Master of the Journey

Thursday, August 15, 2019

SHOW UP: YOU ARE DISTRACTED!

Posted on May 30, 2019

It is time to Show Up! Put down your cellphone, or your tablet, or turn away from your computer. Why? Because it is time to release your distractions and to Show Up. I just flew down to California, to visit my family. I flew into Oakland International airport and took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to Walnut Creek to visit my sister. Did I get the chance to speak with anyone on the airplane or on BART as I was traveling? NO! Window shades were down to reduce glare on smartphones and tablets. Were people working on important tasks? NO! They were playing games or using stored media (music, or TV shows, or movies.) Do modern people not need human contact anymore or the benefit of hearing another person share stories about their travels through life? Again, NO!

Why do we need to distract ourselves so much, ALL the time? Being plugged in 24/7 is NOT in our DNA coding. On the ground when “Airplane Mode” is turned off, there is a NEED (???) to constantly and immediately respond to text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, or other social media. Often we forget about the real live person in front of us, in mid sentence, to stop and respond to some new incoming message or call. Why is the person in front of you, or in the room with you, or in bed with you not worth YOUR focus? What is so important??? Most of the time these interruptions are NOT emergencies.

In working as a psychotherapist/counselor with children and families, I learned the most important psychotherapeutic tip. Show Up! Connect with respect and the child will feel your support. Look and listen to build rapport. When the child feels like they have been heard, which is often NOT happening at home or in school, they often respond, thrive, and make some positive changes. We are all these children in deeper emotional and spiritual places. We all need to be heard, respected, supported, and seen (hopefully without “Judgement”) and then we can feel more safe and thrive.

To be the witness and to be fully “present,” the witness first needs to Show Up. You as the witness need to find your way back into the here and now. Not racing into the future or suffering in your own past drama. Take a slow, deep breath. Feel cool air as you slowly inhale. Feel the warmth of the exhale and release unwanted tension, anxiety, distractions. Take another slow breath: relax your jaw, let your shoulders drop down… Attempt to clear your mind so you will be less likely to interrupt your communication partner. It helps to remember that the person in front of you has had many challenging lessons that you can not hope to fully appreciate or understand, and yet, they are perfect (in their imperfections.) Your own personal dramas will still be there and available when you get done really listening. Ask open ended questions to clarify or to better understand what you have been told. Intend to really care! Put your distracting devices away or turn them off. There is no one more important in that moment then the Miracle of a Soul who stands before you!

Regarding distractions. Our society and culture is so stressed and our fear is fanned constantly by the media, we are always on guard. Our “Flight/Fight” reflex is constantly triggered. Most of us can NOT focus for more than 7 seconds, without our mind racing to the next distracting thought or input. We are challenged to slow our thoughts and relax so we can get good sleep and repair from this constant bombardment of annoying input. Turning off our TV and technology a awhile before bedtime would help. Meditating to calm our minds and bodies would help. (There are Western relaxation practices that are often easier to learn than Eastern meditation techniques, if you need these.) Walking in nature, getting a good massage, quiet, soft music, reading a calming book, petting your pet, gently, tenderly making love, even taking a warm bath can all help you to turn off the media driven frenzy in our lives, if we can turn off our media…

You are worth the time and effort to heal yourself. Show up for yourself! Show up for your important relationships. Be more present and get off the “frenzy-mobile” which our technology culture seems to encourage. I would have said, “Slow down and smell the roses,” but that is too dated and fragrance has been bred out of most rose varieties. Taking a slow, deep breath will never go of style! Use it.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

THE SURRENDER EXPERIMENT

Posted on March 26, 2019

Michael Singer has written a book entitled: “The Surrender Experiment: My Journey Into Life’s Perfection.” Michael Singer is also the author of the best selling, “Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself.” Interesting that both are his personal story about his “Journey” and I have recently written about the process of living, “the Journey,” as more important than the outcome. But that is not what this blog is about.

In his recent book, Michael writes about “Surrender” to what life and Guidance throws at you. He describes many acts of Surrender as he moves through his life to become a multi-millionaire, meditating hippy. It is a true story and I loved reading it. BUT, some people are willing to actually take the next step and to clear their mind of Judgements and surrender to what Guidance throws at them. My friend and mentor, Rodger Ruge, and I engaged in this experiment. In our own way, we are taking what presents itself (from “Guidance”) and then agreeing to work on these projects to the best we can do. Rodger has taken on healing our first responders, law enforcement personnel, emergency services, and military to assist our “Heroes” to maintain health and wellness and to minimize the impact o PTSD on their lives. His project, “HeroTalk,” offers great service for our Vets and law enforcement Heroes. I have taken on this project called Masters of the Journey (there is that word again) to build a supportive community around consciousness development. Recently, I seem to be taking on another Guidance driven role of “Healer.”

