LESS EGO / MORE SOUL

“I am the Lizard King, I can do anything!”  - Jim Morrison

Religious myths, such as those studied in the “holy” books of the world’s cultures, are at the end of the day, just stories of other’s experiences with source. Stories, that have been passed on like chinese whispers throughout time immemorial.

Consider how words and culture (the stories we are collectively told and often which become the stories which we tell ourselves) prevent us from being present and experiencing our own interaction with life, source and reality.

Just as a dream only has a message for the dreamer, all stories are so drenched in symbolism that it’s true meaning can only be interpreted by the writer.

This isn’t to say that such stories can’t serve to inspire and serve in our own relationship with life. We are a storytelling race after all, and the stories we weave and share are wonderful. However, I would regret allowing a story to blind me from the magic of my own experiences.

On the Illuminati, “reptiles” and other conspiracy theories:

Understand that they are always looking for players. Anyone can tell a good story, but the question is, can they kick the ball at the end of the day?

Theirs might be an interesting story – it might even be a true story, but it is also an ancient and old story and the more we re-tell it, the more it binds us to such a reality – driven by fear and a hunger for power.

A story only holds true if you believe in it.

It’s your choice to engage in such myths or write a new one.

“Then said a rich man, Speak to us of Giving.

And he answered:

You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?

And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the over-prudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?

And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?

There are those who give little of the much which they have – and they give it for recognition and heir hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.

And there are those who have little and give it all.

And you receivers – and you are all receivers – assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives. Rather Together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; for to be over mindful of your debt is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother and God for father.”

~ Kahlil Gibran

You can tell a lot about the quality of someone’s words through their tone of their voice.

For example, those who speak with a nasal tone tends are usually communicating their ideas based on what they think in their heads (influenced by the ego) rather than what they feel in their hearts.

In contrast, when one speaks from their heart, their voice tends to take on a deeper and more resonate quality. Their words flow freely and eloquently without the disruption of “ums” and “uhs” or “likes” and “you know”.

They speak with passion and conviction; with far less false starts because they don’t need to “think” about what they are saying – they are simply stating their truth.

As a listener, you can feel it in your own heart. It inspires you and excites you. It reminds you of your own truth.

So listen carefully to those around you. Where are their words coming from, their head or their hearts?

If there is one thing that life has taught me; its that teachers come in many, many forms and it is often those we fail to recognize, that have the most to offer us.

In fact, I’ve come to realise that the best teachers are the ones that disappoint your expectations at the end of the day, as they demonstrate their own mortality.

This, for a few reasons:

1)   Disappointment is a great teacher in itself. It encourages us to consider and reflect on our own expectations and projections which ultimately nurture suffering.

It also provides us with an opportunity to expand or contract.

To expand in this instance, would mean to evaluate, the teachings of that sage while holding on to their insights that you know feel true for you.

To contract however, would be to discredit all their wisdom, purely because they have not lived up to your holy image of them.

When we can hold space for our own disappointment, we grow and breakthrough the limitations of our expectations. In this way, we clear space for more opportunities.

2)   When a teacher or guru “disappoints” our highest expectations, through recognizing them as human (just like us), we are able to reclaim our own power and understand that we are the ones we’ve been waiting for; that you are the one you’ve been waiting for.

3)   I don’t believe, “enlightenment” can be taught by a single person and I personally think that any “saint” who lives a life based on rigid tradition is missing the point. Rather, “enlightenment” is absorbed through experience and exposure to a vast range of views. It comes from sifting through information and learning to discriminate between that which ultimately serves you and that which does not. After all, it is by reflecting on our interactions that real growth happens.

To consume information mindlessly, is pointless. When we find a truth and consciously seek to implement it in our daily life, we may struggle and contradict ourselves, but it is this journey that provides us with the understanding necessary to sustainably evolve.

A great example of this, is when one begins to explore and contrast the many religions out there. Personally I am not a fan of dogma and I recoil at the thought of a God who should be feared, however, I can still recognize and appreciate the nuggets of truth that are embedded in all religions.

The trick is to learn to discriminate between the “gospel” and that which feels true for you – and from those latter insights build your own religion.

“Awake.

Shake dreams from your hair
my pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
the day’s divinity
First thing you see.

A vast radiant beach and cooled jeweled moon
Couples naked race down by it’s quiet side
And we laugh like soft, mad children
Smug in the wooly cotton brains of infancy
The music and voices are all around us.

Choose they croon the Ancient Ones
the time has come again
choose now, they croon
beneath the moon
beside an ancient lake

Enter again the sweet forest
Enter the hot dream
Come with us
everything is broken up and dances.

Indians scattered,
On dawn’s highway bleeding
Ghosts crowd the young child’s,
Fragile eggshell mind

We have assembled inside,
This ancient and insane theater
To propagate our lust for life,
And flee the swarming wisdom of the streets.

The barns have stormed
The windows kept,
And only one of all the rest
To dance and save us
From the divine mockery of words,
Music inflames temperament.

