An Inadvertent Path Amidst a Dream

What a strange and interesting time this seems to be in our world.  I cannot begin to scratch the surface of all of the happenings of this world without wanting to brush it all away and dig right down deeply into the core of what seems to ail all of humanity.  It seems to me, at the heart of all of our woes lies this insidious subtle and often blatantly active fear.  Fear seems to be at the heart of everything going seemingly wrong today.  But what on Earth can we do?  Honestly, nothing.  As weird, heartless or oblivious as that may seem, there isn’t really anything to fix “out there.”

If we want to get to the heart of what ails humanity at this time, we need look no further than our own backyards. For there, we will find a rich universe from which we may draw our own conclusions about where we are, and why we are and what we might do with significant impact.  Translated simply – we can fix ourselves but we can’t really fix anyone or anything else.  I’ve written often before of the path of understanding as the mechanism through which we can at least learn to hold compassion for ourselves and compassion for each other no matter what state or place we find ourselves in.

We are plagued with this life-preserving ability to compare, contrast and quickly discern all that is seemingly bad around us.  It really does help us make decisions in a moment about what we should stick closer to and what we should move ourselves very far away from.  But, what if we judge wrongly even in our own perception at a time where any form of truth is truly obscured?  This would be the case in terms of undetected negative environmental psychology that truly dictates the bulk of our perception of our many experiences in this world.  I’m learning of late that there just is no way for us to transcend our psychology.  We cannot fix the core of who we are.  We just aren’t able and besides that, there isn’t anything to fix.  We can come to greater understanding of all that triggers us and if we can at least become aware of the fact that our thoughts, emotions and reactions in any given moment are just that –  triggers – what an amazing and monumental leap on our own personal journey does that bring us.  Better yet, diving into the deep and endless pool of those triggers to better understand, deeply love and infinitely appreciate our truest self is beyond amazing.

Our very lives these days are so interlaced with psychology, superficial understanding coupled with time honored traditions in human behavior that it is difficult at best to realize who is reacting versus who is intentionally responding to whatever it is they face in a moment.  Reaction and response may seem like two things of the same core motivational essence but that couldn’t be any more over-simplified.  I write much about this topic in so many different ways and in so many different perspectives.  Why?  Well, it is hard to discern the space we are reacting from in earnest.  In mindfulness we learn that our human nature is to think thoughts incessantly, ascribe emotions to those thoughts and that triggers us into reaction.  But, what if we truly could learn to allow all those thoughts and their associated emotions and just let them be without judging them or ascribing further insult to seeming injury?

Well, we can do that.  But, if you want to do that in order to release yourself from states of too much worry, too much pain and too much unhappiness, you really need to learn what mindfulness is and you need to be open to embracing higher understanding.  Again, translating simply – awareness through understanding is key to relieving you of all that mentally ails you.  This you can do if only you opened your mind, heart and soul to it.

But on the other side of this very complex coin of human existence, we have a very rich, seemingly unreachable aspect of our being…some call it Spirit or Soul, some consider it mind or consciousness.  The deeper aspects of our being begs greater understanding for there we can grasp the essence of the impetus for our manifestation in this frame, within this beautiful and endless seeming dream.  We are, at best, what we most chose to be and how we most wish to embrace it – whatever “it” is.  There is truly nothing to do to “fix” or save ourselves or each other from in life.  Life is as it is and it is only our lack of understanding that drives us to our territorial desire for the many and varied manifestations of suffering hidden by our own design.  When you understand you free yourselves a little and then a little more to move through this conscious dream awake and ever more aware.  So, we need not worry so much about the state of things.  It is better yet to remain ever curious, ever hopeful and ever compassionate with self and the whole of life.  Take heart this dream – your life – has purpose.  You matter.  This dream matters.  Take the lessons to heart and love yourselves even more deeply.  Blessings for higher love and greater understanding.

 

© 2016 Jaie Hart

Points of Focus

-->

 

The smell of freshly brewing coffee mixes well with the caw of the crows and a gentle summer sea breeze on this dark and early morning.  Although I intended a little more sleep for a Sunday, that just wasn’t to be.  Instead I thought I’d get up and write a little bit about my thoughts of late.  If we look at life from just one perspective, there is plenty of evidence of the impermanence of things.  Seasons change, life ebbs and flows and the world always seems abuzz with some new-fangled this or that replacing the tried and true or improving the old into new.  The wise ones tell stories of how it was in their day and the young ones with potential for wisdom will sit and raptly listen.

There is another perspective from which we can view things.  I may speak in levels but it’s just metaphor so don’t get too hung up on the idea.  If we reach for moral higher ground in the complete absence of understanding, we may find ourselves mired in the thick toxicity of judgmental emotions or lost in a sea of confusion as to how an Omnipotent and Omniscient “being” in the form of an anthropomorphized God could allow certain things to be.  If we reach out with the-devil may care attitude towards this or that, we are considered callus and unfeeling.  But what if there is a good and solid or healthy state of in between?  What if we cared so much that we found a place of acceptance for things and people just as they are and put seeking true understanding from the irresponsible claim of knowledge ahead of all else?  I will tell you such actions put you  in closer proximity to the real Source of our origins.

