Unwavering Resolve

A solid footing and strong roots are essential in trying times as well as in good ones because there will be test. And if an unwavering resolve isn’t firmly in place, the test will throw you for a loop out without hesitation…

The test of life will never cause defeat when an unwavering root system is in place. Standing on solid ground and having strong roots are essential in trying times as well as in the seemingly good times because the test will come regardless. How unwavering the roots are will determine how much can be withstood. Being on solid ground when the test comes sometimes seems as though they hit a breaking point, but an unwavering resolve to stay firmly rooted in truth will return you to your strong foundation. This occurs not because you’re strong, it occurs because you’re unwavering rooted, this provides the support needed in the midst of any test. 

Many things will test your resolve in life, but understand it’s not life doing it, it’s just the nature of how things are. The important thing is to have unwavering roots strong enough to bend but not break. Circumstances and other people’s belief will test you, without unwavering roots you will succumb to the pressure. It will be difficult to resist and it will be as though you become uprooted, but understand you are as strong and as resilient as your root system. Make it as unwavering as possibly so when a test comes your way, you may bend a bit, but you will have an unwavering resolve not to break…

Being Who You Are

The value of knowing yourself is priceless because it allows the mind to settle into who you are instead of needing to pretend to be something that you’re not…

One of the insights revealed to me is having the awareness of my own presence. What is meant by this is to be aware of who I am and not try to be who I am not. When my book was published I was thinking of ways to get its message to people. Just by the fact that it was written I knew there was a valuable message to share about how my view of life became different. Shortly afterwards I started writing and posting articles on social media sites. One day I was contacted by a site to write articles for them, I thought this was a great way to get my books message some exposure. After about six articles the admin of the site said people were contacting her about my articles, saying they were like teachings and asked if I could make them more inspirational. I thought about it and decided I couldn’t compromise the message revealed to me. I told her I wouldn’t change my style; I didn’t write another article for them.

It was important for me to stand my ground on what was revealed to me then and it’s just as important today. The value of knowing who you are is priceless because it allows the mind to settle instead of needing a pretending story. I don’t pretend to be this loving spiritual head in the clouds person; I am what I am. If there was such a thing as a spiritual labors union, I would be the head of it; I’m a blue collared spiritual person. I understand many things, but my feet are always planted where I am so if it’s not happening now it doesn’t really matter all that much to me. I’ve learned early on not to live between my ears trying to be something that I’m not. What this allows is to not have any pretending energy within myself and in the process just be at peace with who I am. Not everyone agrees with my style of writing or what I write, but at the end of the day it’s me who I’m with and I’m grateful there’s no reason to pretend to be something that I’m not…

Stories Block Truth

When you hold onto beliefs that are created by stories which is noise, you can’t hear regardless of how much truth there is in what’s being said…

What’s the difference if you make up a story that you believe in evolution or if there’s a supreme being, it’s really only a story that you make up and attach to. Or how about this, one day your story is there’s a God and one day your story is there’s no such thing as God; it’s the same mind creating both stories. Do what you may, but understand you make up your entire identity and attach it to a story created by your Conditioned Mind. This is a powerful truth that most people will not see because there isn’t the silence necessary to see it. There are no real facts associated to any of your stories, they’re just a collection of thoughts. When there’s a lot of thinking that’s when your Conditioned Mind is able to create a story. The story that I am this or that, they’re all just a story.

It’s like an addict, some use alcohol, some drugs, some gamble, some use sex or even success. This is another one of those list that goes on and on, but the main thing to understand is we are all addicts regardless of the story of what’s used. It’s only being used to quiet a storied mind agitation. You may or may not understand this, but stories are created for the same reason. God, no God, maybe God, alcohol, drugs, success, who cares; the stories are all created to quiet a mind agitation. Agree with me, don’t agree with me, it’s your story, but if you can become quiet, that’s when you will hear what is being said beyond your story. When you hold onto to you storied beliefs which is noise, you can’t hear regardless of how much truth there is in what’s being said…

Confused Mind

A confused mind can’t free itself with the same programming that causes the confusion. The same programming is a hinderance because it’s just another confused response that blocks freedom…

If a confused mind controls your life, it doesn’t matter what’s going on, it’s going to be difficult to be free. It’s such a confused world and what makes it so is most people are looking for outward fixes when the answers are inward. What the confused mind actually is and how it’s created is by not being aware that you already have your answers. With a confused mind that’s conditioned to want answers, you have to constantly look for them, hence the confusion. This is how the confusion of a Conditioned Mind is formed and how it blocks awareness. It’s confusion created because if you knew you had your answers, the need to look for them would be non existent, and so would the confusion.

