Tag: separation

• Guilt and Judgment

  Yesterday as I rode along my mail route, I listened to The Course of Miracles coming from my Kindle…I have it strapped to the headrest so I can hear it without headphones.

  A jotted down a few things that seared my mind…and then this morning wanted to go back and find the text, but I haven’t been able to find all sections that caught my ear.

  Here is one I found.

  “When you feel guilty, remember that the ego has violated the laws of God, but you have not.  Leave the “sins” of the ego to me. That is what Atonement is for.  But until you change your mind about those whom your ego has hurt, the Atonement cannot release you.  While you feel guilty your ego is in command, because only the ego can experience guilt.” 

  I stopped and wrote that down. “Only the ego can feel guilty” this was an incredible thing to hear for its implications are mountainous.  No one ever has said, “sins of the ego” instead they act like our spirit has sinned and in order to get a clean spirit to heaven you have to get it forgiven. Imagine if you raised a child to understand there is an ego and there is spirit? 

  Imagine learning that there are two ways to view the world, by ego or by spirit…and to know this as a child.

  If only the ego feels guilt, what is religion for?  So when we were made to feel sinful and unworthy who were they talking to??? It has to be the ego, for if the only the ego can experience guilt, they surely were not talking to our spirits.

  I also wrote down, The ego can’t Know, that Knowing is of the Spirit.  The ego can’t know, it perceives and the spirit can’t perceive, it Knows.

  Here is something else I hadn’t considered. 

  “The ego and the spirit do not know each other.  The separated mind cannot maintain the separation except by dissociating. Having done this, it denies all truly natural impulses, not because the ego is a separate thing, but because you want to believe that you are.  The ego is a device for maintaining this belief, but it is still only your decision to use the device that enables and endures ” 

  This makes perfect sense to me, for when I was a fully engaged ego whom I lovingly call “the mental woman” I had zero contact with my Spirit…I love that they don’t know each other. 

  And imagine…the ego is a device use for separation? 

  To me it kept me separated from God and Spirit.

  Then, came a section on Judgment…

  “Have you really considered how many opportunities you have had to gladden yourself, and how many of them you refused?  There is no limit to the power of a Son of God, but he can limit the expression of his power as much as he chooses. Your mind and mine can unite in shining  your ego away, releasing the strength of God into everything you think and do. Do not settle for anything less than this, and refuse to accept anything but this as your goal.  Watch your mind carefully for any beliefs that hinder its accomplishment, and step away from them.  Judge how well you have done this by your own feelings, for this is the one right use of Judgment.  Judgment, like any other defense, can be used to attack or protect; to hurt or heat. The ego should be brought to judgment and found wanting there.  Without your own allegiance, protection and love, the ego cannot exist.  Let it be judged truly and you must withdraw allegiance, protection and love from it.”

  It seems that the church taught us to judge another, but not to judge the ego.  I love that we are to judge how we are doing by how we are feeling.

  Mostly what I listened to yesterday were the differences between the ego and the soul…and it made sense to me. 

  “Any thought system that confuses God and the body must be insane.  Yet this confusion is essential to the ego, which judges only in terms of threat or non-threat to itself.  In one sense the ego’s fear of God is at least logical, since the idea of Him does dispel the ego. But fear of the body, with which the ego identifies so closely, makes no sense at all.  The body is the ego’s home by its own election. It is the only identification with which the ego feels safe, since the body’s vulnerability is its own best argument that you cannot be of God.”

  Imagine, the ego only judges what is a threat or non-threat to itself. It could care less of how this impacts your life or your souls journey.

  It was so beneficial to my peace of mind to listen to the antics of the ego and its needs and how they contrast directly the spirit, and it made perfect sense to me in my experience.

  And when you read this book, depending upon who has a greater control in your world, the spirit or the ego, it will land differently as you read it

  I am not here to try and convince anyone, I am here to share what I heard.  It brought me peace…and it helped me understand the confusion I have with religion, for it seems to me that religion courts the ego with guilt and judgment.

   

    

  September 14, 2011

  a, Course, ego, God, guilt, in, judgment, miracles, separation

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• My Natural State.

  What struck me as I wrote about the Unbelievers verses the Believers is that we all breathe air and we all have the same bodies, our only striking differences are what we believe, or the thoughts in our heads.

