5 Ways to Thrive When Life Feels Chaotic and Uncertai

By Katherine McHugh

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.” ~Deepak Chopra
A personal tempest blew through the doors and windows of my life and I am forever changed. Think major upheaval in every area of your life. Conjure Dorothy Gale, Robinson Crusoe, Job, yeah them.
In the process, I’ve learned that the disorienting storms of life are not just about survival but of learning to thrive. It is not in spite of daunting circumstances that we grow but because of them.
For three years, painful and unexpected events descended all at once. My long-term marriage, often filled with anger, hurt, mistrust, and not surprisingly, a lack of intimacy, was imploding. My teenage son, who had been very ill, was hospitalized.
In the midst of this, my three children and I moved from our family home of 20 years to a new town. When things seemed to quiet down, my eldest daughter was diagnosed with a chronic and life altering disease. Oh, yes, and I was restarting a career.
Chaos. The utter confusion left in in its wake caused me to stop and reevaluate many of my assumptions about myself and life.
What made this period even more difficult to endure was a sense of abandonment by some whom I thought would always be there, yet perhaps through a sense of helplessness or their own fears could not. Maybe they thought I was contagious. I started to wonder about that myself.
The irony of all of this was, through the lens of the outside world, my life had been seemingly idyllic before. Or had it?
I began to see that my tendency to avoid chaos at all costs lead me right into the belly of it. As humans, we desire harmony and seek order, in our surroundings, our relationships, and in our daily routines. We all crave certainty.
I found the paradox is that when you cling to the illusion of safety, you chain your ability to change.
I also discovered several anchors that kept me grounded in the midst of feeling uprooted. In fact, they never failed me.
Here is what I’ve learned that “worked’ consistently:

1. Surrender.

This is a difficult concept to grasp on an emotional level. This is because when we are experiencing turmoil, we are hard wired evolutionarily to fight or to flee. This response served us very well when we were being chased by a saber tooth tiger.
Unfortunately, it creates more conflict internally. It takes courage to allow strong uncomfortable feelings, whether they be grief, anger, or loneliness to just be, instead of trying to force them away. But acceptance brings relief.

2. Meditate.

Someone once told me to meditate as if my life depended on it. I do, because it does. Desperation does wonders. My more formal practice consists of 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the early evening, sitting quietly and focusing on my breathing. If my mind is especially active on any given day, I use my “mantra” (the word joy) as I breathe.
Throughout the day, I strive to practice mindfulness, which simply means to bring my full presence to all that I do. Conscious attention to each activity and interaction brings a calm to my mind and heart. It brings me back to myself.
Another meditation technique I found to be extremely helpful during a sea change of hard times is the meditative practice called tonglen.
Our pain can feel such a heavy burden at times. Tonglen helps by easing the sometimes intense sense of our own suffering by powerfully connecting us with the struggles of others.
Instead of primarily focusing on our own set of difficulties, we purposefully visualize and take on the suffering of others on the in-breath and release happiness for them on the out breath.
It may sound counterintuitive, but I found it relieved me of my own sense of isolation and gave me the gift of perspective. It also helps me to develop greater compassion for myself and others.

3. Observe nature.

When a storm is coming, they hunker down. They prepare the best they can. Birds’ nests and beavers’ dams are fortified. Food is foraged. They don’t foolishly (read: egotistically) try to soldier on.
They wait it out. They trust the process.
When our own personal storms occur, we simply do what we need to do to protect ourselves. For me, that means to stop rushing around accomplishing “one more thing.” I take safety in the shelter of my own home, having stores of healthy and comfort food on hand, books and magazines for fun and for personal growth to read, and the perennial elixir, bath salts, to recharge.
I do not have to fully understand in the moment why or how the storm came to be or if there is a lesson to be learned from it. I simply have to get out of harm’s way. We can analyze to no avail now knowledge that will come effortlessly to us in retrospect.

4. Lean on others.

We all know that family and friends are often a precious salve during times of crisis, change, or loss. Reach out. Stay connected. And realize that if you can’t immediately find someone to give you the kind of support you need, there are those to help you see the situation with new eyes.
People came into my life during this period, serendipitously so, who were engaging, loving, and continue to help me expand and grow. The universe opens up a host of unexpected resources when you risk being vulnerable.

