Introducing the author side of your Transformational Life Coach.
“I believe we are far more capable of doing things beyond our imagination than we give ourselves credit. In fact, the simple act of making a step toward achieving a dream brings many worlds into order and available for support.” Author Zen Benefiel
Conversations that matter involve many dimensions of reality; having them are the first step to creating meaningful relationships in the world. My transformational life coaching practice has proven that people are for more capable of great things than they believe themselves to be. It just takes some adjustments as to how we think, which often determines how we feel. We take an opposite approach based on indigenous traditions and proven process that engage the mind/body/spirit in practical ways.
Author Zen Benefiel
As an author, my works have largely been explorations of self and the processes for rising to a new living awareness that incorporates best practices across a plethora of fields and industries. You’ll notice in the interview that my background is quite extensive in personal experience of transcending tragedy and professional endeavors involving hundreds of people and millions of dollars.
In an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove, for New Thinking Allowed YouTube Channel, Jeff mentions the unique ability I have to experience, observe and report on even the most subjective events. Being able to see ourselves without criticisms or convoluted emotional attachments is imperative in personal growth and professional achievement. Perhaps you’ll find some tasty tidbits in the interview that offer you new insight and understanding from author Zen Benefiel.
In this episode of the Indie Beacon Show, hostess Dr. Keitha Story-Stephenson talks with Zen Benefiel to learn how he uses the quote above in his life and service to others.
“Remember when you were young?” brings certain thoughts to mind, though maturation isn’t one of them. My mind connects music usually, especially with some life events. ‘You shone like the sun… Shine on you crazy diamond,’ comes to mind with that question. If music is the language of the soul, perhaps that is a reminder and Pink Floyd just happened to be the vehicle. Music carries feeling for many and in the consideration that reality is all vibration, perhaps feeling our way though it is most appropriate.
Maturation – Early Onset and Recognition
When we’re young, during our teens and twenties, immaturity is usually not a consideration. If fact, we often think we know more than our elders, right? At that point in our lives we don’t realize that the maturation process ahead of us is led by experience and time; neither of which we had then. It’s frustrating when that kind of behavior inhibits the ability to ask questions and listen. It’s more about telling. There are exceptions, though they are rare.
In our late 20s stage of maturation we develop careers and families, or most of us do, and figure out whether we can really get along with our partner or not. Right now, according to statistics, it’s a coin toss. That ought to be disturbing, though it’s actually declined over the last couple of decades. If we cannot get along at home, how can we expect to get along in the world? The reciprocal applies; if we cannot get along in the world, how can we expect to get along at home. It’s the same personality in both places, right?
Those that are a bit more serious will look for help in some way. Our deepest desire is to love and to be loved. What makes that happen? We certainly cannot force it. As we continue developing in our 30s, that question leads to answers of faith, love and trust. Our integrity, or lack of it, helps or hinders the faith, love and trust to evolve in a relationship. We tend to trust without reason when we’re younger. Our faith is tested when we realize our choices might not have been the best. There’s no fault in that; we’re maturing and making mistakes is part of the learning.
By our forties we’re locked in careers, or at least we were, and our children are approaching graduation and perhaps going off to college. At least they are preparing to leave the nest and fend for themselves. This brings up another test for many. What’s next? Because our attention and effort toward raising children, as single or dual-income households, absorbed attention and time, we’re now feeling a sense of emptiness and maybe a lack of fulfillment. That’s how it was up until this last year.
Now there is a new set of circumstances as we come out of masked sequestration. Those previous maturation process are now in question because we’re all having to face the same challenges in socialization and working relationships. What kind of unspoken and unfulfilled expectations will we have of others who feel differently than we do about moving forward. This is what Klaus Schwab meant, I believe, in his question regarding recovery. Will we be able to be caring and compassionate toward one another? Can we avoid splitting apart because of a narrative that is questionable, yet has millions in line? What about the other millions?
Age of Wisdom?
In my early 30s I hosted a television show called One World. Our aim was to interview people from all walks of society and find out some basic stuff, that revealed sense made common. We asked about inner and outer promptings that caused choices and grew maturation. We asked about fears and how they overcame them. We asked about how they saw those same patterns in the world around them; in their communities, cities, nations and the global community. It was an amazing opportunity for me, having an insatiable curiosity about life, others and how we learn to work together.
Willy Whitefeather [RIP] was my one of my first guests. He was a mixed-blood Cherokee with a penchant for storytelling. I’d met him through another friend, Merel Bregante. Merel was working with another friend, Shayla, in creating a stage presentation for a kind of ecstatic dance. They performed it at the Mesa Amphitheater later that year. Willy was living in a teepee at the Goldfield Ghost Town at the time, accompanied by a rattlesnake that joined him in the tent at night occasionally. It was really strange, though he was fine with it and didn’t feel threatened, knowing it was just seeking warmth. Few of us could handle that, I’m sure.