Rodger and I both agree that the surrender to these projects is amazing, nurturing for our souls, and a challenge which we do not understand where this will lead us in our lives. This commitment feels great and, of course, challenging. Are you open and available to act on guidance? Are you willing to find life satisfaction even if you are moving into a very different life focus and direction? Read Michael Singer’s book and consider releasing judgement so you can surrender to your adventure of the lifetime. Perhaps, you think that this is not possible for you RIGHT NOW. But, this will open doors for you to consider how to be happier in your life!

If you think that this does not apply to you or that you would never follow a path less traveled, then you missed your adolescence, romance, adventure travel, and many things which create the “stories” which give your life depth and substance. If so, I am wishing that some day you live your life instead of watching from the couch or the sidelines! YES, that is a Judgement, but I hope it gets you motivated to jump in and swim with more of the beauties life has to offer. YOU deserve it. WE need YOU!

Secret, but not a spoiler, Michael Singer pushes meditation to quiet the mind and to reduce the strength of “Judgement.” You can “Say Yes” to life and find satisfaction in completely life course changing ways. This perspective is wonderful.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

MEMORIAL DAY: LOVE SERVE AND REMEMBER

Posted on May 24, 2019

Memorial Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is the act of remembering! Remembering our Ancestors, our Friends, and our loved ones who have transitioned in and out of our lives! It is also a chance to pause and to remember the most significant moments in our brief lives which created the opportunity for major growth and change. The change we needed to move forward and to learn the lessons we have come to experience. Our country celebrates Memorial Day to remember the fallen soldiers who have served our country and rightfully these heroes should be honored. The soldiers and warriors are not the only heroes who have served and we also have the choice to honor the most significant people and events from our past as our lessons (and battles) from this life.

For each day is “Memorial Day.” A part of this memorial can be the knowing that life is sacred and temporary. So take a moment and reflect on remembering the souls who have touch your life, even if briefly. Remember the Blessing these people have been in your life! Give thanks and show Gratitude for the exchange of Love these interactions have created. Also, remember the “Impermanence” of our human incarnations. We are all incarnated in temporary forms/lives to learn and to grow. Each moment then is sacred. Reflect in some brief moments, also, to remember who YOU really are, a Child of God, and where YOU have come from, the Holy Divine.

Find Compassion and Acceptance as you look deeply into the eyes of each soul you meet. For they, like you, are the Perfect Miracles of the Divine manifested. Yes, even if they “trigger” you, they are perfect and touch you and your life for a lesson, to challenge your growth in consciousness.

Know that you are here, in this incarnation, to share YOUR knowledge, YOUR experience, and, most importantly, YOUR wisdom! Your purpose is to serve. Support fellow travelers.

Do not take your life too seriously. Remember you are here (in this life) for only a brief time and each life, though sacred and unique, is a demonstration of Impermanence. This Memorial day remember all the Joys of life and the experiences you celebrate and have learned the challenging lessons you came back here to learn.

Love, Serve and Remember where you came from and where you will return. Find a way to live in remembrance of your perfection and honor the perfection you find in every soul you meet.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

LIVING AS AN URBAN MONK

Posted on May 17, 2019

A traditional thought of a Monk implies to me a devoted person dressed in robes and spending most of the day in meditation or prayer. Monks are often cloistered in “Monasteries” to protect them from distraction and the temptations of “worldly” existence. Their prayer or meditation is more important than external relationships and banaler activities like working, parenting, sexual relations, or pursuits of material substance. Many Monks are very sincere regarding their studies and their simple existences. They shun the cacophony of modern urban living relishing in the quiet, simple, routines of monastic life.

Can you be an Urban Monk without the trappings of a cloistered monastery? Are there people who choose to live a more modest life, striving for consciousness, and not material excesses? Do you know people who are living quietly amongst us with an eye for Universal service over personal gain?

