Many are talking about a Paradigm Shift these days. Indeed, it is clear to me that something is going on. Science and spirituality seem to be converging, people from all sectors of study seem to be calling out that there is a change occurring, leaders of a new sort are emerging and ‘communities’ sharing common dreams of peace and love are coming together from across enormous geographic distances thanks to the internet. While I know there are many still living in a world of pain, fear, discomfort, or the zone of drudgery, it seems clear that there is also a kind of Mass Awakening that is spreading across the earth and human consciousness. There is a Shift in Consciousness – and priorities – of the sort we may never have seen before. What are the elements of this Paradigm Shift?

All is well. The ‘shift’ you ask of is one that begins – and is still primarily perceived – from the inside. It is indeed a shift in consciousness; an altering of awareness from the individual, separate self to one of collective unity. In short, it is the growing awareness of Oneness or, as you like to describe it – Unity Consciousness.

As this awareness of the ultimate Oneness of All that Is rises within individual consciousness, a shift then occurs, for it becomes less possible to perpetrate cruelties upon others with the recognition that others are, at the deepest level, also a part of the self.

Science offers this understanding through the revelation of the quantum field which links all – energy, matter, and thought. Spiritual leaders of every rainbow hue are speaking and sharing this ancient knowledge – revealing what had been known once before. But it is within the individual consciousness that the full blossoming of this understanding of Unity is now taking place. It is a knowing beyond intellectual comprehension.

In the recognition of Oneness, intentions and priorities shift from competitive or fear-based self-priority, (often seen manifest as cruelty, greed or domination), to one of collective upliftment. Paradoxically, of course, those awakening to their Unity with All that Is also begin to grasp deeply the value of personally experienced joy, peace, love and happiness. For it is only in the experience of such positive feelings that one can share the upliftment – vibrationally and interactively – with others. It is only in a state of Joy and Appreciation that an individual can make choices that are of benefit to all.

The Paradigm Shift is the shift from a consciousness defined by separation, isolation and disempowered loneliness to one of Unity – the recognition that you are entirely a part of All that Is. The shift is a shift in consciousness that allows humans to recognize not just a collective human family but a connection with the material elements of Earth, all energy that is or ever was, and beings of every kind. This shift is the portend of the Age to come.

We have discussed before the deep and abiding value of Forgiveness, because forgiveness is one doorway to Unity Consciousness. In the act of deeply forgiving oneself or others, the illusory barrier that once separated self from other or self from what you might call ‘god’, can dissolve.

Forgiveness can be both the means to and the result of Unity Consciousness. The relationship of the two is interlinked in either direction. For it is from an understanding of Unity that one is also able to shed the grudges and would-be ‘wounds’, effectively melting away anger, resentment and fear of the ‘other’ who may have caused or intended you harm.

Appreciation is another vehicle to and result of Unity Consciousness. Through a commitment to Appreciation, one’s consciousness begins to shift from that of isolated and powerless individualism to a vibration more akin to Love as Consciousness. Simultaneously, as one awakens to the vibration of Unity, a sense of Appreciation for all life and all experiences organically emerges.

Forgiveness and Appreciation allow the old skin of separation consciousness to shed. Each are the consequence of and vehicle to Unity Consciousness – the Shift in Awareness which, when collectively undertaken, results in a Shift of Paradigm.

Science, and a new generation of spiritual spokespersons have offered the gift of understanding  that thought, intention and emotions are the substance from which your physical reality is created. This is new information for most and thus most humans continue to take ‘baby steps’ toward mastering their thoughts and feelings. But recognize that this is the beginning and not the definition of what is to come.

The former paradigm, held in the consciousness of much of humanity for several thousand years now, has been one of separation and hierarchy – one in which power rested outside the self. Without a recognition of personal power and authority, or a feeling of oneness with all life, it was therefore easy to submit to the unwanted for most, and to dominate and perpetrate unacceptable cruelties for the few. This consciousness has been deeply ingrained into the human collective, and therefore the systems and structures of humanity.

But trust now, that this epoch is coming to a close and it is those of you now ‘shifting’ who herald and lead the change.  This is a time of rejoicing, for you as a human family are expanding to something more than you have ever been. You are expanding in Consciousness and Understanding, yes. But more than that, you are expanding in the capacity to vibrate what you call Love. The Heart center of the human being is beginning to re-flower after long centuries of disconnection from the rest of the human operating system. Many of you recognize the excitement of this time and we encourage you to bask in the delight of this reconnection and expansion taking place.

As you expand and celebrate the rising consciousness of your Divinity, your Oneness, and your Heart’s re-activation, remember that each individual will come to this understanding in their own time. There is no need to force, foist, preach or demand that others expand with you. For all know their Oneness deep in the seed of their being. As more come to Awaken to their true, divine nature, the vibration itself serves to offer this light to others. The time of preaching and demanding the modified behavior or beliefs of others is over. We assure you, this old paradigm is coming to its close and only those vested in their perceived power within it are still willing to cling.

If you feel inspired to share your experience and knowing with those already seeking this expansion, you will know in your being that it is right, for it will feel joyful to both. But for those not ready for this change, offer your blessed appreciation, for they too, are a part of you – the Divine, experiencing its infinite possibilities.

Thus the elements of the Paradigm Shift include:

  1. A recognition of the Oneness of All that IS
  2. Through this recognition, the desire to allow Forgiveness to emerge within the self.
  3. The recognition that personal upliftment cannot but offer upliftment to ALL.
  4. The desire, therefore, to cultivate Appreciation and Joy in order to feel good.

Breath from the heart. Know your Oneness with All that Is. Forgive, forgive, forgive – it opens the energetic channels that allow the deep sense of Oneness to expand within you. Choose to find things to appreciate as often as possible. Choose to change your thoughts when they turn to old patterns that induce negative feelings. As you get better at this, you will KNOW who you really are. You will come to know, with certainty, your true, Divine Nature.

Thank you.

