by Ada Porat | Jan 16, 2023 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Life skills, Personal growth, Resilience
Photo Credit: Francesco, Unsplash
We all feel the enormous impact of irreversible change that has swept around the globe in recent years. None of us knows exactly how our lives will be different by the end of this decade; we simply know that it will be different in more ways we can imagine. We cannot go back to yesterday or the life we lived ten years ago. Life as we knew it, is over – there is no going back.
Yet even as we recognize that the past is irrevocably over, we feel the stirring of something new within, the inklings of a new way of life that can replace the old. This gentle shift within offers us an incredible opportunity to become positive change agents who create innovative pathways, tools and systems for a new way of life to emerge.
You and I are living on the cusp between the old and the new; we are the ones who get to choose and lean into a new way, creating a new world and a fresh start. The choices we make in each present moment are energizing the shifts to create a sustainable future for us all.
Exciting? Oh, yes! And a little scary? Of course!
These times of change and uncertainty are messy for sure. Many of us are grieving losses that have piled up in recent years: loved ones, work, friends, homes, health, life as we knew it, and more. We may even yearn for the “good old days” if ever there was such a thing.
There are no iron-clad guarantees and reassurances for this process involving the death and rebirth of our physical reality – and so everyone is learning to adapt and innovate.
And yet as Nature reminds us with each passing season, death is followed by rebirth in a continuous cycle of life.
Around us, the totality of life remains filled with untapped possibilities and probabilities. Every challenging circumstance contains the seeds of possibility for us to tap into and create more optimal outcomes from the inside out.
What do you wish to see in your world? How do you intend to participate to bring that about? It is indeed a time to dream big, to vision and be bold.
As we move forward on this bridge between the world we knew and the one we are creating, we need to travel light: we need to let go of things outside ourselves that we cannot control, so we can take charge of our inner reality, which is completely in our hands. We also need step into our individual and collective maturity to support wise choices. Let’s look at how to get from here to there.
During times of uncertainty, emotions can feel overwhelming. Daily events may trigger shock, grief, fear or anxiety. These emotions are to be expected, because we are awash in a sea change of unknown currents.
When our survival instincts are triggered, we can become defensive, reverting to basic survival tactics and protective measurements for a sense of security. However, defensiveness keeps us stuck in resistance and prevents us from moving forward.
To keep moving, it is important to remember who you really are: you’re not just an ego in a body suit, you are an eternal soul who came on this earth journey to participate in the evolving consciousness of all life at this time.
You are so much more than your physical being! There are more resources available to you at non-physical levels than you can imagine. Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, stop for a moment and take inventory of your spiritual resources in the world of Cause, rather the limited results around you in the world of Effects.
Humans are blessed with innate creativity and innovation. Despite challenges – and perhaps even because of them – we can create effective pathways forward.
We simply need to let go of lower levels of consciousness from where the problems in our world were created. Clearly, the challenges of our time require more than the duality-based limitations of an outdated Cartesian world view. We are asked to embrace the myriad possibilities coexisting in the Field, because higher awareness and a larger scope are essential for creating optimal outcomes now.
These uncertain times invite us to return to right relationship with our innate Self. We’re learning what no longer works, what no longer nourishes us, and what we no longer tolerate. We’re recognizing what we truly want from life, so we can make better choices for ourselves and the greater good.
Humanity has outgrown the childlike stance where a few can dictate and make choices for the collective. As each one of us steps into maturity and takes full responsibility for our own decisions, it will ripple outward and create optimal collective outcomes.
No matter how bleak and uncertain things appear to you, don’t look back. Go beyond!
Reach beneath the surface defenses of reactivity and blame, to the Presence of Spirit at your core. That Presence contains all possibilities and potentialities.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to enter that inner space of peace and calm. Simply hold that space until clarity arises. In so doing, you open up to possibilities beyond linear thinking so you can make optimal choices.
Times of uncertainty also call for spiritual maturity. We’re asked to let go of waiting to be rescued, and to step onto the path as mature being, knowing that we are the very ones we’ve been waiting for. Spiritual maturity empowers us to leave behind the outdated, limiting roles assigned to us so we can co-create a better future.
