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Chuck's Blog

Chuck’s Place: Stalking the Ego in the New Era

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We are in the dawning of a New Era…
– Photo by Jan Ketchel

An animal stalks its prey, waiting patiently, instinctively knowing the best moment to strike. Shamans regularly stalk a new identity, when the time has come for them to transform and move on into new life. In this New Era we find ourselves in, we must all stalk a new identity.

To stalk, we must first turn to the ego’s behavior and study its habitual patterns in order to know which to strike to ensure survival in this New Era. Stalking requires pragmatic objectivity to be effective. Belief systems that superimpose their interpretations upon reality miss the mark of what truly is. To stalk is to be a true scientist.

The salient quality of ego is its decision making capability. Though all species may be said to make decisions, only humans have the ability to act contrary to their instinctive programs. Humans, therefore, have functioned as the deliberative brain of planet Earth, altering instinctive programs at will. As a result, Planet Earth has entered into a period of revolt; in striking out the ruling human ego she stalks her own new identity.

We watch, every day, as Planet Earth continues her drastic transformation; evident currently in the fires of Australia, earthquakes in Puerto Rico, volcano in the Philippines, and tornadoes and early summer in different parts of mainland America.

If we stalk the governing ego of the world at present, in human form, what is revealed is an inflated sense of self-importance that blatantly denies the reality of climate change, and is focused on the total exploitation of the Earth, for the material gain of itself. This ego stance is intent upon completely imposing its will upon the Earth, positioning itself as the master of all of nature.

How can such a ruling attitude adapt to the multitude of changes happening daily before our eyes? At best, we might call it a valiant attempt to hold onto the dominating feature of the old era, in what we might characterize as, “ego’s last stand.” But, like buildings being toppled by earthquakes, this exaggerated attitude will, of necessity, collapse amidst the growing imperative of Earth’s transformation.

Ego, as the active side of decision making, is critical to survival in this New Era. However, ego must align itself with the true needs of the self, and the planet. This requires a perspective that considers the interdependent relationship of all things, what could be called the energetic oneness of everything.

The byproduct of this oneness, the glue that holds it all together, is love. Thus, for ego to align itself lovingly with the interconnected oneness of everything would be the correct attitude to stalk, as we inevitably go with the flow of the changes of this New Era.

Our New Era is replete with violation. Violation is the catalyst that opens the portal to new worlds. Trauma survivors and shamans alike know the transporting effect of violation ushering in unknown worlds.

What was once the restricted province of shamans and unwitting victims is now the everyday reality for the entire human race: violation and entry into new worlds of possibility. Blame for  violation, at this stage, cannot contain the deeper truth, that we are all part of a collective shamanic journey now, our evolutionary destiny. We are not victims but adventurers forging a new path in a New Era.

Clearly, it is nature herself leading the charge of violation in this New Era, as Planet Earth reshapes herself. Current human ego decision making, at the highest levels, reflects nature’s ruthlessness. But here the analogy ends. Ruthlessness rooted in narcissistic injury is isolated and immature. Only ego, in the service of the greater good, can safely navigate this New Era we are in. Only ego in alignment with what is truly right for all can lead us safely forward.

As individuals, we are being asked to stalk our personal ego’s attitudes, decisions, and actions to determine their true intent. Is my ego aligned with interconnected reality and the greater good? On the local level of everyday life, in the body, is my ego in alignment with the true needs of the self? Does my ego cater to the special interest groups within the self that demand habits that undermine the health of the self?

The New Era we have entered requires a consensus reality to fortify its stability. That consensus reality is built upon a mass of individuals upholding a heart-centered loving foundation for ego to act from. This begins with stalking the ego in one’s everyday life, and striking from its repertoire self-centered thoughts, decisions, and behaviors.

The cumulative effect of a mass collective intent, lovingly bent upon the greater good, will be to arrive at the right attitude with which to live and lead this deeply reconfigured Planet Earth of the New Era. Make your own worthy contribution by first and foremost stalking your own ego, lovingly.

Stalking,

Chuck

Soulbytes

Soulbyte for Thursday December 5, 2019

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You may not be doing exactly what you should be doing. You may not be saying exactly what you should be saying, to yourself or to others. You may not be catching all the signs that come to guide you, or noticing how infinity, the universe, tries to teach you, for you can bet that you have missed and continue to miss many calls that seek to lead you onto your path of heart. But don’t worry! There is still time for a course correction! It’s never too late! Turn off the voices in your head, that incessant internal dialogue that does you no good, and instead tune into the quiet of your heart. Sit there in its silence and wait for guidance to come, for the truth to be clearly spoken, for the right action to be revealed. It will all come, and much more.

