" Dear God ... "

“ … Dear God the only thing I ask of you
When I'm much too far away
We all need that person who can be true to you 

And now I wish I'd stayed

'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired

I'm missing you again oh no

Once again

Some search, never finding a way
Before long, they waste away

I found you, something told me to stay
I gave in, to selfish ways

Once again… “

~ Avenged Sevenfold ~ Dear God ~

***

“ I guess you’ve found God now “ was recently said.

Initially perplexed, I answered … “ I am learning to let go of fear with the intention to live the rest of this life with purpose and clarity “

You should have seen the expression on their face. ... 

Naturally during times of illness, great pain and suffering, we may gravitate toward a spiritual practice, as it provides a way sometimes to heal the grief, sadness and bitterness all held up in our hearts.  Spirituality can be a means to cope.

Yet personally speaking, it isn’t about have a better connection with God. It is about having a better connection with Life.  Not believing that a Divine being out in the Universe will grant me immortality, rather I’ve been exploring the dysfunctional relationship I have had with life  …   

Each moment, each day, dealing with what comes up … and realizing that when I face a type of suffering, my faith is tested.  True faith begins with detachment becoming open to whatever arises, the unknown.  An opportunity in the face of this unknown to experience a special kind of peace, that there are infinite possibilities.  Faith is about letting go of certain outcome, a certain solution. Faith is about trusting the process.  Faith is believing All Is Well, regardless of what is.

This comes at a time when acceptance is necessary.  That a certain solution may not exist.  That you don’t have to figure it all out in this moment.  And that maybe there really is nothing TO figure out.  Shifting to a place of being, and tired of doing.  I often think of cancer or any severe illness as a type of dance.  Hoping to take the lead and be in control but not knowing it could switch in a moment.

And so spirituality allows me to shift to a place of acceptance … to manage, cope, deal and thrive, despite of this challenge.  Great words to live by and a guiding mantra recited within every day.  As I said recently to family, no one said this was going to be easy.  Yet having the ability to let go during times of darkness is where my faith truly prevails.  

“ … rather than being better. today. be there for yourself. when you wander or feel stagnant. know your path and you are one. and just like your breath. up and down. your path is about learning. to love. you. unconditionally. so today sweet soul. trust what is within you. enjoy who you are. more than enough … “

www.walkstrong.ca

" It's Just A Thought ... "

“ ... It's just a thought

But I've noticed somethin' strange,

Gettin' harder to explain;

All the years are passin' bye and bye,

Still I don't know what makes it go;

Who said to wait and you'll see?

It's just a thought

But the word has come too late

That a bad idea will take

Just about a lifetime to explain,

And don't you see,

Good one's gonna be much longer;

Who's gonna wait, just to see? ... “

~ Creedence Clearwater Revival ~ It’s Just A Thought ~

***

Those moments when you move past the body, past the surface and you face the mirror of your own faults, your own limitations, your own darkness.  Your responsibilities, your choices ... everything in your life is all down to you.

How do we learn to deal with this revelation and how do we move through it.  We keep going, acknowledge it and own up.  And we tend to measure our strength by it.  Yet our minds will create doubts and escape thoughts when the mirror is reflected back.  Unless we shift from thinking to awareness.

Thinking is thought intensive while awareness is presence or simple attention in the moment.  Thinking is when our mind creates thoughts about the situation we are in.  Awareness is when our attention is focused on the situation simply observing with our senses.  We are aware thought what we see, hear, feel, smell and taste.  Thinking separates us from the immediacy of the situation as awareness gives us direct perception of the situation ... allowing us to perceive it more accurately.

... thought does not have an existence that is independent of awareness ... 

And so do we attempt to deny thinking?  Not possible.  Denying any form of thought is denying awareness itself.  To deny thought is to make an assumption that is not based on reality.  Awareness is empty and not a form or a thing.  IT has no qualities, no beginning and no end.  It is neither good or bad, right or wrong, here or there.  It is non dual.

... Your entire story, your body, and everything else that happens to "you" are merely objects appearing and disappearing in timeless, non conceptual awareness. 

The objects themselves are empty ... 

Awareness is awake right now, always, ready and present.  It is prior to anything you think about yourself.  The thought based, time bound story of you is fiction.  It is peaceful and still.  it is presence awareness.

And so if we take a moment to suspend thought in order to directly recognize awareness, we reveal who we are.  In that moment, we allow ourselves to fully arise ... and observe ... non conceptual awareness.

Through non conceptual awareness, we view the final seeing, pointing away from attachment to the intellect, form, thought. We realize that thoughts are not separate from awareness.  The distinction itself is a creation of thought.  

www.walkstrong.ca