All is well. You have asked what the energy of appreciation is. Appreciation is the feeling that is birthed when you give your attention fully to that which brings you pleasure. Appreciation is the feeling that is birthed when you allow your well being to flow to and through you.

Appreciation results in positive vibration offered to ALL, and further inspiration and expansion into a greater YOU.

There are words which are similar in your language, but the term ‘appreciation’ best encapsulates the quality of feeling that is in alignment with your greater, divine self. Many people use the term ‘gratitude’ or ‘thanksgiving’ or ‘thankfulness’ interchangeably with the term appreciation. This may be fine, but it depends on the underlying feeling or vibration which accompanies these words. Being ‘grateful’ or ‘thankful’ can sometimes be a kind of disempowering energy, whereas the vibration of appreciation is one more akin to love.

How can you tell the difference? Here is an example: You really need a better vehicle and through your own efforts or perhaps an unexpected set of circumstances, you are able to acquire a more reliable car. Where are your thoughts focused and what at are you feeling about this situation? Are you feeling grateful and relieved because you no longer have to use an unreliable vehicle, or are you putting your full attention to all the things you love about the new one? In the first case, you are offering thoughts that are focused more upon what you didn’t want. (“Thank goodness I don’t have to drive that old clunker anymore!’ or ‘I am so glad I don’t have to deal with all that leaking oil!’). But, when you are putting your full attention on positive thoughts about the new vehicle, and honoring your own part in bringing it to you, then you are fully in a state of appreciation.

The feeling of relief, and its accompanying thoughts when you have achieved your goal – a more reliable car – are not harmful to have. In fact, they are quite ‘normal’. But they are not the same as appreciation, and need not be dwelled upon overmuch.

Relief comes when we move to a more positive and powerful place emotionally – on any subject. Relief let’s you know that you are moving into alignment with your divinity – your greater perspective on things. But the point is not then to stay in the feelings of relief. Rather, it is to then fully focus upon that which has brought about the relief.

The process goes something like this:

  1. I need a more reliable vehicle.
  2. I have the new car.
  3. I feel relief that I no longer have to drive an unreliable car.
  4. I now fully focus my attention on all the good things about this vehicle, appreciating it and appreciating my own power to manifest it – no matter how it came to me.

Often, when you are feeling the energies more akin to the words ‘grateful’ or ‘thankful’, you are offering thoughts that place the power of acquiring what you want (new car, better health, happier relationship, more money, etc) outside of your self. (‘I am so glad that gal wanted to sell her car at a price I could afford,’ or ‘it’s a good thing I got those extra hours at work to pay for it’ or ‘lucky I should have picked up the classified ads when I did’). This is not really the energy of appreciation as much as it is what you would call ‘grateful’ or ‘thankful’, for there remains within the vibration a sense of what was not wanted. Further, it does not honor that it was your vibration which manifested the car, health, love, etc.

We are not trying to make a semantic argument here, and ultimately, it doesn’t matter which word you choose. We only want to bring your attention to the typical vibrations which underly these almost, but not quite synonymous words.

In the old paradigm, power – divine or temporal – was perceived as resting outside the self. Thus when something good happened, people felt grateful to an external source for ‘rescuing’ them from negativity. (“Oh thank you god for saving my life,” or “Oh thank you god for getting my boss to give me a raise,” “Oh thank you mom, dad, spouse, child, for doing [whatever] so that I feel better.”) Ultimately, this is not empowering in the true sense of the word, for it reinforces a stance of personal powerlessness by placing the power to feel good on someone or something else. No matter how relieved or grateful one might feel, this is not the same as appreciation.

Appreciation is both a fully focused delight about whatever it is that feels good and a recognition of your own ability to intend and allow it’s manifestation.

A true sense or feeling of appreciation takes practice. That’s okay. It is part of what each of you came here to do. If you must ‘fake it until you make it’ then do just that.  You can choose to practice this by giving some time every day to focus on appreciation. It is possible to appreciate even the simplest things in your life – and extremely beneficial to do so! Those things you might take for granted, like clean, safe water to drink or a warm blanket on a cold night, a good meal – or even a tasteless but nourishing one – are all worthy of appreciation. As you do this, try to focus completely on the good this experience or item offers you, and acknowledge that YOU and only you have created it – no matter how it came to you.

No matter your condition or circumstances, there will always be something that you can find to appreciate. If it seems there is a dearth of happiness in your life, just look for a single thing each day and honor your part in manifesting it, then think of any and every aspect of that item or condition which is a positive force in your life.

Just like any kind of exercise, with practice, you strengthen the ‘muscle’ to perform the activity with more power and efficiency over time. By practicing – intending – to give yourself time to appreciate on a regular basis, you strengthen the vibration (the energetic muscle) of appreciation, and it becomes easier and easier to do. In addition, when you strengthen this vibration within yourself, know that you are also strengthening it everywhere and every when. You are, therefore, uplifting the vibration of your entire planet, making the feelings of appreciation more available – easier to access -  for all.

Remember the attraction-based nature of your world. Remember that when you feel an energy of gratefulness to an external source for ‘salvation’ from something you didn’t want, you perpetuate conditions in which you must rely on random circumstances, kindness and ‘luck’ for your happiness. Thus your happiness will fluctuate, no matter how much you ‘thank god’ or your employer, your spouse, parent or child. But when you fully focus your attention on appreciation for the experience, object or circumstance that bring you happiness, recognizing that it was always you who created it, then you draw to yourself more things to appreciate. In an ever-expanding spiral, then, more positive things for you to appreciate come your way.

So as you offer thanks for that which you are, do and have, look within to see how it feels. Ask yourself, “Am I fully focused on the goodness of this thing I am appreciating? Do I recognize, appreciate and honor my power to have manifested it? Or, am I focused upon what was before (or could have been) that I didn’t want? Is my appreciation centered on someone or something outside of me? Am I relying on someone else’s power for this good feeling?