I had some other involvement with First Nations through the Phoenix Indian School Preservation Coalition that had formed to address the design of the coming of what would be called the Steele Indian School Park. One of my other guests invited me to be their scribe and co-present their desires to the Mayor and City Council of Phoenix. 18 of 21 Tribes were represented and I had several years of wonderful, though sometimes heart-wrenching, experiences with them. I later spent time on the Hopi reservation when my oldest daughter set me up with her Hopi friend’s mother, a daughter of a past tribal president.
Willy and I lost touch as we both went different directions and the temporary relationship built from the interest in the show waned. He still made a big impact on my life and a couple of decades later I felt the need to reach out to him for some reason. I looked up his book, Outdoor Survival Handbook for Kids, online and found a website. I reached out to the webmaster, not really knowing who it was, to see if somehow they had contact info for Willy. It turned out to be Merel’s wife and a week or so later I get a phone call… ‘Osiyo, Brother!’ was Willy’s voice on the other end.
Now I was in my mid-forties then and after some catching up, Willy paused and said, ‘There’s something you need to know now. In our tradition you cannot form or join your own council until you are 51.’ That struck me solidly. We’d been talking about world events and the changes in humanity necessary for our continued survival. He had referenced many prophecies on the show about how these times were going to roll out. Women cutting their hair, putting on war paint and going to battle with men was one of them. I knew even then that women truly held the strength of sustainability and that the feminine energy is what has been missing in the Patriarchal-driven world. I paid a lot of attention to the next few years.
Waxing and Waning – The Tipping Point
I have to admit I’ve been pushing boundaries and exploring beyond this world for most of my life. No matter, I think part of the wisdom that turning 51 brought was the fact that none of that matters if we don’t have practical ways of applying our wisdom, let alone our knowledge. I’ve been involved with consciousness studies for several decades, curious of the questions necessary to reveal the prudent path, the practical and pragmatic applications that make a difference in the world.
When we understand ourselves intimately, going beyond the questions of maturation to the experience of the answers and letting that sink in, we naturally learn better ways of living, working and making the world better. Be Here Now provided some early recognition of the path ahead, though it gave no specific directions. It just acknowledged the journey would be wild and wonder-ful.
I met Jose Arguelles in 1997, whom I’d hoped to encounter after first reading his interpretation of the Mayan Calendar’s End/Beginning of Time; which just meant a new cycle, not a destruction. Much like the ‘apocalypse,’ an uncovering or unveiling of great knowledge and information was taking place. He explained that, according to his understanding, we were accelerating in developing awareness like no other time on Earth that parallel the information curve. Evidence was plentiful with all the books, CDs, movies and TV shows that explored many concepts and worlds.
So what happens on the other side of the Tipping Point, which was supposed to be the Winter Solstice of 2012? The answer is pretty simple and yet we all seem to be missing it: Implementing the awareness of our connectedness back into the existing systems we’ve built. Admittedly, they aren’t the best at serving the needs of humanity as there are still wars over resources and territory, still homelessness and poverty. On a universal picture, that’s just not acceptable.
My work focuses on turning that awareness, the insight and intuition that others garner as they question the Great Reset and what they can do, into actionable plans. The magnitude of those plans isn’t the issue. They might even be so small that others might think them inconsequential, yet they make all the difference in the world to the fulfillment of the individual. That’s where the caring and compassion comes in. It doesn’t matter the station in life or the activity of achieving goals and objectives, as long as one recognizes its value to the whole as well as the individual. New models of behavior begin to replace old ones and the systems change over time.
Will maturation ever be complete? Doubtful… we’ve got several types of Civilizations to advance toward according to Kardashev.
Considering we’ve all been through one of the most challenging years in recent history, there’s an opportunity in the challenge to ascend from the pandemic. What does it mean for us individually and/or collectively?
The Great Reset is in process and hopefully those smarter and wiser are facilitating a new normal that fits a sustainable outlook for our future. We really cannot afford to become engrossed with conspiracy notions now, however true they may be. We’ve got to learn how to work together for a brighter, sustainable future.
There are many perspectives to consider. In doing so, my wife and I decided to read Klaus Schwab’s book, COVID-19: The GREAT RESET. We found at least a couple of interesting questions he presented that just make sense to address. In spite of adverse perspectives presented in a ‘globalist’ mindset, it’s just a perspective. We can learn from anything or anyone who seeks a better future. We all have different ideas as to what that might look like, and some amalgamation will occur.
Individual Resets
Schwab is the Founder and Executive Director of the World Economic Forum, and just might know a thing or two. We found something of great interest in his exploration of individual resets, speaking of the forced isolation, whether in an apartment or palatial mansion:
“A variety of such observations have prompted not only social commentators but also the general public itself to ponder whether the pandemic succeeded in bringing the best out of us and in so doing triggering a search for higher meaning. Many question came to mind, like: Might the pandemic give birth to better selves and to a better world? Will it be followed by a shift in values? Will we become more willing to nurture our human bonds and more intentional about maintaining our social connections? Simply put: will we become more caring and compassionate?”
