(or: ‘The Power To Light Up’ – Part 2)
In the first half of the 20th century there was a Russian mystic called Gurdjieff. He was the teacher of P.D. Ouspensky, who talks about him in his book The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin. In it, he touches upon the topic of reincarnation.
He poses that reincarnation is not what we’re often led to think it is:
He says that instead of being born as someone else, we’re rather reborn to relive the exact same life we’ve always lived… over and over and over again… until we make a significant choice at one particular moment to do something different from what we did life after life.
This is visualized quite nicely in the movie Groundhog Day, which you might want to watch some time if you can in case you’ve never seen it.
Based on this take, Ouspensky says that ‘hell on earth’ is living life the way we’ve always lived it, and ‘heaven on earth’ is breaking free of our long-standing inhibiting patterns.
And as you probably know, it can take an enormous amount of energy, passion, determination, and will to even see such patterns, let alone break free from them. And without the right information and orientation, it’s in fact virtually impossible. After all:
- As they’re often automatic and subconscious, such patterns are outside of our normal awareness to begin with, meaning we may not even know about them (yet).
- In addition, as explained in the ‘Crack Your Egg’ introductory study guides, they significantly influence the way in which our brains filter incoming information, thus making up virtual ‘blinders’ that prevent us from even noticing them (<– even if we do know about them), or at least making it very hard and ambiguous to do so.
As such, they have a way of keeping themselves intact and settling in more deeply, thus weighing down on us ever more strongly. And this puts up challenges for us to ‘lighten up’ by transcending them and give ourselves the freedom to manifest the kind of life experience we long for.
While as a result we’re often inclined to revert to tools that promise to make such shifts on our behalf, such techniques usually turn out to deliver only arbitrary, ‘hit-or-miss’ results.
That’s not because they don’t have the potential to do so, but rather because they may not attend to our own unique requirements (<– more details in the ‘Crack Your Egg’ introduction series), and normally render us dependent on them because they actually mask the true competence and creative potential that we seek through them, and thus conceal the fact that we may not even need them.
Conversely, the technique you’re about to learn allows you to actually see the self-inhibiting patterns that impact and weigh down on your life experience, and puts you in a position of true power from where you can break free from them and regain the liberty and flexibility to create your life in the way you yourself deliberately choose… the kind freedom that you may not have felt for a long, long time (if ever).
It’s the one basic skill that’ll put you (back) behind the steering wheel in your own life, and that makes up the basis for awesome results from the application of pretty much any other personal empowerment technique.
This article explains what it is and how to practice it.
A Simple But Crucial Trick
We get triggered into our self-inhibiting patterns all the time. Thoughts, emotions, attitudes, behavioral urges, self-talk, etc. all ‘fire’ pretty much automatically when circumstances call upon them.
We may think we’re in conscious control of ourselves and our lives, but the great majority of our actions and reactions are practically ‘mindless,’ subconsciously driven responses to largely involuntary mechanisms in our ‘mind/body’-system:
Something happens to us, or someone says something to us, and boom: we react in some kind of kneejerk, preprogrammed way; we feel angry, frustrated, sad, guilty, belittled, and so on, and then follow through with corresponding action or inaction.
As we usually see our preconceived notions, prejudices and expectations confirmed (<– as explained in the ‘Crack Your Egg’ introduction series), in our emotionally-colored state we may…:
- Misread other people’s intentions…
- Say things we don’t really mean…
- Take actions that only make things worse…
- Do things that neutralize our previous success…
- Procrastinate when constructive action is required…
- Fall back into self-sabotaging and/or potentially self-destructive habits…
- Etc.
We then tend to justify our thoughts, feelings, attitudes and actions through all kinds of rationalizations that seem very plausible from our subjective and distorted point of view.
But even though we so strongly insist on identifying with them and think it’s really us who deliberately engage in them, the truth is they’re mostly subconsciously activated and involuntarily triggered by circumstances, while we ourselves have little conscious input in determining our reactions.
As a result, the life and ‘reality’ we create and our experience of it are almost exclusively determined by such ‘Egg Patterns,’ to an extent you may not even be able to realize (at least not yet if you’re not familiar with the technique you’re about to learn).
As long as we merely play out the ingrained, automatic patters of our egg, reality and its circumstances are in control of us, as opposed to the other way around.
Therefore, we can only break free from such patterns once we’re actually able to see and experience how completely identified we tend to be with them.
In other words, as a first step to ‘cracking our eggs,’ what’s required is an ability to ‘step back’ from the turmoil and emotional noise in our lives, and view our emotions, situations, and interactions from a much wider perspective than from within the turbulence of the experience itself.
And this notion applies in particular to our patterns of pain, frustration and dissatisfaction about our lives and our (perceived) inability to make constructive changes.
