Articles

A lot of success coaches and motivational speakers tell you to THINK BIG. They tell you to create a big vision in order to succeed. And I agree - having a big vision is necessary to accomplish big things.

At the same time, even big things are compiled of multiple smaller components - and so I find myself coaching clients to think small instead.

Whenever you are in a tight spot in life, it is especially important to focus on the goodness of life at the present moment. The past is over and the future is not here yet. This is the perfect time to appreciate what you do have now instead of focusing on fear or lack.

Being laid off is a case in point. If you are out of work and have been for some time, it may be difficult to think about the perfect job or the ultimate contribution you want to make in the world. At this stage of the game, you may just want a paying job... it’s time to think small.

This bleak season will pass. Make the most of it by finding ways in which you can make a difference. Spend more time with loved ones, help the children with homework, plant some flowers. You can teach yourself a new skill or take a local adult education class. Join a Meet Up group. Being unemployed may feel like a permanent condition. The fact is, it is a season that will surely pass. You are not going to be out of work forever, so take advantage of the time you have now!

Whenever a project feels huge, it’s time to think small. If the size or complexity of a project overwhelms you, focus on just the next few itty bitty steps. Locate the phone numbers you need to call... schedule the time to make the call. Outline the chapters of the book you want to write...commit to writing just one chapter a month. Unclutter one drawer rather than thinking about uncluttering the whole house. Baby steps will get you there.

Even in business, there’s a place and time for thinking small. When thinking big, we often complicate things with too many ideas… and we overwhelm ourselves.

No matter where you are in life, there is always something you can do. If you cannot tackle big things now, don’t dither in indecision - start with something small! Here are a few pointers to help you take a step forward:

1.  Pick just one or two things to focus on each day. I find that most clients are trying to do too much in too little time. As a result, few things get completed. If you commit to one or two things daily, you’ll get more done and feel less stressed.

2.  Revel in little things. Go out and literally smell the roses. Slow down and appreciate your surroundings. Taste your food instead of inhaling it. Have meaningful conversation instead of passing interactions.

3.  Scale down. Get rid of physical clutter as well as mental clutter. Review your obligations and decide if they still serve you. Do you need to withdraw from some? Clear your mind by doing a brain dump: put your ideas, to-dos and tolerances (those things you are tolerating) down on paper. Prioritize what you will do and what you won’t, and tackle them one at a time.

4.  Focus on being great at what you do, rather than being the biggest or best. If you shift your focus to being great, you’ll begin to do things from a place of excellence instead of overwhelm.

5.  Allow extra time for everything you do. If writing a letter will take ten minutes, allow yourself twenty.  That way, you build buffer time into your day to cope with unexpected events. If you finish in less time than that... go watch the clouds!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com.

Are we witnessing the end of the world approaching? What will happen next? Will we make it through 2012?

I believe that we are seeing the end of an era dominated by self-serving, egocentric living; an era that was mired in the duality of haves and have-nots. I also believe that in the perfect circle of life, new cycles are birthed from the ashes of the old, and we are currently right inside that wrinkle in time where two realities overlap: the dying former reality and the birth of a new era.

Things are changing so fast that many feel stuck, lost and afraid. But are you really?

Take a moment to really feel what is going on. You are not stuck… you are simply constrained. Yes, the old way of doing things no longer works, and you are trying to adjust to radical new ways of viewing life, doing things, and living.

Outside yourself, the whole world is going through a spin cycle. At the macroscopic level, systems and structures that formed an integral part of the old, dualistic Newtonian paradigm are crumbling. They are unable to hold the energy of higher consciousness that is sweeping the planet. On a microscopic level also, obsolete ways of being are falling away, affecting every individual.

None of us are exempt: relationships, employment, institutions and other external forms of security are subject to the scrutiny of a higher awareness that is emerging as individuals awaken from the grand illusion we have believed to be real.

The choice is no longer if we’ll let go of the old ways; it is simply how you will let go. Will you gently release the dense relationships with people, power and money that no longer serve your soul’s evolution so you can make space for a higher reality? Or will you fight to the bitter end, trying to hold on to some semblance of control until things are torn from your life with deep claw marks – your claw marks – all over them?

Resistance brings pain and suffering. Great spiritual teachers like Jesus and the Buddha taught their followers not to resist, but to surrender to the Higher law at work beyond the visible realm.

The truth is that, throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you learn to run this new kind of energy… the energy of Oneness with Divine purpose. It is your Divine connection, hosted in a human shell. Long ago, before you ever came into this life, you chose to embody this energy at this time. It is your contribution to the shift of the ages, and now is your time to fulfill that agreement.

The energy of Divine oneness or unity is the most powerful force in the Universe. It is powerful enough to constrain you when you try to separate from Divine guidance at your core and assert your human will.

