How many of us have experienced a ‘calling’? What is this voice, or pull, or force that has set us on a journey into unknown territory? Where has this urging come from? From within us? From outside of ourselves?

The next set of questions that come to mind are…

‘When did all this begin?’

‘What was I searching for on the day that I realized that I possessed a calling from something so much greater than myself?’

‘Did I know that once I embarked on this search, I would not be able to turn back?’

Then, of course, the next set of questions begins with…

‘If I could turn back the clock to a time much simpler, when this calling wasn’t such a big part of my life, would I go back?’

‘How has this urging changed me?’

And finally…

‘Has the momentum of this pursuit for answers escalated over time or is the desire and passion for my search diminishing?’

‘Am I continually feeding this urging or am I trying to push it aside?’

‘What has control over who I am?’

‘Is it my ego struggling to make sense of it all or is it my humble, simple craving soul reaching out to me for a connection, a union with all of the other parts of me?’

These are some of the questions that we each need to be asking ourselves…we need to delve deeply within our hearts and souls and truly see what our motivations are and why you are here, reading these words right now. Please take the time to ponder these many questions when you are alone in the stillness. Take time out of your busy days to understand not only why you are here but where you are going. We each need to have a goal, a purpose, a spiritual focus within our lives in order to truly live a full, balanced life.

We are each on our own paths and have each arrived here through different experiences, different relationships, a different set of circumstances; yet, WE ARE HERE!!! We are a small group amongst a hustling community, yet the size of the group is immaterial. We are all here for a reason…some are seeking support and guidance during a challenging period of their lives, some are striving to release fears or practice forgiveness on a regular basis, some are working hard on controlling their thoughts and emotions and some are looking to add a much deeper spiritual realization into their lives. Then there are others who are on a fast-paced ascension process, whereby their primary life focus is on their spiritual growth and on maximizing their life experiences to attain a higher vibration and more powerful energy balance. Whatever the reason, this urging continues to simmer, stew and sometimes boil, depending on the heat within us.

The key is that we continue to come together to answer this ‘calling’ that is deep within our being and that continually talks to us – whether we can hear it or not… Each of us is unique and each of our paths are special and unique. No one person is better than any other…no path more powerful. We are united here for one purpose and one purpose only…that is to remember who we really. And who are we? We are simply spiritual beings having a human experience. We all know this, yet we have a tendency to forget it!

Okay, why am I bringing up this calling over and over again? It is because I believe that once we recognize that voice of silent knowingness that comes from the depths of our being and when we honor that recognition of Divine truth and let it direct our lives, we will never be the same! We have joined others hearing the calling at this time in our evolution, to join this emerging global family of like-minded individuals who are simultaneously undergoing this life-altering transformation. It is now time to become who we really are, time to relinquish the limitations that are fostered by our fears and embrace the truth that is conceived in love. We have reached a crossroads of monumental proportion that requires the relinquishing of all that is ego-based and material-driven and must strive to replace them with unconditional love, kindness, truth and honesty.

We live in very trying times right now where confrontations are mounting, both in our homes and in the nations of our world. We have crises in our waters, in our air, in our economies, and even in our streets where we used to feel safe. What is happening and why now? There are many theories, many prophecies, much discussion about energies, about vibrations, about earth changes…but what do we think about this? How does this resound deep within our souls? Each of us probably feels differing beliefs on these questions. There is no right or wrong answer. Each of us must answer our own questioning, discover our own beliefs and truths and live our lives accordingly. For within each one of our personal ‘callings’ there is a remembrance of things past, an undefinable place of recognition that comes from within us and forms a connection with who we truly are. This connection has a deeper knowledge as to why we chose to come into this particular body, in this particular lifetime. For this reason, we each must continue to seek and re-discover who we really are and why we are here at this particular time. By loving both ourselves, others and all of nature as one connected energy and by living our principles and our truths, this truly is possible.

