There is no doubt that we are living in times of great upheaval
and uncertainty. For so many of us, it seems that there is less and less
to hold onto and to count on in our lives and in the world around us.
Waves of change, unexpected losses, and seemingly insurmountable
obstacles shadow the lives of so many. As turbulence weaves through the
fabric of our lives, we experience fear and anxiety. Where do we turn
for the support and security that we can't seem to find in our outer
worlds? How can we stand strong and grounded within the uncertainty that
shadows our lives?
The grounding we seek doesn't come from anything on the outside. Rather, the roots that can anchor us with strength and stability as we move into and through uncharted waters are found on the inside. We need to ground ourselves in the one constant that we can count on - the wise, witnessing spiritual awareness that we are beyond our physical bodies. The outer world tells us that we are all separate individuals who have to find our way on our own. Some of us will flourish; many of us will stumble and fall and have to find a way to pick ourselves up again so that we can move forward. Still others of us will stumble and fall and not be able to find our feet again. The outer world tells us that this experience of suffering, inequity, and conflict is part of the quest for survival in which individuals must compete for scarce resources and opportunities. The outer world tells us that this is life.
Our inner world tells us differently. We are not alone and separate as the outer world would have us believe. We are not competing with one another to survive. Rather, we are all part of one universal consciousness - all connected as spiritual energy that is eternal and unbounded. We are not defined by outer manifestations that seem to form our identity. We are not this or that. Rather, we ARE. We are the consciousness in which all of our experiences arise, and my consciousness is part of your consciousness is part of the consciousness of every other sentient being on this planet. There is no beginning or end to consciousness. Each of us is like the waves that form on the surface of the ocean. As I manifest as a wave, I think that I am special and unlike any other wave, until I recognize that I emerge from and will return to the ocean of awareness from whence I came. In that realization, I find the truth of my existence - that I am part of universal consciousness and that consciousness is what I need to sink my roots into so that I can navigate the turbulence of whatever is happening on the surface.
I write these words because I have found them to be true, and the reassurance and grounding this truth has given me has carried me through the most turbulent changes of my life and continues to guide and support me as I navigate change on all fronts of my life. As I moved from everything that was "tried and true" in my life to a new job and new home and community, I felt lost and anxious most of the time. Often, I felt frozen with fear and the enormity of the changes that were happening in my life. Instead of experiencing the excitement of new possibilities, fear seemed to be the controlling force in my life... until I realized that I could watch the fear rise and fall away. It was only an energetic wave moving through me. It only had power to "freeze" me if I invested in it. When I observed it and allowed it to wash through me, it did just that. It didn't stay. Nor did any of the other countless waves of fear and anxiety that arose within me on a day-to-day basis.
Learning to take the vantage point of the observer was a crucial realization for me, but even more essential to beginning to thrive in the midst of change has been the practice of going within to ground myself in "I am." When I feel anxiety beginning to rise within me, I whisper "I am" quietly to myself or in my mind, and I go within to the peaceful, wise presence of my soul. There, I find grounding and stability in the quiet depths of knowing and unconditional love and grace that are always there for me. It is my daily practice to ground myself in the "I am" that I am... the ever-witnessing, all-knowing spiritual presence that is my true identity, my soul, the consciousness that is me beyond my physical body. It is also part of my daily practice to ask for guidance from Holy Spirit. Every morning, I ask Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, and actions, and I am learning to trust that guidance is there for me in the moment that I ask. I am learning to open myself up to my inner knowing and to allowing whatever I need in the moment to arise and flow through me. As I do, I am guided and, indeed, thrive in the midst of change. Grounding in "I am" and opening to the guidance of Holy Spirit provide roots to hold me steady and strong and my inner compass to navigate uncharted waters.
I sought "new" in my life; I yearned to grow and to stretch myself, and I got exactly what I wanted. In order to create "new" in my life, I had to move away from what was known. Before I can reach and feel grounded in the "new," I need to be able to stand strong in uncertainty, to know that it is on the inside that I find the roots that anchor me with strength and stability so that I can stand strong in the winds of change. I am like the tree that stands rooted in stormy winds. Even as turbulence passes through, its roots hold it steady and strong. My roots don't stretch down into anything on the outside; rather they are anchored within my soul.
Even as I face the unknown, I can rely on what I do know, and that is that I am much greater than any external experience. I am the ever present, witnessing awareness in which experiences manifest and then pass. As I ground myself in my true spiritual identity, I observe and engage with what unfolds in my life, but I know that it doesn't define me nor can it threaten me in any true sense. The "I am" that is our true identity is beyond anything that seems to arise in the outer world. Rather, it is the wise and knowing witness of whatever is unfolding, and it will continue to witness the constant rise and fall of energy as it manifests in the physical world and then returns to the unseen.
My dear spiritual sisters and brothers, we are all One - all part of the universal consciousness from which we emerge and return. We all have inner guidance during uncertainty and change. We have ever-present support within us, and always, we are held in unconditional love. That is our constant truth. What is up to us is to recognize and open into it. I pray that you will find your grounding during these times of great upheaval and uncertainty. I believe that what is happening in the outside world is showing us that we need to seek inner guidance and security to lead us forward. It has always been there for us, waiting for us to remember and to return to our truth. Namaste, my dears. I send you great love.
