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True personal growth is not done in the intellect, or through action itself. True personal growth is a change in one’s very being. While “right” ideas and actions do emerge from that, they are not growth in themselves.

It is the quality of our intent that must grow, not the correctness of our ideas. Like dream settings, ideas and environments change. What remains is us– the consciousness that experiences those things, and the quality of its ability to make choices from love rather than fear.

Too often we believe that we are growing when our ideas change, or when we do certain things, or when our circumstances change- when in fact what matters is when we change. The forms that we play with (ideas, sensations, objects, circumstances, beliefs, and even bodies) are temporary; but improving the quality of our intent itself is growth that endures beyond all of the form.

Thus rather than finding new ideas or simply performing some specific actions, we must strive to actually BE more loving! We must strive in every choice to accept personal responsibility, to face our fears, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and to put others before ourselves. If we truly pursue that every day, we will fulfill our purpose for being physical.

Imagine for a moment that you are absolutely free and absolutely powerful. Imagine that nothing can limit you, nothing is impossible, and nothing can thwart your every desire. Imagine you are everything, you and those that are of you are all that is. How would one, in such a state, truly create and expand? How would one in such a state be able to choose something even greater, be something even greater? If absolute freedom were already yours, how tantalizing would it be to have the choice to experience a true challenge, so that you could fully personally know unique contrast, deepen your experience, and in so doing, become even more? How exciting would it be to be able to experience a new level of limitation, that you could once again see how well you could exert your incredible powers of choice?

What would it be like to be so free, that you could choose to be constrained?

This is what we really are. We are really limitless, absolutely free beings. In absolute freedom, we have chosen to participate in a truly incredible experiment to push the very boundaries of freedom and expansion: we have chosen to forget what we truly are for a while, and be mortal beings on Earth.

From the perspective of man, the choice to be frail, challenged, powerless, and decaying can seem almost impossible to comprehend. But from the perspective of spirit, having the opportunity to actually experience those things, and actually impact others while they are on their own rich journeys, is an incredibly profound gift. How much greater of a gift could be given by the Creator to spirits who are already absolutely free than the ability to fully experience contrast, that they may in fact exercise their freedom even more, actually be more than they once were, and learn to express the LOVE that they really are in new and very real ways?

“Us versus them” thinking currently prevails in our society. Because of the physical rule-set of our reality, life on this planet evolved in a “kill or be killed” environment, and it was physically beneficial to ensure that one’s self and one’s group succeeded even at the expense of other individuals or groups. Our cultures enshrine the importance of supporting one’s group, whether it be a tribe, a sports team, a nation, or- especially- one’s family.

And yet, where we truly come from, we are all family. We are intrinsically connected to one another. That statement is not just a nice sounding platitude- it is a statement of actual fact. The spirit is fundamental. Spiritually, all of us are a part of one incredible whole. We are all not only connected- we are a part of one another!

This is true no matter what role we temporarily come and play on Earth. This is true of every single person we meet. The cashier behind the register at the grocery store, our best friend, the person collecting our trash, the worker in China who made our clothes, even the next door neighbor’s dog – we are a part of one another.

Thus we do not need to differentiate between “our people” and “other people.” It may have been natural to do so in the context of our long history on Earth, but it is not fundamental to what we are. Our true nature is one of love! In fact, we have come here to this place partly so that we can explore what that means and to learn to truly love everyone more fully, even within a rich and challenging context. That means learning to genuinely love and accept others even when they are not a part of our immediate group.

The next time you interact with someone that seems like a stranger to you, take a moment to be present with them, and try to peer into what they really are. Can you drop all of your preconceptions, all of your identity labels, and truly see them? Can you sense that you are indeed connected to them? Can you feel the wonderfulness of their unique presence? If you look close enough, past all the ideas of your human mind, you just may sense their brightness, and it will speak to something in you too. For none of us are truly separate from each other- we are all family!

You are unconditionally loved by God. You can never lose that love. Source accepts you entirely. You have nothing to prove, nothing to do, nothing to fear. You are loved! Nothing can take that away from you.

That is true even considering the fact that you will make sub-optimal choices while you are on Earth. It is understood that you will. All things are understood- so how could your “mistakes” not be?

In fact, the act of being human, even in all of its messiness, is recognized as a profound and meaningful contribution. Why? Because as the soul expands, so does the ocean of which it is forever a part.

The soul “strives.” It has everything available to it, and yet (on a post-fundamental level) it is not flawless or perfect, but can in fact grow in love toward the perfection of God. To participate in that process, the soul cloaks itself in a context so it can have the opportunity to make choices.