Ooh great creator of being
Grant us one more hour,
To perform our art
And perfect our lives.”

- Jim Morrison, Ghost Song

The Buddhists are known to practice the art of non-confirmation.

This means they refrain from giving and seeking confirmation of one’s words, of one’s actions and of one’s self.

By doing so, they forge their own path toward freedom.

No longer are they caught up with the illusions of the external world, warping their truth and distracting their presence.

No longer are they governed by their ego, vying to gain power-over through the portrayal of a particular image of self.

Instead, they are left – at first, quite uncomfortably – with only the judgment of their own mind and the guidance of their own moral compass.

And this is where the magic happens…
Where one really gets to know themselves,
Where one is cordially invited commune with their soul;
To discover what it is they truly ache for and pursue it with passion and reckless abandon.

Why do we fear ourselves?

Why do we doubt ourselves?

Why do we question our own judgment?

Why do we think, for one second, that another could possibly tell us how to live our own lives any better than by the guidance of our own hearts?

Why are we so afraid to take the reins; to claim our decisions as our own?

Because if we were “wrong” than who’d be to blame?

If we “failed”, than how would we recover from such a loss of face?

But think about it, has life ever thrown you something you couldn’t handle?

You might think so, but you’re still here; you survived.

At worst you might have wound up a little bruised and battered.

Embarrassed perhaps… But you recovered and you evolved.

Acknowledge the state of your physical body (the sacred vessel of your spirit) as a symbolic sculpture of the life you lead.

If you love your life then why not worship your body – whatever its size, whatever its shape?

Regardless of where it fits in cotrast to society’s view of beauty and ideals, if life feels good then change your perceptions to embrace its unique perfection.

And, if life feels bad change your existence – not to meet the expectations of others, or emulate what is sold as a valuable depiction of “success”.

No, change it to meet your soul’s yearning for love, for connection, for joy, for contentment, for exploration, for thrills and  for memories of delicious moments well spent.

Because life is supposed to feel good and who could ever definitively judge what a feeling looks like?

We tell ourselves lies: “if only I was ______, then I could be happy.”

Recognise that your quality of life would actually be no better; albeit perhaps a little less weighed down by your crying consciousness and the judgement that governs these lies.

When you were a child you never thought this way.

You’ve been conditioned to believe that you are not enough and after so many years you’re now using these lies as excuses; because you would find it too uncomfortable to actually cross the finish line.

What would you do with all that power; with all that responsibility?

Ignore the lies and focus on being happy first. Then decide if what you wanted was really ever that important.

Surrender your soul to the waters of time

The truth that all is transient

Floating freely down the canal to rebirth

Cling to nothing; but delight in the ride

The truth is discovered now

Naked and bare

Raw to the eyes of the blind

The discovery

Of what it feels to be free

Unburdened

Not wet yet nor dry

Exist in this space

As you dwell in this place

Let feelings guide your reactions

For nothing is right

And nothing is wrong

Spare the truth of your own moral compass

Remember now

What you knew all along

The truth

Your soul

Is now opened

And with no remorse

Abandon your thoughts

And live freely

On instinct and feeling.

I’m learning to embrace anger – particularly in relationships.

During a sound healing at ConFest, I began to feel something foreign bubble up. It felt uncomfortable and icky.

Turns out, it was years of suppressed anger – the ancient resentment I’d hid within the depths of me as I’d somehow come to believe that such emotions were unworthy of expression.

This left me confused and shocked – I’d turned up to the sound healing to relax and to meditate. Where were these feelings coming from?

‘I’m not an angry person’ I told myself in my confusion. It wasn’t until some wise guy posed the question:

‘Really? Or is it that you don’t want to be an “angry person” because you don’t think that anger is a useful emotion?’

That stopped me in my tracks and flipped my world on its head.

‘Ooh…yeah. Maybe.’ I replied, albeit a little perplexed.

Since, I’ve been exploring the value of anger and how to express it in a healthy way.

Forgiveness is divine, yes. But to forgive fully, we must first acknowledge our anger.

I cringe at the thought of all those times I am guilty in suppressing my anger in the name of peace. I guess I hated the idea of being seen as ‘that angry bitch’.

But contrary to my own stereotype of what expressing anger looks like – it’s not about yelling, kicking, screaming or throwing a tantrum.

Rather,

It’s about feeling what you feel, without judgment.

It’s about asserting to others what you need from them (and rarely does someone get angry unreasonably).

And, it’s also about self-love: recognizing that you are worthy of more and rising above any fear of rejection – that the other will leave you for being less than compliant.

There is no excuse for other people’s bad behaviour and if we fail to express our pain, hurt, frustration or fury we fail to provide others with the feedback they need to grow.

When you express your anger in a healthy way, you’re essentially providing the other with insight – and, should they choose to listen, an opportunity for them to grow into a better person.

So embrace anger with passion. Declare your truth. Ask for what you need.

Abundance is not about sipping your cocktail slowly so to ‘savor’ it.

It’s about allowing others to taste it, knowing that it wont be the last.