3 Extraordinary Ideas To Help You Realize Lasting Freedom

In those silent, but magnificent moments of life -- where we are suddenly given a glimpse of something so beautiful that it quiets the mind -- we know that we stand in the presence of something that represents a new and higher order of ourselves. What we've yet to understand about these fleeting experiences is that they are an invitation to become fully conscious of these timeless and vital forces as a living part of who and what we are in reality. In such moments we know, without having to think about it, that as beautiful as the world around us may be, it pales in comparison to the world that awaits us within us. Let's illustrate this last idea.

If you've ever taken a walk through a deep wood on the sunlit day and stood in the silent shafts of light streaming down and through the trees, then you know, even though these bright beams seem to appear randomly and separately, each ray of light comes from a common source: the sun. The same holds true with these beautiful timeless qualities that sometimes streak into and through our hearts and minds. These celestial characteristics are the too-fleeting expression of our own yet to be realized True Self. But if this is true, which it is, what is it that keeps us from permanently entering into this extraordinary life? As you'll see, the answer is surprising!

We don't really know where to look! Or perhaps, more clearly stated, we tend to be looking in the wrong places because, at present, we see our life through a part of us-our senses-that "tell" us that we live apart from all that we see. The sorry result of this incomplete perception is undeniable: instead of an undivided relationship with the extraordinary life within us, we are reduced to a frantic search outside of ourselves, at best finding only temporary fragments of the freedom for which we so long.

How do we regain -- realize -- our relationship with the innermost truth of ourselves? What must we do to enter into a conscious relationship with the extraordinary life within us? Use the following three simple exercises to do two things at once: first, to reveal what stands between you and the higher freedom you seek, and then to release you from the same. There's an old saying that "rain follows the plow." So is it true that realizing our true higher possibilities follows the interior work necessary to realize them.

1. Open Up To Real Life: Dare to see and experience yourself as you are without giving names to any of the myriad states of self that present themselves before your inner eyes. Resist the temptation to interrupt whatever thoughts and feelings are rushing through you by trying to explain to yourself why you're having the experience that you are. Why open yourself up to life in this way? Because it's the only way to see that the true extraordinary you can no more be defined by a single thought or feeling then can the sun be known through a solitary beam of light.

2. Do What You Fear Doing: Every time you will take the leap into what you are psychologically afraid of doing, the extraordinary life within you will prove that its unshakable ground is beneath you at all times. To know that you can't fail as long as you're willing to learn what the moment reveals about yourself is the same as understanding there's nowhere for you to go but up!

3. Take Time Once A Day For Your Self: What we must remember is that the extraordinary life is timeless, and if we would share its life, we must enter into its world. Here's a good place to start: whenever you can remember to do so, choose to consciously step out of that gilded, but self confining, cage called "thinking about yourself." At least once a day sit quietly with the intention of observing the movement of your own mind. Learning to watch your thoughts in this impersonal way gradually teaches you what can be discovered in no other way: just as the hands of a clock can only go around and around, so it holds true for the level of mind always frantically searching for highest possibilities in passing time. Who you really are is timeless, and only this realization can grant you the extraordinary peace of being who you really are.

https://ezinearticles.com/?3-Extraordinary-Ideas-To-Help-You-Realize-Lasting-Freedom&id=9868954

The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship

We are approaching a period of time when relationships are ready to go through a major redesign. The current paradigm isn’t working. People are unsatisfied in love; people don’t know how to make relationships work.

And, believe it or not, this isn’t a bad thing. Because when systems break-down, that’s when they change. I believe that’s what’s happening in the area of intimate partnership. The break-down is forcing us to move towards conscious love.

So what exactly is a conscious relationship?

It's a romantic relationship in which both partners feel committed to a sense of purpose, and that purpose is growth. Individual growth. Collective growth as a couple. Growth that makes the world a better place.

