Episode 28: Communion with the Present Moment
Synopsis
What does it mean to talk in concept about the ego, and what real use do we make of that knowledge in our lives? What happens when we wake up to the extent of our sameness, to the actual interconnectedness of everything? And what does it imply for you practicality?
Show Notes
Hi Journeyer, welcome back to Calm Confident & Deliriously Happy. I’m Mandy, and I’m proud to hold the space for universal belonging, tolerance, justice, beauty and pain alike.
I took some time away, last month. You may have noticed. But here we are again.
Among other things, I visited my family and extended family for a celebration of my marriage in Georgia, then took two weeks honeymoon in Mexico. I created additional space and time for myself when I got back, which I will share more about another day. There is a lot that I want to share with you, relevant to this created space and time. But another day.
My question for you this morning, coming back to the mic is do you believe that you are more than a body and a personality? Do you believe you are more than a set of organs and systems having experiences that resulted in a set of beliefs, capabilities, and conditioned responses?
When we talk about the ego – it’s because there’s something more to us that’s NOT the ego. Have you ever considered it that way?
When we talk about ego death – it’s the lived experience of letting certainty of our separateness fall away. And in that vacuum, experiencing all our actual and real connectedness.
And what’s interesting about this to me, is that in such connectedness, fear does not exist.
Collectively we can reference stories – stories others have, experiences shared.
What about your own story? Where are you on that path?
What happens when we wake up to the extent of our sameness? Of our connectedness?
To the inherent meaninglessness and extreme beauty of our lives? Independent of the meanings we had applied of grandness or meagerness, of pleasure or unpleasnantness. Beyond suffering.
I help people along that path. Along the path of discovery of and real identification with your true nature. Identification with essence rather than ego. With essence rather than what has been conditioned within us.
That’s what we’re all really doing here anyway. We’re waking up.
Fear is conditioned. What enables that conditioning are mirages of separateness and conflict.
If connectedness is the foundational reality of everything – and science backs this – then safety is what’s real.
Beyond fear conditioning, beyond illusions of separatness, beyond thought and projection, there is oneness. Love is all there is. And even when I say that, something that I know very well in my fiber, and in my head, it is still not fully something that I understand. But I am coming into that knowing too.
Fear conditions disease, love conditions health. Instead of trying to “resolve” problems, and fix perceptions of brokenness, can you see another way? Can you see that in a situation where there’s discontent – let’s say two children, maybe they’re yours are having an argument. When each one has part of the story wrong, and the disagreement is really based on distorted views or partial views of a full picture. Maybe they’re fighting over the “last cookie” but there’s a whole nother box. Getting that high ground view is a way of stepping righ tout side of the problem. that’s the space where the problem doesn’t exist. This is exactly what I’m suggesting can be applied to every single challenge in your life right now. And any part of you that wants to hold on to, or attach to, a picture where that is not possible – where that could not possibly be true – where somehow that is not true in this instance or for you. I wonder if you can ask gently what that attachment is protecting for you. what is it trying to guard you from.
The exception to this rosy and gorgeous picture I am painting, which is a huge focus of the book that I’m writing with an expected release this year – is in cases where there’s Intent. But we can dive into that another day.
Where are you on this journey of waking up to the reality that there is not conflict?
How steeped in or free from fear conditioning are you today? Is there room for lift? Is there room for improvement? What path do you choose to give yourself that? How quickly do you see that for yourself? How deeply do you desire that emotional and physical freedom?
Let’s breathe together.
Today I just wanted to return to the work so to speak, create an intent of reconnection in a reality where disconnection was not possible, and share with you a few questions that I hope would help you today. We will see what the next moment brings when it comes, but I do envision conversations offering tangible applications of these ideas which will touch on all levels of our shared experiences. Practically and personally.
I’ll catch you next time in episode 29. If my thoughts today made a difference for you, you can share this episode via the hotlink: bit.ly/cicada028 Cicada is the sound the acronym of the show’s title makes when you say it, and 028 is the episode number.
Until next time. Take care!