The solution lies within. So does the question. To “go within” requires nerves of steel, for to dive into the unknown self is always fraught with fear, one of the greatest dangers known to the human being, keeping one from truly living. A warrior knows that to fully “go within” means to be ready to do life’s greatest Q & A test—that which will bring the deepest satisfaction and fulfillment, though the journey to fulfillment may entail many other journeys as well.
The warrior faces the challenge of fear as if it were an illusion, for it does not truly exist except as it is conjured and prescribed importance. Nerves of steel are the warrior’s greatest asset against fear. Something to conjure up and use to full advantage as you take your journey into the unknown, as you go within and face all your inner Q & A tests!
A warrior knows that so much more awaits on the other side. And so a warrior dons nerves of steel every day, keeping always in mind the ultimate goal: freedom from all illusions.
For this day you are okay. For this day all is well. For this day you will succeed. For this day you are fine; everything will be fine. Let your worried mind rest, your body be at ease, your spirit calm. For this day all is well.
What stories am I telling myself today? – Photo by Jan Ketchel
Reality awaits us, just beyond the stories that present themselves rapid-fire from the inner “press” of the mind. When the shamans urge us to “suspend judgment,” they are referring to this function of mind that so quickly organizes a story around the scantest detail perceived and fleshed out by the mind. We are then drawn to attach to the story generated by the mind; in other words: to live as if the story were reality.
The “judgment” here is the storyline we have bought into and energetically invested in as emotions and thoughts emerge to guide our actions in accordance with our judgment or interpretation of reality.
So much of our vital energy is bound up in our interpretations of reality that we find ourselves encased in the familiar yet largely false stories we tell ourselves over and over again. Our intent gets bound up in upholding those stories too; or simply put, our intent generates our self-fulfilling story prophecy in our experiences of everyday reality.
For instance, one story might be that I don’t feel valuable or lovable. This story becomes reflected in the eyes of everyone I meet, their actions mirroring the story I tell myself. My intent generates the reality of my story. This story then becomes the filter for my life. All approaching energy, or the unfolding of daily life, becomes automatically formatted and neatly tailored to fit into and validate the truth of my story. This then becomes my reality.
Our stories become knitted together with such regularity or habit that we come to rest our identity upon them, the familiar tales we tell ourselves. They become like family. Thus, regardless of how limiting or unfulfilling our stories leave us, we remain compulsively drawn and attached to them for a sense of known definition in this world.
Tread lightly as you decide to release yourself from the bondage of your core stories. Change, regardless of how beneficial, often feels deeply disturbing to the security of known stories, as they are challenged to reveal their true identity and their true validity in our lives.
Time to spend our energy on what really matters… – Photo by Chuck Ketchel
On the other hand, every time we stop the flow of energy from attaching to a story that flirts for our attention we accrue that energy in our spiritual savings account. When enough energy has been saved we are indeed freed to discover the true nature of who we really are as we spend our energy exploring true reality, the reality always present and coexistent but generally filtered out by our all-encompassing stories.
Suspend judgment. Explore the true nature of reality as it presents and unfolds in oncoming time. What an amazing true story awaits!
As you change, everything around you changes. It is the law of nature, of cause and effect. Even the tiniest movement or shift effects everything else. Remember this when you feel stuck. Remember also that YOU are the catalyst to change. When it’s time to change, just do it! You will be amazed by the ripple effect and the changing of everything.
Tune into the energy of each day. Sense your own energy. It may be more in alignment than you realize, for you are part of the greater whole, including the physical and the planetary. Find your inner world reflected in the outer world, not looking for excuses but only for your true and deeper connection to all of nature. For as the world is so are you. As the Earth is so are you. As the moon is so are you. As the sun is so are you, a part of it all.
Take all that into consideration as you begin each day and each night, knowing that your very existence is so much greater and has so much more impact than you might imagine. For you are the wind, the sun, the soil you walk upon as much as you are the moon, the stars, the darkness you traverse every night in your dreams—one and all. Ponder that.
