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"Be foolishly in love, because love is all there is."

~ Rumi

When asked to summarize his teachings in one word, Ramana Maharshi said, “Attention.” That struck home in a deeper way the most recent time I heard it. I thought he would have said, “Silence,” because that what his preferred method of teaching. But his answer makes perfect sense. His teachings on Self-inquiry are all about directing attention from the world of thoughts and objects to the source of attention. Attention has been described as focused Awareness and is the “tool” (if we can call it that) through which things are known. Without attention on something, it is unregistered as existing. For most people, attention is focused on thoughts much of the time and can seem like it’s getting “lost in thought” on a regular basis. But the purpose of inquiry is to withdraw attention from thoughts and the world and direct it toward Awareness. Ramana’s teaching recommended using the simple question, “Who am I?” and then direct attention toward the “I-thought” to which that question points. It’s a simple but powerful way to see through the illusion of separation.

Because of its simplicity and directness, Self-inquiry is also referred to as the direct path to Self-realization (aka Enlightenment, Awakening, Happiness, etc.). Inquiry is a practice that came alive in me a few years ago as I was absorbing teachings from Mooji and Rupert Spira (to name just a few). Then, Dan Kelso and Deep Self Investigation (http://deepselfinvestigation.com) entered the picture about a year ago or so. My work with Dan and DSI over the last year has taken Self-inquiry to a new level and has led to numerous breakthroughs, increased clarity and less identification with the imagined separate self (aka character, ego, etc.). DSI introduced new questions (beyond the traditional, “Who am I?”) and a new way of directing attention. This practice has led to more inquiry questions, all aimed at directing attention toward Awareness and “seeing” what we truly are.

The Nature of Attention

I have talked with Dan K about the nature of attention on a few occasions and discovered that, on the one hand, it seems to have a will of its own and goes where it wants, when it wants. On the other hand, it appears that there is some limited capacity to “control” where it goes. For example, if I say, “Direct attention toward your left foot,” attention would most likely go to your left foot. If I say, “What’s that over there?” and point to an object, attention will most likely go toward that object. Since the invitation of Self-inquiry is to withdraw attention from the world of objects and thoughts and turn toward its aware Source, redirecting attention is the key.

That said, I have found that asking a good question is one of the best ways to direct attention. We are all conditioned from the time we are young to answer questions, which involves directing attention toward where we think we will find the answers. Once on the path of awakening, it becomes clear that the answers to Life’s most important questions are not found “out there” or even in the mind, but instead found in its Source. How do we find the Source? Ask a question that leads attention to it.

Another good thing about a teaching based on asking questions is that the questioner gets to discover the answer firsthand, instead of believing it secondhand. Secondhand information is what our identities are built on, so it’s time to discard it and rely only on firsthand information. All of the good teachers out there will tell you, “Do not believe what I say, check for yourself.” If we could believe ourselves into Self-realization there would be a lot more wakefulness in the world. Instead, it has to be experienced directly in order for true transformation to take place.

Line of Questioning

A number of inquiry questions have come to this character through various teachers (i.e. Dan Kelso, Rupert Spira, Mooji, Robert Adams, Ramana, Nisaragadatta, etc.). New questions started coming to the surface as I began exploring the nature of Consciousness, so I have been keeping a list of questions that have been useful for inquiry and hope it will be beneficial to “others” on the same path.

So, consider this an invitation to let go of all your beliefs and ideas about Enlightenment, Awakening, Self-realization, Awareness, Consciousness, etc., and put all of the teachings aside. All of that goes with the rest of the secondhand information we’ve accumulated. Then, sit with each of these questions and look with your own direct experience to where they point. These questions are not designed to be answered with the mind. They are intended to invite attention to discover the experiential answer. [Audio recordings of these are available at https://anchor.fm/trey-carland ]

Inquiring into the Senses

First, we will inquire into the senses. After reading each of these questions, repeat them over and over again a few times (out loud or in your mind) and direct attention to where they are pointing.

What is looking through these eyes?

What is aware of what’s being seen?

What is aware that seeing is happening?

Is what I’m seeing being seen from behind my eyes, or is it being seen where it is?

Where does seeing take place?

What hears these sounds?

What is aware of what’s being heard?

What is aware that hearing is happening?

Are these sounds being heard in my ears, or are they being heard somewhere in space?

Where does hearing take place?

Inquiring into the Body

Next, we will explore into the body in a similar way. Direct attention toward the feeling of aliveness in the body. Close your eyes and get a feel for the energetic experience of the body. Once you are feeling its alive energy, ask the following questions:

What is experiencing the body?

Is the body is being experienced from all around, both from inside and out?

Is the experience of body just a sensation floating in an aware space?

Am I this aware space that experiences the body, or am I the body?

Inquiring into Thoughts

Now, let’s use thoughts to do some further exploration. The following questions will become the thoughts you are investigating when you repeat them in the mind.

From where do these thoughts arise?

What hears the voice of these thoughts?