Randomly turning to things that change, aside from being assisted involuntarily, why does the body die?  You’ll have those that step out mid-stride in a vibrant life and those who slowly withdraw over time.  The skin and hair and eyes will change as they begin to separate their focus from this third-dimensional world returning if even unconsciously to their origins.  I’m not sure I believe in a Heaven or Hell any more.  That must sound funny coming from a Reverend.  But, stick with me just a moment and I’ll attempt to explain.

Heaven and Hell have their prescribed meanings as we have been taught from the Holy Bible but what if both were here in this now moment and were simply states of mind we choose to view the whole of this world from?  What if those states of mind exist whether here in the body or elsewhere beyond?  That would make both views a creation of a perspective held by an individuated aspect of a conscious entity would they not?  I cannot help but wonder if all we experience here is a matter of an agreed upon focus viewed through the filters of individuated experience.  We remain always a vibrant living extension of Source embodied in a framework that allows us a specific kind of experience.  As we get used to the framework, our vibrancy grows and we live out the lives we intended as we create them to be whether conscious of the plan for those creations or not.  We continue that point of focus until we choose to focus no longer and then we begin to disengage.  Little by little we slowly fade.  It is not just that limbs forget their flexibility or that eyes forget to see.  It is that we shift our focus at a designated point within the dream and begin to fade away from this frame with our souls packed with the memories of precious lessons learned and hopefully our hearts filled to overflowing with love.

The thing we forget or never take the time to properly remember is that we are consciousness.  That consciousness or spark of life lives on always but perhaps maybe in a different frame of focus than what we here living may term life on Earth.  Consciousness is what connects us one to another and from one another to our origins.  We don’t leave our Origin to be here to begin with.  Imagine gently waking up from a dream or suddenly sitting straight up in bed with traces of a memory of a dream still running through your mind.  We are consciousness unconsciously aware of ourselves.  Over time and with effort, each individual will become ever more aware if that is what they so choose to do in this frame.

The crows have quieted now and the little birds have taken to trilling a beautiful tune eagerly awaiting the sun’s light.  And I see before me the darkness receding into the pale light of that twilight moment in between the night and the day.  As I continue writing and sipping my coffee, my thoughts shift a bit closer to home.  In my mind’s eye I see a little girl with silver blue eyes.  Those same eyes I saw when I first met her father and saw yet again when I first met his father.  Today the family will say goodbye to my youngest daughter’s grandfather.  Although my heart goes out sincerely to the entirety of his family for their loss, I take comfort in the fact that I know a little secret. Life as consciousness lives on; it just changes its focus.  J.J. will always be with his family in spirit through the love that they shared.  I know I’ll see him every day in my little girl's beautiful eyes and am so very thankful to him for his life and his time here.  I owe him much just for his existence and what it meant at least to me.  Thank you J.J. and may God Bless your soul always and forever.  Thank you again for everything.  My heartfelt prayers go out to the entire family that they may find comfort in coming together today in celebrating the life of their patriarch.  He was proud of his boys and loved his grandchildren.  I pray they find the peace of love and then healing.   

For the rest of you focused here in this frame work, be grateful for all of those other individuals incarnate here with you.  They bring you gifts unexpected, experiences unique and life lessons worth learning.  Enjoy your time here in this point of focus fully so that when it is your time to return, you will do so filled with so much love.  ~Blessings of infinite love and light to all this day and every day.  And, so it is!

--> © 2014 photo and words, Rev. J.L. Harter

Thoughts and Stars by Morning's Light

These pathways I have traversed in time, ethereal moments intertwined with souls of great love and beautiful light. So much have they taught me and I am often so humbled.  Child-like they so often seem but wisdom defies their appearing stature and not of this world are they who walk so gently outside of space and time.  To them, my depths of gratitude are infinite for they have shown me the pathways home, the voyage to the center of my heart and soul. I never truly understand the path of love nor could I have ever found the pathway home without their help.  These thoughts meander through my conscious vision amidst the concrete jungle that is my world in this moment.  Again both here and gone have encompassed this hour of brief reprieve from the daily work-a-day drudgery.  Oh but my mind does drift like the wind back to the night of peace and this morning's dream.  Greater understanding has the light of day brought me...themes and words, pictures and colors, impressions both physical and not physical at all.  They represent a culmination of long thought out choices and well, those choices are what they are in this part of the journey, in this part of the dream.  I accept the gifts so readily given and return with these gentle words of love and gratitude. 

