Oneness Ministry

We are One

Dec 2

What’s your Story?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

What’s your story? Have you ever thought about the story you were given? We are born into our story, whether fed the story line from family or discovered along the way. In fact, we create it as we live our lives by the choices we make moment to moment. For example, choosing college after high school or jumping straight into career building, each path contains it’s own story for you. In this aspect life is like a branching tree growing and expanding till it reaches a point where the branches start falling away… the tree dies and a new one sprouts from a seed it dropped long ago.

Have you given it some thought now? Story is woven into society and includes family, community, and geography. For instance, each town and region has its own story. Folks from Appalachia are a certain way- hillbilly, lazy, tobacco smoking, overall-wearing farmers. “Thai people are a warm, inviting bunch that revel in the rich traditions their culture has built up over the course of centuries.” (OneHourTranslation) The stories are infinite!

Many of us attempt to change our stories and in doing so, simply add to the story, not really changing it. Moving to a new place and starting a new life means the story has a new chapter. The story does not end till ones life does and even then stories tend to stay on track within families. This is why ancestry seems to be so popular today. With computer records and DNA testing it is fairly easy to find out the “story” you haven’t been told.

What does all this mean and how much of it determines your path. Are you really your story? You can be if you accept all your told. Or you can question reality and choose your own path. In the end and after reincarnating a few hundred times or more does the story ever really change? I think not. We are told this is how we get to know ourselves, but all we ‘get to know’ is the story.

My life has been about questioning my beliefs and thus my story. The turning point for me was at the age of 30. I was just divorced and looking for my path. I starting questioning everything about my life, especially religion. Beliefs are the foundation of who you think you are. These beliefs are informed from your story, the one you developed from birth and were fed by your family. I have learned it is important to go back before belief, to dig deeper. Who am I without my beliefs? The process is like peeling an onion and takes a while. My process continues and I am about to reach 60 years in this story. I feel very close to the core!

There is a higher You and a lower you. They have been called different things from different professions, soul and over soul, id-ego-super ego, etc. However, I go with the ACIM teaching of Ego and Holy Spirit or wrong mind and right mind. Not to be confused with left and right brain. The mind is not in the brain! Which gets us down beyond beliefs to mind. We are not our bodies but mind! So the body is in the mind, not the other way around as we are taught in school. “Looking for consciousness in the brain is like looking inside a radio for the announcer.” Nassim Haramein

Thus my study of Story began about 7 years ago. This included the study of archetypes though I still don’t completely have a handle on that. Story though was made simple by Joseph Campbell in 1949 when he coined the Hero’s tale. We are each on our own hero’s tale and every story you have ever heard is some version of this. Once you know it, you’ll see it everywhere. Are you being the hero of your story? Of course you are! The story laid bare opens so many doors. Step outside your story for a bit and look back. Who are you, really? Who are the characters in your story? Which archetypes do they represent? It can get rather complicated and I have a simple mind, so I often get lost along the way. I just fall back on my foundation, I am a Spiritual Being, having a human experience! I am not my body, I am free, I am just as God created me. Understand this and everything changes. The story becomes infinite!


Sequoia Elisabeth

https://onenessministry.info/

Spirituality Transitions

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Nov 14

A Book Review: The Leap by Steve Taylor

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Book Review of “The Leap: The Psychology of Spiritual Awakening (An Eckhart Tolle Edition)”

Here is what the experts say about this book:

“Life always gives you what you need, and right now it has given you this book to use as a guide or companion through challenging times. It contains a great deal of precious wisdom, expressed in the straightforward, clear, and down-to-earth language that Steve Taylor is so good at.”
― from the foreword by Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth

“A wonderful synthesis of modern research and timeless wisdom that makes the mysterious process of spiritual awakening more comprehensible than ever before.”
― Peter Russell, author of From Science to God

“This book is both insightful and inspiring. Building on the foundations of his previous books, Steve Taylor’s expertise and profound understanding of awakened states shine through and culminate in his proposition of an evolutionary leap that awaits humankind. For anyone who is interested in or has experienced an awakening, this book is not to be missed, as Taylor eloquently conveys an in-depth understanding of this fascinating phenomenon. It’s an excellent book that everyone should read.”
― Dr. Penny Sartori, author of The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences

“It’s high time we got clearer on what enlightenment is and isn’t. The Leap is readable, important, and long overdue. It offers a thorough portrait of this long-mysterious state with care and love.”
― Dr. Robert K. C. Forman, author of Enlightenment Ain’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be and Mysticism, Mind, Consciousness

“In The Leap, Steve Taylor takes a radically new approach to spiritual awakening, suggesting that the experience is more common than one might suspect, is not bound to any religious or spiritual tradition, and may be playing an essential role in human evolution. The Leap is filled with provocative statements, some of which you may agree with and some you may disagree with ― but you can be sure that this is a book you will never forget. It establishes Steve Taylor as a major spiritual author and teacher, whose lucid and articulate writing will evoke wonder and wisdom among readers.”
― Stanley Krippner, PhD, Alan Watts Professor of Psychology, Saybrook University

“A wonderfully detailed demystification of awakening within and without traditions that is a pleasure to read and offers hope for our dangerous times.”
― Claudio Naranjo, author of Healing Civilization and designer of the SAT Programs for personal and professional development

Here is what I have to say about this book:

While I still have a chapter or two left to read, I can say with enthusiasm this is one of the better books I have read in a long while on the topic of Spirituality and Awakening. This books answers the question, what next? It also gives wonderful insight into Enlightenment. Not many authors actually explain what Enlightenment is and Steve Taylor does a very good job of it. He clarifies the confusion around Awakening and how this relates to Enlightenment. I like how he clarifies the difference between awakening and psychosis, because in many instances they seem similar at first. The many insights this book offers make it well worth the read. It is easy to understand and fascinating to read.  I highly recommend it to anyone on a Spiritual journey (which means everyone, although not everyone is ready to Awaken). We will all awaken in the end though, so no worries!

