 Hello? Is anybody there?
Can you imagine what it's like being an angel? Being so clear and loving and yet so invisible? Some believe we are becoming "earth angels." This "becoming" can be described as a spiritual ascension as well. Our lives on earth can be meaningless, if we choose to have that perception, or they can be fulfilling and infused with purpose. We can also choose to see the glass half full and half empty, which most of us waffle between in the course of a lifetime. Most of us agree that it is a good thing to be growing, expanding and evolving - whether personally, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. Yet, we all recognize that sometimes our growth was the result of a not-so-pleasant experience. One pattern that is common for those of us on a "fast track" through our spiritual ascension is a span of years filled with not-so-pleasant experiences! This new millennium has been challenging, exhausting and even disheartening at times. Yet, as we get closer to "becoming earth angels," another experience we may be noticing is that we seem to be "disappearing." Our words, writings, businesses, input, and even our physicality may seem to be off the human radar! Perhaps your email isn't getting to people. Maybe you've spent lots of money on advertising and find no one is calling you. Your home phone doesn't ring very often, and when you waved at your neighbor yesterday, she didn't even notice you! As we move into the "higher realms" of being, we begin to vibrate at higher frequencies. And, like angels, we become harder for the human eye and ear to detect. So what is an ascending human to do? Enjoy the invisibility! Find other like-spirited people and connect with them. Rediscover things and people that are really important to you and seek them out. Create your own sanctuary, whether it's in your home, office or garden. Open your heart to the ascension process, to the people who no longer "see" you and to yourself. Laugh and play! And, whatever happens, try not to take any of it personally.... instead ask yourself, what would it feel like to take it "angelically"?
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 If we are moving into Oneness, and closer to our Divine selves, then why are we experiencing such loneliness?
First and foremost, it is wise to note that the Divine is found in paradox! We are all AND we are no-thing. We are expressions of the Divine in every way, including the world of paradoxes. Interestingly, as we re-member our Wholeness, our Holiness, we re-member Oneness and separation begins to dissolve. Yet, it is in this dissolving that we can feel frightened and lonely. Our ego is what is feeling the fear, as well as the separation from everything that is familiar to it. When we weren't so lonely, let's say, we felt part of the greater picture. We felt tied in to our families, our businesses, our churches and our communities in many satisfying ways. Yet, as we shift into higher states of consciousness, we are sensing this deep loneliness and dis-connection from these arenas. In order to know who we are on a deeper, more spiritual level, we need to have time in solitude, so to speak. Many feel this need intuitively and seek alone time in meditation, or on other spiritually inward journeys. These people, therefore, may not necessarily feel so lonely at this time. In fact, they relish in the solace of their own sacred space whenever possible. For most of us, however, we are bombarded with to-do lists, errands and the multitude of obligations that come with living in our society. As the financial belt tightens, so do the stresses and obligations to keep doing and going. Our souls are longing for quietude and are taking it! The inward retreat is our soul's way of hibernating, or re-connecting with itself. This is so necessary that it is happening whether we "like it or not." And, since it is happening unconsciously, it can leave us feeling downright lonely. And, to support our growth in these spiritual realms, our real relationships are also feeling the dis-connection. In other words, this is the time for SELF and what better opportunities do we have to be with ourselves if our relationships around us are simply not working for us?! And, if we happen to be "wounded" by our relationships, then we are more likely to nurture ourselves through the pain. Of course, we don't need to go this route. We can, instead, choose the simpler path of wisdom, rather than the rocky one of experience. Then, the experience won't feel as much like loneliness as it does exquisite time with your own being.  Pressure! Are we getting tired of the pressure!?
As we awaken, or shall I say "give birth to ourselves as more awakened beings", we are experiencing the pressures of the contractions of life. Each squeeze activates energies in us to awaken; each time allowing us to release old energies that no longer serve us. These pressures are in our best interest (believe it or not) as they help "form" that which we are becoming. So, what do we do to relieve these pressures? First and foremost, breathe! Take deep, slow, gentle breaths to help you remain in the present moment with as much integrity and patience as possible. However, maintaining integrity and patience can be a challenge. Thus, allow yourself to "let off steam" if you have to in as safe a way as possible. Perhaps you "scream" into the pages of your journal, vent to a close friend, or go for a long walk, run, swim or bike ride. Another way to relieve pressure is to find something to "get your mind off" of your situation / life. This, for some, can be an escape into a dangerous or not-so-healthy addiction. If this is your concern, know that you ALWAYS have options. You can find something CREATIVE to do instead. Painting, singing, dancing, and creating other artistic expressions can be great ways to take your mind away from your "issues" and help relieve the pressures you are experiencing. Next, allow yourself to PLAY. When we release all inhibitions of what we "should" do and simply allow ourselves to play - like a child - we open portals to graceful living. This is critical to creating pathways into the newer, higher realms of living here on earth with grace, ease and joy! Joy is not going to come knocking at our doors as we brood in our misery in front of the television. We must learn to cultivate it - in spite of our pressures and fears - to call it into our lives. Trust this process that is happening. Allow its gifts to come to you! In the meantime, seek out ways to reduce the pressures and begin summoning joy once again!  A sleek red car curved around the freeway off ramp until the loop ended at a “T”. It tightly hugged the corner of the stop sign as it signaled to turn right. The car moved, but – both swift and awkward – it made a sharp left turn instead. Within a few yards, the driver swooped the flashy car into a gravel spot of emptiness and parked – a sure sign she was lost.
