New York City – New York – USA (by Alejandro)
You’re reading 3 Steps to Enlightenment: The Path of Surrender, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Have you ever dreamed about going off to an ashram in India, hoping to get your life clearly sorted out once and for all, as Elizabeth Gilbert did in Eat, Pray, Love? Have you secretly dreamed that one day you will land in some sacred place and feel miraculously in tune and connected, such that all of your life’s troubles disappear?
The illusion that we can fix our life by abandoning it is admittedly very tempting, and many of us try to escape our lives in search of something better. We are often fooled into thinking we can find ourselves and find peace if only we meditate enough, go on retreats, and magically make ourselves over to have all new and healthier habits. This is not to dismiss the value of taking a short break to recuperate and gather yourself. Indeed, such changes can be immensely helpful in realigning and reinvigorating the soul. However, many of us unconsciously use these spiritual events, tools, and resources in the external world in order to escape pain, to escape the profound disconnection we suffer within.
What happens is this: We want to make a change, yet we remove ourselves from the place where we would like to actually manifest that change, and we go somewhere else—often a new and strange place—and reap only the short-lived benefits of isolated change. “It was a relaxing trip. Life feels different now,” we might think, not fully realizing that when we go back to the real places we live, we go back to the cluttered rooms, the broken marriage, and the daunting financial responsibilities.
The reality you live and breathe now is your spiritual path. Where you are right now, in the midst of your troubles and your suffering or your joy and your happiness, is the actual path. When you acknowledge that spirituality happens in every moment, you make a leap of faith. Any time you embody or act from love, any time you live from a selfless place because your inner self is already full, you bring yourself closer to the Divine. Any time you look at someone with a compassionate heart and do your best to honor that person, a piece of yourself is restored, and you feel aligned and connected.
Everything we see in this universe is a reflection of two qualities: love and truth. From there, we make our own contributions, further reflecting these two qualities in our life and the lives of others. Positive change in your life starts with acknowledging the truth, then moving into finding solutions and taking informed, loving action. No solution is complete unless we are in tune with ourselves and find our place in the circle of prayer and surrender to Divine.
What does it mean to surrender? In our limited capacity to control the outcomes of our lives, we forget that everything in the universe—the planets, stars, trees, and animals—is in a state of surrender. Surrender is about knowing when to “do”—when to exert our influence—and when to simply “be.” When we decide to embrace surrender, we are asked to become more and more discerning of what is within our control and what is not.
Alignment with the Divine is the delicate combined state of surrender and prayer. In alignment, you move and act the same way the rest of God’s creations do, secure in your awareness of the higher power that guides you. At the same time, you are in a constant state of prayer, of personal communication with the Divine, to ask for what you need and express your gratitude and praise.
The gift of free will is an honorable one, given to us by the Divine. Surrender is the art of operating in a governed universe by cultivating an intimate relationship with the Divine. You step into a sacred circle that rotates with input both from you and from the Divine. In that circle, prayer is your input. At the same time, you allow guidance and input from the Divine by wholeheartedly surrendering your actions and listening in. In this way, the Divine shapes your life with wisdom and grace. When you take action and then let go, you enter into a space of harmonious creation. You experience the light and support of the Divine.
Your life is your sacred ashram. It is up to you to make your life the most amazing journey. No one will live your life for you, and no one will create peace of mind except you. You will not find the answers any place other than where you are. So open your eyes. Begin to look at your everyday life differently, to allow it to have the light and the sacredness it is supposed to have.
Here are simple ways to practice surrender.
When you wake up, without stating any desires or plans, release the day and its events to Divine guidance, and then go about your day. You will notice that when you let go, there is no need to force anything. Bring your heart on board and be open.
When you have a chronic symptom or pain, try this prayer: “Dear God, I now let go of the need to fix myself. I allow the light of your truth to enter my body and restore me fully. My body knows how to heal itself. I now allow it to awaken to the truth of your creation. I am ready and willing to learn and heal. Thank you.”
The notions of past, present, and future enable us to take responsibility and make things happen, but when we hold on to them too tightly, we destroy our own peace of mind. To break free of this trap, set an intention, and then allow the Divine plan – the “how” – to unfold. Try the following prayer as you wake up in the morning: “Dear God, I am willing to let go of my worries about time and allow your guidance to take over instead. I am open and receptive to your plans to bring me what is best. Thank you.”