We all have this ability, and it’s leveraged by means of a technique that I refer to as the ‘Participant/Observer-Method,’ the idea of which is to apply our own ‘being conscious’ (<– i.e. our awareness beyond brain and body) to switch to two different perspectives, intermittently and/or at the same time:
The basic idea is that whenever you find yourself caught up in some kind of discomforting experience as a ‘participant,’ you don’t deny the experience by immediately forcing yourself to ‘think positive thoughts instead’ (<– as you’re commonly told to do).
Rather, you take a step back into the ‘observer’-role, from where you can:
- Momentarily free yourself from the pull into or captivity in the turbulence and content of the experience…
- … thus gaining an undistorted point of view that allows you to learn more about the source of the pattern that was triggered and the reason why it exists in the first place…
- … and putting yourself in the position of power from where you can apply additional techniques (as desired) with great accuracy and effectiveness to dissolve that source and the discomfort along with it, and undisturbedly reorient yourself towards constructive intents and courses of action.
As such, mastering the ‘Participant/Observer’-method is one of the most empowering things you can ever do. If there’s any skill you need to learn to actively make a difference in yourself and in your life, this is it.
And because it’s an inherent ability that we all possess, the steps to exercise and internalize the skill are relatively straightforward.
Here’s how to practice and become a master at it…
The Steps to the Method
The ‘Participant/Observer’-method is relatively easy to learn, but for most people requires step-by-step practice. Below is an overview of the steps to gradually increase your skills in applying this technique:
Steps To Learning The ‘Participant/Observer’-Method:
Step 1:The next time you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, resentful, ‘wrung out,’ etc… just say to yourself: “See it through!”
That’s the first step: just decide to see it through, hang in there, and see what happens… until it passes over.
Notice yourself making that decision. Mastering the conscious act of deciding to ‘see it through’ marks the point from where you can take it up a notch with the next step.
Step 2:
Apart from the above, consciously stop what you’re doing (at least) three times a day. It’s as simple as that: whatever you’re doing, just ‘wake up’ from it and stop. I can’t describe this in any more straightforward terms. This step is the simple act of waking up and disidentifying.
To illustrate: we often get caught up in the things we do, and basically ‘lose ourselves’ (i.e. our consciousness) in the activity. And that’s not always a bad thing in and of itself.
But practicing our ability to ‘stop it’ and to ‘step out’ for a minute during ‘regular’ activities gradually increases our skill and the probability of being able to do so with the same efficacy during the kind of emotional experience that has a history of stirring us up.
So ‘stopping’ at random like this will train you in your ability to step out of what you’re doing and become conscious again, i.e. fully aware. You just STOP, whatever it is you’re doing. And any time of the day is fine.
Step 3:
Once you’ve developed some skill in ‘deciding to see it through’ and ‘stopping it,’ now learn to ‘wake up and disidentify’ during more intense states of emotional arousal. For example, practice ‘stopping’ in states like these:
- You feel completely consumed by something you’re doing (positively or negatively)…
- You feel frustrated…
- You feel overwhelmed…
- You feel exhausted…
- You feel angry, or even raging…
- And so on…
As you keep practicing this technique, you’ll find that you’ll get some awesome insights about yourself:
- You’ll see how absolutely consumed you tend to be with your moods, thoughts, emotions… (<-- For example, you’ll see yourself having an experience of pain, rather than being IN pain or even BEING your pain…)
- You’ll see how your ‘egg reactions’ eat up your passion and ‘dim your flame’ by filling the space with something else to do…
- You’ll discover that there’s more passion than you’ve ever imagined underneath your moods… more than enough to fuel whatever it is that you want to do!
- You’ll see that you’re not your emotions… not your feelings… not your thoughts… not your moods, but instead the silence in between… a ‘conscious essence’… something apart from them that’s more alive than you can possibly imagine!
- And you’ll begin to understand how you can make your mind your servant, rather than subjecting yourself to its (prior) rule over you.
Taking this ‘observer’ point of view enables you to see all this, because this is the part of you that’s not blinded by the emotional heat of the moment, but realizes that all is well even in the most discomforting states, as you’re really ‘infinite consciousness’ going through an illusionary experience that only seems real.
While so far we’ve only covered the basics of the technique itself, you’ll learn more about how to leverage the ‘observer’-perspective in the ‘Crack Your Egg’ introduction series (<– and even more so in the Crack Your Egg Program) in ways that make the “participant’s” experience of life more pleasant, productive and exhilarating.
To stick with the movie metaphor: you’ll become more than the participant, even more than the observer, by becoming the director as well!
In addition, we’ll expand on this practice in the next article in this series.
The Result: A New Relationship With Life
Once I personally got better skilled at the ‘Participant/Observer’-method, I ultimately literally saw myself. And then I saw myself seeing myself. And then I saw that I was seeing myself seeing myself.
This may sound crazy, but it was an absolutely remarkable experience of awesome clarity, where I was able to see ‘myself’ as separate from the ‘self’ that I thought I was, i.e. the identity that I had in this world.