Thank you I whisper up into the stars and they twinkle as always in their ethereal seeming reply.  I pull up my sweater collar close about my neck to ward of a chill and breathe deep the peace of this night.  I wonder what visions and dreams this night will hold.  I can no longer wager a guess as those days are long gone.  There is no more a need for guessing and precognitive reaching through space and time.  I am satisfied all
at once with my life, my journey, the love that I've found and gladly given away, the gifts I've received and those I chose to refuse to accept.  All have meaning of infinite depths and now I see with a bit more clarity.
But even that is irrelevant and insignificant compared to the clarity and depths of this beautiful star filled sky.  I send my love up and out to those who know just how to reach it.  I love this world and I love this life and I'm grateful for every single soul who's path has crossed mine.  It's true perhaps I appreciate more some than others and so it goes with resonating souls I suppose.  We seek merely understanding from those who will love us despite how much we have yet to learn and who will stand by us always and ever holding that sacred space of love and light.  So many have and a fact to which I am infinitely grateful.  Gratitude is now the gift of my day and higher understanding perhaps will be the gift of tomorrow as my journey continues.  Come what may, there will be love...there will be joy...there will be much laughter.  I was blessed to have been given a gift of a vision of a future time.  Its what I wanted to see but I almost wished I hadn't asked.  Thankfully the
pathway there remains a mystery.  I do love a mystery. Off with me then, into my day with a collection of thoughts to ponder from the last 24 hours.  Make it a beautiful day.

(c) Jaie Hart (photo, random but beautiful internet find)

Voluntary Solitary Social Confinement

And so it goes, another day in this voluntary solitary social confinement I find myself contemplative in.  I'm sipping coffee in the coolness of a gray morning.  The birds are singing as they so often do.  The sound, sweet music to my ears gently stirring this gypsy heart of mine.  I never thought of myself as a gypsy before but considering the moves I've made at a couple levels of existence, I suppose my heart is quite restless.  Perhaps it is my own desire to understand that I have committed myself to this solitary social confinement.  In the absence, completely, of the typical conflict I encounter in this world I find I have greater ability to feel and to see the truth of a good many things.  Enamored by the silence, enchanted by the stillness and caught walking the corridors of my own mind unhindered has given me a freedom I have not before known.

It is hard to maintain this commitment for so very many reasons but I've learned enough lessons in life to pay heed to my soul and honor its murmurings.  And so, I wander the shores of the sea in my own mind taking in diffused light in tiny drops of emotion I'm soaking in with great pleasure.  Through the anxious seeming feelings of alone on the periphery, I do find a certain measure of peace.  This feeling, this rare and treasured feeling calls forth love from the deepest depths within me.  This isolation is nothing new.  Often have I been isolated from the world around me.  I observe the happenings within this world, the roles conducted by the directors and actors of many plays and I feel so disconnected with a very strong feeling of "I have already wandered through that dream."  In an emotional sense, it is but a rerun I've seen at least a thousand times and I no longer wish to participate in such plays, nor do I wish to sit through them again.  I want something by far greater.  I want something deeper.  I want something much more meaningful.  I live in the depths in terms of spirituality and emotion.  I cannot suffer another day of engaging in the superficial egotistical psycho dramas of the great majority of this Earth's inhabitants.  I wish to be free of it's pointless and senseless superficial meandering.  It plays in the background of every scene like a discordant tune that grates on my senses in every way.

"But this is life in this world called Earth," says an angel in my dreams.  "You wished to be here or you would not be.  It is this place that called to you from the Heavens as home and so you descended deeply into the dream to dwell yet again among the souls of men on this blue world called Earth.  Although you may not recall the specific reasons why, there are reasons great that you would be here learning again dear one," he said as I sat there motionless, emotionally distant as I heard the words and felt even more disconnected.  "Why are there so few here like me," I asked "And why is it I find it so hard to find them."  "Time dear one, in due time," said the angel as he faded from view.

I continued to walk the shores knowing I am connected to so many souls here fulfilling agreements, lending the support of my energy to them as they do for me and all without understanding the reasons why but driving from the core of my soul toward one dream in particular, one strong and true desire.  I wonder often if that one shall occur in this life time at all.  In nearly 46 years I feel I have never lived the life that I most wanted. It took me so long to understand the power of unconscious creation.  I exit such thoughts of disappointment, frustration, lack and yearning knowing the stirring emotion of those sentiments will bring them to fruition manifesting in this life in silence.  I do not wish a lifetime sentence of "more of the same" and remind the world and all who will hear me in this moment that when you voluntarily commit yourself, you can walk out whenever you are ready.

A smile reaches my lips with a memory of what feels like another time.  There, walking hand and hand are two silhouettes against the sinking sun.  Is it a memory or the vision of a dream yet to be?  Is it both perhaps?  I wonder...so deeply with every fiber of my being...yes, I wonder.  The beauty of the vision is beyond words as I feel it from inside of me as if I were one of those silhouettes and I can feel the warmth of a hand there in mine and I smile knowing the answer will manifest right on time.  And so, it shall be.

(c) 6/12 Jaie Hart (photo, random internet find)