February 12th, 2017
By Richard West
Guest writer for Wake Up World
“Change is the only constant in life” – Heraclitus
Things are really beginning to be shaken up in the world, and no doubt this is being reflected in people’s personal lives. Climate changes, Brexit, President Trump, and economic uncertainty to name but a few. So we can be forgiven for feeling rather unstable and insecure as the very foundation of our reality is changing.
So, how might we embrace this change, both in the wider world and in our personal lives, while maintaining a sense of who we are within all this? The answer — embracing death, in order to truly live.
Deny Death — Deny Life
We live in a world that is afraid of death. The uncertainty of what lies beyond and the fear of losing ourselves is so strong, and this manifests itself in our lives every day. It is not just about the final goodbye to this world, but in all the little deaths that happen throughout our lives. We cling to who we once were, afraid to take the step into the unknown.
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What does this do to us? It makes us misers — hoarding possessions, experiences and identities, never letting go and moving on. We seek security and routine because within these we can build up a safe and consistent picture of who we are. But if we never let anything go, how can we bring fresh and new experiences into our life? By denying death in our lives, we never really truly live.
How limiting this is!!
I put to you that we are not a set of conditioned responses to a fixed and limited environment, but infinite beings expressing and creating from the pure potential of the Source. Check out Lissa Rankin’s Love Letter to Humanity for a lovely take on this perspective. (Here is an excerpt.)
“You will, in fact, die. Not because Consciousness doesn’t love Itself, doesn’t love YOU. But because Consciousness realized that the game of being human, the full rich experience of human life on Earth, can be exhausting, even to Consciousness. … Humans need to return to the vast darkness of Consciousness Itself, free from the limitations of form, in order to recharge and replenish, so Consciousness can play and learn and grow some more—in a human body.
“When the human dies, the life force of Consciousness, like a drop of rain, rejoins the ocean of Consciousness, merging with all other sparks of Consciousness, yet never ceasing to be the drop of rain.” — Lissa Rankin
Yes, we are all unique in our own way — so why can’t we express that uniqueness in all circumstances? It’s about finding the essence of who we truly are (which is unchanging) and dropping the limiting identities that we so desperately cling to. In doing this we can embrace life and live it more fully, however it changes for us. We know exactly who we are in every moment — our essence does not change. Is embracing vulnerability, change and the unknown, and finding our true unchanging essence within them not the real meaning of security?
Conscious Dying in Every Moment
How can we apply this philosophy to our everyday lives? It’s about embracing all the little deaths that occur. It also helps to work with your feelings about the end of your life. What does it mean to you to let go of your body, your personality, your experiences and your loved ones?
When we really go into these feelings it’s bound to get a little rocky. Lots of unconscious fears will start bubbling up to the surface. It’s important to let any feelings that you might have about the big or little deaths in your life come forward. Honour them by expressing them and then feel who you are through them i.e. the essence of who you are – the silent witness beyond the feelings. Surrender totally and let go.
This will likely initiate feelings of expansion and peace, and if not then there may be something deeper to work on. When these feelings arise then work to express them. Perhaps you want to move your body, dance or sing, draw a picture, or maybe you feel to sit in it for a while. It’s essential to focus on how you feel to be, rather than what you want to do, and then let right action take place. (For further exploration on taking the next step into action, see this article by Stacy Vajta.)
As you develop this practice you will likely receive regular intuitions on how to proceed around change in your life. It will just feel ‘right’. And, your life will be changing, as you flow with the constant movement of the universe.
“If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew. Just go right along and you’ll start happening too.” – Dr. Seuss
Breaking Through Subconscious Limitations
Here’s a really powerful video from Openhand, which goes into more detail about breaking through subconscious limitations.
Also by Richard West:
- Recovering From Loss of Identity
- Why Die Consciously?
- Listening Through the Noise: Steps Toward Inner Peace
About the author:
Richard West is a carer, psychologist, spiritual facilitator and writer. He has worked close to death for 7 years and is passionate about helping people to move on in a conscious way, even though our society is geared to fight against death. Richard is also a spiritual facilitator at Openhand (www.openhandweb.org). He offers services in Spiritual Facilitation and Conscious Dying on his website ‘Back to the Source’ (www.comebacktothesource.com ) and writes regular articles on his blog (www.comebacktothesource.com/articles).
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