I must decide to see each relationship I encounter as first a relationship with my Self. I can then own my own will and power of choice, and can act from true intelligence. I begin to see you, no matter what your behavior may appear to be on the surface, as my perfect teacher, even as a savior from my own illusions.
I have drawn you into my script so that you can mirror to me the part of my mind that is still in need of healing, that still holds a vestige of the past. The One Self we both represent has conspired perfectly to create an opportunity for its own healing and recovery through this relationship, should I choose to take the opportunity.
Imagine if enough people on Earth did this all at once. Would we drop all the ridiculous fears and prejudices that have only served the ego and its thirst for conflict? Would we be the fulfillment of the motto from the 1960s peace movement, “What if they gave a war and nobody came?”
I must determine within myself to remain vigilant with my own thoughts before attempting to “read” meaning into others’ thoughts. I need to recognize the voice of the ego (critical, jumping to conclusions, judging, separating, comparing, and complaining) versus the Voice of Spirit (quiet, neutral, accepting, non-reactive, inclusive, and loving) and then make a choice.
Us vs. Them?
The ego is usually the first to speak up—often loudly and belligerently. The ego typically makes broad claims such as “He’s such a loser” or “Women are all like that.” It will then pat you on the back for your wisdom, and assure you that you are right and they are all wrong.
The Voice of Spirit, which is always “on,” quietly reminds you that we are all the same, we come from the same Source, and we want the same things. Spirit will show you that all behavior is rooted in love; the “good” behavior is clearly demonstrating love, but that which we judge as “bad” behavior is nothing other than a call for love.
The bad behavior is just the best way a person knows how to demonstrate that they are not experiencing love in that moment. If they did not know of love on some level, they would not know what they are missing, and so would not act out. A child only acts out if it is tired or missing comfort, food, or recognition. Essentially no difference.
The World and Others Are Extensions of Myself
Once I resolve to see the world and others as extensions of myself, each relationship in any circumstance becomes a portal to deeper Self-understanding, acceptance, and love. The end game here is that once we “get it” on the level of Unity Consciousness, the next phase of planetary evolution will begin in earnest. Maybe only a small percentage of us have to consciously “get it” before a spontaneous wave of awakening overtakes the world.
We have yet to fully come together and snap out of the spell of separation, but this is inevitable and is already happening. Our only real choice in the meantime is “How much longer do I want to suffer?”
Bringing Love Into Any Situation, Past, Present, Or Future
If I am truly done with suffering, then I am ready to embrace the Path of Forgiveness. On this path, giving becomes receiving. On this path, only love is real. All the rest is simply the illusion of love’s absence. Because of my Divine inheritance, I have the power to bring love into any situation, past, present, or future.
There is great power to be released and realized in these understandings. At first, there can also be great confusion, as we realize the terrible cost of conditioned illusory thinking upon our own life’s story and the collective human saga. We realize how needless the historical litany of human suffering has been, how pointless the centuries of war, struggle, and conflict have been, and all for naught … if we don’t learn by them! We are so deeply entrenched in our judgments, many of which are upheld by institutions, “-isms,” and generational beliefs weighed down by piles of moldy cultural baggage that we call “history.”
The Dark Night of the Ego Leads to Spiritual Awakening
The period of “reality adjustment” as we recognize our blindness and awaken to Universal Truth is called in some traditions the “dark night of the Soul.” As the Soul is Divine and knows not of the dualistic concept of darkness, this period of adjustment is more accurately described as the “dark night of the ego.”
I would guess that a large number of folks who believe they are depressed are rather experiencing the early signs of Spiritual Awakening. You have to see the illusion for what it is and become “disillusioned”—this is a necessary step before you can embrace the reality hidden behind the veil.
The “Spiritual emergence” movement in psychology is devoted to helping people through these early birth pains of the sudden onset of awareness. Researchers have discovered that many of our “diagnosed” conditions are natural reactions to sudden leaps of consciousness that simply need to be supported and assimilated into the former worldview and self-concept of the awakener.
Remember to Meditate Before You Medicate!
Fear not, and try to remember to meditate before you medicate! Unlike chemical intervention, a crude and potentially harmful form of intervention based on a backward perception of causality, the choice to go into silence has no dangerous side effects and is freely available to all.
Please be encouraged that once the awakening has begun, like a pregnancy, it must come to fruition. There’s no going back, and that’s a good thing! We are not called to create a perfect future, as this is likely impossible here on Earth School.
The future, as an aspect of the illusion of time, is being charted with each and every decision we make in this very moment. We are only called to respond to what is before us now. Trust: Spirit has your back, and will only lead to new “nows” that will build on and reinforce the peace you are accepting for yourself now.
It is most important to recognize that all Spirit is asking from you is your willingness to change. This will, being One with Divine Will, is all that is required for the Divine Messenger to support you in every way you can perceive toward the goal that is given each of us. Spirit will accomplish this mission, even with as little as 1 percent willingness on your part; that’s how willing and determined Spirit is to lead you home.
“The Resolve to Awaken: Recognizing Others As Extensions Of Ourselves” by David Ian Cowan, not dated, at httpss://www.innerself.com/content/personal/happiness-and-self-help/life-changes/10473-the-resolve-to-awaken.html
Original link: The Resolve to Awaken: Recognizing Others As Extensions Of Ourselves