Category Archives: Paths of Power

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude is the key to realizing abundance. It is literally the ability to infuse everything that we see, hear, feel, smell and taste with the energy of appreciation. This energy integrates with and through all our gates of perception and through this connection our external world begins to reflect our realization of abundance.

Before going on let’s get one thing straight. Gratitude has nothing to do with guilt. Guilt is guilt. Gratitude is gratitude. The truth of it is simple:

Guilt is feeling like we should be thankful.

Gratitude is feeling thankful.

Gratitude is about appreciation. It’s about actually enjoying and loving the experiences that we are having. The power of gratitude works by bringing power, beauty and greatness to everything that we have now.

Let’s use the example of the body and mind conduit being like a sponge. If we do something out of guilt then it is basically guilt that is filling the sponge. Sure our actions and words may seem all politically correct and “right” but our inner being is not doing it out of gratitude, and so the “sponge” gets filled with the frequency of obligation and guilt.

On the other hand if we begin to listen for the genuine feeling of gratitude and allow our minds and bodies to connect with this feeling, then the “sponge” will be filled with this feeling. In the process each cell of our body will begin to realize a feeling that we appreciate it. This is something that is actually experienced – it is felt and it is an amazing gift to allow yourself to experience.

The frequency of gratitude is powerful because it supports, nurtures and enhances who you are.

When you allow the frequency of gratitude to touch your sight, your ears, your feeling, taste and smell – what you are doing is appreciating yourself. You are thanking yourself for giving you the opportunity to touch, taste, smell, feel, think and hear. You are infusing appreciation through yourself.

Life purpose is deeply meaningful to us and so will always be connected to inspiration, passion and love. These are the feelings that for many of us make life worth living. It is the polar opposite of a life which is lived only to fulfill obligation and avoid guilt and shame. Life purpose and gratitude go hand in hand because every moment that we live our purpose is enjoyed and inspired. As an extension each moment is a moment we are grateful to be able to share and this is illustrated in the expression our essence. Gratitude is not something that needs to be forced. It is something we experience willingly and joyfully. We feel inspired and we genuinely desire to express our gratitude for it.

Gratitude is pure pleasure – it has to be. It comes from really, really appreciating things in life and this will always feel good.

The essence of experiencing gratitude is simple: take time to connect to it. Train the mind to find genuine gratitude regardless of all the other aspects of self that exist. Keep refining the sensitivity of the mind to find deeper levels of genuineness. “Listen” and feel for it at the cellular level of the body and mind.

It really is as simple as that, but it only actually works when we do it.

Life can be heaven or it can be hell – it depends on what we feed into ourselves. Playing the guilt and shame game will always lead to pain. It is an endless circus of running around trying to avoid it, but being caught in the vicious cycle of it. Gratitude is a cycle of reward and healing. As we express gratitude to our mind and body, it reflects gratitude back to us. This relationship with ourselves is one of the most powerful we can know.

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The Power of Honesty – The Secret of Unlocking the Ultimate Power of Your Mind

Honesty is integral for achieving real empowerment.

Without honesty we never really know what we truly want. Dishonesty within, will struggle against any developments in awareness. The two are fundamental opposites. To be honest with ourselves means to listen and see – even when what we hear and see is not particularly to our liking. It is the difference between telling ourselves what we like, want and feel – and listening to what we actually like, want and feel.

Honesty is the reality as it is, not as we want it to be.

Without looking and perceiving clearly what reality is here and now, we are living in delusion – a state which must be cleared before the path to our destination becomes clear. We need to start where we are. We must listen to the many voices that speak within us. The many feelings that rise to be heard – and then we must ask what is the meaning of this communication?

When we create an internal governor, an entity or aspect of our mind that will stand for the purpose and meaning for our highest good, then we have the opportunity to bring understanding and unity to the other selves. First we must hear them speak, and to truly hear we must be willing to be honest.

Honesty reveals the way through and to all levels of the self.

Perhaps one aspect of the self is restless or agitated. In listening we will understand why there has been struggle in this area, and so we gain the opportunity to resolve and reconcile. This cohesion brings inner peace at this level. Perhaps another part is grieving and in listening honestly, we gain the opportunity to understand why it is grieving, and so we gain the opportunity to find healing.

Without honesty we choose to live in the dark and yet wonder why the feelings, thoughts and reality that we have are not the ones we want. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is truly insane. In being honest we allow ourselves to look and see the cause and effect of our actions. We gain the opportunity to ask: “Is this what I truly want? Or do I desire a change in paths?”