These feelings – as all of your feelings – are more powerful than you may realize. For feelings are vibrations and they do not simply disappear once you have them. Although invisible, they become a part of the fabric of consciousness on your planet, and indeed, the universe. Therefore, you have a part – a responsibility – in all of life, not just your perceived tiny corner of it. Thus your joy and good cheer actually uplifts – vibrationally – your entire planet. You can see the intent to appreciate as a kind of sacred responsibility. As nonsensical, nay, selfish as that seems when considered from a paradigm of separation, disconnection, limitation and competition, those now living in the new paradigm based on the ONEness of all that is, recognize the profound value of appreciation and personal upliftment to all.

You are so very much more than you realize and your power is great. That power has nothing to do with commanding external circumstances to your personality’s will. It has to do with your deep and total connection with all that is. Your thriving – the vibration of your thriving – is offered to everything. Your misery, or the perpetration of misery on others, also feeds the collective vibration. Which would you choose?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d like to thank all of you who have comment on this blog. My apologies but there seems to be something wrong and I can no longer post them. So, I’ve decided to paste them all – in reverse chronological order – here. Blessings to each of you and to all! xoxo Dawn

Helen: “As Country Coordinator of Canada I would like you to know that We will share this through out Canada. And I do appreciate this creation..Lots of love.. Helen”

Judy: “Yesterday afternoon we became stranded on a backcountry pass in a snowstorm. We were rescued by two snowmobilers at dusk who were the only people we saw. This morning we awoke in a warm house to utter appreciation for these two guys and for LIFE itself. Today the mundane just vibrates with beauty! I will be dwelling in this feeling on Feb. l4th.”

Susan: “This is a great idea. Many minds make enlightenment work.
Peace.x”

Geoffrey: “Glad to support you flash of Intuition. Namaste, love & peace, Geoff”

Elisabeth: “Will I be reminded? I’m looking forward to participate in this event. We have so much to be thankful for.”

Geraldine: “Dearest Dawn, I will sure give you my 5 minutes on the said “Appreciation Day”. Thank you for including me. Love,Gigi”

Anne-Marie: “What a fantastic idea. Would love to particpate.”

Jennifer: “A wonderful idea, I hope it spans the world many times before 14th Feb next year, and we get millions taking part. Love & Light Jennifer”

Eddie: “I will absolutely participate in your appreciation day. I appreciate the fact that I live in a country where we have so many freedoms prohibited in many other countries. I appreciate my good health, and my wonderful relationship and I appreciate the chance to meet so many wonderful people such as yourself that want to make this world a better place to live in.”

Lorraine: “What an amazing experiment to put in motion. Count me in, I have so much to appreciate in my life and to apprieciate life itself. This is such an exciting time to be alive.”

Joseph: “Wow I love you! I do feel appreciation love and joy everyday, I have been and will always feel this way. namaste”

Janice: “I’ll be there!!!”

Malva: “I will be whith you, I’m trying hard despite some doubts because I know it is part of the fight, but there is also many days of joy. with love.”

Frank: “Apriciate your initiative-intention. Wishing you all the best, have a nice now. With love from Netherlands, Fran”

Angelika: “Yes , I ill do it. Please also send me a reminder. Yes we have to believe in ourselves, practicing the every day life with positive thoughts , acting wise, doing regular meditation, having the right food and body exercise, less greediness, trying to convince our friends to follow this good way of life.”

Adriana: “Thank you for this incredible idea. Let us connect through Skype and it will make it even better. Love Adriana”

Jayne: “Thank you for the invitation, I would love to. Love and Light. Jayne”

All is well. Know that all is well and that there is no longer a need to hold fear within you. You hold it in your minds, but this leaks into your body – this fear energy – effecting physical organs as well as your etheric body. It effects your vibration and cannot ever serve you or others in experiencing a positive life. Joy, peace, health, abundance, none of this is available for those living in chronic fear. Even periodic but consistent fear is damaging to the body and discouraging to hopes, dreams and fulfillment.

Knowing your eternal nature is the easiest way to release fear, but we understand that this is difficult – seems contrary to – your physical experience. The more you develop the skills of meditation and intentional thinking, the more quickly you will recognize the thoughts that induce fear. Once recognized, you then have the power to change them.

What about when people are genuinely faced with life threatening situations like war, attack, rape, hunger, dramatic disease – what then?

The same principles apply, although we know that it is far more challenging to access the connection with your eternal self in the face of imminent threat. For those living in war-torn areas, under starving ‘terminally ill’ conditions, imprisoned under violent circumstances or otherwise have immediate concerns that trigger great fear or anger, access to their divine nature is certainly possible. In fact, it sometimes comes in a sudden flash.

Also, if a person has the will to pay attention to their thinking, and the stillness to listen to their eternal knowing, they will guide themselves to better and better circumstances – safer conditions, better health. But for many this will not be the case. The external conditions are sometimes so ‘loud’ – so distracting – and the predominant (but dying) paradigm of personal helplessness and separation from god is still strong enough, that many continue to find it difficult to harness their thoughts and feelings for their own well being. Many still find it difficult to imagine, let alone trust, that the power of their own lives truly IS in their hands.

This is why we say that those of you who can access the light of the divine, the connection with your source, must carry that vibration strongly, for it assists others. Remember, all is connected, and as those who are living in hunger or violence suffer, so too do all of you. And as those of you who know how to begin to harness the power of your greatest selves, so too will the dispossessed be uplifted.

The more you take the time to be with your greater self, the more the fear will drop away. It is possible to take a rational approach as well, although we see that human attempts to rationalize why they should not feel fear has limited positive results. When you connect with your source energy, the fear drops like a cure; when you rationalize, it is more like applying a bandage – it is a temporary fix.

Life experience, combined with some rational thinking will, however, rework the patterns of thought within the brain – the synaptical firings – to assist in releasing fear. Other tools, such as appreciation, intentionally changing one’s thoughts, and taking positive action to resolve things when possible, are all helpful as well. But the most direct route to liberation is through a connection with your greater self.