What’s here prior to and in between thoughts?

Where are thoughts being perceived from?

Are these thoughts appearing in my head, or are they just appearing in an aware space?

Am I this aware space, or am I the thoughts?

Inquiring into Awareness

Once you have connected with Awareness a few times, it’s time to get to know it (so to speak). This bears repeating. These questions are not designed to be answered with the mind. Each question is intended to invite attention to explore the nature of Awareness and become familiar with it. The answer is experiential.

Am I aware?

What does it feel like to be aware?

What does the experience of just being aware feel like?

Is there a stillness here?

Is there a sense of peace here?

Is there a sense of just being aware here?

Is there a sense of aliveness here?

Is there a sense of existing here?

What is it that’s aware of all that?

Is this aware stillness what I am?

Am I just Awareness?

Is this person I call “me” just an experience in Awareness?

What is it like to just be Awareness?

Does this Awareness feel contained by the body, or is the body contained by Awareness?

Does this Awareness have a location, or is it everywhere?

Does this Awareness have any limits, or is it infinite?

Does this Awareness come and go, or is it ever-present?

Does this Awareness ever move, or is it always Here?

Does this Awareness have any preferences, or is it all accepting?

What is it like to just be aware?

What is it like to know yourself as Awareness?

You may find some of these questions more fruitful for exploration than others. You may also find that the questions that resonate now may be different in a few days/weeks/months. Sometimes just changing a word or two in a question can change how it is received, so feel free to put your own spin on them. After doing inquiry for a while, you may also find new questions arising organically. I would also encourage you to take these questions with you during your day. When you find one that resonates, ask it while you are engaged in everyday activities. Don’t leave inquiry sitting on a meditation cushion. Awareness is always happening and is available for exploring anytime, anywhere.

More Inquiry Questions

Here are some additional questions to explore.

What is this “I”?

What is the nature of my Self?

What is it that does not come and go?

What hasn’t changed since I was born?

[Speaking out loud] Who is talking right now?

What is it like to really take all this in?

What is it like to experience happiness (or joy, bliss, love, etc.)?

Does happiness feel like a natural state?

What is it like to experience the Stillness underneath everything?

Fundamental Tenets of Ramana’s Teachings

The following are things that Ramana wanted people to know up front regarding doing inquiry practice (or sadhana). So, I probably should have put it up front as a disclaimer. However, I didn’t run across these tenets until I had been doing inquiry for quite a while, so I know it doesn’t really matter when it gets conveyed, as long as it is conveyed.

“Firstly, that we are all Realised here and now and that the only purpose of sadhana is to remove the idea that we are not;

Secondly, there is no individual self to extinguish because the individual self never at any time existed;

Thirdly, no amount of mental sadhana is helpful because the mind cannot do anything except extend the frontiers of its own ignorance.”

As I sit here, our daughter Izabella, who is now 9 months old, is crawling around the living room looking for ways to pull her self up to standing.  Iza, as Shelby likes to call her, is such a wonderful gift.  Not only do we get to revel in her discovering everything for the first time, but we get to see her smile and laugh.  Seeing her laugh is pure joy, and I’d like to quit my day job to become a full-time baby entertainer (though Shelby is much better at making her laugh).  She’s such a happy baby that we can take her out to the store and restaurants, and she will just smile at everyone until they smile back.  She leaves a wake of open hearts and love where ever she goes, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see.  Her smile is a gift to the Universe :)

As I watch her crawl and stand up (she’ll be walking very soon), it got me to thinking about what drives the developing baby.  What makes them tick?  Why do they crawl?  Why do they stand, walk, etc.?  My wife and I certainly are not teaching her things.  We’re just watching in awe as she develops these new abilities on her own.

Though scientists might explain this drive to move as genetic programming or some such thing, I see an invisible force that is driving us, guiding us to act.  That force is like a primordial intelligence that knows what needs to be done.  In the beginning, when we are too young to start formulating opinions or analyzing things, we just naturally go with the flow without questioning that intelligence.  But as we grow older, we begin to question that force, even resist its urges.  We may be encouraged to ignore the innate urges by our parents in situations where curiosity might put us in harm’s way.  Right now there are only a few things cropping up that we’re discouraging, such as pulling Mommy’s hair and trying to eat things that aren’t really edible (baby’s apparently like to explore things with their mouths).

The older we get, the more things we are guided to do or not do, which is based at least partly on our caregiver’s level of trust in that innate force that drives us all.  Therefore, this lack of trust in, we’ll just call it Life, gets passed down from one generation to the next.  But before parents go blaming themselves for raising children with a lack of trust in Life, it’s important to realize that one’s lack of trust in Life is also a crucial part of Life’s driving force.  Things are as they are because they could be no other way, and what is appearing now is what Life wants for us.

So, if you think that you “could” have or “should” have done something differently in the past, you are believing in a lie (interestingly enough the word “believe” has the word “lie” built into it).  That lie is that you know better than Life, and that you could have done a better job than Life had intended for you.  This is why reliving the past and playing the “What if things had been different?” game is a lose-lose proposition.