Love and Light,

Sequoia Elisabeth

https://onenessministry.info/

Spirituality

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Mar 16

Life Leads the Way

by Sequoia Elisabeth

For those who know the Universal Laws of the Universe the journey is much less treacherous. Not because one then has control but because decision making becomes so much easier. One knows what certain decisions will yield. There are numerous teachers available these days, so I suggest following your heart and exploring the world around you. Some of the teachers I have found most helpful are The Intender’s lead by Tony Burroughs, Neale Donald Walsch and his Conversations with God books, Gary Renard’s books on ACIM, and Ra’s Teaching on The Law of One. Another good book I recommend is Butterflies are Free to Fly. So with all this said, let me share an observation I have made recently.

This being an election year, we have been inundated with forgiveness lessons and examples of these Laws I mentioned. One of the laws mentioned in Tony’s books is paraphrased ‘you become like those you hate’. Hate is a powerful force opposite to what I call ego love (not God’s Love/Agape which has no opposite). Donald Trump is using this power to get into office and it is working! Those who love him are supporting, and those who hate him are also supporting him. Another law is what you focus on grows, so guess what! He is in the news every day and thus is being thrust into the minds of every voter. You see it is not our consciousness which rules our actions but the unconscious. So we are unknowingly supporting the very thing we hate. I have heard it said that worry is simply negative prayer, so if you worry that Trump may get into office you are in effect praying for this to happen!! My stance on Donald Trump is that he is an angel come to offer up a forgiveness lesson. The comparisons to Hitler and Communism are not far off. This country has been fighting fascism and communism for at least a century now and what has it got us? We are becoming the very thing we profess to hate! The USA is now what has been described as an inverse fascist state, ruled by corporations and the mighty dollar. Where nationalism has become corporatism. So who is to blame? I say no one and everyone.

Like a vehicle which is steered by the driver a country is collectively driven by the actions of all its citizens which in turn affect the direction of all the other countries making up the world. It comes down to each individual. All we really have control over is our own actions so start there! Make the best choices you can with the knowledge you have to work with. As you move forward so does the world around you or it can work in reverse – as the world moves forward it drags you along with it. If you are making conscious choices then you lead the bus so to speak. If you choose not to choose then you are just along for the ride. This is where it gets tricky, because this is a dualistic world and things tend to happen in reverse. There is no good or bad, things are just the way they have to be due to the Universal Laws. There is no control so stop thinking you are driving. With the goal of keeping this short, let me just say – Love is the answer. Love the cards you are dealt, love the situations of life whether pleasant or not. Love the people in your life, for they are simply a reflection of you. Know that appearances are deceptive and that Loving people live in Loving worlds! Forgive anything thing else that appears to be the “truth”. For Love is all there is! Anything else is delusion.

Love and Light, Sequoia

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Aug 5

Art of Listening Part II

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The discussion of awareness continues and relates back to listening because listening is a form of awareness!

Awareness is about consciousness and being aware that we are aware. Try this little exercise. Imagine you are a person on the other side of the room and you are watching yourself sitting at your computer reading this article. Just relax and close your eyes if this helps and let your mind go. Can you see you? It may take a few minutes or just seconds, but with practice anyone can do this.  How you may ask? It is simple; consciousness is more than your body and as you become aware that you are aware your consciousness grows. Most of us are aware of the world seen through the eyes, but what I am suggesting is that there is far more to it. Spirit is another word we use to describe this universal consciousness and we are individuations of this one Spirit. This is how a psychic can see things that some people cannot.

In the words of Ernest Holmes, “there is but one mind, the mind of God, and that mind is my mind now”. What you believe; you experience, so if you do not believe in ghosts for instance then we will not see ghosts. If someone swears to you that ghosts exist and shows you enough “proof” then you can choose to believe and thus see ghosts, but that choice is always yours. What we are aware of in this world is largely due to our perspective which is based on cultural and personal beliefs. It can also be due to our experiences and work in just the opposite fashion. Say you have the experience of seeing a ghost but have never really thought about them and so had no opinion, but now you are a believer due to your experience. This is because you did not make the choice not to believe in them in the first place, and this lead to your awareness of ghosts.  If you were to say that you do not believe in ghosts and yet you saw one, then the evidence is proving otherwise.

Awareness is possible on several levels and by this I mean levels of consciousness. We are aware of our bodies and the bodies of others, we are aware of our thoughts, we can be aware of the thoughts of others, and we can be aware of the Great Spirit/Universal Mind/God. From a more complex point of view science has identified by the use of string theory up to 11 dimensions or levels of awareness. I will leave this more in depth study to the big boys, the physicists and scientists that have taken their entire lives to discover the vastness and complexity of all there is. Many good books exist on this subject, but for our purposes just know that this is an introduction.   A good example of shared thought is the parallel development of inventions. Take the radio for example, both Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi both developed radios at basically the same time in an era where communication took a long time and they did it from different continents. There were others too that were involved in this process and they were all working with the same mind. Remember “there is but one Mind”(Ernest Holmes). This same parallel thought can be seen in plants that evolve very similarly on different continents, the agave and aloe plants are a good example. When we start to look for similarities in the world we find them everywhere. The beauty of the process is no two things are identical, and yet similarity exists everywhere! Snowflakes are the classic example and this can be found in many things in our world. Whether we see the similarity or the differences is our choice. Try looking for the similarities in the world for a whole day while being aware of your feelings along the way. At the end of the day write down your thoughts and the next day look for the differences and do the same at the end of the day by writing down your thoughts.  What you will discover is that not only is there a whole world out there that you were unaware of, but you will have gotten to know yourself better in the process.