Remember that your thoughts are the vehicle to take you where you want to go. If your thoughts are leading you into the darkness of fear, you must change them. Fear is useless in the face of most imminent threats in any case. If you must fight for your life, fear will only serve to inhibit your instincts; if you fear for the life or health of yourself or a loved one, you are only compounding the problem by inhibiting potential healing as well as blocking what genuine connection may be possible with your greater self or your loved ones before the transition to non-physical. If you are worried about a potential conflict, fear only fills your body with chemicals and hormones that strain you further, and thoughts that are useless until the confrontation is at hand.

With regard to confrontation with others, we understand that it can be difficult to find your center if caught by surprise. in this case we encourage you to take a moment to breath and focus upon your heart. In any confrontation, no matter the problem or danger, you have a right and a responsibility to yourself to BREATH first. If the confrontation is verbal, you can take the time you need to breath and get in touch with your heart energy before engaging or responding. If your opponent has a problem with this, truly, it is their problem. By breathing, you can make a choice about how to respond, rather than reacting in ways that are not heart-centered or connected with what it is your truly want to say.

Truly, there is nothing to fear. You are eternal beings and always loved. You are the gods, the creators AND the creation. Your death from this world is nothing but a return to your truest nature. For many, the experience of birth is far more traumatic than the transition of death.

When you recognize that your efforts to change or manipulate your external circumstance are futile, and that the only way to feel better is to change yourself within, the fear will lessen, of this we can assure you.  For it is within you – it is your thoughts charged by emotions which creates and draws to you everything in your life. If you do not like what you see, you must identify the habitual thoughts which resonate with the manifestation. Then change the thought patterns through loving attention and self-forgiving INtention.

How about people born into miserable circumstances: poverty, filth, starvation, war?

They too, can change their experience of life, and there are many examples of the ‘miracles’ of people who had begun in dire circumstances but who, through seeming serendipitous events, were able to go far, far beyond anything their peers or countrymen could have imagined. This is why we say to have high hopes, to be disciplined about your thoughts, to forgive, and to love yourself no matter what.

Know too, that some who are born in what appears to you as misery, find their moments of happiness, and ultimately, will return to the bounty and eternity of their source. No one need wait until death to know liberation, although for many right now on earth, this is the case. But the awakening and change you are bringing about will improve this for all who come to live in the physical on earth.

Be at peace, all is well. You are more free than you know. Come to the place of your source, the still, center point, whenever you need to, for it is here that the true nature of your self always resides.

I am here. All is well. Even in the deepest darkness of your human experience there is light. The light is the eternal nature which resides within and beyond each of you.

Ask for this illumination, for light is information. Seek the place within you which is always still, always present, always fully safe and restfully aware. Let the breath be your guide. Train yourself to associate mindful breathing with the I AM presence that you also are.  You can find the practical solutions for your concerns through connecting, in this way, with your source. When you can feel the stillness and peace of this connection, then you are able to move into your life experience with less trepidation. You will begin to trust and to know that all is truly well.

The decisions made from this space of knowing, this space of connection, are those you can most deeply trust. This is how you ‘follow your heart.’ The busy thoughts, so valued at times as practical or necessary, can feel like so much noise when faced with uncertainty, or choices which seem complex.

Know that in the end, all choices can lead to the outcome you seek – the experiences you desire – when you consistently connect with your source energy. Take the time, therefore, to bring yourself into alignment with the essence of your greater self – your source, the presence that is beyond the mind, beyond the personality, and the external conditions you may find yourself in.

Let go the external trappings of your circumstances, while simultaneously bringing as much presence into your life as possible. Be in your world, knowing that you are truly, much more than what is all around you. Being in the world but not of it is the mark of the master, the sage, the wise ones who can find happiness in all places and times.

Each path and person is unique. Each desire is precious when it comes from the heartful essence of the self. Therefore there is no single way for all to be. There is no one dream, one path or direction that suits all. Simultaneously, there are those wishes and hopes that go beyond the individual – a collective set of desires that are shared by all, for all are truly ONE in the divine.

To be not alone, to share love and laughter, to feel safe and to feel one’s inspirations and dreams have room to take form, are desires shared among all. Though buried within some, who cannot believe in their possibility, or those who have been beaten down by a life experience too brutal to reach beyond, these dreams remain. They are the light that exists always, even in the darkest places.

Holding yourself apart from your divine nature is the essence of the suffering, the darkness of which we speak. Although none of you are ever alone, it can surely feel that way. In that alone experience, some cannot find the light of love, oneness, understanding and forgiveness. This is the root of what you would call evil. This is the energy which drives cruelty to self and others. This is the pain which brings down worlds.

But do not fear, for no world can truly be brought down but in illusion, only. Still, those who suffer feel the pain acutely, and those, therefor, who can hold the light, must do so for all who cannot.

Find peace first, within yourself. Know that you are always loved and that forgiveness is always available to you. It is you, only, each of you, who can withhold forgiveness from yourselves. In forgiveness there is power, as we have written before, but there is also Peace.

The Law of Attraction and forgiveness share something in common that causes tremendous discomfort to a lot of people. So uncomfortable, in fact, are many with the notion that we create our own reality or that we benefit asking for from forgiveness, that they lash out against even hushed references to the concept.

Why?

Because in both cases, the call is nothing less than to take FULL and TOTAL responsibility for every single aspect of our lives. For those who’ve structured their lives within a paradigm of separation and hierarchal relationships, this flies in the face of all that they have believed.

To take responsibility for injustices perpetrated against us, for ill-health, painful relationships or unwanted circumstances, seems unfair, unreasonable, or simply wrong to a ‘rational’ mind rooted in beliefs based on separation, polarity, good vs. evil and a system of compensatory reparation. We humans are so accustomed to blaming, making excuses, justifying our negative thoughts and harmful deeds, then telling ‘white’ lies to cover them up, that the thought of actually taking responsibility for it all seems frightening indeed.

But the result of all this displacement of responsibility is nothing less than the powerlessness of victimization – victimization by others, by our bodies, by circumstances, the government, even by our gods. A vengeful god, so pivotal in the “holy book” religions, is a potent and primary example of the ideology of power-over and thus, powerlessness.