5. Keep the insights.

Some amazing realizations emerge during these times of struggle. We learn what’s truly important and to let the rest go.
Cliché as it may sound, my health and well-being and those that I love are paramount and I treat them as such. It’s very difficult to be happy or effect positive changes in the world if you are in some state of dis-ease.
I’ve discovered the vitality of finding moments and experiences in life’s everyday activities that lift my spirit and make me smile. My morning cup of coffee, the soft fur on my old dog’s face, the bright pink rose bush against the white picket fence out my study window, all perfect in their simple abundance.
As I practiced healthy behaviors like meditation, exercising, eating well, and other avenues available on the road of loving self-care, I began to heal and see situations improving.
I also discovered that in order to cultivate this deeper, more meaningful life, I found I must maintain these practices. When things are going well, I tend to relax my vigilance. Some of the old behaviors of mismanaging stress creep in. Complacency has been a stubborn roadblock on the journey.
There is where change can be my friend. It doesn’t allow me to be complacent. If change is accepted in this spirit, it can be a catalyst for greatness. Buddhist nun Pema Chodron affirms that “to be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” In fact, it is the only way to learn how to fly.
Looking back on my life before all the chaos, I realized I was chasing status in my work and even my family life, and choosing security (an illusion at best) over listening to my heart.
Now I listen without jumping to conclusions or searching for quick fix solutions. I enjoy strong and vibrant relationships with my children, knowing I don’t ultimately control outcomes. I am currently in a partnership where we encourage each other to grow and risk and be vulnerable.
My work is now more like a calling than a job, providing me with rare and wonderful opportunities to engage with people about their own personal journeys and how they make meaning in their life.
I am amazed by the profound ways my life has “taken off,” unimagined by me, still in mid-flight.
Photo by Eddi van W

THE WORLD'S GREATEST LOVER ╰დ╮╭დ╯

Heaven yes!

 THE WORLD'S GREATEST LOVER ╰დ╮╭დ╯

I guarantee if you follow these 8 Steps you'll become a wildly accomplished lover, able to give your woman the most mind-blowing, sheet-gripping, ear-splitting, window-rattling, multi-climactic experiences of her life, every time, time after time.


1. BE TRUSTWORTHY

Women open themselves physically to a man they trust emotionally. If you lie, cheat, rage or if you're insecure about your worth as a man or a lover she can sense it and will never fully open herself to you.

Beyond being a good human being, a decent father and a nice guy, you must know who you are and live with the conviction of your purpose, both in your work and with your woman.

*This is the key to a woman trusting you with her body.


2. LISTEN

If she doesn't believe you care about her outside of the bedroom she'll never trust you with the secrets of her erotic pleasures inside the bedroom. How you respond to the things she tells you about her concerns about work, her friends, the kids and her family will determine how secure she feels to scream out in ecstasy.

If you don't have the time or the interest to understand her mind it will remain closed to you.

*This is the key to her sharing her erotic desires.


3. HOLD HER LIKE YOU'RE A MAN

Stand in the fire of her heat and prove that among all men you're *her* man. Take it until she has cooled. Don't cower, don't run, and don't shout her down. Hold her in a way that her fiercest emotions are absorbed by the depth of your love.

Embrace her chill. Wrap her into yourself until her fear and insecurities are erased by the warmth of your unconditional love. Be the one who she can count on to accept and embrace her no matter how she's feeling and reassure her you'll be with her through to the other side.

*This is the key to opening the depths of her soul.


4. THANK HER

For everything she does that wouldn't happen if you were alone, thank her. Nothing is owed to you so take nothing for granted. A relationship isn't about score keeping. Great lovers see relationships as 100/100 not 50/50.

Thank her with your words, the occasional gift, your touch and most of all with your eyes. She reads the depth of your love through the windows of your eyes.

*This is the secret to your woman wanting to fulfill your every desire.


5. TOUCH HER

Reach over in the morning and stroke her without intent. Touch her hand, squeeze her hip, or kiss her neck when you brush by. Demonstrate by your actions that you find her irresistible.