As of now, most people get into relationships to satisfy their own personal needs. This might work for a few years, but eventually the relationship fails us, and we end up unsatisfied as a result.

But when two people come together with the intention of growth, the relationship strives towards something much greater than gratification. The partnership becomes a journey of evolution, and the two individuals have an opportunity to expand more than they could alone. Deep satisfaction and long-term fulfilment arise as a result.

So if you’re someone who feels called to take your experience of romantic love to the next level, below are four qualities that characterize what being a conscious couple is all about. Welcome to the path of the conscious relationship. This is next-level love ...

1. The conscious couple is not attached to the outcome of the relationship - growth comes first.

Not being attached to the outcome of the relationship does not mean you don’t care what happens! It also doesn’t mean that you don’t have fantasies about how the relationship will turn out.

What it means is: you’re more committed to the experience of growth than you are to making the relationship “work.”

The reality is, we’re here to grow. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When growth stops, we automatically feel like something’s gone wrong. Because it has. Without growth, we aren’t fulfilling our soul’s purpose.

Unfortunately, relationships today tend to stifle growth more than enhance it. This is one of the main reasons we’re failing at romantic love.

We want our partners to act in a certain way, we repress ourselves to please to others, and soon enough, we feel small, oppressed and puzzled about who we’ve become. This, inevitably, makes the relationship feel like a cage that we want to break out of. But the unfortunate truth is: we’ve caged ourselves.

The conscious couple values growth more than anything else because they know this is the secret to keeping the relationship alive. Even though growth is scary (because it takes us into the unknown), the couple is willing to strive towards expansion, even at the risk of out-growing the relationship. Because of this, the relationship maintains a natural feeling of aliveness, and love between the couple does, too.

2. Each person in the relationship is committed to owning their s#*t.

Conscious couples know that we all have wounds from the past, and they understand that these wounds will inevitably be triggered, especially in a relationship. In other words, they expect to feel abandoned, trapped, rejected, overlooked and any other shitty feeling that arises when we bond closely with another person.

Most of us still believe that relationships should only feel good, and when bad feelings surface, something has gone terribly wrong. What we fail to see in this situation is that these shitty feelings stem from our own faulty patterning! These issues are not caused by our partners; they’re caused by our beliefs.

The conscious couple is willing to look at their past and current issues in relationships because they know that by facing these beliefs systems, they can evolve into a new relationship-reality. Dysfunctional patterns will dissolve, but only when we take responsibility for them, first.

3. All feelings are welcome and no internal process is condemned.

In a conscious relationship, there’s room to feel anything. Not only that, there’s room to express those feelings and fantasies to your partner. This is edgy territory… it’s not easy to do. But it’s also one of the most healing things we can experience in a partnership

It’s rare to be completely honest about who you are, and to stretch yourself to let your partner do the same. You may not like what you hear; in fact, it may trigger the hell out of you. But you’re willing to be triggered if it means your partner can be authentic.

Like I already said, we’re used to molding and changing ourselves to please people we love because we don’t want them to stop loving us! This stifles the love out of our connections.

The only option is radical honesty: revealing parts of ourselves that are hard to share, and letting our partners do the same. This leads to feeling known, seen and truly understood — a combination that will automatically enhance your love.

4. The relationship is a place to practice love.

Love, ultimately, is a practice. A practice of acceptance, being present, forgiveness, and stretching your heart into vulnerable territories.

Sometimes we treat love like it’s a destination. We want that peak feeling all the time, and when it’s not there, we’re not satisfied with what the relationship has become. In my mind, this is missing the whole point of love.

Love is a journey and an exploration. It’s showing up for all varied nuances of your relationship and asking yourself, What would love do here?” The answer will be different every time, and because of this, you’ll get to grow in ways you never have before!

The conscious couple is fiercely committed to being the embodiment of love. And through their devotion and practice, love shows up in their lives and relationship in ways they would've never imagined before.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-21277/the-4-qualities-of-a-conscious-relationship.html