The key to this process is getting to know who we really are, what direction our lives are heading, making any correction or improvements in how we lead our lives if necessary, and by truly getting in touch with our Higher Selves and our deeper truths. This process of rediscovery is a journey, an opening up of new ideas and yet a closing of old doors, a holding-on and yet a letting go, a time of struggle followed by a deeper personal understanding of what the experience brought to us. This process is powerful and it is on-going. It doesn’t happen overnight or after a couple of spiritual classes or books. It takes time, it takes effort and it takes conscious awareness of our thoughts, our emotions, our habits and our choices on a DAILY basis. Through this process of self-discovery and personal insight into who we are, we are then able to make conscious choices of who we want to ‘become’. We are changing each moment of every day, and when we are able to make ‘conscious’ choices, we can truly mold ourselves into a more loving, accepting and balanced individual.

Life is continually changing and providing us the opportunities for soul development and growth. The moments in time when we find ourselves right in the middle of any major change in our lives merely reflects a pause in an ever-ongoing momentum of individual soul growth. Through these experiences and challenges, we are given the opportunities for expanding who we are. Can we see change as a gift to us which has all the possibilities of expanding our consciousness? This is only possible if we condition ourselves to see the beauty, to see the opportunity, to see the potential in each change in our lives as a grand possibility for personal soul growth. How we react to change is a choice made by each one of us.

A life lived by choice is a life of conscious action.
A life lived by chance is a life of unconscious reaction.
It all depends on how we choose to exercise our own free will.

This ‘calling’ from our souls for a deeper connection can be our constant companion when we listen and acknowledge its presence. We must never expect that the process of evolution ends at any given point, whereby having completed a given course of study, we are tested, graded and given a diploma and can then just sit back and utter a sigh of relief. This is a process, experience after experience, challenge after challenge, lifetime after lifetime. We are the captains of our ships, we are the ones to keep the momentum going forward…to see where we are heading and to be in control of the wheel at all times. When we allow someone else to step up to the helm and make decisions or choices on our behalf, we lose a part of our souls to this outside force and give away our own individual power. Through the deeper understanding that these Teachings give to us, we are fortified with the knowledge of the powers that are contained within each of us…and this power must be truly understood, controlled and directed throughout the course of our lives.

There have been few times in all of existence when humans have been able to hold so much of their own power within their physical bodies. With this power, comes much greater responsibility. We are now in the transition period during which we are given time to climate to our newly powered vehicles. Take this time to be accepting of yourself, to look around you as well as within you and take in all the changes that are taking place. And most of all, remember to be patient with yourself and those around you.

During the next several weeks, you will be given many opportunities to engage with your calling. Are you going to listen? Are you really able to hear it speaking to you with all the mental clutter that is going on in your mind? Please give some thought to the questions and comments written here and share your own thoughts on this topic with the rest of us. Help one another discover ways to really open up and hear this voice of wisdom that wants SO badly to reach all of us!

Remember dear ones, we are all teachers and we are all students. Let’s maximize this time of change by truly practicing understanding, sharing our wisdom and experiences with one another and unifying as one heart of SOUL.

‘We came into this life with nothing to learn…we have only to demonstrate what we already know…’
~Neale Donald Walsch

A lot of people have heard about the theories of the end of the world that are predicted to take place in 2012. The fear effect is like a huge snowball, rolling down a mammoth mountain, collecting more and more fear based beliefs with each tumble. It is easy to get caught up in the fear in all the theories, in all the worries, in all the predictions. People talk, and talking manifests more fear and misunderstanding.

Yes, Earth is going through a fundamental period of transformation. Maybe it can be said that the world is ending – AS WE KNOW IT – but that doesn’t mean that it will explode or implode one day and we will all be gone, the end. It doesn’t mean that at all.

What transformation does imply is change. Change can be scary. Change is all about going into the unknown and not looking back. It is about having courage. The magical thing about change is that it comes through the process of evolution – of improvement – or growth and greater awareness. What served us back then no longer serves us now. We have grown out of our baby shoes and it is time to put on a new pair, with thicker soles and stronger laces that will support us as we take on new challenges that will allow us to contribute that much more.