Needy stroking to coax her into the mood is never necessary when every touch you give her is filled with confident love. Let your touch be an energy of what you give rather than a signal of what you desire.

*This is the key to making every touch one a woman responds to.


6. SEE HER

Take her in with your eyes. Steal a glance when she's not looking. Gaze at her with profound pleasure as she comes to meet you and when you hold her in your embrace look past her eyes and into the soul of the woman you adore.

It's a look of recognition, acceptance, love and understanding that defies words. It holds a power beyond the statement, "I love you". Seeing her goes deeper, it's about knowing every quirk, having seen every imperfection, living through life's stresses together and still having the peace and trust of total understanding and acceptance.

*This is the secret to her opening her eyes and connecting her soul to yours in the most intense moments of love making.


7. CLAIM HER

Overwhelm her with your love, claim her with your kiss, thrill her with the way you never stop dating her and make her blush with your compliments.

Choose a woman that makes you want to live life fiercely, whose existence in yours makes you want to be a better man and when you take her, claim her with a passion that leaves no doubt that there's nothing you wouldn't do to leave her the most satisfied woman on earth.

*This is the key to finding her open to your most intense passion and to yielding to your fiercest desire.


8. NEVER STOP

Always be trustworthy, listen to her daily, thank her for the little things, touch her when she isn't expecting it, hold her no matter what, claim her every time like it will be the last, and see her through the eyes only a lover has.

As a lover you don't stop until you have shown her over and over that you will never have your full of her and that there could not possibly be a man so adoring or consumed with passion for what she offers you.

*This is how you will discover a woman whose desire exceeds your own, whose appetite is never quenched, and who is convinced that her man is the greatest lover on earth.

༺♥༻ Graham R White ╰დ╮╭დ╯

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-tips-to-love-where-you-are-right-now/

I AM YOU ARE GOD IS

I am , within, above, below and center. I am everything and I am everyone.

I am without desire, without fear .

I am a reflection of you,

Do you remember ?

I met you just before sunrise

in the midnight hours of the soul

I am here . now, in this moment

providing you with insight

lighting up the darkness,

occupying space

revealing illusions

dedicating each breath and heartbeat to authentic freedom.

I invite you outside the confines of belief,

into witnessing the magic of life .

I am opening to whatever this experience brings

I have taken a stand and I have chosen to walk into the vast , the unknown ,

naked and free . I feel connected to all that is , you are and I am .

I walk down the road , meeting many , all who share with me a little about myself.

I am , within, , above, below and center. I am everything and I am everyone.

I am going deeper down into the core of my being, without desire or expectation of outcome , without fear of what may or may not happen , or what others think about me .

I am that I am

I will always be , no matter what .

mysteriousmuse 2013

Consider the awareness of your multidimensionality

Consider the awareness of your multidimensionality. You are here in a hologame on planet earth, responsible for the physical vehicle in which you dwell, confined by beliefs of the limitations of this reality. You are also connected to the galaxy and respond to the energy matrix offered. You are able to read the energy of another being, taking in data and interfacing with other beings at all times; exchanging information, ideas, and weavings of energy. You travel through time in a moment returning to the past, zooming to the future, however, you only touch the time line briefly and usually you touch it with regret or worry.
You have the ability to step into any hologame and experience that reality, with all its taste, smells, feelings and sights, and live it so to speak. However, in this current third dimension reality you have mimicked this multidimensional ability with the movies and television.
...
Use the example of the physical body as a metaphor. Image that within the body, this physical life you are now focused on, your dimension of awareness is only one cell. Your life, your NOW is only one cell. Yet you and the others you interact with are truly multidimensional. The multidimensional self creates, nurtures, and sustains the whole in a very complex delicate balance.

You as the one cell are not aware of all the others tasks or other realities the total body participates in. There is the reality of the bones, the reality of skin, the reality of the heart, the liver, the circulation system these are all just aspects of the multidimensional reality of the body. There is the brain, the thoughts, the feelings, the memories and on and on. Yet the one cell awareness is not fully conscious of all that continues to take place.