When you experience something like this, it kind of adds a new dimension to your experience, a fourth dimension if you will that’s almost like a parallel universe to the one we live in.
This ‘observer’ point of view is the foundation for a completely new relationship to ‘life in general:’
- You’ll see that any ‘pain,’ ‘frustration,’ ‘exhaustion,’ ‘overwhelm,’ or whatever negative state that you may find yourself in is nothing but a strategy you’ve (unconsciously) taught yourself to mask something you implicitly feel threatened by, and certainly not a result of outer circumstances. And you’ll see that you can disable it whenever you really want and decide to.
- You’ll see that it’s a self-protective method of operation that constantly pulls you out of the present moment and covers up the fact that you have a big hand in personally creating the nature of your own life experience…
- You’ll see that it’s a subconscious defense mechanism that blinds you from a truth that you may find hard to face, as it leaves no alternative but to take full responsibility…
- In fact, you’ll see that it covers up your fear (<-- and in many cases your being totally terrified or even scared shitless) of being ‘All You Can Be.’
In the well-known words of Marianne Williamson:
In other words:
‘Crack Your Egg,’ lighten up, and unleash your ‘flame!’
Great post, but with the following I am not sure:
“There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”
I think it depends on the situation because people can become very nasty when they feel insecure. I think it is important to become aware of when we do the shrinking and find a SAFE place for ourselves where we can shine. But it can be wise to stay small around people who hate “shiny people”. They are out there, which is why, as kids, we learnt how to shrink in the first place.
And to this:
“We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?”
I think the insecurity is justified, because the question actually needed to be: Whom will it serve if I am brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? As long as the question is about you, it won’t work. The subconscious will mercilessly take your false selfinflation apart and rightly so. I don’t know if I am a child of God (whoever that is), but I know that I am a child of Earth and on Earth I actually don’t have to brilliant (I mean, ever seen a brilliant duck or butterfly or flower that was anything else than just itself?). It is ok if I do my work and be happy, I am no less than others if I am not brilliant. I think it would be sometimes wise to ask this question: where does this need to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous come from? What will be different when I am? Who will be pleased? Anything wrong with just being human? And I am always wondering: what is brilliant about Marianne Williamson or other people? Does writing books and talking a lot make them more brilliant than people who do the printing job to “manifest” their thoughts into bookform or produce the microfone that she is holding?
Just in case somebody doesn’t manage to do the observer stuff: It’s ok if you are not brilliant, as long as you are happy where you are.
🙂 nevermind.
Superb! Thank you.
THANK YOU! You have paved the path for my liberation!!
Wow, so true are the words i just read, i knew it to be true as i read each word, i remember what happens to me when i feel fear, fear of change and the unknown, i havn’t yet searched for new employment since resigning from my last job after feeling threatened by my manager andbeing bullied out of my postiton.
i now know but already knew that seeking new employment was scary cause it’s new and i’ve been fearful of not knowing anything new or unable to learn new job skills. thank you, i will be working on this method and get myself back on the right level of thinking again.
woo hoooooo i’m gonna get myself a job.
Awesome, great, just what I needed to-day! A wake up call, Thank You.
Robbie can I say this to you, does it really matter what the banks do??
Just maybe there are better things, why hold on let go…let them do as they please…YOU DO NOT NEED to tire yourself with this LET it go it will destroy you if you do not. Stand back do You really need whatever the bank will take…No….
Good luck, believe in Yourself, go speak to that guy in the mirror and love him he is really not such a bad guy, you will find the good in him if you look!!!1
Thanks Henk
My fourth lesson in this observer technique – 3rd this week and 2nd today. I’m paying attention!
Robbie – let go…. You don’t have to hold on to your guilt. We were taught that we must but we don’t have to. It is OK to STOP. Look, Listen, and see what it is that you fear.
And then write…. write until your hand hurts and all the papers in your house are finished. Write about how you feel and how unfair it is. Write about what scares you the most and what you feel most guilty about. Scream it out onto the page until you’ve let it all blissfully go.
But for now – STOP, look, listen, feel – you have the power within you. And then know that everyone reading this post is sending you love! So accept it and enjoy. You are allowed to.
Thanks Henk you ROCK!
For Robbie:
If you want to help yourself, read Joseph Murphy-s : The Power of your Sub-Conscious Mind. It’s a grat book that will help you with your stress and get you some peace.
Each time I feel overwhelmed I keep reading that book over and over again. To me it works as a miracle.
take care
I need all the help I can get; the problems that I have…based on the lack of money…are ripping me apart. The fear has me handcuffed. A way out seems impossible to find. I feel like i am in a vice and it is all in my head.
If I simply can’t pay what what I owe the banks, what will happen?
I’m tired.
I feel like you are talking right to me…but I can’t lkaugh. I’ve lost my ability to laugh.
I’m so pissed at myself.
Me vs. me…I need to find some Light.
Sorry. Thank you so much for the words. I need the courage to act. I’ll keep reading.
