How Not to Worry (And Change!)

let me get right to the point … i changed myself by using this simple concept:

AWARENESS  … ACCEPTANCE … ACTION

If you will kindly follow my experience, which i explore in depth for you below, i hope i can inspire at least one other person to make some positive changes in your life.  this share is dedicated to my beloved F, who didn’t want to “hear it” at least not from me, but who, in her rejection of my offering, has inspired me to share with the world.  from every negative comes a positive … that’s the truth!

i used to obsessively think think think.  you too? sometimes the “thinking” took the form of worrying, at other times i used to do a heap of unhealthy daydreaming that wasn’t serving any purpose other than keep me back from developing a “good” frame of mind.  at these times, worry or obsession, my thinking was just plain “freight-train brain” as some of us call it.  buddhists call it “monkey mind” — because this kind of thinking is unruly, base animal-level, and terribly mischievous for those of us interested in being One with Universal Power, call it by whatever name you want.

the power of OM

let’s just say you’re into some kind of obsessive thought, a worrier perhaps, well, here is how i let go of mine, and how i daily remind myself how to keep getting rid of that old unsettled mind of mine.  these steps will help you embrace the stillness within (that we ALL have, trust me!) … follow this journey through these visual temples i’ve designed, absorb the message contained within each temple, and let them inspire you to put these concepts into effect in your own life.  your life situation will improve.  things won’t worry you that used to.   take a few deep, long breaths ….  and relax!   these concepts work!  you just have to DO them, that’s all.

enter the temple of … HOMAGE

enter here a “state of BE-ing” (what each of the three temples represent) in which we become AWARE that we have a CHOICE.  notice that on one side is LIGHTNESS, with an angel presiding over the door through which you will leave and go further on your journey, while on the other side of the exit door is DARKNESS, with a demon clinging to you on your way.  stand in the middle of “Homage” and become AWARE that we have a choice.  It’s that simple.  we either choose to align ourselves with the Light of Goodness, or … we choose to remain ignorant, scared, worried, anxious, and stay controlled by the Dark.  there is no in between.  you choose.  when we WANT to stop our negative thoughts, our worrying (which obviously you do, or you wouldn’t even have “clicked” this), we start by realizing: we can choose to WANT to do something about our unhappiness, our pain, our stress.  if your obsession concerns something besides worrying, another scenario like addiction for instance, again, if we are aware that we DO have a choice … this is the beginning.  this is the choice where we start at.  if a person isn’t even aware of that much … you’re pretty much not ready to change, get happier, healthier, and fill your life, your spirit with a dose of Universal Spirit, with Grace.  So … being AWARE of having a “problem” is a BIG deal.  this is the first step.  but don’t stop there.  actually, all “problems” are just opportunities to become closer to the majesty of BE-ing aware … of Being One with Divine Consciousness.  stick with those “problems” … they’re our teachers!

After you’ve entered the first temple of being ready to change, and are practicing “Homage” (just a fancy word for “paying attention” … and you haven’t gone running out and said, “NO! I really WANT to stay worried!” … now you’re ready to enter the next temple, the next “state of Be-ing” on this journey to changing yourself …

… you enter the realm of SACRIFICE

here, as you see, it’s rather hmmmmm, shall we say, confusing.  choices are at tricky, they appear as not easy to discern.  but one day it will be easier, believe me (practice makes perfect!)  choices come at us in hurdles, wearing “masks” and often with bomb-like influencial force.  BUT … if we ask for help (a simple prayer of “HELP!” to your Higher Power is a good way to start) we can determine that the choice we’re making to NOT worry, to NOT feel uncared for, or pick up a drink or a drug, to NOT go out and shop or gamble or sex our troubles away, to NOT think we’re sick but rather getting better —- whatever negative thought pattern we’re working on trying to change, we have come through the first stage of AWARENESS, and now we’re immersed in the feeling-part, the ACCEPTANCE, of “feeling” we really want to change.

Because, believe it or not, a lot of people don’t really want to change.  they’re either too lazy to do the re-training of their thought-patterns, or…they don’t believe they can ever change so why bother? or … they think that life is hard, and that worrying is part of it.  Well, these are just some of the “masks” that Darkness likes to wear to trick us.

BUT — when we’re ready to begin the task of training our mind we’re in the temple of Acceptance.  once there, we are bombarded by choices, and we must choose over and over and over and over, one day at a time, one worry at a time, to change one thought that disturbs us at a time —- to choose instead that we CAN turn over our concern, our worry, our insecurity, our … whatever … and focus on the CENTER of peace within every human alive.

