I Am New & So Are You

1 January 2018. A new day. A new year. A new beginning. A new me. A new YOU. Every moment is an opportunity to start anew.

Which is what brought us HERE, to this moment. We are wherever we are meant to be, as we always find ourselves in this space. You will always find yourself in the here and now.

So I welcome you to my world in your quest for self discovery as I intend to do the same.  A life in high contrast where evolution occurs by illuminating shadows through conscious creativity; unraveling the fabric of illusion to discover one’s own truth, personal power and purpose—all while achieving peace with what is. You have now entered a space of digging deep with individual freedom, unapologetic authenticity and radical self-expression—a space where you just might unearth something within yourself.

Like an artist’s creation, it embraces the concept of personal liberation, deep introspection, inescapable vulnerability, and often painful discoveries in the quest for healing, harmony and Self-actualization—ourselves being the medium of infinite possibilities and the vessel for the creative thought and expression that will lead us there. An eclectic experience in an ever-changing landscape where we are all FREE TO BE, wherever that is, and exactly as we are.

This is a quest that begins with awareness, which in turn leads to truth, which leads to authenticity and finally liberation through creating and nurturing our own lives with purpose.

So I invite you to join me on this journey of mysterious discoveries, paradoxical awakenings, individual and universal truths on this physical, mental, emotional, spiritual inner quest for Self-actualization.  I hold actualizing through authenticity of enormous value—high above any material gain. And although it scores low as a basic need on Maslow’s hierarchy and is not consider a top priority for most folks, I feel it is tantamount to all the others, a worthy cause to strive for.

There are many steps to get there, so doing so with ease and grace, honesty and compassion, gentleness and faith, and most importantly with Self-love and acceptance, is the true challenge. This is a quest that begins with awareness, which in turn leads to truth, which leads to authenticity and finally liberation through creating and nurturing our own lives with purpose. And it is when we can gain confidence and comfort in being authentic—and learn to do so with kindness towards ourselves and others—that our true Self shines. A brave choice for a worthy cause, indeed.

It is truly an adventure—a Hero’s Journey—and not for the faint of heart, which none of us are underneath it all.  However, readiness and willingness are key at each stage of the process.  This is also not a contest.  The stages of growth are not a structured path complete with a map laid out before us, nor are they linear.  Sometimes they are like an act in a play, with different sets, often returning to the same one with a different perspective time and time again.  There are many ways to look at this, but just as a tree grows upward, it is still staring down at the same ground and its own growth, just from a higher perspective.

The most accurate description I’ve found is more of an upward spiral where we revisit similar scenarios and challenges often repeatedly, yet with the knowledge of having been there before, with insights we learned from the past experiences.  Our expansion happens when we choose to do differently, putting this valuable knowledge to the test.  And we will continue to revisit these same challenges until we learn which way—or ways—that work the best for us.  This of course may—and probably will if you’re paying attention—change throughout one’s lifetime, so hold on for the ride.

Wherever you are is okay. You are exploring this life and have permission to be exactly where you are.

As we learn, what worked for us at age 10 is different than what works at age 20. And what worked at 20 may not at 30, just like the change we made at 30 may not continue work at 40, and so on.  Yet the older we become, the more we expect things to remain the same. The paradox is that change is constant, we can be assured of that, while finding some solace in that impermanence, especially when experiencing intense moments of discomfort, confusion and despair. And in the fact that we always possess the freedom to change, no matter what.

There will be times when you feel immensely empowered to slay the dragon, penetrate the fortress, face the fear and rise above your former self in an ascension of truth and light and courage.  Other moments you will absolutely feel utterly overwhelmed, desperately lonely, beaten down to the ground, and feeling as if life is but a curse, not the gift it is meant to be. Such is the Contrast, and such is Life.  All is necessary for our growth, and growth is always good, so HOLD FAST, my friend.

No matter what is being experienced, hang on and know that it is for your best and highest interest and greatest good.  It may not feel that way at the time, and that is okay.  Wherever you are is okay.  I’ll say that again, Wherever you are is OKAY. Don’t let anyone—including your inner critic—convince you otherwise. You are exploring this life and have permission to be exactly where you are.  In fact, wherever you are is precisely where you are meant to be.  All you have to do is give yourself permission to be there, too.