Maturity gives us faith in unseen possibilities, so we can hold onto the intention for what can be. It asks us to look beyond the limitations of what was or is, so we can see and embrace new possibilities that show up now.
This is an invitation to become fearless! Do not allow obstacles on the surface of life to undermine your faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of what is not yet seen. Hold on to that and you will prevail.
We’re also need to travel light. It’s time to clear out old conditioning, to heal the memories of past wounds, and to let go of what’s no longer needed. By freeing ourselves from past hurt and limitations, we create more room for our lives to unfold.
Do not let others tell you what is appropriate for you. When you let others decide for you, you abdicate your power. Evaluate, contemplate within and choose for yourself.
Above all, embrace the process of individual growth, for it is your evolutionary lifeline. Let go of resistance and you will discover new possibilities emerging from the Truth within.
As mature beings, we learn to be at peace with not knowing. We embrace the ever-changing nature of life and take full responsibility for our individual choices along the way.
It is safe to trust in the benevolent plan of a loving Creator – and to trust yourself. Personal mastery requires you to trust yourself, trust the unseen hands that guide and uphold you, and to trust the Divine plan which may be invisible to the eye, yet is unfolding even now.
Maturity also teaches us to stay in the void of uncertainty and discomfort; to resist grabbing for some fake version of permanency or settle for some substance to numb our awareness. The security we want is within; it does not lie outside of us.
When borne of fear or resistance, compromise is not our friend. To evolve, we dare not let the familiarity of known limitations hold us back from the limitless possibilities we do not yet see. Resolve not to settle for the devil you know, but to push beyond.
Personal mastery shifts our focus away from external conditions beyond our control to our inner life over which we have ALL control. That is where we find the innate power, peace and creativity to creative a better world where everyone can thrive.
About the author
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://www.adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Sep 29, 2022 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Fear and anxiety, Spirituality
Photo credit: Andrew Ridley, Unsplash
There are times in history marked by change and upheaval far beyond human comprehension. We are living through such a time right now.
Writer and teacher Andrew Harvey perhaps described it best when he said: “Anyone who is, even unwillingly, half-awake knows with increasing dread and anguish that the entire world now is plunged into an unprecedented many-layered crisis that threatens the whole human adventure.”
And yet, this is not a time to cower in fear and hopelessness; it is a call to kindle our courage and commit to meaningful service. We are called to spiritual activism as mystics in the marketplace and creators of good in the world.
Spiritual activism is quietly revolutionizing the way we engage with the world and offers hope during tumultuous times.
Spiritual activism calls for radical honesty, integrity and vision. There is no room for spiritual bypassing.
The first step requires us to stabilize our own base: we need to strengthen our home life or find a like-minded community, so we can feel supported as we participate externally.
We also need to be realistic: Perhaps we will work and fail, but we will have contributed with open hearts to the meaning and contribution of a better world, community or circle.
Then, we need to ask courageous questions: What is needed in the situation you face at this time? How can you make a meaningful contribution? Are you the one to meet the need you see right now? Honest self-knowledge, experience and courage is needed to find clarity and contribute in meaningful ways.
We also need to look at change differently: There is no need to fear this changing world. Spiritual activism recognizes that change simply offers us different gifts.
Next, we need to redefine success. When we give up the search for personal happiness, we find joy in service. When we let go of trying to achieve, we find meaning in relationships. We accept carrying grief and sadness for what’s been lost, yet these emotions do not stop us from doing the work. We discover joy in deep relationship regardless of what is happening around us. We find comfort and courage by sharing humor in the darkness, for humor that lifts us above the struggle, so we can re-enter the crazy world with renewed energy.
We take time out from the external clamor to renew our souls: whether through silence, time in nature, meditation, or prayer. History is resplendent with the stories of courageous souls who overcame the enormous challenges of their time. Transcendent experiences were real and attainable then, and they are still available now. We can go within to find wisdom, guidance and courage to transcend whatever obstacles we face now.
We renew our hope and vision by recontextualizing our expectations, processing our shadow emotions, and finding new ways to serve. We rise each day renewed to do the work of holding a bright vision for our world, even as we offer our honorable service to others.