Like it or not, it had to be this way.  That’s why the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, and the like, are so crucial to obtaining the peace we all desire.  Tolle has summed up his teachings at one point or another by saying, “All you really have to do is accept this moment fully...”  That’s what Life wants for you.  Our mind comes in with its lack of trust and casts doubt on what may happen if we accept the unavoidable isness of this moment (i.e. we’ll never do anything to make changes in our lives, etc.), but that doubt, too, is part of Life’s plan for us.  We doubt because there is no other way – until there is the realization that there is another way.

If you’re reading these words, I suspect that you are making baby steps toward the innocence you had when you were born, when you had no choice but to trust Life because you knew no other way.  You’ve been introduced to the idea that there is another way, which is to live in alignment with Life.  You’ve already learned how to avoid touching hot stoves and how not to lick the floor, so set aside your distrust and let Life start doing the work for you – one baby step at a time.

Here’s a quote from my Notes on Inner Peace to ponder, “What if life is unfolding just as it is supposed to, and you didn’t have to make anything happen?  What if it has been making everything fall into place from the very beginning, without you needing to worry, ever?”

As Byron Katie likes to say, “Let Life live you. It does anyway.”

Peace, Love and Life to you,

Trey
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A Seeker's Guide to Inner Peace: Notes to Self, by Trey Carland
- compassion-blog.blogspot.com
- www.facebook.com/trey.carland

So my question today and always is how may I serve the Sangha as it is a direct reflection and in truth my very own Self?  How may I be of service to you my Beloved?  As this group we meet together to dive into the illusion of the apparent form.  The separate self that thinks in separate ways.  We inquire into what is real and what remains when all this madness is opened to-released-and moves on.  The truth of what remains.  What is simply just here.  What  is always here.  This is what makes this energy and form rise and bow to you- to serve you and me in this way-inquiring and ever deepening with the open heart. Untying the knots of suffering to reveal our true nature as Grace itself.  Grace moves everywhere like gravity-like water moving with the current. Within, without. as everything. Always moving to dissolve separation. Always,always pointing us home. 

On the day of the takeover of the Capitol, I stopped to chat with my neighbor, who filled me in on what was happening. He asked me to say a prayer for our country, which I later did. It went a little something like this, “May we all find the peace that we seek and share that peace with the world.” Today, while reflecting on the recent events at the Capitol and the drama that continues to ensue, the impulse to write arose and here is the result:

There Was a Time…
By Trey Carland

There was a time I carried guns.

There was a time I marched on the State Capitol to protest an injustice.

There was a time I would have marched armed to fight for justice.

There was a time I was outraged at others who threatened justice and equality.

There was a time I was deeply involved in politics.

There was a time I feared the government was stripping away our rights.

There was a time I was fascinated by conspiracy theories.

There was a time I saw doom as a direct impact of what was happening.

There was a time I judged others for being ignorant of what is true and right.

There was a time I thought I chose my beliefs because they were true.

There was a time I realized all beliefs are built on lies.

There was a time I saw that others can’t be any other way than they are.

There was a time I would say, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”

There was a time I saw myself as the other.

There was a time I saw there is no other.

There was a time I realized there is no Me, no You, no Us, no Them. Just This.

There was a time I saw it all unfolding with a divine intelligence for the betterment of all.

There was a time I saw the perfect timing of everything, and that time is always Now.

There was a time I saw that the Divine is always inviting itself to wake up and radiate peace in the world.

“There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realization is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges ~ the power of Presence. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

Watch Video on YouTube - https://youtu.be/fl0rPxJyu8A

PS - The video has some glitches here and there, which only detracts slightly from the viewing experience. I hope to fix those errors as soon as I figure out how.

I had a nice conversation with a friend of mine who reached out for some support regarding feelings of anxiety that had become a recurring theme. It's a common feeling we've all felt at one time or another and possibly a feeling that is being triggered more frequently by all of the things going on in the world. My friend seemed to benefit from the words I shared so I thought it might be helpful to put them out there for public consumption. Though this conversation dealt specifically with anxiety, which is just another flavor of what we call fear, the same practice could be used with other emotions as well.

First, check to see whether there is a feeling of anxiety currently being experienced. It's helpful if the sense of anxiety is already present, but it can also be conjured up by thinking thoughts that have triggered anxiety in the past. Once you notice that anxiety is present, I invite you to investigate what it feels like. How do you know anxiety is present? What does anxiety feel like? Try to describe the experience of anxiety and how it is recognized. Typically, there is a sense of tightness in the body, often accompanied by a quickening heartbeat. In the case of my friend, he equated the feeling with a sense of stage fright one might encounter when being asked to give a presentation to a large audience.