This applies just as well to listening, because we are all One, the person you are listening to is an aspect of this One, just as you are.  When this is fully appreciated the act of listening takes on a new importance and makes compassionate listening so much easier!

Life is a journey of discovery and holds many wondrous gifts that we need only be aware of. Listening is the key which completes the circle of communication in divine oneness. When we do this we exist on a whole new level which I call Peace. Consider this quote from A Course in Miracles,

                                      Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.

🙂  Sequoia Elisabeth

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Aug 2

Art of Listening Part I

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Today I offer my perspective on the importance of listening and being aware.  The message is targeted to young counselors and therapists but really applies to us all in whatever pursuit we find ourselves in.

The first thing to remember is simply, it is all about them, not me.  Listening honors the one speaking; it connects you to them in a divine way.  This is simple respect.  Going beyond this communication is actually beside the point although we often think it is primary.  All Communication is about connection or unity.  We are expressing our Oneness!  With this in mind we hear their words and respond in a mindful way, expressing compassion, caring, and courtesy.

Second is to be present fully in the now.  This means you focus on the person speaking and put other activities or speaking aside.  You do not think about how to respond.  Empty your mind and allow them to fill it.  Then when they are done, you speak your mind.  Take your time, consider your words carefully.  Even if they anger you, remember to take your time.  It is not a race or competition, it is a sharing.

Listening is more important than speaking because without someone to listen we cannot say anything.  The role of the counselor and therapist is to listen above all else, it is not about giving advice or anything like that.  Simply hearing the client, patient, or friend validates their existence and connects you both in unity.  This is what it is all about!

Awareness is another key in the process of listening, so please consider this carefully.  A state of elementary or undifferentiated consciousness defines awareness in the dictionary but what does this really mean? To be conscious means that we are aware of our surroundings, what is happening to us so to speak, but to be more accurate it is what is happening through us! This is something that many people take for granted but I would suggest that it is very important to be aware of as much as possible.  Each person brings a different perspective of awareness to the world and that is what makes us all unique.

We are each valuable for the views, experiences and opinions we bring to this world. Let me explain by offering this example. Three people walk up to an apple bin and pick up an apple and take a bite. What each person notices, feels, and experiences will be different. In fact every time the same person does this same action their individual experience will be different! If you took only one bite out of the apple you might never realize that the apple has seeds. Can you remember the first apple you ever ate? Is it possible to experience eating an apple for the first time every time you eat an apple? The more we experience one particular thing the more we expect the experience to be the same, hence the expression “been there, done that”. Is it really possible to experience the exact same thing over? I don’t think so, but it is possible for us to imagine it so. The number of factors that make up our experience in life boggle the mind. Take the apple scenario for instance, the elements that make up that experience include all the five senses, the details of the physical surroundings, the time of day, the location, the circumstances leading up to the experience, the type of apple, the condition of the apple, our expectations of the experience, our cognitive abilities, and on and on. I am sure you can add to this list, so just realize that for every experience you have the number of things to be aware of is endless. It is possible on the other hand to eat the apple and not remember doing so, we can all relate to this as well. So what if we are unaware of the experience? Well, If we go through life unaware then we are missing the point and some would say we are not even living.   We would be zombies in a divine world!

“Heaven “is merely an awareness of perfect oneness, and the knowledge that there is nothing else; nothing outside this oneness, and nothing else within” (text, p. 359; T-18.VI.1:6). This fact alone is true, and only this truth is Reality.” (Gloria and Kenneth Wapnick discussing A Course in Miracles)

To continue in the next blog…

🙂  Sequoia Elisabeth

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May 15

Equality

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Equality is a fairly simple concept and I would like to shed some new light on this topic.  It can apply to just about any subject once it is understood, including marriage, race, color, age, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity or handicap/disability.

What is really at issue here?  Do all humans have equal rights?  Do we really want every human to have equal rights?  How does one decide who has rights and who does not?  At what age does a human have rights?  Do they ever end and did they ever begin?

These are tricky questions and each person will have their own point of view to offer, so as a society what is right, if that is possible?  As you may or may not know nothing is right or wrong lest you make it so.

This blog takes the Spiritual perspective and so I will avoid the dualistic political debates here and point out that Truth lies in Unity Consciousness.  Meaning there is no them, other, opposing view.  Only what you perceive.  New Thought Spirituality, ACIM, the Vedas and others teach that God is all there is, so all is God.  This means there cannot be a duality or the duality is contained within the One.

Using the Yin-Yang symbol we can say God is that which is both inside & outside the circle.  The portion inside is Man or the duality of good/bad, male/female, etc.  The other observation you may have made here is that all is balanced in this symbol and indeed this is the ideal.  However, all is fluid in reality and thus it is constantly shifting, shaping, and forming.