Your advice brings me to the right place, but I can’t see the proper solution.
I use meditation to escape.
“The very frustration that most people are feeling about their lives and their inability to change it canonly be addresseded once they’re able to see how completely identified they are with their ‘pain’ of not being satisfied with the way things are!”
WOW!! Just this morning i was asking myself how can i pray more deeply to my ‘God- my higer self’ and i opened your email this morning and got the answer!!
Thanks alot for this post henk !!
Great article!
Informative, and inspirational.
Thank you.
henk
i would be appreciated of you to blowing the wind ,that pushes clouds of limitations and fears away from me .
best regards
mohammad reza sedghi
This is my two cents worth (Which even at that price may be a bit of an overcharge).
There’s no need to ‘seek a better life.’ The one we have is fine. It’s just that we imagine it should be like some idea we’ve got in our head. There isn’t anything wrong with that as long as we don’t sell out what we’ve got now for some illusion. If our life changed overnight to the one in our head, we wouldn’t enjoy it any more because we would still be ‘us’ with our imaginary hang-ups and problems. Sure we’d have more of whatever we imagine the perfect life has but we’d still find something to focus our anxieties around. The thing is, life is the experience of being human. It’s not supposed to be perfect and neither are we. nevertheless, that doesn’t mean we need to be unhappy. There are a few tricks we can learn to help us see through our self-imposed dramas. They won’t remove them but at least we can begin to see what we’re up to. The K.I.S.S. Principle (Keep It Simple Sweetheart) is still an excellent idea to apply in most situations. Personal responsibility (not blame) is another one. If our lives are complicated it’s because that’s the way we make them. A simple daily meditation (NO gurus, charismatic leaders, new rules, beliefs or doctrines, strange clothing, food or haircuts, no hefty cash ‘donations’) and lastly we could practice noting the things about our life that we are thankful for. (Once when I was bitching about some inconsequential triviality a friend told me, “Rod, any day above ground is a good one.”) That’s it for now. Keep smiling. (No-one knows what you’re really up to.)
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, I SO NEEDED THIS WAY OF THINKING!
Thank you Henk for your articles. they are packed with information that is useful in my day to day life. Please keep sending them to me. Again, thanks so much.
Thank you for reminding me that being the witness of myself is the most powerful path for positive change and spiritual evolution. Relax, back away, and watch.
Since eliminating beliefs that got in the way of my confidence and a tool for dissolving those “occurrings”, I have experienced the feeling of observing myself observing myself observing myself quite a bit. In fact I learned a mantra that goes like this, “I have thoughts, I am not my thoughts. I have feelings, I am not my feelings. I do things; I am not what I do. I am the consciousness in which thoughts, feelings, and actions show up. Seeing reality without filters is an amazing experience and I regularly find myself in what Morty Lefkoe calls the Creator space. What you suggest is also a route to the same feeling-to stop and see, to be still and wait for the emotions to settle.
Love and Light,
Lauren
Well, I have to say that this was an awesome explanation of what I call witness consciousness. Your techniques to uncover what I call the “real you” are quite amazing as well. Loved the entire article! ;It made me want to get up and dance in the middle of the floor. Yeaahh!!! Blessings to you for expressing these truths!
Thank you, Henk,
Brilliant! I love Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, and I love your clear renditions of these vital aspects of the teaching. I needed reminding – and, as may have said before me, your message is so timely! For the past few years I had lost my passion to “wake up” and found myself enmeshed in fear and smallness. Your words have cut through all that illusion and attachment and touched my heart. Spot on, guys. Much love and appreciation.
P.S. I nearly deleted your email – sooo much stuff coming through – something made me open it and read – so grateful that I did. I also appreciate the input from your readers – I felt so alone with G and O so many years ago, and now it seems lots of people are tuning in. Also, I used to tell people that “Groundhog Day” is the most spiritual movie I’ve seen – and they don’t get it – I have to explain it to them, frame by frame!
Thank you. This is exactely what I have been thinking about. It is like I wrote this article to myself. Wow!!! It is a confirmation that our highest self is working in all of us or what?? It is like a dream to me, yet, it is true.
Tolemariam Fufa (PhD)
Addis Ababa University,
Ethiopia
It is said that the messenger comes to you when you are ready, well then, it is your message that has come to me today, for which I thank you so very much, I understand your message, and to come to that place within me that I so yearn for, I realize that I need to change my inner focus….you have surely shown me a path.
Thank you so much for your very insightful blogs, I look forward to each and every one of them.
Shamim
What a great job you always do at tying today’s popular teachings together! This marries so well with Bob Proctor’s use of ‘cognitive dissonance’ and Gary Craig’s use of ‘congruence’ to explain why the law of attraction doesn’t seem to work for us . . . our superficial conscious verses our all powerful subconscious – and all that stuff :o)
Thanks for another great one.
