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