When we shift our perspective, our outlook changes for the better. That’s the power of self that we all carry. By living fully and being mindful in every moment, we gather our strength and become more aligned. Our spiritual journey is fully realized in our intimate relationship with the Divine. It is when we surrender that magic enters our mundane life.
You’ve read 3 Steps to Enlightenment: The Path of Surrender, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
While Acadia National Park in Maine is famous for its sunrises, stay after dark to view incredible night skies and experience Acadia’s rocky coastline by starlight. Dark night skies are great for stargazing and serve as a crucial resource for nocturnal plants and animals. Photo of the Milky Way over Boulder Beach courtesy of Manish Mamtani.
San Francisco – California – USA (by Florent Lamoureux)
💙 Curious Lion Cub on 500px by Aric Jaye, Atlanta ☀ Canon EOS… http://ift.tt/2bIV3JZ
Sometimes the best way to update an old home is to choose an area of the house that needs refreshing, leaving the rest of it to stand in all its historical splendor. Many professional designers and architects choose to do this on older streets that have strong consistency of style all throughout the neighbourhood, like countless historical lanes and roads throughout England do. This gives the family a fresh start..
The post Studio 304 Architecture Completes a Refurbishment and Extension Project in London, England appeared first on HomeDSGN.
In today’s world, many aspects of masculinity have been called into question. I think we can all agree that masculine drives to dominance and force have led to much violence, corruption, trauma, and suffering in the world. I see these manifestations as unhealthy aspects of the Warrior spirit, which is inherent in all men.
Healthy Warrior spirit is positive and necessary for men—a heroic striving to become more, slay one’s own demons, protect others, speak truth the to power, and stand up for what’s right in the world. I believe one of the most important challenges for men today is learning to cultivate and harness their Warrior spirit as a force for good, for change, and for supporting the best in themselves and others.
So how do we find our Warrior nature? And how can we distinguish between our healthy and our destructive Warrior instincts?
The Hero’s Journey is omnipresent in the genetically driven archetypal forms that arise from all cultures. For men, embracing his Warrior nature and transforming through quests into the Man of Wisdom is at the heart of the masculine Journey.
The Hero, when he finally heeds an authentic call to action and embraces his Warrior self, develops, strengthens, and clarifies through ordeal and struggle on the road to becoming a Man of Wisdom.
We become the Warrior when we are willing to endure discomfort and put ourselves at risk for our principles. 17th Century “Sword Saint” Miamoto Musashi maintained that resolute acceptance of death in serving your purpose—your current mission—is the signature hallmark of the Warrior. Principle over comfort and safety seems to be a central organizing principle in most teachings about the Warrior and Man of Wisdom, and is consistent with the evolutionary roots of the archetypes. I’ve also found it to be true for my clients and me over the last forty-three years and fifty-five thousand therapy sessions.
When a man becomes stable in his Warrior consciousness, discerning what’s true or false, and feels more moved to serve others’ development and less absorbed with testing himself, he’s often transitioning into Man of Wisdom.
Why is the Warrior archetype so necessary for men? Male competition and dominance are built into the human genome just as it is in chimpanzees, walruses, wolves and countless other species. This instinct is met putting purpose ahead of personal comfort or safety in critical situations.
The Hero’s journey—the universal human attraction to being on a mission—often involves an initial transition into the Warrior who, through traveling the road of trials, transforms into the Man of Wisdom.
The hero in the hero’s journey by definition expands his Warrior nature. He hears a call to action, says “Yes!” faces and defeats the threshold guardian, and crosses the threshold onto the road of trials and ordeals. The Warrior, receiving transformational spiritual guidance, feels in his heart when he’s on or off his mission and adjusts back to his mission, even under extreme duress.
Ordeals lead to the Well of the World—the Belly of the Whale—where he must reconcile Masculine and Feminine, Father and Mother, Light and Shadow.
As he does, his identity is progressing towards Man of Wisdom who returns through the threshold, a living bridge to the Other World. Great examples?
• Luke embodying the Jedi Knight into defeating and then reconciling with the wounded father–Darth Vader.
• Harry Potter finding deep compassion even as he destroys Voldemort.
• Bill Clinton facing the humiliations of his impeachment and wounded sexuality and continuing on to serve the world in multiple ways.
• Einstein first surrendering to his calling to more deeply understand the cosmos–in the face of much adversity–and going on to be a powerful philosophical voice for unity.