Equality is desirable because this is our concept of Peace, however I will point out that all is balanced right now because all is of the ONE.  The shape, form, and expression is constantly changing; however all elements are present, so all is balanced.  This is the power of Oneness and why this concept has been taught on some level since time began.  We are all ONE, meaning equality is inherint or inalienable! How society chooses to express this equality is in the details and we all know not to sweat the details.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Mar 2

Be-Aware Of What You Say

by Sequoia Elisabeth

How often do you stop and listen to your thoughts?  I mean really listen to what you are telling yourself?  It is called self-talk and we all do it.  What we all need to realize is that your unconscious mind is hearing everything said and saying YES, this is true and so it is.

This means that on a subconscious level you are creating everything in your life and often it is done in casual conversation like when you tell a stranger that the weather sucks today as you are filling your cup with coffee at the corner market, or when you say to someone in a discussion in the checkout lane at the supermarket you “have to go to work” after this.  If you carried a recorder around all day and then listened to everything you said that day you would be astounded!

Even little self-talk like “I am cold” or “I am hot”, etc. make a profound effect on your life.  I do it myself and have noticed this habit of thinking I am cold, which is in effect creating the experience, which then becomes a feedback loop (Think it, say it, feel it, think it, say it, feel it, etc.).   In order to break free from this habit takes a great deal of attention and living in the moment.  With practice anyone can do it and it gets easier the more you pay attention.

When you are focused on The Now and what you are doing at this moment, how your body feels, and every little detail of now the mind cannot be off getting into trouble!  When you contemplate the words you use, before using them, then you become empowered instead of being a slave to habit or whim.  The power comes from being conscious and thinking of what you desire – imaging the results you require.

Speak as if you are writing a book or a part in a play.  Be conscious of what you are creating with those words.  Put emotional intent into the words as well, which simply means “say what you mean and mean what you say”!   Speak with purpose even when in a casual situation.  For example, when at the market getting coffee, you could say “I look forward to the sun coming out” or “This coffee is so good”.

Using the words “I am” is particularly powerful as this is the name of God.  You may be aware that when Moses spoke to God, he was told that God’s name is “I am that I am”.  Translated into today’s terms this means that God is all there is; I am (God is) this and I am (God is) that.   When you use these words “I am” you are allowing God to operate through you and experience the world as God.  In effect, God is experiencing God.  So yes, this means that you are God.  You are made in God’s image because God is all there is!

The next time you utter the words, “I am” consider what follows and create with intent.  Feel the Love that is God and allow it to flow through you!  Speak consciously with authenticity and humility, while staying focused on your desires.  What you say is True!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Feb 23

Give Up Defining Yourself

by Sequoia Elisabeth

“Give up defining yourself ~ to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of Conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.”  ~ Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth)

The Transitions Blog has been teaching this point from the very beginning and this is a good time to re-emphasize the relationship we have to identity.

 Steven 40Sequoia CDSequoia 2009Sequoia Sexy RedSequoiaElisabeth 25-Jan-12“We are all on a journey to discover who we are. In the process of thinking and doing, we see who we are not.  Along the way many personas emerge, and with each step you are closer to who you really are.  In the end we discover that there is really only one, and that is GOD.” (Unity in Gender Diversity)

Eckhart Tolle introduces an interesting concept which I had to really think about to comprehend what it means.  What I share here is open to interpretation as always.  What exactly is “the field of Conscious Presence”?  How does one be this?

At times we have all been connected to Source in such a way that we are aware of being aware.  It is a combination of being both a separate ego and a connected soul.  The feeling is one of knowing that you are not your body, or even your identity, but the consciousness that is aware that you are aware.

The reality is that God is all there is, and we are one individuation of this one infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent being.  Since we are made in the image of this being and the expressions are infinite it matters not what this expression is, there is no way for you to not be who you are, “you cannot lose something that you are”.

No matter how you change the exterior it is the inner core which holds the essence of who you are.  Sometimes we need to test this and so this is where the need to dress up, wear costumes, and present in various ways emerges.  We are simply expressing the infinite!  This is not to presume that gender identity is not real, for this is a life path chosen for the express purpose of testing reality.  I can assure you that the inner drive to transition is profound and unavoidable.  This goes for most any and all transitions, as sure as a rock falls when dropped.  The goal is to see this field of Conscious Presence that each person holds and understand that the package is simply that.  Love the person inside!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Feb 17

Place As A State Of Consciousness

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The power of place is in the consciousness you hold at the time.  Perhaps you remember the quote, “all the world’s a stage and we are merely players” William Shakespeare, or perhaps the concept of “The Matrix” presented in the movie by the same name?  When you have an experience of say the beach, it is all created in your mind!

I know this seems farfetched to some of you, but to others it will be obvious.  What this comes down to is the state of consciousness you are operating with.  Is Love on your mind or fear?  Prosperity or lack?  We are taught that if we wish to raise our consciousness we need to be in Church or some Holy place and that is simply backwards.

By being in a high state of consciousness the Church or Holy place appears.  It is possible for your entire day to be Holy, whether you are in the supermarket, school, or office!  The state of consciousness you hold will be your experience of that place.

To create this state simply clear your mind and intend the Highest and Best Good in, of, and around you at all times.  Worry is not a choice, hurry is not a choice, Holy is the Only Choice!  Deem every place you go – Holy – as this is the Ultimate reality!

The power of place then becomes the power of Holy Spirit operating in, of, and around you!  Attending church is fuel to this Holy state of consciousness, as is meditation, yoga, prayer, mantras, and a myriad of other spiritual practices.  Even menial labor, exercise, or other repetitive tasks can assist the mind in reaching a Holy state of consciousness.

All it really takes is a pure heart and clear intentions.  Your thoughts are focused on the Highest Good for everyone, not just yourself.  Your experience is centered in Joy, not only yours but everyone’s.  I speak of a feeling that is centered in the heart and comes from your core, not the superficial feeling of happiness that can never last.

