The Path to Evolutionary Enlightenment
5 Key Principles of Living an Enlightened and Good Life:
1. Relax: This principle is not to be brushed over. It is the key to developing the right approach towards life and all the twists and turns that inevitably come your way. If you can stay relaxed you will have a chance to break the reactive pattern of automatic response to conditions, thus, meeting more of the moment with more of your being. It all begins will having this ease of being. To relax means to not be easily swayed by the pull of dualities. Neither buying excessively into the promises of gain nor fearing excessively the consequences of loss.
2. Witness: This is a big ask I know. No human being ever has or probably ever will be able to bear witness constantly to all that is taking place within their mind and body. That being said, the more you can do it the more awareness will illuminate the inner walls of your mind, thinking and emotions. At the end witnessing is really all that is needed for enlightenment, so devote yourself to this practice of mindfulness.
3. Affection: Forgive, be kind, be thoughtful, be nice, be good, be sensitive, be loving, be compassionate. All in all, it’s the practice of Loving-Kindness Meditation. Let me tell you the hard part here. It is easy to do all of the above when things are going your way, but, can you do all of the above when things are not? As they say a well fed dog is friendly, but the real nature will be revealed when he is hungry. So it is with us. We can put up our best when all is good, but, can you do the same when you don’t get what you want? When someone insults you? When your ego takes a hit? Will you be able to side with affection under duress or will the subconscious, hidden, egotistical nature take control? That is the real test of adhering to this principle of affection and be warned it is not easy, but if you wish to ascend this practice must be mastered.
4. Honesty: Absolute honesty I should say. In word, deed and behavior. You will have fun with this one. Just give it a try and you will be amazed by how much you learn about yourself. How hard the mind works to manipulate perception and procure security, without any consideration to what is true. I have gone into this concept in more detail in the following article so head on over to read the nitty gritty:
One additional helpful tip. The end of the day is a great time to reflect on all the times during the day you were dishonest, insincere, hypocritical and pretentious. Please don’t start judging yourself, simply maintain a healthy sense of humor and learn about the antics of your ego and mind.
5. Courage: By courage here, I also mean self-confidence and self-belief. Courage is important on 2 fronts. First, the path to enlightenment is ultimately walked alone. Without courage you will not get very far, as at the first sign of danger you will balk. Second, to live a good life means to live according to your passion and if you lack courage you are going to play it safe always and never take the necessary chances to follow your heart.
1. Relax: This principle is not to be brushed over. It is the key to developing the right approach towards life and all the twists and turns that inevitably come your way. If you can stay relaxed you will have a chance to break the reactive pattern of automatic response to conditions, thus, meeting more of the moment with more of your being. It all begins will having this ease of being. To relax means to not be easily swayed by the pull of dualities. Neither buying excessively into the promises of gain nor fearing excessively the consequences of loss.
2. Witness: This is a big ask I know. No human being ever has or probably ever will be able to bear witness constantly to all that is taking place within their mind and body. That being said, the more you can do it the more awareness will illuminate the inner walls of your mind, thinking and emotions. At the end witnessing is really all that is needed for enlightenment, so devote yourself to this practice of mindfulness.
3. Affection: Forgive, be kind, be thoughtful, be nice, be good, be sensitive, be loving, be compassionate. All in all, it’s the practice of Loving-Kindness Meditation. Let me tell you the hard part here. It is easy to do all of the above when things are going your way, but, can you do all of the above when things are not? As they say a well fed dog is friendly, but the real nature will be revealed when he is hungry. So it is with us. We can put up our best when all is good, but, can you do the same when you don’t get what you want? When someone insults you? When your ego takes a hit? Will you be able to side with affection under duress or will the subconscious, hidden, egotistical nature take control? That is the real test of adhering to this principle of affection and be warned it is not easy, but if you wish to ascend this practice must be mastered.
4. Honesty: Absolute honesty I should say. In word, deed and behavior. You will have fun with this one. Just give it a try and you will be amazed by how much you learn about yourself. How hard the mind works to manipulate perception and procure security, without any consideration to what is true. I have gone into this concept in more detail in the following article so head on over to read the nitty gritty:
One additional helpful tip. The end of the day is a great time to reflect on all the times during the day you were dishonest, insincere, hypocritical and pretentious. Please don’t start judging yourself, simply maintain a healthy sense of humor and learn about the antics of your ego and mind.
