Truth

Seeing the Truth Through Awareness

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When faced with something in your life that you do not like, rather than immediately resisting, take pause and rest assured that whatever is happening is happening for you and not against you. I understand that you may feel that it is wrong and that it should not be happening. However, you may not have taken time to see or feel anything other than your egos dislike for it and immediately rebelled. When we sit in resistance to the present moment, it is impossible to stand in awareness, and without awareness, it is impossible to see the truth.

You may have already experienced this in your life, perhaps many times. Where you resisted an experience, and then one day after the fact, you looked through the eyes awareness and saw the positive effect it had on you. However, at the time, this was not possible because you were too busy battling with what was taking place.

The level of awareness required to see the truth was there all along but not available until you let go of your resistance. Once you did, you fell back into peace again, or a more comfortable space, albeit for some, this is very short-lived, lasting only until the next event.

Pause, find connection and choose peace rather than harm when you feel overwhelmed in the crashing ocean of life. – Cuong Lu

The harm we cause can be towards others or ourselves and levied through thought and deed. Unfortunately, most of the time, this harm is toward ourselves. However, it is always due to a lack of awareness.

If we are aware, we can notice it in the moment, and if not, we may still be fortunate enough to see it after some time passes. However, on too many occasions, it goes unnoticed, which can cause problems for us, either emotionally, physically, or both. Not to mention the consequences it can have on our relationships with others.

The impact on our personal lives can happen immediately, or multiple events can build on each other, leading to a very uncomfortable body, illness, sleep problems, emotional issues, or other disorders. For example, have you ever been upset with someone and gotten a headache or became sick to your stomach? Maybe you think this is no big deal, or you believe that this is just how you are because it has been happening for years. If it happens repeatedly, it could be missed as the underlying cause of your health issue or emotional state since it seems normal to you.

There are many ways to deepen your awareness. Therefore, I will not go to great lengths in this post. However, like a muscle, regular use will make it stronger. A good starting point is to pay closer attention to your thoughts and your actions. Are they unkind at times? Are you easily distracted when you try to pay attention to your thoughts? What does your mind say to you when you try to pay attention? How does your body feel when you are upset or try to pay closer attention to your thoughts? Have you ever noticed? Or is it hard to do anything else but feel your body during these experiences?

Please keep it simple to start with and allow grace to guide you. Do not solely rely on your intellect and knowledge for this guidance because for many, it keeps them stuck in mind. Know that intention gives awareness direction and is the spark. Therefore, make a clear and unbending intention to deepen your awareness, and you cannot fail. Failure is impossible unless you begin to believe what the mind is telling you without awareness. And remember to reach out for support if you need it. That is not a sign of weakness but a higher level of awareness.

Beliefs

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“We see space as what separates us from everyone and everything. But what if space is what holds everything together; what if it connects everything.

Know that sometimes what we believe to be true is not the truth at all. What is true is that if we never question our beliefs, then our misguiding beliefs are sure to create pain and suffering in our lives. So whether you believe that space is what separates us or connects us, we must begin to question our beliefs. Inquiry at this level always leads to a greater understanding of who we are and the world around us—bringing more peace and comfort into our lives and those lives that we touch.”

The Truth

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“The truth resides in the heart of the soul, not the desires of the ego. Therefore, there will always be dissenting opinions and conspiracy theories because of this mistaken identification with the ego’s desires.”

The One Truth That Never Changes

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There are so many people on social media today that know the truth. They become frustrated, even reaching states of anger, anxiety, and depression, why because they know they are right, and the other person is wrong. And these truths that each believes are opposites from one another. Who is right, you ask yourself, and you say why I am, of course!

We find and post articles and studies that support our beliefs. We post videos of others who say what we believe, and therefore, that makes us right, and that rightness becomes even more locked into our psyche. We see ourselves as our beliefs, and we lose connection with our true nature, our heart, our soul. You may think I am exaggerating here, but anger, anxiety, and depression do not arise from our true nature, heart, or soul, it arises from who we believe ourselves to be.

You cannot see clearly if your mind already knows the truth. You hold onto those beliefs so tightly that nothing else can be seen or heard. Nothing else can get past the wall of beliefs you have built. You will fight to the end to make your point because YOU are right.

