Author: yardbirdky
Reality and Visualization
Is it contradictory to accept reality and yet visualize for a better world? The acceptance 
of reality is just that, accepting what is currently occurring, visualization is for what is to come.
We worry constantly about what is happening, what may or may not happen. It is prudent to our own psychological well being as well as our spiritual growth to accept our reality as it comes to fruition, as this acceptance can bring peace to our psyche. I believe when we begin to accept reality as it is, it actually empowers us to change the reality of our world. Rather than looking at anything negative that we believe is our reality, if we find the love in it – the silver lining, then our reality begins to change. Our reality serves as a catalyst for our spiritual growth to teach us the ways of unconditional love. When we accept our reality, we begin to understand our purpose and role in this life.
Visualization through meditation is the practice of seeing and listening through the heart.
It’s one of the paths of making the mind and heart one. Studies have found that the human mind does not distinguish the difference between our own experience and that of which we experience through our eyes or dreams. Therefore; simply watching a program or playing a video game in which our body begins to react to our thoughts, our mind believes we are actually experiencing the event. The saying is we become what we think, our thoughts can and do create our reality. Every thought is a form of energy, we send that energy out into the world and it begins to manifest. Visualizing positive thoughts through the heart makes a direct connection to the mind increasing the intensity of our thoughts, sending positive energy out into our world and universe.
Visualization however, requires more than just the act of love through the heart and sight through the mind’s eye, it also requires a complete faith and trust of oneself.
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Expanding and Experiencing Spirituality Through Intention
How much of an impact do our intentions have on us and our world? Our lives are programmed from the first phase of birth, programmed to eat on a schedule, to sleep on a schedule, to work on a schedule. We have become so accustomed to being programmed we even program ourselves. We create an intense catalog mentally of our responses to specific stimuli, in return when experienced again our subconscious takes over and goes into autopilot. Reacting and/or responding to our repeat of the same experience. What happens when we stop ourselves and actually think through the intention of the outcome rather than the outcome itself? Are we truly living life or merely trying to survive it? Ask yourself, how many times throughout my day do I just go through the motions, never giving a thought as to why I’m taking the action.
Does that mean if I respond the same way each time to a specific comment or action, I’m acting from pre-programming? No, not necessarily. Let’s take for instance a loved one saying I love you, normally a typical response is to confirm you love them as well. Now ask yourself, when you say it do you just say the words or do you actually wish to convey to the person the actually feeling of love you feel in your heart. Your answer is not only indicative of your self programming but also of your spiritual well being.
When we go through the motions without intentions, we rob ourselves of the emotions, 
rewards and growth the action alone fails to garner. How do completely benign thoughts and actions fill and affect our world? Studies regarding placebos indicate that when we believe we are taking medication that helps us the outcome can be a measured positive response. When we take a placebo our intention is to heal, and we tell our bodies such and it makes it so. Therefore our intentions not only affect our emotional state so that we actually experience the moment, we find that intention also affects our physical bodies as well.
The New York Times Bestseller, The Hidden Messages in Water, documents the extraordinary life work of Dr. Emoto regarding the impact of human thoughts, emotions and intentions on water crystallization. The study had a profound impact on our understanding of the effect of our thoughts and intentions on the world around us. The study showed beautiful and intricate crystals formed when positive intentions and thoughts were impressed upon the glass of water, when negative thoughts and intentions were impressed upon the same water the crystals were dark and ill formed, if formed at all.
Our intention adds the abstract layer of a focused outcome, one in which we not only create the thought or action but do so with a mindfulness making us fully aware of the moment. In doing so we not only capture the emotional impact of the moment but we expand our spirituality with the acknowledgement of the connection between our heart and minds. Studies already prove that human consciousness has more to do with our reality than human intelligence. Want a better day? Want a better life? Want a better world? Our intentions can and do impact the physical world around us, how much can we change ours by living in the moment, by acting and thinking with positive intention?
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Stumbling in the Silence
Nirvana, enlightenment, Christ Consciousness, many words used to describe a state of higher consciousness a state of loving all. Becoming one with all, stepping beyond our own human limits and rising to our spiritual level which has no boundaries. Measly words created by man can barely describe that of which we know and understand, trying to use those same words to describe that of which exists only in faith, only within ones self can never convey it to a level of understanding that will come on an intellectual level. That however is where the fun begins.
It’s called the “veil”. Such as the bride who hides behind the veil to only be exposed at the time of unity – the uniting of two to become one. Same holds true with the “veil” that each of us live behind as a spiritual being living a human experience. The “veil” only to be dropped when we have reached the unity of oneness with our One Creator. When we reach the acceptance of Love, that it is not just what we do or how we feel, it is who we are. Love is all, it’s oneness; it is the very reason for our existence.
