Enjoying the Ride

What is enlightenment but an awareness of the Light? When we grow (or leap) to a place where we know of Love, of Oneness, of the True Nature of the Universe, we are dwelling in and living in a state of enlightenment. Understanding and knowing the simplicity of this, and choosing to weave it into our lives, we have reached that holy place sought by many. Enlightenment is not elusive; it doesn't require millennia to achieve, it's a simple knowing of the Light, the Light that is within each of us.

To dwell in the Light, to be the Light, to live a life of Light and Love, these things require a surrender of the illusions and delusions that held us in the darkness, in lack, loss, and fear. We shed these illusions, through choice, through forgiveness of self and others, through diving into the full acceptance of the Oneness that connects us all, not merely conceptually, nor theoretically, but truly. Enlightenment then, requires actually living these simple truths we've taken the time and made the choice to learn and accept.

Living in the flow of life, life becomes enjoyable. Staying in the flow of that enjoyment, life continues to flow, to grow, to expand. As life expands, our consciousness expands; as our consciousness expands, life expands. We lead and follow, ebb and flow, give and receive, learn and teach, but mostly, we simply enjoy. If life is perfect, precisely as it is meant to be, why not enjoy it?

Life unlived is not life. We needn't merely exist. We know we are Love. We know we are One. We know the source of Strength and Goodness that is our very essence. Of what could we possibly be afraid? If fear is the core of all negative perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and experiences, and we have set aside the need to perceive fear, then life, from our perception, can be nothing but goodness.

So, what's next? Simple. Enjoy. Not that life will be perfect here in this reality; we'll falter, forget, get stuck in doubt, in emotions. But when that happens, it doesn't need to be crippling as it used to be. We are aware, more constantly and consistently with each lived day, of the Love that is our Truth, our Power, and our Light.

As we make the choice to remove the illusions of sorrow from our minds, we are cleansed in a new freedom, the freedom to be. As we explore life with new, renewed, open eyes, we find more each day that brings us peace, bliss, and the joy of freedom. We learn more and more what brings us joy as we learn to recognize and accept joy.

As we live in joy, as we experience life, as we try new things and variations on old things, we learn those things that uniquely and individually bring us joy. These things that bring us that sustained and heartfelt joy, these things lead us to our highest gifts, gifts which we can share, in love, with the world.

As we discover, hone, practice, and share our gifts, our joy continues to expand, opening us ever more to discover new gifts to share. This circle of joy, peace, discovery, creation, and giving, leads us back to joy. In this joy, we forget the old illusions that held us captive – not completely, though – there's no need to deny or empty our memories in order to live in the present and to have dreams and hopes for the future.

Life is lived most fully, most purposefully, and most joyously in the present. Time, in our truest and deepest understanding, is mere illusion. Yet still, we are humans on this human journey existing, at least in part, in this place, in these bodies, in this universe we call home, for a time. Accompanying the full recognition of our true home – divinity, heaven, nirvana, perfection – we can accept that we are here because we have chosen to be here.

Accepting we are here, in this perception of reality, it makes sense to accept that, at least in part, time is real to us. Though time does not constrain God – limitless, infinite, omnipotent – and time need not constrain that highest part of ourselves that is One with God, time still is a reality of this unreal existence. In the construct of time, whether real, imagined, or both, in our perception of time, we can see most clearly and live most fully in the present moment, in this very instant.

There is a time for everything, and for everything there is a time. Each of our thoughts, or most of them, are seen in the construct, our concept, of time. Thoughts of the past are our best teachers. “Good” thoughts teach us what brings us joy and love; “bad” thoughts can teach us those things that bring us sorrow, unforgiveness, and the misperceptions of lack, loss, and fear. Both have their place for us, when we see them in context, when we accept their teachings and learn, accept, and grow.

Future thoughts, too, have their place and value. There would exist no concept of hope if not for the wanting and longing for an improved future. No matter how bad things seem to be in the present moment, there is hope for a better tomorrow, if only we will allow ourselves to see that hope. Likewise, no matter how good things seem to be in the present moment, there is still the opportunity for an even better future, if we will continue to choose love instead of fear, hope instead of sorrow, abundance instead of lack, healing instead of suffering.

As we live in love, loving all our thoughts, past thoughts as our teachers, future thoughts as our hopes and dreams, and present thoughts as our view of a loving and perfect universe, of which we are each important parts, as we choose to see each and every thought with love, we learn deeper and higher ways of love.

In this place of ever-increasing love, peace and joy are the certain results. It can be no other way. In love, all is well. The more we trust and live this simple truth, the more it actualizes in this world we share. Be love today. Every day. Live, enjoy, dance, sing, rejoice, accept, embrace, grow, and be.