Any parent has experienced this with their child at some point. The five-year-old wants what they want, and they know they are right. The teenager has done the research; they know what is right, and no one can tell them otherwise. Our age does not matter. Perhaps you can remember being that way as a teenager. Are you still that way, or have you become that way?

Has everything from your past that you thought to be true still valid today? Can you find examples throughout history and the world where someone’s truth caused death and destruction? Have wars started from believing that something is right, and then it turns out not to be true?

Have you ever thought about this? Probably not much, most people don’t. We quickly move on to the next thing that keeps us distracted from being present and staying connected to our hearts. We spend all our time in the mind following its guidance without awareness of where it is leading us.

The mind works this way, jumping from one thing to the next all day long, all lifelong. Without awareness, we identify with the thoughts, and then we create beliefs, concepts, and stories around them, and then we become right, and everyone else that does not believe the way we do, is wrong.

Is there a truth that never changes? Yes, we can find them but are they valid for everyone or just for those who believe them. The one truth that never changes is that many things condition us. If you can see this truth or feel it in your heart, you are waking up. Continue to question your thoughts. Are they true, or are they a distraction from truth? Observe them as they arise entirely unsolicited. Only the unconditioned-self can answer truthfully; your mind will only find a way to convince you otherwise; to mislead you and distract you from living an honest, authentic life.

Six Feet From the Truth

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If you are a white person and you believe you are not a racist, that you were not conditioned in some way by your past or you overcame your conditioning about race, then the words on this image should ring true.

Can you know what someone else or another race has experienced in their lives without having experienced it for yourself? You cannot. You can only imagine you do. You only have to look at your own life and troubles to know this is true.

You can acquire more knowledge, but knowledge does not translate to experience. However, it will increase understanding, empathy, and compassion, which is sorely needed now. Therefore, educate yourself, especially about white privilege. Do not just think you already know what this is, because too many only ignorantly think they do, and many more do not believe it exists.

We must stand up for what is right, for human decency, to look with our eyes at the truth and see. To feel in our hearts what we know to be morally wrong.

To allow any group or individuals actions such as looting and burning to sway our support for the greater good is a lapse in judgment and moral character because who is to say that you might not be next because of your skin color, beliefs, or religion. Do not think you are not vulnerable because of your white privilege.

One could say, it is always easier to social distance and maintain six feet of ignorance, than it is to risk getting up close and seeing the truth.

Truth and Lies

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One day many years ago, I was told I would live in pain the rest of my life, and that nothing could be done. The Doctor who gave me this terrifying news was wrong.

Why am I telling you this? Because you do not have to believe everything you are told, and you indeed do not have to accept it just because it agrees with your thinking or beliefs, because maybe what you think or believe, just like that Doctor, is wrong.

It is much harder to question what you believe than it is to forward something that conforms to your beliefs or brings up fear without even investigating. A conscious person examines and takes the time to seek out the truth, and uses their common sense.

So the next time you read something that stirs your emotions, take a pause, do some research, investigate before you re-post another news item, meme or resend something out in messenger. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our friends and fellow human beings not to disseminate false information and these days it spreads too fast to control, so we must individually do the best we can to verify everything we forward, send or post.

Now if you want to share something share this because it is the truth and we need more honesty and fewer falsehoods in our lives these days.

Lasting Peace

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We all face difficulties in life, and no one on this planet avoids them. Whether they are emotional or physical, our environment or circumstances, at some point, we will be faced with challenges. This is not something that we should need convincing of because we have already had trouble in our lives, no matter our age.

Yet somehow, we imagine life should not have obstacles or pain. Therefore, we become upset, embittered or frustrated when something happens that we perceive not to be perfect (the way we wanted). Can you see how this reaction is insane?

So why do we go on believing it is possible and not face the truth, be present with what is, and live in the moment? This is because we think that life should not have any difficulties and that is because of societies idea (conditioning) of perfection, not our own. However, this is not reality, is it?

If you can see this in your own life, then over time you can begin to see the other ways that you are conditioned, and yes, you are conditioned in many ways. Unfortunately, we become lost in our own thoughts created by this conditioning, and this makes it impossible to see without bringing awareness into our life.