In the old way of life, we accomplished goals by imposing our human, egoic wills onto external reality. We were conditioned to be willful and determined, wanting whatever we chose to have when we decided to have it.

This way no longer works. When we assert our human, egoic will in the new energy that surrounds us now, there are numerous obstacles constraining us.

To move past these constraints, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will. Instead, we need to align with the power of All That Is. We need to surrender to trust: trust in the Divine, in Higher Guidance, in Spirit, God… whatever you choose to call the essential Life Force Energy.

When we choose to trust, the ego yields so we align to a Bigger Plan - the Higher picture of Divine perfection. From there, we are able to flow and co-create a higher reality than we could have ever conceived of before.

It is no longer possible to more forward in ego and still make spiritual progress. The constraining force of Spirit will block your movement at every turn - the old ways of doing need to be surrendered to embrace higher ways of being.

Spirit will get you through this time of transition, no matter how difficult it feels.

Those same unseen forces that hold you steady now, can and will lift you out of all the illusion of despair. All it takes is for you to let go of all attachment to the old forms of power, and to embrace the path of alignment, the way of trusting and allowing.

We are living in a very different reality now than even five years ago. The old life with its hopes and dreams is filed away in the archives of All That Is. To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress.

Instead, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding.

Now is the time to embrace what shows up in your life moment by moment.

Look for new ways to reframe things, new tools to do things with.

Go inward.

Drink deep from the wellspring of life.

Let the timeless wisdom and healing energy of sacred teaching wash over you to renew your soul.

Develop a dialogue with Spirit and ask for guidance and clarity.

Stay present in the moment and allow the answers to flow to you through circumstances.

When action is indicated, do it. When circumstances open up for you, move forward. And when doors close, don’t try to break through them. Sometimes, we need to spend a while living in the in-between: learning to let go of the need to control, the need to logically understand.

At times like these, we need to ask ourselves what we really want and why…even as we surrender the need to know how it will come about. We need to simply align to the Eternal Presence and be present, patient, and still.

 

As you consciously evolve in response to the Divine nature within you, you will embody the higher energies of the life force field wherein everyone’s consciousness can evolve.

From the Source of Truth at the microscopic core of you being, the energies of a new and higher way of being will ripple out to touch, change and heal the realities of life on a macroscopic level. In a world crying for hope and healing, there is no greater service you can offer!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

As we continue to evolve, many of us struggle with a sense of not quite fitting in with our traditional community or tribe: we may have expanded or changed beyond the borders of its tribal norms, and no longer find the same sense of belonging there. Other members may have tightened the tribal rules to foster a sense of security. As a result, we may feel a sense of disconnection or alienation.

In truth, each one of us belongs to many tribes simultaneously: there is your original tribe – the family you were born into - and then there are all the communities of choice you have joined: your work tribe, your social circles, your faith-based community, your neighborhood, and more. These communities are not static; they are in continuous flux because they consist of individuals who are in continuous states of change. When there is a lot of change happening either in the individual or in the community, a sense of dissonance results.

How are we to deal with this? First, it is important to recognize that tribal allegiances were historically forged for survival. They were adapted over the course of centuries to ensure the safety and survival of the group. Individuation was sacrificed for the trade-off of security as a member of the group. In other words, tribal survival was based on keeping every member in line with tribal rules and norms.

In modern society, the tables are flipped. Whether we enjoy it or not, change is essential for survival at every level of being. The pace of change is driven by technological advances that occur with increasing rapidity: sociologists estimate that more change has taken place in society over the course of the past 100 years, than in the totality of the previous 6,000 years! Individual adaptation is a requirement for survival, and the pace of individual change does not always match the pace at which our various tribal communities evolve. The resulting dissonance can cause intense friction and pain.

Dissonance also results from confusion between the concepts of ‘connectivity’ and ‘community.’ We tend to equate one with the other, when they really relate to different qualities. Connectivity relates to inanimate technology that offers us the infrastructure to build community, but which does not represent the quality of that community. Connectivity simply offers the opportunity to connect with others through the internet, texting, tweeting, or any other social networking options available.

Community is the result of building enduring relationships through meaningful interaction over time. There is no shortcut to community; it is a process that develops when bonds of trust and intimacy are nurtured and honored.

And here lies the caveat. When we confuse connectivity with community, we depersonalize the sacred nature of true community and start relating to people as objects instead. Instead of developing intimacy and respect over time, we may focus on collecting contacts on social network sites, mistakenly equating larger numbers with more community. Yet friending a contact is not the same a nurturing a friendship; it does not create intimacy.