Our purpose isn’t necessarily to figure it all out on our own—and it’s certainly not our responsibility to figure or even point it out for others—but to create the space and support system so that the answer may unfold itself and have a safe place to land. Often times, it isn’t our unknowing that is holding us back, but our level of readiness to face while lies beyond our consciousness.  This is in no way to suggest our incompetence, inability or avoidance, but a reminder that one simply cannot build a mighty vessel without first creating a strong framework to support it.  So there we must begin, in a process of deconstruction of old beliefs, thoughts and patterns. One small, yet meaningful step at a time.

We are here to learn as much as we can, experience as much as we can, love as much as we can, create as much as we can, and cultivate as much joy as possible without harming ourselves or others.

And should you choose to join me on this expedition, there is only one golden rule I suggest to guide us on The Path: We are here to learn as much as we can, experience as much as we can, love as much as we can, create as much as we can, and cultivate as much joy as possible without harming ourselves or others.

This simple yet profound sentiment can be applied to any situation, and is especially comforting in times of adversity when effective yet harmful forms of escapism or acting out may tempt us into a suppressive or reactive versus supportive state.  So taking the perspective and knowing that we are always learning and growing and expanding through our experiences can help take the sting out of the discomfort and pain. Perspective is key in any scenario. It is the meaning we attach to our experiences that cause suffering, not the event itself.

That is not to say we should not experience the full range of human emotion, quite the contrary.  Escaping, avoiding, suppressing or criticizing our emotional experience will only intensify suffering. In fact, it is through the very experiences of our emotions that we learn who we truly are and what we truly want.  They are here to guide us. However, there will be times of great confusion where this golden rule might appear trite and unhelpful—or even trigger resistance. We may ask ourselves in times of doubt what is the loving thing to do and still truly feel stuck without an answer.  Are we hurting others? Ourselves? What the heck am I really supposed to be doing here???

Sometimes the answer is to do nothing and be patient—which is still doing something, of course!  Sometimes the answer will elude us or seem vague, and we may fall into pits of despair trying to discern what to do.  We will certainly be delving into and exploring all of these nuances as well as methods to open ourselves to the answers—as well as ways to self soothe until they arrive—as time goes on. Yet if we return to the idea that the confusion is the experience—and the launchpad for everything as we search for knowledge—then we can then truly accept exactly where we are in the process. Which is to experience and learn as much as we can.  We have to start somewhere, so allow that confusion to lead to curiosity with a willingness to learn and experience life. Follow this and we will find our bliss.

And now we are ready to begin our exploration.  What does Illuminating the Shadows Through Conscious Creativity mean, exactly?  It begins from the end in that everything we do is creative, really.  We are creative beings by nature.  We create thoughts, ideas, words, actions, objects—our very thoughts are the initiation point of our entire reality.  And in times of rest, we create space for new beginnings, new ideas, new people. It is a basic human need to create order out of chaos, so our creativity is often sparked by our confusion—or curiosity—as well as our thirst for knowledge or an experience.

We also create waste, destruction, hurt, dysfunctional patterns and seemingly negative and utterly useless things, although they are all a part of our inherent existence as well; all part of the necessary contrast in life.  How would we know happiness without the contrast of experiencing sadness? Pleasure without pain? Health without sickness? Love without fear? So the idea here is not to hinder or judge certain types of creativity, but to create a conscious awareness in all of which we create so that we can be more mindful of how it affects ourselves and others.  To build a non-judgmental awareness around our experience. It is a gentle, loving process that begins within.  So please join me as we discover and explore this way together.

We cannot control the seas, yet we can steer our own vessel through both the calm and the calamity, experiencing and loving and embracing every moment of it.