With practice and pure intentions the place no longer is important, because your life will be Heaven on Earth!  “A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world.  Everyone you meet is your mirror.”  Ken Keyes

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Jan 12

Divine Ego

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Murder, war, disaster, scandal, political games, and gossip are indeed entertaining.  They might even make for good movie material, but do you really want those things in your life?  What you focus on grows…. One of the things that makes this 2012 era so amazing is the shift in consciousness and the opportunity to move beyond these ego based activities.

Spirit works at a whole different level of energy than ego does.  And one of your greatest challenges is knowing the difference!  Making a clear choice is sometimes difficult because you do not understand that the ego, separation mindedness, often feels very good.  Think of five things you enjoy doing that bring you pleasure.  For me it is TV, Movies (at a theatre), Good Food, Warm Comfortable Clothing, and Sex.  Each of these can be a source of ego or Spirit depending on the energy I bring to the experience.

Knowing the difference is not really that difficult.  Keep it simple!  Ego is all about separation, while Spirit is about Unity.  If the experience creates Unity, then it is sourced by Spirit and lifts you up.  The feeling it brings is peaceful, serene, and joyful.  Ego on the other hand creates separation.  The feeling can be good, elating, and powerful; however, the end result brings you and those around you – down.  Sort of like, “what goes up must come down.”  Can you think of an example?

Take TV or Movies for instance.  The whole family can gather in the evening to share in entertainment, Unity!  The family can each enjoy the experience on their own level and share the Love which makes up a family, or they can force their opinions and viewpoints about the experience on the rest of the family creating separation.  Or take sex as an example, the experience can be all about the pleasure and your partner is simply a means to an end or it can be a joining of souls for the mutual experience of Divine connection!

The “A Course in Miracles” and books written to explain it are a great source of wisdom concerning the concept I present here today.  I highly recommend you take the course, it will tell you at the beginning that it is a required course.  If you have difficulty with the course, then try some of the other books written about it, like Marianne Williamson’s “A return to Love” or Gary Renard’s “Disappearance of the Universe”.  I know there are many more books as well.  “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle is very good at explaining ego, so you may give it a read as well.

Once these concepts are internalized and expressed, life will take on new meaning and value for you.  Colors will be more vivid and relationships will be more fulfilling.  Miracles are a daily experience and if you are not experiencing this then maybe it is time to wake up and re-align.

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Nov 15

A Vision for Peace

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Today I share this vision of Peace because we each have our own vision of Peace.  Not sure what your version is?  Simply look around you, not at the TV or media, but around your personal space.  Is it full of drama?  Is there a war zone?  How about illicit activities?

I know most of you reading this today live in a world of Peace, one where we are deceived by the media into believing Peace does not exist.  All possible realities exist!  All ways and always!  And by your actions do they manifest into your life.  Bring your life to consciousness and look for the good joyful Peace.  Even in a war zone Peace exists.  Many have been witness to this – know it within your heart!

A Vision for Peace

“We see a world where peace is everywhere, where humanity has risen up and out of our old defensive mindset; where we all see, ever-so-clearly, that every time we bought into the idea that we needed to take a defensive stance or felt we had to defend ourselves against foreign enemies, unfriendly neighbors, dangerous criminals, the local militia, or anyone who appeared to threaten us, we were actually attracting an attack upon ourselves because we were holding the thought of being attacked – a thought which will manifest as easily as any other.

By the same token, we envision a world where mankind has risen up and out of our need to be in opposition to others because we have seen, ever-so-clearly, that when we oppose another, we become just like them.

With these two thought patterns having gone by the wayside, we now see a world where we no longer support anyone or any institution that advocates aggression, destruction, or harming others in any way. Now, we envision a world where people walk the sidewalks and roads of all lands freely and openly, where we smile at one another easily, work together in cooperation, and want only for the well-being and goodwill of everyone else; where all weapons are gone and we solve our challenges by negotiating, by compromising, and by helping one another to realize our dreams in an atmosphere of peace and unbridled creativity.

It is in this environment – an environment where everyone feels completely and utterly safe – that the peace in our hearts and minds has worked its way outward into our world as well; where all people enjoy their lives because peace – true peace – is both inside and outside of us at the same time.” (http://www.visionalignmentproject.com/)

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Mar 9

The Nature Of Consciousness

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The word consciousness is being used often these days, so I think to fully appreciate the depth and meaning of this word and this age we now live in we should take a closer look.   Transition has been and will always be a major part of life.  Are you prepared for it? 

Gender transition is one aspect of a much greater change or transition that is occurring right now and has been taking place over the last 150 years or so.  I find it interesting that so many transgender individuals are coming out these days as the environment or consciousness evolves to a greater acceptance level.  So much of the fear, guilt and angst surrounding any deviant or anti-social behavior has been given rise by the religious institutions of the past.  Once again this is a product of the level of consciousness at the time. 

The Mayan calendar is not a calendar of time, but of consciousness!  The last wave of consciousness begins today Mar. 9th starting an awakening of Universal Consciousness.  The calendar ends on Oct. 28th 2011, meaning this cycle of consciousness is coming to an end.  Many of you have probably been aware of this consciousness before, because the previous cycles have prepared us.  Those who were firmly rooted in the other levels of consciousness may have missed this preparation and thus are being introduced to it now.  This is a good thing.  Nothing is required other than being open and receptive. 