In our society and modern culture, there are people driven to be of service and seemingly shunning common behaviors like commercialism or watching excessive TV or addiction to fashion. These out-of-place people may be the modern version of the ancient monks. They may not be begging on the street but living on low wages like teachers or child care workers or garbage collectors. Then may be living off of social security or disability payments. They may have chosen the “simple life” because it appears to be more “real” and authentic than chasing the false Gods of money and celebrity. Do you not see or acknowledge these keepers of wisdom? Do you write them off because they do not drive an expensive, updated car? Heck, you may even pass them by as they sit on a bench, or a curb, or on the sidewalk just to be the experience you have carefully avoided but the lesson you need to learn from…

The brightly colored monastic robes may not give away the Urban Monk in our culture. This camouflage is the challenge for you to be more aware of as you hustle through your life. There may be a time when you stop and talk with that Urban Monk and ask how they are and where they came from on their path. They are not as invisible as busy people might think. They, and what they can teach us, is obvious and all we need to do is stop for a few moments and have the interaction with this “Child of God” and this potential spiritual mentor. Consider slowing down enough to visit with these humble monks. They may bless YOU with a pearl of wisdom and insight which you have been too busy to perceive on your own. Perhaps, sit with them and join their perspective on life from the different angle than you might normally visit.

You are in this world to interact because that is where the real work of consciousness and awareness dwells. You do not have to over-think it. You just need to remove your filters and live it as an experience which can lead to gratitude and appreciation, if not some deeper lesson. Do not miss the opportunity to look into the eyes of the miracle of the Divine who may be sitting quietly in front of you. They are there for YOU! (In fact, they ARE another version of you in this Earthbound play are participating in.)

AND, if you are living as an Urban Monk with the conscious desire to serve Universal Consciousness, thank you for being this blessing to us all. Though you may be living a “simple life,” you are a royal role model and much needed in our culture. You and your life are more authentic and real. You are loved and appreciated for all you do!

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

IT’S THE JOURNEY

Posted on March 14, 2019

It’s the Journey not the Destination. Google and “Quote Investigator” seem to credit Ralph Waldo Emerson for saying, “Life is a Journey, not a Destination.” Whoever and where ever this comes from, today I was triggered by the thought that accomplishing a “Goal” and possibly feeling success is NOT the point of the “exercise.” The point of living your life is experiencing the lessons, the challenges, the people, and the “stretching by doing something new” along the way. Success or failure are NOT the end judgments which offer the most energy. The “energy” comes from the “doing” and the Journey. The adventure is Living life and not simply talking about it. Acting in service or enlightenment instead of just wishing for this highest form of living in our 3-dimensional world.

The Masters of the Journey community was built from Guidance and the appreciation that each of us has much to share. Though spiritually connected, we have lived our unique lives in our unique ways and learned our unique lessons in the process. By sharing YOUR stories you offer the “witness” (the person who listens to your story) a chance to learn from you and your gained wisdom. It offers a unique perspective which can be supportive, perhaps even, life-changing. SO, YOUR Journey has value. Not just to you but to the people you “touch.” The real Joy in Life is sharing your story with the wisdom you have gained as a Service to the people you come into contact with and then, “touch.”

An expected or planned success is GREAT but in my life, I have learned much more from my failures and painful challenges when things did not go as planned. I am not saying that “whining” about mistakes or hard times is always a beautiful way of sharing. Taking responsibility and acknowledging the role you have played as you expanded your knowledge, wisdom and perspective is the deeper value, for me. You pushed yourself to try something new. You stretched to get out o your comfort zone. You tested new limits and found you have fewer boundaries and self-imposed limitations. This seems to me to be the true journey through the new learnings in this life.

And, the Journey through life IS the main show. Pay attention! You never know what miraculous learning can come from the smallest step or seemingly less important interaction. Besides, appreciation each moment and finding Joy in every amazing connection is so very important. It requires you to be fully present and available to look for and to find the miracles. And, along the way, listen to and learn to trust the small voice of “Guidance” (or your intuition.) It may lead you into important learning experiences. It also helps to keep your head up and your eyes toward the horizon, unless you are very uneven ground. Tread more slowly if your road seems too rocky…

No matter what, consider how amazing and miraculous life is! Feel the Joy even if you find yourself walking on the “dark side of the road.” My mentor, Paula Forget, reminds me that every moment, walking in this current incarnation, is spectacular and offers learnings to celebrate. Attempt to not get caught in the quagmire of the “Drama” in your life and to know that each experience is amazing, even if it can feel challenging or painful. You are here to be challenged, to learn and to grow… You are a Blessing! Nobody can do YOU better than YOU! The Universe needs you and your interpretation of the Divine Spirit manifest!

