Spiritual growth is not linear. It is cyclical. Becoming more spiritually aware, you are in an uptrend, so to speak, but it has its setbacks. There are many moments when, despite what we know, we act in opposition to what we know. This is just part of the process of transforming our knowledge into understanding. It isn't a one-time event either. Sometimes we respond to life circumstances with keen awareness. Then the next time we fail to be mindful. That's okay because as my husband loves to say, "Earth is the planet of lesson." As long as we don't continue to be oblivious of the spiritual learning curve that is our journey, our setbacks will be short-lived.
Shakespeare wrote: "All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts..." This is true in our individual journeys and in the journey of the human race. As humans, we often accept knowledge as the goal and fail to assimilate it beyond our intellectual center into the emotional and moving centers from which it can morph into understanding. If we observe knowledge from all sides, that is, think about what we think we know, we awaken the Emotional Center. We can begin to experience emotions that are not our usual fare. It enables us to step outside what we've accepted as our truth into a new understanding...
Shakespeare wrote: "All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts..." This is true in our individual journeys and in the journey of the human race. As humans, we often accept knowledge as the goal and fail to assimilate it beyond our intellectual center into the emotional and moving centers from which it can morph into understanding. If we observe knowledge from all sides, that is, think about what we think we know, we awaken the Emotional Center. We can begin to experience emotions that are not our usual fare. It enables us to step outside what we've accepted as our truth into a new understanding...
In our world today, there are many situations that are giving us the opportunity to step back and apperceive or comprehend new ideas by assimilation with the sum of one's previous knowledge and experience. As we think about what we think, we begin to see the forest of change rather than the trees of discontent. Here in the United States, we are experiencing a global change in our own unique way through the current political scene. If we step back, we can observe that as Shakespeare said, the players here are only fulfilling their roles. We have for centuries manifested a society that reflects a dependence on the masculine energy rather than the feminine energy. As individuals we have both energies within; however, one tends to dominate over the other as it has with our nation. It is time to embrace the change toward a healthy balance.
These few examples can help you understand how the two energies can be contrasted, masculine versus feminine. Differentiating/integrating; individual/collective; external focus/internal focus; competitive/collaborative; speaking/listening. If you're willing to journey toward understanding, however, you can easily see how both have value. It is only when we feel compelled to fight against the movement toward the collaboration of the two by engaging in extreme negative emotions that we find ourselves experiencing unnecessary setbacks.
So, I began to step back far enough that I could observe without wallowing in negative emotions that were pushing me to fight against (an action I have learned many times in the past, but this has been yet another, greater scale opportunity for me on my journey). In doing this, I realized that the role played by Trump on this stage is what we call Second Force or the resistance to First Force, which is the desire for positive change. Clinton represents the next phase in the change (First Force) that has been emerging for decades in this country and the world. During this process we are experiencing, regardless of the current outcome, there will need to be enough of us who are willing to step back and see what is really happening, beyond all the negativity and sniping, if we hope to move forward as a collective consciousness in this country. The same is true for the rest of the world in their own particular circumstances.
In my book Metaphysical Minute – Philosophy on the Run published in 2005, I wrote an essay on Chemicalization, which is what we are experiencing currently.
Chemicalization
The term chemicalization comes from the word chemistry. Chemistry is defined as "the science of dealing with reactions by which substances are converted into other substances." Chemicalization in your life has the same basic purpose. It is the process that occurs when your desire for spiritual growth demands that you confront your reactive states of mind so that you can create something new in your life.
Every part of your life has structure. Every bad relationship, for example, has a structure that has built up around it. This structure is very complex. Some of the things it includes are your attitudes, the value you place on yourself, your expectations, and usually a myriad of material things. If you want to change your negative experience into a positive one, you will have to deal with the complex structure of that bad relationship.
In the process of changing, however, you have to let go of the fixed ideas that keep re-creating the same experiences over and over. Unfortunately, it means that you will have to travel into unfamiliar territory. This is scary for most people. Sometimes it gives you the same feeling you get in the pit of your stomach just before the roller coaster goes over the crest of the hill for that terrifying race to the bottom. After all, that's why you're really afraid, isn't it? You're afraid that if you change, things will just get worse, that it will be downhill all the way. It's true. They could get worse, but since you are the creator of your life, that's pretty much up to you!
The most important thing to remember about chemicalization is that "this, too, shall pass." It is just part of the structure of change, making it a positive experience. Learning to adjust and fine-tune the new situations that enter your life and to always keep your focus on your desire for growth will keep your life from being a roller coaster ride.
These few examples can help you understand how the two energies can be contrasted, masculine versus feminine. Differentiating/integrating; individual/collective; external focus/internal focus; competitive/collaborative; speaking/listening. If you're willing to journey toward understanding, however, you can easily see how both have value. It is only when we feel compelled to fight against the movement toward the collaboration of the two by engaging in extreme negative emotions that we find ourselves experiencing unnecessary setbacks.
So, I began to step back far enough that I could observe without wallowing in negative emotions that were pushing me to fight against (an action I have learned many times in the past, but this has been yet another, greater scale opportunity for me on my journey). In doing this, I realized that the role played by Trump on this stage is what we call Second Force or the resistance to First Force, which is the desire for positive change. Clinton represents the next phase in the change (First Force) that has been emerging for decades in this country and the world. During this process we are experiencing, regardless of the current outcome, there will need to be enough of us who are willing to step back and see what is really happening, beyond all the negativity and sniping, if we hope to move forward as a collective consciousness in this country. The same is true for the rest of the world in their own particular circumstances.
In my book Metaphysical Minute – Philosophy on the Run published in 2005, I wrote an essay on Chemicalization, which is what we are experiencing currently.
Chemicalization
The term chemicalization comes from the word chemistry. Chemistry is defined as "the science of dealing with reactions by which substances are converted into other substances." Chemicalization in your life has the same basic purpose. It is the process that occurs when your desire for spiritual growth demands that you confront your reactive states of mind so that you can create something new in your life.
Every part of your life has structure. Every bad relationship, for example, has a structure that has built up around it. This structure is very complex. Some of the things it includes are your attitudes, the value you place on yourself, your expectations, and usually a myriad of material things. If you want to change your negative experience into a positive one, you will have to deal with the complex structure of that bad relationship.
In the process of changing, however, you have to let go of the fixed ideas that keep re-creating the same experiences over and over. Unfortunately, it means that you will have to travel into unfamiliar territory. This is scary for most people. Sometimes it gives you the same feeling you get in the pit of your stomach just before the roller coaster goes over the crest of the hill for that terrifying race to the bottom. After all, that's why you're really afraid, isn't it? You're afraid that if you change, things will just get worse, that it will be downhill all the way. It's true. They could get worse, but since you are the creator of your life, that's pretty much up to you!
The most important thing to remember about chemicalization is that "this, too, shall pass." It is just part of the structure of change, making it a positive experience. Learning to adjust and fine-tune the new situations that enter your life and to always keep your focus on your desire for growth will keep your life from being a roller coaster ride.
RSS Feed