Perhaps she had an old-fashioned paper map, some scribbled directions, or maybe even one of those high tech GPS systems. Maybe she simply pulled out her cell phone to connect with someone waiting at her destination. Though she was lost – and the likelihood of one of her resources would get her to where she was heading soon enough – it was certain she knew where she wanted to go. Life offers us a multitude of sign posts when we are lost, but what do we do if we don’t even know where we want to go? Does anyone take Sunday drives any more, just for the sake of the scenery? In today’s world, most of us only embark on journeys to get somewhere specific. Right now in our lives we are finding more and more reasons to feel lost. Many of us have lost our jobs, marriages, houses, and even our identity. So, as logic would have it, we start to seek out resources – guidance, support, information, and so on – only to discover the discomfort in no longer knowing where we want to go! Oddly, perhaps, things you thought you wanted are suddenly appearing along your path, but you may now lack the finances, time or even desire to pursue them. Why is this? We have spent most of our lives wanting, planning and moving toward our desired destinations, utilizing whatever resources we could to get “there.” We had a sense of direction and, thus, purpose. In our current spiritual shifts, however, our windows to our future seem to be fogging up and that darned defroster isn’t working anymore! We not only can’t see our way, but when we pull over to evaluate our next turn, we realize we somehow lack the inner drive to get anywhere because the fuel of desire is on empty. At this part of your journey, perhaps you sit and rest and allow yourself to go nowhere at all. Simply enjoy the quiet time in your own vehicle as throngs of cars whiz by while you forget about getting “there” and experience your time being “here.” Maybe you find the local Starbucks and take in an iced tea or coffee (since they are on every street corner, you can always find one!). Why feel a sense of urgency when you have no clue where you are going? What would you be late for, anyway… your own life? Your life is happening now. It is the uncertainty, the rest, and the cup of tea, not just the final destination. There are really only a few places we drive to anyway; an obligatory errand, a desired destination that we’ve selected, or a place we have been invited to attend. Given that we are well stocked in the errand category, and the desired destination is unclear to us right now, then maybe the Universe is offering each of us an invitation… or will be soon. In order to receive an invitation and attend an affair, we need two things; to be receptive and available. So, rather than worry and hurry into the future without a clue, perhaps we clear our calendars and wait for our invitation to arrive. As we experience more of the now – the present – we gain trust that the Universe only offers invitations to the most grand of events. And, to think, we don’t even have to go out and buy that present to attend the occasion of our lives!  As we awaken to who we are, we are bumping up against many of our core beliefs and thoughts about our world and ourselves, including the various labels we have taken on. We believe, "I am an excellent employee (or business owner)" or "I am a dedicated and loving spouse." These labels are based on both our self-perceptions as well as our experiences.
But is it really who we are or merely an expression of our Divinity in form? It is both. To pick "one right answer" keeps us tied to duality with an either/or view of the world and ourselves. Our Divine Self wants us to experience more of ourselves well beyond that which can be limited by labels. Since our divinity is limitless, its grandness is bringing expanded perceptions to our human consciousness. This is part of why we are experiencing significant "challenges" in our lives that make us question and wonder, "Am I an excellent employee/business owner?” or "Am I a dedicated and loving spouse?" It is by asking questions that answers can reveal themselves. If we find ourselves challenged with situations such as a job layoff, business closure or the end of a long marriage, we may begin to question our identity (or self-perceived labels) as well as our worthiness. The greater challenge is not whether or not we will find success once again with a new or improved job, business or spouse, but rather learning to feel good about ourselves if we don’t. If we lose our labels – especially those positive adjectives that we attach to them – can we still feel good about ourselves? Can we find inner peace in not attaching to a specific identity that we desire to be? Perhaps if we continue to bump up against these core beliefs about who we are we can release our more limited views and begin to see the greater picture of our magnificence. Perhaps, then, we will simply say, "I AM."  The word judgment can feel like a loaded word, and rightly so, because judgment can weigh us down if we have emotional attachments to whatever judgments have been made by ourselves or by others. One day our words may have less duality and charge in them. For now, however, there are very few words (especially words associated with spirituality) that reflect neutral experiences and expressions of life, much less words that are free from connotations. Thus, judgment as a word and as a verb express this duality in our language and our world.
We use our judgments to make choices, and if we experience desired results, we conclude we made the "right" decision and likely feel good. Conversely, if our results are not what we expected or wanted, we usually assume we made the "wrong" choice and negative feelings can consume us. If we choose, we can learn to perceive all choices as neutral. Conscious or not, we make choices at each moment in our lives (even if we don't choose anything at all) and we experience the consequences of our decisions. Most of what we experience in our instantaneous and on-going cycle of judgment-choice is actually quite neutral, leaving us with little or no feelings regarding it, and the pattern goes unnoticed. You can brush your teeth before your shower, during or after it. You can wear the comfortably worn outfit or the newer, crisper one. You can pet your dog before your cat notices, or put your dog outside and spend a few minutes caressing your cat. Choices, like which handrail we hold when we go down the stairs, usually don't have a great impact in our lives. Yet, when we encounter what we think is an "important" decision, we assume there is a "right" or "wrong" way to proceed. We make a judgment, a choice, and hope we picked the correct option. And, because we have a vested interest, we probably have an emotional attachment to the outcome. If our results are favorable, we experience good feelings and continue down our paths with gratitude. If, however, unpleasantries result, we can find ourselves feeling bad about our choice and bad about ourselves. Sure, we may wonder and worry about others judging us too, but it's our self-judgment that affects us most. What if we simply saw everything we did through the eyes of neutrality? What if we plainly remarked, "Interesting," with no judgmental thoughts or opinions about the choice, the end result, or ourselves? This does not imply this is a more "noble" or "correct" way of perceiving, merely a "what if?" If we began to make our choices without the hooks of "right" or "wrong" embedded in them, then the experience each choice leads to could be just that... an experience. Maybe even an interesting one. |
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