We are rising higher to gain a greater understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe, pushing past our comfort zone, using our understanding and innovative ways to move us forward, while including and benefiting from the wisdom and experiences we’ve gained from our past. We rise.
We are called from within, from our heart, and from our soul, to rise, to transcend our old paradigms of being, and include only those ways of being that serve us in our daily life now, and serve the evolution of our conscious awareness—thereby contributing to the evolution of awareness on the planet. There has never been a more important time to dive into our spiritual consciousness, our wholeness. We are pulled in so many directions. We are divided on so many fronts. We are stretched to our limits in understanding, compassion, and patience. Many of us come together every week in a spiritual setting to lift each other up in spiritual principles, spiritual practices, and to stay inspired to rise above the tediousness of some of the situations that life presents to us.
When we can rise above the negative commentary that is out there—and more importantly—within us, in our hearts and minds: the judgments, the blame, the fear—when we rise above that within ourselves, we reveal the ever-present peace, love, and joy that is our true nature. We become our own example, and we shine the light for everyone around us, and we contribute to the healing for ourselves, for our families, and on the planet. We become the way-show-ers for peace, love and joy. It starts with us. It starts with how we rise within ourselves, and we bring that higher consciousness into our daily interactions with our children, our parents, our partners, our work. It starts on our Facebook page. It starts in our text messages and emails, and in our responses to the situations in our life. Let’s rise.
My nephew has a beautiful newborn baby girl, and I am reminded that as infants, we are born feeling as if we are one with our mother, and father, and our environment. We cannot separate ourselves from what we are experiencing. It’s all one. And then, at a very young age, as toddlers, we discover that we are not our parents, we are not our mother, we are not the environment. We soon learn that we are different, we are separate from all of that. And we begin to identify as our separate thoughts, our separate body, our separate emotions. We become individualized.
We know that we are not our environment. We find out that we have our own thoughts; our own likes and dislikes—and we believe that is who we are. I am my body—I am tall, thin small, young. I am my thoughts— I am hungry, I am smart, I am thoughtful. I am my emotions—I am sad, I am angry, I am kind. And then our history becomes who we think we are and how we identify ourselves.
Most of us leave it there—we haven’t gone far enough.
Many of us by the time we get into our 20’s feel so separated; we feel separated for this thing we call God, and we feel separated from each other. We haven’t found—or even been taught to look for—our true identity, our true nature. And that causes so much suffering for us, and in the world today.
The next level of our development is really knowing, experientially that we are not just a body, just a form, just a personality, but in fact we are spiritual beings, having this beautiful, incredible human experience. So We rise into our whole selves. We transcend the negative conditioning of our past limiting beliefs and experiences, and we rise into our true nature and our wholeness. We release any ideas of separation and limitation, we embrace love and peace and the interconnection of all life. We rise.
The Center for Spiritual Living Global Vision states: We see a world in which every person lives in alignment with their highest spiritual principle, emphasizing unity with God and connection with each other; a world in which individually and collectively we are called to a higher state of consciousness and action.
We envision humanity awakening to its spiritual magnificence and discovering the creative power of thought; a world where every person discovers their own personal power and ability to create a life that works for each individually, within a world that works for everyone.
A Course in Miracles states: Awareness (Transcendence) brings something of another dimension to the three-dimensional human being. In this awareness there is wholeness. In this awareness there is totality. Awareness is of One Life, One God.
Many of us have years and decades of practicing separation, but we come together in groups and meetings and meditations to remember our wholeness. And most importantly to live from this wholeness; to allow it to influence every aspect of our daily life.
We are not just whole sometimes, when we meditate, or pray or come together —we are now and have always been, and forever will be whole.
We are asked from within, from our highest self, to expand our awareness, and to rise above the physical and mental levels of experience and existence, to not attach to our thoughts, or our conditioned responses, to the events and circumstances in our external world of affairs. Instead, through our spiritual practices we realize our wholeness and unity, and we bring peace, love, and joy into our everyday situations and events.
We rest more and more often and more and more easily in the spaciousness of conscious awareness. This is such a powerful place to live from. When we transcend the effects of our past conditioning, and we live in the state of pure awareness, we create a life filled with joy and peace. We discover our personal power through wholeness and connection. We overcome the ideas of duality. That means we overcome the idea that there is spirituality, or God, or Presence AND there is something else, something other than God. There is only one power, one presence and it moves and has it’s being in , as and through us.
Ernest Holmes said, “An atmosphere of goodness, truth, beauty, harmony, and reality comes in such degree as we come to believe, understand, and make use of the invisible Presence. To be spiritually- minded is to be whole- minded. To be whole-minded is to be holy. It means we realize the complete unity of God and its creation. We understand the complete unity and close relationship of all life.
In other words we’ve stopped the belief in separation and we recognize that everything I see ‘out there’ in the world is one in, one with, and one as Spirit itself—and one with who I am. Thou art who I am—I am who thou art.
We recognize that we are like water in the ocean; we may see ourselves as individual waves or currents which have formed in the vast ocean, but when we rise, we see no separation of Essence, of Being, of God. We experience wholeness.
How do we live this message of rising up, transcending the physical, and the mental conditioning of our past? What can we do when we see things that distress us, that make us feel attacked, or like we want to attack. What do we do with illness, or the feelings of lack or scarcity…
Well, first we rise. We rise into our awareness. No matter how long it takes, we take the moment to rise into our spiritual self, and we claim and declare that we will not engage in anything less than love and peace. There is always a way to express our individuality—and our intention of unity, wholeness, and oneness—under any circumstances. When we remember this, we rise, and we bring peace, and harmony into any and all circumstances. It is a decision. A choice. An intention. When we transcend limiting beliefs and the old conditioning, we regain the power to choose, to respond, and not just react from old conditioning.
It could be the current headlines, the facebook posts, the neighbor, the family member that challenges us to rise and to make that decision to rest and reside in the strength and the power and the clarity that is available to us in our spiritual wholeness. We’ll take it! We will use every opportunity to turn within and to rise.
Keep a notebook with you, or keep notes on your phone, about what disturbs your sense of peace and wholeness… What is pulling you into a sense of separation, or lack or limitation? Notice where you want to react instead of respond. And as you notice, take the time to rise. Notice how you are able to choose love, or peace, or harmony—and reframe any situation, any event, any circumstance. I invite you to not just rise into your spiritual awareness during a meditation, or a class, or a meeting, but to bring your wholeness, clarity, and love into every aspect of your life.
I’ll finish with a quote from Joel Goldsmith who said, “It is possible for anyone to change the trend of their life, not by hearing or reading about truth, but by making it an active part of consciousness in daily experience, until it becomes a habit every moment of the day, instead of an occasional thought.”
Brother Lawrence spoke about unceasing prayer… To pray unceasingly is not a prayer to someone or for something. The unceasing prayer is rising into spiritual wholeness and knowing the truth that is available in it.
Affirmation: I rise above any limiting beliefs and past conditioning, now, into my whole and complete self. And I respond to life with Love!