While this sounds easy, if you are firmly rooted in the old ways you will first have to release yourself from its grip.  A purging must occur!  Before a cup can be filled it must be emptied first!  The good news is that consciousness is expanding and growing so there is no going back.  There is no more nightmare!!  Let it go!  Carefully consider what is serving you and be honest with yourself.  Step into the new world or new earth with your heart open and your mind quiet.  The only way to hear Great Spirit’s guidance is to quiet the mind and listen with your heart.  The first time I heard this I said, “What?”  That seemed absurd to me, but after some introspection and research I discovered how to do this.  WOW, what an awakening!  With this final wave of consciousness this will be so much easier than in the past.  Try the meditation at the bottom of the page.

A few suggestions to make the shift easier, stop using fluoride toothpaste, stop drinking soda and esp. the diet ones (artificial sweeteners block your mental function), stop using white processed foods (like sugar, flour, etc.), and move your body (be active).  The only way to know if this works is to experiment.  Use whole wheat, natural sugar, and grains for a whole week and see how you feel.  The same goes for the other items to remove.  Try it for at least a week, up to a month and notice how you are feeling.  Write a diary if you like.  I did this and was amazed at the difference it makes.  I also did a colon cleanse and fasting which is a great way to get started.  Once the toxins are removed from the system it is much easier to introduce new foods.  Remember like attracts like, so the more you eat these natural foods the easier it gets. 

Getting back to consciousness I will close here with a recap.  Firstly consciousness is a thought energy that embodies a level of awareness.  The Arabic describe it as layers of veil.  As each veil is removed the individual is that much closer to the mind of God.  I will add that it is like an onion, as the skins are removed your consciousness is that much closer to the Prime Creator.  When you get to the center, you discover nothing.  There is no central core to an onion, just as you cannot see the Prime Creator.  The connection is through your feelings, and thus the importance of listening with your heart!  The mind is a tool for connecting you to this world and it is perfect for that, but if you wish to connect to consciousness itself or Prime Creator/God then open your heart and feel.

Let go of what no longer serves you and look closely here.  Embrace the new earth by changing your diet and being aware of your awareness!  Seek higher awareness, and your dreams come alive!  For me this is about living from my soul or soulful living! 

 😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Ps. Try imagining that you are whatever you see.  See life from the perspective of a beetle, tree, flower, table, Moammar Gadhafi, Jesus, your Mom, Barack Obama, a cat, etc… this is the perspective of GOD, I am that, I am…

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Dec 18

Ultimate Power

by Sequoia Elisabeth

In continuation of the previous blog post, “The ultimate power is in consciousness, because it makes up not only your thoughts and their thoughts but the very place you are experiencing!” What exactly is consciousness?  How can consciousness make the place I am experiencing? 

First of all it is important to understand what I mean by consciousness.  I mean the One Source of all intelligence that operates in us, through us and around us.  Many call this force God, and there are many names for it.  I am sure you have your favorite.  The term Prime Creator works for me. 

Consciousness: 1630s, “internal knowledge,” from conscious-ness. Meaning “state of being aware” is from 1746. (Dictionary.com 2010)

So what is it that you are aware of?  Consciousness itself?  Maybe so or maybe it is whatever you focus your attention on.  If you are looking out the window, what you see is a construction of the mind and the state of consciousness you are in.  If your consciousness is elevated you may see something beautiful like a rainbow or children playing joyously.  If however you are in a state of depressed consciousness then what you see (even though this is the same window) is very different.  It will often be the same ol’, same ol’. 

Does that beautiful scene really exist or is it a reflection of your state of consciousness?  If it existed it would be constant and unchanging, but instead is it constantly changing and if you go away and return to that same window it is likely to look different.  Not because the reality has changed, but because your consciousness has changed.  Time figures into this equation by adding a variable. By looking out the window you impart your energy onto what you see and this energy builds over time.  After you are gone, it dissipates so when you return the scene is very different depending on your state of consciousness. 

This concept can be tested quite easily, just be aware!  Try this experiment.  Choose a convenient window and look out.  Remember what you saw and take a few notes, pay attention to detail.  Were animals, birds, insects, flowers or colors present?   Write that down.  Now, find a quiet place away from that window.  You cannot see out that window.  Relax and meditate however you like.  Choose a method that makes you feel better, and if you do not meditate find something that “raises your spirit”.  Note how you feel and pay close attention to detail.  Now in this heightened state of awareness look out the window and notice if things are different. 

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Nov 18

The Power of Place

by Sequoia Elisabeth

I challenge you to notice how your thinking and interests change as you are in different places.  The power of the environment to effect change in your thoughts and behaviors is an important tool for coping in Transition. 

It has long been known that who you hang out with is a reflection of who you are.  This is the big reason why your parents worked so hard to get a house in a nice neighborhood with good schools and low crime rates.  The question that keeps coming up for me is which came first, who you are or the environment.  Does the environment reflect you or do you reflect the environment? 

I believe the answer is both.  Visualize the neighborhood where you live.  Did it look this way before you moved here?  How do you know?  What has changed since you moved there?  Is it to your liking or otherwise?  Has your thoughts about the neighborhood changed since you moved in? I suggest that the fabric of space and the appearance of your environment are a reflection of your thoughts, so you are experiencing the same space that others experience but in your own way based on your thoughts about it. 

Each place you go has its unique energy and when you experience that energy you combine with it to create your unique experience.  So this is what I mean about both came first, the environment and you.  You make the environment and the environment makes you!  The small changes you observe when you go to a place you visited only a month ago or even a moment ago are reflections of your consciousness changing.  These changes validate your thoughts and in doing so they empower the thoughts to become stronger or not depending on what you think about these changes.  The environment is a reflection of you and your thoughts combined with other people’s thoughts or the ripple effect.

