The Time Has Come

"'The time has come,' the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.'"

— Through the Looking Glass

Being alive at this time can be overwhelming. People are suffering greatly from natural disasters, wars, terrorism, diseases, economic hardships, relationship problems, addictions, and the stresses of life.

A turn of luck, a change in life circumstances, a wind blowing in one direction or the other, and the most unexpected problems engulf you. Whether you are wealthy or impoverished, an executive or a homeless person, you have to know that there is a fine line which separates one from the other. Whether you are a fiancée or a divorcee, a student or a dropout, a business magnate or a felon, a member of organized religion or an unsatisfied spiritual seeker, there often isn't all that much that separates the two. As much as we continually hope to be raised up, we may be unexpectedly knocked down.

Life changes quickly. What we knew yesterday no longer applies today; everything is changing — information, jobs, relationships, technology. This change is all, by definition, stressful; and the greater the stress, the more it can take root within us, resulting in loss of self-confidence, self-reliance, or our way in life. Where do we find our true self, in a world that can seem so confusing, overwhelming, or even hopeless at times? Rather than looking outside ourselves, sooner or later we need to turn within. With courage, practice, a willing spirit, and an open mind we can find our own answers, and a place to stand, within.

The focus of Simply Self is:

Learning to be centered in the midst of unexpected, unimagined, or everyday stresses.
Learning to manage, cope, handle problems, and go on with your life.
Learning to deal with the world around you, from a place within you, a place of strength, wisdom, peace, and love.

Do you know ...
what true love is, and do you have it?
what true success is, and do you live it?
what true purpose is, and have you found it?
what true creativity is, and how to freely express it?
what the voice of your inner spirit sounds like, and do you pay attention to it?

Has anyone ever shown you how to find your way, how to live a life that is true to your own self?

How do we find true success, true love, true purpose, and lasting fulfillment? Doesn't it seem that parents, educators, and society in general fail at teaching us how to do this? We are sent out into the world unprepared, unaware, anxious and afraid. How will we succeed?

What if the answers were to be found within you, and you simply need to learn how?

What are the right choices for you, and how do you make them? Imagine if there was a set of choices that would bring you what you truly desire, and another set of choices that would never truly satisfy you. Wouldn't you want to know what the better choices were — what it means to choose the ones that are really right for you? Wouldn't you like to learn how?

Young people today are more aware; even in college they realize that the choices they are being forced to make by family, peers, and society are somehow not true to them. They often see no way out, and this is why they are so suicidal. Perhaps you have done everything your parents, teachers, preachers, and peers expected of you, supported you in, or approved of. You may be so perfectly shaped by the world around you — or perhaps just one dominating influence — that you have never stopped to truly look within yourself or question what you really want to do with your life. You might become very "successful" in terms of wealth, position, and authority, yet never know your true inner self. Ask yourself, "Is that true success, or is there something more?" Maybe you became what society approved of or rewarded, or maybe you rebelled. But, have you really found your self, and are you fulfilled? Many people only wake up to that, later in life.

Are you looking for relief in all the wrong places?

Are you reaching for chocolate as a substitute for true love within, or replacing family time with junk food dinners on the run?
Are you substituting your true self with a built up ego, seeking position, authority, or worldly power because you cannot find those things within you?
Are you turning to pornography because you cannot find love and fulfillment inside?
Are you turning to ever-reliable addictions such as alcohol or drugs to avoid dealing with your problems, or smoking tobacco because it seems to give you more of life, denying that it gives you less?
Do you hope to rely upon the government to help you cope in times of trouble or disaster?
Do you worry what other people think of you, or try to avoid their disapproval, rather than truly being who you are?

How is that working for you — how are you coping? Isn't there a better way?

There are two paths you can walk in life.