Hugs,
John
the concept of observer/participant is in ancient Hindu sriptures. ‘Observer’ in Sanskrit is ‘sakshi’ which means witness. Anyway these articles are brilliant +v. effective
Pratibha
Thank you again for another wonderful article. Something to really ponder & act upon. Now let’s see where it will take me today…have a great feeling about it!
Lovely
This is some great stuff!!!
Your wonderful.I study all the time,but this is so good.
Thanks.
Glenda
Can I just say what a reduction to find somebody who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You positively know the way to carry a difficulty to light and make it important. More people have to read this and perceive this aspect of the story. I cant imagine youre no more fashionable since you undoubtedly have the gift.
It’s different when you actually do it. 🙂
You always manage to HIT the spot, and so again I thank you.
Wonderful stuff. This is the insight that I needed. If there is no pain, it shows a lot of commitment & obviously passion. Let us all find out what we have come into this world for and do the best to make it and our own life a much better experience. We can all make a difference in our own lives and in other people’s lives too. Thanks and do keep up the good work.
Thanks for the grat article.
2I Stopped, I saw…now what? It’s still infinite…”
This article brought to my mind the song This Little Light Of Mine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, Let it Shine Let it shine Let it Shine!
Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine!
You are so right! We are all God’s children and were made to Shine and Manifest the Glory of God! When we can learn to do that….we not only get closer to God but we also bring about a HUGE change in our own lives!
Thanks Henk! It’s always nice to read and be reminded about how precious our lives are and how worthy we all are to live wonderful lives! God Bless!
This does not come as a surprise to me. I have used the “observer technique” at times in my life (or other way of detaching myself from my first-person view of a situation and related feelings/emotions/barriers), as it came natural to me, and it has always worked.
Thank you for the reminder.
Funny enough I always thought that we lived the same life over and over and over progressing a little everytime. Thanks fot confirming that for me.
Excellent article! Thank you so much. I needed it today …to stay on the right path :).
Thank you
I thought I was in “too much of a hurry” this morning to read this! But something nudged me along – and it feels like a very important tool to help in manifesting what I desire – how to not be stuck in the blocks, etc Thank you SO much!
Really enjoyed reading this just awesome as i enjoyed ground hog day movie myself so can relate to this very much, gives us all great inspiration.
Thanks Guys
thankx that is really a good way to make me get it I will practice
PS I ‘m umpresse by the currant ,close enough material I was wondering if it was just a repetition as I close my eyes and read I observe what I did not like about tphe repetition
Thanks, Henk , for the clear way you communicate such important matters. Our culture has programmed us so deeply on feeling fearful and insignificant, that it takes voices like yours to help us understand and accept that we are perfect and deserve only the best. Be blessed…
-A COMPUTER OPERATION HAS TAUGHT US – PRACTISE PRECISELY-NO RUSH WILL ASSIST.ANOTHER COACH STATES:ANY PROBLEM WITH COMPUTER-& CANT SOLVE WITH YOUR LIMITED EXPERIENCE, JUST SWITCH OFF-THEN RELAX.PROBABLY BY NEXY MORNING IT WILL BE RECTIFIED.
ANOTHER CO-RELATED OFTEN QUOTED ISSUE-FORGET PAST. DONT WORRY ABOUT FUTURE. TODAY IS IMPORTANT, WE HAVE YET TO SEE A PERSON WHO COULD FORGET THE PAST, AS WELL WE HAVE TO PLAN FUTURE W/O SECOND THOUGHT.IS NOT? TO DAY IS BEFORE US-IT IS TO BE ADIUDGED WITH CARE& APPRECIATION. ANY SERIOUS COMMENTS! SHAM SUNDERAZAD
Hello Henk ,
You do write the most amazing articles and this is the first time I have heard this take on our lives and from the way you have put in across it sounds so apt. I have shared your article with my twitter and fb friends so that many others too may benefit from your article. God Bless.
Thanks for the peeling a detailed about being…myself…indeed we are all given a heavenly fortune to shine our our passions that is naturally given to us since we are born. But we often dont sharpen it and not aware we are keeping it idle because we are focusing on…am not gifted for these or that…let us all shine with our own respective passions and talents. Thanks
Reminds me of he teachings of Eckhart Tolle. I will try to practice this more today.
Today’s message was totally off the hook! This is the kind of things I connect with and get plugged into on a daily basis. Thank you for the food for thought.
The cool thing about this stuff that I have come to know and now teach in Drummuncation Workshops is that these things are principles. Principles are truths that always work everywhere, all the time, they never fail. They are the founding principles of the universe, or at least our world. They aren’t dependant on my believe in them they just are.. always…true. Building an awareness of them pausing, asking for and receiving inspire-ation allows that fourth dimention to present itself in the moment we are in.
Yes! it came close to my heart.It seems as if I got the answer.
we are powerful yet fearful. Yes I want the inner power to manisfest.
Thanks for the article.