So this ‘new normal’ caring and compassionate side of things does sound a bit like a globalist (a person who advocates the interpretation or planning of economic and foreign policy in relation to events and developments throughout the world.), and transhumanist (a philosophical movement the proponents of which advocate the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies able to greatly enhance longevity, mood and cognitive abilities.) approach.
Most of us cannot comprehend the level of people, planning, strategy and wisdom necessary to map out a future for a planet of any kind, let alone a sustainable one. We can and will move forward; just how well we do it will depend on how mindful we can become toward the needs of people and planet. It’s a much different mindset than we’ve enjoyed in the industrial and even beginning of the information age. Digitization and virtual environments have shifted how we work dramatically.
A recent TV series that has both British and American versions, UTOPIA, presents many ethical and moral dilemmas needing to be faced regarding a sustainable future. Like many conspiratorial perspectives, the series shows the behind-the-scenes activity that could exist, and in some form probably does. The gist of the theme is the development of two proteins (one in meat substitute and one in a vaccine) that, when combined in the body, produce sterility in 95% or the population for 3 generations. Like an agenda for population control, we’re faced with the reality that it could be in process with a ‘plandemic’ that offers opportunity.
Complex Systems
Schwab further define areas of focus to include Interdependence, Velocity and Complexity. Schwab states that one word that distils the 21st century would be ‘interdependence,’ and that tech progress and globalization creates the velocity of it. He makes a comment about complexity that I took issue with, but from a different perspective. Complexity doesn’t matter when we start from very simple models, micro-versions with repeating patterns everywhere.
Complex systems are often characterized by an absence of visible causal links between their elements, which makes them virtually impossible to predict. Deep in ourselves, we sense that the more complex a system is, the greater the likelihood that something might go wrong and that an accident or an aberration might occur and propagate.
Regarding the latter, there’s a ‘new normal’ counter-offer and it flies in the face of the modern physics’ concept of entropy. Schwab states a belief system, imho, and we accept it as true. However, from an aware and centered perspective there is a greater likelihood that something will go right and propagate. My life examples that, unless I’m living in some parallel world. Many are experiencing a shift in things going right, simply because they’ve enjoyed the forced isolation and sequestration and looked inward.
That also deserves attention, that good can be propagated just as well. Perhaps it’s a matter of whether we see something from an inner perspective, coherent and connected, or an outer perspective that is overwhelmed by the complexity and feels disconnected. It’s like the glass half full or empty thing. It doesn’t matter when you have the pitcher and refills are unlimited.
For now, let’s remain emotionally distant from judgment. This is just an exploration, a thought experiment if you will. We’ll get into options in a moment.
Advanced Reset
It seems that in order to find harmony in any kind of great reset, we need to understand that the two perspectives are valid and may indeed be a key to understanding the Tao. As we learn to ask better questions, perhaps considering the bridging of the two is worth some effort. How else can we look at or perceive the situation? Is there an expanded view we can take?
When duality is perceived, there is a fine line within the Tao. When we attempt to perceive the oneness, the line disappears and we begin to experience harmony. Harmony isn’t the absence of chaos, it’s the effective integration of it. Chaos naturally reveals order in more complex systems, not necessarily as a result of entropy. It’s there for us to learn how it fits.
The reality is we’re in a very complex system that has grown to global proportions out of interdependence and velocity of change as well as expectations of delivery in the get-it-now age. We don’t understand how it all works, and many don’t care as long as it does. Where does the care and nurturing of human beings in the ‘new normal’ fit in?
Does it? We’re in the midst of a huge change in behavior, moved not so much by climate change now, which is a true crisis, but by economic, social and health concerns governed by corporate interests driven by the profit over people agenda we’ve had for decades. Seems our greatest fears of a dystopian future are being thrown in our faces for review and re-negotiation.
I don’t know, but I suspect, that the great reset will include an inner revolution brought about by the self-hygiene turned inward. People are questioning their values, morals and ethics more than ever, or at least they appear to be. I’ve questioned my ethics, moral and values over my lifetime, so it is nothing new. I’ve grown to know the value of being considerate, kind and observant way beyond the normal ego-centric perspective.
This might sound way out there… For me, it’s like taking an alternative view of the Tao. It’s a two-dimensional symbol. What if we added a third dimension? Could there be something we’ve missed? We need to look at ourselves from the perspective of unity in consciousness. What are those core values?
TAO de New Normal
I’m known for looking at things differently. That’s my job as a transformational life coach and supporter of human evolution. In assessing problems and creating solutions, multiple perspectives are needed. Circular thinking takes critical thinking to a new height. Imagine if we could incorporate a kind of spherical thinking, ignited by the insights received through developing an inner connection.