This human life is your focus, yet it is only one cell of your total magnificent multidimensional self. There is much going on at all times that you do not recognize because of your veiled awareness and belief systems. There are frequencies, matrixes, and realities that exist in which you are very active. Yet the one cell you focus on resists this expansion or does not even know of the others' existence.

Expand your awareness. It is much easier than one might imagine. You do it often, now just recognize when you have shifted.

~ Peggy Black and the Team
www.morningmessages.com

the master mason

Every true Mason has come into the realization that there is but one Lodge – that is, the Universe – and but one Brotherhood, composed of everything that moves or exists in any of the planes of Nature. He realizes that the Temple of Solomon is really the Temple of the Solar Man -Sol-Om-On – the King of the Universe manifesting through his three primordial builders. He realizes that his vow of brotherhood and fraternity is universal, and that mineral, plant, animal, and man are all included in the true Mas onic Craft. His duty as an elder brother to all the kingdoms of Nature beneath him is well understood by the true Craftsman, who would rather die than fail in this, his great obligation. He has dedicated his life upon the altar of his God and is willing and glad to serve the lesser through the powers he has gained from the greater. The mystic Mason, in building the eyes that see behind the apparent ritual, recognizes the oneness of life manif esting through the diversity of form.

The true disciple of ancient Masonry has given up forever the worship of personalities. With his greater insight, he realizes that all forms and their position in material affairs are of no importance to him compared to the life which is evolving within. Those who allow appearances or worldly expressions to deter them from their self-appointed tasks are failures in Masonry, for Masonry is an abstract science of spiritual unfoldment. Material prosperity is not the measure of soul growth. The true Mason r ealizes that behind these diverse forms there is one connected Life Principle, the spark of God in all living things. It is this Life which he considers when measuring the worth of a brother. It is to this Life that he appeals for a recognition of spiritual Unity. He realizes that it is the discovery of this spark of Unity which makes him a conscious member of the Cosmic Lodge. Most of all, he must learn to understand that this divine spark shines out as brightly from the body of a foe as it does from t he dearest friend. The true Mason has learned to be divinely impersonal in thought, action, and desire.

The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth. All true Masons know that they only are heathen who, having great ideals, do not live up to them. Th ey know that all religions are but one story told in divers ways for peoples whose ideals differ but whose great purpose is in harmony with Masonic ideals. North, east, south and west stretch the diversities of human thought, and while the ideals of man apparently differ, when all is said and the crystallization of form with its false concepts is swept away, one basic truth remains: all existing things are Temple Builders, laboring for a single end. No true Mason can be narrow, for his Lodge is the divine expression of all broadness. There is no place for little minds in a great work.

The true Mason must develop the powers of observation. He must seek eternally in all the manifestations of Nature for the things which he has lost because he failed to work for them. He must become a student of human nature and see in those around him the unfolding and varying expressions of one connected spiritual Intelligence. The great spiritual ritual of his lodge is enacted before him in every action of his fellow man. The entire Masonic initiation is an open secret, for anyone can see it played ou t on the city street corners as well as in the untracked wilderness. The Mason has sworn that every day he will extract from life its message for him and build it into the temple of his God. He seeks to learn the things which will make him of greater service in the Divine Plan, a better instrument in the hands of the Great Architect, who is laboring eternally to unfold life through the medium of living things. The Mason realizes, moreover, tha t his vows, taken of his own free will and accord, give him th e divine opportunity of being a living tool in the hands of a Master Workman.

The true Master Mason enters his lodge with one thought uppermost in his mind: “How can I, as an individual, be of greater use in the Universal Plan? What can I do to be worthy to comprehend the mysteries which are unfolded here? How can I build the eyes to see the things which are concealed from those who lack spiritual understanding?” The true Mason is supremely unselfish in every expression and application of the powers that have been entrusted to him. No true Brother seeks anything for himself, but uns elfishly labors for the good of all. No person who assumes a spiritual obligation for what he can get out of it is worthy of applying for the position even of water-carrier. The true Light can come only to those who, asking nothing, gladly give all to it.