This process of releasing what no longer serves us to make room for the new is what this planet is going through right now. We are going through a cleansing. A renewal. Many of the systems, the infrastructures, the organizations and the collectives that have been given the power to manage our world are no long relevant. They are no longer equipped with the right tools to take us to where we’re going next. That’s why we are witnessing the collapse of industries, economic and political powers.

With transformation comes the inherent shifting of energy. Unemployment is at record highs in certain fields for a reason. Our needs are shifting. New industries are sprouting. Those that were having a hard time finding a place in the old structure are now blossoming. Take this as an opportunity to reevaluate yourself, your dreams, your desires, your passions. What inspires you? What have you ALWAYS wanted to do but never let yourself explore? What guilt are you carrying around with you about not living out your dreams? This is the time to act on your Soul’s Desire. This is the time to take active part in the transformation.

Yes, the world is ending – the world as we know it. What is being born out of the rubble is a new vision of the home to which we’ve been praying to return. Heaven on Earth – that is what the transformation is all about. Dare to have the courage to create you Heaven right now.

This is the time for opportunity, not for fear.

Here’s more about this transformation from Lightworkers:

More about the “Afraid of the Dark” broadcast that they talk about in the video above can be found here.

Instructions

How do you think the instructions would read? Do you think tying your shoes is a complicated task? At this stage of my life, I think it’s pretty easy, but I see toddlers trying their hand at pulling and tucking and twisting those laces with no success and I realize that not everything is easy for everyone.

Instructions on how to tie your shoes would be pages and pages long. They would have to describe what was right and what was left, how to hold the laces, wear to pull them and how to twist them. In the end, the instructions would require diagrams and footnotes and references and possibly even appendices. All for what? To teach you how to do what you will eventually learn on your own.

Instructions all share a common element. They always tell you what someone else already knows. Reading a set of instructions is essentially like reading someone else’s success story. No matter how many times you read them and how well you memorize them, instructions will never do the work for you. It doesn’t matter whether you understand the instructions because until you realize the concept as your reality, it’s still someone else’s story.

It is possible to remember something about Yourself by living vicariously through the experiences of others, but that only brings you a certain amount of the way. Someone else’s words can help us create an environment that stimulates our memories, but if we don’t have a pair of shoes on our feet, there’s not much point in reading the instructions on how to tie the laces.

All that we experience in this world is meant to remind us, not to teach us. The concept of ‘schooling’ does not apply. We have the power to create new truths and to challenge limited thinking but first we have to put down the instructions, and learn to walk without shoes.

Learning to walk

How do we learn to walk? We change our behavior. Think about it! If we’re not doing something right, why not try changing what we’re doing! Change is not scary! Change is natural! What is scary is looking at all those people desperately trying to hold on to something that no longer has a place in their lives. The Universe has a way of blowing strong winds our way to help loosen our grip on what no longer benefits us. But instead of taking the hint and letting go of precisely that which is damaging us the most, we sometimes continue to resist until the day comes when there’s no more time to play around, and we have to make a choice, one way or another. Reaching this stage isn’t always pleasant.

When change happens, it often feels like it happens all at once. It can feel unfair and overwhelming but why does something so natural and inevitable feel so uncomfortable? Well, look at it this way: Imagine a wild bull racing down a gravel road, bucking and kicking and making violent noises. All it wants to do is get away…but from what? It’s actually trying to get away from you! You see, while this wild animal is trying to shake you off, you are fervently holding on to its tail as it flails you from side to side, bashing you against the stony dirt road. You have two options. You can either hold on to the animal that you now know as your only reality, or you can let go and see what happens.

People tend to do something very amusing at this stage of the process. They often convince themselves that holding on to the bull is the right choice and rationalize that the pain and suffering they’re going through as their bones break and their body bleeds is an almighty sacrifice that only the strong-willed can endure. If you ever find yourself reasoning in this direction, get a glass of water and splash it in your face! You’ve obviously forgotten to WAKE UP and your deep sleep is making you delusional!