  I had just heard Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor speaking on Sirius and she made reference to the genetic similarities of humanity that I would love to share.

  (My Stroke of Insight)

  “Biological evolution generally occurs from a stat of lesser complexity to a state of greater complexity. Nature ensures her own efficiency by not reinventing the wheel with every new species she creates. Generally, once nature identifies a pattern in the genetic code that works towards the survival of the creature, like a blossom for nectar transmission, a heart to pump blood, a sweat gland to help regulate body temperature or an eyeball for vision, she tends to build that feature into future permutations of that specific code. By adding a new level of programming on top of an already well-established set of instructions, each new species contains a strong foundation of time-tested DNA sequences. This is one of the simple ways through which nature transmits the experience and wisdom bestowed by ancient life to her progeny.

  Another advantage of this type of build-on-top-of-what-already-works genetic engineering strategy is that very small manipulations of the genetic sequencing can result in major revolutionary transformations. In our genetic profile, believe it or not, scientific evidence indicates that we humans share 99.4% of our total DNA sequences with the chimpazee.

  This does not mean, of course, that humans are direct descendants from our tree-swinging friends, but it does emphasize that the genius of our molecular code is supported by eons of nature’s greatest evolutionary effort. Our human code was not a random act, at least not in its entirety, but rather is better construed as nature’s ever-evolving quest for a body of genetic perfection.

  As members of the same human species, you and I share all but 0.01% (1/100th of 1%) of identical genetic sequences. So biologically, as a species, you and I are virtually identical to one another at the level of our genes (99.9%). Looking around at the diversity within our human race, it is obvious that 0.01% accounts for a significant difference in how we look, think and behave.
  Dr. Jill

  What I find so interesting is that we are so alike yet so different in our responses to life, and what we are taught to believe makes a huge difference in how we live.

  Our bodies have similar genetic make up, yet how these bodies experience life is much more dictated by who raised us and their personal beliefs.

  It is very interesting to me to learn about why you live life the way you live it. I always say, I am perfect coming from whence I came. I simply couldn’t have known no better, being taught what I was taught, either by word or deed.

  I am a perfect rendition of a person who traveled as I traveled.

  What I awoke to in December 2004 was the realization that I had no independent beliefs or even person.

  I thought as one part of a big mind controlled religion, my mind wasn’t mine to own.

  What actually woke up in that moment was the awareness of how little of me was actually mine.

  I told my brother today, all I owned in that moment was my breath.

  All the rest seemed to be tainted from the abuse or the religion, there wasn’t a part of me that was free, but my breath.

  I stayed with my breath. I trusted nature and walked with it, seeking its natural independence. Nature became my teacher in learning how to be me.

  Slowly I am returning to my natural state.

  March 24, 2011

  beliefs, breath, dr. jill bolte-taylor, genetic, humanity, Insight, likeness, mind control, My, natural, of, religious, separation, species, State, Stroke, thoughts

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• While waiting…

  What came to me today while mindlessly tossing mail, was that the reason I was so sorely affected by my daughter’s life, was that her life was in my life, that we didn’t have a clear and separate space between what is hers and what is mine, the apron string was still connected.

  The impact upon my body and psyche was equal to it happening to me, where my inner wounded child responded, my ‘mental lady’ mom came out ready to fight battle, and the Loving awareness arrived all fully engaged in her life as soon as she spoke of her crisis.

  What was so beautiful and tragically displayed were how all the parts of me felt and responded and finally released her to be on her own, a completely felt separation and liberation for myself but more importantly for her.

  She was given her life without any strings attached to me.

  While it was the hardest thing for me to do, to let my child go it was almost like a second birth, but this time a birth of freedom.

  And a three-week labor of intense inner working and letting go.

  As long as I feel the strain or worry of what her actions will be, there is a string attached into my world, and I have to snip it to let her be fully and completely free.

  It is not to say, I will no longer give word of wisdom or point out what I see in reality, or how I see changes happening between her and I, I will. But the greatest thing is, that our bodies and psyches are separated.

  It almost seems like this was my last co-dependent exam, a lesson with huge consequences one that my old co-dependent self would have longed to get wrapped up in like an old cozy blanket.