The true brother of the Craft, while constantly striving to improve himself, mentally, physically, and spiritually through the days of his life, never makes his own desires the goal for his works. He has a duty and that duty is to fit into the plans of another. He must be ready at any hour of the day or night to drop his own ideals at the call of the Builder. The work must be done and he has dedicated his life to the service of those who know the bonds of neither time nor space. He must be ready at any moment’s notice and his life should be turned into preparing himself for that call which may come when he least expects it. The Master Mason knows that those most useful to the Plan are those who have gained the most from the practical experiences of life. It is not what goes on within the tiled lodge which is the basis of his greatness, but rather the way in which he meets the problems of daily life. The true Masonic student is known by his brotherly a ctions and common sense.

Every Mason knows that a broken vow brings with it a terrible penalty. Let him also realize that failure to live mentally, spiritually, and morally up to one’s highest ideals constitutes the greatest of all broken oaths. When a Mason swears that he will devote his life to the building of his Father’s house and then defiles his living temple through the perversion of mental power, emotional force, and active energy, he is breaking a vow which imposes not hours but ages of misery. If he is worthy to be a M ason, he must be great enough to restrain the lower side of his own nature which is daily murdering his Grand Master. He must realize that a misdirected life is a broken vow and that daily service, purification, and the constructive application of energy is a living invocation which builds within and draws to him the power of the Creator. His life is the only prayer acceptable in the eyes of the Most High. An impure life is a broken trust; a destructive action is a living curse; a narrow mind is a strang le-cord around the throat of God.

All true Masons know that their work is not secret, but they realize that it must remain unknown to all who do not live the true Masonic life. Yet if the so-called secrets of Freemasonry were shouted from the housetops, the Fraternity would be absolutely safe; for certain spiritual qualities are necessary before the real Masonic secrets can be understood by the brethren themselves. Hence it is that the alleged “exposures” of Freemasonry, printed by the thousands and tens of thousands since 1730 down to the present hour, cannot injure the Fraternity. They reveal merely the outward forms and ceremonies of Freemasonry. Only those who have been weighed in the balance and found to be true, upright, and square have prepared themselves by their own growth to appreciate the inner meanings of their Craft. To the rest of their brethren within or without the lodge their sacred rituals must remain, as Shakespeare might have said, “Words, words, words.” Within the Mason’s own being is concealed the Power, which, blazi ng forth from his purified being, constitutes the Builder’s Word. His life is the sole password which admits him to the true Masonic Lodge. His spiritual urge is the sprig of acacia which, through the darkness of ignorance, still proves that the spiritual fire is alight. Within himself he must build those qualities which will make possible his true understanding of the Craft. He can show the world only forms which mean nothing; the life within is fo rever concealed until the eye of Spirit reveals it.

The Master Mason realizes charity to be one of the greatest traits which the Elder Brothers have unfolded, which means not only properly regulated charity of the purse but charity in thought and action. He realizes that all the workmen are not on the same step, but wherever each may be, he is doing the best he can according to his light. Each is laboring with the tools that he has, and he, as a Master Mason, does not spend his time in criticizing but in helping them to improve their tools. Instead of bla ming poor tools, let us always blame ourselves for having them. The Master Mason does not find fault; he does not criticize nor does he complain, but with malice towards none and charity towards all he seeks to be worthy of his Father’s trust. In silence he labors, with compassion he suffers, and if the builders strike him as he seeks to work with them, his last word will be a prayer for them. The greater the Mason, the more advanced in his Craft, the more fatherly he grows, the walls of his Lodge broade ning out until all living things are sheltered and guarded within the blue folds of his cape. From laboring with the few he seeks to assist all, realizing with his broader understanding the weaknesses of others but the strength of right.

A Mason is not proud of his position. He is not puffed up by his honor, but with a sinking heart is eternally ashamed of his own place, realizing that it is far below the standard of his Craft. The farther he goes, the more he realizes that he is standing on slippery places and if he allows himself for one moment to lose his simplicity and humility, a fall is inevitable. A true Mason never feels himself worthy of his Craft. A student may stand on the top of Fool’s Mountain self-satisfied in his position , but the true Brother is always noted for his simplicity.

