It's All Good

More and more today, people who are awakening to genuine freedom within themselves—who are realizing the love that is their true nature—are using the simple but profound phrase: “It’s all good.” But how can this be, you might wonder? What can possibly be “good” about parents, for example, losing their child to an accident, suicide, or murder? What can be “good” about a situation where your best friend has just died suddenly, or as a result of an illness? Or where there has been some other personal devastation, such as your losing a job you depended on, or financial ruin or some other crisis, or the person you thought you loved so deeply suddenly leaving you for another? On the surface, these events are severe blows—and, in the case of death, particularly of the young, tragic—and they need to be honored as such. You need to take the time to grieve and mourn your loss. But after the period of sorrow, of deep sadness is over—however long that takes—you will realize, at some point, that it is what it is, and you are here. You are here, right now, in this very moment. You will see how the sad or tragic incident served as a wake-up call, in other words. It is calling you to wake up to something deeper with you, a deeper level of love and wisdom that wants to emerge from within, and guide you in your life now. Maybe you will have a major realization, an epiphany, or a series of smaller awakenings or insights as a result of what has happened to you—something that will give renewed direction and purpose to your life. The more you are open to learning whatever lesson life has to teach you, the more the lesson will come. You have been through the fire of personal suffering, and it has resulted in your being even more present in your life—more awake, freer, more unconditionally loving. And you can now say, too, that it’s all, in the end, good. An interesting side note: “God” is only one letter away from “good,” so when you say it’s all good, maybe what you are really saying is that “It’s all God.” For those of who still believe in “God,” it is something to think about…

It is What it Is

The more we awaken to freedom, the more we realize this: it is what it is, things are what and how they are, and we simply don’t argue anymore with what is real in this moment. This does not mean we have to passively accept what is, however. The great thing about being human is that we have, much of the time, the power to change our circumstances if we don’t like them. If you are facing a situation that you don’t particularly like, you can change it, heal it, fix it, or—at the very least—learn to accept it and adapt to it. Adaptation to what is new or different is the main way that humanity continues to not only survive, but flourish. This is true of all living species. But still, the truth remains—in this moment, right now, your life and your situation is what it is. To realize this is itself liberating, freeing…

Progreesive Path Techniques

So, how easy is it to wake up to the truth of who and what you really are? How easy is it to become authentically, inwardly free—to realize that freedom, love, and harmony are your true nature? For those who wrestle with techniques related to “self” improvement—meditation, mantras, prayer, affirmations, visualizations, goal-setting, surrounding themselves with light, calling their angels—the way is often difficult, even arduous. Such methods, called the “progressive” path in nondual language, may bring comfort, solace, and even results, but they are still only band-aids. You have to keep applying them. After all, there is still this idea of a “you” needing help or protection.

The Deepest Wisdom

The deepest wisdom, sometimes called nondual wisdom, teaches us that it is the attachment to and identification with our personal “story”—especially the story of “I” and “me”—that creates all the emotional reactions in our body, and any suffering or drama we experience in our lives. Identification is when “you,” this “self” you take yourself to be, think or believe your “story” is real. Yes, our “story” is also the cause of much of the joy, happiness, and meaning we experience too, which is why it is very much a two-edged sword. When life meets our expectations—our “story”—we are happy. When it doesn’t, we are disappointed, and maybe even feel sad, miserable, or depressed. Unmet expectations create resentment, blame, and perpetuate the cycle of suffering. But as we get freer of our “story,” we abide more in the present moment, and we discover a deeper meaning in life, a more profound peace and harmony. We discover the joy in simply being. We find ourselves one with the flow of life and from this place—here and now—we can use the power of thought and intention to create that which is good, which serves our own and others’ well-being.

Self-Esteem

Issues around self-esteem are inevitable when we’re attached to, identified, with an image of “self.” When we take ourselves to be “somebody,” we tend to take everything “personally” and that is when our psychological and emotional problems begin—as exemplified in the story above, with the man who questioned Jean. But when we’re free of the personal “self,” our ego (because we have seen that it doesn’t actually exist), then we don’t take ourselves to be anybody. This frees us up to be, to live and to act as the beautiful, happy, creative, and loving people we really are. We are free to share our happiness with others!

Alice's Awakening, my new eNovella

Below an excerpt from my new eNovella, Alice’s Awakening, in which a fictional twelve year old girl tells the story of how she meets Jim Dreaver (who is very much alive and real!), a spiritual teacher and author of the nonfiction book, End Your Story, Begin Your Life in Douglas Park in Santa Monica. I told him my name, and stood near him. I immediately sensed there was something different about Jim. He seemed to be very patient and kind and his gaze was soft, warm, and welcoming (a word I learned from Jim). He reminded me in some ways of Uncle Charlie, but even more present. Then he asked me a question no one’s ever asked me before. “So, Alice, do you know who and what you really are?” “I’m me, of course,” I said. “I’m Alice.” “Alice is your name, yes… But the name ‘Alice,’ which is a lovely name, by the way, comes and goes… Do you know who and what you are behind your name, behind all your thoughts and ideas about who you are which also come and go?” I didn’t say anything as I thought about his question. It both puzzled and interested me: who and what am I behind my name, behind my thoughts? Suddenly, I wanted to know. I sat down on the bench a few feet away from him. I looked at him. He was still smiling in that kind way he had, and his blue eyes continued to sparkle. Finally I said, a little uncertainly, “I… I don’t know… I mean, I’ve never really thought about it… But now I’m really interested… I really want to know who and what I am behind my name, behind my thoughts…” He chuckled. “Beautiful, Alice… Because this knowledge, which is really the knowledge of your true nature, will free you from all fear and worry forever, essentially, so that you will be truly happy… And no matter what you end up doing with your gifts and talents, you’ll have a beautiful, wonderful life… And, even importantly, you’ll make a positive difference in the lives of others…” “That sounds really good to me,” I nodded, as I thought about what it would mean to be happy all the time, and make other people happier. “So, where do I begin?” “You begin right now with just sitting quietly on this bench, and noticing everything within and around you… Taking it all in…” To receive your own PDF of the novella, send a payment of $9.95 to jdreaver@aol.com via www.paypal.com

End Your Drama

Tired of the drama in your life, of living with a recurrent, underlying feeling of anxiety, fear, guilt, anger, or some other form of emotional reactivity? Want your life to flow more harmoniously, easily, and smoothly? All drama is created through believing a story of some kind, such as “Why does this always happen to me?” or “I guess I’m just not worthy.” But the more you see that you are not any story or the emotions they trigger—because they come and go—the freer and more alive in the present you are. Then you see everything with new eyes, and can take fresh action to deal with whatever problem may be facing you. Moreover, your heart really opens, and you feel immense love and compassion for everyone and everything.