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

DEATH: A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SPIRIT

Posted on May 13, 2019

Death is inevitable! Death is NOT the enemy! It marks the transition from your current incarnation back into the Higher Realms where you can “Be” in your full, free Spirit. Sticking your “head in the sand” and ignoring your mortality is too easy and the coward’s way for most people. Living in the awareness of your own mortality and living most “fully” because of this awareness is the path of the “Enlightened.”

Since there is no way out of this life other than death, you will benefit from living as if any day, every day, is your last day. If you knew you only had a few more days to live in this life, how might you live them differently than you are currently doing? If you would be doing your life differently with knowledge of your pending death, why would you be living your life differently? Why are you NOT living that way now? Do not let the fear of change create the barrier which keeps you from fully living!

Let Death be your teacher. Let this awareness help you to live in your true purpose. Walk each waking step of this incarnation in vigilance and with focused awareness. Appreciate every moment as a gift! Have gratitude for each relationship and experience you encounter. Breathe each breath with respect. Be the role model of living most fully. Be remembered with the integrity of someone who lived in honesty.

Be prepared. You never know when your life will come to an end. Attempt to not leave any unfinished business with your family and friends. AND, never miss an opportunity to tell the people who surround you how much you love and appreciate their place in your life. I am told that the Dali Lama practices 7 times per day his own dying. He does this so he will be most fully aware when his moment of transition comes. He does not fear his death. He wants to make this ultimate moment in his brief life on earth in his current incarnation fully conscious.

To overcome your fear and resistance to the final transition, do some research and read the accounts of people who have come back after a near death experience (an NDE.) They are more common than you might know. These accounts have much which seems familiar and consistent. These offer perspective on how limiting our 3 dimensional existence is for our true spirit.

Finally, Enjoy the Ride! There is JOY to be found in every moment and the “Enlightened” souls amongst us bask in this Joy. They know the perfect miracle in each moment. You can begin to look for experiencing this as well.

With my Love and appreciation for your attempt and YOUR perfection…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

YOU CAN NOT MAKE A MISTAKE BY LOVING YOUR CHILDREN!

Posted on May 10, 2019

Most parents Love their Children! There is NO way to make a mistake by loving your children. Sometimes a parent may be stressed out or awkward or lose concentration, but barring a life threatening accident, your parenting from a place of Love is a special relationship which feeds both the child and the parent. Even if you can not afford to do something which you have an expectation you would like to be able to offer, NOTHING is more valuable than your protection and your love. Children who lack loving parenting often do not thrive or have challenges to learn from which may make their lives seem more difficult.

You need love. You need touch and affection. You need companionship and connection. You need support. We ALL do! Children require this and maybe even more because they are not always able to create their environment on their own. After air, food, water, and some protection from the environment, every child, in fact, every person needs love. Love comes from human contact (well, maybe pets also.) Connecting with the Divine Love may be not as physically tangible but is needed and exists rather freely. (That is a whole spiritual conversation that is worth having, but not in this blog.)

When your child feels loved they often thrive. When parents are good and healthy role models, their children learn how to be healthy adults. (It is less convincing to have a parent tell their child to not: smoke or drink or do drugs or lie/steal, when the parents model these behaviors.) At best this would be confusing and inconsistent modeling. A parent who smiles, holds, and hugs and kisses their child will be great role models. A parent who gets angry and hits their child, can teach a behavior that would not be the best for cooperation in a crowded world. In my own parenting, I promised to extinguish the hitting discipline like the discipline I was raised with and it worked out very well for my sons.

As an observation, you can not go wrong by offering love. To anyone. At any time. Love is good and nourishes both sides of this exchange. Love can be expressed by a sincere “Thank you.” A show of respect and sincere caring is a blessing which nourishes good in the world. Even if it seemingly is ignored or if your expectation is unfulfilled it is good for the world and you may learn that giving love with expectations and “strings attached” is not always received as you may want… But every person you bump into is a Miracle and can be acknowledged as the Perfect Blessing they are, yes, even if their behavior or appearance triggers you…

Listen to me when I say (and mean):

You are Loved!

You are a Blessing!

You are Safe

You are Free (Yes, you make choices and may be Free/Safe in spirit if you are in the moment and aware and free of the Dramas which we can get caught up in. You are greater than your ego allows you to know. Remember you are the Divine Spirit in a human form…

Do NOT wait to be a parent to share unconditional love. We are ALL children of the Divine. We are all unconditionally loved by the Divine and we can do our part to share this love with everything we bump into along our path.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.