In fact, social experiments indicate that technologically dominated connectivity tends to result in alienation and social collapse over time. In a groundbreaking social experiment conducted by Josh Harris, one of the founders of social networking on the internet, he found that the more people’s personal lives were exposed by 24/7 technology, the more their sense of intimacy and relationship deteriorated until the community collapsed in violence and self-destructive behavior. Harris’ chilling findings are documented in the 2009 movie, We Live In Public.

Perhaps it is time to revisit our concept of community in order to create tribes that offer a true sense of intimacy and belonging.

In his 1987 book, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace,  psychologist M. Scott Peck described several core characteristics of true community. Beyond the obvious components of inclusivity, commitment and participatory consensus, Peck pointed out the quality of embracing diversity through realism. When each member contributes their unique viewpoint from a place of humility and goodwill, the community benefits from a broader perspective in which to better grasp the full context of a situation. In other words, mutual tolerance helps members to embrace one another’s different viewpoints as an integral part of the whole, instead of imposing a forced compliance to groupthink or cohesion.

In an environment like this, members experience and express compassion and respect for one another. They allow others to share their vulnerability, to learn and grow, and to express who they truly are. When conflict arises, they learn to resolve it with wisdom and grace. Members listen to and respect each others' gifts, accept each others' limitations, celebrate their differences, and commit to find solutions together rather than to fight against each other. Indeed, the true spirit of community is the spirit of peace, love, wisdom and power. The source of this spirit may be seen as an outgrowth of the collective self or as the manifestation of a Higher Will.

Does this description of community sound spiritual to you? It is indeed, because Spirit is the common denominator among all of us, regardless of how separate we feel from others.

As human beings, we often experience a socio-economic sense of separation from others because of different opinions, beliefs, expectations, language, culture, or interests, since each one of us expresses these in a way uniquely different from anyone else. And we continue to differentiate! We are always evolving or devolving in response to life. The tribal community that felt like a good fit last year may no longer work for us; the places where we felt embraced, now may suffocate us. Over the course of a lifetime, we can expect to outgrow and change allegiances to many of the tribal communities we once belonged to.

How can we maintain relationships in such a changing world? We need to find the common denominator between us and others. When we transcend the layers of physical appearance, mental beliefs and socio-economic conditioning, we discover the presence of Divinity as a common denominator in everyone around us. Perhaps it is time to expand our tribal definitions to embrace a spiritual community that includes all of mankind as children of God.

Mother Teresa admonished her nuns to see Jesus in every leper they encountered, to find His presence as they looked into the eyes of the homeless. When we can look past the issues that divide us to find omnipresent Divinity in each other, we will find the foundations of true community there.

This type of spiritual community transcends all socio-economic borders, beliefs and backgrounds. It is inclusive because it operates on voluntary self-responsibility and mutual compassion, and its doors are open to everyone.

Building this type of community takes time: time to listen, to hear, to respond and to participate. As we approach the ending of one year and the start of another, resolve to make time in your life to a sense of true community with the people that matter to you. You are one of the architects of community in your life, and you can participate in building a tribe where you truly belong.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com  This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Have you ever had the experience where someone presents a smooth façade, yet their actions speak so loudly that you cannot hear a word they say? The experience felt odd because you sensed a discrepancy between the person’s words and actions.

Personal growth brings to light such discrepancies in ourselves so that we can take appropriate action to become fully integrated beings.

Of all the things you can do to impact your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. With personal growth, I refer to the process of improving one’s awareness and identity, developing one’s potential, and maturing emotionally, mentally and spiritually to fulfill one’s destiny. It is the primary catalyst to who you’ll become over the course of your life.

Personal growth paves the way to lasting effectiveness and fulfillment. It cultivates an environment where decision-making becomes easier, because you eliminate discrepancies in your value system as soon as you become aware of them. It’s your key to a truly meaningful life.

This key to a meaningful life rests in your hands, because the key is you. It does not rest on finding someone to love or support you; or on getting a tax break, electing a different president, winning the lottery, or even moving to another country. It rests with you – and that is great news!

All personal growth starts with the willingness to accept responsibility for where we are at, for the actions and choices that brought us to the present. Instead of beating yourself up over past decisions you made, you can initiate meaningful change by accepting that you are the key factor to a meaningful life.

If that statement feels a little awkward to you, it means you need to own it more fully. Post it where you can see it every day: in the bathroom, the kitchen, your car, or your computer – anywhere you can see it. You are the key to a meaningful life!

You are the key to a meaningful life; ponder it until you know it in your bones! Your potential and your future are in your hands, because you are the key to creating the change you desire.

How does one create meaningful change? First, you may want to nurture change with a strong, dynamic support system; an active pursuit of personal growth; clear goals and boundaries; and the knowledge of what your value system requires from you to maintain inner peace.

