Your relationship with the world is defined by your perception of it. There is the normal subject and object, the observer and the observed perception where you see yourself as separate from everything and everyone else. This is the ego or consciousness of the individual self. Everyone is aware of the individual self; however, it is only one level of consciousness. Human beings have developed the ability to be aware of the spiritual self that transcends the limited ego. You are who you think you are at all times. You are also a multidimensional being that can experience many levels of consciousness. It is the evolution of consciousness to know yourself first as an individual self and then to become aware of your spiritual self as you expand consciousness. As you progress through life and awareness grows, your understanding of yourself and relationships with others changes.
Consciousness is the ability to see the different aspects of life as it unfolds. When you wake up in the morning, notice the thoughts that come to you to start your day. See the sensory perception of sight, hearing, and touch as something different and separate from your thoughts about organizing your morning activity. As you eat breakfast, acknowledge the intelligence within your body that works in harmony to sustain you. If you read the newspaper, you will see how your beliefs are triggered by the thoughts that come from your memory. Any reaction to an event comes from some stored memory or experience with it in the past. The present moment has no past, everything is fresh and new. In the present moment, without any connection to the past, there can only be wonder and gratitude for what life brings.
Can you love the world as it is? Can you receive the energy of the world no matter how it appears without judgment? The reality of the world is perfect as it is. Can you find that perfection in yourself? When you can end your belief in criticism, you will be free from criticism. Any conflict you experience is the opportunity to move beyond the conflict. Be thankful for your problems because when you face them with understanding they are your path to freedom. By taking one thought at a time, it is possible to resolve your stressful beliefs.
Your beliefs about any event dictate your interpretation of the event. If you see someone in distress, say an accident victim, your empathy for the victim stems from a belief about how that person might feel. Without that belief, your response is neutral and you accept without judgment. Anytime you react to something outside of your own personal involvement, your response comes from your belief about that event. Therefore, you bring your understanding of the world to everything in the world. Your perception of how other people feel is a mirror of how you feel, and your reactions to events in the world are your personal interpretation of them.
Emotions are organized patterns of energy that are first formed by thought and then expressed energetically. This process gives them much more power than normal thoughts. When you feel an emotion, you can feel the power of the energy behind it. If you are angry, for example, anger can be so strong that it dominates all thought and can cause the mind to take actions that normal thinking would not allow. Emotions can be so strong that they can cause the body to perform superhuman feats of strength. Emotions are expressed from a wide variety of stimuli. When emotions are believed to be true, they are remembered by the brain and stored as memories of past events. Emotions have a wide range of expression and generally arise in response to a conflict between reality and your beliefs. Any activity with emotional energy behind it will be stronger and more clearly defined for better or worse. Emotion expressed in a loving way creates peace and harmony, emotions expressed in fear often create negative energy and conflict.
As awareness grows, emotion loses some of its importance. When you accept and allow life to be what it will be, the fear of the unknown disappears. Fear is a reaction to a perceived loss of control. Take a close look at your reaction and the emotions that arise before an event. You can bring peace and harmony to any situation by recognizing the sources of emotion. The emotions of love express the connection you feel with the energy field of another person. When you are connected to another person’s soul level, love is your experience because that is the nature of that level of consciousness. Love is the name of the consciousness that is in unity with all that is in body and spirit. When you see your emotions arise from any reaction, you may find them sympathetic. In this way you can transmute energy into a positive force. You will begin to see your emotions as a gift. When your emotions arise it is your opportunity for great growth.