Spirituality has been described as that of which is revealed in the silence when looking within ones self to understand the true message given to mankind throughout the ages in sacred texts. Silence…., who hears anything in the silence, isn’t that in itself contradictory? Silence is defined as having no audible sound, to hear nothing according to the dictionary.
Therein lies the challenge, how does one find the silence within? There’s so much noise today, not just on the outside but within us. We worry about finances, love, family, health, politics, we worry about worrying. Our minds don’t stop long enough to hear silence, we are constantly thinking about whats next, family, friends, chores, trips, health and life. Most of us can’t even hear ourselves speak.
In Greek during biblical days, the word silence meant to keep peace. Therefore; when one keeps peace within themselves – within the silence, the truth is revealed. Much like the varying definitions of the word silence, each of us will also have varying definitions as it applies to us. Silence doesn’t always mean a clear, empty mind, sometimes it may just be observed as a peacefulness within. There is no right or wrong way to reflect upon ones own image, peeling back the layers of what we not only hide from others but hide from ourselves.
The search within is a catalyst for most, if not all along the spiritual path. Searching and listening for the silence, waiting for that noticeable change within. The change begins the minute we opt to pursue the path of spirituality, the minute our mind accepts things aren’t as they seem. We notice subtle changes in our thought process. However; for some this is the point that seems to lead to frustration, and for some a hesitation to continue along the path. A feeling of inferiority, a feeling of failure, these feelings are normal, they are a part of the path. That is the voice we hear in the silence, its not telling us to condemn and judge ourselves its showing us the areas we must focus on and bring into balance. We all struggle and stumble within the silence. Struggle to understand the message, and stumbling by judging our self. The silence can become stronger when we have no level of expectation, but simply an acceptance and love for our self. Loving and accepting of ones self is the ultimate catalyst for spiritual growth, without the love of our self how do we love our neighbors as our self?
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We are One
As I look around me, I see many with smiles on their faces, yet others in a daze seem to be moving involuntarily, merely surviving life rather than living it.
Today with all the distractions of life, it is easy to get caught up in our own little world. Easy to turn a deaf ear to the cries for help, Easy to turn a blind eye to the wrongs we see committed, but the most harrowing of all is we find it easy to simply pretend our life is independent of all those around us, and our actions or lack there of only affect ourselves.
We are counted as many, yet in reality we are one. Our lives are entwined our destinies intermingled and yet our hearts we keep to ourselves. We may share it with our families, our children, our spouses and yet those who need our hearts the most we never give a second thought to.
We change ourselves and the world around us when we love unconditionally. Love is not just an action or word it’s the definition of humanity it’s the answer to the meaning of life and death. Turn off the television, put down the phones, close the books, and look inside ourselves. When we have truly become one with our self our capacity for love is beyond our own understanding, bridging the unity of all to one. Take your heart and the love over filling it and give it to all you know to all you see and most importantly to those who live in the creases of life that are not heard or seen by anyone.
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Pay It Forward
There is a movement shaking the ground we walk upon today. I’m not speaking of a movement for change, but a movement of change. This change is not positive nor is it conducive to a happy healthy world. We no longer reach out a hand to help but reach out a hand to hurt. Our words are no longer meant to comfort but meant to slash and belittle. Our hearts no longer hurt for those in pain or those who cannot help themselves; as they are too full of hatred and anger or indifference.
Yet in all this bleakness a light shines, the light of our children. An eight (8) year old boy who sees his friend unable to eat a hot lunch at school because he had no funds raises money to feed 3000 students hot meals daily at school. A thirteen (13) year old girl begins making fleece blankets to send to orphanages around the world after her brother, who served as a missionary, came home to tell his family stories of the children suffering; there are now children in ten (10) states participating in her program. A ten (10) year old girl who, after visiting her grandmother in a nursing home, starts a band that serenades the elderly to show them they have not been forgotten. Children around the world are paying it forward; making a difference in hopes of making a better world.
As parents we hold our children close, teaching and molding them into the adults of tomorrow; yet today we find we have as much to learn from them as they do from us. As adults we have become cold, callous and indifferent to our neighbors and our world. We close our doors at night locking ourselves in and the rest of the world out. Unfortunately, along with the locked doors we have locked our hearts as well.
It is time for a new movement, a movement of love, compassion, caring, and appreciation. A movement that brings a tear to our eyes again, that rattles our soul and envelopes our hearts with more happiness than we could ever imagine. The change our world needs begins with us.
To each of us I challenge to Pay It Forward, smile and hold the door open for a stranger, check on your elderly neighbor, reach the top shelf for someone at a grocery store, hold a child’s hand to comfort, pay for a meal for someone who otherwise would not eat, smile at strangers for no reason. Close your mind and live through your heart, be the person to others that you would find comfort in yourself.
