Life will give you whatever experiences most helpful

“Life will give you whatever experiences most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.” – Eckhart Tolle

In my twenty plus years of being a spiritual mystic, I can account that some years have been happier than others. The happier years have been the years I have been more consciously aware. As a student of spirituality I know that some of my years have been spent unconsciously aware. These were the years that I knew about awareness of life and its lessons, but was not implementing the awareness. I had the tools readily available, and yet I did not use them. I use these years of anxiety, stress and depression as a guide for gauging the drastic difference between consciously aware and consciously unaware. The difference is night and day. Try doing something in the dark- and you will get a picture of what I am trying to describe. It certainly cannot be done with the same way when there is light. The darkness causes frustration and anger that continues from its point of origin into wherever it can get to-every corner of your mind and every interpretation of reality around you. Conscious awareness- or awakened minds- can navigate better than those without it- and with much more ease. I can say this because I have done stints of both- for years. My preference every day of the week is to be aware or awakened. In the awakened state, I am aware that every experience I am a part of is there for my growth and for learning. Whether it’s good, bad or ugly- I know that the experience presented is a beautiful chance for me to excel and help those along the way in whatever ways I can. In the awakened state I know how beautiful life is in its every moment. More things are going right in my life and in the world, than there are things that are going wrong. Every moment is an opportunity to be aware, to appreciate, to express gratitude for what is. Whatever comes to you- greet it as an opportunity to grow and to learn. There are not problems in life- only interesting challenges which you will meet with awareness- and that, ladies and gentlemen is the cutting edge over all else! Love the NOW. xoxo

GROW OR GO HOME

We have total freedom from birth to face up to our potential and give meaning to our own lives, no matter what has happened to us or around us. Each day is a new day- a new beginning and we are given an opportunity every moment to make the conscious decision to strive for self-actualization- fulfilling our potential with goodness and growth. Each day we are also given the conscious choice to or shrink away from responsibility choosing to view ourselves as helpless victims of circumstance and our environment and live empty inauthentic and dysfunction lives as a result. The decision is yours. We here at GOGH are here to help inspire those who enjoy the positive energy and enjoy being alive, and to those who need to hear an inspirational word when we are thirsty for encouragement and doing better. Dark times lie in every individual and are part of life and a part of growing. GOGH to inspire and be inspired.



GOGHers are those who have an active interest in growing and learning and developing the positive attitude and outlook it takes to make this the best life it can be. We are dedicated to the personal and spiritual growth of those who wish to better and enjoy life in the present moment. Happiness is always an active choice and an inside job. Each of us determines our own weather and we are not driven by the outside circumstances of life. Life is 10% of what is happening and 90% the way we CHOOSE to react to it.
That which holds us back: Service to the self and the pursuit of activities that support our human existence: Material things, status, wealth, power, preoccupation of the self, judgment of the self and of others—all driven by the EGO.
That which propels us into greatness: A commitment to promoting others achieving a positive reality along with one’s own. Information is shared freely and lovingly. Lack of ego satisfaction, Personal journeys are recognized and valued. Love and positive light is seen in all things. Individuals seek to radiate unconditional love. Each individual is responsible for individual and collective growth and strive for community growth and progress; setting positive examples and being responsible for the energy each of us carries with us. Each of us have the ability to create positivity everywhere we go and to each person we encounter. You never know the impact your kindness has on another, even if it is never made aware to you. There are no limits to your greatness. Be the person you want to meet.

Characteristic of the Human Ego and false self that lead to unhappiness

 

“The ego is a false sense based on mental concepts. It is identification with the body and the mind—primarily identification with thought form. “ – Eckhart Tolle

 

Patterns of Egoic Behavior

• Blaming, Judging, accusing, gossiping and complaining. The ego always has to have something to oppose and complain about. It enjoys judging others and blaming behaviors that cause the individual to reflect outwards to keep attention and focus away from inward reflection.
• The need to be RIGHT, having enemies or constant opposition, and applying negative labels to people. Some people always have to be right or have the last word. These are the behaviors of line crosses and people who do not know when to stop or let go.
• Demanding recognition for something you did and getting upset if you did not get it. The ego needs and demands to be recognized. It wants to be better than others and seeks constant approval that will never be met. If you are self-satisfied and minimize ego- you will no longer need this approval or validation.
• Attention seeking behaviors such as constant talk of problems, illness, how you are the victim in circumstances, creating drama, stirring the pot and making a scene. We all know these people. The only things they have to discuss are negative things in life. Nothing ever new that is good happens to them. They revel in being the victim of their unfortunate and unfair life circumstances. Their story rarely changes. Don’t be this person and stay away from those who are. They drain your energy and leave you empty.
• Giving your opinion when no one asked for it and/or when it does not change the situation. If you are not looking to improve a situation or change the energy to a positive- keep your mouth shut. You sound like an idiot and no one wants to hear it.
• Being concerned with how the other person sees you than concern for the other person. Once again these people are completely self-absorbed and are only interested in what is going on in their or heads and lives. Shift focus on something other than yourself. There is a great big world out there that you could be improving instead of creating self-absorbed situations in your mind. It’s not ALL ABOUT YOU.
• Trying to impress others with possessions. Keeping up with the Joneses or showing off what you have is completely petty and self-absorbed. Try doing a random act of kindness instead.
• Taking things personally or being easily offended. There are too many positive things in life to focus on or be a part of. If you are easily offended or take things too personally, you are once again way too self-absorbed. It’s not all about you.
• Needing to be seen or to appear important. If you are a good person, people will recognize and see this. If you feel the need to choose attention seeking behaviors or things that would make you seem or feel important, you are way off track and will never feel satisfied.

