“Stay as you are and you will stay where you are.” —- Raymond Charles Barker
At each stage of life, many of us feel that we have reached a level of accomplishment, achieving goals that might have been extremely challenging or quite difficult, however, upon further reflection of that implausible summit that we attained . . . all of the struggle, strive, sacrifice, and self-discipline didn’t give us that suspended high or jolt that we expected. Why? Many years ago, I became extremely enamored with what I associated as success or “getting ahead” with hard work, focus, structure, attention to detail, preparedness, or to put it another way . . . good old fashioned ambition. During that time, I was extremely fortunate to have a very dear friend who kept reminding me, that this momentary success was fleeting, because there was always another plateau to climb, another challenge to overcome, and another set of circumstances to negotiate. After a short period of time, I came to realize the true meaning of those words, and also what Raymond Charles Barker suggests as well, “An expanded experience will never happen until an expanded consciousness precedes it.”
How many years of our lives do we spend exploring what doesn’t work? Many of us have no clue how we run around in circles, year after year, decade after decade and call it success only to realize something is missing in our lives. Some people are luckier than others, coming to the realization that they have not been fully conscious in their own lives. Quite shocking for some, but so revealing for others. Many of us live our lives in half shadows of experience, spending a great deal of time blaming ourselves or others, writhing in guilt or fear for one reason or another, not letting go of a situation, relationship, or an association that is way past finished. In some sad instances we indulge in self-laceration, suffering and pain rather than release the problem or issue that is causing it. The better part of wisdom dictates for our healing, growth and well being we just let go, bless, forgive and move on. Carl Young suggests this . . . “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Once consciousness shows-up in your life, there is no way to put that magic back in the bottle, and frankly why would you want to? When you finally come to terms to who you are, why you are here, what direction you are going and what your purpose is . . . everything else is just an exercise in this gymnasium we call life. Sometimes the performance goes extremely well, other times that perfected performance is an abject failure . . . but we are not. Oscar Wilde had an uncanny way of saying things without mincing words, but everyone got exactly what was meant such as this example, “The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.” Taking it one step further, we will go from one badly cast play to another in this life’s journey of conscious experience. Knowing that prepares us for the most enlightening experience we may ever have, and once again Oscar Wilde’s words are most poignant, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” JLR