Once you become familiar with the experience of anxiety, it's time to explore it. First, we drop the label “anxiety” and remove it from the equation. Then, we direct attention toward the sensations present in the body. By removing the label “anxiety” and examining it experientially, it creates an impartial space for the experience. A good question to ask at this point is, “Is this anxiety, or just the movement of energy?” If it can be clearly seen as the movement of energy and not anxiety, then a new relationship to the sensation begins to form.

In the example of anxiety, I like to use the metaphor of a roller coaster. If you can remember what it's like to be on the uphill climb on a roller coaster, getting closer to the top, you might have experienced a similar energetic movement in the body with tension and a quickening heart rate. Anticipation of the unknown is the root. One could just as easily label this experience as “excitement.” Once you crest the top of the roller coaster and plummet downwards, there is a rush of energy as the anticipation gives way and transforms into exhilaration as you realize you are safe. If there is a sense of trust that you are safe, then surrender gives way to delight. This analogy might not be helpful if you are not a fan of roller coasters but seeing this energetic sensation we call anxiety in a different light can enable us to see that it is similar in nature to excitement. It is a movement of energy, plain and simple. By not giving it a label like “fear” or “anxiety” it does not feed into a story that perpetuates its presence, nor does it create a problem out of the simple movement of energy.

So, when this energy arises, simply asking the question, "Is this anxiety or is this the movement of energy?" can transform our perception of it. In the case of my friend, asking this question caused the sensation to dissipate, but he noticed that it quickly rose again. I brought up the roller coaster metaphor again and indicated that roller coasters usually have multiple peaks and valleys rather than just one, and that asking this question each time it arises may gradually weaken the intensity and frequency of the movement of energy. Simply by seeing it impartially can diminish the energy’s ability to fuel stressful thoughts. He really liked this approach because it was remarkably simple and only involved asking one question.

I invite you to use the same question for whatever types of emotions might be recurring themes in your experience. The investigation can deepen but it's typically helpful to clear a pathway, so to speak, before diving deeper into the roots of suffering. Feel free to let me know how it goes.

In peace,
Trey

​Have you ever made what you thought was a bad decision? If you think so, then you've probably experienced the frustration of things not working out the way you had hoped they would. However, I would like for you to ponder this: What if there is no such thing as a bad decision? What if there are only decisions? What if i​​t’s impossible to make a mistake in this life? What would happen to this frustration if you dropped the belief that mistakes are possible? Is the idea that things could or should be different than they are actually at the root of frustration?

Each and every move we take has a different set of possible outcomes. We do our best to make the “right” move, but when we decide outcomes are “bad” then we look at what led to them as a mistake, either on our part or the part of others. We will then either seek to blame ourselves or others for unpleasant circumstances. However, from my experience, every apparent “bad” situation always has positive repercussions. It may take a little while for the benefits to be shown, but I can always find several positive outcomes that were brought about by a seemingly negative situation.

This may seem like a “rose colored glasses” approach to viewing life, but I have been in a number of seemingly hopeless situations, and I have seen how life always works out in my favor despite what may seem hopeless. Having been tested over and over again with challenging situations, I have learned to see every circumstance as an opportunity for growth. The gift of stressful situations is in the opportunity to go beyond our beliefs about what should or shouldn’t be. If we operate from the perspective that mistakes are not actually possible, then it frees us to act from a place of fearlessness and integrity, knowing that the outcome will be for our benefit, even if it seems challenging at first. It also alleviates the burden of thinking we know what’s best for us and reduces our attachment to certain outcomes.

When I find myself in a situation where something I did or said seemed to cause someone else distress, I own my role in that and try to see the situation from the other person’s perspective. It’s important to know that their distress is not ultimately caused by us but by their own beliefs on how things should be. But it’s also important not to dismiss the feelings of others, and instead look for the truth in any accusations or blame that comes our way. We gain insights into ourselves and others when we can welcome their criticisms instead of defending against them. The key is not to get caught in judging ourselves negatively because someone else blames us for their frustration. Instead, we can recognize that we did the best we could do, and we did it perfectly. A friend of mine once told me, “You can’t do it wrong, you can only do it Trey.” You could also say that the only mistake is the belief that mistakes are possible.

When we cease to believe in mistakes, challenges can be welcomed as part of what’s necessary for our personal growth, and things can be seen as unfolding in our favor. When the burden of self-doubt and the fear of doing something “wrong” is lifted, each moment is perfectly fine no matter what happens. The past and present are accepted as part of what could not have been avoided, and the present is experienced as one welcome occurrence after another. We can then realize that we are always living in a happy ending that never ends.

I invite you to see what it’s like to release the idea that you, or someone else, could make a mistake. See what happens when you stop labeling things as good and bad. Things always are as they are and nothing anyone can do will change that. Only one thing can be changed and that’s how you see things. Could it be that our happiness is a belief away?

