09-06-2013, 03:32 PM
Birthday is coming up again (the first birthday I've celebrated on my actual birth date, which was previously hidden from me...feels a little special 
). Time for my recount of the most valuable lessons I learned this year.
1. Self love cannot be found in other people. No matter how many people tell you they love you, approve of your opinions, follow your teachings or generally proclaim your awesomeness, it will never, ever fill the hole created by the belief that the self, in some way, just isn't good enough. This hole can only be filled by the individual through openly and honestly infusing all life experiences with love, acceptance and, if needed, forgiveness. When the self can be accepted in fullness, only then is it easy to turn that love outward and embrace all others as self.
2. Most of us lie to ourselves every day without knowing it. Over the past year I have made a point of lowering my defensive shields, facing myself with brutal honesty and giving my all to make no excuse for any distortion I find present in myself, as well as making no judgment toward that distortion. I am very lucky to have friends who will be real with me and call me on my BS when needed, sparing no honest criticism if I ask for their opinion, and subjecting myself to this constant honesty has transformed my world. I've made SO many excuses for myself, projected so many realities just to hide my own flaws, and allowed all manner of delusional thinking just to avoid looking at the deepest cracks in my soul. And now...I realize I don't have to make excuses. I never have. It's the most liberating thing I've ever experienced.
3. Imagining how another person will react to anything is to deny who they are and replace their essence with your own. I can't count how many times I've let a relationship with another self be defined by situations that I have entirely imagined. Many of those relationships have also been ruined by said projecting. Any time you think you know what someone else is thinking, or how they would respond in a given situation, you are observing a mirror of your own thoughts and biases. Allow yourself to see people without pretense or expectation, and the world becomes a lot more beautiful of a place. Since taking control of this damaging thought process, I've been pleasantly surprised by a great many people (myself included).
4. There is no magical escape to Narnia. No aliens, angels or Xth density beings would dare to pluck us from the lessons we have chosen for ourselves. It would be the most grievous violation of free will. Leaving the planet will not erase your distortions, your karma or your responsibilities. Gaining more power- even the power to shape mountains with your mind- will not do so, either. In fact, gaining power only increases the load of responsibility, the level of challenge increasing as each gateway is crossed. Living in a fantasy world is a poor substitute for gaining the understanding of what an immense privilege and opportunity being here now really is. Fully understanding the honor/duty of one's existence transforms even the most mundane things into something that is truly magical.
5. Being aware of your thoughts is central to crystallizing. Only just recently have I become aware of how many of my thoughts I have allowed to be projected onto me by those around me, by the media, and by forces unseen. Beyond that, I have allowed many of my fantasies to simply run wild, taking me into dangerous corners where the opportunity to manipulate and be manipulated is high. I have engaged in self-defeating circular thought patterns that have led to suicidal behavior, and I have let myself obsess over trivial matters that have brought me nothing but anxiety. All because I didn't take the time to stop and wonder what I was actually thinking about and why, what I truly desired to achieve with those thoughts and why. Thoughts are power, now more than ever. To be aware of each thought in your head, and to gently shepherd those thoughts along the chosen path, bestows the ability to shape one's reality with what I would dare call godlike power. Creating shields is a good way to make the first disconnect from the myriad of projections that surround us all, but taking full responsibility for one's own mind is a far sharper scalpel in the long run, in my own opinion, of course.
6. Those who have the potential to envision a better world have the responsibility of creating it. Sitting around thinking about how awful things are is not only a waste of time, but it is adding to the collective consciousness image that sustains said awfulness. I spent a lot of time sitting around and moping about the unfairness of things, especially after the tragic loss of one of my best and most brilliant friends last year, allowing myself to fall into a deep depression that caused me to cut myself off from those who loved me...and it didn't achieve a damn thing aside from causing health problems and bitterness. If you want the world to be a better place, go out and make it so! So many people refrain from doing this because they don't know what to do, or feel that what they have to offer won't be enough. What I have learned is that consciously choosing to offer oneself in service and love will create infinite opportunities that will rain down from the sky if you are willing to take them. Wake up with the intention of making the world a better place, and you shall do so, and you will begin to see your environment transform around you. You don't have to be lauded as a savior by millions of people to be one. You just have to be aware of the infinite opportunity packed into every action, thought and word. Be the light. RADIATE! And you will serve.
7. No matter the desire for service, having boundaries and taking time for the self is important, too. I was giving so much of myself to other people that I found myself exhausted and depressed all of the time. If you think you are too busy to take even thirty minutes for yourself every day, I say that's complete bull. Make the time, even if you have to give up something else. For me it can be as simple as taking a solitary walk, or engaging in a few minutes of meditation, or taking a relaxing shower when I start to feel myself getting tense. Serving to the point of martyrdom only cuts off the amount of time you have to serve. Be your own best friend, nourish your body, mind and spirit on a daily basis, and your batteries will be constantly charged and ready to go when it really counts.
27 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5485
26 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3239
25 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=1564
Ha ha, half of these are the same as last year. I suppose I've been crystallizing the same lessons my entire life!