Don't Resist the NOW

“To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. It seems almost paradoxical, yet when your inner dependency on form is gone, the general conditions of your life, the outer forms, tend to improve greatly. Things, people, or conditions that you thought you needed for your happiness now come to you with no struggle or effort on your part, and you are free to enjoy and appreciate them - while they last. All those things, of course, will still pass away, cycles will come and go, but with dependency gone there is no fear of loss anymore. Life flows with ease.”
― Eckhart Tolle

 

What is resistance to life and how does it apply to us? We all resist many things in life- more often than not. There is the old saying “Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.” This doesn’t mean to not have goals and strive for great things and favorable circumstances. But we all know that all of those things are not attainable all of the time. Much of life is circumstances we do not prefer or do not like. It is all essentially up to you if you are a happy individual or not. The happiness is a choice of how you perceive the world and choose to interpret situations around you. We often find ourselves in places we do not want to be or people we don’t want to be around, but we have to be there anyway, don’t we. Most of us have to work, since most of us are not instant scratch of lottery winners or trust fund babies. Letting go of resistance to the now is allowing the now to transform into something better than we had allowed it to be before. If you must be at work- be there- and be there now. What that means is to be present in the moments that are now. Make the most of your day as a choice and be present in the work you do and the people you interact with. Most of us in conversation are never really present in who we are talking to or what we are talking about. We focus on what is in our minds such as grocery lists and what we might do later that day or on the weekend. We are never really present with who we are with or what we are doing. Our focus is on the past, the future, or the thoughts our minds. The mind is always on, but you could be missing something interesting NOW. You could be creating sincere conversations and work situations. If you are at the doctor’s office in the waiting room- make the most out of it. Don’t dwell on waiting- do something fun in the present moment. Bring a great book to read or something to do. You have to be there anyway.

My personal least favorite are the grocery store, the post office and the gas station. I try to remove myself from my own egoic mind and be where I am. Smile at the other people there and say hello. Be in the moment wherever you are no matter where you are. You always have the choice to make the most of your situation. You don’t not have to be trapped in the mind with your constant thoughts and miss the life that goes on around you now. I’d rather be on a yacht on the Greek isles right now eating feta cheese and olives….but I am not. I am here in the present moment- and choosing to be Present- wherever I am. Enjoy the NOW wherever you are and make the most of the time we have-which is the present.

Mondayness

Today is Monday- with all of its Mondayness we experience- back to the grind of things, but lets not forget kindness. Today I was determined to smile at each person as I passed them on busy campus. We are so engrossed in own realties that we do not think much of anyone else’s.  Sometimes a smile can make the difference in a day. Kindness is disappearing fast- so let’s bring it back- now. It doesn’t cost you a thing and someone may really be in need of the slightest kindness. I also littered the campus with kind words on paper- many will get thrown away- but one may find someone who needed to hear those words. SNAP.

The Power of Choice and My new distain for Verizon (Well, Kinda)

We all have the ability to choose to be happy, choose to be miserable and choose how we allow things to affect us. Knowing these principles is one thing, but applying them is another. Always easier said than done. As life happens and we find ourselves in situations unpleasing, we have the ability to choose how we will react to any given situation- be it right or wrong. I have been having this ongoing issue with Verizon the past few months. They claim that I was delinquent on a bill and put me as a “cash only” customer, in which you can only pay your bill in person at the store or call financial services online to make a payment over the phone, if they choose to do so. Now here’s the thing, I paid my phone bill the same time and same way I do every month, and have for years. I revived payment confirmation and went about my life. About three weeks later my boss, of all people came into the office and asked me if my phone was working, as he had tried to call and it wasn’t going through. Of course, I responded, and proceeded to call myself from the landline. He joked that I should perhaps pay my bill and that they probably shut it off. We both had a good giggle, knowing that was not the case. As my phone seemed to have issues and was not receiving calls, I called Verizon to inquire. They stated that I had not paid my bill and that they had turned my services off.