During this voyage, we will begin to notice that there are some dark patches along the way and decide that we need to be able to see them—to illuminate them—in order to move forward on The Path.  These Shadows darken our perspective and make it difficult, sometimes impossible to move through the most turbulent of oceans, the thick of the forest, the darkness of the cave, the unsure footing on the mountain.  Yes, there is always the unknown to fear and be on alert for, but some places are even scarier with the lights on.  All the monsters are on display!  And with the lights on, we now know what we are dealing with.  Then it may seem that ignorance is bliss and that it might be best to turn out the lights again.

However, I challenge that with this question: If ignorance is bliss, then how do we know when we’re happy?  So we don’t want to be ignorant to our experience; we want consciousness.  Otherwise we wouldn’t know our true joy, only what we think it should be.  We also wouldn’t be able to face our fears in order to overcome or make peace with them, so back to the Shadowland we go.

One way to think of this is like a solar eclipse.  In order to view the Sun’s brilliant corona of light, one must be in The Path of the Shadow.  It can only be viewed while in the path of totality, which creates a shadow upon the Earth.  Only then is the corona, in all her glory, visible to the naked eye.  So, we must first create a naked eye by removing the scales, blinders and filters or any other illusions we may have manifested to protect our vision and ourselves, then move directly into the Shadow to view the Light. It’s the only time you can safely stare directly at the Sun. Life is like that, too. Under the right conditions, we can face our greatest fears without burning out our retinas.

If ignorance is bliss, then how do we know when we’re happy?

Question is, how can we create the right conditions? It may seem counterintuitive to walk directly into the darkness, especially when growth sometimes seems to occur out of sequence. Especially when we feel like we’re back to square one after thinking we were through it all—which is where we really become confused.  But the truth is, we can never revisit something from the same exact place; it’s impossible. We can only revisit a challenge from a new place, with new information, and hopefully a new perspective.

It is our perspective—our lens and our filters—that causes us to view situations as the same or different. Our lens is our fixed experience; our filters are the various meanings we affix to our experience. So, do not fret, as confusion and revisiting are only opportunities to step back again and explore it as if perhaps there is another path to take or to see if there is anything else is blocking or distorting our vision, such as a filter.  Once explored, you can then see with a clarity of vision you didn’t possess before; the veil now stripped away.  You certainly can’t view the full eclipse nor the corona if you’re still wearing the protective filters.

Yet like viewing an eclipse, we might also feel blinded by the light if we rush in before the timing is right and stare directly into the Sun.  So, like most everything in this life, balance and discernment, patience and perseverance are all helpful tools in getting there.  All you have to do is know that the corona is coming and keep moving within the flow of the Shadow in order to align yourself with the experience.  And just like that, it disappears again until the next eclipse.  But now we have seen the light, we can use these new insights, and know what to look for in the future.  Simple?  Yes.  Easy?  Well if it were, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? However, you might just find yourself wanting to chase your Shadow to get a glimpse of your Light.

Pain is a call to change. And if we’re not changing, we’re not growing, and if we’re not growing, we’re resisting our very nature to do so…

It can be terrifying to move forward into the dark unknown, when in fact, stagnation and unfulfilled potential are the real fears, not change.  Pain is a call to change.  And if we’re not changing, we’re not growing, and if we’re not growing, we’re resisting our very nature to do so, and it will begin to be very uncomfortable in our own skin.  So begin to gently ask yourself what it is you really want. What you really need. What is in the direction of love. The answer always lies within.  Even if the answer is presented to us from an outside source, it must always resonate with something inside of us before we can accept it.

I find that this is 100% always the case. We see this happen even when the answer can seem obvious to everyone else except to the person whom it is for. It is not until it aligns with their own perspective, their own beliefs, their own inner truth that it becomes a vibrational match and begins to resonate with them. One part may be our resistance to look at ourselves—yet we cannot always see or feel that which is in alignment with all the parts of us. Which is why we must open ourselves to our emotions, our internal guidance. Our emotions will always lead the way, and emotions are never wrong. It is how we learn to interpret and respond to them that will guide us on out paths to Self-actualization.

So come sail away with me on this epic adventure of a Life in High Contrast!  Together we can navigate these waters and support one another on the journey. We cannot control the seas, yet we can steer our own vessel through both the calm and the calamity, experiencing and loving and embracing every moment of it.