stepping stones

7 posts

stream

The Stream of Life and What You Perceive

I remember a flowing stream from long ago. And, this stream played a significant role in my childhood. Furthermore, it is a beneficial focus point that I use during my ongoing conscious awakening. I grew up in a mountainous area. There were ponds, lakes and brooks everywhere. I explored such places and the nearby woodland during my childhood. Have you ever crossed a shallow mountain brook? This is where a person can experience real perception. Your level of awareness is very active during an attempt to cross a brook. Otherwise, a misperception or unaware assumption results in a wet foot or a cold bath in the water. 

stream

Therefore, crossing a mountain stream gives us an opportunity to appreciate and practice aware presence. Likewise, this state of presence offers a chance to flow within universal consciousness. Thus, we realize our totality as both object and universal consciousness in such a moment. Continue reading

Box of Thoughts and a Life Beyond

Let’s consider a practical exercise that can eliminate excessive mind chatter. We use terms such as boxed in and living in a box to express anxiety and frustration. Instead, let’s use these expressions as stepping stones to conscious living.

box

A box, of your own making, surrounds you each day. Thoughts and even emotions confine you within the box’s walls. You might think that the exercise I mention implies restricting thoughts and emotions. However, and foremost, you can’t stop the mind from thinking. Therefore, your practice is to do exactly the opposite. Acknowledge deeply that the majority of thoughts and emotions don’t honestly reflect the actuality of this moment.  Additionally, the act of simply being is a priority for consciously living regardless of the content within the mind’s box. Therefore, let’s focus on how to practice thinking in the box. But, experience the isness of life and your beingness outside of the box. Continue reading

Eating Grapes and Living Life

I invite you to share my breakfast adventure as I discover an additionally stepping stone to conscious living. Grapes are great! I should have a t-shirt printed with this statement 😊. Eating grapes is a daily delight for me, either fresh or as raisins. But, not necessarily as wine 😉. Do you like grapes? You might wish to grab a few grapes to eat as I share an experience this morning from my kitchen. Are you aware that white grapes are easier than red to pick and clean? The red grape stubbornly hangs on the plant stem during picking and also when you clean it.

eating

Imagine, if you will, your eagerness to eat some grapes, perhaps with yogurt, cereal or honey. However, it is best to wash the grapes before eating them. Not a problem. Right? Well, this experience, as with all life experiences, offers us a lesson in conscious living. And, this became evident to me as I washed and removed the grape stems this morning. I choose red grapes today for my eating delight at breakfast. Consequently, as mentioned above, the red grapes held firmly attached to the stems. But, I was eager to eat. Continue reading

sensitivity

Sensitivity and the Experience of Life

Are you a sensitive person? Do others label you as too sensitive? If yes, please stand up and take a bow because sensitivity is not necessarily a bad thing. Furthermore, conscious awareness through sensitivity is possible. Alas, mind details still distract the majority of people. Thus, unconscious living causes chaos in many activities. There are so many wants, demands and details. Therefore, often the mind and body are ill. It is all too much. At least, this is what the mind tells us. Stop the world and let me get off. These are typical reactions to our daily interactions.

sensitivity

Many people are sensitive, often overly sensitive. And, there are distinguishing characteristics among these individuals. Sensitive people often experience depression and mental trauma.  Often these ailments are due to biological and conditional behavior disorders that can escalate if a person is overly sensitive. Hence, over-sensitivity can actually cause the development of a mental disorder in a person that unconsciously lives life. Please understand the significance of the keyword unconsciously in this last statement. Your thoughts, thus your feelings, can sicken the mind and body when you are not actively conscious and equally oversensitive.

Continue reading

experience

Experience What Is Instead of What Is Not

Words often confuse us. And the word experience is an example of this confusion. We claim that our experiences influence our behavior. Similarly, the mind is adept in placing labels and definitions onto our experiences. Thus, the mind super-imposes conditioning factors onto everything. And, we just go along for the ride.

experience

Let’s put this into perceptive from a conscious awakening standpoint. You do not necessarily participate in any given experience through your awareness to the situation. Yes, I realize this statement is first confusing. Something happens, such as a cup of water falling from the table to the floor. You are aware that the cup has fallen. Nevertheless, your awareness does not prevent you from complaining because the cup fell. Does the immediate situation cause your discomfort? Or, are you actually reenacting a conditioned reaction from a similar circumstance? Continue reading

Flow with Life and Embrace the Way

Let’s start this article with a simple exercise. How does it feel to embrace something or someone? This experience is a helpful stepping stone as you awaken to consciousness. Is embracing something or someone strictly a physical experience? There is much more to this interaction. Everything transfers energy. Likewise, holding something or someone is the sensation of sharing at various levels. However, the essence of this unified energy is constant. Only the frequency alters, depending on an object’s acceptance or resistance to this flow. 

flow

Now gently embrace yourself. Consciously go beyond the physical stimulation. Thus, you equally allow awareness to expand. Visualize the drift and manifestation of energy. And, don’t guide or influence this energy. Simply acknowledge the flow and let it drift along. Likewise, recognize that you are a vibrating part of this universal movement. Embracing your physical body enhances aware presence. Accordingly, the mind loses influence over your state of presence as you flow with this universal life stream. Continue reading

guess

Guess What? None of This Matters

It seems there is always something happening. People complain about this and that and often about everything. Yesterday and Tomorrow is always of importance. Yet, all things are a bother. There is frustration in many of our experiences. It is as if a dark threatening cloud is just out of sight. But guess what? Everything is not as it seems. Nor, as the mind tells you. Actually, we bask in the bright light of life. Nevertheless, a single thought or emotion can obscure life’s brightness.

guess

Why do we so easily disregard or even forget the radiance and clarity within presence? The list of answers to this question is long. There are many factors that manipulate or restrict our conscious awareness. Fear, anticipation, and attachment are a few of these influences and result from mind conditioned behavior. So, what does the title of this article suggest? The short explanation is that nothing truly matters. Still, let’s expand on this insight. Likewise, let’s consider an exercise to practice conscious awareness each day. This stepping stone has the potential to keep us in the now of life. Continue reading