 

Second, you may also want to minimize the impact of obstacles such as health setbacks, financial exposure, and negative influences. However, none of these things can replace the most important aspect: your conscious presence as the core catalyst to creating the change you desire.

You are the key to creating a meaningful life! Imprint that concept on your mind, because it is super important. You don’t have to be perfect, you simply have to make progress.

One of my former colleagues was a very successful entrepreneur who really understood this concept. Whenever people asked him how he became so successful, he would answer, “Simple. Just go beyond the average. Focus on becoming your best.”

How wise he was! In a world of mediocrity where the lowest common denominator usually is enough, you can surpass the norm simply by becoming more than average. You don’t have to strive for perfection or even excellence; you just have to rise above the average.

Work on yourself and develop more than average enthusiasm. Develop more than average clarity. Develop more than average vision. Develop an above-average commitment to live your best life. In short, to have more, focus on becoming more. When you invest in and work on yourself, the results will follow!

One day shortly before final exams, my high school English teacher read us The Victor, a poem by C. W. Longenecker that I’ve never forgotten. It was written well before the age of gender-sensitive language, yet its message is still as powerful today as when it was penned:

“If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.

“If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

“If you think you are out-classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.

“Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.”

If you were to look at the people who attended school or college with you, you may notice that each person has reached a different place in life. Given the fact that they attended the same educational system, speak the same language, and share the same culture, what accounts for the difference?

The difference is on the inside, not outside. It lies in how well each person understands the key to creating a meaningful life.

Every day, you make choices that determine whether something is meaningful for you or not. You are the only person qualified to measure an external experience by your internal value system and give it the thumbs up or down. The better acquainted you are with your inner value system, personal goals, boundaries and dreams, the more accurate will be the choices you make.

You see, the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. The power that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth is the catalyst that activates that power in your life.

Within you is the power to believe, to dare, to do, to persevere. Within you is the strength to love, to forgive, to grow, to heal. You are the key to creating a meaningful life and a better future!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Have you ever received guidance from someone else about what is going to happen in your life and then it didn’t pan out? Perhaps you were guided to write a book or start a web site and then everything stalled. Did it leave you wondering what really happened there?
 
If you are like most people, you may have started doubting your guidance and wondered if your lucky break will ever come. When the answers to your prayers arrived, you may even have dismissed them because they didn’t fit your expectations.

I would like to present you with another point of view: whatever shows up in your life, IS your answer. If you have prayed, planned and performed, yet nothing seems to come together, the evidence presents you with your answer… even if that is not what you want to hear. The answer to your prayer lies in what is happening in your life now, not in the fantasy of what anybody may tell you is coming.
 
Dreams and “guidance” that are not based on truth, can act like viruses of the mind. They will infect you with wishful fantasies and false expectations, blinding you to the truth of what is really happening in your life. These fantasies and dreams, while alluring, can get you so caught up in illusion that you miss the real answers that show up in your life.

True guidance may come in many ways, but it will never create a separation between where you are and where you are going. In other words, true guidance is always congruent with your path and purpose. There will be a natural flow of synchronicity between where you are at and the guidance you are receiving. True guidance will resonate with your heart’s deep knowing. It may also bring up unfinished emotional business that you need to clear in order to make space for the desired outcome.

True guidance flows with congruence; false guidance deceives. If there is no congruency between the guidance you received and what shows up in your life, it should raise a red flag. As captain of your soul, your job is to discern between true guidance and deception; between guidance that stirs your soul and static that strokes your ego. True guidance will not stroke your ego or feed its expectations; it will always challenge you to fulfill your highest potential.

When someone does not discern between true guidance and illusion, they will start using illusion as a defense against reality. They’ll get trapped in the world of dreams, fantasies and expectations. You have probably encountered some of these unfortunate souls: the ones who have taken every workshop and mastered every modality, holding themselves up as some advanced guru, while in reality they are leeching off the kindness of parents, family and friends because they are so self-deceived. Or perhaps you know some individuals who have lost their way to the illusion of some woo-woo philosophy that promised them an easy life with lots of love and riches, and they cannot come to grips with the reality of what shows up in their lives.

The Buddha taught that reality is your friend. Dialogue with reality and you will come to terms with what is, rather than the illusions of what your ego self craves, wishes for or desires. Another common example of the delusional nature of false guidance often occurs in relationships. Have you ever dated someone because of what you dreamt and hoped for them to become, instead of who they are in the moment? Recognize the red flag of delusion and drop it, or you’ll set yourself up for endless disappointment and hurt!