The soul can always “be more.” That “growth” is very meaningful to the soul. It permits it to be and express itself in new ways. The soul can develop by being something within a context and striving to forever improve the quality of its intent toward love by playing that context. It can conquer fears. It can better understand duality: it can better know the light if it first knows the darkness. The experience of unique contrast is useful. Other realities are affected by the soul’s decision to become physical, too. Incarnation is an absolutely amazing and precious opportunity for the soul! We are so unconditionally loved that we are permitted to choose to have the experience of not being unconditionally loved. For in so doing, love- the nature of God itself- is that much better understood. Indeed, every detail of our lives is a unique setup within duality that helps the soul better know itself, and helps All That Is gain new meaning and insight- and that adds to Creation. You are participating in that very valuable activity right now!

Thus you did not come to Earth to prove yourself, or to earn the love that is already given to you. In fact, you are the brave one who has embarked on the great journey of being human so as to participate in the expansion of Creation itself! That is not only forgivable- it is admirable.

 “You are not just a drop in the ocean, you are the mighty ocean in the drop.” -Rumi

We are “what is.” We are the experiencers and the interpreters of our experience. We are the creators of our experience. Every single element of our world, every single experience that any being ever has here, is ultimately our collective responsibility.

Collective experience is rooted in individual experience. As an individual experiencer, you are a fundamental and key part of the play that is occurring. Never overlook the importance and the power of individual responsibility- it is the root of all responsibility.

There is never anyone other than “I, the experiencer” who is making the choices that affect others.

And thus the responsibility for everything is yours, mine- ours. There is no other group out there, no other individual, or government, or idea, or location, or force that can be blamed. We are the only ones that can be blamed. And the “we” is rooted in you the individual, and in me the individual.

Some may say, “But I cannot change other people” or “I cannot change the entire world.” There are two important responses to that. First, you are not responsible for every other soul’s choices- but you are responsible for your own. Very importantly: from the spiritual perspective, taking personal responsibility is enough! Second, you are far more powerful than you imagine! You are intrinsically connected to every single other thing in existence, everywhere. You are connected to every single other person, animal, and rock on the planet, and every star in the sky. When you change, reality changes. When you grow toward genuine love and conquer your fear, the world is positively affected. That is true even if you do not see the effects visibly. A change in consciousness space always precedes a change in physical space. Thus the state of the world is not one of gloom, but one of hope- for you do personally have the power to bring about meaningful positive change.

So take responsibility! Take responsibility for your intent. Notice your thoughts, your actions, your reasons. Why in fact are you doing what you are doing? What can you do to make things better? What personal fears can you take ownership for and confront? What one single step can you take to help make the world a better place for someone else- today? You will find that as you accept responsibility, rather than being burdened, you are in fact FREED- for acting from love always moves us closer to our true Source of freedom and joy!

When deciding whether something is true, especially when it comes to philosophical or spiritual topics, we tend to immediately consult the intellect. We think: “Does this information jive with my own understanding?” or, “How does this information fit with my existing beliefs?” We tend to seek and interpret truth through intellectual understanding, or through intellectually held beliefs.

And yet genuine spiritual truth fully transcends the human intellect. Truth transcends form.

Thus, if we wish to seek out what is true, we need to do so with more than just our minds- we need to do so with all of our being. Our being lasts. Our being is actually connected to All Things. But our human intellect is only a narrow specialized sub-set of what we truly are, the portion of us focused to processing the seemingly dualistic nature of our physical world. We are much more than that.

Because the physical universe is not fundamental, it will not do to try to understand all of reality with the physical mind. Consciousness is fundamental, so to explore reality, look there.

We are not here to struggle, suffer, and merely survive. We are here to thrive as the beings of joy that we truly are!

But oftentimes, what we perceive to be the “demands” of the world cause us to fall into seriousness. Our worldviews require things of us, and in heeding them we quickly get bogged down by the responsibilities that we have heaped upon ourselves.

None of it is required. None of the seriousness, heaviness, or stress is required. At the most fundamental level, nothing is required of us- for awareness itself is perfectly free, and in fact awareness fully transcends the forms that it allows itself to get lost within.

Thus while you are here on Earth, allow yourself to let go, and to choose joy! There is never a circumstance in which you are not allowed to choose joy, should you wish.

There is nothing you believe that you didn’t first decide to buy into at some point. Even your deepest assumptions about how reality works are viewpoints that you had to establish.

Physical reality is a defined context that provides a neutral mirror through which you may experience the nature of your perspectives and beliefs. Physical reality is such that through its constraints, you may very richly experience your unique perspective. In a reality like ours, that perspective can get incredibly “deep” over the course of a lifetime- so convincingly deep that you can forget entirely where you have come from, or even what your assumptions are! This in fact is one the reasons the physical experience is so very valuable to the soul: it allows you to truly experience a defined and unique perspective first-hand. Another reason is, such a deep perspective allows for a very rich place from which you can make choices, so that you can ultimately evolve the quality of your intent toward love.