). Time for my recount of the most valuable lessons I learned this year.1. Self love cannot be found in other people. No matter how many people tell you they love you, approve of your opinions, follow your teachings or generally proclaim your awesomeness, it will never, ever fill the hole created by the belief that the self, in some way, just isn't good enough. This hole can only be filled by the individual through openly and honestly infusing all life experiences with love, acceptance and, if needed, forgiveness. When the self can be accepted in fullness, only then is it easy to turn that love outward and embrace all others as self.
2. Most of us lie to ourselves every day without knowing it. Over the past year I have made a point of lowering my defensive shields, facing myself with brutal honesty and giving my all to make no excuse for any distortion I find present in myself, as well as making no judgment toward that distortion. I am very lucky to have friends who will be real with me and call me on my BS when needed, sparing no honest criticism if I ask for their opinion, and subjecting myself to this constant honesty has transformed my world. I've made SO many excuses for myself, projected so many realities just to hide my own flaws, and allowed all manner of delusional thinking just to avoid looking at the deepest cracks in my soul. And now...I realize I don't have to make excuses. I never have. It's the most liberating thing I've ever experienced.
3. Imagining how another person will react to anything is to deny who they are and replace their essence with your own. I can't count how many times I've let a relationship with another self be defined by situations that I have entirely imagined. Many of those relationships have also been ruined by said projecting. Any time you think you know what someone else is thinking, or how they would respond in a given situation, you are observing a mirror of your own thoughts and biases. Allow yourself to see people without pretense or expectation, and the world becomes a lot more beautiful of a place. Since taking control of this damaging thought process, I've been pleasantly surprised by a great many people (myself included).
4. There is no magical escape to Narnia. No aliens, angels or Xth density beings would dare to pluck us from the lessons we have chosen for ourselves. It would be the most grievous violation of free will. Leaving the planet will not erase your distortions, your karma or your responsibilities. Gaining more power- even the power to shape mountains with your mind- will not do so, either. In fact, gaining power only increases the load of responsibility, the level of challenge increasing as each gateway is crossed. Living in a fantasy world is a poor substitute for gaining the understanding of what an immense privilege and opportunity being here now really is. Fully understanding the honor/duty of one's existence transforms even the most mundane things into something that is truly magical.
5. Being aware of your thoughts is central to crystallizing. Only just recently have I become aware of how many of my thoughts I have allowed to be projected onto me by those around me, by the media, and by forces unseen. Beyond that, I have allowed many of my fantasies to simply run wild, taking me into dangerous corners where the opportunity to manipulate and be manipulated is high. I have engaged in self-defeating circular thought patterns that have led to suicidal behavior, and I have let myself obsess over trivial matters that have brought me nothing but anxiety. All because I didn't take the time to stop and wonder what I was actually thinking about and why, what I truly desired to achieve with those thoughts and why. Thoughts are power, now more than ever. To be aware of each thought in your head, and to gently shepherd those thoughts along the chosen path, bestows the ability to shape one's reality with what I would dare call godlike power. Creating shields is a good way to make the first disconnect from the myriad of projections that surround us all, but taking full responsibility for one's own mind is a far sharper scalpel in the long run, in my own opinion, of course.
6. Those who have the potential to envision a better world have the responsibility of creating it. Sitting around thinking about how awful things are is not only a waste of time, but it is adding to the collective consciousness image that sustains said awfulness. I spent a lot of time sitting around and moping about the unfairness of things, especially after the tragic loss of one of my best and most brilliant friends last year, allowing myself to fall into a deep depression that caused me to cut myself off from those who loved me...and it didn't achieve a damn thing aside from causing health problems and bitterness. If you want the world to be a better place, go out and make it so! So many people refrain from doing this because they don't know what to do, or feel that what they have to offer won't be enough. What I have learned is that consciously choosing to offer oneself in service and love will create infinite opportunities that will rain down from the sky if you are willing to take them. Wake up with the intention of making the world a better place, and you shall do so, and you will begin to see your environment transform around you. You don't have to be lauded as a savior by millions of people to be one. You just have to be aware of the infinite opportunity packed into every action, thought and word. Be the light. RADIATE! And you will serve.
7. No matter the desire for service, having boundaries and taking time for the self is important, too. I was giving so much of myself to other people that I found myself exhausted and depressed all of the time. If you think you are too busy to take even thirty minutes for yourself every day, I say that's complete bull. Make the time, even if you have to give up something else. For me it can be as simple as taking a solitary walk, or engaging in a few minutes of meditation, or taking a relaxing shower when I start to feel myself getting tense. Serving to the point of martyrdom only cuts off the amount of time you have to serve. Be your own best friend, nourish your body, mind and spirit on a daily basis, and your batteries will be constantly charged and ready to go when it really counts.
27 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5485
26 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3239
25 Years: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=1564
Ha ha, half of these are the same as last year. I suppose I've been crystallizing the same lessons my entire life!
![[+]](https://www.bring4th.org/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png)
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