The double sided coin of confidence

Know when it's time to cash in on all your hard work and know when it's time to shut up and work!

There are two sides to the coin of confidence… If it is imbalanced you will experience some form of suffering. When you are heavy on the overconfidence side it will lead to taking on challenges that you are not necessarily ready for… like running a full marathon too early in training which can lead to serious long term injuries.

On the other side of confidence you may be worth a lot more than you are willing to accept and claim… Maybe you have been preparing for this "marathon" for three times longer than you needed and are not seeing the truth of your present moment reality which shows that you are in great shape and are ready to conquer your fears!

Now take the marathon analogy and apply it to the biggest challenge in your life right now… Are you moving to fast, thinking yourself into being ready… rather than listening to your body, your emotions, and your level of presence. Or is your mind constantly telling you that you are not ready / worthy for this challenge…

The answers are in your emotions, your conscious presence, in your stillness or lack there of…

"Correct action arises out of stillness" - A Course in Miracles

The only power each of us really has is too shift the direction of our awareness, so when a challenge comes ( There is an abundance of them in life :) try to remember to listen more to your inner body rather than your thinking mind… this is operating at a much higher level of intelligence… doing so will give you a much more honest answer about what is going on within you and shifts the situation into an objective perspective so that there are no longer any limiting bias trying to help mold the solution into a certain shape or thought. After all everyone seeks Truth. So start seeking it within first!

Side Note: Do you hear that voice that is reading these words and turning them into concepts and sounds. This voice you are hearing is what your thinking mind sounds like ;)

2nd Side Note: Remember to remember :)

 Much Love,      Ryan

Living in an ocean full of thinkers!

It seems like everywhere i go through out my day, i am surrounded by thinkers. To a point of exhaustion. Don't get me wrong... I love thinking! it is such a powerful tool and has taken me many interesting places in life. (I am using the power of thought to express this idea to you!) However the more i meditate, the more i realize how often i tend to over think.

Our present day society values over thinking ... Go, go, go ... Do this.. what's next? do that... What's next?... What's next?
Completely overlooking a vital part of what it means to be a human being... being! We are so far removed from the experience of being that most do not even understand what that word means! Why?

Every single action and reaction that this unaware (go, go, go) person experiences is involved with overuse of the mind... and no one is too blame... this is simply a phase in the growth development of humans... For the present individual it starts at a very early age, grows stronger as the child begins to assimilate into our modern culture through school, friends, television, and most importantly family. Through time and repetition patterns are created within the roots of the individual and then they become more and more concrete.

It seems overwhelmingly impossible to live in this culture consciously due to the fact of how many drones ( mind dominated, compulsively thinking, bundles of conditioned reflexes) there are in the present reality... But remember that this feeling has been true since the beginning of Man/Woman. There have always been an individual or small group who "gets it" and they are surrounded and out numbered by the sea of unconsciousness within the time period that they find themselves in.

So the next question is all about you the reader... where do you fall in this? Do you have complete freedom and power over the thinking mind or are you so identified with it (the mind) that you mistake it for being who you are?

Most of us are somewhere in between... so a more accurate question could be...

Which side are you more predominantly living in?

100% Conscious--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------100% Unconscious

Spiritual Loneliness

What is meditation?

Following Coincidence… Living in the flow!

                            The Art of Flowing with the Present Moment                                                                                                                                                       

                                     How many times have you experienced Synchronicity? Coincidence? Miracles?    There is definitely an art to living in the flow of life… Trusting the Universe ( well now we call it a Multiverse)  to guide you to do and not do all that you are meant for! How do you know what choices are the "right" choices? How can you feel confident that you are acting on the voice of "God" and not the voice of "ego"… Experiencing Peace  / Stillness is definitely a form of confirmation... Synchronicity is another answer to this very important question… all those moments when something occurs that seems like an unlikely accident… In fact i make it a point to follow coincidence when it occurs… If i over hear someone say the word "meditation" i feel its a direct call to me to introduce myself… or when i take " a wrong turn" on the road and end up discovering a short cut :) 

Often synchronicity occurs when i am looking for a confirmation on a decision… ( i have a flashing thought about a certain spiritual concept and then immediately i run into someone i know or the song that is playing uses a word i just thought about… the timing of which is astronomically unlikely… ) this subject is still a very new frontier to our "modern" world, but i know that when you experience these seemingly random events they are there for a reason… a reason that some higher intelligence and power is purposefully creating! 

