Victory Chapter from Experience. Create. LOVE.
This is an excerpt from "Experience. Create. LOVE." - copyright 2013
Victory Of Achievement (Over the Emotions and Emotional Attachments)
The emotions are what makes life great – joy, passion, love, peace, happiness. They are also what can make life difficult – anger, fear, sadness. They are often the driving force behind our actions, and can become beautiful pieces of art when expressed skillfully. But can we tame our emotions? Or are we slaves to their power?
Maybe you have never thought of it this way (or maybe you have), but we are not our emotions. Our emotions are a feeling, but they are not us. When someone drives you to feel angry, do you recognize it as a feeling, or do you become that anger? “I am angry” is different than “I feel angry.” In the first sentence, you become something not yourself – you become an emotion, but in the second sentence, you maintain your identity (your TRUTH), and recognize the truth that your anger is simply a feeling, and that all feelings pass.
When you become your emotion, that emotion controls your actions, and you do things that are out of your character, and often not in your best interest. If you are a normally peaceful, non-violent person, becoming your anger can drive you to hurt others. Because hurting others is not part of your true character, or essence, you are not being yourself, and will not find true joy in this action. But, if you can realize that your anger is only an emotion, and not really you, you can find another method of handling the situation that is in alignment with your true character – and in that act of truth, find true joy.
Now, the point of this practice is not to diminish or ignore your emotions. Emotions are meant to be felt! The point of this exercise is to help you become more aware of your emotions, so that they do not control you, and so that your actions come from your essence. When you maintain your thoughts and actions from your essence, you open yourself to the vision of true beauty within yourself and others. Because the emotions are not really you, when you let them decide your actions for you, you are no longer living your truth, but living a false life based on reacting to your environment. Reaction is the only act available from your emotions, but from your essence, you find the availability of action. In martial arts, they have a saying: “Action always defeats reaction.”
With the awareness we are gaining from the exercises in the previous chapters, you may already be finding it easier to acknowledge and recognize your thoughts, desires, and emotions, and how these are effecting your daily life. This is good, so let’s keep building on it! Keep doing the exercises that you have received the most benefit from – and try out these new ones as well. The important part is that your awareness of self is growing.
Go outside to a place you can walk around freely. Find an inanimate object at least fifty feet away that attracts your interest. Begin walking very slowly toward it – four to five seconds per step. As you walk, become aware of your thoughts and your feelings as they relate to the movement of your thighs, legs, and feet.
1. Focus on your thoughts:
- Where are you going?
- Why are you going?
- What is the source of attraction?
- What does this say to you about you?
2. Focus on your feelings:
- How do you feel about the object?
- When did this feeling first arise?
- Can you strengthen the feeling?
3. Focus on your feet:
- What makes your feet move the way they do?
- Why are your feet taking you toward that particular object?
- Can you change your walking style to reflect the character of this particular object?
4. As you walk slowly, become aware of how a part of you is reaching out to the object. This part of you is somehow intricately interwoven with your Mind and Emotions. Yet, your feet move without obvious consciousness of this reaching-out process.
5. Allow that consciousness to seep into your style of moving. Exaggerate it somewhat just so that your conscious awareness becomes discernible in the way you walk.
6. In this way, you begin to master your flow of creative emotional expression.
7. Further variations on this theme include how you see with your eyes, taste with your tongue, or hear with your ears. Feel free to create similar exercises for these. After a few sessions, you will find that you are becoming very familiar with your creative emotional expression, to the extent that you can actually change the mechanism of its flow to something that you are more comfortable with or desire more. This is a very powerful tool for the artist within you.
Harnessing your own creative emotional expression is the most important tool for becoming an artist, and a very important tool for creation in general. There is no more fruitful place to see this expression blossom in your life, then in your relationships. Relationships are the product of how well two people can express themselves to each other, and how well we can witness that expression without judgment. The next piece here is about healing and mastering relationships, and it ties in very well with the last exercise.
Answer the following questions honestly. The deeper you go, the more you will receive. It is also helpful to realize, that most people have assumptions about the answers to these questions – but write out the answers and explore them deeply. You will be surprised by the results!
1. Your relationship with yourself:
- Do you have a lot of negative self-talk? (more than a yes or no answer)
- How do you talk to yourself? How do you treat yourself? Are you harsh with yourself?
- What do you need to forgive yourself for?
- How would you like your relationship with yourself to be
different?
- What is your plan and your action for how to have a loving, kind, honest, direct, and generous relationship with yourself?
2. Your relationships with God/Spirit:
- What needs to be healed here?