We do not let fear stop us; instead, we let it lead us to the hope that lies beyond fear. We discover that fear cannot exist without hope – they are two sides of the same coin. And by choosing to place our focus on hope, we move past fear to rekindle a vision that will sustain us through change. This is how we grow into fearlessness.
Finally, spiritual activism fosters change by engaging in meaningful and inspiring work. We let hope spearhead our efforts and burn through obstacles.
Czech president and activist Václav Havel understood this principle when he said, “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worth doing regardless of how it will turn out.”
We learn that hope is a state of mind within each of us, and not found in the external world. We come to realize that power lies within each of us. We grasp that the healing of our world lies in the human heart – in our individual power to reflect, choose and accept responsibility for our actions.
This world is perhaps not the one we thought we wanted, but it is the one we have. And so, we commit to make a meaningful contribution with our lives and our presence in it. This is the vision and mantra of spiritual activism.
Despite apparent differences among people, there is a shared reality common to all: we are all living in physical reality on this planet, and so we are all subject to the natural laws of this space.
Making a meaningful contribution in this reality requires us to see past our individual filters and conditioned biases. We look past the differences that fragment society and focus on the common threads that knit us together. By looking deeper, we tap into fresh and different options, from where we can contribute toward the emergence of better solutions than before. We choose differently to create different outcomes.
It takes a lot of curiosity and courage to see what is, instead of what we want to see. We tend to see the world not as it is, but through the conditioning of our conditioned beliefs. Meaningful service requires us to release our grip on our own beliefs and to be willing to investigate, release and change our beliefs in response to new insights.
Spiritual activism requires us to fine-tune our focus. So often, we’ve searched for happiness in all the wrong places. We thought it could be found in money or the perfect home, relationship, or possessions. And yet, these goals cannot offer lasting happiness because they keep our focus limited to ourselves.
When we move beyond ourselves, we discover that true joy lies in service beyond our limited ego selves. It is found by offering our gifts, presence and abilities to others; making a meaningful contribution to individuals or causes beyond ourselves. True happiness and fulfillment come from interaction and participation with others in meaningful ways.
Spiritual activism asks how we can serve at this time, regardless of differences and obstacles in our way. It starts right where we are. Won’t you join us in the quietly powerful revolution?
Identify something useful you can do in your life, family or community, and then do that. Commit to working toward a positive goal because it is inherently good and meaningful, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.
Participating in spiritual activism shifts us beyond the short-sighted materialist perspective to create something better and more meaningful for both ourselves and others, and leads to a better world.
About The Author:
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Apr 21, 2022 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Life transitions, Personal growth
Photo Credit: Aamir Suhail, Unsplash
None of us are exempt from the upheaval sweeping around the globe. This time of great shifting and change has been foretold eons ago, and it is called the Great Awakening. It is a period of both chaotic change and great opportunity.
In communities everywhere, growing awareness of injustice acts as a catalyst for people to release pent-up frustration around issues of inequality, greed, suppression, abuse and more. As this energy gathers momentum, it evokes many mixed emotions in others as well: fear, disgust and recoiling, to name a few.
What are we to do with these mixed feelings?
I believe these emotions can be very useful, because it can arouse in us the will to take action.
Evolution and awakening are not armchair hobbies! This is not a time to hide until the storm passes; it is time awakened souls to clear their own energy and hold a clear intention for the unfolding of optimal solutions.
If we truly want a better world, we need to actively tap into the power of intention for the collective outcomes we desire to see. Is that not infinitely more productive than passivity while angry mobs create a post-apocalyptic reality based on their woundedness and pain?
I believe we can do better. We must!
Recent events are exposing many fundamental problems that have festered in societies around the world for a very long time. While you and I may not express our disgust violently, we share a part of the problem, too. Have we not benefited from the very inequality that caused suffering for others? That makes us responsible for finding a solution as well.
It is time for all of us to see the bigger picture. We are called to step into our sovereignty as co-creators of reality in the world around us now, as well as the reality we wish to see moving forward. It is either this, or passively accepting the post-apocalyptic nightmare created by blind egos fueled by greed.
Humanity cannot continue functioning with the enormous disparities that currently prevail. I recently watched an Amazon documentary titled “Human Flow” that touched my heart. It showed how millions of people around the globe, displaced by war, famine and inequalities, are barely surviving in refugee camps without amenities, forgotten by the world. If we wish to survive as a species, we cannot stand idly by or build our own fortunes while others suffer, stripped of everything they had.