What if the Tao symbol had a deeper meaning, perhaps a cross-section of our DNA helix with the pulses of light caught in a still view?
It’s not practical in a ‘new normal,’ you might say. The argument is that it is the most practical and pragmatic, recognizing the interconnectedness and access to infinite intelligence through cosmic consciousness. It’s really the next bio-spiritual piece of human evolution. We learn how to manage our reality better, furthering efforts toward a Type 1 civilization and growing together instead of falling separately.
Innovation comes through insight, usually, something that just pops into your head after long periods of contemplation. It’s the same thing only we don’t practice the process of getting access. We don’t have a pause button, let alone the ability to pull back and observe without fear. That goes back to Klaus’ comment above, we expect calamity. You know as well as I do, our imagined fears rarely manifest, yet they drive our lives.
Time to let go of that paradigm, eh? Risk management needs to evolve, emerge as reward management – what happens when we do the right things and good things happen as a result. How do we answer Schwab’s question: Can we be caring and compassionate toward one another? We haven’t been. We’ve been very self-centered and separative in our individual lives, especially in developed countries. We let things happen as long as they aren’t in front of our faces, and sometimes even then.
What ‘New Normal’ ?
How do we redirect the self-sabotaging of consumerism? Our current paradigm is that our purchasing power and acquisition of wealth is self-actualization, not self-sabotaging. We have acknowledged that we’re polluting the atmosphere and planet beyond measure, yet we haven’t changed our habits of living. It’s interesting that during the pandemic and sequestration, we learned how to get along with less activity and ‘stuff’ we once thought was necessary for our happiness.
We went from at least feigned trust-relationships to questioning everyone we meet on the street as being potentially infected. No looking each other in the eye, no hand shakes, so hugs in public and heck, there was no public for a time. As we come out of the masquerading (mixed reviews on the effectiveness of masks) in developing a ‘new normal’ and the essential gagging of the voices of dissenters all over the world, how will we incorporate a new path without dragging the past with us?
Does some kind of ‘spiritual’ or ‘progressive thinking’ path have value? Without fail, every transcendent path contains the cautionary tales of carrying baggage onto the flight. We cannot learn to fly with an anchor around our necks, some embedded in the ground so deep we cannot even consider letting go, let alone do it. Yet, we must in order to create a future free of the constraints of the past. It’s all good, we just need to let our history go.
By letting our ‘his-story’ go we make ‘her-story’ available for view. I know that sounds trite, perhaps, yet it is the feminine qualities that bring out caring and compassionate actions toward others. Patriarchal systems are all about dominance and manipulation of people, places and things for profit, whether it’s capitalism or communism – leaders profit greatly. Matriarchal systems, on the other hand, have always been concerned with the care and maintenance of the village through the care and concern for the children. We’ve lost that awareness; fallen into the trap of acquisition over people and planet and thought it ‘good.’
Transformation Life Coaching’s Role
Your mind is a powerful tool. Learn how to use it better.
The notion of a ‘new normal’ in which one can transform their life has been around for a long time. We read and see many stories about those who’ve gone from travesty to triumph, tragedy to transcendence. Now we’re in a position where the population would do well to visit those processes that facilitate such overwhelmingly consistent results. Those who’ve turned inward early in life and chosen a path of service are prime suspects for supportive processes and programs.
The core of change is shifting habits, plain and simple. We have habits of activity, of feeling, even of thinking. We cannot recognize those habits on our own, usually. All we know is that our efforts aren’t producing the desired results. We know change is necessary as doing the same things over and over and expecting different results falls into Einstein’s definition of insanity. How do we change?
Self-examination is the first step. Until we are more aware of our habits and processes, we are incapable of change. The foundation for change just isn’t there. We don’t know our liabilities, limitation and excuses until someone can reflect them in a supportive environment. The ability of a transformational life coach to engage, inquire and reflect ignites the process. The goal is to connect the appropriate and necessary behavioral changes with simple action plans and consistent monitoring to ensure their success.
My early goal was to get the education and experience to be able to reflect the process of developing a consistent method for acquiring insight, inspiration and intelligence to lead others on their journey. I’ve been able to continue to grow in my own awareness as I’ve coached others over the last couple of decades. I continue to look for simplified ways of sharing knowledge, again with the notion of Einstein’s view of understanding – if you can’t explain it simply then you really don’t understand it well enough.
Now in my 60s, I feel like my life has been in preparation to assist others with insight and inspiration for meeting the challenges; practical and pragmatic understanding of facilitating people, places and things to achieve goals, especially those aligned with an inspired vision for life. In that light, I invite you to engage me if you feel a bit of resonance in how I’ve presented the possibilities for a ‘new normal’ to emerge from the pandemic in support of our mutual benefit and sustainability in the world. You’ll be amazed at the results you will get. You will be better prepared for any future as a result. Just reach out.
