Tag Archives: mastery

The Infinity Gate

As the etheric moves toward the subtle, closer and closer to absolute stillness, time and location also move toward oneness. Entry to this plane is through what many in the astral refer to as ‘The Infinity Gate.’ It has record not only of everything that has happened it also contains the possible futures, possible pasts and possible presents. These are observed and experienced as real.

‘The Infinity Gate’ is simply an access point to the realities of the universe and entering this access point appears to be quite challenging even to those experienced to the astral realms. For many it will simply be as if invisible – invisible in form, mind, concept and idea. The way to approaching it will quite simply never appear. To those that gain perception of the gate itself it will then manifest itself in an as unlimited number of ways as there are minds to create these ways. It may appear as a medieval gate, it may appear as an energetic portal or a guardian. Beyond this form, the essence of the gate is the same, and the key adapts to the form of the being that beholds it.

The planes through the ‘Infinity Gate’ can be used for many things, entertainment, research, knowledge or enlightenment. It provides these goals by allowing the seeker to create all of their dreams, fantasies and desires as if they were real. The senses gain the stimulation that they have craved and desired and so gain the opportunity to ultimately experience the impermanence and false power behind these experiences. Lifetimes can pass within this realm without even a moment having passed within the physical.

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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.

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Being Natural – Creating Effortless Empowerment and Self Mastery

These days it has become popular to use the word “natural”. Its usage is especially enjoyed when it is used to refer to aspects of humankind or evolution not being natural and to use this inference in an attempt to direct a particular influence of “natural.” In the context of the universe there is nothing that is not natural. There is creation, there is destruction, there are layers of truth, illusions, shapes and forms. This very planet we live on was not always what it now is. There was a time that it was simply swirling gases, and a time before that when it was nothingness. Is this more natural than where we now live? Is it better simply because it is what was? A more accurate term for these swirling gases would be to use “original form.”

These same concepts and beliefs are projected through into how we see ourselves and how we direct our development. For instance in this very moment we may have natural tendencies which are not aligned with our conscious intention. These are habits, patterns and a magnetism that are moving in a particular way. The only reason that they are natural is because we have done them so many times that they are in effect self-perpetuating. This is in fact what we have defined “natural” to mean.

This planet, the trees, the air, the water – all have become self-perpetuating patterns of energy. They are able to hold their form, more or less. The same principles apply to consciousness. This is how energy works and yet we seem confused when certain achievements seem to require a lot of effort or hard work to attain. It is almost like all great goals and dreams should come easily. “It’s not natural,” we say when things get too hard and we fall back to old habits. “It’s too extreme,” we say and return to patterns that we consciously know do not serve us.

As a race we have done well to create language, but as a tool it can be used to hinder or support our intentions. We define words and concepts into negative and positive and then we act from the ridiculous notion of not wanting to be associated with negative words and only positive ones. What we really need to be doing is understanding what serves and supports us and what does not. Certainly being controlled by words does not. It is meaning that holds true power.

The ability to consciously, positively and willfully direct our reality is powerful. It is extreme and for many people it is not what comes naturally. The processes and abilities involved to reach this stage take work and practice. Often this work will be hard. It becomes harder when we feed ourselves beliefs that everything should be easy. Ironically, when we embrace what is hard the experience becomes inspiring. No person who has broken through their own self-limiting beliefs has ever not been astounded. Breaking through challenges is not natural. If it were natural then it would not be perceived as a challenge at all. Take walking for example: How many of us find it a challenge to walk into the next room? Is there even a thought that it may be an insurmountable obstacle? For many people the act of walking is so natural that it registers not even a thought. Yet for those that are in rehabilitation, walking may not come naturally anymore. They need to train it, over and over until their body and mind understands what is required. Eventually, it can become natural.

Living life at a “high” level is never entirely natural. There is always a stretch or expansion that is pushing at boundaries and limitations. Yet when we embrace and accept what does not feel natural then it becomes natural. The bottom line is that achievement in any area of life is about working the body and mind to remember the forms of consciousness that are required to excel. As each level becomes entrained into the body and mind they become natural. This then opens the way to use this base to reach for a higher level of achievement. Without a stable base, none of these changes or understandings are natural – they become as impermanent as the wind.

Power without perception is of no true use for us humans. This is what happens when we become attached to words. We need to look clearly at what it is that is important to us – what holds meaning and value to us. Then we need to understand what characteristics of consciousness are needed to achieve these. All that is needed then, is to practice these characteristics until they become natural. Natural is not about “easy”, it is not about “hard”, it is about perpetuating what is important. It is a full time job, but when it has value, then there is nothing better in this world.

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Ability – Creating Tools for Wellbeing, Personal Development and Self Mastery

The technical level of self-mastery is about ability. Consistent progress requires ability and the inner strength and discipline to persistently use that ability. The world has been full of those who have rested on the laurels of their ability only to find that what was cultivated was a weak mind. In light of this all that ability becomes like a parlor trick. Strength is what carries ability from one step of development to the next. Having said this after the cultivation of some inner strength, ability and skill will make the journey to self-mastery more refined.

Ability and skill provides a structure for strength, discipline and focus to be channeled into. Rather than simply ritualizing practice it then has purpose – perhaps many levels of purpose. In all of this inner strength is never allowed to dissipate. This is one of the temptations that arise from the lazy and apathetic mind once it holds a little skill and ability. It believes that it can do some things and then the ego compares itself to others and says “Gee, I can do all this and other people can’t – well I’m so good I could do this with my eyes closed, hey I may as well relax.”

A dirty trick as usual – and it comes at a time when we are most vulnerable.

We must remain steadfast and true at these times especially. It is futile to compare ourselves with others. If our marker becomes dependent on the progress of another than we have already set a limitation for our progress. We need to keep our eyes on our purpose and destination. This is what is important.