A Mason cannot be ordained or elected by ballot. He is evolved through ages of self-purification and spiritual transmutation. There are thousands of Masons who are brethren in name only, for their failure to exemplify the ideals of their Craft makes them unresponsive to the teachings and purpose of Freemasonry. The Masonic life forms the first key of the Temple and without this key, none of the doors can be opened. When this fact is better realized and lived, Freemasonry will awake, and speak the Word s o long withheld. The speculative Craft will then become operative, and the Ancient Wisdom so long concealed will rise from the ruins of its temple as the greatest spiritual truth yet revealed to man.

The true Master Mason recognizes the value of seeking for truth wherever he can find it. It makes no difference if it be in the enemy’s camp; if it be truth, he will go there gladly to secure it. The Masonic Lodge is universal; therefore all true Masons will seek through the extremities of creation for their Light. The true brother of the Craft knows and applies one great paradox. He must search for the high things in lowly places and find the lowly things in high places. The Mason who feels holier than his fellow man has raised a barrier around himself through which no light can pass, for the one who in truth is the greatest is the servant of all. Many brethren make a great mistake in building a wall around their secrets, for they succeed only in shutting out their own light. Their divine opportunity is at hand. The time has come when the world needs the Ancient Wisdom as never before. Let the Mason stand forth and by living the doctrines which he preaches show to his brother man the glory of his work. He holds the keys to truth; let him unlock the door, and with his life and not his words preach the doctrine which he has so long professed.

The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man were united in the completion of the Eternal Temple, the Great Work, for which all things came into being and through which all shall glorify their Creator.

MASONS, AWAKE!

Your creed and your Craft demand the best that is in you. They demand the sanctifying of your life, the regeneration of your body, the purification of your soul, and the ordination of your spirit. Yours is the glorious opportunity; yours is the divine responsibility. Accept your task and follow in the footsteps of the Master Masons of the past, who with the flaming spirit of the Craft have illumined the world. You have a great privilege – the privilege of illumined labor. You may know the ends to which you work, while others must struggle in darkness. Your labors are not to be confined to the tiled Lodge alone, for a Mason must radiate the qualities of his Craft. Its light must shine in his home and in his business, glorifying his association with his fellow men. In the Lodge and out of the Lodge, the Mason must represent the highest fruitage of sincere endeavor.

9 Key Components of the Shift Towards Higher Consciousness

July 31, 2013 | By WakingTimes | 23 Replies

Dylan Charles, Editor
Waking Times
Facing considerable political, economic, social and ecological crises, the human race is desperate for a transformation and a new direction. Business as usual ensures that we are doomed to run a course of half-conscious self-destruction, as man-made catastrophes multiply and stress mounts in every aspect of life. We must overthrow our ignorance, as it has become a fearful master, goading us into war, pollution, waste and exploitation.
The social problems and entrenched patterns at the source of global issues are too vast and complex to be solved at the personal level, yet, paradoxically, the personal transformation of the individual offers a lonesome opportunity to avert the catastrophes we are engineering for ourselves. Human consciousness has a critical role to play in our collective destiny and there is a seismic shift occurring here that is creating a rising class of conscious people better equipped than ever to deal with such a chaotic environment.
The shift. It is the dramatic re-ordering of one’s psyche, producing changes that greatly benefit the body, mind and spirit. It is marked by considerable expansion of awareness of the inner spaces of mind and heart, and of the inter-dependent nature of all things. It is a reconstruction of one’s life and purpose rebuilt on a foundation of truth, peace, strength and flexibility, and it is brought about by a laborious and sufferable process of reflection and self-realization. The end result of the shift is the experience of a new, world-centric perspective on life, the reclamation of mental and physical health, and the discovery of the strength, courage and fearlessness needed to wade through these interesting times.
Personal evolution is both the great duty and the great joy of all human beings and is a process of divine significance, frequently unfolding in overlapping stages and related developments. Here are 9 key components of the shift commonly experienced by evolving people, not necessarily occurring in a particular order.