Just so I set this up properly. This question seems worth sharing. “What if god cannot be Understood only realized. Is that still god?” This piece is an exploration of that question. The following was my response to the question on a social media platform, expanded a little, and I think it might spark some deeper thinking in contemplating your next move. We’re in process of the ‘new normal,’ right? At least it will provide for some interesting reading….
Do you want to know what truth is? By that I mean truth about our nature, our Being. I hope so. It seems most folks don’t care. They like being guided by external forces they believe they can trust. The real truth can truly set you free to explore your world without constraint because it comes from inside us. What? Yes.
I’m going to share something and hope those who see it as incredulous will open their minds a little. The considerations are from experience and not theory, although some are contained therein. I’m sure it will raise some questions and perhaps provide some points to consider further. I trust my gut (first brain) in sharing poignant pieces.
As you’re about to see, my inquiry into self started as a kind of right of passage. It was unique for a teenager which made it challenging to be understood by adults. Is it normal to pray to know truth, be willing to die for it and really mean it? As a transformational coach now, that commitment led me into a rare and transcendent life on the inside. Few go there, which is why my clients really love the process of tapping into their own inner worlds. I open a lot of doors for them and its tough to encapsulate that in a review.
Passage… is it a right?
In 1975 I’d retuned to college after quarter break, heart-broken and seeking solace beyond this world. I hit my knees and prayed to know truth and a willing to literally give up my life to know it; God understood and realized. The impact of ‘be careful what you ask for’ hit hard. The event instilled an understanding that we, human beings, are cosmic consciousness condensed into form.
This individuation from the Great Light of infinite intelligence and formative capacity condenses into a single point of individuated and purposeful consciousness. It’s still connected, though so distantly we are usually unaware unless something ignites our desire for self-awareness. Google ‘Messy Antic Complex’ for full report.
Over a decade later and after another heart-breaking experience, 1989 to be specific, I was introduced to a technique called ‘Multi-level Awareness’ (William Swygard 1950s) where a facilitator leads the session with prompts to explore various realms within. I’d done several sessions prior.
Although I had no intention specifically to address a question about the origins of the ‘trinity’ strewn across our religions and society; apparently it was time for the reveal. Funny what emotional trauma will prompt in our growth and questions about the reality we think we know. Our vulnerability is a key witness.
In those prior sessions I’d corroborated what I though could be possible, that there are processes that assist entering one’s deeper experience to a more connected network of intelligence. It relates to that question above and if one were prone to the fear, guilt, blame and shame game, could be self-damaging instead of rewarding. It isn’t a question of sanity, it’s a question of experience and vulnerability.
The final piece is trusting your experience and the intuitive prompts that come. In indigenous traditions, they call it the ‘First Brain,’ where creation connects vibrationally in our solar plexus. I think it’s misspelled and should be ‘soular’ plexus and a source for God to be understood and realized within.
Nowhere to Now Here
We began the session with the standard self-hypnosis technique of creating a light body and projecting my consciousness into it for travel, with no expectations as to where. One of the key components is learning how to set the analytical mind aside and just experience the moment. We tend to over-analyze strange things instead of engaging or experiencing them without concern or fear.
The safety and security of the environment allows this for some; to explore without analysis. In the final moments of the preparation process, my ‘guide’ (whom I’d known since just after the 1975 event) showed up unexpectedly on the inner screen and invited me to ‘come’ with him with a wave of his hand. So I did.
Just to clarify and reference, I was reading a lot of material after my experience. Mom taught Evelyn Wood speed reading so I learned it early and was able to devour a lot in a short time. Castaneda’s works were among them, which is where I first learned of ‘guides.’ After Zephyr’s beckoning and immediately sensing we were in motion, his astral image changed from human to a ball of light with his face profiled on the front of it.
He had a nose like Jimmy Durante. I had no idea where we were going and, after asking and being told to just ‘wait and see’ we had a recap conversation about the years in between our last conversation. Before I knew it we arrived at our destination. I felt like Ellie seeing the universe laying before her, an awe that opens one to near tears of joy.
In front of me was a three-sun system with about a dozen bright green and much smaller planets in orbit, much like our solar system. The sight was so amazing it was caught up in the awe of the moment. Next thing I ‘hear’ are at least three voices as one: “We are not only your forefathers, we are also the forefathers of your solar system.”
I started to ask questions and was halted by my guide with, “That’s all you get. You’ll figure it out.” Figure what out? Now I had more questions than answers. I don’t know about you. I love to have questions. It unleashes the insatiable curiosity within me, still; to know truth.
Back we came engaged in a deeper level of conversation about my personal progress of aligning with my perfected form, fit and function in the world, and still with no direct answers about how what had just happened fit in the process. What I did know is that the trip there and back took the same amount of time, so there was consistency. How we went was somehow connected to some kind of hyper-drive that took us across the universe. Where we went seemed like the center of creation.
