What Is This Here To Teach Me?

When hard times come, we're often told to focus on gratitude and positive thoughts. Unfortunately, we're not often told how to do that. As a result people tend to avoid thinking about things that bother them entirely, or try to chase those problems away and beat them down with a variety of spiritual practices. They suppress the negative in favour of the positive. Essentially: they enter denial.

Oddly, this doesn't make their problems go away. Why not? If you're filling your vision with wonderful things, shouldn't more wonderful things come?

That is usually the case, but if something is bothering you, then it's too late: that thing exists. It will continue to exist and continue to affect you whether you pay it any mind or not. In fact, if something is truly aggravating, denial only puts it in charge of all of the subconscious resources that govern your life. Denial empowers your problems.

The key is to not deny your hard times, but transcend them.

Transcendence comes from acceptance. One must accept, whole-heartedly, the difficulty one is enduring. That's the first step.

The easiest and most effective way I've found to do this is to ask: "what is this here to teach me?" I don't always expect an answer, although sometimes I get lucky and the answer is self-evident.

The key, though, is in the asking. By doing this you send love to the issue by acknowledging it for the gift it is. You are being taught something you couldn't learn any other way, and you're going to stay in this class until you've learned your lesson.

Knowing what that lesson is, specifically, doesn't really matter. Trust that some day in retrospect you'll understand the positive changes that occurred inside of you as a result. For now though, just accept that this is something necessary to help you grow. Be grateful for the pain as one might be grateful for a surgical procedure or a splint being set for a broken bone. You don't have to enjoy it, mind you, but do ensure that you acknowledge that you are being healed and strengthened by it.

You'll find you stop pushing your problem away now. Rather, you simply wait for it to pass, knowing that it won't leave until the lesson has been integrated into your being.

At this point something interesting starts happening: by reflex, you allow healing that you were interfering with before. This hard time has wanted to pass for a long time, but it needed to do its work first. Now that you're allowing it to improve you, the healing process is naturally accelerated and things can start moving again.

We can call this moment "transcendence". From this place you'll find it easy to put the suffering in context, without feeling like a victim or a helpless sufferer. These things are happening. They are making you better in a way you really aren't supposed to understand yet. That's okay.

Now, while I'm waiting, what else is there to do today?

And here we are; we've arrived. It is safe to search for positive and loving things to occupy yourself with while the hard time works itself out. The attention you would give your difficulty now can rest on the level of waiting at a bus stop. Keep your eyes open for the bus (the final solution, the problem passing, the moment of healing), but meanwhile trust that it is definitely coming eventually. The problem will pass, it is inevitable.

While you wait, occupy yourself with something good. This is your moment of transcendence; you fully acknowledge and accept the things that you don't like, understand that it is temporary, a part of your learning process, and a tiny part of existence, and then spend your time exploring things that you do like. Soon, the things you do like will be the only things your life is filled with any more, and you can look back with gratitude for the lessons you were gifted with over time.

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!

All Things Are Possible

Looking for an all-in-one enlightenment tool?Consider this phrase: "all things are possible." Attack this with your whole heart and your intuitive powers will skyrocket.

It's a difficult thing to truly accept. If you think it's easy, or that you even understand the phrase completely, you haven't given this notion the attention it deserves. You don't have to trust me on this, I'm about to prove it to you.

Before I continue though, I'd like to say that the following is both complex and, when truly contemplated, a bit disturbing. Please feel free to email me later if you'd like help working through some of what follows.

Now, give it another few moments:

All things are possible.

Let me walk you through just a few of the various philosophical exercises on this spiritual all-in-one workout machine.

Our Relationship With Physical Things

Our house just flooded. It was quite the marvelous catastrophe.

Sometime in the morning, while we were at work, the water return pipe in the bathroom upstairs split and started pumping water onto the floor. It washed down the cold air return, destroying the furnace. The carpets outside of the bathroom were soaked, and water washed down into the floor below.

From there things got interesting. The water moved through the main floor's ceiling, dripping everywhere, eventually creating holes allowing it to pour more freely. The main floor was eventually drenched. Then, the process repeated itself in the basement. By the time the leak was discovered a large section of the ceiling down there had caved in, and several inches of water had accumulated.

Ultimately, due to mold and rot concerns, we were forced to move out the next day. This was almost two weeks ago, and last I checked the place still hadn't dried.

That first night though, after sending our daughter to a friend's house, we decided to spend the night there hoping against hope that everything would be fine. Industrial dehumidifiers on every floor and dozens of huge fans shook the place, and we sincerely hoped that somehow, some way, the water would dry out and we wouldn't be forced from the place that had been our home for the past decade.

Even as we laid there in bed that night, the room thundering like a factory floor, we knew in our hearts that this was the end of our life in this place.

Somehow it was difficult to be upset about it though. Even though this was the end of this house, it was hardly the end of us.

