Finding Awareness Doesn't Equal Happily Ever After

For many years, I hungrily devoured the words of spiritual teachers and sought the awareness of consciousness to which their teachings pointed. My goal was to achieve a state of awareness - to experience the truth of who I am. For so long, I sensed the truth of their words and knew they were signposts guiding me on my inner journey, but I couldn't find my destination. When I was able to open into the truth of my Being and experience the vastness of my consciousness, I have to admit to feeling a sense of achievement. My ego was still alive and well as I inwardly celebrated my progress. I had found what I set out to find! What a spiritual success story I had to tell! But wait... not so fast, runaway ego. There was more, much more to learn.

In the early stages of my spiritual journey, I imagined that when I found what I sought - awareness of consciousness - all would be well. However, experiencing awareness didn't mean that I could ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. It didn't mean a feeling of inner peace and bliss every moment of every day. Rather, that experience pointed the way to what I can do when challenges occur in my life. It opened the door to an inner space to which I can return to centre and ground myself when lessons re-present themselves in my life.

Awareness is the key to navigating whatever is presenting itself for healing in my life. It is one thing to practise awareness in the quiet of my personal space. It is another to practise it when I am challenged by relationships and I feel things going sideways. Whatever is presenting itself is perfect for my spiritual growth because it is an opportunity to respond differently than I have in the past. When I react as I always have, I recreate the same painful results. I have certainly proven that again and again. Now, when I realize that things are going off the rails, I pause, get quiet, and go within - to consciousness, to my soul, to the Divine within me - to observe and to seek guidance, and it always comes in the moment that I ask. Every single time, returning to awareness has resulted in enlarging my perspective and in opening a space for love and forgiveness to guide my response; doing so has created a path forward instead of sideways and off the rails. Each experience affirms my knowing that I am always guided and supported and that it is through returning to the space of consciousness within me that I will find my way and respond in a way that heals and brings unity instead of recreating pain and separation.

Finding awareness was definitely an important step on my spiritual journey, but what was important for me to learn was that it was a step and the journey continues. Again and again, I am called to practise awareness and to return to the consciousness that lies within me, that is me, this is you. Finding awareness doesn't equal happily ever after, but it points the way to how we can find healing and wholeness.

Dear spiritual sisters and brothers, each challenge that arises in your life is an opportunity for spiritual growth, an opportunity to go deeper and to practise awareness instead of succumbing to egoic reactions. Each challenge offers a chance to return to that inner space of awareness within you, to ask for and follow the inner guidance that is there for you, and to feel the sustaining power and support of the Divine, of God's Love. Namaste, my dears.



I invite you to visit my website at http://discoverlifebeyondmeasure.com to find more posts about healing and spiritual growth. I look forward to connecting with you there. Linda


 By Linda Aspen-Baxter


Article Source: Finding Awareness Doesn't Equal Happily Ever After