Ask yourself this: Are you a part of the problem or part of the solution?
You are inherently part of either the problem or the solution by your inner attitude. And you can help to heal this collective wound without ever marching for change – it starts within your heart.
It is time for all of us to harness our disgust and discomfort into compassionate action; doing our part to recycle the dense energy in the collective by sending it to the Light, and holding onto a clear vision for the emergence of a better world.
As awakened beings, you and I have a pivotal part to play in this unfolding drama. We need to BE the light called for in this world, radiating compassionate Light to others, and holding the energetic intention for unfoldment of a better way forward for all of humanity.
Like a wildfire, the waves of anger and violence will burn themselves out when we do not feed them. We are not to fight fire with fire; we are called to BE the peace we wish to see in the world. As spiritual firefighters, our tools consist of compassionate awareness, clear focus and wise action.
You and I can put out the fires of discontent by sending compassion to areas of conflict, allowing our compassion to quell the fires of the heart raging worldwide. Once these fires of injustice have been acknowledged, the flames will subside and reason will return. Only then can rebuilding begin.
Instead of judging others for the actions they take at their individual level of consciousness, let’s harness our collective emotional response and focus it on more optimal outcomes instead.
There are many different ways in which you can become part of the solution in a suffering world. The point is that when you are an awakened being, you are called on to respond.
The Course in Miracles says that there are only two calls in life: the call for love and the call to love. Which will you choose?
We can do this work in private, with others or in groups online who are holding a collective response for peace. Until we acknowledge the pain of the world and meet it with compassion, there can be no meaningful healing or rebuilding.
If you choose to join other souls in worldwide meditation, then do that. If you choose to do radical forgiveness the way Dr. Hew Len taught, then go right ahead. If you choose to participate on a local level to reach across boundaries of race and class for forgiveness, do that by all means.
We are called to lead by example – reaching across the chasm and building bridges to a new way of being. We are called to stand strong, to keep the faith and hold a clear vision of a compassionate society that leaves nobody out of its embrace.
Hold in mind your vision for a better world; then ask yourself what you can do to help bring that about.
Know that whatever attempts to suppress, diminish and deny human expression and growth, is ultimately destined to fail. Meaningful change will take time, but it is possible. It starts with you and me holding a vision of compassion in which all beings can evolve – for all sentient beings are worthy of the compassion, love and support needed to evolve.
At a soul level, we volunteered to be on the planet for this time. As the Hopi elders reminded us in preparation for this time, we are the ones that we’ve been waiting for. This is the moment to dig deep, to find the love of Who we are, and let our Light shine to point the way thru this darkness.
The light and solutions we seek in the world will only come in response to what all of us do, so please do not turn away or hide in a corner. Step up; participate with other souls who are working individually and collectively to radiate the light of Divine potential in this world.
Allow yourself to be what you were truly born to be in this life – a co-creative being of Light!
About the author:
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://www.adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Feb 21, 2022 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Love, Personal growth, Spirituality
Photo credit: Eddy Klaus, Unsplash
“Bless the poets, the workers for justice, the dancers of ceremony, the singers of heartache, the visionaries, all makers and carriers of fresh meaning — We will all make it through, despite politics and wars, despite failures and misunderstandings. There is only love.” ― Joy Harjo, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems
It is by being present to the full triumph and catastrophe of the human experience that we can recalibrate it and shape the course of history instead of being shaped by it. This is the challenge and opportunity of our current times.
We’re living at a historical crossroads of monumental proportions. To choose well, we need to engage courageous thought and nurture fresh perspectives – not polarize others and fear dissent.
We need courage to forge better outcomes from the crucible of these times. And it is necessary to affirm the healing radiance of the human spirit and the unadulterated power unleashed when we remember who we really are – sourced from Divine Love through and through, yet equally human. Of this world and all others everywhere. This power cannot be diminished by tyranny or lies, by manipulation or fear. It is unassailable. Always. And it knows the truth. We know the truth.