So the next morning, when the place only got more humid and the carpets only seemed to get more soaked, we went about the business of packing the place up as quickly as possible. Since time was against us and we needed to extract the critical stuff first, we packed asking one question above all else: "do we really need this thing?"

The answer was astounding. As we packed up our house, we discovered hundreds of pounds of keepsakes, appliances, books and nick-nacks that we just didn't need. The sheer volume of the objects we owned that weren't actually necessary truly astounded us. When we bought these things they were precious to us. Now, they were being tossed into extra-large black garbage bags, not worth the strain of packing properly, and were being shipped off to the Goodwill or the dumpster.

Let's be clear, though: our home has never really seemed cluttered. It wasn't until we were forced to look in every corner and forgotten drawer that we realized how many things had piled up over the years.

In the end, we got rid of almost half of everything we owned. In the new house you can't tell, it looks reasonably well furnished and we lack for nothing. We just de-cluttered.

What I never could have anticipated is how amazing this feels. It's true what they say: our possessions end up owning us. Getting rid of them truly has made us feel free, and living in this new house feels much more civilized and healthy knowing that there isn't anything hiding in the corners or forgotten in cupboards.

I'm not saying that I'm ready to live a monk's life (we're still looking for the "right" new couch, for instance) but now we only let things in that will serve our lives, and immediately rid ourselves of useless baggage. Our attitudes have really shifted, and we find that when we see something beautiful in the world we're no longer as inclined to want to own it. The thought of owning something we don't need, in fact, has begun to seem strangely self-destructive.

This fresh start feels so good, it's a wonder we didn't do it ages ago. Spring is coming up. Plan some cleaning. You'll be amazed how it affects your mind and soul.

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!

Growth Means Becoming Someone Else

You can't become the person you want to be unless you're willing to let go of the person you are.

I knew a guy once who used to say "well I'm just like that, that's just who I am," at least twice during every conversation we ever had.

This meant that, as the years wore on, he never did anything new. Everything was filtered through the thought "is this who I really am? Am I a guy that does something like that?" Then he'd go inside, look for a memory of something he had experienced that might be similar, and if he didn't find one he'd refuse to participate.

You could say that this was his Ego dominating his life. His current state was the perfect state, and must not be touched.

Most people sense the inherent danger in this. To truly live and extend oneself, you must leave your comfort zone. You must do something wonderful and new even if it "isn't you". The alternative is to lead a stagnate, colourless life.

Recently I was reminded that there is another step. Dipping your toe in unfamiliar waters just to see what is there is only the beginning.

What if there's something you want to do that is radically different than the way you've been your whole life? What if you want to learn a new language, or become a musician, or an aerobics instructor? What if there's absolutely nothing in your entire life that would indicate you could pull any of that off, but you've decided that it's something you want?

First of all, if you're on the fence about something like this, I hereby encourage you to go for it. Life is far too long to spend it suffering in the hell that is "what if".

Next, spend a half-hour every single day doing the new thing. Now, your life won't accommodate the new thing because you don't currently do the new thing. That isn't who you are. But if you want it to become this new person who does this thing, then something else is going to have to be removed for a half-hour a day.

This is where the sacrifice of who you were comes in. Something in your life is going to have to go away so that you can replace it with this new thing.

That might be easy. After all, you might be the kind of guy who spends 3 hours watching TV every night. Now you can be a 2 hour a night kind of guy. That'll be just the way you are.

Or, it might be hard. You might be pushed for family time, work time, and your volunteer work on top of all of the housework that never seems to be caught up. If that's the case, either your work hours or the volunteer hours need shaving back, or someone else is going to have to handle more housework. In any case, you're going to have to pick something and let it go.

Or, it might be nearly impossible. You might be trying to change a habit or get over a phobia that has controlled you all your life. Letting go of these things you do in favor of NOT doing them is tough. Still, people do it every day. You just have to decide to do it, figure out what you want to replace it with, and go out there to find the help you need to cross the finish line.

No matter what the case, however, everything is always possible as long as you're willing to let go of your old life in favor of the new one. To our Ego, that sounds a bit like dying. It will fight back with anger and fear and bitter cynical "but you don't understand" nonsense. Ignore it, and change anyway.

Kill the Ego definition of who you are, and give birth to the new Ego definition of who you are becoming.

Just one last thought: the things we say and do in a day define us. Thinking and dreaming don't count. So if you've read a new book and adopted a new philosophy, more power to you, but you haven't changed unless either your actions or your words have. Don't let the Ego trick you into thinking that simply wishing will make it so!

Now. The world is yours. How would you like to enjoy it?

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!

Manifestation Fundamentals: Aim, Relax, and Push Only When Conditions Are Right

If you look very carefully around the Niagara Region these past few days you might have noticed that we're getting a bit of snow.