Honesty is congruent with the development of observation and self-awareness. On one level honesty is admitting that we do indeed desire a particular experience, be that emotional, physical or mental. On another level observation may show us whether or not the path we are on will likely bring us that experience. If for example we seek empowerment, are the choices and actions we take supporting the creation of that reality? Are we feeling more empowered overall than we were last year? If we would like to have more fulfilling relationships, are the choices and actions that we have taken supporting the reality of this desire? Are we experiencing more fulfillment here and now than we have in the past?

Honesty allows us to achieve results in a concrete way. Rather than hoping that chance will throw a bone our way, we systematically learn to know ourselves and understand the nature of cause and effect. Understanding brings empowerment.

Mechanically speaking honesty is easy. It is the simplest way to true fulfillment. In practice it is challenging because of pride.

If we do not want to “lose”, then we may hold back from admitting that we already have. Until we allow ourselves to look honestly at what is actually happening here and now, we don’t have a chance of creating our reality with any conscious direction. It all just keeps rolling from the product of our past patterns and reactions.

The honesty path although it may require us to look at some truths that sting, actually allows us to create a life that is imbued with experiences that contain for us meaning and purpose. In retrospect the sting of honesty will be like water off a ducks back. It’s this experience that allows people to genuinely laugh at themselves, because they have elevated themselves above the part of their ego that would do anything to avoid that sting, that feeling of loss.

In letting that part lose, we actually win – big time.

We laugh because we experience real inner victory. We see what we have gained and realize the experience of that sting of pride for what it is. No big deal.

In the long run we gain exponentially more by allowing ourselves to grow than holding ourselves back. At the top of the mountain the pride that we gain from having achieved so much far outweighs any pride lost in the journey. Furthermore the journey itself has shown us the transient nature of pride itself – and so we learn to laugh at ourselves, because we can see that regardless of our “flaws” and “foibles” we are capable of climbing mountains!

Be honest about your strengths and be honest about your weaknesses. Each has the capacity to help the other.

Admitting that things have not worked out, that our “causes” have not had the “effects” that we desired, we actually get the biggest opportunity to make a major overhaul. It’s like a company realizing that a certain product just isn’t selling. If they don’t want to admit that they might have been wrong on something, then they continue to lose. If they admit that for some reason it’s just not working, then they gain opportunities to turn it around.

Hear what the inner critic has to say, but know that just because the voice comes from within, it doesn’t mean that it’s the last word. Develop the inner governor, a voice of reason and wisdom that can communicate with all the other aspects of yourself with understanding and compassion, but also firmness. It is the part of you that will listen but then make the decisions that need to be made. It is that part that listens with understanding, responds with compassion and acceptance, but is still able to do what is needed. In short it is the councilor who hears, loves and respects the child’s voice yet knows that there are other considerations also. It is the higher self that sees from a bigger perspective that can understand the paths that lead to fulfillment and those that are dead-ends. The honesty exists in listening to all concerns openly, knowing that they may come in the form of thoughts, words or feelings and emotions. The strength exists in allowing the honesty to be there. It also exists in learning how to meet each aspect of the self with understanding while still directing a larger, higher and more expansive picture.

Each aspect, each voice has a purpose, a reason for being that is connected with us. Understanding that purpose gives us the opportunity to integrate directions and find reconciliation within. All aspects of the self have an honesty that is revealed when we are honest with ourselves. Meeting each one openly and allowing the inner governor to genuinely seek understanding with each is the essence of honest communication.

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The Power of Resistance – Forging a Mind for Piercing through Opposition

Guided resistance is what brings us to our goals.

Resistance defines a direction out of the pure flow that is reality. It is the necessary “friction” that steers our mind and therefore our life. Resistance is the counter balance of flow. Learning to blend these two elements is how we accurately and effectively create our life purpose.

Understanding resistance allows us to give form to our path, it allows our steps to have direction and shape, it is what we use to create a journey of purpose and meaning.

Essentially resistance is about choices. We express what is meaningful to us by choosing the paths that have reason and purpose and leaving the paths that do not. This is guided resistance. Resistance is also what is needed to transform patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us. Finding the right balance of flow and resistance allows us to understand how to divert an object be that emotion, thought or feeling from it’s current course and into a new direction.