Since posting the forgiveness essay, many have commented on the struggle they feel to incorporate forgiveness into their own lives. I, who was graced with the opportunity to experience a profound moment of forgiveness, still find that the ego wants to find some other way around this – to blame, to belittle, to threaten or dismiss. Those of us who have the courage to share this challenge to forgive, even as we so long for the ability to fully do it, represent many more who wouldn’t even consider asking for (let alone offering) forgiveness, even as they long just as deeply as we do, for a better, more loving and forgiving world.

Why is it that we have such difficulty forgiving? What is it we feel we will lose if we offer forgiveness? And why is it that so many of us cannot forgive OURSELVES for our human foibles? Why is it that we turn our selves into demons for making mistakes in judgments and enacting the cruelties we were conditioned to believe had value? Can we not simply move forward? Can we not simply accept that a new time has come and we can move on from where we once were?

Why do we cling to our petty judgments of others? What do we imagine we gain by being ‘right’ in the face of behaviors by those whom we know are expressing an underlying grief and suffering of their own? Why do we maintain our judgmental stances (toward others and ourselves) even after we know that we are the only ones who will thus pay the price for that isolation?

What does it take for one to experience the GRACE of Forgiveness and the COURAGE to take total responsibility for every aspect of our lives? What must we do, each of us, to rise like a lotus above the murky waters of our old paradigm roots in order to bask in the light of our eternal, loving, forgiving natures? . . .

I am here, the eternal presence accessible to all, once the mind – the thoughts – becomes still. You have asked what must be done in order to allow the energy of forgiveness into your hearts and lives. Know this: it is already available. Know this: as more and more of you are willing to move through the darkness of your own isolation, pain and fear, your willingness to welcome the energy of forgiveness is enough. In the mean time, it is imperative that you forgive yourselves. Forgive yourself, forgive yourself, forgive yourself – not only for the ‘mistakes’ you’ve made, but for the very act of having been unforgiving. When you find you cannot ‘forgive’ someone, or that you haven’t the courage to ask for forgiveness, forgive yourself for this, then state clearly to yourself that you are willing to forgive.

Imagine the energy of forgiveness as a warm blanket or a cool glass of water or anything that, to you offers the feeling of security or comfort. Then allow that comforting sensation to encompass and fill you. Do this for a short period of time each day and you will begin to feel a release of the thoughts, judgments and fears which have kept you close, but yet removed from the grace of a forgiving heart.

For you whose lives include frequent interactions with those whom you share grievance, this is the opportunity to give yourself a great gift. Before and after each encounter, intend to invite forgiveness. Intend to find even the tiniest positive quality in the other. Intend to then refocus your thoughts elsewhere, into some aspect of your life which is positive. Forgive yourself when you find this difficult. Forgive yourself when you do not live up to your expectation of success in this regard.

A shift in perspective about the person with whom you have grievance is ultimately what you are after. When you can see the suffering which underlies their unkind words and deeds, then you can find within yourself the energy to forgive. But this can be difficult to do before you make an unwavering commitment to love yourself and therefore, forgive yourself.

Sometimes this love requires that you remove yourself from encounters with the person you feel unforgiveness toward or from. Sometimes this is the best way to release the irritation of past hurts. But know that by removing yourself from ongoing encounters, you have not unburdened yourself from the highest calling – to forgive anyway.

For some of you, it will not be possible to immediately remove yourself from ongoing encounters with an unforgiving person. Although you may be clear in your commitment to cultivate forgiveness, the ongoing irritation/confrontations make it extremely difficult. Call upon the energies of forgiveness and create a support network of others with this intention, others less burdened, who can share with you, your intention to move into the space of forgiveness. All of you can offer support to those deeply challenged to allow forgiveness. Support can come simply in the form of loving energy sent there way. It can also be offered by refusing to encourage or participate in people’s arguments and justifications for maintaining a stance of unforgiveness.

Those of you awakening know that the only positive change you may bring about is within yourself. Remember this and move with this knowing in all that you do.

Miracles are no more than an immediate allowing of what and who you truly are. Miracles happen when you allow. When you rest the mind in meditation, you allow. When you ‘act as if’, you allow. When you hold belief and trust for that which you seek, you allow. But when you are distracted by bothersome things in your environment or your body, then you do not allow.

I am here. All is well. I am always here, no matter the chatter, worry, consternation or excitement you are otherwise engaged in. No matter how restless or busy your mind feels, nor how distracted or focused you are on a task, this space of stillness is always, eternally here.

Have high hopes, like the little ant, and you will move what seem to be mountains. Have high hopes and you will find miracles showing up in your life daily, although when they arrive, they will not seem so miraculous. It is often only when you look back into your past that you can see the situations and circumstances that brought to you what you had been asking for as ‘miracles’. Remember these when you find yourself fearing the future or doubting your ability to create what you wish for.

Life itself is a miracle. The manifestation of thought to form is a miracle. How you perceive and experience those manifestations may vary from joy to misery, but they are really all just miracles.

You are always loved. you are always perfect in our eyes – the eyes of what you would call god or divine. We cannot even go to the place of imperfection, where you often stand in criticism and judgement of yourself and others. It is not within the nature of source/god/divine to look upon its ever-expanding creation with anything other than love.

The anxieties and stresses you create for yourselves are part of the expansion process, to be sure. But they are also unnecessary when you are able to see things through the eyes of your divine nature. For when you realize the true nature of your beings – that YOU are source, YOU are the creators – then you will no longer fear external conditions or some kind of bad ‘fate’ being perpetrated upon you.  When you experience the timelessness of your essence, you need no longer fret over the little dramas of this particular life you are giving your attention to.

Come, rest in the center of your being, in the center where you exist beyond time, space and physicality. Not because there is something wrong with these things, but when you KNOW the true nature of yourself – as eternal, as divine – the temporal issues you deal with will no longer carry so much weight, nor trigger so much anxiety, stress, worry or distraction.

The future is indeed frightening when you feel you do not have control over your life, your money, your health or circumstances. So when you give yourself the time to connect with your eternal essence, you can then relax and trust in what you perceive as the future, and you can begin to actually DIRECT your life  – the circumstances, money, health, etc. – in the way that you want.

We know that you are feeling struggle right now to get ahold of certain negative thought patterns. We know how much more ‘charged’ are certain patterns of thought. Stay forgiving, loving and committed to yourself to refocus, refocus, refocus when you catch your thoughts in the old patterns.

let go of the past. let go. it has absolutely NO baring on this moment or on what will be your future unless you carry it with you.

The truth is that there is only this NOW, so what you want to pay attention to at all times is how your are feeling RIGHT NOW. When you worry or experience other negative emotions, stop yourself in your tracks and figure out how to feel better RIGHT NOW. It is as simple, and for the busy mind, as challenging, as that. Feel Good NOW.

I was given a gift today. After sending an email invitation to someone with whom I had poor closure several years ago, I received a scathing, embittered reply. The reply, but moreso, my response, revealed to me just how much I have changed for the better. My deep and immediate response to this person’s words was a feeling of compassion. Wow! rather than feeling defensive, beginning a mental list of all of the ways I was right and s/he was wrong,  or come up with some illusory means of revenge via my own words, I could only feel – how to describe this? – a longing to bring about some kind of ease for this person. All I could see was the pain this one had carried across these years, over circumstances I had no power to change at the time. Before I could even really ask the question, the answer was there – apologize and ask for forgiveness. So this is what I did.

I do not know if this will help, I sincerely hope it does. I hope that my response is what s/he needed to hear in order to have some feeling of acceptance about our parting as it was, and feel some relief from the burden of this grudge.

The encounter was a tremendous gift, for it gave me the chance to ask for forgiveness. In that asking, I felt such a sense of freedom that it is hard to describe. I did not have to devote any energy to defense of any kind. I did not have to mull and mill over who had once said what, over which proverbial hairs to split, or how to bury this and not deal with it. I simply let go the armor, let go the defenses and said, “I’m sorry, please forgive me.” The amazing thing is, it was so, well, easy.

I took this insight with me this morning when I sat to write, asking, “What must I know right now?” Here is what came:

I am here, you are awakening. All is well. you see now, the gift and blessing of forgiveness. Embrace this gift and go forth in what was once seen only as vulnerability. Go forth naked but with the heart of forgiveness. This is the gift you have to give.

It matters not whether others understand. It matters not whether individual egos forgive you at the moment of your asking. it matters not whether you ask them personally or with private intent. What matters is bearing this energy, this frequency which is LOVE.

As you ask the forgiveness from those with whom you have known grievance, you will find it within your own heart, and THIS is the only place it need reside. Remember that as frequency carriers, your responsibility, if you will, is simply to clear the space of any residue that would limit the vibration of love. Thus, asking forgiveness is the highest house-cleaning order, for in this way, you purify the inner temple of the self.

Forgiveness, it has been said, is Divine. This is no small truth, as many of you now understand. This is why the Dalai Lama will not – nay, could not – hate the Chinese, for he knows the need on this earth for the light of love. He knows in his enlightened state, what so few can comprehend – that the purification of the ego-structured mind is the first step of awakening.

Forgive now, all those with whom you have shared grievances. Begin with your self. If you cannot find it within yourself to forgive, then state clearly your willingness to forgive. Know that the power of love is far greater than the power of fear. Know that the light of forgiveness is a blessing upon all those who ask for it. Remember the words of the Christ, who asked that his betrayers, his tormentors, be forgiven. Remember the famed leaders who have looked with compassion upon the cruel, knowing – through their understanding of our ultimate unity – that there too, stood she; reminded that there too, had he once walked; recognizing that there too, was the face of god.

Forgiveness is the first step. It is the clearing, the cleaning, the preparation of the temple to hold the light. Those who come to this place find relief in the knowing that revenge is futile. They find relief in the knowing there is no need to prove, to bring ‘justice’, to blame or to fear.

From forgiveness comes liberation, and in liberation, you have the clear channel to your inner guidance. With a clear channel, you will then know when and where to act. You will then be much more able to hold the light for your selves, for others who will follow, and for all consciousness upon your planet and beyond.

Yes, these messages are ancient, and there have been those all along who understood. Now there are many more, and like a fire with plenty of fuel, the flame of this truth spreads quickly, burning away the framework of an old construct which is no longer useful in the light of this new day.

There are many here to help you. You are never, ever alone. Not only are you all ONE in divinity and eternity, you are assisted now by many allies offering the light of love and compassion; and a forgiveness almost moot, for your acceptance – the love offered you without condition – has never ever been questioned.

Forgiveness is the key to greater understanding of the depth and power of your capacity as spirit-beyond-form. Forgiveness, when embodied in your physical nature, is a power so great as to call for nothing less than a full renewal of every aspect of your lives.

Do not underestimate this power. To gaze upon your world, from your position, embodied, it may well appear that there are still but few of you who are holding the light, while so many stand in fear, hatred and the murky areas of misery offered in countless permutations. But from the vantage point of heart-centered knowing, the power of but one who stands from the heart of forgiveness is mighty.  In a room of 100 people, only one is needed to turn on the light and all can then see. This is a simple metaphor, but one intended to offer you hope, to illustrate the promise of your potential.

When you find your path crossed by things that seem unlike the power of love, that seem cruel or petty, that stand in contrast to the energies of which we speak; when you find yourself challenged to find forgiveness after experiencing a shocking blow, remember that this is a call to your greatest potential. Remember that this is a gift of contrast, inviting you to be more.

Remember that you are vibration carriers, all of you. When you choose to carry the vibration of LOVE, purified through forgiveness, you offer a priceless gift to all.