Fear seems rampant around the world right now. For some it has to do with the impending rule of the new President of the United States. We have heard a great deal about how wrong things could go under Trump, and a lot of it’s easily believable based on the past. However, this is a prime example of how we create fear in our lives -- We imagine a future. We like predictability and are programmed to use our memory to project a future to help put us at ease (or freak us out). Let’s face it, the future we envision today is not likely to be the reality of the moment when it becomes now. Consequently, when you’re living in fear, you’re believing in an unlikely (more like impossible) future. Seems like a waste of energy, doesn’t it?

Ponder this: What if none of the ideas we have about the future will ever be true? What if we are always going to be wrong? What if no matter how much we think and analyze things, we can’t possibly be right? Ever? Would that be scary? Or would you simply stop trying to know the future? If so, a great deal of our incessant mental noise and worry could finally go away, leaving us more time to focus on what’s real, now.

What’s that you say? “How can we be prepared for what the future may hold if we don’t think about what might happen?” I can see the mind justifying its need to predict and analyze. “I’m here to protect you from bad things,” it says. “Without me, you would be lost.” But is that really true? We can only guess what would have happened in the past if we hadn’t relied on the mind’s attempts to know the future. So we can only guess what might happen in the future if we don’t rely on our mind. Can we open our minds to see what good may come? A lack of trust in the unknown keeps us stuck worrying about a non-existent future. As Eckhart Tolle says, “You can never cope with the future. But you can always cope with the Now.”

What’s the worst that could happen if we threw ideas of the future out the window? When you start to answer that question with the mind, you have re-entered an imaginary future world. Let’s pick one negative thing that seems likely to happen with Trump as President. Take your belief in that possible future, and embrace it, then let it go for a moment. See what it feels like to drop that belief. For me, a space of lightness opens up that was previously concealed by worry. A sense of trust and confidence emerge. This trust does not make us vulnerable. It makes us invincible! Don’t let your mind trick you into believing otherwise. Your thoughts are well meaning. They attempt to protect us from uncertainty, but since everything about the future is uncertain, we get stuck in protective mode. Can you accept uncertainty in your life? Can you hold the knowing that you can handle anything life throws at you, whether you saw it coming or not?

The key to peace isn’t knowing what the future holds, it’s knowing what the present moment holds. When you know this moment fully, you become one with the organic flow of Life. Allow it to carry on the way it does. It will happen however it wants to happen, regardless of your best efforts. Take the effortless way to freedom. Stop believing the hype. Speculation is all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and frustration and worry are painful emotions. So, stop hurting yourself! No future = No fear. Living fearlessly is how real positive change comes about in this world. Be the peace you want to see and see what happens.

We'll provide details on how you can join us a little later on.

Mark Your Calendar! Join Fred for Online Satsang with the Center for Nonduality on Thursday, July 20, from 8:00 pm - 12:00 pm Eastern.

And come see us at Awakening Clarity Now!

I like the little block that shows up on my page that says "What brings you here?" I am not a person that spends much time on the computer and I tend to not be drawn to use it as a form of communicating my thoughts except for what is logistically showing up to be tended to or if it is the way someone desires to communicate with me. But checking on my Asheville Sangha page I see this question and I feel a smile inside flowing out and it is showing up to participate in this way...so lovely and fun! What brings me here is that there is a desire for you to know that I am here and at your service my Beloved. I have been flying a small flag for quite awhile.  There has been a quietness about sharing but I also feel it should not be hard to find me and or connect with what we are about at the regular Satsang meetings that are held.  I haven't set up a website as of yet but we do record all of the meetings and they are available if your feel drawn check it out.  You can contact Julia Borg and she can make that happen. I have been offering group Satsang and Darshan for almost 3 years with tremendous love and support of Sangha. Folks had been asking me for many years before that but I stayed away from it until meeting and asking Adyashanti.  At the time I felt like I wasn't "cooked enough" to talk about it.  He simply told me if someone asked me a question to talk. From that moment it was a serious invitation for the veil that I could feel remaining to fall away as it did soon after that. With Adya's support I began this apparent role as a teacher. He continued to be very available to me to go over meetings and my questions for the next two years as I would not have felt I could do it otherwise. My deepest desire was and still is to function totally from integrity. Finally a year or so ago my need for him actually became a source of discomfort for me. I both didn't and did understand what was happening. He told me it was now time for me to trust myself. He totally became not only my teacher and friend but very own Self.  I always was feeling this deep pull, then deeper and deeper still,to end this feeling of teacher/student and knew it would not be fully integrated until I didn't experience him as higher or somehow with some magical ingredient that I still was not awake to.  Since then I find he is or more simply the teacher is within and after 6 months or so from that meeting I realized since then there had been no external questions arising anymore. I actually then realized all along Adya had over and over again just validated my questions and honored the way truth moves through this form called Alaya. He teaching is always about trusting yourself.  Its all a inside job. I did have a couple times I was burning to hear his voice but the first time I simpy cried and burned in the yearning.  The next time my daughter shows up with our family computer complaining a man was talking over her tv show and if I would turn it off.  I handed her the iPad instead realizing it was adya's voice and that a prior recording had somehow been activated.  I listened and it was one of my most loved parts of a favorite satsang I had heard before.  He was telling the story about the happiest day of his life when his wife woke up from separation and came to him as he was waking up out of bed and she simply said "I don't need you anymore!"  I held my computer realizing how  much I am supported always in Grace. Its not that my teacher isn't there for me anymore or that we aren't friends. He told me he would be there for me always even in 50 years but I now know that need for external help -even Adya- that is not to be held on to. Even that must fall away. Not that that is a rule or anything for me never to connect with him in that way as it is a mystery.  It's just that is the way it naturally is. Our nature is unconditioned and whole and from that arises unconditional love as Adya reflects so powerfully.  But that is also my true nature and your true nature. Freedom can only be found within and from my own experience I find that that freedom, who we are, this, is ever expanding and ever deepening beyond the beyond and not even that. Anywhere we find separation is a shining light pointing us home all the way through to realize we were always this way. That you and I are the same and the Beloved is our natural Self. I love how Adya says his life is dedicated to the awakening of all beings.  I also feel this deep call...  You are my very Self. Your suffering is my suffering.  We are the same.  Your awakening is my awakening.  I am at your feet. Our deepest desire is truth and I can only bow to that.  How may I be of service my to you my Beloved? 