The journey forward is long. Courage will be needed, along with a sense of humor and the wisdom to know when to speak up and when to wait for a more propitious time. In a free will Universe, no outcome is assured, so complacency is best avoided. That being said, we need to know our own limits and take care of ourselves first and foremost.
The constraints we face can be a game changer if we let them, revealing hidden truths and endowing each one of us with a deep sense of responsibility for what we choose as our truth, so our finely tuned moral compass can guide us safely past propaganda and mass psychosis. Let’s explore, question and analyze. Let’s come to our own conclusions, instead of receiving belief systems by dictate. And let’s honor the sovereignty of our minds and the right to form our own opinions from external evidence that pass our internal discernment. Only then can we decide as individuals and a collective where we all go from here.
The pressure of impending change is similar to sitting atop a roller coaster as the carriage creeps, ever so slowly, toward the tipping point before gravity intervenes and we’re hurtling down, no holds barred. Such moments are accompanied by both excitement and fear, anticipation and trepidation.
There’s no turning back and we know we’ll soon be going forward so fast there’ll be no stopping, whatever happens. Pressure is closing in from all sides. It is demanding from us courage, audacity and faith as frustration mounts and tempers flare. Only we ourselves know whether we’re motivated by a reliable inner voice or by emotions run ragged by external demands, conflicts and impositions.
We always have a choice and never has it been more vital to choose well. Amid the decay of a world that no longer is functional, we can start seeing new green shoots emerging. We’re just not quite there yet. There is much to be laid to rest first, even as we envision a future based on more equanimity and truth.
We are straddling the old and the new, the past and the future. The tired, worn-out paradigm seems so far removed from what we desire, yet we can’t quite envision what is possible, because we don’t know what we don’t know yet – and so we need to find different ways to span the chasm.
Amidst all the changes and imponderables in our world, we do have the ability to create the reality we desire. We can embark on this courageous journey by staying open to possibilities we can’t yet fathom, because we recognize we cannot create what we are not yet able to conceive. And so, it is essential to stay open to all possibilities, and to remain focused on the ultimate unfolding of the highest good. Even when we may put a partial vision out there because we are unable to imagine more, the Universe understands our intentions and can harness that to create optimal outcomes from the love in our hearts.
At this time, when we do not quite know yet what we could or should create, we can embody and radiate that creative power of love into our lives, our work and our world.
Amid a chaotic world, we can help co-create a better reality by connecting to the Source of Love within. Even when we cannot yet visualize a new world, we can connect with the Divine, all-inclusive love that offers hope and healing for all. When we embody and project that energy of Divine love into the world around us, Spirit can use it to create optimal outcomes for us and our world.
Love is the very fount of all creation. When we embody that state of being and share it with others, it supports creation to continuously unfold without limitation. This process also moves us from isolated identity-awareness to an inclusive space that embraces all of humanity and nature.
Energy that flows from a place of inherent harmony and love, continues to create more of the same. We can and must learn how to transform our own lives into ever more radiant beacons of transformation. The more we heal the shadow within ourselves and our world, the greater our capacity grows for radiating higher consciousness that creates congruent patterns benefiting all.
Everyone can participate in this process – you do not need to be a guru or a saint first to be effective. In a diverse world, not everyone is at the same level of consciousness: each one of us holds different value systems or visions for an optimal world. And yet, we all grasp the core importance of Love, even when it is diluted and tarnished in a materialistic society.
Action that comes from Love transforms because it is inclusive. Actions that emerge from the ego, divide and create conflict. When we gather our courage to engage from a place of Love, our interactions do not polarize but include. When we look for the best in others, they can awaken to that within themselves.
In a world rife with conflict, let’s take on the challenge of diffusing conflict with love. Let gather and radiate the creative power of love to create a better world with more equanimity for all.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Oct 22, 2021 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Spirituality
Photo Credit: Zenad Nabil, Unsplash
There is a deeper reality in every human being that exists beyond our personality and social identity. All spiritual teachings point to this reality, which is often referred to as “inner light.”
The modern word for this inner light is consciousness, and it is perhaps the deepest mystery in the universe. It is without beginning and without end, and it exists in limitless quantities and diversity. It is known as the presence of Life Force, the One Source, or the Creator, and it permeates everything.