Hi guys, many thanks for yet more sound advice. Synchronicity indeed! I feel that this has come at the right time, as others have stated, and I’m determined to use it. I felt that I was at rock bottom with a broken relationship, a job that appears to have no positivity and I am running to stand still. I intend to see through it, stop, and observe. Thanks again. Love and Light, Dawn
A great inspiring article.
Thank You
Thanks for the message. I have some sympathy with Allan’s comment about getting what you want for others. I take it all on board though and self-review is useful. They always say that if you keep on doing what you’re doing don’t be surprised if you keep getting what you’re getting. Don’t be too amazed, though, if it turns out that you have successfully established patterns that work for you in your present circumstances.Congratulate yourself for that. This is not an easy life for most of us – don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sometimes struggling on in difficult circumstances is the right answer. Don’t knock it automatically. You don’t get higher by kicking the ladder away just because it’s uncomfortable:- been there – done that…seen myself do it. Don’t get too remote with your self-objectivity, it’s not human. Love and practicality are both essential.Wishing you both.
God bless you!!!!
It’s very helpful.Thank you.
Brilliant!
Great article, good reminder how to keep perspective in life and not allow life to overwhelm you! Thank you sending you blessings
Thank you very much for the very very valuable information and message
I couldn’t help laughing when I read your article, because I had just put in “Groundhog Day” on my DVD player, and paused it to check email before settling in, and saw your message, and felt compelled to open it even though the movie is waiting for me. Thank you for the article — as always, very insightful and timely.
Dear Henk.
If the information sinks into the subconscious, it could be the building blocks that most of us requires, to be aware of our own possibilities, that can show the whole world, we are flowers which have grown from the soil of love and truth.
“For those who are looking, but do not find, are using their eyes, and not their minds”
“From GOD’S spirit of the place most high, a gift that’s earned, that on one can buy”
“Quantum physics and small things not seen, are like from within, a magic miracle beam”
Creating the space of love for us all. many thanks does not say enough. Malcolm.
IT WAS MOTHERS’ ADVICE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE NOT WILLING TO APPEAR FOR EXAM.SKIPPING
STOP RELAX
ITS BETTER THAN GOING TO DOCTOR FOR PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT
SHAM SUNDER AZAD
Thank you for this article it is inspiring and pure truth. A few months ago someone gave me this important message, stating, WE ARE THE ONES WE,RE WAITING FOR!!!, and I believe this is pure truth.
Thank you
Many Blessings
Liz
What a wonderful article!! And like others have said here – needed right now!!
Thank you so much Henk!! Keep up the great work!!
Patsy
That was a great article, I am learning something new everyday. I am not getting everything I need very fast but I know in time it will come. Thanks Ann
Thank you! I’ve been in a very dark place for a long time (in the past 2 years – job loss, heart attack, divorce, wrecked credit) and am desperate to come out in to the light. Your words are powerful and I needed to read that at this time. I’m so ready to start living again and leave all the fears, negativity, and bad stuff behind. This article may be just the kick start I need. God Bless.
Thank you Henk, I enjoy your articles, the content is spot on the right path. Yes I agree it is my awesomeness that terrifies me. I try so hard to stay small and insignificant and in my darkness. My light shines out though, despite me. So I let my little light shine, but its not so ‘little’ it’s a universal humungessness, overwhelmingly huge. I see my light inspire so many but I am afraid when it shines back at me and the spotlight it shining on me and I fear the attention. Guess that’s part of my journey to embrace those fears and bathe in the light that I am, guess this is where my happy-joy has been hiding from me, or more accurately I have been hiding from it! Gratitude to you and all the light that we are.
Hi
This is a great article, very profound and true.
Great inspiration to all who read.
Keep up the good work and blessing of abundance to you both
God Bless
Thank you, Henk, for these profound thoughts.
I read a few of the comments above mine and noticed how many said that this post came at the right time for them. Of course, things always come at the right time don’t they. It’s part of sincronicity. Just yesterday, as I walked my dog, I was affirming to myself, all the things I love in my life and one of them was sincronicity and another was inner guidance and clarity of thought and the very next day I read this post which is all about clarity. Thank you for putting it all so clearly. I will put a big note on my fridge (to remind me) which says —- ‘Feeling overwhelmed?’….. STOP!!! Look.. Listen.. See.. See through it!’
No wonder that Gurdjief and Ouspenski are expounding on what Our Lord Jesus Christ has said to Nicodemus ” unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 that is, we have to let go of all our past with its intentions and characteristics to adopt a CHANGE in our attitude by cleansing our subconscious rut through spiritual review and deep examination in the Light of Him Who has come to SAVE.
You have made the process of Change clearer, but certainly we need to accept being the Children of God to get His help and support to reach true fulfillment. Bless you.
That message is thought provoking.
Thank You.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article!!!! What a find! I am sending it on! Everyone should read it, print it and paste it somewhere! Why cant they teach stuff like this to our kids in school?
Keep up with this wonderful work!