This makes driving conditions tricky. Worse, for some reason the de-icing spray they put on the QEW this year seems to be converting the snow into a slick gel-like substance that has sent, quite literally, over 400 cars into the ditch so far this season according to the OPP.

In short: this has got to be the most fun driving season we've had in ages!

I mean, usually it's completely easy. You pick a direction, stomp on the gas, and know that eventually you're going to get there. Boring. Most of the time you don't even remember the trip.

Now, though, the experience is really spiced up. Slam that gas pedal and you absolutely will find yourself spinning out of control. You have to feather it, paying attention to how much traction you have and how much momentum you can create. You also have to be watching way, way ahead to see what the traffic is doing, if the lights are changing, and if anybody is going to come stumbling out into the road.

The difficulty level on this game just went way up, and you'll remember the trip when you get home!

How this relates to manifestation is fairly obvious. Life is not a perfectly smooth asphalt surface that you have complete control over. It's messy, variable, and if you achieve guru-like skills you will still only ever have a clumsy control over your momentum at best.

So, work with it:

•  Decide on your goal. Get it fixed in your mind, and keep an eye on it wherever you are, whatever you are doing. (Watch where you're going.)
• Watch for obstacles, and react accordingly. This way they may get in your way, but will never stop you for long. (Keep scanning traffic and looking way ahead.)
• Quitting anything abruptly or spontaneously is dangerous. Think things through, and if you leave projects that aren't getting you where you want to go, do so gracefully. (Never slam on the brakes!)
• When you seem to be pulled off course (taking a corner in the snow), relax (take your foot off the gas) and just go where life is taking you while never losing sight of your goal. Keep aiming at your goal, but don't fight against the momentum. Work with it.
• When it seems like you have all the tools you need and the obstacles are out of the way, don't hesitate! It is time to achieve your goal! (Hit the gas when you get grip again.)

Safe driving everyone!

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!

Manifestation Fundamentals - Stupid Jerks

You know the type. I meet them every day. They drive slow in the fast lane. They pay in pennies at the checkout. They stare at the menu at Tim Horton's for fifteen minutes, unsure of what they want, even though it already took them ten minutes in line to get that far.

They smoke, they spit, they swear, they smell, and they're in my way. They're too loud, too self-absorbed, too ignorant, and too uncooperative. They ignore my good ideas and are probably conspiring against me. Plus, they're probably completely evil.

They're ruining everything, and they're why things aren't going my way. They're the source of everything that is wrong with the world. If they would just smarten up and do things right, my dreams could come true easily, overnight.

What if I told you, however, that maybe I'm just a jerk? I know, it seems unlikely, but if I want to really start manifesting things in my life, I should indulge this crazy idea for a minute.

If you've spent ten seconds looking at "Law of Attraction" material you've been exposed to a common scene. It goes something like this: our miserable hero decides to perk up and think positively, and suddenly all the mean people in their life magically disappear or change their attitudes.

I've tried it too, but found that, strangely, people are still kind of annoying. What am I doing wrong?

This is because of what I call "The First Fundamental of Manifestation":

To work with The Law of Attraction properly, you must transform yourself into a person who has this ability. Change is not optional.

It's not about simply adopting a new philosophy or learning a skill. You don't just get some instructions on manifestation and follow them. Rather, you realize that you are already manifesting.

All of these jerks surrounding me? They're my doing. Because that's who I am. I'm the hateful little jerk that looks at people with disdain and irritation just because they're out there living their lives in ways that don't directly serve my ego.

My irritation would have been impossible if I had chosen compassion instead. But I didn't.

My impatience would have been impossible if I had faith in the person in front of me that they were doing the best they could. A moment's empathy would have dissolved my impatience. I didn't bother.

Those people who just don't listen to my ideas? They have reasons that, to them, made perfect sense. Those who manifest become curious about how to work with those reasons, rather than wasting time being wounded at having their ideas ignored.

Just as an experiment, try owning that for a minute. Everyone is awesome, all things are possible, and you decided to ignore all of that so that you could be annoyed and feel inconvenienced.

I need to accept that as true. If I'm unwilling to do so, then I'm choosing to manifest a world of stupid jerks who all work against me.

It is about recognizing that the people who annoy me are actually not annoying. I'm just the kind of person that gets annoyed by them. And that's not their problem. There is nothing wrong with them at all. This is all on me, and so from now on, I'm transforming into someone who isn't going to react like this. I'm working on it.