How do we bring more of this consciousness in our own lives? How can we channel this inner light as a force for good in the world during this critical time?
Consciousness is the core substance of life everywhere. It exists in every life form. Even when you doubt everything about yourself, the fact that you are conscious, exists beyond any doubt.
Spiritual practice allows us to access that field. When we transcend thinking, we become aware of that field of consciousness that permeates everything. As we quiet the monkey mind, we become more aware of the vast realm of consciousness within and around us. We are all part of that One consciousness; we are interconnected through that unified Field.
This is both a mystery and an experiential realization; it is the foundation of all true action and effectiveness.
If we don’t know ourselves as the light of consciousness, we only perceive ourselves as separate bodies. And living life from such an ego-identified state tends to be fear-based, lonely and limiting.
When we start to glimpse what “being the light” means, we become benevolent change agents in the universe. We learn to tap into creative inspiration, so we can contribute to both our own evolution and that of all other life forms, especially during these turbulent times.
Each one of us has the power and the responsibility to expand our inner light of consciousness. All spiritual practices reach toward this common goal: cultivating gratitude, purifying our minds, practicing good spiritual hygiene, and nurturing our spiritual identity, are just some of the proven ways to do so.
With greater conscious awareness and alignment, we become more available to our loved ones and are better able to nurture them. The deeper we move into personal alignment with Higher consciousness, the more we can foster that emergent light of consciousness in others. Expanded consciousness also allows us to honor all forms of life as emanations of the One Source, so that we treat all forms of life with reverence and respect.
Embodying the unity consciousness of our common Source is essential for making meaningful change in our world. It is the antithesis of ego-based tyranny, which adds conflict to problems by separating and isolating.
You and I are the light of the world. When we understand this, we shift from a state of consumption to one of altruistic service. The more we expand our own spiritual understanding, the more we can positively contribute to all areas of society.
Conscious, Source-aligned action is called for more than ever now.
Our united, light-filled consciousness is needed to ignite the light in those who are ready. We are standing on the forefront of global change, and embracing our Divine nature allows us to anchor more light in the world.
Our contribution to the peaceful evolution of life on this planet can take many forms, yet it is not optional. If we wish to be a part of the solution instead of the problem, we need to step up and participate, starting with expanding our own levels of consciousness.
Indeed, the Presence of our awakened consciousness will empower and guide us to create collaborative and sustainable solutions to problems at all levels.
By deepening our inner alignment, we also develop more meaningful connections with those around us. Deeper levels of personal transformation allow us to become inspirational to others. This becoming is a precious gift we offer the world; it is not something we can buy or access randomly, but the fruit of deep, ongoing personal transformation.
Moreover, this deeply embodied transformational consciousness forms the foundation for creating optimal new ways of living that are desperately needed in the world.
Our world is teetering at the edge of tyranny and totalitarianism. This is the urgent challenge and the opportunity we are called to address now.
Our level of consciousness determines the quality of what we create. To create something better, then, we need to transcend the lower levels of consciousness which led to current dynamics. The urgency of our times calls for more than a cessation of violence; it requires the transformation of egoic tyranny into self-awareness, blame into self-responsibility and blind projection into personal transformation.
Those who are awake are called to lead the change by example. We are called not to fight the dark but to shine the light and in doing so, to dispel the darkness. Each person who steps off the ego platform of false righteousness, hatred and judgment to engage in this process of transformation, can anchor more light in the world.
The presence of that Light then allows others to awaken and find their way to greater wholeness. When we join our Light, hope is rekindled around us. That Light within will guide us back to one another and unite us on a higher path so we can fulfill our common purpose as souls.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
by Ada Porat | Sep 20, 2021 | Change bad habits, Conscious living, Cope with change, Empowering changes, Fear and anxiety, Personal growth, Spirituality
Photo Credit: Photo by Nadir sYzYgY on Unsplash
There are three common ways we tend to deal with difficulties in life: we may attack, or distract ourselves, or deny the reality of the situation.