God Realized Understood
My research and paying attention to the facts that are shown before me gave me some insight that this experience built upon. I mused over one of the models with a three-fold flame representing our core essence. I thought about the symbol I’d been shown, a hexagram with a 666 in the upper triangle and a 999 in the lower one.
The thought also brought up the notion of a ‘trinitized’ body; one that was somehow energized by the open connection to ‘Source,’ if you will. I needed a scientific model and with the question came the image of an atom, with a proton, electron and neutron. The infinite intelligence driving the bus was in the space, the ‘dark matter’ we know is there and cannot see, yet.
My first question was regarding how the macro-model fit into the micro-model, as I knew fractals are embedded everywhere. I knew the 666 as the ‘number of man’ and it seemed to point to the carbon atom as proof. If this ‘trinitized’ form existed, would it naturally reveal our ‘perfected’ form, fit and function in the world? Hmmm… Do we even consider that question in our daily lives or professional endeavors or relationships?
So how does this answer the original question: “What if god cannot be Understood only realized. Is that still god?”
It would seem that the combination of self-actualization (form) and self-realization (consciousness) gives an experience of a near-godlike quality, at least. like we are truly connected to reality in ways we cannot imagine yet. Some say we are gods and goddesses in embryo, children as it were. I personally think the term ‘God’ gets folks confused and continues a separative notion that doesn’t belong, in my opinion. We need to question our beliefs, potentially finding solace in the truth.
Preponderance of Evidence
Think of the thousands if not millions of years of evolution, both biological and in consciousness (perhaps spiritual) that it would take to develop that depth of awareness and actually live in it. The growth in self-awareness and quantum sciences reflect very similar patterns and that, perhaps, we live in God as God lives in us. We just can’t grok it, yet. One of my clients expressed that I was like a master puzzle maker:
The dynamics and potentialities of positive outcomes defy logic. Logic even mathematicians and philosophers have long pondered. Something even Richard Feynman didn’t have enough time and still needed to examine, Quantum Love. What would it be like to meet the actual FUTURE puzzle makers themselves? This is what it is like to meet with Zen and his work.
And to that end, I created a couple of videos that sum the evidence up succinctly, I think. The first part came months ago as I was pondering how to assist the ‘new normal’ evolving in our world after the pandemic. The second, after being introduced to Wilbert Smith’s book, The New Science, and the inclusion of ‘nothingness’ mentioned by people from elsewhere. The book contains incomplete memoirs published in 1964, a couple of years after his death. I can only say the material, even incomplete, is profound. Here’s the video of the combined pieces if you’re interested.
Great question, by the way, “What if god cannot be Understood only realized. Is that still god?” God understood realized, our future puzzle.
In life we need to be effective. What are best practices in 2021? Doing the same thing over and over and not getting the results we want is certainly not effective, is it? Why do we do it then? Changing our habits is the solution. Change is a scary word to most people, yet look what we’ve been through in the last year and we’re still here, right? When we eventually unmask and reveal our true identity, how will you show up? Will you be trapped in the problems or freed in the future solutions?
One of our greatest and most successful guides in the last century is probably Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Of course we don’t need to have the desire to a highly successful person, just one that can negotiate the path we’re on well and build on it for a successful future, right? What do we need to know and how can we practice that knowledge so that it benefits our lives?
Steven Covey’s 7 Habits – Best Practices in 2021
Let’s begin with taking a look at those 7 Habits and just ponder them as you go down the list. No doubt you’ll have an inner essay going on, comparing and contrasting your current habits with those that are offered. I’d highly recommend getting the audio book if you don’t have it, and if you do have it, revisit it often. The seven habits are as follows:
Be proactive
Begin with the end in mind
Put first things first
Think win/win
Seek to understand first, before making yourself understood
Learn to synergize
Sharpen the saw
Being proactive means you want to take action toward upcoming events in your life, whether it is simply creating a mental map or actually doing something doesn’t matter. It’s making the step toward anticipation and away from anxiety. Having an insatiable curiosity and asking the right questions lead to greater results than just meeting things as they come, which is what most of us do. We’re reactionary instead of proactive.
Beginning with the end in mind gives us a mental picture of where we desire to be or to achieve. I think it was Napoleon Hill who brought the statement, ‘Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.’ Knowing where you want to be allows the questions of how to get there to emerge; the more we put our attention on the goal, and keep it there, the more easily the steps emerge.
Putting first things first is about priorities. Most of us have priorities that don’t match our vision when it comes to serving the mission of our life. What do feel is most important? Is it really? What else might be more important? How are you structuring those priorities with your daily activity? Do they match? Where do you need to adjust?
Thinking win/win means there is mutual gain in any transaction. Every interaction you have with another is a transaction in communication, at least. There is a mutual understanding of each other, hopefully. In approaching the activity of building resources, both human and material, how can you offer something in return or even make a random act of kindness toward another in your supply chain?