To begin the journey of self-discovery and bringing awareness into your life is the way to finding and experiencing lasting peace. One that is perfect, not because difficulties never occur in your life, but one where whatever arises never takes your peace away. You finally understand that you are peaceful in your purest form and no person, experience or event can take it away.

Walking in the Shoes of Another

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“I had to live in the desert before I could understand the full value of grass in a green ditch.” -Ella Maillart

There is a deeper meaning here other than that of nature and one that we often fail to recognize, and it is never more relevant than now with immigration in the minds of so many.

We cannot know what someone else is going through unless we have experienced it ourselves and even then, it may be different. Yes, we can have a perception, make a judgment or believe we know, but this is not likely to be the reality for that person.

Moreover, until we realize this truth, many will shun the other person out of hate and/or ignorance. Some will be sympathetic, but at a loss about what to do, even feeling overwhelmed by it all. Still, more will project a story about how impossible it is to do, citing many false statements, about the effects on the economy and our resources. These statements are usually based on fear, not fact. Besides, they are often used to create fear in us so a particular group can move their agenda forward.

We must ask some tough question of ourselves and do what we know is the right thing to do, not based on fear, but in truth. Many will not have the courage to this because they are so conditioned by their beliefs that to question those beliefs means they may lose their identity of who they thought they were. Their life will cease to exist as they know it and that is terrifying to them. They will deny this because they are not even aware of it.

However, for those of you that will ask those questions or perhaps already have, we are enough to turn the tide. We need to have faith and take action when called to do so. We must stick to our convictions, do what we know is the right thing to do, and lead from the heart of truth, not from our fear.

It takes courage to dive deep into the unknown of our own being and question where our beliefs came from and whether they still hold true. We may find some that we defended with great gusto that we never even believed in, it was just conditioning from the beginning. However, to discover this, we must bring awareness into our lives. Because without taking this step we are destined to continue to reproduce our mistakes that history continues to show us and we continue to repeat.

As you read this post, notice how your body is feeling. Take a moment to close your eyes and be with the stillness in you. I guarantee you will find more truth here than you ever will by following the endless thoughts of your conditioning. If you find this hard, do not get discouraged; take baby steps to reconnect with the peace, truth, and presence that resides in you.

Finding Peace

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“Repeatedly expecting someone else’s behavior to be different will not change their behavior and only causes you to suffer. Let go of the expectation and see the truth of their behavior. It is only by being present with the truth that you can move forward and find peace again.”

Short and Sweet #127 – I Did Not Know I Was Lost

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Yesterday I heard a short interview about truth. Did you know that once we hear a story offered to be true that we often will not believe the real truth when we hear it? We will even defend the lie over the truth. There are many factors about why we do this and some are not yet clear, but neuroscientists are studying this phenomenon now. Certainly not everyone does this but you can see how this might explain a lot in our society. Some people will fight for what they believe even when there is evidence to the contrary.

Let me ask you two questions:

Do you trust news sources, our representatives in government and other informational sources to be telling you the truth 100 percent of the time? Do you trust your own thoughts to be telling you the truth 100 percent of the time?

I certainly hope that you do not and that you question as much as you can in life, particularly your thoughts. If you do, I think you will find that most of your thoughts are not true or necessary.

By not questioning and openly accepting what we hear as true, we can be lost in life and not even know it. However, if we begin to pay attention, we are repeatedly shown just how much is not true. Let say you have a thought that says you are not worthy; this is obviously not true because everyone is worthy. Many people have self-defeating thoughts that are not true. How many people continued to believe there were weapons of mass destruction even after none were found? A story reported to be true does not necessarily make it true whether you hear it on the news, from our government or it comes through your thoughts.

If we do not question our thoughts and listen to our intuition, we will be unable to see clearly. You may even think that you are not lost now, however that could be just a story. Are you paying attention?

We buy into what we are told without investigation, we fight for the untruths in our lives and this world. If we ever want to find our way back, we must begin the journey to awaken and pay less attention to our thoughts and more attention to our intuition. We must be grounded in our hearts and not in our minds.

 

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What’s on your mind? I am always open to questions and comments or for a healthy and supportive discussion about these topics.