Tag Archives: inner strength

Enlightenment, Intuition, Truth, Unlimited Mind

The Closed Mind – Mastering Inner Strength and Control

The idea of the open mind has been responsible for much misdirection on the spiritual journey. It has even been used as an insult: “You have such a closed mind.” The truth is that a closed mind is one of the most powerful tools for accelerating spiritual growth, and for that matter any development at all.

Developing a closed mind is about developing inner control. By learning to close the mind to many opportunities, the mind learns to focus on just those opportunities that are of value and meaning. Instead of embracing everything and its dog, we become critical of what is worth embracing and what is not.

This requires not just judging aspects of reality at face value, but also investigating “what works.” In other words, while we may not consider certain experiences to have value, we may not be able to get out of dealing with them anyhow. A true critical mind must acknowledge this and recognize that conscious growth is as much about directing our evolution as it is about understanding where we are right now.

The closed mind is what grabs all the loose ends and draws them together. Without a closed mind we will allow everything else to be as it is, but we will fail to integrate these aspects into our own purpose and direction.

A closed mind is the mind that enables us to resist those things which would lead us off the path of truth. It is the mind that is vigilant to what is of value and meaning. Dedication is the essence of the closed mind, for it is dedication to a cause or direction which puts this value above and beyond other aspects of reality. Commitment too is congruent with the closed mind, for it is commitment that focuses purely on the goal ahead, remaining unattached to all that is of lesser priority.

By filtering out what is of no use to our main purpose, we refine that which is of real power and value. Concepts and ideas develop into techniques and abilities. Metaphors and theories become actions and realities. Each aspect of the closed mind offers an opportunity for opening at a deeper level. It is the same depth that an Olympic athlete earns when they decide to dedicate themselves to their art, forgoing many experiences that others of our world would have. It is the same depth that an adept at metaphysical manipulation gains when they shut themselves off from distraction in order to hone their skills.

The more passionate and inspired we become about a direction or purpose, the more that we choose to become dedicated and committed. This is a law of the universe. Following this law is what allows us to experience deep and real meaning in our lives. In the beginning it is learning that closing or opening the mind is not about right or wrong, but rather about appropriateness. Through the course of development from beginning to mastery, we come to understand and experience that there is in truth no absolute closure or openings. Each closure presents the opportunity for opening and each opening closes other doors. The closed mind is a choice to halt those experiences that we believe limit our development and to maximize those experiences that would support and accelerate us. In the end however, this will ultimately lead to a continual inner opening, deeper and yet deeper, until all the openings are occurring within the field of our truest meaning and purpose.

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Mastery, Motivation, Unlimited Mind

Pride and Strength – Balancing your Inner Powers for Mastery and Success

Pride needs to be tempered with true strength unless it begins to think that it can run the show. Pride that is uncontrolled will give in to lapping up praise and seeking the path of glory. To this end it will do whatever it can to avoid looking at any truth that could be perceived as limiting or negative in any way.

While pride can encourage us to excel and reach our potential, it can also prevent us from looking at what it fears – namely, being wrong.

The deciding factor about whether we control pride or it control us is strength. Where pride will avoid looking at perceived weaknesses, emotional limitations and personal obstacles, real strength is honest. Real strength will not hold back from acknowledging weaknesses, limitations, mistakes, hypocrisy or flaws. Its goal is not the boosting or soothing of the ego. Its goal is truth and personal development. It is weakness that allows pride to pretend that there is nothing wrong and that we are in control. It is more interested in images and illusions. Strength on the other hand is interested in real control, not simply the illusions of it.

Real control comes from being honest and acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses. It is only through awareness of our weaknesses that we can improve them. Pride would seek to keep us ignorant of them to preserve an illusion of mastery.

As much as pride can encourage us to excel, it does so because of weakness. It acts to protect discovery of this weakness unconditionally. The result is that this weakness does not get a chance to become strong, rather it remains hidden.

Strength throws the doors open to weakness – this is what gives it the direct opportunity to become strong.

It is the prideful mind that has the ridiculous notion that as long as it does not admit weakness, that weakness does not exist. This is as crazy a notion as closing our eyes and striving to believe that the rest of the world has disappeared. Crazy or not, this is how pride works. Pride is like a two edged sword, the solution is to develop a mind that can wield it skillfully. This is the difference between letting pride run the show, or letting the cultivation of self-mastery run the show.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying pride at a job well done, or a journey accomplished. The problem arises when we become so attached to the feeling of pride that we cannot let go of it in order to accomplish more.

Achievement and growth always involves effort and struggle in some way. This is part and parcel of stretching and expansion. It does not need to be something that we have aversion to. In fact when it is understood that our purpose has real meaning, this too can be a source of pride.

Essentially achievement is about priorities, and the reality of priorities is about strength. Inner strength will not allow any aspect that would prioritize limited gratifications to control the show. Inner strength has the ability to see and it also has the ability to deliver results. Pride on the other hand works well as an engine. It can be a great motivator – its weakness is in its inability to see things straight and true. Delegation of skills is the key here. Use pride as an engine and let strength steer the way. Recognize that pride, like a stubborn bull may quite often want to go its way and let strength show it who is in control.

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Emotional Healing, Enlightenment, Life Purpose, Mastery, Motivation, Unlimited Mind

Inner Strength – Activate the Internal Power of Your Mind to Conquer your Destiny

Inner strength is the ability that prevents us from being corrupted by powers such as knowledge, information, sensation and opportunity. Without inner strength we will be drawn only to experiences that bring us pleasure and run from those that cause us pain. The journey will change from one that once sought truth and freedom, to one that seeks only to satisfy the senses. The path becomes a path of addiction rather than a path of truth.

The path of truth is a path that actively seeks truth. It is not about increasing and feeding our illusions. It is about purifying the mind and our perceptions to seeing through those illusions.

Spirit is not limited to only existing in pleasure – it exists everywhere and in everything.

Enlightenment is not confined only to feeling powerful, spiritual or expansive. It is about truth –the truth that “light” exists in all things.

Our definition of spirit, empowerment, unconditional love and truth becomes extremely limited when we isolate their existence to only a few select experiences and emotions. This is not truth. It is illusion.

Purification is training the mind to understand this truth, and it is strength that allows us to stay on our path when we are beset on all sides by sensory temptations.

The vigilance required for purification is not about denying pleasure or pain, it is about purifying regardless of the perception of pleasure or pain. When the attachment to these elements within the mind is purified, the experience of suffering, craving and aversion diminishes and is released.

This is the aspect that has corrupted many masters to be. It is no exaggeration that the path to truth has claimed the mental corpses of many who have started out with a firm and resolute vision, but then when illusions of power beckoned, the craving was too much and they gave in to their sensory reactions and impulses.

Each time we buckle under to illusion, we are creating obstacles and blocks to truth.

Inner strength may be moved or swayed, but always returns to the true path.

When we look at ourselves and say “only this is spiritual and all that is not,” then we are looking for a spirituality that is conditional and that does not understand oneness. This path is actively choosing ignorance over understanding.

Understanding is about seeing separation and then working out ways to perceive unity.

Choosing ignorance is about seeing separation and then working out ways to justify that separation.

These are the very reasons why we believe that people who are different are wrong. These are the very reasons why we believe that enlightenment must occur anywhere but here and now.

Strength is what keeps us here and now.

Without strength we flit from one craving to another like a puppet – completely unable to control our reactions. This is the path to self-corruption. It is the path that seeks more separation instead of unity, oneness and understanding.

It is only when we are strong that we can look the puppet master in the eye and not be swayed in the least. This is the strength that allows us to stay resolute on a path of truth.

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