We want, and think we should have, a rosy path
through life; but what we need are skills to navigate through the rose petals
and the thorns. How skilled do you feel?
The general attitude about what-is, as I’ve
observed and have at times personally experienced, is that it’s inconvenient or
uncomfortable for us more than not. What-is is often considered to mean things
aren’t going our way. My thought is that some of the contemporary positive mental
attitude methods or their teachers may have led us astray in this matter,
adding to this common perception about what-is that many seem to hold. Many of
us still think we’re supposed to get or have our way, according to ego-based
concepts, that is. Some believe this means at all times, despite the bigger
picture we are all a part of and participants in. Falling short of this
having-our-way leads to levels of frustration and self-doubt.
Although spiritual-metaphysical understanding can
and does create desired experiences and outcomes, the belief that if we just do
certain techniques or methods “right” we can eliminate anything we perceive as
undesirable from happening, leaves us pretty much unskilled to manage our way
through undesired what-is experiences that come our way. And they will and do
come our way.
I’ll share a few of my own recent examples here.
I’d decided the perfect time to take time off was from December 22, 2012 to
January 2, 2013. What happened instead was that at Noon December 23, I was at
the emergency room with my mother. We believed she’d be in overnight for
observation. The what-is of it is that we didn’t leave the hospital until 2
p.m. December 30. It was a difficult, exhausting week for both of us. So you
know, my mother is okay; and as she said the day before we left, she’s as
strong as an ox, despite her ailments.
While there, I had to surrender to what-is, as
well as accept that not only was there to be no time off, but that I had to be
on 24 hours a day for 7 straight days, and most of it was quite challenging. I
had to face “What you resist persists” and stop any and all resistance. I had
to look at how ego-based attachments were a negative influence on me and let
them go. I realized that hanging on to resistance and attachments was like
clinging to a heavy boulder in deep water. I had to let go and surrender to
what-is and rely on my spiritual foundation or sink. Once I did that, good
things, helpful things and people, found the entryway clear to come to me.
Another couple of what-is experiences happened
once I returned home. The turkey defrosting in the fridge for the Christmas
dinner that was never cooked had leaked. It was quite a mess. Everything in the
fridge was tossed and the insides scrubbed before I could replace much of what
was lost. Then on January 6, my hard drive crashed. At this point I laughed and
really let go, which is what I do when “reality” reaches, in my perception, a
level of ridiculousness.
One thing I’ve learned is that events are layered;
they serve more than one purpose at a time, such as my hard drive crash
answering a question I’ve had for a while. Another very important thing I’ve
learned is to trust the Universe, no matter what appearances are, though I
still have moments where I have to pass through some understandable initial
anxiety or upset first. That’s part of being human. You’d benefit by
remembering this for yourself as well.
A tech-wiz friend came over that afternoon,
pronounced my long-faithful computer dead then gave me good news: He had a
newer computer than mine available to give to me (yes, I said give); and, which
I learned was unusual, it had the programs I needed on it. He got the computer
and set everything up. I had to buy a new keyboard to go with the newer
technology, and have a learning curve going on, but what a terrific, unexpected
result! The Universe’s resources are infinite and often beyond our limited
imagination. When this knowing is part of your foundation, you can relax and
even become curious about what’s what much quicker, whenever such experiences
come your way.
I share my experiences with you because each of us
has stuff happen in our lives that can, could, or does throw us for a loop.
During such times it feels very easy to get off balance, or to not manage
ourselves well through and beyond these experiences. It’s easy to enter the
mental attitude or mindset that causes us to feel awful or devastated by an
undesired turn of events, and to abandon any trust in the Universe’s plan for
us and its ability and desire to support us.
And this is part of where we’ve gone astray: we
believe or think that any time we have such experiences, it means the Universe
isn’t supporting us “properly” for some reason, or that we’re flawed or not
doing something right. The discomfort or anguish we feel is because WE have cut
ourselves off from the Truth.
All manner of pain in life is inevitable, but
continuing to suffer because of it is optional. The more skilled you feel, the
stronger you know yourself to be, and the less you suffer by choice. Those
skills are your spiritual-mental-emotional-creative foundation and true wealth,
not what’s in your bank account, not your popularity, not your appearance, and
not your success rating according to the opinions of others. If you want to
feel the way you desire, strengthen your skills, your inner knowing, and
therefore your foundation. No structure is secure on a shaky or undefined
foundation. This is one main reason so many feel anxious or frustrated much of
the time; this and the fact that a real relationship with the Universe or
Source hasn’t been nurtured.
The more you practice, the more natural and
automatic using your skills becomes. It may help if you realize there are four
levels of awareness and practice:
1. Unconscious Incompetence: You don’t know that
you don’t know.
2. Conscious Incompetence: You’re aware that you
don’t know, and you can choose to change this, or not.
3. Conscious Competence: You’ve learned new skills
and practice them, and are aware of your practice. (Think of a new driver
paying acute attention to everything they are supposed to do.)
4. Unconscious Competence: You know something so
well and are so practiced that you do it proficiently or efficiently without
thinking about doing it. You just do it. (Like a long-time driver whose
thoughts wander but can still attend to driving.)
Your, my, and our ego-aspect likely, or usually,
prefers Unconscious Competence right at the start, with no need for levels 2
and 3 to learn and to practice what we learn in order to reach level 4. This is
a guaranteed path to frustration. Everything in life must go through maturation
stages, including our levels of development in every area and aspect of life,
if we are to reach the Unconscious Competence level in any one of them. The
moment you allow and follow this natural order and process of progression, you
empower yourself. You begin to believe in you, and in the Universe, because you
become differently-aware of patterns unfolding and merging in the dynamics of
your life, as well as your own level of influence.
One thing to practice more often is asking
yourself right or better questions like, “What is my head and heart alignment
about this” or “What do I know for certain about Universal Laws and
resistance,” and even, “What is the right question to ask about this,” and so
on. There are more “sins” of omission (not doing what is beneficial) than
commission (deliberate wrong actions or choices) when it comes to how we
experience life. Even a slight shift that leads you to do more of what is beneficial
would make a difference in your experiences and how you experience them.
It’s time to stop aiming solely or primarily at
the material aspects of life, and opinions of others, to feel the way we
desire. It’s time to aim at honing our skills that assist us to, yes, create
roses on our path, as well as navigate through the thorny moments; and to trust
ourselves and the Universe. It’s a good practice, one you’ll appreciate.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
You are welcome to use this article in your
newsletter or on your blog/website as long as you use my complete bio with it.
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