  Yet this time it felt like I was being possessed by another’s life, that their choices had the power to make or break my life, take my peace, destroy my inner sanctity of love and joy and that I was once again riding shotgun in another’s life.

  It was the ultimate life review of how it feels to be a victim in a co-dependent relationship.

  When I look at my daughter there are no strings attached to my happiness or my unhappiness, instead I am sitting in a place of wonder.

  I wonder what it is she will do.
  I wonder how it will affect her.
  I wonder, but my life isn’t totally eclipsed by her life, I feel space opening up and distance coming in.

  A place where If she is to suffer, I can be there as the non-suffering one, we are no longer one big animal of two.

  Today, I was listening to a CD by Sarah Ban Breathnach called, “Romancing the Ordinary.” What she is teaching and talking about is how to romance your self and be fully engaged and in love with you and your life.

  It is simply delightful in the very simple ways we can look around where we are and see what is all there. How we can listen instead of just hear, how we can use all our senses to connect to the Universe.

  I am thinking as long as I was connected to the lives of so many, there wasn’t space or feelings of my senses left for me to use in my life, for me to feel for me, to see for me, to be for me, for so long my life has been used by others.

  Sarah spoke of the waiting. And in my case I have been waiting for my daughter to make a choice, breathlessly waiting, life stopping waiting.

  What Sarah suggests is to make use of the time while we wait, while the Universe and her soul converse and decide, I can use this time in a million little ways.

  While I wait, I can quilt, I can read, I can sit and watch the sunrise, I can sip tea and watch the fire, feel the warmth of a quilt, smell the scent of a candle, and the waiting will pass by…in delight.

  I can’t know tomorrow or what or when or if, how her life will go, but I can get busy in my life while I wait.

  I love this.

  I already listened to a few CD’s while I waited.

  I enjoyed a bowl of soup and homemade bread, while I waited.

  I love that I am free to pass the time while I wait, instead of sitting and worrying while I wait.

  What a huge gift to live my life while I wait to see what transpires in hers. When she needs me, I can stop enjoying the waiting and act.

  I can’t tell you how this simple idea freed me or gave me permission to enjoy my time while waiting.

  February 11, 2011

  apron, bondage, children, choices, co-dependent, freedom, life, mine, ours, parents, released, Romancing, sarah ban Breathnach, separation, strings, the Ordinary, waiting, yours

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• I was Missing?

  One theme of fear that has nagged at me in the past six years is; I don’t belong.

  I don’t match, I don’t fit in, I am different, I am at odds with those around me. I stand out; I walked away, leaving behind many.

  I see them fitting together and me fitting out.

  I see a flock of people being in life in harmony and then me, singing off tune.

  The feeling inside was one of separation, loneliness, not belonging, forever standing on the fringe.

  What I failed to do was take one more step back and see the completed picture.

  My focus has been on the group, not on me, my view is from this odd angle of group mentality.

  Understandably so, for I was raised to be a group member, but not an individual and I excelled at this.

  I was a superior group member, outstanding in blending in, merging my life into the group, that I simply disappeared.

  Each time I felt the separation I felt lonely and not whole and grew smaller and smaller.

  I seemed to disappear from their life while my own life seemed to loom larger and larger.

  If you could see me from both views, you would see me growing fainter in their light but if you stood on my side you could see me growing bigger and brighter.

  My success or failure depends on where you are standing.

  If you are expecting me to return and become a group member, you will see me fading, growing weaker and farther away.

  And if you jump over to the side of individual your view will totally change.

  You will see a person standing up for her own feelings, her own passions and truths, a separated soul finding its own self worth.

  I too fall victim to the group view, to see me in their eyes and each time I do, I feel less.

  However, when I stand inside myself and witnessed my life from the inside out, I feel my uniqueness and my independence of free will.

  A group no longer owns me.

  As a child I was taught to give up my body, my feelings, my life and my individual stakes for a group called family, which was governed by religion and undermined by abuse.

  They took ownership of me piece by piece.

  Or I gave them pieces of me little by little, believing the more I gave the more I would become.

  I gave til I was gone.

  It has taken me a long while to remove the sense of self from the views of a group and see myself within my self, to feel my self as self.

  To weigh and measure myself by my own ruler, to no longer feel my value is defined by the Ruler of the group.