1. Contemporary Consciousness – The mass consciousness of production, consumption, submission and nihilism is where the shift begins. This is the consensus trance that we have been programmed to accept as real life, while obediently serving our worst interests without examination or question. Contemporary consciousness is acquiescence to insanity for the sake of convenience. Breaking through contemporary consciousness is to strike the very root of our global dilemma. Numb, drugged, and senseless, this level of consciousness is a psychic plague blotting out our potential.
2. A Disturbance in the Force – Like a canary in a coal mine, a warning appears from somewhere, grabbing our attention, rattling our confidence, pulling us out of our tunnel vision. Some small piece of information gathered from the alternative press or from a documentary film eats at our understanding of how the world is set up, and the shift begins. This sets the stage for a deep and serious personal crises to erupt, and often engages a ferocious drive for knowledge and truth.
3. An Introspective Quest for Knowledge & Truth - Knowledge and information are the fuel for personal transformation. Once awakened, our natural draw towards truth and justice calls us to consider new ideas and outside perspectives as we search for a new bearing in a crumbling understanding of the world. Introspection reveals answers to never-before asked questions and the accompanying interest in ‘alternative’ information and ideas provides answers that profoundly contradict contemporary consciousness. Once this quest is initiated the world never again looks the same.
4. The Dark Night of the Soul – The disturbance begins to conflict with contemporary consciousness so severely that the amount of cognitive dissonance required to adhere to the status quo life manifests materially as serious personal mental and physical health crises. The foundation for this catastrophic and catalyzing series of events has been under construction for most of life up to this point, and as such, the mind, body and spirit can be forced to endure unimaginable lows as the entire sum and meaning of one’s existence is smashed and broken to pieces under the weight of one’s denial about their complicity in their own self-destruction.
This is the ultimate test. To pass it one must endure the pain to the ultimate degree, and simply not give up. For many, the dark night of the soul lasts for years, marking the most serious, frightening and life-changing phase of life. Succumbing to the suffering here means giving in to total annihilation and choosing the path of serious self-deceit, total submission to ego and to false authority, addiction, reckless endangerment of the self, suicide, overdose, etc.
5. Discovery of Real Medicine – Something helps us through this crisis by easing the pain of our suffering, gently re-building positive energy and providing sufficient distraction while the body and spirit begin to reclaim health. Medicine here is not pharmaceutical, but therapeutical, and can come in the form of an artistic endeavor or exercise, or better yet, an intense study of an esoteric healing physical art like Qi Gong, Yoga, Kung Fu, meditation, and so on. Medicine may also be found amongst healers, therapists, shaman, or even plant medicines like Ayahuasca and Iboga. Finding the activity or experience that nudges you away from the brink of destruction and towards healing is a critical component of the shift.
6. Purification and Detox – Along the quest for knowledge we discover the toxic nature of our processed and sedentary lifestyle and realize the need for detox and purification. Learning about fluoride, heavy metals, GMO’s and the poisons in our food reveals the link between our emotional state, stress levels, well-being and conscious awareness. A new relationship with food is developed and taking care of the body and health gradually becomes easier.
Our toxic environment also includes our social atmosphere and here we are compelled to tune out of mainstream media, conversation and logic, purging ourselves of the garbage that so many people consider important. Our consumption of mainline ideas is reduced and our mind regains a footing of independence in a sea of sensationalized conformity.
7. Re-thinking of Authority, Dependence and Liberty – As the detox pushes older versions of the self out of the way, rejuvenating the psyche, a new picture of the self emerges in a world that no longer looks anything like it did before. The designs of control and manipulation governing our social institutions and traditions are rightfully exposed as farcical constructs that deter our evolution, while modern politics and government are understood to be laughable traps of dependence and deceit and therefore no longer beneficial to positive growth. The people that invest their lives and identities in these schemes seem desperate and needy of purpose, fanatical and outrageously too certain and too serious about life.
Non-conformity and non-compliance become moral obligations and liberty is revalued to include freedom from living in the fear-based consciousness offered as the default way of life. Ordinary people seem strange now in how they self-organize into ridiculous pecking orders, squabbling for position at work and submitting to any ‘authority figure’ with a badge and cheap uniform. It becomes clear that freedom has less to do with laws and more to do with voluntary submission, and liberty becomes a constant struggle to decrease dependence on the systems that complicate life.
8. Letting Go of and Discarding that Which Does Not Serve – In order to move through the process of transformation, it is absolutely necessary to jettison the things, people, relationships, habits, and ideas which no longer serve and support us. Human beings energetically interact with the objects and people in our environment, and eliminating and purging sources of stagnant energy and negativity creates space for new experience and inspiration to enter and flow into life. This is one of the most renewing components in this transformation.
9. Initiation into Mystery - Material science and mainstream thought exclude forms of mystery and paranormal activity from consideration in our culture, therefore making an initiation into the world of the unexplainable a common feature of the shift. For some reason, as a person changes in this fashion, strange and fascinating events occur that chip away at the certainties that support consensus material reality. Synchronicities emerge and moments of clarity give greater meaning to the mundane. Awareness of the subtle life force energy, Qi or Prana, develops, and ancient modalities of thought and concentration elicit strangely powerful revelations. Once the veil of the rigid scientific mindset is pierced, intuition and curiosity flourish and one re-assesses the potential in all things and in all circumstances, abandoning certainty in favor of wonder. Life becomes at sacred, as it should be.