Sending you love,

The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Soulbytes

Soulbyte for Friday November 22, 2019

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Do not be discouraged by repeated failures to advance, by habitual snags, by repetitive behaviors, but do note them and their frequency. Try for less destructive behavior, for less of that which throws you into imbalance, and get into alignment with more of that which does you good. Do not let yourself down but constantly pick yourself up like you would a small child who stumbles or a good friend who has lost their balance, and begin again, taking it one step and one day at a time. Restate your intent, admire your tenacity, and fuel yourself with whatever you need to make the right choices. Pretty soon you won’t need to be so attentive because it will be second nature to walk the path of heart, to do the right thing, to be the being you long to be. With love in your heart, for yourself and your journey, continue onward with gratitude and thanks that you get to have the most wonderful experience of life in human form. Make the most of it!

Sending you love,

The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Chuck's Blog

Chuck’s Place: Not Doing

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A Not Doing, one red shoe, one black shoe…

Not doing is a practice developed by the Seers of Ancient Mexico to break the fixation of habitual behavior. The most powerful reinforcer of habitual behavior is the internal dialogue, the things we tell ourselves, over and over again, about ourselves and the world we live in.

The ultimate not doing of the internal dialogue is inner silence, the springboard into unfiltered perception. Inner silence is a coveted state, achieved through an arduous unbending intent. That intent might include the not doing of a new internal dialogue, such as an oft-repeated statement, like, for instance, “I am silent.”

What makes this mantra a not doing is that when we say it we are not doing what we usually do. Our typical inner dialogue might say
“that won’t work” or “that’s not the way my mind works.” Thus, to state “I am silent” requires volition to oppose the limitation imposed by the default position of our internal dialogue.

The trick with this, and all not doings, is no attachment to the outcome; simply perseverance in performing the prescribed action. Attachment belongs to the inventory of the standard internal dialogue that insists reality be what is prescribed.

In that case, if our not doing is not quickly realized through our new internal dialogue, we can suffer the emotional energy drain of failure, which becomes defeat. Defeatism reinstalls the primacy of the familiar internal dialogue, which quickly shifts us back into our habitual self.

Not doing is a volitional action that forces our consciousness to be present in new ways. To eat or write with one’s non-dominant hand is an unfamiliar behavior. Energetically, a not doing explores untapped energy potential, as it ventures beyond the known boundaries of the habitual self.

While at a practical level, a not doing interrupts the habitual flow of our energy into repetitive thought and behavior, at a truly sublime level, we are learning the fluidity to fixate upon new worlds of possibility. This includes a very different experience of self and the world that we can fixate upon or hold onto at will.

Suspending all moral judgments, both nature and world leaders are introducing global not doings that are generating new worlds of possibility that we might fixate upon. Of course, there remains the not doing of not tracking world events, but none of us are immune from their impact on the ultimate, interconnected energy we are all a part of.

As I began writing this blog yesterday morning, a Monday, Jan was simultaneously channeling Jeanne’s spoken message for the week. Synchronistically, Jeanne prescribed a not doing breathing technique, to cancel the internal dialogue and experience a moment of inner silence. When I heard the message, I realized I must continue this blog, as it was prompted by the Tao of now.

What makes the prescribed breathing technique a not doing is the fact that it interrupts the natural flow of unconscious breathing, as one must consciously remain present to monitor the steps of the in breath, the pause, and the out breath. This not doing opens up new assemblages of energy, as it ventures beyond the narrow frame of automatic behavior.

Our automatic internal dialogue rests upon a very narrow set of beliefs, which limit our access to our true potential. Even nonsensical not doings, like wearing unmatched shoes, sends our awareness into uncharted territory, as it breaks its typical habitual fixation.

The intent of such a not doing, as wearing unmatched shoes, is quite private, loosening one’s tendency to fixate, unconsciously, upon the same things. The intent is not to feed the self-importance of being seen as an oddity. Not doings might be quite public actions, but not for the purpose of attracting attention. Such a motive would defeat the intent of not doing, which is to open the door to energetic possibility by learning to fixate on new behaviors.

Training awareness to be fluid, through the practice of not doings, hones our ability to navigate the unknown, particularly the unknown sides of ourselves waiting to be actualized. Not doings also promote the inner silence that leads to discovering our dormant potential.

As Jeanne suggests, take a breath of fresh air. Out with the stale breath of the internal dialogue, in with the not doing of new life.

Not doing,

Chuck

Soulbytes

Soulbyte for Wednesday July 17, 2019

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Curtail your energy, conserving it for that which is most necessary. Keep it safe within rather than expending it without unnecessarily. You don’t have to do so much. Far better to take some personal quiet time than to run around doing nothing. Study how you use your energy. What are you wasting it on? What can you turn off? What can you turn away from? Who can you depart from? Who or what simply drains your energy? To be a caring person takes energy, but some giving is right and some giving is not. It might be time to stop doing something that is not good for you. Decide what’s most important and focus your energy there. In all areas of life strive to be focused, concentrated, and energetically appropriate. Make new decisions that are healthy, kind and loving toward yourself so that you may be energetically available when it is right for that which is most necessary. It’s okay to take care of yourself too.

-From the Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne