Category Archives: consciousness

consciousness

1 New Thing A Day Challenge

MY FAVORITE COSTUME AT COMIC CON CHICAGO – FROM THE MOVIE “UP!”

Lately I have touched upon how to manifest your desired reality.  Today I went to Comic Con Chicago, and saw a veritable feast of realities I had never been privy to.  But cosplay aside; experiencing something new can be a step in the direction of your dreams.  When we see or do something we’ve never experienced before, it shifts the mind into accepting a reality it had not previously incorporated.  The new has the potential to expand the limits we place on our minds.  When those limits are expanded, and we can envision a reality greater than what we have previously experienced, it becomes easier to invite a new situation into our lives.

Not only do new experiences broaden your world, they create positive momentum.  In order to see shifts, breakthroughs, and miracles, it is our job to set the wheels in motion.  Once those wheels are in motion, they will carry us further than we could have imagined. The only thing we have to do is rev the engine, put out some energy that can expand.  When we do anything we are exerting energy and having an unknowable impact on the world.  To exert that energy doing something new, joyful, and positive, is to give motion to the new realities we desire to manifest in our lives.

With that said, this week I extend an invitation to participate in the “1 new thing a day challenge.”  To boost the positive momentum in your life, go out and do something you haven’t done before, each day of the week.  Starting tomorrow Sunday the 11th, to next Sunday the 18th, experience one new thing each day. 

I’m not sure what I’m going to start with tomorrow, but I’ll figure it out as I go!  It can be something as simple as walking a route you’ve never taken, or eating someplace new, to any crazy ol’ thing!  I’ll give a brief update on my adventures each day, and I’d love to hear your new experiences in the comments.  Let’s have a ridiculous amount of fun, while moving ourselves in the direction of our dreams.

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consciousness, spirituality

“Mastering the Art of Manifestation”

The other week I talked about the difference between feeling and knowing.  When it comes to creating your own reality, I think this difference is the key component.  For example, I can say in my head all day, “I am rich, I am rich, I know I am rich,” when inside I still feel like that is not true.  That feeling of lack on the inside aligns me with a world that demonstrates lack.  When I feel I don’t have enough, everything around me reminds me of that truth.  I’ll see people with fancy cars that I don’t think I can buy, or see high price tags and feel like I will never be able to afford expensive items.

Although the disparity between what you want to have, and what you feel you have, can prevent you from manifesting your desired reality, there is a real choice when it comes to how you feel.  In this video Dr. Wayne Dyer talks to Oprah on Super Soul Sunday about how to manifest your dreams by coming into alignment with them.  When you decide to feel abundant, grateful, and peaceful, you are in alignment with all that is created out of abundance.  When you feel peace inside, you attract more peace.  When you feel infinitely whole and abundant on the inside, you will attract wholeness and abundance into your life.  Wishing for a new car, when you feel like you’ll never afford it, will keep that wish unfulfilled.  So if you want a new car, or whatever it is you’re believing for, start by simply telling yourself that you are everything you will ever need.  Tell yourself you already have everything you could ever want, residing within you.  Suspend your disbelief long enough to feel like the world has more than enough for you and everyone in it.  Bask in that feeling of abundance and gratitude.  The consequence of such a feeling is seeing that reality manifest in your life.

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consciousness

The Flamingo Metaphor

James's Flamingo

When I turned on my TV today I was greeted by a woman at the zoo with her children, lamenting her newfound realization that flamingos cannot, in fact, fly.  (While I have seen videos of flamingos flying, these particular flamingos couldn’t.  So for the sake of the metaphor let’s just discuss these non-flying flamingos.)  As I appreciated her heartfelt woe, a poem came to me, as follows:

The Flamingo Situation

vain people become flamingos
they come back all pinked up
standing on that skinny leg
spreading their wings
and pointing their noses
as high as their necks will carry them
as they look up and see
their soaring brothers and sisters
they will bend bony knees
and with a great push
stay exactly where they are

In the poem I refer to “vain” people.  But truer than that, is the plight of those completely identified with their physical form and thoughts.  Before some degree of the realization of being, of the body as a vehicle for consciousness to enter the world of form, the physical world can be a terrible burden.  After all, bodies are vulnerable, and inevitably subject to decay.

While matter doesn’t disappear, it always changes form, manifests as something new.  For the one all wrapped up in the fears of the physical world, peace and joy are always just beyond reach.  Fear is always just a bit too weighty.

The flamingos on TV were beautiful.  But what is it like  to be a bird that doesn’t fly?  What is it like to be a human identified with forms and thoughts?  It is to leave the highest manifestation of your being unrealized.  Your highest potential inoperative.  When those flamingos change form, they will soar to previously unimaginable heights.  When humans change their attention from form, to presence, there are no more barriers, only an endless sea of dreams come true.

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consciousness, spirituality

On Smiling

It is amazing how momentous a gift one smile can be.  A single smile can be passed down from generation to generation.  When you smile at a stranger or friend it is impossible to know the boundless positive effects that it will have on their life.

I am so thankful for this video by SoulPancake.  My wonderful cousins are going back home to New Jersey tomorrow, after visiting us here in Chicago.  And although I am already missing them, I can’t help but smile when watching this:

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consciousness, spirituality

The Pathway to Peace

Yesterday I talked about knowing the truth versus feeling the truth.  I posited that feeling the truth requires surrender, trust, and being present in the moment in order that evidence of the spiritual truth you are attempting to feel within can present itself.

One of the most miraculous tools for feeling peace, trust, joy, balance, energy, bliss, and anything else you desire, is meditation.  Meditation doesn’t seem fun or interesting at first, and that thought can prevent one from trying it.  But once you start to attempt a short meditation each day, a routine like brushing your teeth or taking your vitamins, it becomes easy and enjoyable.  Not only does sitting in meditation become more comfortable after making it a routine, it starts to create visible positive changes in your everyday life.  The practice of living all of the wonderful spiritual principles, that in your mind you know will improve your life exponentially, begins by simply sitting in silence.

Meditation creates space within that is normally occupied with thoughts and emotions.  When you clean out your inner space, the universe has a vessel in which to express its highest potential. Eventually when meditating you can feel this flow of universal energy as love, joy, and boundless peace.  Miracles begin take place within and without.

To begin practicing meditation I highly recommend Deepak Chopra’s “21 Day Meditation Challenge.”  This particular bout of the meditation challenge is a collaboration between Deepak and Oprah entitled “Miraculous Relationships.”  This is a free online program that offers a new 15 minute guided meditation every day for 21 days. Oprah and Deepak offer invaluable guidance throughout each meditation, and the music is beautiful.  Deepak has done several meditation challenges in the past, and each one has completely changed my life in ways I could have never imagined.  Many blessings as you go forth into the practice.  If you have any questions, comments, or experiences you would like to share about this meditation challenge, or other experiences with meditation, please leave a comment.

Here is the link to get started with your new meditation practice:

https://chopracentermeditation.com/home

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consciousness, spirituality

The Difference Between Knowing The Truth and Feeling The Truth

Cloud

After the mind is convinced of something, it knows it as truth. For example, I know that my bus will arrive at 23 minutes past the hour every day. I have been convinced of that after riding the same bus day after day. Yet, even though I know that this is true, each morning before I leave I track the bus on my phone to see how many minutes there are until it arrives. It is as if I don’t really trust that the bus will show up, or trust my knowledge of the bus schedule. This is because I don’t really feel like the bus will always be there. Even though I know this truth, I don’t completely feel it, and end up checking to make sure the bus will arrive when I think it will.

This silly situation operates on a larger scale with universal and spiritual truths that I “know.” My mind is convinced that the universe teaches us the lessons that are most helpful to the evolution of our consciousness at any given moment. My mind has seen evidence of this principle through other people, and through personal experiences. I can see these lessons so clearly in hindsight. When I was around age 15 the boy I had been dating all year broke up with me, and I was completely beside myself. Now I can see how the thrust into introspection, self-doubt, reflection, and independence, played a necessary role in waking me up to my true nature. Through the unhappiness I experienced I was forced to look within to understand the root causes of pain, and developed a veracious need for peace undetermined by circumstance. I could go on and on looking at the circumstances of my life and seeing how they were teaching me lessons essential for my spiritual growth. And yet, even though I know the universe operates as teacher, I still don’t trust each moment I am in.

Although my mind is convinced of this spiritual principle, I don’t always ask why I am experiencing difficult moments. A lot of the time I end up frustrated or upset by situations that don’t work out in my favor, whether it is a tedious task I have to endure, an illness I have, or an unfriendly person I have to deal with. When such situations arise I don’t always feel like I’m learning a lesson. I don’t always feel like the moment I am experiencing is helpful to my spiritual growth. I don’t always feel like the universe is teaching me. Sometimes I feel like the situation just sucks.

The difference between knowing something to be true, and feeling like something is true is that feeling like something is true allows you to actually experience what your mind knows. When you feel like something is true, then that principle can genuinely operate in your life. When you feel like something is true, it becomes a reality for you.

When learning about different spiritual principles, knowledge is only one small step. After reading many books and engaging in countless discussions, there are a host of things about myself and the universe that my mind is convinced of. But until I feel like those things are true, they will not be real for me. Sometimes feeling like something is true arises because you’ve experienced that reality. For example, I feel like I am not my mind because I am constantly experiencing my true being which is beyond the mind. But if you know something is true and want to get to feeling like it is true, this requires surrender. If you know the truth but can’t feel it, there is a small part of the voice in the head that is doubtful and unconvinced. Through surrender you can say to yourself, “It is okay that I am experiencing this doubt, but I have decided to allow myself to let go of listening to all of those thoughts, and experience what I know to be true.” After surrendering to the truth that you know and want to feel, look around for evidence. Look about, come fully into the now, and watch for evidence of that which you know to be true. The truth will be presented to you, and that experience will be one step closer to feeling that truth. It will be one step closer to living it. Although, as in my case, the evidence does not always evoke the feeling, surrender and trust allow the truth to become real once again.

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consciousness, spirituality, Uncategorized

Contagious Creativity

Tonight I had the privilege of seeing my brother Greg Spero perform with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project.  After the performance, I stood in the lobby of theater at the Museum of Contemporary Art and was in awe as I looked around at all of the tap dancers and musicians.  It is so incredible to experience people who are living their highest potential. Being around other people who live in the present, and take that golden opportunity to allow something great to flow through them into this world, inspires me to live as such. If you want to rise to a new level, hang around people who inspire and motivate you. Greatness is contagious.
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consciousness, spirituality

How The Mind Convinces Itself It’s Correct

This morning at work I experienced technical difficulties with the projector.  It was the last day of class, centered around the movie “Lilo and Stitch,” and the projector had always worked fine before.  After several minutes of unsuccessful troubleshooting, and with class about to begin, I felt reaction rising up inside of me.  I was frustrated and about to freak out.

The reaction I experienced was brief and subsided as I made the decision to have an enjoyable last day, and ask for assistance. Yet, however brief, the pull of reaction was strong, and it was to an inanimate object in a low-pressure situation.  How strongly can egoic reaction pull a person in when the unfavorable situation is caused by another person?  When other people act in a way that causes the voice in our heads to start condemning, we experience the beginnings of a reaction caused by the ego.  Some people manage to live mainly through egoic reaction, and over time it deadens all of life, leaving the person unable to enjoy any situation and experience their true nature.

I love this video because it is so clear, and beautifully manages to snap me out of the voice in my head.  The truth to which Eckhart Tolle speaks here, can have the power to completely change any life that has been taken over by reaction.

http://youtu.be/cbiMGV52O2s

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consciousness, spirituality, Uncategorized

Curiouser and Curiouser

Today was mysterious.  As I was walking along with Judy Brubaker I missed a call from an unknown number.  I began thinking that maybe it was Oprah, or Quincy Jones, or anyone!  Then I realized why the “unknown” was so awesome; it had infinite potential!  It could’ve been the president calling!  And if it was, I’m sure he’ll try again later anyways.

In the midst of that call was my walk with Judy.  That was even more mysterious.  I didn’t know Judy before this.  I had merely been walking home, found an elderly woman unable to unlock her door, and asked if she needed help.  She told me she didn’t but would love to go on a walk with me.  I obliged.  I had no way of knowing who this woman was, but she told me about herself.  She was 89 years old, had been living in Chicago for the past 50 years, and used to be a film star in Hollywood during the early 1950s.  I believed her, but she seemed a bit forgetful, and at the back of my mind I was still wondering what her story truly was.  She then told me she still sings on Wednesday nights at Maggiano’s, but hadn’t since her recent surgery.  She sang a few lines for me and I was amazed; she did in fact have a beautiful voice.

She insisted that I leave her where she was and continue my walk home, but I refused.  I told her that I must walk her back home.  So we slowly walked along, but as we got closer she made me leave her side, saying she didn’t want her husband to think she was doing anything crazy. I walked ahead of her but I made sure I saw her walk back up the stairs to the door where we first encountered each other.  She must have gotten inside because I didn’t see her as I walked back up the street in the direction of my apartment.  I felt so compelled to know what she was doing, what her life was like.  We made a real connection and at this point I still have no idea why.

When I got home I decided to Google her.  Judy has in fact lived in Chicago the past 50 years, does still sing occasionally at Maggiano’s, and was a film star during the early 1950s.  I was amazed!  I had just been on a walk with the Judy Brubaker!  I may never know the meaning of our encounter.  I also may never know who the unknown caller was.  But the mystery is so curious, and so enjoyable.  Many things in life are inexplicable.  Many of the things that we do explain away are, in truth, inexplicable as well.  Although the mind prefers to label and have things fit into its set parameters of perception, the world beyond such explanations is more alive, more real, and more curious than one could imagine.  One of the greatest lessons I have received is to embrace the mystery.  Shout out to the universe, “I just don’t know! I have no idea!” It is at that point that the miraculous has an opportunity to appear.  It is at that point that anything can happen.

This is a video I found on YouTube of Judy singing at Maggiano’s:

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