To stay connected to truth, it is important to look at what shows up in your life and work daily, because change happens continuously. You are in this dense energy for a reason: to grow. There is learning to master, relationships to experience, and growth to embrace. You soul is here for experience, not for security. And you are a co-creator in this process. You are not here to be some transcendent ethereal being who speaks to angels and masters as an escape from the realities of life; you are here to experience life on the earth plane. You are here to impact earth through you conscious participation in this process!

How do you activate your intuition to discern and tune into that process? You pray about things and then use what shows up in your life as a map to align with truth daily. Prayer can truly transform your destiny, and so it is important to discern between prayer that comes from the ego and prayer that emanates from the soul.

Prayer that comes from ego will outline to God what to do and how to solve the problem so your ego needs can be met. Such prayer caters to your ego desires to be loved, comfortable, secure, titillated and catered to. It invokes the interference of ego games, and you will get caught up in attachment and seduction, bargaining with the Universe. When the bottom drops out – as it inevitably will - you need to realign with the truth of your soul instead of the desires of your ego.

Prayer from the soul simply asks for the process to unfold free from agenda; it sees asking and surrendering to the answer as one and the same. It comes from a desire for service and a willingness to surrender. When you have prayed from your soul, you will feel the sense of peace and alignment immediately.

When praying for guidance about something, recognize that true, congruent guidance comes organically and naturally. If you wonder about what you should be doing with your life, ask the question and then watch for answers to show up. If you are looking at something and the doors are not opening, stop wasting your energy on it – the answer is clear. It may not be the right time or direction, so instead of resisting the reality of what is, let it go so you can focus your energy on being open to the guidance that is available to you.

Face the facts and work with what is; it will bring you serenity. If you continue holding out for a miracle, recognize that you are wasting time and energy. If you are meant to be and do something, everything will fall into place to help you accomplish it – you don’t have to doubt or stay in a holding pattern.  Instead of struggling with reality, align with Spirit and surrender the outcome. If things are meant to be, they will unfold and nothing will stop them. If they are not meant to be, your resistance is an ineffective use of energy.

Finally, recognize that Divine timing is not in your control. If you are meant to do something, it will fall into place for you. Stop putting your life on hold for an empty dream; recognize that if reality is not supporting it, it is an illusion. You will have a much more peaceful and serene life if you recognize that you are not in control of timing.  Align with Divine timing instead of trying to force the process.

Accept what shows up, surrender attachment to the outcome, and align with Divine timing. Whatever shows up in your life, is indeed the answer to your prayers!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com  This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Are you joyful today? Are you savoring life’s sweetness, or have the challenges confronting you crowded out your joy?

Joy is an essential part of life.  It brings new hope and meaning, energizing our actions.  The more intense our challenges, the greater our need for joy. And yet, we often get so busy that we neglect the things in life that renew joy.

If you are not exactly dancing through the daisies, don’t despair! Joy can be renewed – and indeed must be nurtured – to provide a counterpoint to life’s harsher realities.

When we are preoccupied with looming deadlines, economic challenges and physical setbacks, it is easy to lose perspective.  That loss of perspective allows joy to slip through the cracks, leaving us feeling flat and enervated.

Recently I had one of those days where it was difficult to find joy in things around me. A few friends were in the hospital, I had learned of three others who had just been diagnosed with cancer, a work project had gotten bogged down in bureaucratic paperwork, an unexpected setback resulted in huge bills not budgeted for, and plans for a much-needed getaway needed to be canceled...... get the picture?

The avalanche of developments left me feeling reeling.  Where does one even start to address the chaos?

I needed to disengage to get clarity and perspective. Stepping into the lush green of my back garden, I was greeted by a chorus of bird song. That’s when it hit me: These birds don’t know where their food will come from each new day – they sing and chirp from a place of innate trust. They trust in the provision of a benevolent universe.

Jesus reminded his disciples that not even a sparrow falls from heaven without their Creator’s knowledge. Likewise, even the hairs on our heads are known and numbered by that loving Presence.

As I took time out from the hectic demands of life, I felt the cool breeze on my skin.  A beautiful butterfly fluttered around the geraniums, and I saw a baby gecko emerging from the vine to sip from a water drop on a blade of grass. In the corner, a humming bird was bathing in the very top of the fountain, tossing the water over its tiny body with one wing and then shaking it off before repeating on the other side.

Little things, and yet they had a huge impact on me.  I realized that joy is always available in the small things of life – we simply get too busy and distracted to notice.

Even when faced by huge issues in life, we can reconnect to joy by noticing and appreciating little things:  the friendliness of a checkout clerk, a handwritten note from a friend, the warmth of a child’s hand, the furry love of a pet, the restorative beauty of nature, the taste of fresh strawberries, the comfort of a bed at the end of the day…

The makings of joy are all around us, waiting to be discovered. They are everywhere in little things that truly matter. Together, they add up to restore our joy. Next time you feel overwhelmed, take time to connect to the little things, and you will find your joy renewed.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com  This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

One of the challenges of the spiritual life is to remember our Source at all times: during good times, but especially during those times when we feel most undeserving, unworthy and blocked.

When circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, our eyes can move off the goal and onto those frightful circumstances… and all of a sudden, we may feel very small, alone and separate.

In that space of feeling insignificant, we tend to retreat from others, and we step out of the flow of life. We shut out the flow of love and blessing, filled with emotions of dread instead. 

But there’s more to life than the ups and downs of your changing emotions!

You see, when we allow our emotions to lead the way, we set ourselves up for a rollercoaster ride.  Our emotions change with the weather (or sometimes because of it)!

The truth is that you are not your emotions.

You are the consciousness in which emotions surface and subside like small waves on the ocean.  Just as the ocean is not affected by the rise and fall of the waves on its surface, you need not be affected by your emotions… provided that you identify not with your emotions, but with your True nature.

Your True nature is consciousness or Spirit.  It emerged out of the Allness of Divinity to experience and express itself through physicality.

You are not your physicality; instead, physicality is simply the medium through which you choose to express yourself in this life.  You are not your emotions, either; your emotions are the wave forms of expression inherent to the physical experience.

The findings of science and spirituality concur in that we are more than the physical world in which we live. 

Quantum physicist David Bohm expressed existence as an interconnected hologram where each particle contains a perfect representation of the whole; the totality of the whole being implicated in the order of its parts.

You and I proceeded from this Implicate Order into individualized or expression, yet we remain connected to each other and to the Whole.

When the circumstances of your individual experience appear overwhelming, try to remember that you are connected to that Whole, the Source where all begins and to which everything ultimately returns.

Remembering your Source restores your awareness of your true nature and power.  It aligns you to the Origin of all life and possibilities.

Looking at life from that place of connection, things look different. Instead of seeing the divide between you and success, health or other people, you can now focus on the common ground connecting you… and in seeing that, reach out in new and different ways. 

When your remember your connection to your Source, you can choose new actions and outcomes that more accurately reflect your Higher nature.

This is the inner space where miracles happen!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com  This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

According to the Taoist book of Chuang-Tzu, some pupils of Confucius saw an old man swimming in a raging torrent when suddenly, he disappeared. The pupils rushed to save him, but the man reached the bank entirely unaided.

Asked how he had pulled off this remarkable feat of survival, the man replied that he had simply let himself go with the descending and ascending currents in the water. The true Taoist, in other words, molds his senses, body and mind until they are at one with the currents of the world without.

In the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Krishna stressed the need to let go of resistance in order to stay in the Eternal flow. He said, “You must be free from the pairs of opposites. Poise your mind in tranquility.”

The flow of water in nature serves as powerful reminder that life exists in a constant state of ebb and flow. You and I are intimately connected to this process of flow because our bodies consist of more than 70% water. Flow is our natural state of being.  

To resist the process brings pain; to move along gently with it facilitates the emergence of your true potential. When you do not trust the process of life, you’ll fear the future, the outcomes or the process. That resistance to what you fear blocks the flow of life and causes stagnation in yourself and in your life; over time it tends to create the very painful outcomes you have been afraid of!

All spiritual teachings share the principle that we do not have to live in resistance or fear. Growth in consciousness requires that we learn how to overcome our resistance to change, because it is rooted in fear. It is our very resistance to what we fear, that attracts to us what we fear – yet we can choose to focus on the perfection of the present moment and flow with that instead. How can you stay in flow, then?

To flow with the process of life, you need to surrender yourself to the perfection of each present moment.  Surrender the fear of losing control, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of what might happen if things don’t go the way you think they should.  

Instead, choose to remember that change is the natural state of things; it is a continuous, intrinsic part of life. No matter how overwhelming current circumstances may appear; they, too, will change! As you allow the process of change into your life without resisting it, you’ll find yourself carried toward your destiny on that gentle current.

By allowing the process of life to unfold, you remain open to all the possibilities. You choose trust instead of fear; trusting that you are living in a benevolent universe, and that each step is unfolding in perfection even when you cannot see it from your limited perspective. Instead of seeing lack everywhere, you start noticing the beauty of the process.

Life speaks to us in metaphor. The more we embrace its flow, the more we notice its subtle messages.   You may have a vivid dream that clarifies a problem you have been wrestling with, or you may find guidance showing up for you in unexpected ways.  Indeed, one of the secrets to spiritual growth is to regard everything that shows up in your life, as being sent for the express purpose of bringing you closer to enlightenment.  