Focus on our breathing, instead of our self-defeating thinking.  Focus on a GOOD thought, instead of a self-destructive, stressful one.  because —- when we’re willing to “Sacrifice,” our bad thinking and replace one thought at a time with a positive thought, our minds cannot hold onto two thoughts at once.  it’s that SIMPLE.  Focus on a positive, and the negative has no space, no room in your mind’s thinking.

this takes practice, of course.  so here, in the temple of “Sacrifice,” you choose to begin practicing.  Acceptance is work.  Being Aware is Work, inner work. Self-reflection we call it in yoga: Viveka, discrimination … choosing right from wrong, good from bad, following your inner guide.

“Depend more upon the intuitive forces from within and not harken so much to that of outside influences … ” Edgar Cayce

when you’re ready for this inner work: then, and only then, after choosing to be calm and happy instead of sick and stressed, we focus on a positive thought and our negative (worry) fades away, then disappears.  one thought at a time, we change.  we now are in the “state of BE-ing” that follows Awareness and Acceptance … we are ready to take ACTION! we choose to live for the Greater Good (sometimes called “God” but this is such a highly charged name that is, and to me, it’s better to think of “God” as “Good Orderly Direction).

in the temple of “Sacrifice,” depicted above, we are surrounded by many distracting, conflicting influences and choices; some obviously bad (negative addictions, war, violence, envy, anger, lack of compassion, environmental or self abuse) — some disguised as alluring (fashion, a martini, excessive riches, envy of others’ wealth, your own basic selfishness) … but … stay focused on the rainbow-colored shape in the middle of the chaos … your Inner Light … and remember: every human existence comes down to sacrificing what YOU want (you want to worry? Just Say No!) for what you feel (when aligned with Divine Will, you’ll feel it in your “gut”) and know (in a calm, trained-positive, meditative mind) you are choosing well, attuned properly with DIVINE WILL.

That’s why God gives us emotions: so we can “work” with them, use them as “tools.” Not abuse them by allowing them to be WILD, obsessing over the negative ones. If you worry, if you’re unhappy–CHANGE Dammit!

How do you know what’s Divine Will?  by getting quiet. going within. DEEP BREATHING.  emptying your mind.  just like pumping your muscles, shaping your abs, this doesn’t happen overnight.  constant vigilance. every choice counts.  constant self-reflection of life’s choices, viveka, loosely translated from the Sanskrit as “discrimination.”  everything we do counts.  the thought we hold in our mind, counts!  CHOOSE to go within, where the DIVINE of the UNIVERSE speaks to all of us … and go beyond your small little insignificant minute puny problems.  Just decide it’s time to change, and the change has already begun.  I promise it’s that easy.

When you’ve made the choice, and have taken the spiritual step of choosing to live in the Light over sinking in negative thinking (worry, fear, anger, the rest of the 7 deadlies) of Darkness, then you’re ready to reside in the final Inner Temple, that of DIVINATION:

here, all is Inner Peace, even if your outer life is surrounded by chaos, confusion, and other people’s negativities, even if there is war going on, and you have no money.  when you see that ALL is the work of Divine Consciousness, you begin to lighten up! you go through the previous states of Awareness, Acceptance, Action — and now you get to benefit from what happens when you take ACTION–you reap the reward of peace.

continually recognize the need to take action, over and over, to re-train the thinking process, and you experience the joy of making the positive choice of change!  you EMPOWER yourself, your life.  enter the state of choosing to be tranquil instead of agitated, happy instead of stressed, at One with ALL.  when we stop taking ourselves so seriously, talking ourself into falsely believing we’re alone, we’ve been abandoned, that our Higher Power isn’t watching out for each and every one of us — one resides in this inner temple called peace.  we BE-Come calm incarnate.

enter your inner temple, DIVINATION,  with a beautiful vibrating crystal above, and beautifully rendered reminders of the spiritual journey you’re on, the various opportunities to choose the Light, surround yourself with the support of others on this bliss-filled path, who help you, gently remind you to persevere, because it IS hard work, this inner development stuff.  but the reward is superb!

one choice at a time, over and over, day in day out, nighttime, dreamtime (re-write those bad dreams!) … practice viveka, discrimination, and arrive … at this place, one choice after the next, at this place where all is divine, the temple of DIVINATION, where you and the Source … are ONE.

we are all One.

in the Light, lordflea