Pain and suffering are misinterpreted. They are not representations of your growth and development. They are rather techniques that you create to avoid dealing with what is staring you in the face. If you just let go of your false sense of safety and realize that what you believe to be your security is actually your greatest delusion, you’ll stop being thrown around by emotional ups and downs and finally give yourself the opportunity to heal and move on.

Getting a pair of shoes

Once you make the decision to learn the basics of walking, it may seem like you are walking around barefoot for years. We inevitably feel like we’re ready for the next stage of development and begin complaining about our situation. Something to remember is that at any point in our lives, we never see the whole picture and we can be sure that somewhere in the Universe, something is being affected by our actions and all we can do is to continue on our path with open eyes, paying attention to the signs of change, and being flexible when it comes time to alter our behavior. In other words, all we can do is go with the flow! If we’re not flexible when that strong wind of change blows our way, we run the risk of breaking in half.

Along your path of barefoot walking, it may also feel like you’ve read all the lessons, discussed them at length with various people who share your passion to improve, and yet you still keep encountering the same uncomfortable situations or people that never seem to go away, no matter how compassionate you try to be or how determined you are to learning whatever it is that you’re not getting. In these cases, patience is your only graceful option. Most of us aren’t capable of understanding all the intricate details of what goes on in the Universe, so all we can do is trust that when the time is right and we are truly ready, we will get a new lesson or start a new project and our interest will again be peaked. But remember, if you ever feel lost, just ask for divine guidance and listen.

Transitions are almost never obvious to the person transitioning. People around you may notice a change in you, but often they won’t be able to clearly understand the difference in you unless they’ve been through a similar process already. When you shift into a new level of understanding, you may feel empowered, but often the reaction is one of tiredness and surrender. It’s at the moment when you let go of the bull’s tail that you are rewarded for your courage to step into the unknown. The reward can come in the form of a massive shift in your understanding of how things work, but it can be so subtle that it often takes time and distance from the situation to really see what happened. The reason for the subtly is that throughout your journey to learn how to walk, you have been growing and learning to use new tools to assist you on your path. With each step that you had the courage to take, you gained a new answer to a question you did not know you had. That is why you didn’t recognize the treasure in the wisdom you were receiving at the time.

Only when we know the answer do we become aware of the question. You can be sure that all the questions you are asking yourself right now will not lead you to the truth you are ultimately seeking. That is why we spend so long on this path. We are so often distracted by the illusory 5 Earthly senses that we forget that the truth lies in that which cannot be seen, felt, tasted, touched or heard. It comes in only one way and that way is through silence.

Silencing the noise of the outside world will lead you to the silence of your inner world. In the beginning it may seem like there is more noise and distraction in your head than on a Manhattan street in midweek, but that’s just the residue of the world outside. Take some times to unplug the drain and let all the chaos flow out. You’ll be left with a glorious nothing and that’s when the answers that you never knew you wanted will start revealing themselves. It takes patience and courage to go through this draining process, but most of all, it takes discipline because each day that you live your life, you contribute more to the chaos in your head. Once you get used to draining it, you unconsciously begin filtering through it during the day too. You get used to the feeling of emptiness and peace within and you remind yourself how to maintain the environment not only in your quiet time, but also through your busy day. This is what change brings. When we are receptive and flexible to be guided through the natural flow of things rather then by what seems rational, life gets easier.

Once walking bare foot gets easy, you somehow find yourself waking one morning next to a new pair of shoes. You’ll notice that the shoes don’t look as big and complicated as you thought they would. You will also appreciate the value of various parts of the shoes like the sturdy soles that will seem so useful to you now that you have walked with exposed feet and know the hazards that may be encountered on the roads. Through your experiences, you discovered things that you wouldn’t be able to appreciate from the written word.

God bless!