  This separated wholeness I see of me outside the group is to see and feel something I am not familiar with, a self beyond the group.
  My favorite image or saying is, “I am going to go find myself, and I don’t know who I am or even that I am missing…”

  I had no idea who I was separated from a group.

  I had no individual view of self.

  I was nothing out side alone.

  My whole composition of self was defined by their needs of me.

  My fear of being alone was that alone I am nothing.

  I recall being scared spit less to the point of frozen immobility, to be naked without a group.

  The group I had woken up in was filled with filth, untruths, lies and cover-ups, forgiveness of sins, a mess.

  It was me!

  The group looked liked me, talked like me, walked like me, it was a direct reflection, a bird with the same feathers.

  There was no dividing line between it and me.

  I found me, lost, brainwashed, blind, abused, broken, confused, mental…I was upside down and tilted away from reality.

  It’s denial and mine were equal.

  My long walk back to find myself and see myself in reality has not been an easy road, but one that has set me free to stand alone belonging to me.

  Isn’t it funny I found myself exactly as I felt, Lost but not knowing I was missing?

  January 16, 2011

  abuse, alone, belonging, brainwashed, child, confusion, denial, dysfunction, Finding, fitting in, groups, life, mental, mind, self, separation

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• Healing Won.

  I dropped the letter in the outgoing mail; it sat in the box for a few hours, with me working nearby.

  Every now and then, I wondered if I should take it back; pull it out and retreat back to silence.

  When the time approached for the first mail truck heading south, my confidence waned, my insecurities arose, at times it was like holding a yoga pose to not walk a few steps and take it back.

  It is amazing to be nervously anxious and brave in the same breath.

  In the outgoing mailbox lay my restraining letter to my mother; it’s bold statements clear and concise, there is no mistaking or misreading its intent.

  I recalled a few of the lines in my one page letter.

  “It is not healthy for me to be around you.”

  “My silence is the kindest thing I can give you.”

  “I need you to honor and respect the silence and space I need to heal and be whole.”

  “If you fail to honor our separation as it is, you are deliberately seeking to disrespect and hurt me; I will take it as such.”

  The letter was easy to write, harder to send, and leaves my emotions scared inside, even though I mean every word, it just seems too harsh to send.

  There is a part of me that is still loyal to the mother/daughter relationship that has long ago dissolved, a part that feels it just isn’t right to actually send. It is okay to feel these things, but it is certainly not right to speak to your elders this way.

  A part of me feels there will be dire consequences for my words, punishment for being so ballsy for speaking to a mother this way.

  Yet on the other hand the feelings of self-empowerment and self-love are being flooded with strength as I did what no daughter wants to do.

  Restrain her self from having a relationship with her mother.

  How unnatural to leave a mother and to set up firm boundaries that lock you out, cutting the ties that sever the lines of communication.

  Becoming an orphan on purpose.

  What I failed to notice is that it is me that was restraining me.

  Restraining me from leaving.

  Restraining me from staying.

  Inside is the battle of the dysfunctional daughter and the healing one; how grateful am I healing won.

  November 30, 2010

  boundaries, healing, healthy, mother, orphan, purposeful, restraining, separation, setting, unnatural

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• A New Language of Me.

  My laptop lost its way to the Internet, no connection can be found, a wonderful tool that sits in solitary confinement.  I can type upon it, but it lost the means to communicate.  It felt so odd to have it sitting there without the flow of giving and receiving.

  Tomorrow I hope to call the Internet people and reconnect, how easy it is for a machine.

  How much harder it is for us.  I even have the capabilities to speak and to hear and yet I lost the connection with my family.

  Perhaps it is not the connection that is faulty but the words that pass between us.

  I say things they don't want to hear and they say things that make no sense to me, it is like we are separated by a language problem.

  You wonder where the words come from.  From fear or love?  Do they know?

  Is there a way to fix this and how can it be done?

  Who has to change the manner of speaking?  Is it me and what do I need to say?

  I know it is me, I gave up the language of our childhood and began speaking a new tongue, a new dialogue that is unfamiliar to them, truth.

  My new language had me walking a new path, my connections with my family were severed.

  I am unsure where there will be the opportunity again to connect.

  Until then I walk along learning a new language of me.   

  May 23, 2010

  alone, estrangement, family, fear, New, separation, unheard

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