When you no longer resist the process of life, you are free to reconnect to your inner core of peace.  You become quiet as you move beneath the surface chatter of the mind. As the surface noise subsides, you become aware of the vast expanse of stillness that lies within. Connecting with that inner core also connects you to Divinity, the eternal indwelling Presence.

Over time, your continued alignment with this indwelling Presence allows you to witness the perfection of everything in life as it unfolds.  Instead of judging what shows up, you start recognizing that life brings you exactly what you need, not necessarily what you want.  And the more you align to Truth within, the more your surface wants come into alignment with what you truly need, bringing harmony into every area of life.

The Essenes taught that life is like a mirror: whatever we don’t like in others, we also don’t like in ourselves. Pay attention to what you don’t like or resist in others: identify the emotion and the reason, release it and you will return to a state of flow. Here are some thoughts to help you stay the flow of life:

Stay open
Stay open and feel love flowing into you by connecting to the Divine or by reminding yourself of a time you felt intense love.

Recharge
Take time to observe beauty - relax and spend time in nature.

Observe
Observe what shows up in your life.  Instead of defending yourself or going into attack, ask yourself what the message is, and acknowledge the insight it offers.

Detach
Remember that you don’t have to use drama to compete for energy; simply detach from the ego’s story and let go.

Stay aware
Pay full attention to everyone you meet because they all have a message for you, as you do for them.

Focus on now
Recognize that the present moment carries with it all possibilities. By staying in the present, you stay open to all the possibilities.

Trust
Trust in the process. Surrender to the power of Consciousness and let it carry you – it will be perfect!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

Have you been looking for a rock to crawl under or a cave to hide in lately? If so, you’re not alone!

It has been a challenging time for many people - financially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually - and the desire to escape or withdraw is common when feeling overwhelmed by the process of life.  Perhaps you want to run away from the harsh realities of life because you don’t know how to move forward.  You may feel cornered or stuck, and so you look for a place to hide.

While it is normal to pull away from circumstances we experience as overwhelming, there is a very important distinction to keep in mind here. Is that pull a basic drive to escape the pressure, or is it a based on an inner need to regroup?

If you are seeking a cave to crawl into, you may be looking for a way to disconnect from life.  Yet, disconnecting from life will also disconnect you from the Source of life, and will restrict the flow of energy in your life.  It will ultimately leave you even more drained and disconnected!

Pulling away for a while can be very beneficial, provided that we treat it as an opportunity to go within and realign with our Source. There are some beautiful examples of this in the Christian scriptures where Christ pulled away from His disciples to spend time alone in prayer.  He emerged from these times of solitude strengthened and rejuvenated.

If you feel a need to withdraw, acknowledge that as an inner need for renewal.  Give yourself permission to step aside for a bit - not to escape the pressures of life, but to renew yourself. Choose to withdraw from outward activity so you have time for inner reflection. 

As you participate with the process of ebb and flow, there is much to gain.  Effective reflection and regeneration require your conscious participation.  Instead of zoning out, use these basic guidelines to check in with your inner life, and you will emerge renewed.

Reflect on all the areas of your life – the parts that feel smooth and rich, as well as the parts that feel rough and stuck.  Recognize that even in this moment of feeling overwhelmed, you are an eternal soul, and your soul is safe. You are being nurtured and sustained by the very Breath of Life. You have access to the Creator of the Universe, and you are loved beyond what you are able to realize.

Open your heart to the compassion and love of your Eternal Source.  Let compassion flow into you, filling and surrounding you until you are wrapped in its gentle presence like a blanket.  In this space, let the unresolved issues of your life surface one by one.  Instead of resisting them or going into fear, simply observe them from a place of compassion.  Recognize that, despite each one of these issues, you are safe.  You are surrounded by loving compassion. 

Let compassion open up the doorway to forgiveness.  Have you made poor decisions or mistakes?  Forgive yourself.  Have others hurt or wronged you?  Forgive them.

Now take it a step further.  Do you feel scared or overwhelmed? Breathe in compassion and breathe out the fear of these circumstances.  Let all anxiety go as you allow your inner self to re-align with your Source, your Truth and your Peace. Release all the emotions that make you feel disconnected, afraid and alone… and breathe in the boundless love that is available to you instead.

When you feel emptied out, allow Divine love to flow through your being. Give thanks for the healing Presence of your Source as you welcome it into all the areas of life where you need its healing presence: your work, your health, your relationships, your inner being.
 
Step by step, start giving thanks for inner peace.  Give thanks for the things in your life that DO work:  breath, health, food, a place to sleep, the freedom to choose, the ability to move, the gift of love.  Give thanks for the beauty of this earth, for the joy of being alive, for loved ones and friends, for the gifts of hope and healing.  Let gratitude flow until you find yourself carried along its sweet wave of joy. 