Attack is especially popular in modern society. We use attack as a form of defense. We may jump to our individual assumptions and interpretations of what has been said, and then take offense at what we interpret as a personal attack on us, our values or our truths. Instead of stepping back for objectivity, we launch into an attack of what we think happened or what we imagine the other saying. This hooks us into an endless cycle of conflict, both within and without. When some truth manages to penetrate our defenses, we may even deny the existence of actual evidence that contradicts our assumptions. We may even harden our stance by seeking revenge or justification and so fueling the flames of conflict.
We humans are very good at distracting ourselves whenever we do not know how or do not wish to face the truth. In modern society, the temptations for distraction are endless: we may overindulge in binge-watching television, overeating, indulging in addictive behavior, playing games, or even exercise. We love to justify and feed these habits of distraction: we skew truth to find reasons to indulge our addictions, or to justify our behavior. And while we may be haunted by self-doubt within, we push that away by invoking the actions of others as justification for our distracted – and destructive – behavior. Often, it is not until we hit bottom in this cycle that we realize the high price of distraction ourselves from truth and accountability.
The third way we perpetuate struggle is something every addict knows well: we go into denial. We deny everything that appears dissonant to our own make-believe reality construct. We avoid people and situations that call into question the shaky reality construct to which we cling, and we avoid taking responsibility for our choices and actions. Instead of dealing with unpleasant issues, we may deny our part in it and project blame on someone else. When we do not want to come clean or confront discrepancies in our own value system, we opt to disassociate instead. We avoid, ignore, deny or pretend we did not hear or see what happened, while we try to tiptoe past the truth. By denying truth, we slip into a form of self-hypnosis that traps us in a repetitive, destructive cycle of attacking, distracting or denial.
There is a better approach to life’s challenges available to all of us. It is the pathway of awakening, which requires the willingness to practice personal honesty and accountability. True awakening asks us to surrender our ego stance to which we so desperately cling, and to open our hearts and minds instead to seek the deeper Truth that exists in all of life. It is by aligning to this deeper Truth that we find the grace to surrender our hero worship at the false feet of egoic self. In the presence of Truth, our false gods and beliefs are laid bare for the shabby fakes they are, and we surrender our false attachments to right or wrong, to judgment and blame, to justification and shame, to avoidance and projection.
Higher Truth is available to all of us at all times. The price for entry is simply this: we need to drop the ego’s cloak of duality and self-righteousness, and be willing to strip ourselves bare from all the limiting habits we’ve been hiding behind. Beyond the false identity of ego our souls await – ever pure, ever whole and ever peaceful. In that Presence, the illusion of struggle and competition dissolve to reveal the eternal Oneness of All that Is.
Our souls are not stirred by comfort and denial; it is upheaval that throws us out of our comfort zone into the uncertainty of life and awakens us. The goal of life, then, is not to avoid discomfort and the unknown; it is to lean into these times without holding back. The loss off our former safety net can become the opportunity to fly if we can stay present in the moment and stay open to the opportunities revealed by upheaval.
Are you feeling anxious because your world is coming apart? Do you feel as if you struggling on alone, without support, stuck in misery and confusion?
When upheaval comes, it is very helpful to remember that you are experiencing it because the cozy predictability of your life has just been addressed somehow. It may feel as if the rug has been pulled out from under you and you are falling through mid-air. This very sense of groundlessness invites you to stay present, and to see this is an invitation to deeper awakening and growth.
When we stop resisting fear of the unknown and stay present to our experience, we discover more and more freedom. We learn to lean into the Permanence that exists beyond the solid world of senses, and to surrender our attachment to the impermanence of the created world.
We are invited to discover the limitless freedom of Infinite Awareness manifest in us, and to recognize the timeless nature of Being. As we let go of our narrow identity as bodies, we can expand into the spaciousness of our true nature. We are expansive enough to stay present in every experience as it unfolds.
There is no need to defend false ego constructs: no need to attack, distract, or ignore what is unfolding in our lives. We can step back from drama and align with the Presence in which all possibilities exists and from where all creation emanates.
This letting go of our attachment to comfort and security, allows us to align with the Source of all that is, instead of the limited creations of ego. It restores us to ultimate freedom. From here, we can create a better world by focusing on what is truly meaningful, truthful, and inclusive.
©Copyright Ada Porat. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist & pastoral counselor with extensive international teaching & clinical experience. She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients make optimal life choices. For more information, visit https://AdaPorat.com