As we undertake our exceptionally long journeys across space and time, we seek to grow towards love. An important part of growing towards love is growing past fear. And many times as humans, our beliefs are put in place to protect us from our fears. Thus, in fact, we are doing a great service when we decide to confront our beliefs and face the fears that they were protecting. That awakening process is a very meaningful one indeed! When we face our fear, not only are we able to free ourselves from its shackles, we are able to then actualize a more loving presence in our world for everyone else.

Even as deep and convincing as this physical experience and its resulting beliefs can be, if you remove or look past all of the thoughts and beliefs, you will find that beneath them is always what you truly are: your awareness. Your awareness is the silent witness to all of your thoughts and beliefs, the presence that beholds your entire physical experience. Your awareness is you; your current beliefs and identity details are not. In fact, you do not need to believe anything, or think anything, or do anything. If you feel otherwise, it is because you believe it.

You do not need to fear changing your beliefs or viewpoint at any level. You are free to do that! In fact you will find that as you let go of the assumptions that have bound you, and truly face and process your fears, that you are more free than ever! For the spirit itself is much more than the forms it temporarily beholds, and there is always great joy when you take a step closer toward what you really are.

Whatever you focus on, you get more of. And, you get what you expect. These two statements reflect what many spiritual teachers call the “Law of Attraction.” We might say the “Law of Attraction” is a term for the phenomenon that since consciousness is fundamental, when it “pushes,” reality responds. Children naturally focus on what they want. When you tell them they can’t have something, they respond naturally with, “but I want it.” That response is not simply a response of immaturity- it reflects that the child is instinctively responding in a way that does work more immediately in other reality systems: their desire alone has historically produced an immediate change in circumstances. Our reality is the shockingly different place where desire itself seems to be insufficient to bring us what we wish.

However, that is not entirely the case. What we call the “Law of Attraction” still functions- it’s just that the constraints of the physical reality make it such that the “manifestation” of our focus and expectation can seem impossible or delayed. This physical reality is “dense,” because it takes a lot more “thought momentum” to result in a physical change than it may in other reality systems. Also, the rule-set of our reality system is relatively strict- but within and through that rule-set, change does occur.

We do create our reality, both individually and collectively. Recognizing that fact is not only liberating, it is also an important step towards accepting personal and collective responsibility for our world. Not only is the responsibility ours, the power is ours too: we can actualize the positive changes that we so deeply desire! Recognizing the role of our own focus and expectation is a key step in that process. For many of us, in order to fully recognize that role we will need to work past the many disempowering beliefs that have been so deeply held here, for our expectations follow our most deeply held beliefs.

As we try to understand reality, we innately sense that everything should “fit.” The desire to make things “fit” is not just ego derived, it also stems from our inherent spiritual desire to integrate all experience. This is because at the deepest level, in truth, everything does fit- and we naturally seek to reach for that and to integrate everything that we can while we are physical. Yet as we attempt to understand and integrate our current physical experience, often the ego gets in the way: our intention quickly strays from genuinely pursuing truth (which is all encompassing) wherever it may lead, to trying to avoid pain and make ourselves feel like we have control or understanding. Understanding only a subset of relationships between forms, and then deciding to “believe things” to close the gap, is not a true pursuit of truth. Pursuit of truth requires full acknowledgement of that which we do not know- and there is a lot of that.

Because we live in a universe of duality, we often seek truth in the objects of duality themselves: ideas, objects, names, definitions, actions, or concepts. We believe “this” object is the truth, while “that” object is deception; or perhaps “this” object is good, while “that” object is evil. And yet, truth transcends all of the form (see this post or this post). Since truth transcends all of the form, when we “buy into” one form- and resist another- we are embracing something that is not fully in alignment with the truth, which is completely unified.

Thus if we wish to honor our desire to make everything fit and genuinely pursue truth, we need to be willing to look the one place we may have never looked while physical: beyond all of the things that we are trying to fit together. What does it mean to look beyond all of the things?

The things only ever exist as beheld by your awareness. Thus to look beyond them, you need to train yourself to look beyond the objects to your awareness itself. Doing so is not an action- we can say it is an exercise in intent and focus away from your many definitions and thoughts such that you can truly experience the infinite and unadulterated present moment. We often call that exercise “meditation.” Meditation is the word we use for allowing one’s self to move closer to fully experiencing the present moment, without the participation of the physical mind. The present moment is the doorway. The experience of the present moment itself transcends the objects, and in that transcendence, it is possible for each of us to take one step closer to truly experiencing the unification that exists at the root of All Things. That unification is real, and as it contains everything, everything fits.