Application of resistance for best results is something that must be understood through experience. Sometimes we would benefit from an intense burst of resistance. Like taking massive action to get ourselves motivated and moving. In the long term however a balanced and sustained approach is what will prevent burn-out. Rather than meeting a force head on, we apply resistance at points that we understand to have the most significance and that will result in maximum results with minimum energy used. In a sense we are understanding how to use leverage to move and transform our minds. In the long run sustained action will prevail over bursts of inspiration. This being said however there may well be times when we choose to experience high intensity in order to grow in other ways. Opportunity for realizing power is present in every moment.

The most basic focusing meditation teaches us to leave everything as it is and simply hold our mind on the object of focus. Even this basic exercise contains within it the principles of balancing resistance with flow. The foundation of this practice is to allow all extraneous forces to simply be as they are – to not let the mind be involved in their struggles. We do not seek to play or communicate with the chattering mind, we do not feed limiting emotions, thoughts or feelings. We just let things be as they are. This is the principle of flow in action. At the same time we have an objective. We are focusing on an object be it our breath, the building of inner strength or clarity. This focus is direction, it is resistance.

As we advance in practice we develop the experience to know how much to give (resistance) and how much to take (flow). This sensitivity can only be gained from actual practical experience. We need to feel the pull of the opposing and contradictory forces of flow and resistance and how they affect us achieving our goal. The exact same principles are expressed in any journey of self-growth. As we learn to refine our application of the principles we will experience a reality that is congruent with our desires.

The balance of resistance and flow is the balance that allows us to reconcile self-acceptance and striving for more than what is. These two contradictory forces pull us in seemingly opposite directions. Self-acceptance seeks to accept what is. Striving for more seeks just that – more than what is.

Sensitive guiding of resistance is the practical application of looking honesty at what we are not and what we choose to become – and then tempering this with acceptance and compassion.

It is the accepting of the process even while extending ourselves toward all that we dream for. Interestingly it has been said that one of the last things that Buddha needed to let go of was his craving for enlightenment (or it could be argued his aversion to suffering!). The irony can be seen here however because it was this very desire for enlightenment that brought him to that point.

With acceptance and compassion we avoid beating ourselves up for not being everything that we want to be today and right now. With honest appraisal of where and who we want to be we give ourselves the opportunity to actually acknowledge and therefore create what we want.

If self growth is something that we desire then developing resistance is something that is necessary to the path – even if the destination of that path is one of non-resistance. Resistance is our vigilance that keeps us on track. Resistance is what allows us to stretch in new directions and explore potential and possibility.

Developing the mind to be able to move from fierce resistance to gentle means at will means that we will have more choices. We will have greater flexibility. For example the blend of flow and resistance when meditating in a quiet room is one thing, but a different combination of flow and resistance is needed when accessing this mind-state when we are sleep deprived and catering to a room of crying babies! Similarly the blend used when creating a mind state of enthusiasm and initiative will be different than when creating a mind state of deep peace. We need to work our capacities of flow and resistance within their respective ranges of motion. This is what brings these concepts more and more into practical and usable reality. Other wise a common situation is that people find that they are able to focus well in one or two environments, but that they “lose” their mind in others.

Make it a staple to first work with the mind in a quiet space. We want to stack the cards in our favor! Then we would explore practicing the same exercise when we are highly agitated, angry or sleepy. Likewise we could practice in a busy, bustling room full of people or on a train, or while our boss is screaming at us. We can even do it while talking to people. Each situation trains the mind to find different ratios and balances of resistance and flow.

Understand what it is that you wish to achieve in each experience and extend and direct your mind and energy accordingly.

In the context of realization, resistance is the part of the mind that “holds” the imagination or visualization. Flow is the part of the mind that balances this by keeping the resistance as effortless as possible. Expressing the two seamlessly is what gives us power.

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The Power of Flow – Unlock the Knowledge of Enlightenment and Meditation

The power of flow comes from the opportunity it affords us to understand cause and effect and therefore reality. Flow is a tool, it is a method to understand the way we interact with the world, energy, emotions, people, the universe, thoughts and so on. We move with the frequency of these energies and in moving with them we understand what makes them what they are. In this moment of becoming one we flow and we gain opportunity. We can choose to enhance this energy, we can choose to dissipate it or we can choose to allow it to be. What we choose is ultimately decided by where we are going in life. What flow does is afford us the opportunity to have greater freedom of choice. It allows us to transform our feelings, emotions, energies and thoughts so that they are congruent with our “higher” purpose and so move into our own power.

