Recognizing Your Spiritual Path

 

Spiritual Teacher
JUDITH GUGGENHEIM
Co-Author of "Hello From Heaven!"

 

I have good news and bad news, but they're both the same news! We are never 'NOT' on our spiritual paths!

Ain't that a hoot? We can't 'fall' off, but we can get detoured.

Let's begin with a few basics�?BR>
Before our birth, we made a few 'agreements' to maximize our lessons for this lifetime.
Therefore, we have chosen several elements, in agreement with several others, to incarnate together, but for different personal purposes.

We came to both teach, and learn. No matter how long or how short our lifetime, if we took a 'breath' at birth and then passed, we served a purpose once chosen by us, and our Higher Power, in concert with family members.

And as we wander along this path we call our 'lifetime', we continue to upgrade and edit our path/ 'program', or agenda/goals and terms. In fact, we can 're-negotiate' now and then, when necessary.

So, let's pretend you 'chose' your lifetime. Think back for a moment or two�?think of some of the hurdles and challenges that your life has brought forth�?lots of them, yes?

Think of some of the high points�?low points�?and those times when 'nothing' seems to be happening, like you're stuck in a ditch on the side of the road, and there's no AAA coming to pick you up.

Those are challenges too!

I like how Wayne Dyer puts it, "We're spiritual beings having a human experience.�?Essentially that's the ONLY reason you/we're here!

But, how do we actually 'recognize' our Pathway, while we're on it? How do we remember what our agreements were/are? How do we conjure up understanding and meaning to the random events in our lives that seemingly throw us for a loop?

Do you find yourself asking yourself, 'Why me, Lord?'

I do, many times! We all do, and that is just a 'cue' to remember, to be still and remember, basically, 'this is happening FOR you, NOT 'to' you. But, the distance between understanding and acceptance of 'what is' in our lives can be daunting, and seemingly far apart.

But, we have many tools are our disposal every ready to assist us. First, we can journal our lives and our sleep-time 'dreams'. Journaling, in and of itself, is a tool that can hone and develop us, faster than anything else we do for ourselves.

Remember the years when letter writing was an ART form?

Well, letters to Self are amazingly helpful to be able to 'plot' your Journey, your Pathway, at least with hindsight, which then gives you more appreciation and ability to develop 'foresight.'

Now, I also suggest you look around your home at this very moment�?look at what you choose to remind you WHO you are�?notice how those things, that stuff, has evolved along with you, almost like your home reflects the 'history' of your pathway.

Now, as you 'reflect' on what is around you, do you notice there are also a few 'things' missing? Notice 'what' they may be, since they may be the missing pieces to 'complete' your journey�?your path.

Some in this rooms have a glorious 'amount' of TIME left to fulfill their lifetimes and the
sacred agreements they made. Some of us have very little 'time'�?some of us have forgotten our agreements�?some of us remember them only too well�?and most of us fall in between! Make sense? In short, being HUMAN is a process of remembering 'Who' we really ARE.

Tips, techniques or exercises to help us learn, or know, what our spiritual path may be.

 

 

So, #1 is diaries/journals, including dream journals…even writing just a few words a day is sufficient to mark your journey.

A simple notebook, or a fancy leather-bound blank book, or even a Word.doc on your computer to remind you is good.

For instance, look back over your last 6 mos. Are you doing exactly what you expected to be doing now as you saw it in Jan., 2004?

If not, what's different? If so, how and why?

The last 6 mos. of your life is a 'template' of your personal Pathway�?but, there are many speed bumps along this personal Path, and no 2 paths are alike.

Have you noticed how easy it is to identify one of your child's path, while your own seems like a mystery? That's NORMAL, because, our Pathway is very personal, but also when we're in it, or ON it, it's a blur to some degree, because our Higher Self and Human Self are constantly trying to integrate the profane, with the sacred. Make sense?

Hence you have 2 hemispheres in your brain, and your MIND is much bigger than your 'brain' can contain. Even if your accessed 100% of your 'hard-drive' of your brain, your brain is merely the program you have worked with, and the Spiritual Mind is the results of your programming and practice.

We all have a Spiritual Mind that we can access�?we access it every night while asleep. We can also access is quickly during our waking hours, but it takes practice and above all, TRUST. TRUST of Self, which is a process.

Once we can  trust our Self, we can trust anyone, up to their own limit, of course.

So, #2 is how to develop Self-Trust.

Begin to notice what comes your Way in life. Not just the 'big stuff'�?but begin to notice some of the more 'subtle' things. They are there every day�?seemingly small moments. But, if noticed, can bring volumes of awareness to us, especially in that immediate moment.

For instance,  crowded traffic�?sound familiar? It can create anxiety�?irritation�?a sense of powerlessness. I feel those things too!! But if life is going 'slow' in this moment�?how can we 'use' this moment, despite the circumstances?

Think about what you like to do, when you have a little 'time' on your hands. Traffic can be seen the same way, just a shift in point of view. Remember, you're never NOT on your Spiritual Path, so, even the traffic is there just FOR you! Ta-Da....

Drats...this dang traffic is for me? No way! I'm running late!

I often have that feeling about my whole life running late�?I have so much to do, and I've 'wasted' so much time�?wrong!