One of the most powerful abilities is that of being able to maintain a solutions and results orientated focus. This cultivates a mind that acknowledge limitations, obstacles and mistakes, but then seeks to make good of them. It is a mind that becomes like water, hitting one obstacle, going around it and finding a way to its target. What really makes this mind state work however is persistent focus. Gaining knowledge and information in itself is not difficult. Maintaining the integration of this knowledge through mindfulness and action is what many people will find challenging – the magnetism of the old needs to be controlled in order to bring in the new. It is destruction at its finest. The failure to maintain new directions and structures is the number one reason that conscious transformation for many does not take place as they had hoped.

Being internally strong and persistent is the engine that drives us to our goals. Ability and skill is what navigates the path, finds new openings and spaces and allows that engine of strength and persistence to be elevated to an even higher level.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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The Power of Perception – The Key to Mastering Reality

Power without perception has no true value. In the first, without perception, we will not even know power to exist. In the second if our perception is not up to scratch we’ll not know what to do with it. Perception is vision and clarity. It is seeing the big picture but also remembering the small details. When we have perception the ways and methods of power become simple and clear. As a result this type of power has profound value.

Clarity brings the ability to understand the why and how of things. The why and the how are the nuts and bolts of reality. When we can see how and why they hold everything together, we can loosen a nut here and tighten a bolt there or make everything come crashing down and perhaps build a new structure.

Perception and clarity also clears out all the superfluous garbage from our minds and body. Instead of wasting time and energy juggling meaningless variables and theories, we just take in the whole in a glance and see exactly what needs to be done to affect everything. Obviously this attribute is valuable for everything from healing to meditation and manifestation.

There are two fundamental directions that perception can move toward: inward and outward. By maintaining awareness at the sense doors where the external and the internal meet it, we are able to understand the interaction between both. Working with the creative and destructive cycles, the point of transformation occurs within this point. Moving into this point allows for a deeper perception of creation and destruction. The loop or cycle of transformation become tighter as creation and destruction begin to occur swifter, each taking the place of the other in rapid succession. Look for the point where both exist simultaneously and observe for a still point. This still point of zero point provides a completely different space from the reality of creation and destruction. It stands apart and is unaffected by cause and effect and yet its presence and acknowledgement affects all around it. This is they entry point into the void, stillness and eternity. It is through this infinite well that healers and magicians attempt to transpose reality.

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Self Mastery ~ Become the Master of Your Own Destiny

Mastery is developed when we learn to understand all aspects of consciousness. Depth and expansion is gained from striving to reach into the unknown. Exploring that which has not been explored and learning to create understanding and wisdom.

Realization is a process of shedding layers of perception. Perspective and consciousness grows by the depth and expansion gained from moving through those layers. It is a highly creative and focused process. Each layer of perception that we move through requires that we grasp and then let go. We let go each time that our mind realizes that what we knew to be reality, was not in fact all there was to reality. We grasp each time we stretch our minds and expand our perception. We strive to learn more, then let go of this striving.

The practice of realization can and will be real hard work at times, but it is this work that bears the fruits of real joy, inner peace and love.

The human magnetism at this time, particularly where spirituality is concerned needs to get over the belief that spirituality is all about being effortless, instant and easy. Sure, this reality exists, but it is an extremely limited one as far as experiencing enlightenment, empowerment or inner peace. The path of finding easy answers is a path that separates the emotions of patience from impatience, frustration from peace and discipline from apathy. It is this very separation that will keep us from experiencing that true power is found in unity. If we seek real empowerment and enlightenment yet run from impatience, frustration and apathy, then we are running in the wrong direction. We must expose the power buried within these energy states – it is only then that the illusion is lifted. Otherwise we are like puppets being controlled by strings. The path of mastery would cut these strings forever – and forever as always, starts here and now.

Understanding what opportunities hold real power for us is the first step in experiencing real power. All through time masters and teachers have understood the power of developing patience, persistence and self-discipline. At the same time they faced their impatience, their frustrations and their desires for power and glory. The very basics of their training involved facing these emotions, looking them square in the eye, feeling the fire fully, yielding in mind, but in spirit not an inch. This training would always separate those that sought quick and easy answers and those that truly were committed to the path of mastery. Those that could not face their impatience, their desire for instant answers and frustrations had shut the door on themselves.

When we turn away from our impatience, frustration and aversion to hard practice we also lose the opportunity to master these aspects. Not only this, but we have not even begun to develop the most basic attribute of mastery – control. If we cannot control our mind in spite of our impatience, frustrations and aversions then the battle is over before it has even begun. Much spiritual marketing would have us believe that mastery, enlightenment and empowerment can be bought and achieved without any undue strain or effort. This simple lie can be dissolved simply by understanding spiritual logic:

Enlightenment is only achieved by bringing light to the dark.

Mastery is only achieved by understanding and developing control of those aspects that would control us.

As long as we hide from our weaknesses then our weaknesses are free to control us through our subconscious. Empowerment is not simply a rush of endorphins running through the body or some affirmations that we are in fact enlightened already. Empowerment is a systematic and highly logical process of exploring, observing and listening for free form energy within our mind, body and spirit. This process requires persistence and the ability to be true and sincere because in our exploration we can and will find aspects that challenge us deeply. The very act of committing to a daily, regular routine of self-work is in itself going to bring up “stuff.” It doesn’t need to be a big deal, but it becomes a big deal when we run away from this “stuff” day after day and year after year. After a while we become very practiced at running away, but have no idea of how to stand our ground.

Control is developed when we choose to face each aspect that would challenge us. Discipline is developed when these choices are made repeatedly. Mastery is made when we meet those parts with complete understanding and strength.

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