Two years have gone by since the publishing of my last blog post. Writing and reflecting are key components to the Living PowerLife guide for recognizing, claiming and utilizing the power that we have in every situation. Consequently, at the same time that I recognize the distance between blog posts, my writer’s soul understands and acknowledges the importance of writing every day. This means that, for all of my adult life, I have written something every day in the form of personal reflections, journals, dream logs, meditation, and blogs. The benefits of writing consistently are many and the one that has most impacted my life is personal insight. Through writing, I have a much deeper understanding of what motivates my actions and words.
As years pass, the more I apply the knowledge that comes with writing and reflection, the more peace I find. The more peaceful I become, the more freedom I have from fear and sadness. When I become free of fear and sadness, I no longer perceive particular events in my life as failure or rejection. The less I focus on failure, the clearer I see the power that I have in every circumstance.
To develop new ways of recognizing power rather than perceiving failure, one must replace feelings of guilt, blame, shame, anger, and envy, with gratitude, acceptance, love, honesty, responsibility, and trust. This shift in focus can only be obtained through understanding that we all have the need to both reach out and to go within. Indeed, there are times when I reach out and times when I go within. I call this living cycle the Living PowerLife Active/Passive Process.
During my active phase, I think, connect, and share thoughts and insights. When and where I reach out is based on the knowledge that I gain from working through my passive phase. In my passive phase, I receive, reflect, and process information. How I focus is directed by honestly assessing my life choices. Guidance from the Universe is crucial for succeeding in both the active and passive phases. Consequently, my active/passive process requires that I remain open and receptive to every experience life presents. Also required is an ability to be open to learning about areas where I need to expand the vision of who I am as an individual.
Today, the publishing of this post marks my shift from passive reception to active expression. This switch means that my life continues to illustrate how personal reflection, universal guidance, and reactions to everyday life experience merge to create a life based in power rather than fear. In addition, my life, with all the success, challenge, loss, and gain, is an example of how the general application of Living PowerLife, as presented in my blog, enhances personal growth regardless of religious affiliations, political beliefs, economical class, ethnicity, age, gender, orientation, ability, and personal connections.
From 2016 to present, my life has been plump with change. I would consider some change opportunities for celebration and others opportunities for healing. Every change, though, has been packed with wisdom and personal insight. For example, recently I have had the opportunity to live in a house with over 30 acres of land. Because of this, I have seen daily examples of the universal balance in nature all around me. In addition, I have had the time to explore the difference between rural and urban life. I also know how recognizing the rural/urban difference can enhance personal growth. From there, I have been able to apply what I have learned to further develop a plan for learning to recognize where one is in life and what needs to change.
Among many things, rural life and urban life represent different types of energy. The difference can be understood through how we are energetically connected to our surroundings and how we respond to the connection. For instance, with rural energy, the main connection is to earth, spirits, and animals. Urban energy connects us mainly to structures, communities, and individuals. Another difference between rural and urban energy is reflected in how we focus our attention. Rural energy allows us to focus mainly on nature and wildlife. Urban energy’s main focus is on things and people. The difference in focus creates expectation which in turn determines how we respond to particular situations and people. Most often in rural energy, the expectation is to experience quiet and peace. We respond both physically and mentally see link.With urban energy, the main expectations are often to avoid mishaps or complete a project. Again, we have physical and mental responses to this connection.
Following the passive/active process means we can begin to understand and explain the practical application of the timeless belief that we are all connected and part of the Universe. With the understanding and acceptance of our interconnection, judgment, lack of empathy, hatred, jealousy, all become impossible. Instead, these reactions become mirrors through which we see ourselves and a means by which we understand our own sense of self-worth.
At a time when most of our surroundings encourage us to focus mainly on our physical, cultural, political, religious, ethical, and economical differences, many of us search for less combative ways to understand and communicate with one another. More and more of our youth are feeling isolated, disconnected, and lost because of the examples that are so prevalent in society today. It seems that we have lost our way to peace, respectful exchanges, historical honesty, personal integrity, and truthful interactions.
For instance, social media offer the possibility of deep individual connections all while we become more and more isolated. Instead, social media are reflections for what individuals believe to be deep personal connections with others. In many ways we are very much like the dog in Aesop's Fables who loses the bone he already has because he opens his mouth to grab the bone he sees in his reflection.
Today, we fight and blame each other for the troubles we face as a country and as individuals. We behave this way toward each other because we fail to recognize that when we fight another we fight our reflections. When we hate another, we hate the projected version of ourselves. Rather than work to engender the honest internal dialogue that leads to individual personal growth, we choose to ignore the log in our own eye and focus on the cinder in the eye of another Matthew 7:5.
We use sex, work, alcohol, drugs, food, and many other distractions to keep us from acknowledging the emptiness brought on because our lives are focused on obtaining the latest car, biggest house, hottest lover, most ripped body, or fattest wallet. We know things need to change. We know we need to change. At the same time, most of us know that the time to make those changes is running out. We know that we are at a loss for how and where to start turning things around.
When everything that we see around us threatens to overtake, Living PowerLife teaches to live in the moment; start with one action at a time.
I invite you to ask this question:
Where can I best focus my attention right now?
The answer you hear in your soul’s ear will be where your power lies.
Recently, I asked myself this very question and my answer was to take consistent time away from media, people, and places where my rural energy is overtaken by urban. I began taking time off from emails, social media, socializing, in exchange for silence, increased meditation time, and more reading. What I have found is awareness of a stronger energetic connection to the earth and to people. This means that I have moved into a way of living where I feel both rural and urban energetic connections at the same time.
In these times of political corruption, hostility, and uncertainty, it is imperative that we all work to become free of fear and sadness. Rather than perceiving particular events in life as failures or losses, focus on building gratitude. Replace feelings of guilt, blame, shame, anger, and envy, with gratitude, acceptance, love, honesty, responsibility, and trust. In this ongoing process, there will come a time when redirecting focus and energy becomes your Living PowerLife’s pathway to a better life.
From My PowerLife to Yours,