- What/Who needs to be forgiven?
- What do you need to let go of? (You did the best you could for
that time – let it go…)
- Do you spend time here every day, or sometimes ignore this aspect of your life? (at least 10 minutes a day)
- What is your plan and what actions are you going to take to make this relationship with Spirit be the way you want it to be?
3. Other relationships:
- What needs healing/forgiveness/let go of with your relationship to your:
- Mother, Father, Siblings, Children, Spouse (write for each)
- How would you like those relationships to be different?
- Are you stingy with your affections? Hypercritical?
- What is your plan and what actions will you take to make this be the way you want it to be?
- What needs healing/forgiveness/let go of with your relationship with your friends?
- What needs healing/forgiveness/let go of with your relationship with your colleagues/co-workers?
With these questions, it is important to remember that you bought this book and are reading it for a reason – you want to progress as a person. Allow the energy and information to come entirely to the surface so that you can really enhance these areas of your life. A good way to start, is by picking one plan to put into action each week, then ask yourself these or similar questions:
- Now that I am facing this truth, what do I want to do differently?
- What can I do differently to honor this relationship and treat it respectfully in the future?
Now do you remember the last chapter? The work we did on our mind (as opposed to working on the emotions/feelings in this chapter)? Are you noticing a balance or tendency between these two chapters and areas of your life? Do you tend to work in one area over the other? Or neglect one area? Are you beginning to see how they work together and influence each other? If you notice one of these chapters was more difficult, it can be helpful to explore that chapter a second time, or at least journal/meditate on your experience between the two. Then maybe take some time to really exercise your mind, communication and planning skills, or focus on your creative, artful and emotional side.
A good way to really bring out and enhance your emotional experience and expression is to spend some time creating through different art mediums – whether it be painting, dance, music, poetry, writing, clothing, or any other form of creative art. Especially focus on surrendering to the energy – not forcing anything, but being receptive to the flow and letting it happen. Also, take time to surrender to the feelings within yourself when you see beauty around you – in art, or in the wilderness, or in the way others express themselves. See an art show, or take a long walk through a park or in the wilderness. Really enjoy what you experience and fully realize your feelings within your body and heart.
Victory of Achievement Meditation:
For this chapters meditation, we will burn Patchouli. You will also need a Malachite crystal. For bonus points, make a playlist of music in the key of E, and play it on repeat, or use a chime/bell in the correct key. As always, the music is helpful, but not necessary – the crystal and incense really bring in the vibration.
Now, once you have gotten the room ready for meditation (privacy, quiet, crystal and burning incense ect) sit facing North and find a relaxed position. Take three deep, relaxing breaths from your stomach and let your body and mind relax. Feel your energy start to shift as the dreamy smell of Patchouli takes you over. When you feel ready, begin this proclamation: “Living from that Will, supported by its unfailing Wisdom and Understanding, Mine is the Victorious Life! I am ______ (your name). I call upon the powers of (tone) Yod-Heh-Vov-Heh (T)Za-Bi-Ot (Lord of Hosts) to join (tone) Haniel (Grace of God) and the (tone) El-o-heem (Gods/Goddesses of Nature) in the world of (tone) “Net-zach” (“ach” sounds like “loch” translates as Victory). Give me Unselfishness, and help me conquer envy and lust. Bring me creativity, romance and expression from my essence. Living from that Will, supported by its unfailing Wisdom and Understanding, Mine is the Victorious Life!”
Sit in this energy as long as you want. Let yourself feel the energy surrounding you. Visualize yourself dancing, creating and loving effortlessly. How do you express yourself? How do you witness and honor beauty in the world around you? What are you doing differently in this meditation then you normally do? Visualize yourself expressing your heart through art, romance and through the way you enjoy life – express yourself through your relationships with others. Notice where you have felt lacking before, and notice what you might have repressed, but now acknowledge and let that all go. You are strong, and you live in the present – you express yourself effortlessly from your essence, and your emotions enhance your life, but never control it. Let anything that needs to come up do so, and make a mental note to finish any loose ends from the past that need fixing, or if it is suitable, make a note to act differently in future situations (write it down after the meditation).
Close out the meditation with a prayer – thank all beings and energies who have come and are present, and give them your blessing to depart and do their work – harming none on their way. You may bow your head in thanks and state “Amen,” “Aho,” or “So be it/So mote it be” if it feels appropriate. When you are ready, pick up your journal and write down any thoughts, ideas, or feelings you need to express about this meditation. Also note any further steps you need to take, and schedule times to do this.