Project Knowing Infinite Self ~ Step Five

Accepting Negativity as a Learning Experience

Oh goody. ;)

Stuff happens. Have you noticed? And often, we declare a thing to be "bad" or "negative" ... and then it feels that way.

Thoughts create things ... and our thoughts about happenings create our experience of those happenings.

I like how Stuart Wilde puts it here:

The ego has rules and regulations. From these come its desires, needs, opinions, beliefs, and fears. Any time the ego perceives negativity, it will react. It will react from arrogance or righteousness, or it will react from its sense of insecurity or from a sense of injustice because its status quo is being assailed; or perhaps its power is being diminished in some way... The ego's view is self-centered and laced with its own fears.

Looking at the world in the finite, emotional ego sense, we judge it, making it wrong. It's only the ego's opinion that life should be cozy and effortless, and that everybody should have plenty of money.

So, we have capitalism that says everyone should be able to do what they want to get the money ... and socialism that says that everyone should spread that money around.

But, from the perspective of the Higher Self, the soul's purpose ... how do we know that poverty isn't something that a beggar needs to experience in order to understand himself, in order to grow ...?

What if there are many lifetimes ... and things we need to learn in each ... and what if that beggar was a hoarder in a previous lifetime, who withheld from others ... and needs to experience things from the "other side of the street?"

What if we had a more long-term spiritual view, rather than a short-term emotionally-expedient view? What if it's my ego, and not the Spirit, that says "that man should have more money"...?

Maybe our limited perspective gets in the way...? What if, in attempting to "fix" someone else's problem, I actually get in the way of their spiritual evolution?

Now, I can show compassion, and understanding, and give of myself ... I can listen, and share, and listen-within ... rather than merely giving in to the reaction of my ego's opinion...

But people who are suffering don't need a fix ... they need a higher/deeper understanding of what's going on ... what led to that situation, and what do they need to learn from it? Maybe, instead of giving of my money, I can give of my energy ...

Maybe I can share (because of what I've learned -- and am learning), that life isn't about indulging the ego, but about aligning with Spirit/Infinite Self ... that the goal is to get enthusiastic about life ...

Stu says:

When their desire to achieve and perceive and create more is greater than the ego's self-indulgence, obstinacy, and destructive ways, then -- and only then -- will people change.

All the agony we experience emotionally and p psychologically is agony of the ego. If the ego didn't have dogma, opinions, and positions it has to defend, you couldn't have negative energy. If the ego didn't have rigid opinions, there couldn't be fear.

Hmmm ... then it seems that we need negativity (negative emotions, negative energy) in order to show us that the ego is still alive and kicking, and in full-fledge operation.

Maybe we need that negativity in order to not live in blind obedience TO the ego...!

Next -- going beyond common belief patterns ...

Shalom & Namaste ~
Dena