The table is set and the precursors are complete:

You’re willing.
You’re present.
You’re paying attention.

So what’s next?

WALKING THE WALK.

hi there
I still don’t get why this isn’t the first Spiritual Key.

Action as a launching pad can and does most definitely work.  I won’t argue that.  We all encounter those stuck states and blah days when getting out and simply moving (no matter what it is) is the best remedy and a bridge to the other side (remember this blog?).

Realize it or not though, you’ve been acting this entire time by following Spiritual Keys 1-3.  Each key is an act in and of itself.  Now am I correct or am I correct?

You’re correct!  So let’s make things right and put a big, bold #1 next to it.

Sorry, can’t do it.  Won’t do it.  Action works best when guided.  Its home will remain in the fourth slot.

Take buying a plane ticket for example.  After choosing the airline, the flight, and entering your credit card information, what if the final question to complete the purchase asked:

Mr. or Mrs. So N’ So, do you prefer…

1. A non-stop, turbulence-free flight with a window/aisle seat (and the possibility of a free first-class upgrade) that arrives 20 minutes early.

or

2.   A two-layover, so-bumpy-you-get-airsick flight with a middle seat in the non-reclineable last row between a drunk and crying triplets that lands three hours late.

I thought so.

Both routes may get you to the same destination, but wouldn’t you prefer the graceful, grounded, and efficient path to your Victory?  I’ll go out on a limb and assume your ‘yes.’

Spiritual Key #4 is about action of the divine kind, not the run-around-from-one-place-to-the-next-with-little-to-no-breathing-like-a-chicken-with-its-head-cut-off action.  There are enough humans doing that already.  It’s a flow thing really.

Dictionary.com:

Action – the process or state of acting or being active; something done or performed;  act;  deed.

K.LITE facelift:

Action – the process or state of (intuitively) acting or being active;  something done or performed with purpose, giddy, and timing;  the show-up;  the divine dance;  Operation:  Code Led.

hi there you
Here’s your acronym:
light on time

A.C.T.I.O.N. = A Call To Intuitively Operate Now

SK#4’s raison d’être is that it’s on behalf of a Higher Purpose.  It’s action with backbone.  You’re not operating for the sake of operating; you’re operating from a Willing, Present, and Aware space because as a child of the stars you deserve to Feel Good.

Is this like following our destiny?

To a degree, yes.

Oh neat!  “When destiny calls” – that’ll be my mantra!

That could work….

You don’t approve?

No, it’s not that.  “When destiny calls” is a beautiful phrase epitomizing Divine Timing.  It needs no defense, that is for sure.  I’m hesitant because there’s a repetitive misconception it tends to unconsciously piggyback on.

Which is?

That so-called “destiny” will be calling no matter what.

It won’t?

It will, but only if ACTION is taken along the way.  You can’t dillydally around expecting destiny to call if you’re not actively and consistently nurturing the desired idea.  A synergy must form whereby you dream BIG AND act BIG. Possibly even act BIGGER.

Keep in mind, energy funds energy.  Momentum must be built (remember this blog too?).  It’s the law.  The more you show up, the more palpable the dream and the stronger the imprint on the destiny of your choice.

But destiny is predetermined.  We can’t alter it.

Can I ask you a favor?

Of course.

That definitive declaration you just uttered, take it with a grain of salt please – coarse salt.  Possibly a brick of salt if you can find it.

Destiny is predetermined in direct association with how you exercise your gift of Free Will.  If it didn’t take that into account – the fact that we get to choose what we do and how we ACT each and every day – then no one would do a damn thing because destiny is happening regardless.  That, or Free Will wouldn’t exist to begin with, right?

You really like this free will shit, don’t you bro? 

You’re damn right I do.

There’s no secret recipe to taking action.  It’s a self-taught art you learn as you go.  Honestly, most humans know how to act.  But deliberate, conscious action?  I think we’d all agree that humanity could use some work in that department.  That’s why it’s an art, not just motion.

If you truly desire something and it’s in alignment with Who You Are, more likely than not, you’re going to make it happen.  PERIOD.  It’s the “you want it, go get it” mentality.

“Action expresses priorities”
hi there light guy an–Gandhi

Thanks Bapu.

