ripple in this world. “Please let everything remain safe and within my comfort zone,” it says in a whisper as to hope that no one notices even this fervent wish. So frightened does it become of causing changes that it hides all of its dreams and aspirations under a cloak of apathy. Under this cloak it can pretend that it just doesn’t really care, that everything is fine and dandy. All purpose and meaning gets swept under the rug. Maybe in another life.

Obviously the trick here is to get another manager on the floor.

Apathy produces pitiful results.

The single greatest opportunity that past life visions do for a person is that we get to see all that we have achieved and done. Most of us wince when we realize how many lifetimes we play out the same patterns, but at least it gets us into action.

Purpose when it comes down to it is really about making a difference. It is about observing what it is that we don’t like and making it right. Purpose and meaning is not a difficult thing to understand – we simply make it difficult when we deny to ourselves the aspects that have value. This is why all truth is obvious once it is no longer denied. Destroy illusion and it is easy to see what is going on. What has meaning and what has lesser meaning then becomes clear – and so true purpose becomes defined.

.