I divorced myself from politics back in 2004 after suffering a grand mal seizure. It happened right after I learned that John Kerry had conceded the election to George Bush, before all of the votes had been counted. I wasn’t a Kerry supporter at the time, but I was a Bush hater. When I went to tell my wife the upsetting news, I fell down and had a seizure. I woke up in the ambulance on the way to the ER. I was later diagnosed with epilepsy, but it was a wake up call that changed my life forever. And I am thankful for it because it’s what started my search for the purpose of Life. I later found it and am continuing to see the purpose unfold all around. I know it’s all necessary. I know everything is a prerequisite for the discovery of purpose. It has to be this way. So what do you do if you don’t like it this way and it can be no other way? That’s how it started for me.

Having said that, I am also among the majority of Americans who are surprised and disappointed in the recent Presidential election. I, like many, didn’t think Donald Trump had a chance. Afterall, he’s a bully with a negative attitude toward a lot of people. He’s very judgmental and prone to make irrational decisions. There, I said it. I cast my first stone. It’s time for me to do The Work :)

I digress, however. The outcome has illustrated just how divided we are as a nation. There are a lot of people celebrating the victory in the form of hate speech toward minorities. I am surprised that roughly half of those who voted are okay with someone like Trump behind the wheel. But, my disappointment transitioned into peace with forgiveness. This is not a forgiveness that comes from a place of superiority, as in those people are wrong and I forgive them. Instead it’s identifying with them. Once you forgive, you can begin to relate to others as human beings again.

As an example, I ended up in the voting booth right next to my previous neighbors. It’s a long story that ended with us moving to get away from them. I know they are blue collar republicans and I thought about why they were voting the way they were.After all, my political mind thinks that poor people are voting against their best interest by towing the party line. Anyway, it dawned on me that it’s because they have no choice. They were exposed to certain things in their past that shaped their way of thinking. The same is true of me. Beliefs are handed down from generation to generation, like folklore. I then felt a sense of compassion toward them as I filled out my ballot. I can only be this way and they can only be that way. We didn’t get to choose--until we realize we have a choice.

The chaos that has transpired since the election has all been part of the unconscious belief that I’m right. How could we think otherwise? But it has put a magnifying glass on the divisiveness we have within and without. Even though I don’t believe Trump would make a good President, I think he will make a necessary one. From my perspective, he represents part of the acceleration of human unconsciousness. There is a wave of consciousness rolling through this world, and it has a lot of people concerned. Word is spreading like the fires we’ve seen here in the mountains. The word is, “Yes, you can encounter peace in a world gone mad. Yes, you have the power to bring good into this world, even when it seems to be falling apart. You can rid yourself of compulsive thinking and negativity. You can accept what is.” It usually takes something traumatic to get you to look for what’s true. This election will be the trauma that many people need in order to start focusing on the only thing that can be changed--your perspective. You change that and you change the world. You change that and you become the world.

Keep the peace, inside and out. Take time to stop and just be present. Follow your breath as you enjoy the air around you. Look at the sky. Pay attention to your sense of Being. All of the negativity is just mind stuff that covers up the truth of who we are. It’s time to wake up now. I invite you to please make waking up your prime focus this coming year. Learn to make peace with the present moment, even if it contains apparent adversity. You can do anything when you do it from the space of peace.

InJoy,

Trey

A change in my employment status led me to a job that I never really thought of. How I got there is a long, and somewhat messy tale with its own set of life lessons that I may talk in more depth about at a later date. For now, the life lessons are bountiful from my current situation.