Be sure to bring your spiritual toolkit with you though.  Just because you’re physically taking steps now, doesn’t mean abandoning the foundational principals.  They feed off one another and are crucial to blazing your trail.  As you keep showing up, let them travel with you.

Remember, the promptings are only as good as what you do with them.  You wouldn’t let a winning lottery ticket sit in your drawer until it expired, would you?  No, you’d sprint to your car and cash it in as fast as you can.

Thanks Billy.

No matter what you’re guided to do, now is the time to walk, run, or fly from here to there.  You’ve done the homework.  Now take a step.

You know where to go.

OH HI

Tools and tips to elevate your Awareness:

1.  Notice.

In a plugged-in 21^st century world, there is an uncountable expanse of secondly distractions at our disposal, that, quite frankly, are eating humanity alive.

Facebook. Newspaper headlines. TMZ. Beeping, buzzing, ringing iPhones. Clickbait this and breaking news that. (Here’s some breaking news for ya: None of these things give a crap about you. N-O-N-E. None. Your best interest at heart will never come up in a single board meeting. N-E-V-E-R. Never).  Their aim, and nothing more, is to steal you from this moment.

When this happens, we not only zap our Presence, but the most crucial aspect of Awareness – our ability to notice and tune in to the signals around us – tapers too.  Like a lion in captivity, our instincts slowly dwindle away.

Aren’t you a Peppy Peter this morning Mr. K.LITE?

Is fire not light?

Touché.

To reclaim our capacity  to notice, let’s start by slowing down and checking in with our Internal Worlds (i.e. breathe).  Ask yourself:  Where are my thoughts? Are they grounded? No? Where would I like them to be?  Now, give them some direction.

Now ask:  Am I open?  (No matter who you are, we all need to be reminded of the Willingness Factor.  That’s why it’s Key #1).

And finally:  What’s happening around me?  Am I going through the motions or AM I HERE?  If not, how can I take more of it in?  Contemplate this and respond as guided.  (It’s your recipe).

A little bit of this will delve us deeper into the NOW.  When we’re deeper in the NOW, we support the BIG picture and retune our instincts, which allows us to more accurately know when and where to act (a prelude to Spiritual Key #4).

A noticing frame of mind is a practice in consciousness that turns distractions and loose life force into centered action. Back in the driver’s seat, we can cruise with our clues, treasure map in hand.

2.  Collect evidence.

Growing up, this was a staple in our household. And to be honest, it’s just plain ole fun.  Here’s how it works:

Say you want to create something.  A job.  A partner.  A new house.  A car.  A whatever.  Back the energy by collecting evidence.

When I was in the 8^th grade, for example, my dad was inspired to buy a specific type of car.  As a gauge of both alignment and possibility, we began to collect evidence of this vehicle wherever we went.  Eventually, our resonance seemed to place the car behind us, in front of us, or next to us on every road, at every streetlight, and parking lot we found ourselves in.

As a result, the manifestation unfolded in a matter of months, and he was shown exactly where to go.  Our intention was backed with such innocence, PLAY, and love that creation of said car seemed all but certain.  And it was.

“Energy flows where attention goes.”

3.  Keep things in game mode.

When I’m president, “proof of play” will be mandatory to file any major paperwork in life. You want health insurance? Yeah, tell me the last time you skipped or climbed a tree or rocked out full-blast in the car to Katie Perry’s “Firework” (did I say that out loud?).

Need a marriage license? Pitch me your plan for a consistent and innovative “date” schedule or your giddy-ness to simply hold hands every chance you get.

Applying for your dream job?  Bring me the ticket stub of the last movie you went to.  Why?  Cause harmony trumps profitability.

What the hell does skipping got to do with awareness, or better yet, my lack of coverage?!

Everything, my man. It’s your ticket to consistently feeling alive, which is, in and of itself, the Art of Feeling Good. It’s a game you’ve been playing for the past two months too. Willingness? Game. Presence? Game. Awareness? Game.

And if I stop playing?

Well, you’ll probably end up like Jack.

