Namaste,

I have returned from South Africa. It is again my pleasure to recap my last live stream from March 6^th – Green Lights, Cosmic Clunks and Full-Body Yeses! All the same phenomena expressed in three different ways!

In my view, the very best way to live this life is from the inside out rather than from the outside in.  Every important thing in life is to be found within the inner landscape of you.  Everyone tries to find happiness, love, peace, joy, and fulfillment from the world and its activities.  Unfortunately, whatever emotional experiences come from the world are situational and conditional, thus temporary. But when you discover that what you are seeking is inside and independent of the world, you then can access, experience, and express freely and fully regardless of what is transpiring in your daily life or in the world at large. This means that you no longer assign your emotional well-being, or lack thereof, to circumstances.  This is the starting point for a life of spiritual power.

Last time we touched on the topic of intuition and the value of developing the capacity and willingness to listen to ourselves more than we listen to the world.  We explored how to recognize intuition and what to do with it when it appears.  Dr. Ernest Holmes said, “Intuition is God in man”.  For those who are queasy about ‘God’, go with intuition being your higher power or that aspect of you that is YOU but non-physical, eternal, and connected to the physical you as you navigate this earth-walk.  Intuition shows up for us as clarity, guidance, knowledge, and revelation.  In addition to ‘knowing that you know’ with certainty, the real presence of this extra-sensory guidance is the feelings you get in your gut.  Our higher power communicates directly to us through feelings and emotions.  Does it ‘feel’ good, right, whole, and true? Today, let us explore a way of thinking about these gut feelings and how to respond.

This topic is inspired by a book I was surprisingly deeply moved by called - Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey.  He writes a bodacious biography of living a full, big, authentic life. My take on this charming book leads me to this whimsical, yet mystical idea of green lights, red lights, and yellow lights. The green light being an affirmative intuitive hit which says, ‘follow me’. Green lights mean that everything lines up in a full body yes.  It is knowing that whatever it is, do it and pursue it. This kind of knowing is not of the ego, it is of the soul.  The full body yes always aligns with your values, your purpose, and your heart.  Even if you don’t know anything about all of that, it will simply feel right to you personally on every level. When you get a green light in life, push the accelerator, and go.  Don't stop to ask the advice of your mother, sister, friend, or guru.  A green light, full-body yes, or cosmic clunk – is about as perfect guidance as you can get.

On the other hand, “Red Lights” are a full body no.  They are the moments when your intuition and your gut is telling you that something is not a good idea, should be reconsidered, the brakes are to be applied.  Red lights are tricky because sometimes the ego doesn’t agree. Sometimes that cool party, that great-paying job, or marrying that person, simply has us over-ride the intuitive impulses we are given, meaning we ignore our gut feelings! Mischief almost always ensues!

Yellow lights of course are the moments we just don’t know what to do.  We just don’t know which way to go, or which decision is the right one.  Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, one of my valued teachers, said if it is a full body yes, it is a yes.  If it is a full body no, then it is a no.  If it is a maybe – it is a no.  His advice is to only travel the road of yes. This means waiting patiently!

It is good to add here that in the end, it doesn’t matter much if you ignore the red lights, go on yellow or slide through life making every green light. Ultimately nature has a way of using everything for a loving purpose and ensuring that everything will be transmuted for full value, benefit and meaning. So, though life will continue to have ups and downs, the ride is way more exhilarating if you are paying attention to the subtle communication you receive.

To move in the direction of living this way, keep checking in with how you feel in your gut.  Honor whatever that feeling is without making it too complicated.  Does it feel yummy or yucky?  It also helps tremendously to really want to be real and authentic more than you desire to be liked or approved of. The Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, “you must want to know God more than anything else”.  I think this quote correlates to how much you really want the help when you are face down in the mud, sick and tired of being sick and tired, and urgently seeking a sign of what to do for relief.  Or you simply get inspired by a vision of a different kind of life, a different way of being.  As Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith often says, “you can be pulled by vision or pushed by pain.” Either way works.

You are moving through life, living your green-lights and suddenly some dissatisfaction or unfulfillment begins to creep in. Is this a bad thing or a good thing? I suppose it could be self-sabotage or the rumbling of a bored ego, but from an awakened vantage point could also be a very good thing.  I call it divine discontent. It might simply be your higher power sending you some gentle nudges from the unseen sign of life.  Look to see if you need to change something.  Do something. Add something. Subtract something.  This of course might bring up the resistance we as human beings have for change. When things are going well, why does anything need to change?  Can’t it stay like this forever?  No. As spiritual beings on a path of evolving - change is the name of the game. We evolve the entire duration of our earth-walk. The really great thing is that the non-physical you, which is connected to you forever, knows you, loves you, has your back, and has the job of tweaking your journey along the way. Note that this is not a linear journey. Sometimes red lights become green lights.  Sometimes green lights become red lights.  The charge of a spiritual aspirant is to remain connected through meditation, contemplation, nature, attention, intention and listening so that you can move with ease, grace, and elegance as you navigate with the help of your higher power - the ‘super-hero-you’.

It is not easy to live a life of spiritual power because it requires you live in a way that most humans do not live or even want to live.  You must be your spiritual ‘super-hero-you’ to walk your own path, sing your own song or dance to your own music.  Every avatar, humanitarian, spiritual giant, or truly happy peaceful inspired person, has invited, listened to, and followed the guidance of his or her higher power – or inner super-hero.  The ego will inevitably lead you into despair and the spirit will lead you into fulfillment. Living life from a spiritual perspective does not mean there won’t be some despair along the way or that you are immune to the learnings of this experience called life.  But it does mean that you won’t be numb. You won’t be fake. You won’t live disconnected from the meaning and purpose of your life. There is a power, poise and confidence that comes from living awake and aware, in the present moment – listening to the still small voice within you.

Don’t make it complicated.  Simply take an honest look at your life as it is.  Your work, relationships, health, friendships, self-expression work and money.  Does it FEEL right and true and meaningful?  If yes, great.  If not, start looking for the green lights, full body yeses and cosmic clunks! Don’t be afraid to take a different road. It is okay to change your mind.  It is natural to follow your heart.

My work and passion is to do my part to raise consciousness in the world. Personal transformation is the only that the world can become a better place, a more loving place. An awakened life is a life of exquisite possibility.  A sleep-walking life is a life of endless predictability. Through the raising of personal consciousness, we can make a difference in the landscape of the entire world.  And the world really needs some landscape architecting!

Welcome to your life, your purpose, your passion, your vision, and the release of all apologies for being who you are. You and super-hero-you are an amazing team, built for success. Enjoy the ride!

Until next time,
Love, love and more love, Rev. D