Embracing Opportunity – Practice

In embracing opportunity I’ve guided you in the past three sessions to Discern, Relax, Observe and now to Practice putting them all together into an ongoing process of daily awareness training. The real opportunity here is for you to practice the Art of Life. By doing so, you’ll be more affirming, optimistic, accepting, understanding, loving, joyful and peaceful with yourself, others, and all the circumstances of your life.

The hook is that you have to engage this practice everyday over many years to live in the joyful internal abundance you want. Have you ever picked up a violin or any other musical instrument? If so, you know how awkward it feels the first time and beyond until you get a ‘feel’ for it. The same is true in expanding your consciousness, learning how to be calm and content with this life, love what is, and open to unknown opportunities.

Remember that we all suffer because of our level of Being and mostly choose not to take responsibility for the suffering we create. It’s much easier to blame others for our  discontent and want ‘them‘ to change because we can justify anything within ourselves. I remember years ago observing that no matter how many times I moved, changed jobs, or made new friends, the metaphorical green grass in my yard always turned brown.

I finally realized that this metaphorical grass turned brown because I was negative, controlling, and judgmental just like my mother. You see, we eventually disconnect from our innocence as we become surrounded by the emotional environment we are raised in. We then internalize this environment which becomes our Personality; habitual thought and behavior patterns which we become unconsciously identified with.

This created Personality is who we think we are. We identify with it, justify and defend it vehemently, and live  mechanically in and through it unknowingly. It’s not who we are.

Here’s a test…..Have you ever observed your self-justifying? Have you observed many contradictory selves within you? Have you observed when you lie? Have you observed yourself being negative, ambivalent, uncaring? Have you ever been full of self-pity?

The list of self defeating internal patterns that we live with everyday are legion and yet, we justify and are unconscious of them. We want to judge, condemn, blame and  change the external realities rather than wake up and observe the internal ones that need changing. Practicing self-observation, seeing our own parts acting out repeatedly is where we must start. This leads to Self Remembering, recognizing who we truly are.

So, whenever you observe scorn, anger, fear, anxiety, regret, despair, blame, guilt, shame, self pity, judgement, and the host of other negative thoughts and feelings; Stop and Drop into self-observation. Practice this with every breath. Then Remember who you truly are, a divine being from a higher altitude, and give thanks. Develop this new repetitive joyful practice today. Soon you’ll be embracing opportunity effortlessly. Really!