To better explain this ripple effect, remember that there is but one mind.  There is no one else!  What you experience as other people’s thoughts is only a ripple of your own thoughts.  The other important thing to understand is that the conscious mind is not aware of all thoughts and in fact 90-95% of thoughts in the average person are unconscious thus supporting this effect of other people. 

I hope I have not lost you.  If you are still reading let me transition into the way this works to your advantage.  When you know how a process works you have more control over its operation.  You can visualize the process supporting you.  Things happen to help you grow and experience what you need. 

Often people go to the library to study or relax in a place of silence, or go to the mall for the excitement of shopping and seeing many other people.  In this way you cope with your moods and feelings.  You are using the power of place to shape your experience!  Let’s say you are at a bar late at night and you decide to walk home.  Which route you take or if you decide to take a taxi and the thoughts you are having about the trip home will reflect your thoughts and feelings.  If you feel safe you will be and if you take a path that supports that safety.  They work hand in hand. 

I believe the key is to be aware of your feelings and thoughts at all times and this is done not only by being in touch with your heart chakra, but by your surroundings. 

In Loving Awareness,   Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂

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Sep 2

Multiplicity

by Sequoia Elisabeth

“It is very easy to become caught up in individuality.  It is very easy to see others as separate and apart from ourselves, but the more knowledge we gain the more we begin to realize that we are not so different deep down. In fact we begin to realize that we share a very strong common bond. What makes one different to another is their perception on life. Deep down we have the same basic needs and we seek answers to the same basic questions.

Could it be that we are the same being only multiplied in number?

Initially, this may seem a strange way of thinking of ourselves but if we entertain it for just a moment we will see that is not as bizarre as first thought. Life is interconnected and is really one giant life form that is continually expanding, adapting, and evolving in complexity. The binding force of all life is: consciousness.” (Rev. Lorne McLean, Ph. D.)

Today we discuss Universal Mind and how this affects Transition.  Universal Mind is the consciousness that binds us all.  It connects us in ways we cannot imagine and in ways that we use every day.  No matter what language you may speak, Universal Mind is connected with that.  How else could a traveler arriving in a foreign land be able to learn the language if mind is not connected? 

Transition is about using this mind to shift your perception of “reality” to another level.  I have talked about the 6 senses of the mind on Feb. 4, 2010 (Intuition, Imagination, Will, Reason, Perception, and Memory) and we each have these tools to work with on an individual basis.  This is a good place to start and we are all on this journey at this time.  What I speak of here is taking this journey to the next level and tapping into Universal Mind by realizing that all Mind is connected, it is all One. 

I use the concept of a mirror to describe the one mind, however this may be hard for some to visualize since we are all different on the outside.  What we really are could be thought of as drops of water in the ocean.  Could this be why we look for ourselves in the form of water on other planets?  How do you find consciousness?  Do you even look for it? 

To me the journey is about awareness.  Be aware of the Universal Mind of which you are a part.  Consciously use the 6 senses of the mind to hasten your journey.  We are coming Home so to speak.  Be ready to make a jump to hyperspace!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Apr 28

Death, The Final Transition

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Death is a transition that many of us are either curious about almost to the point of obsession or afraid of the very mention of the word.  I for one have always been of the former group.  So let me share what I have learned in my many years here on earth. 

Before we can understand death we must understand life.  Life is a state of consciousness where you are aware of here and now.  Death on the other hand is a totally different state of consciousness.  The best example of this is when you go to sleep.  It is said by some that when you sleep that it is a form of death and that the sleep state is a stopover between two worlds.  Again the dream world is another state of consciousness where we are in touch with our soul. 

If you want to know what it is like to die – go to sleep.  I am sure some of you may have a differing opinion and you would be correct, because we each have our own concept of reality.  Again there are some good books that go into this subject of dying and life after death.  My favorite is Neale Donald Walsch’s book, Home with God in a Life that Never Ends.  In this book he states that you never do die, you merely change consciousness. 

If you knew that you never die, what would you do differently in this lifetime?  What does change is the life experience you are having now with all its conditions, situations, limitations, and experiences.  These things are changing constantly and it is our concept of who we are, our beliefs and perceptions that create this world that we see and experience.  Judge not lest ye be judged is an old bible saying that fits here very well.  Life is to be lived not judged good or bad. 

What exactly happens when we die?  It really depends on what you believe, literally.  If you believe that you are going to hell for whatever reason, then this is what you will experience.  Or if you believe that you are going to heaven then you will experience your version of that.  Perception and belief really is king and if you ever what to know what you believe then simply look around you!  You created it all.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Mar 12

No Order of Difficulty in Miracles

by Sequoia Elisabeth

One of the most powerful if not the most powerful concept you can understand is that there is “no order of difficulty in miracles”.  This concept comes from a book called “A Course in Miracles” which I highly recommend picking up.  Do not be in a hurry, because it will take you over a year to read this book.  But then what’s the rush, you have the rest of your life; let’s just hope that lasts longer than the year! 

The main premise of this world we live in comes down to one thing, separation.  Everywhere we look we see separate people, things and places.  This is not a new concept that I am introducing here, I talk about it often because it is so important to the workings of life.  God is all there is and by now I suspect that you are pretty comfortable with that idea, but are you comfortable with that reality?  I would think not since you and I are still here! 

