Spiritual Journey - A Quest!

So, it is that time of year again!

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey". Stephen R. Covey

I am beginning to think about going on a spiritual journey and what I want to do and what I hope to accomplish. Last year I spent time reflecting on my Native American roots and my Native Name. I drummed and I sang and I sat by the fire. I grew and I learned. It was also when I got word that my Grandfather Herrmann was about to pass. I had to leave early and I remember now just how poignant that weekend was for me. I got a chance to reflect on where I had been and where I was going and that included stories from my grandfather and grandmother.

Now it is time to reflect again. . .

It is not important to explain what I hope to achieve, but it is important to understand the process.

I hope that you do not do this as a one time event, but repeat this a couple times a year, or at least once a year.

Now, Where to begin?. .

I always start by thinking about my journey as a quest.

And then what?

This is actually a lot easier than you might think. You always start with how you view the process. Think about a journey as a quest. I don't mean slaying a dragon, or rolling some dice (DnD), or by clicking the mouse (RPG). I mean a true to quest.

This quest can be for self-knowledge, achieving a goal such as building a spiritual space, or it could be exploring how you view an idea or a concept. Just remember that these answers may change. You are basing these on your current view of how you see and interact with your world.

So get out a piece of paper and think about these questions. . .

What kind of quest do I want to take?

Do I want it to be easy and relaxing?

Do I want to work on building an idea or project?

What do I hope to have accomplished by taking up this quest?

Now write what you think your quest will be. Remember each quest has a series of sub-goals and achievements.

Write out what these look like to you.

These are all just starting points.

Part of the journey is learning to see and overcome obstacles. These can be weather, or some other situational aspect, but what if you are exploring an idea and all of a sudden that idea no longer fits how you view your world? Remember what I said above? Part of the idea of a spiritual journey is to broaden and then focus in on your world view and your personal view. These may or may not coincide cohesively.

What kinds of obstacles do you think you will face?

How do you think you will over come them?

Location Location Location. . .  

Now that you have an idea for the kind of quest you would like to go on, and some of the issues that you may face,  where do you hope this quest may take place?

While the location is important, it is also important to be safe.

What kinds of things do you think you will need?

Are you going to a hotel?

Are you going to your back yard?

Are you going camping?

Hiking?

Boating?

Other?



However, did you think about going on a spiritual journey in your mind alone?


You do not need to physically go anywhere if you have a vivid imagination and have the ability to develop the journey in your mind's eye. This can be the most rewarding kind of spiritual journey because it really is between you and your views of your world and you can develop and explore as much, or as little as you want at each point and you can come and go from there a lot more easily.

My favorite places to go:

I love to go camping and explore nature while being completely exposed. I do not like to use tents, or to use a lean-to. I prefer a tarp, a sleeping-bag, a knife for protection, matches, water, herbs, spices, couple teaspoons of honey and a LEAVE-NO-TRACE mentality.

This is a lightweight fire-bowl that I can bring with me on my journey. It protects the ground from fire damage and is easily extinguished.

I go to rivers, lakes and oceans. I go where my heart and feet will carry me and I go with an open mind, body and spirit.

If you are not going to an area well-known to you then I suggest 3 extra days of dried foods. I want to leave the area as undisturbed as when I arrived. I do not want to break or fell any living thing: this means plants and animals. 



The main point to this journey is that it is for you to develop your mind, body and soul. There is no wrong way to go on a journey as long as you go with the right attitude.

Let me know how your journey went and don't forget that journal!!!

An interesting question. . .

How did you learn all of this?  A meditation student asked recently of me. He was referring to the various classes that I teach on a number of topics.

That is not the right question. I am limited in my response, Please ask again!  (i-robot)

How do any of us learn and know how to do what ever it is we are doing?

Some of us have gone to school, classes and workshops and others have read more books than most people can fathom.

For me, I started by reading and asking questions. Later I went to classes and workshops, but in the end it seemed I was driven to read many, many books and LIVE. With each book I read I found I had more questions. I traveled as much as I could. I went camping. I completed weekend survival courses. I learned to hike, climb and repel down mountains. And I kept questioning each new topic. I was never content with one answer. I questioned EVERYTHING AGAIN and I talked with my friends and others who were on a corresponding path.

In the end, I followed my own intuition and learned that EVERYONE is RIGHT and EVERYONE is WRONG!!

Each of us must determine our own truth and NO ONE is on the same exact path and not everything I do, or someone else does, will sit right with you!

So, back to the question; how do you learn everything I have learned? You don't. BUT, by experiencing life and allowing yourself to be free you will learn equally important truths and maybe even on the same topics.

If you decide to travel somewhere, go! and experience that place in the most natural way that you can and you will find your own lessons and you will learn the answers to your lessons. How can I tell you what to do about a situation I have NEVER been in? I may have encountered a similar situation and I can tell you what I did, but what I did may not be right for the outcome you want. THINK! LISTEN! and use your INTUITION!!!

Learning does not come from a book! You may question this as I had just said I read a lot of books. Yet, in the end I also said I had to follow my intuition. This is the ANSWER! Use your intuition!!

So, there you have it. I learned everything I know by reading, asking, talking, questioning and in the end trusting my intuition and then question my intuition still further by looking at the result of that intuitive impression.

Nothing I believe is set in stone until I have accepted MY TRUTH! And I know I cannot find anything else that fits that situation and thereby provides that same answer over and over.

My intuition is rarely wrong! And when it is, it is because I did not ask the right question.

How do I learn to trust my intuition?

That my friend is the right question!

Automatic Writing

There is a lot on the web about automatic writing, but do you really understand what is happening?

