| Just say "Yes!" by Jill Swanson Being aligned with and activating the feminine energy of love and compassion is not something you have to DO. It is what you already are. You have only to be still and realize that. It is, you are, the I that is eternally present, but we allow mind to camouflage it with thoughts, words, busy-ness, the accumulation of things, and resistance to what is, until we have forgotten that this is our true nature, and have drifted into unconscious habit. If consciousness is the state that you want to experience and Be in, become silent and still and go about your life in spacious awareness. Just say yes to what is in the present moment. It does not get any simpler than that. Be willing to get out of your own way. We have become stuck and stubborn in that stuck-ness and we are SEARCHING FOR and SEEKING some way to higher consciousness as if there was something that we needed to DO, yet we are resistant to change to the point of arrogance. At some time, we obtained some information, we experienced people and things in a certain way and we hold onto that information and those perceptions for dear life, yet we do not see ourselves in this mirror. This is ego. Stop digging in heels to be RIGHT and just say yes to what is and allow it to be. The only thing there is to DO, truly, is to stop. Stop everything, all unconscious thinking, all holding on, all doing, all resisting and simply let the mind stop. Spend more time in silence. Most people feel they have to be talking and doing all the time. Stop. Be still and recognize the silence underneath it all -- and be present with and accept what arises in place of all of the chaotic mind-made chatter. Be willing to let go of conditioned and habitual responses. Give yourself permission to know peace and freedom. Seeking, searching, unconscious thinking and doing are all forms of resistance to what is -- and therein lies suffering. The energy in which we exist is changing, consciousness is evolving and this evolutionary voyage into unconsciousness is coming to an end. Resistance to that brings suffering. Acceptance of that, and allowing what is to be as it is because it cannot be other, is peace. Life lived in the concepts of time, of past and future, good and bad and right and wrong is what blocks the awareness of stillness and causes suffering. Seeking for years It is seeking that keeps us from the realization of what is already here. I was a frantic and desperate seeker for many years. The story my egoic mind made up was that there was something missing, that other people had it, and I wanted it. I looked to people and information outside myself, which only caused greater suffering, because for all of my diligent trying and effort to do the techniques and follow the steps, I was not experiencing the promised experience, so I continued searching. That is what mind does to maintain control. This kind of suffering is no longer necessary (unless you have not suffered enough). The search made "me" tired, literally, and the activity of life as I knew it slowed down to barely a crawl. My energy had been completely depleted, though I didn't realize that that was what was happening at the time. I went into a five-year period of release akin to the expression, dark night of the soul, much like a caterpillar's cocoon where there was a burning off of the old energy, old thoughts, old ways of being, and the "me" story. Life as I knew it had begun to dissolve, which to be honest, more often than not, was quite frightening. To the mind, it looked as if I was losing everything, and often thoughts of what in the world was wrong with "me," arose. Eventually, the realization arose that "I" am absolutely fine, that it was the thinking of repetitive and untrue thoughts about my life situation that was causing the difficulty. We cannot control thoughts; they think us. We can, however, recognize that they are not true unless/until we give them energy and validation. Self-inquiry is a powerful portal to stillness and spaciousness. Waking up For a few, the awakening comes in a flash, one minute intense suffering, the next minute, peace beyond comprehension or explanation. For most of us, it is a gradual letting go and waking up, then seemingly out of no-where, the realization occurs in a flash (now here). Suddenly, the realization that everything is different from what the mind thought, arose. I don't NEED as much or want as frequently. I am much more able to live in the Now moment and be present and accept what is and enjoy myself (in joy in my Self), in which space compassion arises naturally without my having to do any-THING at all. Transformation is taking place at this very moment whether you are aware of it or not. That realization emerges when it is appropriate, when you have suffered enough. Because there is nothing to DO, you can do no-thing WRONGLY. Everything we think, say and do, the moments spent in presence, awaken us and make us aware of the stillness that is always within, closer than hands and feet. It is time to simply live that. If you are living in past or future, holding on to old stuff or not doing the things you would like to do or having the experience you say you would like to have, you are living death. This is the only Now moment there is, so live it fully, adventurously and with joy. You will not find yourself or lasting peace as long as you are filling up space and attaching to ideas and concepts. Everything you need to know has been spoken and demonstrated by Masters, reading until you cannot see straight and trying every new technique will add nothing to who you are, though it will keep the mind busy and active, distracting you from the very peace you seek, and sending money away from you that might be better spent elsewhere. I have seen people deep in debt because they were searching for what was already here and could not stop for fear that they might miss something. Bliss arises when you stop resisting what is and surrender to it. Joy of Life The utter simplicity and joy of life lived in the present moment, and not in the mind of thoughts and judgments, is amazing. Simply begin to notice and appreciate every waking moment and activity that arises out of that awareness. This brings the dimension of space into the dimension of things. This is consciousness. Without attaching to thoughts and labeling them, simply notice them and feel the joy of doing from your being and the joy of being in your doing. Feel the joy of breath going in and out and eyes opening and ears hearing and body stretching upon waking. Feel the joy of the first step from your place of rest. Feel the joy of body's innate knowingness to miraculously function. Feel the joy of activities that keep the body fit and functioning properly. Feel the joy of washing your face and brushing your teeth. Feel the joy of the sun shining and the birds singing or the wind blowing and the rain falling, if that's what is. Feel the joy of expressing yourself for fun or livelihood. Feel the joy of standing in line or sitting in a traffic jam with nothing to be done and no place to go in that moment. Feel the joy of being with others when you are, and being by yourself when you're not. Feel the joy of washing your clothes or cleaning your home simply because it needs doing. Feel the joy when you are tending the garden and producing food to nourish the body. Live life in reverence, simplicity and joy. You have been sleeping long enough. All you have to do is be willing to let go of the insanely complex and make a practice of the miraculously simple. In that, whatever action or doing that may be necessary, arises naturally and effortlessly. Just say yes to what is in the present moment. Namasté. Jill Swanson is, as you are, Consciousness evolving, presence expanding. She is available for private sessions, group facilitation and custom Life Celebration Ceremonies. Jill is facilitating "Gatherings in Presence" and "Movement in Presence" at Cloudwalk in Blaine beginning in July. For information, you may contact her at sbeing360@yahoo.com. Copyright © 2003 Jill Swanson |
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