ACIM calls the world illusory and what you think you are seeing is only a product of your thoughts.  Notice I did not say imagination, because this world has rules and structure so that it seems very “real”.  To quote a favorite character of mine Morpheus from the movie The Matrix, “What is real”?  You will remember that he asks further, “Is it something to can touch, taste, see or feel?  If so those can be broken down to electrical signals running through out your body.”  Real suddenly becomes a lot more ephemeral!  ACIM teaches that God is the only “real” there is and we are already there, cradled safely in “all that is”. 

Life takes on a new meaning when we understand that there is “no order of difficulty in miracles”.  So what is the purpose of miracles anyway?  ACIM teaches us that the false belief that we are separate from God is corrected by miracles.  So this means that miracles are simply here to “correct our misperceptions”.  You can think of this as a shift in consciousness.  Miracles join us with Christ mindedness or Buddha consciousness or simply with GOD.  Unity is indeed the goal of all Miracles! 

With this understanding now we can see that miracles join or unify, and it makes no difference whether we think something is hard or easy, big or small.  Moses parting the Red Sea so that Hebrews could re-join their brethren is a wonderful example of miracles having no order of difficulty. 

Looking at miracles this way means that a simple smile can be a miracle when it joins two people.  If you are not experiencing miracles everyday then you are out of synch and need to take another look.  All it takes is a shift in consciousness and that can happen in a instant!  😉  Sequoia Elisabeth

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Mar 10

We are Consciousness

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This is a continuation from yesterday.  If you are consciousness and not your body, then can you extend your consciousness to experience more than your personal life? Oh, Yes! It is time for us to understand that there is so much more to life than what you see around you.

We can see through the eyes of a bird, or experience the joy of a dolphin swimming along with a boat. We can feel the pain of a person who we just watched crashing into a wall. We can share thoughts with anyone, plant, animal, human or other. Why haven’t we done this already? Some have, but most are not ready for the intense feelings and emotions that accompany experiences such as these. So if you having difficulty reaching this level, do not be concerned, it takes practice and clear intent. Our consciousness is about to break free from the constraints of this world and this is what 2012 is all about, the end of the Mayan calendar (which is a calendar of consciousness evolution along a timeline).

What lays beyond the end? We will soon see! The one thing I do know is we will have Infinite Possibilities to choose from. I hope you can feel the urgency that I do, because our experience here on Earth is about over!

Does this mean we are all going to die? Of course not, unless you want it too. This means that whatever you desire is possible. We each choose our experiences and I can feel that mine is about to transform totally. I will never end, because I am energy and energy can neither be created nor destroyed!

Our bodies are changing constantly; no more permanent than a good TV show! Being born, dying, reborn, dying again, and in fact we die every night when we go to sleep and are reborn in the morning, it is only the experience of it all that changes. If someone has “died” in your life it just means that you will see them later, after you are done with your journey here. We create these experiences to feel separation, or I should the ego mind creates these experiences, because then the ego is proving itself correct. The ego mind is the window with which we view this world and experience it. Through conscious choice we can see through the “eyes” of God and leave the ego world behind.

So yes, my friends this is the ultimate answer to the question yesterday, I am conscious energy or to put that in terms we are familiar with, I am God, Infinite Intellegence, Great Spirit, (choose your deity). The answer is the same for all of us. You are God, I am God, all is God expressing in a fashion that reflects our energy at the time. So what is the ego? It is the false belief that you (we) are separate from God.  Blessings on your Journey.

 😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

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Mar 9

I am not my body

by Sequoia Elisabeth

What do I mean by this? You may not fully understand what I mean when I say “I am not my body”. So let me clarify for you. My body is what has shape and form, it is typing this message and it is the image I see when I look in the mirror or I look down to see these hands.

If I or someone else were to thrust a knife into my heart there would be bleeding and most likely the heart would stop functioning along with the rest of my body. My body would start decaying immediately even though it would take years for the process to complete. What happens to me when my body stops functioning? I exist as I always have and always will! Our bodies do not end till our journey is over. “Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.” -Richard Bach This quote says it all. It is sort of like saying how do you know when your vacation is over? If your still laying on the beach then it is not. We talked in a previous blog about the car(our bodies) taking us where we need to go and providing us with the experiences we need.

So if I am not my body, then who am I? The question must be answered in your own mind. I can tell you, but before you will know, you must experience it. You can think of who you are, but that does not mean you are that, until you experience it! Let me give an example for clarity. I can think I am a woman and until I experience “being” a woman I am not that. It is our experiences that define us, but we are still not all the way to who we are. Look out and see the world around you. This is how you experience the world, with the five senses. We still need to figure out who we are.

Who is reading this message? Is it your body or the consciousness that fills the body? The “I” of “I am that” is who you are. You are the consciousness behind the individual considered to be “me”. This consciousness is individual, but it is also connected to all others, like hairs on a dog we are separate but connected. If you trim a hair, does that change the dog? Yes, but only in appearance and is hardly noticeable. If you pull the hair, then the dog is changed also, and in a more profound way, but still hardly noticeable. The dog continues to live, regardless of what we do to the hair. Our bodies are the same.

We can change our bodies and do so in order to experience life differently be it in a more or less congruent fashion. Does this change who we are? No, it does not. It matters not what you do to your body, only what you do with it! One way to know who you are is to remove all that is not you! What is left over is you. Even when your body is dead and gone, you will still remain. How is this powerful? No longer do you need to worry about your body, death or anything in this material world. What you do need to consider is your mission in this life. We are all here for a purpose, so the sooner we discover that and focus on it, the sooner our “ride” will be complete and we can move on! Just remember to enjoy the ride!   🙂   Sequoia Elisabeth

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