When we can choose what we feel and what we think – when we can choose to feel at peace with our inner world, then we no longer struggle with the external world around us. The more power we have within, the less we need to control or struggle with the outside. As a result the choices and experiences that we make and have in the external world can become congruent with how we feel inside.

All emotions, feelings and thoughts are energy. When we can find flow in the energy of apathy then we will not be a prisoner of stagnation. When we can find flow in confusion then we can realize clarity. The same principles can move us from anger to inspiration, despair to compassion and so on. We no longer need to avoid learning because we don’t like failure. We simply learn to transform the energetic signature of failure into inspiration. We no longer need to go without experiencing potential because of apathy, we simply learn to transform the frequency of apathy into passion, inspiration or discipline.

The journey that we are on becomes easier and infinitely more enjoyable when our inner self is not at war with itself. A mind without limiting beliefs, emotions and thoughts is a powerful mind indeed because all that was once against is now in full support. When the mind is unified then inner victory is assured.

Remember that flow is a principle. The shape and feel of flow will change, but the principle stays the same. For example, to go with the flow of resistance means that we need to become the resistance – and the first level will feel like we are resisting. It will feel like full blown resistance! To go with the flow of pain we need to become the pain. It often feels as if the pain actually intensifies. What is actually happening is that our mind is becoming more acutely aware. This awareness has the capacity to open up into the realization of flow.

When our mind matches the exact frequency of that which we are seeking to flow with then it’s as if a key opens up the door to it’s inner self. Our minds have learnt to penetrate the external form to experience the inner flow. At this point the mind transcends this particular energy, emotion, thought form or feeling as a form of resistance, pain or obstacle at all. It no longer has a hold on us. We see it and feel it. We are fully and acutely aware of it and yet we are not attached to it because our mind has experienced reality beyond it.

Imagine not needing to feel a certain way when the body releases the sensation of anger. Imagine not needing to feel a certain way when the body expresses the sensation of hate, or apathy, stagnation or inner struggle. Instead of being the puppet who is pulled on strings each time certain emotions are released, we become the master who is able to experience what we choose at any time we choose. We then experience the reality that has not been the world and other people that make us feel the way we feel, it has been us all along. We simply haven’t had the freedom to choose our inner reality.

We are not actually seeking to create flow. It already exists. We are learning to listen for the flow within all things whether seemingly solid, stubbornly resistant, righteously angry, joyously happy, deliriously hateful or lethargically apathetic. Even the most immovable of emotions, pain or thoughts has within it flow. A rock at it’s surface seems static, yet at a deeper level it is made of the same atoms that we are made of. There is always movement present.

The realization of flow happens when we let go of the restrictions in-between. That restriction may be a knot in the muscle, it may be a perception in the mind – but it is interesting that a knot in a muscle can be released by moving the mind deeply into it, becoming it and dissolving the tension. At it’s core all flow is realized when the mind becomes aware of it.

Exploring resistance, playing with it, finding ways to open it, shift ourselves around it, moving in and out of it we start to get the gist of what is resistance and what is flow.

Think of a block of ice. For water to get to the core of that ice the ice needs to melt or provide some way through. Our perceptions create barriers like the ice – they are unable to connect to frequencies that are like water. When our minds and bodies are open and receptive then we are able to feel more. If we are not feeling empowered it is because we are blocking or restricting the flow of the frequency of empowerment. We are stopping ourselves from perceiving it and therefore being it.

When our mind is stuck in a pattern of thought, feeling or emotion then it is unable to connect to what is outside this pattern. This pattern is like a “box”. Greater opportunity is found in an unlimited mind, flow trains the mind to move around limits and so directly leads to empowerment.

Reality because it is always changing and different is formless. A pattern or “box” on the other hand is a form. It is our personality or mind or body trying to conform into what we think is “right”. The flow keeps moving and we keep bring our mind back to the “shape” or pattern we are used to. And so we keep missing the power within us. We become so attached to how power should be that we hide our eyes from where it actually is.

It is impossible to grasp the universe or the world for that matter and put it into a box. It is a constantly changing and evolving thing. When our mind creates a set of limiting beliefs it simply creates a box. The universe around us still exists in it’s infinite opportunity but everything we see is a perception out of that box. Damn!

The funny thing is, being “stuck” is also an illusion – as the mind believes or perceives itself to being stuck – so will it be. By bringing the mind to the realization of “movement”, the perception of flow has already begun. Continuing on this path we begin to realize that flow has been there all along. It was that we had “frozen” our minds to the perception or illusion of being “stuck”.