5. Courage: By courage here, I also mean self-confidence and self-belief. Courage is important on 2 fronts. First, the path to enlightenment is ultimately walked alone. Without courage you will not get very far, as at the first sign of danger you will balk. Second, to live a good life means to live according to your passion and if you lack courage you are going to play it safe always and never take the necessary chances to follow your heart.
SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT
To create the life you want, you need more than goals and objectives. You need to shake up your normal way of doing things, how you view of yourself and your relationships. Here are 3 simple ways to do that.
1. Do One Thing Differently: Change is often tough because you're used to doing things the way you've always done them. That's called a habit. Thanks to your basal ganglia--the habit-center of your brain--you can drive home from work without even remembering how you got there. Sometimes being on automatic pilot is good, but not when you want to revitalize your life. To do that, you need to use your prefrontal cortex--the thinking-center of your brain.
To start, you'll need to escape the fog of your routine. Find something in your day you can mix up: eat something new for breakfast, rearrange the furniture in your bedroom, visit a museum on your lunch hour. This engages the decision-making part of your brain that moves you forward.
ACTION STEP: What one habit in your routine can you change today?
2. Shift Your Identity: How you view yourself is connected to the choices you make. If you think of yourself as unlucky, you probably won't apply for that competitive job. But if you see yourself as a winner, you likely will. That means to change your life, you need to see yourself in a new way.
First, imagine who you want to be rather than what you want to do. Maybe instead of a couch potato you want to see yourself as fit. Carry that new self-image in your mind, and when the opportunity arises, ask yourself, "What would a fit person do?" If you're about to hop onto the elevator, you might now decide to take the stairs instead. Over time, you begin to rewire your brain with this new identity, and little by little, your life transforms.
ACTION STEP: Who would you need to be to create the life you want? Start making choices as if you are that person already.
3. Connect with Supportive People: You can create change alone, but having cheerleaders along the way propels you forward faster, further and with less effort. Imagine how much easier it is to eat healthy when you've got a cooking buddy or to start a new business when you have a mentor?
People with just one person in their corner to support, motivate or inspire them, have lower blood pressure, less anxiety and higher self-esteem. And with each connection--whether it's a listening ear, an approving nod or help loading your trunk--you'll stimulate the release of hormones responsible for calm and relaxation.
1. Do One Thing Differently: Change is often tough because you're used to doing things the way you've always done them. That's called a habit. Thanks to your basal ganglia--the habit-center of your brain--you can drive home from work without even remembering how you got there. Sometimes being on automatic pilot is good, but not when you want to revitalize your life. To do that, you need to use your prefrontal cortex--the thinking-center of your brain.
To start, you'll need to escape the fog of your routine. Find something in your day you can mix up: eat something new for breakfast, rearrange the furniture in your bedroom, visit a museum on your lunch hour. This engages the decision-making part of your brain that moves you forward.
ACTION STEP: What one habit in your routine can you change today?
2. Shift Your Identity: How you view yourself is connected to the choices you make. If you think of yourself as unlucky, you probably won't apply for that competitive job. But if you see yourself as a winner, you likely will. That means to change your life, you need to see yourself in a new way.
First, imagine who you want to be rather than what you want to do. Maybe instead of a couch potato you want to see yourself as fit. Carry that new self-image in your mind, and when the opportunity arises, ask yourself, "What would a fit person do?" If you're about to hop onto the elevator, you might now decide to take the stairs instead. Over time, you begin to rewire your brain with this new identity, and little by little, your life transforms.
ACTION STEP: Who would you need to be to create the life you want? Start making choices as if you are that person already.
3. Connect with Supportive People: You can create change alone, but having cheerleaders along the way propels you forward faster, further and with less effort. Imagine how much easier it is to eat healthy when you've got a cooking buddy or to start a new business when you have a mentor?
People with just one person in their corner to support, motivate or inspire them, have lower blood pressure, less anxiety and higher self-esteem. And with each connection--whether it's a listening ear, an approving nod or help loading your trunk--you'll stimulate the release of hormones responsible for calm and relaxation.
It all starts with intention, clear intention.
You can create the life you truly want and live it to the best of your abilities!