Comments about Forgiveness from my Journal

What this email encounter also revealed to me was the depth of anguish we humans have lived in – for a long, long, long time now. That anguish, expressed in so very many ways from hatred to spite, bitterness or revenge, to superiority attitudes and insults, sorrow, loneliness, anxiety and murderous rage, is so much a part of the fabric of the old paradigm that it seems not possible for a mind fully immersed there to imagine another way.

The anguish, from my perspective in this moment, stems from a root belief in our separateness, which itself is at the root of the dying paradigm.

I heard Michael Bernard Beckwith say something so insightful that I want to share it. This is a paraphrase but basically, he said that most media ‘News’ should actually be called ‘Olds’ since it is being reported from the old paradigm, a dying paradigm. The real ‘News’ can be found in lots of places, but not mainstream media.

A life lived within the constructs of the old paradigm is indeed one of anguish. Those dwelling in the space of separateness, hierarchy, competition and duality, are immersed in these energies and thus create more and more of the same through the power of the Law of Attraction.

This, it seems, is what we light-bearers are called to assist with. This may be the place where we can do our best ‘work’. The fear-based paradigm of separation is the ‘dark’ place, where only forgiveness, compassion and divine light may tread unharmed.

The warrior goes to battle against perceived enemies and demons armed with weapons and shields, but the light bearer faces those who would do them harm seemingly vulnerable. Having left behind the illusion of duality, of opposition, enemies or demise, the light bearer faces her adversary armed with compassion, forgiveness and a willingness to embrace the mirror that opponent offers, of the demons which within her also lie.

I have written before that people are insane. But it is not, of course, our essence which lives in madness. It is our defensive, egoic constructs, built in the context of a paradigm of separation, that is crazy. This is why and how people can live for years on end nursing hurts that always and only harm them, standing by dogmas that further separate them from those who would love them, committing acts of savagery that will assure their physical isolation, their punishment, imprisonment and demise.

The deeply embedded paradigm of separation may have served some purpose (although admittedly, it is hard to imagine what). Perhaps it was part of our evolution as conscious beings, perhaps it was constructed by design (divide and conquer) by those who would hold power. I do not know and the truth is, it no longer matters. What matters is the awakening among those who would carry the new light, the ‘Good News’ of ONEness as we move into this paradigm and this new way of being.

I continue to ask myself what it is a can DO to assist in the paradigm shift clearly taking place on our Earth. I have been cruising the web like an Eternal Summer surfer and finding so very much to inspire! Still, I have asked, “What can I do??”

I have been meditating every day and find that I am (finally) able to access that still point within that exists beyond the chatter, even as the chatter continues as if behind panes of frosted glass. Sometimes I do this with an audio program called “Holosynch” (TM), which, behind the sound of rain and bells, offers tones that help the brain move into alpha, delta and theta states.

As a writer, I make a point of working on my own material for at least an hour on most days. Today I decided to listen to the Holosynch audio, ask what it is I need to know, then move into that still place, to listen for what emerges.

Below is what came. It seems to be a message for more than just me.

I am willing to go to the place inside of me that is eternal, that is always at peace, that loves me no matter what. I breath from my heart and move into the still center of my being. I ask what it is that this eternal self wants to say. I listen with patience.

all is well. all has always been well. I am eternal. Welcome. know me and know peace.there is nothing to fear. you are eternal. this is but one performance, if you will, one scene in the play of eternal knowing.

you wish to know how best you can serve the emerging paradigm on your earth. first you must understand the nature of the paradigm . . .this nature is one-ness. ONEness of all that is. The essence of the ONE is LOVE, love as consciousness. Love as presence in the NOW that is beyond time and space. Connectivity, awareness, appreciation and hope.

The powers you might call darkness which, in your human experience you have perceived as controlling the masses for personal gain, are both a material reality and simultaneously, an illusion. Recognize the illusory nature of that ‘power’, for this is the true liberation. They offer contrast, indeed, but they also cannot harm or control those who have awakened into the power of their true nature. It is through this awakening, this stretching beyond the personality, that all shall be liberated.

The vibration of KNOWING and of LOVE are the vibrations of change you seek. It is not about pushing against but about embracing all that is – the good and bad, the eternal and the temporal – which sets each piece of god, each consciousness now embodied, free of the illusions of the old paradigm.

As you live within yourself free of notions of ‘power-over’ (mind over matter, spirit over body, consciousness over intellect, wealth over poverty, etc), as you embrace the paradoxes and polarities WITHIN yourself, you are no longer subjected to an external reflection of such notions.

As more begin to embody and embrace the wholeness and completeness of duality, unity is achieved both internally (personally) and collectively. it is this unity consciousness which is the vibration of the new paradigm. It must first be achieved within the self, and this comes from a total acceptance of every part of the self.

Be IN your body. Accept all of its imperfections as absolutely PERFECT for this moment of your time/space experience. By finding this still point center of your being and observing ALL contrast and all resistance as a perfected part of the whole, you will find the liberation you all seek.

Know that you cannot ‘fail’ for failure is an illusion. This life you each chose on earth is an experiment, an opportunity to expand, a gift you give yourself as the Divine, to expand and experience more of yourself. The suffering of the human experience is temporal only. No matter how miserable, how cruel, frightened or mad may be a being, know that I am always here, untouchable, untainted, unafraid and unconstrained by the perceived limitations of physicality, time and space.

Know too that by embracing physicality and time/space, you can more fully experience what you came here to be, do and have.

Each being has a gift to share. Each of you has come with a purpose. This time on earth is the exciting time of change. It is the time when many more contrasts and choices are available to all. It is a time when the new paradigm can fully flower. Your gifts are more obvious than you may realize, but the mind alone cannot discern them if bothered by external conditions.

Give the gift of forgiveness to your self first. Then extend that gift outward to any and all. Allow the love of conscious understanding and ONEness to flow through you and extend to all whose lives you touch.

