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April 2008 - Heather Jones
Every individual is so much more than the sum of their bodily parts.
All we see when looking in a mirror is the physical self, those features
that provide our unique appearance and identity. Knowing the physical
self is easy; it's the awareness and knowledge of our true inner being
that requires effort. For instance, we can't see our personality, yet
the manner in which we project our thoughts, feelings and deeper emotions
becomes a very visible part of our identity as we interact with others.
Identifying with how someone or something functions will always result
in a more compatible, pleasant experience. How well do we truly identify
with self? Do we really know and work comfortably with self, or do we
perhaps feel like we're always swimming against the current, struggling
to stay afloat? Putting forth the effort to know and understand our true
selves will contribute greatly to our swimming calmly with the current
and thus minimize any negative energy surrounding our struggles. This
true inner being is your higher, spirit self.
It's our spirit within that allows us to maintain life in this physical
world and it wants very much to be a bright, guiding light throughout
our lives. With awareness and knowledge of this, we're able to better
understand and fulfill the purpose of our presence here. To get in touch
with our higher selves, we need to be so totally absorbed in an activity
that, without realizing, we've become unaware of the physical world around
us. To become so deeply immersed, we need to choose an activity that we
find completely absorbing, relaxing and enjoyable. Surely there have been
times when you've been totally focused on what you're doing. Glancing
at the clock, you can't believe you've been at it so long when it seemed
like only five or maybe 10 minutes. When this happens, your mind has entered
a state that allows your spirit to plant seeds of thought, inspiration
and guidance regarding many aspects of yourself and your life purpose.
Becoming aware and receptive to these seeds of thought is to cultivate
their growth. In doing so, you can gradually learn to be open and receptive
to your higher self without the need to be immersed in an activity. With
practice, you eventually realize you can listen to spirit's guidance just
by changing your mental state.
Another opportunity to get into this mental state is when falling asleep
or upon awakening. When you're at the midway point of not being fully
asleep, but not fully awake, spirit self is able to once again impress
upon your thoughts. You can learn to briefly pause at this midway point,
not going any further into the sleep state, and focus on the thoughts
passing through your mind. The longer you can maintain this paused state,
the better your chances of remembering those thoughts when you awaken.
Two or three minutes is a good time frame to firmly affix the thoughts
you want to remember and it makes recall in the morning easier.
If you are establishing this practice upon awakening, it's important not
to change your physical position as you become aware of waking. Turning
your head or moving an arm seems like such little movement but the slightest
physical disturbance to the body prevents that midway point from being
recognized.
After you realize that spirit self has injected thoughts into your mind,
the most commonly asked question is, How do I differentiate between my
own thoughts and those of spirit? The easiest way to do this is to ask
yourself if the thought contains anything remotely familiar to you. If
so, then it's probably not from spirit. If all content of the thought
is completely new to you, then it would be from your higher, spirit self.
To get in touch with your spirit, to know your higher self as well as
you know your physical self, is to make a solid investment in your future
without spending a cent. A bit of practice, while doing the things you
do anyway, is all that's required. Enjoy the many beautiful dividends
that your self-investment will bring.
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