It is about accepting that there is always, always a story I don't know about:

• He's driving slow in the fast lane because he's scared about merging traffic ever since the accident last year, where his wife got seriously injured.
• She's paying with pennies because she's out of money, the bank is far away, and she can't afford a car.
• He can't pick an item from the menu at Tim Horton's because he has vision problems that went undiagnosed throughout school, which also made it difficult for him to pick up reading skills. He lives with the embarrassment of that every day in a society filled with text.
• She is having a hard time taking me seriously because, when I walked in, I inadvertently insulted her with that comment I made about slow drivers. Her husband drives slow ever since the accident because she's terrified and he loves her. She suffers from nightmares about it to this day, and she blames pushy drivers like me.
• Yeah, he smells. He's tried everything on the shelves in the "Bath & Beauty" section but nothing works. It's actually a medical condition and there are treatments for it, but nobody's ever suggested that to him before.

It is about recognizing that I am the kind of person that seeks out the stupid and selfish. I've honed my "stupidity detector" so well that I can detect the weakest signal and amplify it thousands of times, so that it comes through sharply, loud and clear to my senses, as if the world is filled with its horrid vibration.

Meanwhile, my "awesome detector" is so broken down it only tunes in to a few random frequencies, or maybe just a couple of the loudest in-your-face moments. I remember things used to be so much better, but that's only because back then, I knew how to notice the good in the world so much better.

Accept people for the perfect beings they are, making the best choices they can given the circumstances. Do that and suddenly everything changes. Everybody is worth knowing, and every one of their experiences is fascinating to witness. Life moves along smoothly, with no real noticeable obstacles. Everyone is interested in being your partner.

In a world like that, this "manifestation" stuff is child's play.

IMPORTANT: There's only one solution for someone who is abusing you: cut them out of your life until you can determine that it's possible to relate to them in a way where you don't get abused. This article isn't about that. Do not expose yourself to abuse. Just get away from it. Period. Safety first people!

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!

Spiritual Influence: Watch The Signal To Noise Ratio

Intuitives spend a lot of time and effort on one thing: becoming more intuitive. As they hone their craft they become more sensitive to what they are feeling and thinking, and develop ways of converting that raw data into information.

On a very basic level, this starts as "this feels bad, it must be bad," and "this feels good, it must be good." Makes sense, right?

As we develop this part of ourselves, we start trusting our emotions more and more. We do this for a good reason: they frequently reveal things that were hidden. After a number of times where listening to our intuition reveals things we would have had no way of knowing before, it's only natural that we stop judging the feelings and just go with them.

The problem is that sometimes we completely forget that, like all humans, our emotions are at the mercy of our bodies - and our bodies don't always react in a way that makes any sense at all.

Take the new moon, for example. I've found that whenever the moon goes dark, I get a rush of emotion for a few days. This has everything to do with the way the moon is interacting with my body, and nothing at all to do with the specific emotions I'm experiencing.

Of course, I didn't realize this at first. When I first became sensitive to it I just couldn't understand why I was alternately so upset, then passionate, and then melancholy. I started losing sleep. I started suspecting some kind of negative influence. I started to wonder if maybe I was doing something wrong. "What are you trying to tell me," I would ask my guides.

Desperate for answers, I started to run down a number of theories. There were a few wild goose chases.

Then, one day, I looked at the calendar, looked at the last few months, and noticed a pattern. The new moon. It comes around, and I freak out a little. It finishes, and calm returns.

That's all it was. For goodness sakes...

So now that I know, I accept the energy with open arms and find myself incredibly productive and creative at these times. Starting new projects as the new moon approaches, at least for me, gives me a great running start. I definitely look forward to the galvanizing force.

Please understand though, I'm not trying to tell you anything about the moon. What I'm trying to tell you is this: the better you are at tuning into the subtle energies of the universe, the more you will find yourself influenced by them in ways you might not realize. When that happens you have a choice: shield against these energies (which means block them out), or let them in and make them useful.

Let me be clear: both of these choices are perfectly safe and perfectly acceptable.

The only dangerous choice is to vehemently assume that your feeling "means something", and to go hunting for that meaning. The human mind is, by design, a pattern-matching machine. If you're experiencing a rush of emotion and look to the people around you for the cause, you will find it whether it is there or not.

Now, what would make this article really spectacular is to finish off with the magic pill that you can swallow to instantly know the difference between some external influence telling you something about the world, or to just blame last night's nightmares on an allergic reaction to cashews. It would be awesome if there was an easy way to tell the difference.

But there isn't. It takes patience, it takes experience, and it takes time. There are no true shortcuts when it comes to spiritual growth, so my only real advice is this: take each sensation, each emotion, and each idea that pops into your head for what it is. Don't assign meaning, and don't assign blame. Observe yourself, observe the world, and wait for the lesson that the Universe is trying to teach you to become apparent.

Allow it to take as much time as needed. Try not to force it, and allow all possible conclusions to remain only possibilities. Never commit yourself to a "truth", as actually "knowing" anything for certain in this life is not what we were born to do here. We are meant to experience and observe, that's all.

Accept all of this, and the best way to handle the energies around you will become clear in due time.

And don't forget: keep breathing.

Did you enjoy this article? Share it using the buttons below, or leave a comment!