Seeking to understand first and then be understood is probably one of the greatest challenges we’ll have. Why? Because it involves communication; effective communication. If you ask any leader of a company or organization what their greatest challenge is, 9 our of 10 will probably say – communication. Conflicts and misunderstandings come from not understanding the dictionary each speaks from, the trigger words inherent in it as well as the words that create safe space and understanding. One of the best means of effective communication is using active listening.
I’ve pulled some basics from VeryWellMind to use here:
Features of Active Listening – Best Practice of 2021
Active listening involves more than just hearing someone speak. When you practice active listening, you are fully concentrating on what is being said. You listen with all of your senses and give your full attention to the person speaking.
Below are some features of active listening:
Neutral and nonjudgmental
Patient (periods of silence are not “filled”)
Verbal and nonverbal feedback to show signs of listening (e.g., smiling, eye contact, leaning in, mirroring)
Asking questions
Reflecting back what is said
Asking for clarification
Summarizing
In this way, active listening is the opposite of passive hearing. It’s truly a best practice for 2021 to establish the best communication.
Active listening serves the purpose of earning the trust of others and helping you to understand their situations. Active listening comprises both a desire to comprehend as well as to offer support and empathy to the speaker.
It differs from critical listening, in that you are not evaluating the message of the other person with the goal of offering your own opinion. Rather, the goal is simply for the other person to be heard, and perhaps to solve their own problems.
Active listening means not engaging in unhelpful listening habits such as the following:
Being stuck in your own head
Not showing respect for the speaker
Only hearing superficial meaning (not hearing underlying meaning)
Interrupting
Not making eye contact
Rushing the speaker
Becoming distracted
“Topping” the story (saying “that reminds me of the time…”)
Forgetting what was said in the past
Asking about unimportant details
Focusing too much on details and missing the big picture
Ignoring what you don’t understand
Daydreaming
Only pretending to pay attention
If you can practice better communication, your life will change dramatically for the better. Don’t try to be perfect, just be better with each attempt. It’s a practice, just like any discipline. The more you practice, the better you get. Your life may depend on it someday.
Learning to synergize is a challenge for most of us. We have so many deadlines and details, as well as commitments, floating around in our heads it’s a wonder we get anything done sometimes. It isn’t that difficult to learn how to synergize. Step back and take a look at everything on your plate, all of it. See the big picture, begin with the end in mind, and look for the natural patterns of how things fit together. There is a natural order that makes the best use of your energy and time, like a time management expert.
Sharpening the saw means making you the best you you can be – YOU are the ONE. It’s not selfish or self-centered, it’s honoring your BEing. It entails having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Applying yourself in each area enhances them all synergistically.
Another option as a best practice in 2021… Back at the beginning of the sideways movement of society in 2020, it occurred to me that perhaps a reflection on how to look around fearlessly and engage a better attitude toward each other might actually help us all. It’s a short video that you may find some value in as well. If you’d like to schedule a call to see how I can serve you, click here.
I think most folks are confused about apocalyptic thinking. It means ‘unveiling’ so we needn’t fear it. What is the ‘new normal’ going to be? This year for me is about expressing my truth, becoming more eloquent and inviting others to explore the possibilities in the opportunities we face in 2021 and beyond. We’re recovering from a devastating year in our global history. I have a tremendous faith in our ability to rise above any challenges and love one another; as naïve as that may sound.
I’m sure as the truth rolls out about the real statistics on the pandemic that we’ll find the numbers aren’t that significantly different than previous flu seasons. We have had a test of a global management system we’d heard about for decades as a possible ‘new world order’ emerges under the guise of a ‘reset.’ Too many feel helpless in its wake, afraid of the future and with few tools to make any impact. What’s really going on inside you?
I’ve been a highly sensitive individual since childhood. Most people don’t have a clue as to what that really means. Consider the deep questions adoption brings to a young child when he finds out. Consider what those questions evolve into over time and with a deepening experience, an insatiable curiosity about truth. Also consider what kinds of experiences the curiosity may draw. Consider a highly-developed sensory system that many would call empathic.
For me, on the spiritual side of apocalyptic thinking, it became a way to understand what Jesus’ teachings were truly, what the trinity actually is and how living by the principles embedded in our souls might look like in the real world; perhaps even a way to express why it might be like that. Jesus taught that there is no separation from Father, that we are all connected, right?
And, I believe, the Nag Hamadi (Dead Sea Scrolls) offered that Jesus told Thomas an even deeper truth that got eliminated at the Council of Nicaea. However, we did get that ‘I and the Father are one and all these things I do ye can do and more.’ Do we do them? No.
We fight in fear of losing our safety. In spite of the convictions of faith, love and trust and the fearlessness it brings, those who demonstrate fearlessness in the current times are cast out. The obfuscation of truth and manipulation of the masses is testing that deep dive to the ultimate.
Reset or New Paradigm?