The core of the Hero’s Journey is the challenge to grow or collapse under stress. We are called, we resist the call, we finally accept the call, and embark on our personal Odyssey—choosing the adventure and coming home transformed. The monsters arise from within and without, seeking to consume us, craving violence. Attack! Flee! Attack you! Run from you! Attack me! Run from me! A man discovers his Warrior nature facing such monsters guided by his principles and strengthened by his resolve.
See Also: The Change in the Meaning of Manhood Through Time
In mythic terms, each time we slay the monster, face the ordeal, or choose principle over comfort, we discover and deepen our Warrior self. This dynamic is at the core of the Warrior’s journey.
I was a high school athlete who wrestled, practiced Shotokan Karate, played tennis, and ran cross country. My fears of pain, opponents, injury, and failure were the monsters who said, “Don’t risk that try-out, don’t get on the mat with that opponent, don’t take that ten-mile run, you will never do well in that race.” I had to meet those monsters and consume them, absorb their energy and step through the resistance thresholds into the training and contests, the victories and defeats. Each time I faced them and stepped towards them, I found my Warrior self just a little bit—I absorbed some of the resistance power and alchemically transformed it into a little more courage to step forward the next time in service of my principles.
This is the beauty of merit-based hierarchies likes sports, dance, theater, and heartfelt projects, especially for adolescents who are discovering their adult identities through success and failures, temptations and ordeals.
This is also consistent with modern research on willpower. As Roy Baumeister details in his Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, willpower is resisting a lesser impulse (like procrastination) in service of a deeper, more meaningful impulse, and is associated with increased happiness, success, health, and love. Of three dozen personality characteristics, willpower was the only one that, at four-years-old, could predict future college GPA.
Also, whether we naturally have more or less willpower as children, we can develop willpower with practice. We all have the human superpowers of focused intent and action, in service of principle, and driven by resolve. Consciously choosing goals/principles and utilizing our superpowers to pursue them increases willpower and develops our Warrior selves.
Most guys are lit up by the Warrior archetype. The Warrior is someone willing to sacrifice comfort or safety for his principles. Every single time a guy endures risk or discomfort, or sacrifices in service of principle, he nourishes his Warrior nature. The desire to do this rises up in men. If you’re not true to your principles, you suffer. If you are true to your principles, you find your Warrior self each time you hold your ground, face your fear, or embody your purpose.
We want to find ourselves as Warriors. Many men I’ve discussed this with craved this from earliest memories. I personally wanted to find myself as a warrior when I was three, five, eleven, fifteen, and thirty—the hunger was always there. I didn’t know exactly what I was reaching for, but I yearned for power and purpose, like my favorite characters in books and movies. Looking back I can see them clearly—Mighty Mouse, Mowgli (from Kipling’s The Jungle Book), Super Man, Bilbo Baggins, and The Man from UNCLE. All were Warriors serving the higher good.
As a boy grows from child to teen, to man, he expands into the Warrior. He finds meaning at the edge of death—either actually or symbolically by risking injury, failure, or defeat. He takes the Hero’s Journey—sometimes again and again. When we’re tested and rise to the task, we find our Warrior selves—a blissful experience to the masculine. And life tests us again and again, leading to successes and failures, both potentially supporting our Warrior selves.
At a particular point in adult development, something changes–we no longer need to find our best selves as much as to consistently embody our best selves. This marks the transition in Man of Wisdom. As we shift into Man of Wisdom we’re less drawn to the ordeal and more to service. I suspect this archetype arose in our misty genetic past when age diminished men’s physical capacities, but experience expanded their judgment and discernment. Tribes who accessed this wisdom had distinct evolutionary advantages.
The Man of Wisdom naturally embodies his principles. He transmits compassion and wisdom into the world and is moved to care. Man of Wisdom is often less drawn to competition and trials for himself, but loves to help others, especially the young Warriors.
Both these archetypes, Warrior and Man of Wisdom, arise in all cultures and are centrally important to most men.
What are your relationships with your Warrior nature? When have you embodied your Man of Wisdom? If you can’t answer these questions, ask someone you love about when they’ve observed these archetypes in you, and use all the information you gather to clarify your own masculine journey into Warrior and beyond into Man of Wisdom.
See Also: Two Rules for Guys
The post Why We Need More Warriors (And How to Become One) appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
💙 Verdes y violetas on 500px by Lourdes Santos Bajo, Sevilla,… http://ift.tt/2bOUgEk
Sig Nordal 