Conclusion

The shift is nothing short of total personal revolution, and signals the re-organization of the mind and psyche for the benefit of the individual and the collective. It is about remembering who we are and overcoming the momentous inertia of the self-destructive programming in our modern world.Coming to extra-ordinary consciousness and awareness from the depths of the contemporary trance that sickens so many people is a process compelled by both natural forces and personal will and is part of our unique journey towards individuation, freedom, and happiness in this amazing world, at this incredible time.
If you have anything of value to add to this list, please do so in the comments section below.

About the Author

Dylan Charles is a student and teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, a practitioner of Yoga and Taoist esoteric arts, and an activist and idealist passionately engaged in the struggle for a more sustainable and just world for future generations. He is the editor of WakingTimes.com, the proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, a grateful father and a man who seeks to enlighten others with the power of inspiring information and action. His remarkable journey of self-transformation is a testament to the power of the will and the persistence of the human spirit. He may be contacted at wakingtimes@gmail.com.

We are !!

 The perfect moment exists in the now . Its amazing what we can do when we are balanced , centered , grounded within,  and in harmony with that which we a part of.   
We all contribute in many ways at varying degrees with each action we take having a effect on many different levels, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
When we have that awareness and are directing our actions with purpose and choice it is amazing what we can create. Together we can create a dynamic work of art and share it with the world!!
 Let us remember the eternal present . These words that i am choosing to use at this moment  are going to communicate a message that will assist you in each moment with thyself and the god that is within you and us all .
I am in this moment going to express myself through this space how important each and everyone of us are. I am going to revisit a few ideas, insights , and solutions that will assist in the transmutation of the individual as well as the collective.

I am going to use symbols and metaphors  to communicate this message.  .Let us look at a puzzle .  The pieces working together to create a bigger picture.  Each piece is different , yet somehow when placed in the right spot will connect and the bigger picture begins to be revealed.


From what I  experience , life is an awe-mazing adventure!  What a trip ! My life continues to get better as I make wiser choices living with integrity , feeling and enjoying connection with all individuals, all flora and fauna, all of mother earth and father sky . I choose to live a genuine life with open eyes! When i create a connection between my intellect and spirit,  when I  have courage and I face fear, when I act upon the ideas that the magician in me has created  and when I take action with  integrity and love , it amazes me what I create . In any relationship, I can  be the lover, open and playful ,  the magician who creates the special moments, the warrior with courage and strength and the sovereign who lives authentically with integrity.

Working together as one body of love , we are collectively creating  in each moment, remembering and expanding our capacities .  I personally do not think individuals have to give up free will , and independent thinking . Its all a matter of collaboration of conscious co-creation .
There is what i would consider a creative processes happening . Within the process are many elements interacting, constantly . When there is free flow within me  and I do not set limitations , I experience the perfect moment now, now , now . When i remain in that flow , I am consciously creating a living legacy .



Now we all  know what has not worked in our lives, so lets try something new. It may be uncomfortable to step outside our comfort zone and let go of our illusions , while realizing who we are and what we can do above and beyond all that nonsense . Have courage dear one for you have gold within . Understand that in each moment you have a choice how you will respond , and that will create your reality .

Interesting how things work out when Illusions are recognized and distractions are let go of .

mysterious muse 2013