You and many others now live beyond the old confines of the ego. The petty insults and injustices of a power paradigm world and a frightened, egoic self very rarely apply to you anymore. so it is those of you free of such small concerns who must live at the forefront of the new paradigm, the new consciousness emerging. Your responsibility and your gift is to offer love and acceptance, forgiveness and compassion to all those still living in the old and dying paradigm. Live as a model to be immitated in your care for yourself, for all the things of your life, for the earth and for those with whom you interact.

Some of you may be called to what the world would perceive as ‘greatness’ but know this – you are each and all GREAT in your own way. You have all accepted a mission, having some notion of the way in which you would implement, given your particular gifts and choices in this life. Some have been in the position to awaken early or influence others on a larger scale, but know always that they could not be doing what they are doing if it weren’t for all the others working on the ‘sidelines,’ in small pockets, touching but a few others lives. For there are many needed to carry the VIBRATION of awakening in order to support those who must speak it more publically.

Hold the vibration of love, of unity, of ONEness. Offer the vibration of love, of forgiveness, of acceptance. Each and every one of you who has moved beyond the old consciousness must take on this task. As you live this new paradigm, you will find other ways to support the shift.

Some of you will have the financial abundance to support the leaders and the stragglers as they shift. others have been gifted with an abundance of time in order to BE in the awakened state undistracted by the dramas of the old world. Still others are artists, musicians, speakers, visionaries, parents or community-based activists supporting this change. It does not really matter what your part is, what matters is that you hold steadily these new energies and anchor them in the seeming ordinariness of your daily lives.

beyond this, the key is to follow your heart, always. Those things that bring you joy are the gifts you have to share. You know, all of you know, that when you truly follow your heart and relinquish the need to control the external circumstances around you, that which you seek will open before you.

Relax, breath, offer love, offer forgiveness, recognize the ONEness of all that is, then follow joy. This is all that is required of those who have already emerged from the darkness of their inner journey.

This message is not for those still living within the dying paradigm of power-over, of fear or denial. This message is not for those yet to plumb their own depths and face their unconscious fears, their self-denial and hatreds. This is for those now on the other side, for you are the way-showers, the light-bearers, the guides. and, each in your own way, you will be called upon to offer that light for others who will choose to awaken, but who may first find themselves in the dark passages of their internal landscapes.

Give thanks, therefore, that you have accepted this blessed task. It is what you came here to do and, despite the forgetfulness you may have lived through, and despite your years or lifetimes in the old paradigm, you need dwell there no longer.

This is the time of the Awakening.

Last month I went to the big top. A blue and yellow striped circus tent by Denver’s amusement park was the site of the best spectacle I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness.  Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza was nothing less than a fantastical dream; a dream bursting with color, celebration and sound, populated by clowns, acrobats, contortionists and magical beings. It was uplifting from its very first moment.

The show began with a child attempting to fly his battered kite. The wind lifts it, but then it drops. Again and again, the child coaxes it to lift, but then it drops. Just as he is about to become frustrated or give up, a package arrives. Bulking and strange, the child stares at the crate with confusion before the lid blows open by the likes of a “trickster” clown. This mysterious magician leaps from the box and, with the flick of his wand brings the stage to life with music, color and a parade of acrobats, dancers and jugglers. They march out onto the stage with fanfare, performing awe-inspiring leaps, dives and balancing acts. All the while, child and audience look on in wonder.

Tears stung the edges of my eyes, for I ‘got it’ right then that this was  far more than a circus. This was a demonstration of nothing less than what we all could truly be. Kooza is a visceral illustration of our greatest human potential. Athletic and acrobatic potential, to be sure, but much more than this. The show offers us a peek at what we – each of us – have the potential to be: creatively, inspirationally, optimistically, and more.  But to do this requires recapturing the innocence and awe for life which we were each born with. To do this requires that we remember how to dream.

The story of Kooza is the story of innocence recaptured, or perhaps protected, before it is lost by the slings and arrows of what we would call ‘reality’. The child is swept up in the sensual feast of inspired artisans who have devoted themselves to entertainment and celebratory joy.  Jugglers of great precision and talent, acrobats at the very top of their game, high wire walkers and dare devils all focused upon one thing: the celebration of our greatest dreams.

Throughout the odyssey, the child laughs, cries, dances, runs, leaps, stands in awe. And we, the audience, marvel with him. Our senses fully awakened to possibilities undreamed of in our ordinary world.  As the show concludes, the crown of the clown king and wand of the trickster are bestowed upon the boy, giving him the gift of power to command his own dreams. As the stage darkens we watch his kite aloft and hear his laughter. Paradise claimed, before it has been lost.

Not all of us are equipped with the skills or desire to join the circus, and there is a reason why such a notion connotes ‘irresponsibility’. We know, almost instinctually, that the circus awakens the joy, trust, and innocence of the child – qualities that are often forced, squeezed or beaten out of us all too soon in life.

I, and increasingly many others, am convinced that we humans were not meant (did not come here to Earth) to live our lives mucking about in misery, or attempting to inflict misery upon others. How that came about, I cannot say, all I know is that many of us feel ready for an awakening, an evolutionary leap of faith to reach for our dreams and trust in their possibility.

We have lived long, long generations now within the confines of societies based on limitation, hierarchy and deprivation. As we focus upon this mode of being, we contribute to its continuation. But everywhere in the world, creativity springs up, and when it is fed, it nourishes all who come in contact with it.

Everything here on earth - everything – was a thought and a dream in the mind of gods or humans before it was manifest. Everything. This means the organizations and structures of humanity (banking systems, governments, corporate hierarchies, etc), as well as material objects from shoe polish to atom bombs. If these things were dreamed up and made real, why can we not now dream a new dream?

Kooza shows us what dreams may come when we let go the false assumptions about limitation. The music, costumes, concept and tremendous talent of the performers were all once but dreams pursued with passion, discipline and no doubt, joy. And all of it put together for the simple purpose of celebration – celebration of what we as humans can truly be.

What must we do to regain the innocence necessary to lift ourselves and this world out of the darkness it has so long been folded within? What, we must each ask ourselves, brings me joy? And how best can I feed that joy for my own life, and for the betterment of all those whose lives I touch?

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