I am working as a brand ambassador/event specialist for Advantage Solutions*, which is a national marketing company that partners with Walmart stores to promote certain products in their stores. My job is to go into Walmart stores in the area and set up tasting events. So far I have served up samples of all sorts of things (i.e. yogurt, crackers, ice cream, pasta salad, fruit, sausage, cheese, wine, beer, etc.) It has been immensely enlightening, and I have just been itching to share ;)

When I first applied for the job a few months ago, the job description wasn’t very clear. After I was given the job, I realized I would be giving out samples in Walmart stores. It didn’t sound very appealing at that point, but we needed the money and it was a sure thing. Getting a “real job” opened up some underlying feelings of insecurity. I have been my own boss for most of my adult life and haven’t had to punch a clock since I was in college. It was very exciting!

The job also brought up all of those negative judgments I have had toward Walmart for ages. I never really shop there. In fact, I spent more time in Walmart on my first day of the job than in my whole life. There I was, working as an apparent employee of Walmart. At first I became aware of feelings of failure governed by a mental story and fear of judgment. What would “they” think of me? “Successful Small Business Owner Resorts to Working at Walmart,” would be the ego’s headline :)

Fortunately, I was aware of these stories playing out and could watch them without buying into them. I was able to welcome those negative judgments head on. I became open to the situation, viewing it without a negative overlay. Without some level of awareness, I can see how that story could easily spin someone into a state of depression. But the more I accepted my moment to moment situation, the more at ease I felt. Therein lies liberation -- Accepting without judgments.

It helps a great deal that I have a half hour drive to work. Driving is something that allows me to become more fully present. I also get to listen to Eckhart Tolle audio, which never gets old. In fact, they just get newer. I’m listening to the same audiobooks over and over again (Stillness Speaks and Practicing the Power of Now) and I just get clearer and clearer. His words have been instrumental in helping me adjust to this new life situation.

Basically, this job took me way out of my comfort zone. I’ve been an introvert since I was a kid. I don’t consider myself shy, as such, but I have never been very outgoing. This job requires me to be outgoing, which has been wonderful in so many ways. First, I learned that stepping out of my comfort zone, actually gives my feet a work out. I haven’t really needed to be on my feet for 6 hours a day before, so my feet hurt quite a bit when I first started the job. However, I noticed something interesting once I started paying conscious attention to my feet. When I engaged with people, such asking them if they would like a sample, the muscles in different parts of my feet got tight. I don’t know much about it, but I know reflexology works with different parts of the foot that connect with other bodily symptoms. What I determined was that the flight or flight instinct, typically brought about by fearful situations, was triggered on a subtle level when I struck up conversation with other people. To me this was a clear example of how the residue of fear was manifesting in a physical way so that it could be recognized and released. Had it not been for foot pain, I may not have recognized that fear was there, running silently in the background. (I did get some padded insoles, by the way, which helped quite a bit).

One of the other great things about my job is that I get to people watch all day. Walmart is such a melting pot of people. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities and personalities. I have seen a number of people with various forms of mental and physical disabilities, which I don’t normally see in my daily life (I lead a sheltered life). There seems to be so much acceptance of people, especially from some of the Walmart greeters. The Walmart greeter at one store seems to know most of the customers. She hugs most of the people with disabilities that come through the door, and likes to kiss every baby on the head (not sure how some of the Moms feel about it though).

It’s been a real eye opener to watch people like this, but it’s been more eye opening to watch myself. I get to notice my own judgments about others as they surface. Notice, accept and release seems to be the practice, and it has become second nature. It’s easy for the mind to spin stories about people based on how they look, what they buy and how they act, but it’s easier (and better) not to. When we stop looking at others judgmentally, they automatically become better people because we are the ones who made them look less than perfect in the first place.

As life continues to give me the experiences I need to wake up to what’s true vs. what’s just a story built on judgments, I am able to relax more. Now I am actually enjoying reaching out to people and greeting them. I’m inviting them with a smile to sample whatever I have in front of me. The ones who aren’t interested almost always smile and say, “No thank you.” It’s amazing! Regardless of who it is (punks, thugs, hippies, yuppies, rastas, rednecks, old folks, kids, even New Yorkers), they all have such good manners. (BTW those terms are not meant to be derogatory in any way. They are terms those people would probably ascribe themselves.) The interesting thing is, 99% of them smile when they say no. It’s like we were all raised with such good manners that it’s an automatic response. I see parents passing on good manners to their children after they have a sample, encouraging them to say thank you. Even people who are very serious looking, with a scowl on their face, pause long enough to say, “No thank you.” It’s like I can get a smile out of almost everybody by a simple gesture :)

So now, I realize that my new job is to make people smile. Now I’m not shy about asking anyone to try a sample because it’s fun to make people smile, and I’m getting paid to do it. Smile and the whole world smiles with you :)

InJoy,

Trey

PS

If you’re interested, the company I’m working for is hiring. Email me if you want to learn more - treycarland@gmail.com

A change in my employment status led me to a job that I never really thought of. How I got there is a long, and somewhat messy tale with its own set of life lessons that I may talk in more depth about at a later date. For now, the life lessons are bountiful from my current situation.