What has been revealed over the centuries is the first bridging of church and state that took place at Nicaea, a means for which to rule the masses with an iron fist. Most believers are not scholars and are bereft of understanding how the Bible was created, opting for the ‘Word of God’ which is ridiculous in any real sense of understanding. Jesus spoke of The Word being in our hearts, not a book.
There is a lot of talk about the variances in beliefs and actions of ‘trinitized’ folks; those that actually live by the dictates of an awareness of their spirit and soul’s connection to cosmic consciousness. This might appear as apocalyptic thinking. The latter is rarely, if ever, addressed in assemblies of believers, period. It’s the key to the kingdom, imho, having had an NDE and experience of what it is like to leave this plane of existence and return with some serious questions.
I’ve spent my life developing a deeper and deeper relationship with God, only to find the ineffable experience of how attention, intention and actions are reflected truths in our direct experience of life on a daily basis. It isn’t just a ‘belief system’ it is an ‘experience system’ that permeates every aspect of our being and lives. It’s how we feel and think in every moment, which is far more disciplined than most can muster.
I had a moment at a place called Woods Canyon Lake in northern Arizona a few decades ago. It certainly isn’t the only ‘moment’ I’ve had, yet it speaks to the nature of your query, “What is truth?” I was with a small group of spiritual seekers on a retreat. We had just finished an exercise of acting as if Jesus was standing in front of us and interacting with him. Not one out of ten, except me, could even do it. I was really baffled and a bit confused.
I held back for a while, then blurted out a greeting that prompted the facilitator (30 years my senior) to move us into a guided meditation, asking us to close our eyes and take a few deep breaths in a sense of unconditional love. On my second breath a light appeared above me. My eyes were closed, still, but as I looked up the light I saw was Jesus. His face was somewhat obscured by the light but His Presence was undeniable.
There was a ray of light from his forehead and from his heart that merged about 18 inches above me and bathed me with an effervescent and iridescent sensation like you cannot imagine. Moments later I was crying like a baby.
He’d asked to speak through me and I felt completely unworthy; so far from what I knew to be my Divine calling. After a few more moments I decided I was not going to pass this opportunity up and defied all the nonsense my mind wanted to offer in disbelief. I let go of all the fears I had toward worthiness, an apocalyptic thinking moment for sure.
I took one more deep breath, still eyes closed, and opened my mouth as if to speak yet held no words in my head. I was mystified when I heard, “Know that I Am with you always,” come out of my mouth. I thought that was pretty standard and I could have made it up and spoke the words.
The next sentence, ‘This one’s fear is great,’ caught me off guard and my mind kicked in with questions, sufficient enough to disconnect my rational mind from my body, which continued to speak. I found myself in a conversation with Jesus at this point, though I was still speaking to the group simultaneous yet I do not recall any of the words after that.
Fearlessness for the Future
What I do recall further humbled me and is definitely an unveiling aligned with the notion of apocalyptic thinking. He told me that my fears were the same as his were, of not fulfilling our Divine mission on Earth. I saw a series of scenes, like video clips, he used to illustrate the point and to remove any doubt. It certainly didn’t place me anywhere close to His stature, but it did give me solace in my own.
Now I have to say I was given my ‘marching orders’ as a teenager during a near-death experience (on steroids) prompted by an answer to a prayer I’d offered a few days before of wanting to know truth and being willing to die for it if necessary. Believe what you want; just consider the possibility of its truth. Do we each have a Divine mission, so to speak?
As different as snowflakes that create a beautiful display when coagulated on the ground in Nature, and even in the city, we each fit together perfectly from that inner truth looking place. Free will allows us to choose differently and our egos do the rest. What if we were close to the same understanding and chose to further that cause instead of angrily divergent and willing to go to war over our differences?
I don’t consider myself a Christian, though I truly see the universality in Jesus’ teachings, along with long line of others. Universal truth has to bring all paths together and converge on the top of the mountain. From there, we have a better view of how they all fit together in harmony; eudaimonia, human flourishing, prosperity and blessedness.
Apocalyptic Thinking Leads Us Forward
Many hold the belief and/or knowing that we’re all ONE and that the ‘universe’ functions in Oneness – everything is connected. It is my opinion that this in itself is a moment of apocalyptic thinking that will emerge in the coming years. Science is proving that subtle changes in atmospheric conditions changes everything. We already know that holistic remedies and vaccines are minute amounts of the substance we want to guard ourselves against.
The thing is that in this place of considering subtle effects on ourselves and our environment, we blow past the notion that our own feelings and thoughts have a huge influence on the kind of reality we experience and/or co-create. The ‘unveiling’ of our personal power is disrupting the old standards, the organized religions and even the political climate.
Trying to come up with a reasonable offering that encapsulates nearly 50 years of deep diving into worlds most don’t even know exist, I came up with the following to illustrate what I know about attention, intention and action at its best…