There is the Way of the spirit, and the way of the world, and they have nothing in common. Being shaped and tossed about by the world, is unfulfilling. The way of the world is like a mirage oasis from which you cannot quench your thirst or ever be satisfied. That lower path comes from and leads to greater illusion, falsehood, wrong, and darkness. The higher path comes from and returns to Source, truth, goodness, and Light. It is a better choice to take your direction from the inner spirit, not the outer world. Following the guidance of spirit within, helps you to find your way and live more fully as you.

There is a place to stand, within you — your true self — where you can deal with everything in the world around you, from a place of inner strength, wisdom, peace, love, and power. You can find a place of balance, the courage to question things, know what is right for you, and act from there.

Here is a simple Way

It is simply acknowledging and connecting with the Highest within you.

This is an exercise in feeling, so please use words you feel comfortable with. Phrases such as "the Divine," "God," "Higher Power," "Spirit" or "My Higher Self" allow you to accept that there is something more to you than what you may see. Feel the deepness within you.
Simply close your eyes. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
Place your right hand over your heart, and mentally say, "God is no further from me than my hand on my chest."
Take a breath. Mentally say, "God is closer to me than my own breath."
Take a breath, and relax on the exhale. Mentally say, and get the feeling of, "God is with me now." Breathe.
Sit there with that feeling, that presence, that sense of the inner being in a place of grace. Take a minute or two.
When you are ready, gently open your eyes.

This is a simple and powerful technique, and you can do it any time to have a clearer connection with the Highest in you — the Source of wisdom, peace, love, and Light. It is right there.

It is simply your awareness of Being.

What you are truly looking for is within you, now. Honor it. Practice listening to truth, more deeply within you. Learn what it feels like, to resonate with truth in your own heart. And that experience will grow and grow. That is the extent of it. You don't have to follow any dogma, only the God of your heart. And, if you are not religious, that is not a problem. Just don't let your beliefs get between you and the simple goodness, truth, love, and peace in your heart. We call that "the God of your heart," but use whatever words you prefer, such as, perhaps, "goodness" or "conscience" or "inner directedness," to honor that inner experience. You must not let anyone or anything get between you and the God of your heart, whether they are a president, a pope, or anyone else. For all those people who may wonder, "Where in the world is God?" we say: God is right there in your heart. For all of those who wonder, "Where is the Truth?" we say: the truth is not "out there," but in your own heart. Knowing that isn't enough; you have to live that Way. It takes practice.

You might ask, "If it is as simple as this, why do we have so many articles, on so many subjects? Why does it take so many words?" Because this simple connection with the Highest within you is invalidated, daily, in many ways, in science, politics, relationships, and so on. Understanding how it happens — how the Truth, the Light, and the Way are denied in the world-at-large — lets you come closer to this place within you. You may no longer fall for the sleight-of-hand of politicians and other worldly authorities, which we refer to as programming and indoctrination. They mis-use words to deny a Greater Truth, to separate you from truth, within you. Our goal is to assist you in reconnecting with the Truth, the Light, and the Way. Rather than claiming any power and authority for ourselves, as all worldly authorities do, we simply seek to give it back to you.

There is a way.

Take time each day to step back from the stresses, pressures, and demands of the world, a world which often doesn't really speak to who you are, inside — a world which, instead, demands your conformity and acquiescence. Take some time to find real answers, and your true self. Learn what it means to Be, here, now. Choose your path in life wisely, and you will learn to live in peace, love, and Light.

This is a way to cope with everything in life by listening to your own inner wisdom, guidance, and goodness. It is a choice you make to be true to your own self. Not depending upon everyone and everything — or anyone or anything outside you — for your own Way. It is learning to find it within you. And unless you do this, you will not be able to be true to anyone else or make choices that bring you up rather than defeating you. The true self has nothing to do with ego; it does not require or seek approval from others; it is a place of greater peace, truth, and love within you. It is strong, vital, alive, and persevering in the most difficult circumstances. It is the place where the Light shines in you, to always guide you, to never fail you. And once you know it, and learn to live from there, you will find that it is the only Way to live.

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