The grounding we seek doesn't come from anything on the outside. Rather, the roots that can anchor us with strength and stability as we move into and through uncharted waters are found on the inside. We need to ground ourselves in the one constant that we can count on - the wise, witnessing spiritual awareness that we are beyond our physical bodies. The outer world tells us that we are all separate individuals who have to find our way on our own. Some of us will flourish; many of us will stumble and fall and have to find a way to pick ourselves up again so that we can move forward. Still others of us will stumble and fall and not be able to find our feet again. The outer world tells us that this experience of suffering, inequity, and conflict is part of the quest for survival in which individuals must compete for scarce resources and opportunities. The outer world tells us that this is life.
Our inner world tells us differently. We are not alone and separate as the outer world would have us believe. We are not competing with one another to survive. Rather, we are all part of one universal consciousness - all connected as spiritual energy that is eternal and unbounded. We are not defined by outer manifestations that seem to form our identity. We are not this or that. Rather, we ARE. We are the consciousness in which all of our experiences arise, and my consciousness is part of your consciousness is part of the consciousness of every other sentient being on this planet. There is no beginning or end to consciousness. Each of us is like the waves that form on the surface of the ocean. As I manifest as a wave, I think that I am special and unlike any other wave, until I recognize that I emerge from and will return to the ocean of awareness from whence I came. In that realization, I find the truth of my existence - that I am part of universal consciousness and that consciousness is what I need to sink my roots into so that I can navigate the turbulence of whatever is happening on the surface.
I write these words because I have found them to be true, and the reassurance and grounding this truth has given me has carried me through the most turbulent changes of my life and continues to guide and support me as I navigate change on all fronts of my life. As I moved from everything that was "tried and true" in my life to a new job and new home and community, I felt lost and anxious most of the time. Often, I felt frozen with fear and the enormity of the changes that were happening in my life. Instead of experiencing the excitement of new possibilities, fear seemed to be the controlling force in my life... until I realized that I could watch the fear rise and fall away. It was only an energetic wave moving through me. It only had power to "freeze" me if I invested in it. When I observed it and allowed it to wash through me, it did just that. It didn't stay. Nor did any of the other countless waves of fear and anxiety that arose within me on a day-to-day basis.
Learning to take the vantage point of the observer was a crucial realization for me, but even more essential to beginning to thrive in the midst of change has been the practice of going within to ground myself in "I am." When I feel anxiety beginning to rise within me, I whisper "I am" quietly to myself or in my mind, and I go within to the peaceful, wise presence of my soul. There, I find grounding and stability in the quiet depths of knowing and unconditional love and grace that are always there for me. It is my daily practice to ground myself in the "I am" that I am... the ever-witnessing, all-knowing spiritual presence that is my true identity, my soul, the consciousness that is me beyond my physical body. It is also part of my daily practice to ask for guidance from Holy Spirit. Every morning, I ask Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, and actions, and I am learning to trust that guidance is there for me in the moment that I ask. I am learning to open myself up to my inner knowing and to allowing whatever I need in the moment to arise and flow through me. As I do, I am guided and, indeed, thrive in the midst of change. Grounding in "I am" and opening to the guidance of Holy Spirit provide roots to hold me steady and strong and my inner compass to navigate uncharted waters.
I sought "new" in my life; I yearned to grow and to stretch myself, and I got exactly what I wanted. In order to create "new" in my life, I had to move away from what was known. Before I can reach and feel grounded in the "new," I need to be able to stand strong in uncertainty, to know that it is on the inside that I find the roots that anchor me with strength and stability so that I can stand strong in the winds of change. I am like the tree that stands rooted in stormy winds. Even as turbulence passes through, its roots hold it steady and strong. My roots don't stretch down into anything on the outside; rather they are anchored within my soul.
Even as I face the unknown, I can rely on what I do know, and that is that I am much greater than any external experience. I am the ever present, witnessing awareness in which experiences manifest and then pass. As I ground myself in my true spiritual identity, I observe and engage with what unfolds in my life, but I know that it doesn't define me nor can it threaten me in any true sense. The "I am" that is our true identity is beyond anything that seems to arise in the outer world. Rather, it is the wise and knowing witness of whatever is unfolding, and it will continue to witness the constant rise and fall of energy as it manifests in the physical world and then returns to the unseen.
My dear spiritual sisters and brothers, we are all One - all part of the universal consciousness from which we emerge and return. We all have inner guidance during uncertainty and change. We have ever-present support within us, and always, we are held in unconditional love. That is our constant truth. What is up to us is to recognize and open into it. I pray that you will find your grounding during these times of great upheaval and uncertainty. I believe that what is happening in the outside world is showing us that we need to seek inner guidance and security to lead us forward. It has always been there for us, waiting for us to remember and to return to our truth. Namaste, my dears. I send you great love.
I invite you to visit my website at http://discoverlifebeyondmeasure.com to find more posts about healing and personal and spiritual growth. I look forward to connecting with you there. Namaste. Linda