Even my self-imposed 'detours' have value, and so do yours!

Detours imposed ON us have value. Think back�?think of some recent frustration�?like, 'this is not what I ordered for today!' But, are you so sure?

What if perhaps your Higher Self ordered just this moment of complete breakdown and complete confusion, for instance. What if that were the truth always? That the Higher YOU, is always in charge and managing the show. The theater of your Life.

#3 is Meditation.

Meditation is another way to help you integrate (blend), the Higher Self (the one who CHOSE this lifetime), and all its circumstances and relationships�?at least the 'broad strokes' of them, and now we're stuck here wondering WHY?

So meditation is a 'means', a tool for self-understanding. There's no right way to meditate,
and there's no wrong way.

We meditate all day long, at various times. We sit still and allow our MIND to wander
into it's Self. It's a very rich place within indeed! As we become more experienced, and again, more trusting of what we're telling our mortal self,  we can do it in a flash, from moment to moment.

Had a bad day lately? Wondered why?

I have, and then I have to pause and ask: "Judy, what's the point of all this?" then more importantly, I have to be willing to LISTEN, and not try to 'edit', or interrupt, the incoming msg. from Self.

You'll be amazed how well you can HEAR that still voice within, which is the REAL YOU speaking in the moment of necessity, like, 'Help!" Our own personal 911.

Making sense?

Of course, this takes time to practice, and cultivate the habits necessary to shift from the mundane, to the sacred awareness, and we can flip back and forth all day long without missing a beat, so to speak!

So we can be fully Human, while being fully present with our Spirit, and that is a balanced moment. Then you'll begin to notice increasing CALM as you develop this technique of Self-Talk.

Spiritual teachers has talk about the idea that if, in your life, you seem to be hitting a brick wall, things never seem to go right, that everything is a struggle, that you are not on the right path...that when you ARE on the right path, doing what you are meant to do, it is easy...things flow...there is no struggle. Will you share your thoughts on that idea?

 Well, it's not that we're not on the 'right path',
so much as our 'approach' to our path, may be futile or faulty�?misguided. Walls can be climbed, or gone around.

Each of us has a 'core' KNOWER that never sleeps. It's within the belly of our Being. That core can become dulled from lack of 'use', and exercise. I would love to agree that when we are doing what we are 'meant to do', everything flows. That is true up to a point, but when we are taking steps to the 'next level' of our development, here comes the WALL again, or the detour again, or a complete breakdown again.

They need not last long,  if we're willing to see things anew…and pause and reflect.
Most walls, though are imaginary�?but they are very symbolic,  and we can interpret them.

Often we will need an outside 3rd party to help us be objective,  that's why we've collected X-number of folks to walk this walk with. These companions are 'God-sends,' that help to point us in our best direction.

 

This is one that gets a lot of discussion, and misunderstanding, and becomes quite sensitive�?STRONG>it is the idea that anyone would "choose" to come to earth to experience a disease, or a terrible death, or a horrible life�?…or abuse...anything bad...that our soul self would CHOOSE this.

Very understandably it would be confusing to live or witness it. Most of us in this room have suffered some 'form' of abuse, whether in childhood, adolescence, adulthood or all of the above.

Some of us have even developed patterns of 'abuse' in our lives�?the telltale patterns of a
'hard' life. However, some of us are READY to transmute suffering, more so than others,
that our lives become a 'demonstration' of humanity within our Divine nature.

Many of us here have overcome so many hardships that they are beacons and way-showers for so many others. Remember, we're always teaching, and we're always (hopefully) learning, giving it to others�?or receiving it from others, constantly.

Difficult deaths are almost always for the person dying. Difficult deaths can be a teaching to those around us. Horrible lives are for the very 'courageous' souls, who have 'volunteered' to be with us in such a way, so as to 'break our hearts' OPEN, to force us to bear witness, to force open our hearts to compassion.

The Sudan is one global example of group suffering, that is intended to enlighten us.

But suffering also exists right next door to where you are tonight, and when we understand that all suffering has purpose, even when we can't 'see' the purpose, we begin to soften to the possibilities of that moment,  and reach out with more courage.

So, suffering serves the sufferer and the witness/companion.

In short, there is no 'wrong' lifetime, or wrong life, or unfair life. There is just an 'unaware' life.

I've known folks who became 'aware' in the last 3 days of their life�?nbsp; with amazing epiphanies! So, each moment of our lives, sorrow and joy, and all the mundane, is still the Path. It's all 'THE Path!'

There's no time 'away' from the Path. For some it's straight, for some it winds back and forth. It's very individual,  but guess what? We're ALL on time, even when it looks likes we're late in 'getting there'!

 

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Judith Guggenheim is co-author of 'Hello From Heaven!' and the world's leading researcher of After-Death Communications (ADCs). She has facilitated workshops, lectures, and sharing sessions at national and international conferences, including The Compassionate Friends, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Parents of Murdered Children, and Society for Scientific Exploration.

 

Judith is also widely known in Australia for her weekly Sunday evening appearances on "Sharina's Psychic Encounters" 2UE Talking Sydney 954.

 For more information on Judith Guggenheim and her work, visit her web site at: http://www.after-death.com