Emotions and feelings, sensations and thoughts are consciousness. Imagine that we use 90% of our resources, conscious and unconscious to hold them back. This leaves 10% to direct and fuel us to where we want to go. When we allow all those emotions, feelings, sensations and thoughts to flow we can then use 90% or even 100% our energy to direct us where we want to go. Many people believe that if they let go of trying to hold back all their “stuff” things will get out of control. It’s actually the opposite – all the repression leads to loss of control and very little energy to truly be or even remember what we want to be. When we let go at first there is a mad rush – like all this water coming out of a dam. Then it slows down and we see that we can swim easily where we want to go. Before it is released all that energy is like the dam – trying to hold it all in.

Some resistance is rigid and obvious. Some resistance is subtle and hidden. The practice of simple awareness opens us to the availability of resistance. Acknowledging where it is the first step to doing something with it. The practical application of flow begins with observation. Observing ourselves allows us to see where we have created these “dams” these areas of resistance. By observing objectively, feeling them and sensing them we learn to let them flow. It is actually by doing nothing that the “dams” and resistance begin to dissolve – then we have realization of flow. In the beginning when we begin this practice we realize that we have been using all our effort to keep these blockages in place. This is what it means to “let go”, “surrender” and “accept.” This is a very receptive energy – a yin energy. Then when we begin to swim, we bring forth an active or yang energy. The balance between resistance and flow is the key to creating a life of our choosing.

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The Power of Commitment

Perfecting an art and completing any journey requires commitment. Commitment holds us through to gaining the necessary experience which we then reflect upon and refine into skill. Skill keeps the ball rolling and perpetuates the development of real world applicable knowledge – and this positive cycle continues.

The journey of deep understanding, mastery of the self, empowerment, realization, enlightenment or where ever it is that our own personal mountain peak may be, becomes clearer as we advance, because we gain skill, knowledge and technique. Our mind has already learned to move beyond certain limits and discovered experiences that it could once only imagine. We build on prior experiences, we extrapolate from our skills, exploring tangents, working on grander ideas and simpler methods. We develop guidelines, rules and structures which we have proven to ourselves work time and time again in the real world. These rules give us stability, they provide us with a knowing that we have a partial map of how to get to our destination.

Without commitment however, all the rules change.

Commitment is what will see us standing by our game when skill fails us. It will see us being steadfast when the world is seemingly against us. Commitment is what will give us the humility to honestly look at ourselves. It is what will give us the strength to surrender the parts of ourselves that no longer serve.

There will be times on the path when it seems like all our teachings, knowledge and understanding have failed us. Perhaps there will be many times. Look down at your feet and just concentrate on taking the next step.

In this moment here and now commitment is just taking that next step.

We talk about empowerment. We talk about enlightenment, magic, healing, self-mastery and personal development. The real magic is commitment. When we find ourselves at the very last step of our lives and we look back at everything that we have experienced and reflect on the directions that we have chosen, we will know that what brought us to this final step was commitment. The question is not whether commitment was there – it is whether we have been committed to what is important to us.

Have we lived lives that are integral to us or have we forgotten our meaning? Are we truly okay with our compromises? Or do we wish for more?

Commitment is power when we are committed to purpose and meaning.

If we seek greater intimacy in our relationships, more passion in work, enhanced spiritual awareness or connection to meaning and purpose – commitment is what will have us standing at the pinnacle of those goals.

Seekers may argue over the relevancy of different types of technique and skill, and even masters may quibble over the specifics of knowledge and concept. That’s just the way it is. There are many ways up the mountain. Even half way up there will be people who tell us we’re going the wrong way, “that you need to climb up the other side!” Or that perhaps we are climbing the wrong mountain. The one thing that cannot be denied however, is that the journey takes commitment to succeed. And interestingly the details of right and wrong will usually become apparent as we continue the journey. At times we may even turn completely around and head the other way only to find that we are closer to what we truly wanted after all. There are many mountains. What is important is that we climb somewhere and continue to climb. Through this journey we connect to the source of who we are.

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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.

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Logical Spirituality – Practical and Effective Spiritual Practice

Faith becomes truly strong when it is tested. Untested faith makes way for corruption, deceit and illusion. Blind faith is the kind that fears criticism because the bearer lacks real understanding or perception. Ironically, what will bring understanding is to shake that faith to its core and see what comes out.