First you are trying to connect with either Spirit, or your higher-self. Spirit is any thing you believe that exists beyond our natural known world and requires faith in its existence. Your Higher self is between your subconscious you and Spirit. This is what you do not know you know , and are not aware of yet. You go past your subconscious and in this area Spirit greets you and talks to you about your questions,

I like to use the idea of depth of vision to try and explain how this works.

Almost everyone can see straight in front of them several hundred feet quite easily even if they need glasses. This is the conscious you. This is everything you are clearly aware of.

Then there is the part of you that you get glimpses of, but the image is never clear. This would be the peripheral you. Things you sense or know, but easily leave your focus.

The subconscious you is that area the is behind you exactly 180degrees. You get a feeling of its presence, but never see it and when you turn around its gone.

Now we are at the Higher Self. This is that part that you get to see when you are just about to fall asleep. This is that time when "epiphanies" tend to occur. If you have ever had a hard time with a project and you decide to "sleep on it" and just as you are about to sleep you get that, Oh My! I know what the answer is, or was. This is the Higher self connecting to your Conscious Self.

OK, so now what?

Well, the easiest way to connect with this "HIGHER SELF" is to meditate, or attempt to take a nap. Keep a notebook ready. Ask a simple What question. What will tomorrow bring? What should I do to help this situation? What direction is my path taking?

Now don't think about that question, instead just allow yourself to relax. Once you are thoroughly relaxed just start writing. Do not think about what you are writing. Just WRITE!

How do I know if I am actually automatically writing?

Well, this may vary from person to person, but many people, including myself, feel a lightening in the hands. An energy that is surreal. Kind of like static electricity. It just flows and makes you feel weightless. Once this occurs you know for sure you are writing without conscious effort.

Now, if you do not experience this, it does not mean you are not using automatic writing. Look at what you have written. Do the words seem to ease any of your stresses? Are they uplifting? Do they sound different in your head? Do you just feel like they are right?

Automatic writing can be any of those things. It can also be so much more. Maybe you will begin to "see" images or "hear" thoughts, or words, or you may "feel" emotions. This process will help you to awaken yourself to your abilities to communicate with Spirit.

There are many level of communication with spirit. Some people only do this for themselves and others are called to use their gifts to help others.

I use my gift to teach others so that they can use their gifts to help themselves. There is a quote that says something about teaching. . .

"Doing something for someone helps them one time, but teaching them how to do something themselves helps them for a lifetime."

I always start my sessions with clients by teaching them what they can do and use to get the same result as coming to me and me giving them the answer. I want to empower my clients, not make them dependent upon me.

The best way to begin automatic writing is to: write. draw, color, cut and paste words, or ideas on a large blank poster board.

And see how it answers your WHAT question.

The next thing is just to keep doing it. No one gets this straight away. We all need practice. Be patient and understanding of yourself and your path. Their are many paths to communicate with Spirit and this is just one!

Communication

Here is one of the lost arts: communication. Have you noticed that people do not communicate? We text, we will use FaceBook and Tweet on Twitter, but we fail to make people understand what it is that we are saying. We do not think about how the wording conveys specific emotion and how those emotions can affect our relationships.

Relationships are not just with our good friends and families; They are about the interaction with every person, for every reason. You have an instant relationship with the checkout person, when they ask how you are doing, they are making more than small talk. The checkout person is trying to show that you are important to their business. I often tell the checkout person that rather than ask how I am doing; they should simply say It was nice of you to shop our store, what brought you here, or did you find everything you were looking for? This creates a more meaningful dialogue and if a person is having a bad day they don't have to pretend they are happy when they are not, or provide a flippant remark as I often do.

Let's talk about friendship. What do you think constitutes a friendship? What do you give and what do you expect to get? Me, I think friendship is honest dialogue and occasional check ins. What I often see is one person doing the check ins and the other needing support, but not reciprocating. If someone offers you a great deal and you accept, a friend would follow through an acquaintance forgets.

This is where Facebook makes people into emotional blobs of nothing. I am sure you all have those who type how miserable their day is and you always respond with happy and lighthearted thoughts, (lets call these FB hugs) and the day you need some of those FB hugs, not one person responds, that is a sure way to know they are not your friends, but sponges. Yes, FB is full of sponges. They drain you of your happiness and expect you to cheer theirs. Yet, you will never say a single thing about this because you know it is just not worth it. I think Facebook has one purpose to make the prom kings and queens remain prom kings and queens. I tend to ignore most people on Facebook, but I will try and give support once in awhile. After all it never hurts me to be kind and since I never expect it back, I neither become happy nor sad if someone does or does not post.

However, What really gets me is my business contacts. It seems like people do not offer the same care and respect with these relationships as they should and thereby burn some very important bridges. What happens when you get upset at a company you tell 10, 20, 30 of your "friends" and spam FB for a larger number, but when you do something kind and try and be helpful you might get one positive comment out there. This is also shows a lack of solid communication. I am sure your friends would love to know where you had a great experience.

If we all learn to focus on positive communication think of how much more you can get. I mean that. When people are nice I tend to give them many more services at either free or very reduced rates, but when people are less than authentic I will nicely remove them from my list. The reason is I don't need bad communication. I want someone who may ask me to redo something 20 times to get it perfect than just say yes, that is fine even if they hate it because they are afraid of hurting my feelings. I have no feelings when it comes to websites. The websites are not upset they don't care what they look like, but as an artist I care about how the website reflects on my clients. I prefer communication at all hours of the day and night than to leave something in a state of disquiet.

So, in short if you want something you better damn well communicate what you want. If you ask how someone is doing be prepared to hear they are having a shitty day and if you work with a firm for any reason be sure you are clear in your expectations, as you may just loose out on the best deal you could have gotten.

Think about what you want to say in an e-mail and write it and re-write it. Read it aloud, once twice and three times make changes and more changes and then and only then click the send button it may just be the best decision you ever made in communicating your real thoughts!