I skimmed through a book yesterday. The title was From Stress to Stillness: Tools for Inner Peace. I only read it because I have been feeling unbalanced and a bit unsettled and so was seeking some resolution. 

Here are some quotes I wrote down that resonated with me. Some resonated so deeply I had tears in my eyes:

“The ego often pushes us toward goals that aren’t ultimately fulfilling, ones that don’t really fit for us but are driven by fear and a sense of lack and not being good enough. Or the ego might limit us by talking us out of pursuing goals and activities that would make our heart sing.” p. 7

“When we allow the egoic mind to run our activities, we end up feeling like a machine: souless and joyless.” p. 21

“The ego wants clarity now, but clarity about how to proceed happens in its own time. Sometimes we have to patiently wait for Life to show us the next step. Sometimes not having clarity is the clarity.” p. 71

“These communications from our heart feel good, even euphoric. How gracious of Life to point the way with good feelings! And the unpleasant feelings and depression we experience when we believe the mind’s lies and half-truths are how Life shows us which directions not to go in. How benevolent of Life!” p. 76

All of the above quotes moved me/resonated but the last one especially. When I read about allowing the heart to show me the way I had a shot of energy hit my heart. It came in from the lower left of my body like a lightning bolt. When it hit I recognized something and I began to cry. It was an instant “ah-ha” about something I had missed from over a year ago now. I suddenly knew everything I was reading was true to me, especially the part where the ego convinced me that what my heart wants is not the “logical” thing to do. I saw instances where I had ignored my heart and listened to my egos lies and “logic”. I saw how my depression has always been a warning that I am heading in the wrong direction.

Sadly, the book was very repetitive so I ended up skimming through several chapters which is okay because I believe I received the messages I was meant to. 

The book indicated to me that I had allowed my egoic mind to pull me into it’s nonsense once again. It is so easy to get pulled in and the author reminds the reader not to despair. The ego is part of the many challenges we face when we descend into these physical bodies. Rather than judge myself harshly I should make a course correction. 

So I am going to return to daily meditation, aiming at 30 minutes to start with the goal of an hour daily. I did this successfully last night but since I am out of practice my mind wandered quite a bit and I struggled to get comfortable. 

At one point, toward the end, I found myself witnessing a visual of a word moving across my field of vision. It was written in 3D letters and said, “Postpone”. Not long after this message I was startled by what seemed like very loud music. Music had always been part of the meditation so I thought, “When did the music stop?” I realized that it hadn’t. I had shifted into a deeper state, one where the music blended into the silence.

Years ago I would meditate frequently in order to achieve a conscious OBE. I became so adept at it that I would go into trance very quickly upon entering a meditative state. I became so good at it that I ended up in trance at the most inappropriate times – like driving my car! Meditation is like riding a bike, you never forget how to do it even if you stop practicing. This time I want to use my meditation practice to find Silence rather than exit my body. I have gone OOB enough. Now it is time to focus on being IN the body but not in the mind (ego). 

One would think after having the realizations I had from this book that I would change course drastically, but I’m not – can’t. To do so would most certainly throw me back into the chaos of my mind. I have to start slow which is why I am going to begin with my meditation goal and observe my thoughts throughout the day. As the author of the book reminds, those thoughts are not mine. They are an illusion, a part of the false self. 

The book also helped me to see that there are many things I am doing right. Many choices I made from the heart, choices where I opted to slow down and focus more on what matters to me rather than what society and others pushed upon me. I chose to leave teaching and counseling. I chose to stay home and work part-time. I chose to work in a career that gave me more freedom, less stress and more time with my children. I tossed money out the door as my primary consideration. 

There are many, many other examples. I may be human and flawed. I may be a bit deaf when it comes to my heart. We all are. Ultimately, we listen, even if at times it means we struggle in the dark for a while before we do.