Blessings
SO SO SO important .So much space available Thank you for printing this
Just the shot in the arm needed by many of us, to take the time to reflect on that which is driving us, ego and our Core Beliefs or our higher selves. Now is the time for us all to start shoveling out all those beliefs that hold us back from recognizing and being that which we already are! In another course I was trained in we were taught to feel the emotion intensely when we are stressed or our buttons are pushed and then to drop below it like we are now watching a movie and therein lies the truth behind that stress or emotion lurking there as a belief that is driving or hindering us in some way. Can you imagine a world of individuals who have discovered their true value and how absolutely awesome they are and how we are all connected?
Hi, This is perfect for me right now.. thank you, my passion is seeing a lot of adversity in my country and I’m growing increasingly frustrated at the closed-mindedness I am dealing with on a daily basis. thank you for the re-direction, it is very much appreciated!
Reincarnation as discussed by Neale Donald Walsch also talks about reliving the same life over again but with different choices. He also mentions that we choose when are also living all times simultaneously , ie; the 1400 life, the 1500 life the the 1600 life and so on. It’s very interesting. http://www.transchi.com speaks about part of Karma being unifinished business from a previous life. Interesting principles. THank you!
Have you also read this? I stumbled over it a few years ago.
Not an easy read, but interesting.
http://faculty.virginia.edu/consciousness/
HENK, THANKS , THIS IS MORE USEFUL THAN A SWISS ARMY KNIFE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL GUITAR PLAYER. THE PASSION ENCOMPASSES MANY EMOTIONS; PAIN,
PLEASURE, EXCITEMENT, FRUSTRATION, GRATIFICATION, EXHAUSTION (UP TO 6 HOURS A DAY), FEELING GREAT, FEELING SMALL, EMPTINESS & MORE. BUT IT STILL FUNCTIONS AS A METAPHOR FOR LIFE IN A BODY WITH A MIND, THAT IS, I STILL GET STUCK IN RUTS,
STILL DEAL WITH THE OCCASIONAL FEELING OF GOING NOWHERE, BLINDLY OBSESS OVER ELEMENTS OF TECHNIQUE & LOSE THE MUSIC/MAGIC IN THE PROCESS & HAVE TO
STOP, STEP BACK & REBOOT. IT TAKES, AS BACH STATED HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, 95% PERSPIRATION & 5% INSPIRATION TO PRODUCE VIABLE PRODUCT; THIS ENTAILS
COMPLETE IMMERSION & ENDLESS REPETITION, BUT THE PAYOFF IS INEFFABLE, THAT IS,
MORE THAN WORDS CAN ENCOMPASS. GETTING LOST IS THE EASIEST THING. STAYING
‘ON BEAM’ IS TOUGH & REQUIRES CONSTANT TRYING. THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO MEASURE IS PROGRESS. OFTEN IT FEELS LIKE NONE IS BEING MADE BUT THE TRUTH IS
THAT AS WITH ANYTHING & EVERYTHING IN LIFE IF YOU MAKE THE EFFORT YOU GET THE REWARD. YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T LOOK, FEEL, OR SOUND
LIKE IT SO AS RAMANA MAHARSHI SAYS, WE MUST CULTIVATE MORE PATIENCE. YOUR
ARTICLE REMINDS ME OF ALL THIS, SO THANK YOU. ONE OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF
WHAT REINCARNATION IS THAT I HAVE READ IS THAT IT IS THE ENDLESS RE-CREATING OF
YOU & YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE UNIVERSE & THAT KARMA IS INSTANT AS YOU ARE
LIVING IT FROM BREATH TO BREATH BUT THAT YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO DEVELOP OR
NOT DEVELOP THE WILL TO BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT WE HAVE CREATED. THIS IS TO REMIND US THAT WE POSESS THE POWER OF CO-CREATION & REAFFIRMS THE GOSPEL SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY,
ACCOUNTABILITY & CONSEQUENCES OF OUR EVERY THOUGHT, WORD & DEED, THE APPLICATION OF WHICH IS THAT, YES, BY THIS MECHANISM/DYNAMIC WE MAKE THE WORLD WHAT IT IS & CAN SO CHANGE IT WITH EVERY LITTLE THOUGHT & ACTION. EVERY
COOL THING THAT WE DO HAS ENORMOUS SPIRITUAL LEVERAGE IN THE WORLD & MAKES A DIFFERENCE. YOU ARE IMPORTANT & MAKE A DIFFERENCE. CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION IS ALL WE HAVE ON OUR SIDE. AGAIN, HENK,, THANX FOR YOUR “SONGS” ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM. LOVE ALL, TOM.
Thanks Henk,
Are our moods our conditioning? Just things we tell ourselves? You have given me a way forward. Many thanks.
Leila
Thank you for your timely article. It’s helped me catch myself being wrapped up in my thoughts and feelings about something. I can’t wait to spend some time in the observer space regarding this and see what I see and where it takes me.