4. Practice yoga.

The purpose of yoga, unbeknownst to much of the Western world, is not to flatten the abs, harden the glutes, or wear your $318 pair of Lulu leggings (or is it leg-ins?).  Sure, one can gain muscle mass and increase flexibility and look damn good doing it, but that’s not the ultimate goal.

The real intent of yoga is a heightening of spiritual awareness through the conscious practice of training and stilling the mind.  (The body stuff is just a distraction).

By way of a series of stretches and poses, yoga – a Sanskrit word meaning “union” – is a conduit to a higher level of consciousness and an opportunity to unite with our Source.

In my experience, each time I lay on the mat, an overwhelming sense of oneness and connectivity envelops me.  Here, some of my most creative and heart-opening ideas have originated (e.g. K.LITE).

The key though is to hang with it, and not get caught up in the physicality of the postures or how sporadic your mind may go or the pretzel your limber neighbor has somehow wound themselves in.  The other cool thing is yoga can be done any time, anywhere.

Stay open, embrace the ONENESS, and you’ll create all sorts of Space in your field of Awareness.

5.  Keep a daily journal.

Before retiring at night or first thing the following morning, write down (in detail) everything you do each day. A journal helps to lasso the important minutiae we so easily tend to forget.

The reason for this is that we often don’t process what’s unfolding in life until we take a step back and reflect.  And a daily log provides a helicopter view of all that’s taking place, allowing us to connect the dots of our life story.

If consciousness is the space between thoughts, there’s definitely magic between the lines.

6.  If it’s not a “hell yes…”

…it’s a no.

Awareness 101?

Check.

7.  More mindfulness.

Whatever experience you currently find yourself a part of (the great and the not-so-great), remain committed to being the silent observer.  Why?

In doing so, you learn to feel extraordinary regardless of the situation, circumstance, or environment because you’re master of what comes in and what goes out.  You stay connected to your true self (through Awareness) and thereby ditch the need to argue or prove anything to anyone. Only you can read your Map.

Enlightened Decree #28:  By not identifying with this, that, or the other, all is one AND well.

How?

Your inner world – the Real World, that is – becomes a sanctuary and fortress of security, stability, peace, and poise.

Life will keep on happenin’, but the noise will fade away.

Awareness is your ace in the hole.

It’s time to expand the conversation, folks.  So let’s get back to business, shall we?

Willingness is a great place to begin the spiritual journey.  And Presence is a fine place to expand it.  But it’s utterly futile to be willing and present and fail to acknowledge the insight and guidance knocking on your door.

This is when Spiritual Key #3 – Awareness – poses for its close-up.  Here, we take things one step further.

Awareness is the paying attention part to the whole kit and caboodle, and a must-do to receive the Divine Instructions from the Youniverse.

The Divine Instructions?  English please!

Right, right, my whoops.

When you get clear about your vision (which I know you will), the Divine Instructions will arrive on your front porch. Timing, of course, fluctuates from student to student, but the Instructions can, at times, outpace Amazon Prime.  So, be sure to keep the door open.

Door open?!  Nowadays?!  In this political climate?!  You’re off your hinges!

It’s figurative, bro.  Jack my flow one more time and you’re outta here.  Now, where was I?

The Divine Instructions will arrive in the form of creativity, teachings, inspiration, assignments, new activities, books, fresh ideas, clues, alternate routes, etc, etc –  (they too fluctuate from student to student.)  Make sense?

Ohhh.  So it’s kinda sorta like a treasure map…?

Precisely!  You’re catching on.

(FYI: Because you’re willing and present, you are (by default) a magnet for opportunities.  Do humanity a service and accept them.)

ORIENTATION DAY

The planet is one big classroom – Globe School let’s call it – and we’re all enrolled.  It’s in perpetual communication with us every day of the week, every moment of our lives (even when we sleep.)  It speaks in a variety of dialects and comes in a multitude of guises.

From the demotion to the promotion…
The nightmare to the dream…
The “Help Wanted” sign to the “For Sale” sign…
The speeding ticket to the lottery ticket…
There’s always a link that connects to its existence.  Your job is to listen and notice.

Put even simpler, play a little detective. (But don’t overanalyze. More on this in a future bonus post.)  Just pay attention.

Uhh… to what exactly?

Glad you asked.