Everyone has the ability to develop awareness of a confused mind, but it’s not something that’s going to happen on its owns. It’s a beautiful thing that your life is your hands and it’s totally up to each individual what is done with it. A little awareness of a confused mind equates to a little freedom. It’s up to each individual to do what’s necessary to become more aware of the confused mind. As you become more aware of being present, the confused mind lessens and opens; what’s left is freedom. If you’re waiting for anything else, it won’t happen while you’re alive in this form as the confused mind will remain in control…

Repeated Habits

The repeated habits of a Conditioned Mind can be devastating if they’re not understood. The repeated habits manifest in many ways, but when the mind is quiet many fall away; that’s when life truly begins…

The reason why it’s so difficult to change is because the mind defaults to repeated habits; even to the point of its own destruction. The conditioning must be changed if the repeated habits are to be changed. If this isn’t identified the habit is repeated over and over, that is until the necessary practice is cultivated to initiate change. If nothing changes nothing changes. If the conditioning is changed the repeated habits become non existent; you don’t change the habit because it’s a by product of the conditioning. When there’s quietness instead of conditioning there won’t be any repeated habits associated with the conditioning.

This is immensely valuable in understanding the habits of the mind. If quietness isn’t brought into your life, the habits in the head will continue to run the show; it’s really that simple. You have been conditioned to act in habitual ways, whether those ways are beneficial to yourself, others, the planet, and the Universe as a whole, depends on what the base of those habits are. Their base is what determines the actions of our decisions and how they affect the entire Universe. You may not think acting in a self-serving way affects the Universe, but how can it not. Energy is energy, never created or destroyed, simply transformed.

No act is isolated from itself, whether based in love or greed, hate, and delusion; it affects the whole. But the real issue is getting to know how the repeated habits of your mind makes your decisions for you. Change comes when this is realized and than different actions can be selected. Your own mind will fight you on this, it makes you think the unknown is not good, but it’s only a story because everything that is known today was once unknown at some point. So learn to quiet the habitual mind so the repeated actions aren’t on automatic pilot. You’ll be amazed with the way life changes because when you start to do things differently and act in ways that are conducive to love, suffering lessens. Its truly that simple, but because the mind likes to revert to its habits, change is not easy…

Past Influenced Present

For many, the past has way too much influence on what is done in the present. Until the past influences are identified, they will continue their control and make the present a thing of the past…

Understanding that truly living life in the present as opposed to living it by bringing past influences into the present is the difference in being at peace or being controlled by the conditioned past. When you’re with what’s here in the present you’re with true reality, not an influenced past present reality. When there isn’t the reality of the present, there’s the influenced state of the past, which makes for very little if any peace in your life. 

Reality occurs in the present so that means if you’re reading this post, that’s reality. There’s nothing else going on beyond what’s happening right now. There may be something going on between your ears, but that’s the influenced present state of the past; the bottom line is it’s not the reality of what’s truly occurring presently. The mind has been conditioned to think it has to create a life from a past pleasure, this is what keeps you from truly living life.

I’m not sure why this is, but I do know it has to do with the influences beyond your control. To me what matters is to develop a disciplined method of sitting which allows you to break free of the control of these past influences. Control is control so the more you continue to be controlled by the past influences, the less present reality there will be. Unless you live with the reality of what’s occurring presently and learn how to identify the past influences, it will be impossible to ever be free because you’ll remain under the spell of your past pleasures…

Thought Observation

We go through life with two kinds of thoughts, those that are skillful and those that are unskillful. If you want to understand the difference you will have to get quiet and observe your thoughts…

Observing your thoughts is simple, but this will be the hardest thing you will ever do. If it can’t be distinguished what the difference is between a skillful and unskillful thought, most likely the unskillful ones will remain as one’s default thought. This is because whatever one frequently thinks about and ponders upon, that becomes the inclination of their thoughts. Most people are taught to cultivate thoughts that are unskillful because mostly what’s developed is based in fulfilling self-serving desires.

Developing a true discernment of our thoughts is what’s needed for the skillful thoughts to overcome the unskillful ones. If there isn’t an observations of our thoughts, how do you think this is going to occur? This is the main reason one remains unconscious with unskillful thoughts. Watch your thoughts, don’t label them, don’t resist them, just observe them. See them arises and fall away; wise restraint is our practice. What’s at the heart of our practice is the wisdom of no. See what’s arises with discerning wisdom. The questions to ask, is this helpful, is it necessary; what are the thoughts that you’re investing in? Do they further enforce “I”. Make it so that the mind of a great being (you) will not be moved by an unskillful thought and become a blessing to all beings…