Thank you for a great and enlightening article! I’m going to reread it and internalize it. It’s very profound.
Your thoughts are truly insightful, inspiring, thought-provoking and awesome! Thank you for sharing it with everyone.
Henk ,
As always I appreciate your input. Specially coming from the same Dutch background. You really put the dot on the I and crossed the T. Very good, but not easy to do, but I’ll give it my best shot.
Janny
Hey happy ones
Nice work as usual!
Just saying Hi again
will catch up in due course
Chi
Oh My God! That was amazing and Wow!
I have always found Gurdjieff really really difficult to understand!
Groundhog Day My favourite all-time movie!
Krishnamurti showed me the observer!
I can remember the first time feeling as though I was peeping at the world from behind a curtain!
Nowadays I’ve drawn the curtains wide open, At first that too was tough!
Roll on the fifth dimension.
Your intention on when to bring the right material to your readers is amazing and correct. I can’t tell you how many times you have brought to me information and hope at just the right time on my journey with you to self improvement and growth. Thank you for being here and sharing your journey with us.Please keep up the good work.
God Bless
Barney
You bring such clarity – for me an ‘aha’ moment. I remember those pictures in a picture well. You have helped me immensely. Thank-you so much for sharing your wisdom.
WOW!! Thank you so much for posting this today!! It seems to be exactly what alot of people needed to hear – but especially myself!!
Barbara – I like what you said about how much easier it is to feel ‘humility’.
I stand with you….”I need to release myself from people pleasing and begin to enjoy this adventure of mine without fear.”
It especially goes for what people say ‘about’ you. Whether good, bad, it is just their ‘lens’ they are looking through…..”To Thine Own Self Be True.” – And the rest will follow.
So needed to hear this today – THANK YOU!! 😀
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Clay Said.
If we are not positive we are in the past.
Then we are like Barbara said we hide we are in Apathy so no one will hut us.
We are realy afraid of ourself. For so long we were told to do this and that now we are afraid to se the real Self that we are. . We are like a bird in a cage with the door open and we are afraid to come out.. We need to make a decision and go for it .Our freedoom is there we just have to let go and let God.
Clay
Thank you! I am very grateful for all the perfectly timed words of wisdom in the universe. Yes let’s keep our lights on. Thank you Allen for being FREE so that I AM.
thankyou for an uplifting article and for reminding me that yes l am a child of god and shine on thanks craig
Hi
As always, an excellent article.
Thank you.
Ian
This is a gem. Like so many others, I am also suffering from information overload in seeking for a better life, but it has been worth spending the time to read through your article right to the end. Thank you for what seems to be a powerful tool to assist me on my journey towards my ultimate destination.
Adele
So, what do we do about this? I am assuming the act of observing is powerful and gives us insight into doing things that are not unconcious defensiveness. So do we become aware, then we forgive ourselves and move on? Is awareness the starting point? Is this necessary for us to do it differently?
Always enjoy your musings!
Amazing how the information arrives just when I need it. I was just wondering what passion is and how to find my passion this morning. Great!
Wow! All I can say is that this post appeared to me at the right time! I can’t thank you enough for your insight. It made perfect sense to me, which I hadn’t seen before, is that when I am overwhelmed, etc. that there is a message for me locked inside those feelings. Stepping back and becoming the observer is probably the missing key. There are many juicy nuggets in your post.
Thank you again!
Thank you, I am starting here again.
That is the message. 6 years ago I was knived thrown from a 5th storey (I survived that)and through following the LAW OF ATTRACTION I am now living a successful and rich life helping others to be the best they can with health tips and it is FUN REWARDING AND AWESOME.
EVERY DAY I REACH INTO MY SUBCONSCIOUS TO GROW THANK YOU
Thank you Henk.
Yes, a powerful message indeed! I know the experience you describe of feeling the passion intermittently and sometimes finding myself afraid of that power. I will use this practice and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have.
Warmest regards,
Rosemary Heenan
Henk,
What a powerful message! Gurdjieff & Ouspenski were and still are the most important figures in awakening my consciousness and knowing reality. Keep it coming.
Les Schmidt
I read every book by both, G and O. Do not play with your mind, nor mine. If you knew what you were talking about, then you would not waste your time. Time, the only thing that has any value?If it was as easy as you make it seem, than we would already BE there.You only get what You want for others! Think about it? The truth is FREE! Are you? I AM. Allan
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST WORKS TO DESCRIBE OUR TRUE SELVES> YOU PUT IT SIMPLY SO ALL CAN UNDERSTAND<THANK YOU BECAUSEYOURS SAMI
Thank you, this teaching is exactly what I need today to remind me of who I am. I too often allow my self to be small. I call it humility but I know it is not. It just feels safer that way. If no one sees me, they won’t throw stones or hurl criticism. I need to release myself from people pleasing and begin to enjoy this adventure of mine without fear.
Just what I needed today. I am Passing this on