I am working as a brand ambassador/event specialist for Advantage Solutions*, which is a national marketing company that partners with Walmart stores to promote certain products in their stores. My job is to go into Walmart stores in the area and set up tasting events. So far I have served up samples of all sorts of things (i.e. yogurt, crackers, ice cream, pasta salad, fruit, sausage, cheese, wine, beer, etc.) It has been immensely enlightening, and I have just been itching to share ;)

When I first applied for the job a few months ago, the job description wasn’t very clear. After I was given the job, I realized I would be giving out samples in Walmart stores. It didn’t sound very appealing at that point, but we needed the money and it was a sure thing. Getting a “real job” opened up some underlying feelings of insecurity. I have been my own boss for most of my adult life and haven’t had to punch a clock since I was in college. It was very exciting!

The job also brought up all of those negative judgments I have had toward Walmart for ages. I never really shop there. In fact, I spent more time in Walmart on my first day of the job than in my whole life. There I was, working as an apparent employee of Walmart. At first I became aware of feelings of failure governed by a mental story and fear of judgment. What would “they” think of me? “Successful Small Business Owner Resorts to Working at Walmart,” would be the ego’s headline :)

Fortunately, I was aware of these stories playing out and could watch them without buying into them. I was able to welcome those negative judgments head on. I became open to the situation, viewing it without a negative overlay. Without some level of awareness, I can see how that story could easily spin someone into a state of depression. But the more I accepted my moment to moment situation, the more at ease I felt. Therein lies liberation -- Accepting without judgments.

It helps a great deal that I have a half hour drive to work. Driving is something that allows me to become more fully present. I also get to listen to Eckhart Tolle audio, which never gets old. In fact, they just get newer. I’m listening to the same audiobooks over and over again (Stillness Speaks and Practicing the Power of Now) and I just get clearer and clearer. His words have been instrumental in helping me adjust to this new life situation.

Basically, this job took me way out of my comfort zone. I’ve been an introvert since I was a kid. I don’t consider myself shy, as such, but I have never been very outgoing. This job requires me to be outgoing, which has been wonderful in so many ways. First, I learned that stepping out of my comfort zone, actually gives my feet a work out. I haven’t really needed to be on my feet for 6 hours a day before, so my feet hurt quite a bit when I first started the job. However, I noticed something interesting once I started paying conscious attention to my feet. When I engaged with people, such asking them if they would like a sample, the muscles in different parts of my feet got tight. I don’t know much about it, but I know reflexology works with different parts of the foot that connect with other bodily symptoms. What I determined was that the flight or flight instinct, typically brought about by fearful situations, was triggered on a subtle level when I struck up conversation with other people. To me this was a clear example of how the residue of fear was manifesting in a physical way so that it could be recognized and released. Had it not been for foot pain, I may not have recognized that fear was there, running silently in the background. (I did get some padded insoles, by the way, which helped quite a bit).

One of the other great things about my job is that I get to people watch all day. Walmart is such a melting pot of people. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities and personalities. I have seen a number of people with various forms of mental and physical disabilities, which I don’t normally see in my daily life (I lead a sheltered life). There seems to be so much acceptance of people, especially from some of the Walmart greeters. The Walmart greeter at one store seems to know most of the customers. She hugs most of the people with disabilities that come through the door, and likes to kiss every baby on the head (not sure how some of the Moms feel about it though).

It’s been a real eye opener to watch people like this, but it’s been more eye opening to watch myself. I get to notice my own judgments about others as they surface. Notice, accept and release seems to be the practice, and it has become second nature. It’s easy for the mind to spin stories about people based on how they look, what they buy and how they act, but it’s easier (and better) not to. When we stop looking at others judgmentally, they automatically become better people because we are the ones who made them look less than perfect in the first place.

As life continues to give me the experiences I need to wake up to what’s true vs. what’s just a story built on judgments, I am able to relax more. Now I am actually enjoying reaching out to people and greeting them. I’m inviting them with a smile to sample whatever I have in front of me. The ones who aren’t interested almost always smile and say, “No thank you.” It’s amazing! Regardless of who it is (punks, thugs, hippies, yuppies, rastas, rednecks, old folks, kids, even New Yorkers), they all have such good manners. (BTW those terms are not meant to be derogatory in any way. They are terms those people would probably ascribe themselves.) The interesting thing is, 99% of them smile when they say no. It’s like we were all raised with such good manners that it’s an automatic response. I see parents passing on good manners to their children after they have a sample, encouraging them to say thank you. Even people who are very serious looking, with a scowl on their face, pause long enough to say, “No thank you.” It’s like I can get a smile out of almost everybody by a simple gesture :)

So now, I realize that my new job is to make people smile. Now I’m not shy about asking anyone to try a sample because it’s fun to make people smile, and I’m getting paid to do it. Smile and the whole world smiles with you :)

InJoy,

Trey

PS

If you’re interested, the company I’m working for is hiring. Email me if you want to learn more - treycarland@gmail.com