Pay attention to the moments when you feel most connected.
Pay attention to the flashes when time flies by.
Pay attention to the times you’re thrilled to share with others.
Pay attention to the days you can’t wait to start and dread ever ending.
Pay attention to the stuff that aligns with your Code.
Pay attention to when you respond (not react)/ACT without hesitation.
Pay attention to the moments when you’re LIT UP.

In vanilla terms, all paying attention means is “attending to your Presence.”  And no, it doesn’t mandate laser-focus to every single detail of every single day.  The more its adhered to (a little bit here, a little bit there), the more it becomes your natural expression to be aware.  Reminder not needed because you’ll merge with it.

THE NEXT STEP

Now, the flip side of paying attention is having the awareness to recognize when we’re not feeling enthused and guided to continue.

Whoa! You mean focus on the bad stuff?

I prefer to think of it as the delayed good, uh thank you very much.  As you very well know by now, I like to keep things light in this here neck of the woods.  And the delayed good is just as important as the inspired guidance.  Why?

Cause if you’re wholly unsure of which path to take, what your purpose is, where to go/what to do, the stuff that doesn’t fire you up can also bring you that much closer to that which does.

It’s a trial and error, been-there-done-that, process-of-elimination sort of mentality. It’s not always the most efficient course, but it certainly is effective.  And I hate to break it to you, but most people take this path, consciously or not.

Think about it.

How many times have you adamantly known what you don’t want in life, but still aren’t sure what you truly do desire?  Or, how many times has the wrong bumpy road led you to the right aligned road?  For me, it’s happened an innumerous amount of times.

Take the journey of your typical college student.  On average, they change majors three times before graduation.  Even then, many graduates take jobs not in their given field, or decide, once again,  to pursue a different field post-college.  What does this tell you?

That the job market is shit?

No.  Well… that’s one way to look at it I suppose. Certainly not the light route, but hey, to each his/her own.

This speaks to me of evolution – to the basic human necessity for AND BEAUTY OF growth and change. That we ALL evolve in our own time. That the delayed good allows us to home in on what fills our cup the highest that we might not’ve figured via any other route than our current one.  Think: the art history major turned successful hedge fund manager or the financial advisor turned professional fisherman or the kindergarten teacher turned media maven.

Case in point, yours truly.

I went to college because, well, that’s what you do after high school, right? Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful and thrilled by my school of choice.  Would I do it again?  Yes and no.

Yes, with the caveat of a honed academic focus. I’d study French and literature and film and photography this time around. I’d write a lot and shotgun beer less (but just a couple less, you still gotta live, right?)

Son of a Bitcoin!  I could have even paired the two.  Should-Have-Been-College-Blog Name (wait for it…):

Keepin’ It (Busch) Light

light
On the other hand, no I wouldn’t rewrite my college days because, well, I wouldn’t have gone period. (And the crowd goes silent!).  And I wouldn’t have gone because I’d learn by traveling the world.  And for the price tag of a private education, trust me, I could have gone far and stayed long.  (I wish I never ran those numbers.)

That said, none of what I say or feel or know or am passionate about today would be possible without MY college experience. Had I not tied one on every Tuesday night (yes, I said Tuesday) at the local watering hole for four straight years #5dollarpitchers, I wouldn’t have had the awakening I had at the end of college #fact. (I likely wouldn’t have become aware of my love for travel either NOR developed a gluten intolerance, but let’s not open that can, shall we?)

THE POINT

Do I regret not making the most of that time?

I could, but I don’t. Hindsight is a fool’s game. And the person I am today wouldn’t exist otherwise.  That I know with every fiber of my heart.

But you could have paid attention…

Well said, grasshopper. Unfortunately, I wasn’t willing or present. My path took me where I needed to go.  Fortunately though, guess what?

I’m willing and present?

Nailed it!

Which concludes our current get-together…

If you ignore the opportunities presented, you void the willingness you surrendered to and the Presence you’re currently building.  Why be open to limitless-ness if all you do is turn your cheek when the Instructions arrive?

The Spiritual Keys are a staircase.  Willingness… to Presence… to Awareness.

So, pay attention.
Grab your compass.
Follow the Map.
And ride that wave.

Details are drops.

And drops fill the sea.
hi