I advised them that there was obviously a mistake, and that I had received confirmation of payment. They stated that I had paid, and that three weeks later, they returned the payment to my bank for insufficient funds. This made absolutely no sense to me- as payments are always deducted within 24 hours of payment- if not within a few short minutes. And secondly, the funds were there!

I tried to speak with management about the mix up, but no one wanted to hear it. Common sense would not avail, nor would my immaculate track record of being a perfect paying customer for years. An error in their computer systems and a lack of caring and or reason on their side had turned me into a “bad customer”, who now had to battle multiple line transfer telephone calls to pay their monthly bills. At this point my ego is angry and insulted and no one is listening or cares. The reality of the situation is that Verizon wins. Companies and customer service has gone so far out the window that no one cares about keeping a good customer, it’s all about the money.  

At this point, I had a choice- I could yell at the manager (who prob could care less as he prob hears it several times a day), threaten to cancel my contract, and throw an outward temper tantrum at my desk screaming obscenities, spreading my negative energy all over the office and onto others in the near vicinity. I could have allowed it to affect my entire day, my attitude for the remaining work day, my driving in angry mode on the way home, and how I treated my boyfriend and pets when I arrived home.

Instead I chose to not be moved by that situation. True- it is ridiculous and wrong. And there is really nothing that I can do about it. I can choose to have a chuckle and shake my head and realize this is what the situation IS. The only choice I have regarding it is how I respond. I choose to not let if affect me and view it as a learning experience to enhance knowledge in the ability for the right to CHOOSE how life affects me, and those around me.

Change Your Relationship With The NOW

The Zen master Hakuin lived in a town in Japan. He was held in high regard and many people came to him for spiritual teaching. Then it happened that the teenage daughter of his next door neighbor became pregnant. When being questioned by her angry and scolding parents as the identity of the father, she finally told them that he was Hakuin, the Zen Master. In great anger the parents rushed over to Hakuin and told him with much shouting accusation that the daughter bad confessed that he was the father. All he was replied was “is that so?”

News of the scandal spread throughout the town and beyond. The master lost his reputation. This did not trouble him. No one came to see him anymore. He remained unmoved. When the child was born, the parents brought him to Hakuin. “You are the father so you look after him.” The Master took loving care of the child. A year later, the mother remorsefully confessed to her parents that the real father of the child was the young man who worked at the butcher shop. In great distress they went and apologized to Hakuin and asked for forgiveness. “We are really sorry. We have come to take the baby back. Our daughter confessed that you are not the father.”  “Is that so>” is all he would say as he handed the baby over to them.

The Master responds to falsehood and truth, bad news and good news, in exactly the same way. “Is that so?” He allows the form of the moment, good or bad, to be as it is and so he does not become a participant in human drama. TO him there is only this moment, and the moment is as it is. He is nobody’s victim. He is so completely at one with what happens that what happens has no power over him anymore. Only if you resist what happens are you at the mercy of what happens, and the world will determine your happiness and unhappiness.

Imagine briefly how the ego would have reacted during the various stages of the unfolding of these events.

Ego and the Present Moment

The most important, the primordial relationship in your life is your relationship with the Now, or rather with whatever form the now takes, that is to say, what is or what happens. If your relationship with the Now is dysfunctional, that dysfunction will be reflected in every relationship and every situation you encounter. The ego could be defined simply in this way: a dysfunctional relationship with the present moment. It is at this moment that you can decided what relationship you want to have with the present moment.

Once you have reached a certain level of consciousness, (and by reading this you almost certainly have), you are able to decide what kind of relationship you want to have with the present moment. Do I want the present moment to be my friend or enemy. The present moment is inseparable from life, so you are really deciding on what kind of relationship you want with life. Once you have decided you want the moment to be your friend, it is up to you to make the first move. Become friendly toward it, welcome it no matter what disguise it comes, and soon it will become friendly toward you, people become helpful, circumstances become cooperative. One decision changes your entire reality. This decision has to be made again and again and again- until it becomes natural to live in such a way.

The decision to become friends with the present is the end of the ego. The ego can never be in alignment with the present moment, which is to say, aligned with life, since it is its very nature to ignore, resist, and devalue the Now. The stronger the ego, the more time it takes to over your life. Almost every thought you think is concerned with past of future, and your sense of self depends on the future for its fulfillment. Fear, anxiety, expectation, regret, guilt, and anger are the dysfunctions to the time bound state of consciousness.  

Via A NEW EARTH- By Eckhart Tolle