Real inner strength comes from absorbing what remains after illusion has been broken. This is the reason why protecting illusions is so detrimental to real personal development. We need to let go of what is essentially useless, not hold on to it like there is no tomorrow. All it requires is that one moment of being critical and then to observe the outcome. What do we feel when we are critical of faith? Do we feel lost? Do we feel despair? Anguish? Hurt? There needs to be a little rejoicing also, because all these emotions are signs that we have found flaws in our faith. Here in lies the opportunity to discard what is useless and refine what is true.

Testing faith like this may seem like a very unstable course of existence, but in truth it is the most stable way of being possible. Not only does testing faith develop inner strength and fortitude, it also creates the perception that allows us to become increasingly sensitive to what is of value and what is not. This cultivation moves our being in the direction of understanding real strength, mastery, meaning and purpose.

Spirituality is all about action. This statement was never meant as a metaphor. It is a reality. If we do not integrate what is important into our actions then they never really become important. It is ludicrous to then complain why spirituality does not make sense, and why life purpose is not more clear. Confusion, lack of purpose and meaning will always exist as long as we do not make our actions congruent with our values. It means being critical, it means looking deeply at what we are doing, how we are acting, thinking and feeling. Then we must bring our actions, thoughts and feeling into alignment. This is what mind, body and spirit as one means -again, not a metaphor, but the reality of action.

Spirituality becomes extremely logical when we observe ourselves critically. Sure, there may be areas that haven’t been accounted for yet, but on the whole, it will be clear that the vast majority of our consciousness, mind and body is simply not aligned with what holds meaning and value. This awareness clears up a lot of confusion. Instead of lamenting: “What is going on?” we will be able to state clearly: “All this is happening because these actions and thoughts aren’t in the appropriate places.” There is a massive difference between these two ways of perceiving. The first way takes the role of the denying knowledge and understanding, but saves the ego from needing to acknowledge weakness. The second way embraces and receives the knowledge and understanding and allows the ego to feel whatever it believes it needs to feel.

Logical spirituality just comes down to being open to knowledge and awareness. We must guard this principle from being blind dogma or a New Age slogan. “Being open” does not mean just welcoming in the light and love and pretending that nothing else exists. “Being open” means seeing reality as it is, whatever this awareness may bring. This is the most tangible and concrete way of ensuring that spiritual development and growth is real.

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Destroying Dogma – Freedom of the Mind

Dogma is belief that is not subject to self-criticism. It is for this reason that dogma must be continually tested and bombarded. Dogma would have us believe that it stands above criticism, that the very thought of criticism is blasphemy or blasphemy’s modern day cousin, politically incorrect. This is the nature of what occurs when we allow power to corrupt us. We seek to keep this power safe, and the safest place is a place that is untouchable.

When we create untouchables we create objects within our minds that are exempt from criticism or observation. These untouchables become so perfect that we skew our own intuition in order to justify what we see. We literally and willingly pull the wool over our eyes. The solution is to actively and consciously test everything.

Real power comes from making our deepest values completely congruent with our actions. Simple in principle, but rapidly degenerates in practice when we actively deny and ignore our growing awareness and perception. This is what happens when we hold on to dogma. It is an active process and the solution must also be active. It is through being alert and critical that dogma is destroyed. We ignore nothing, we let nothing get away. What ability is trained here? The ability of sensitive and aware perception. This is the tool that is required for self-mastery. Many speak of it and yet when it comes to using and developing it they shy away because of what it truly means.

It takes inner strength and courage to realize that illusion and dogma exists everywhere. Each time awareness destroys a piece of it, it feels like part of our dream has perished. In truth, what is really occurring is that we are creating evolution and development that is aligned to our own realization of truth and empowerment.

Destruction is a necessary part of evolution and growth. It transforms what is not useful and expands what is. Dogma when freed from its prison of our perceptions becomes alive and useful information. It then has the ability to adapt, to grow and to fit our own purpose and meaning. Instead of a separation between our own value and that of the untouchable, the untouchable simply becomes touchable and we recognize unity.

The only reason that dogma exists is to protect the investment of power. This itself is a lie also, because what it is really protecting is an illusion of power. Any power that needs protection is just an affirmation of an inner weakness and so is not true power at all. This is dogma, made untouchable because to touch it would make it crumble. Tearing away this perception brings us to the true cause of fear. Facing this fear, not running, hiding or pretending that its flaw does not exist allows us to create the strength, peace and wisdom that becomes in itself true power.

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