Gratitude is the master antidote to fear.  When you give thanks for what works in your life, you move out of fear and worry into a space of faith – a place where miracles can happen.

Once gratitude fills your being, you know that you have been renewed.  You’re ready to step back into life with renewed strength and hope.

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

Free Yourself From False Suffering
by Ada Porat

Emotional pain can traumatize us long after the event that triggered it. The more traumatizing the event, the more we tend to think about it and so we keep the pain alive.

Why do we do this?

Most often, we simply do not realize the power of our thoughts. We don’t recognize that it is not the traumatic event, but our thinking about that event, that continues to perpetuate the pain.

The mind does not know the difference between actual events and thoughts about them. To the mind, thoughts are as real as the events they represent, and so we keep reliving the painful trauma of past events as long as we replay these thoughts in our minds.

How can we stop this cycle? Breaking free requires that we recognize the process and choose different responses to it. As soon as we stop giving our life energy to memories or events that seemed to be overpowering, those memories lose their illusion of power. In the very moment of choosing differently, we are also released from the belief that we have to suffer for what had happened to us in the past.

Negative memories, states or events do not have an individual, independent existence. We simply allow ourselves to be hurt or tyrannized by memories of the past because we falsely believe that what happened in the past, has power over us now.

Think about it for a moment: in order for the person who broke up with you to still be able to hurt you now, in this moment, they need to be breaking up with you now, at this very moment! In reality, the event has passed and is no longer taking place in your present reality – yet you continue to suffer because you are replaying the details of the event in your mind, allowing the memories to trigger pain each time you think about them!

Nothing, absolutely nothing can have any power over us unless we give it that power. When we truly understand this principle, we can begin to free ourselves from the painful memories of the past.

Instead of seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances beyond our control, we can begin to recognize our innate power to choose what we focus on. And whatever we choose to focus on, becomes our reality.

Our perception produces what we experience. This perception is made up of many different elements, all of which are based on our interpretation of reality – not an objective reality. When we view events through these filters of our perception, we relate to such events through the filters of our desires, expectations and fears.

In other words, it is the filters of our perception that create our view of any given experience and give it meaning. It is not the relationship breakup that causes our current pain, then, but the painful meaning we attached to that memory. Our perception labeled the event as “heart-breaking” or as our “one and only chance at love” or as a “vicious betrayal.”

The event in itself was simply part of the ongoing unfolding of life – it was neither good nor bad. It's only our interpretation of the event that creates the joy or pain we associate with it.

If it is our perception that causes the pain, then, why we don’t just let events happen spontaneously without grabbing onto them and interpreting their ‘meaning’ from our particular viewpoint? Why do we choose to see pain in what has happened?

I believe that we interpret events through the filters of our perception because we have become so used to pain and suffering that we are not sure who we are without something to suffer over. As strange as it may seem, we welcome the familiar pathways of pain because it makes us feel real.

But who is it that needs to feel pain to feel real? It's always the false self - the ego – that thrives on the drama of emotional pain. At the same time, you and I are not just egos; we are spiritual beings who live in human form with the ego as our constant companion.

This is great news for those of us who wish to free ourselves from false suffering and find a higher way of life! It means that the perception of pain did not originate with our true identity as souls; it stems from the ego’s attempts to resist change and maintain the status quo at all costs. All those conditions that seemed so real and painful are the creation of faulty perception as directed by the ego!

It was our misguided belief that the event had the power to hurt us that made it appear painful and propagated its existence. Once we recognize that we can choose to move our focus away from it, the energy around the memories loses its power and we find grace to move on.

We can greatly accelerate this process by bringing some fresh logic to the situation. Everything that is created has both a beginning and an end; therefore, everything we experience over the course of life, eventually passes to make room for new events and experiences. And so, even the most painful events of our lives also pass with time. We can facilitate this process by not keeping the memories of these events going through our own thoughts.

Even if we have suffered for a lifetime because of the way our perception interpreted what happened to us, we no longer need to suffer this pain. Once we see how the process works, we no longer need to be a victim of our own misunderstanding. We can inwardly say to that suffering ego state,

"Ego, you are not the ruling power in my life – you only think you are. The knots in my life that have me all tied up have no power over me outside of my own perception. It is ego’s perception that led me to interpret these events as pain, but now I choose to see things as they really are."

Once we understand that so-called negative events are not powerful in themselves, we can turn away our focus from the ego’s attempts to re-run the painful perception and causing us relentless suffering. Instead, we can turn toward the place of Truth within to release the past and reclaim our peace in this present moment.

When we release the past to the Source of all creation, we become free at last to embrace our eternal birthright of peace in this present moment.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.