Remember This! You can only follow and learn from synchronicity if you are present! Coincidence / Miracles operate in the present moment! In other words "God" operates in this very moment! So if you are interested in experiencing more Miracles / Coincidence then i first suggest practicing mindfulness . Conscious breathing… body awareness… yoga … many of the practices on the Know Mind Website home page seem too unlock more miracles… like letting the flood gates open ! Of course the Infinite Creator wants to bless us… In fact i believe "God's" blessings are constant… like gravity… it is us that slows them down or prevents them all together! 

Once you acknowledge the reality of these events then they will occur more frequently! It knows when you notice and it likes to be noticed :)

I highly recommend keeping a synchronicity journal that you keep track of daily ! It is much like a dream journal! You start to reread your entries and you realize the information was trying to communicate something to you! 

If your not familiar with the constant flow of coincidence then congratulations! Its going to begin as soon as you start seeking it :) Enjoy!

 My HIghest Love,

                    Ryan 

What you mean is more important than the words you choose to use!

Syntax Dilemma

The syntax dilemma is a concept that points towards a core reason for suffering! Both internally and within the relationships of the world… It is the point that any given word has two meanings… one is the dictionary (default) definition… but then the second and more important meaning is the one you give it…

Where does our unique definitions come from… They come from our experiences… Love… God… Peace… Joy… Peanut Butter… Grass… Breath… Silence… Here...   every single word out here has a slightly different definition to every individual because everyone has had a slightly different experience with what the word is pointing towards!

For example lets take the word… "space"… to some it is a tab on the keyboard… to others it is the cosmic stars and galaxies, to others it means a spiritual principle , and to others it is the absence of "something"… This is only a small collection of what the word could mean… but then you have to consider each persons perspective of the words they use to describe the initial "word" and very quickly you have millions/billions of intricate, unique definitions…

Then we move to a "loaded" word like… Love…

i refer to it as loaded because it has a much greater range of interpretation than a word like "peanut butter" :) 

Imagine if we got over the idea that "theres only one right word… one right language"… and instead focused more on what the others mean by their definitions of any given word…

Human conflict and misunderstanding would easily be cut in half! 

There are a many very powerful opportunities to practice and grow with this concept in mind.

1. Start a Definition manuscript… write down key words… and then explain what they mean to you… come back to these entries throughout your life and see how certain meanings of certain words will begin to change for you… or maybe they will have a broader range of possible meanings…more depth (spiritual)

2.The next person you find yourself in conflict with… remember this concept and start to investigate certain key words that they use and ask them to define them for clarity ! 9 times out of 10 we fight because there is not a match in word meanings ( Syntax Dilemma) :)

3. Review some of your past judgements and how they could have been nonexistent if you had considered that it was simply the syntax dilemma! :) (Religious conflict is a good example of this)

4. When you consider the "other" persons perspective they will appreciate it and will also be more willing and receptive to listening to your ideas, concerns, and disagreements! 

In the end we all want to be understood! We all have brilliant ideas and when in a loving relationship are intentions are always pure! So end the misunderstanding by keeping the Syntax Dilemma somewhere near in the back of the mind ready to keep the peace over proving someone wrong! 

                                                                              Much Love,      Ryan

The Power in the Powerless

Self Mastery

          Our desire for control is as constant as gravity! We desire control… In the picture you see here i was fearing death 60,000 feet off the ground… i was scared! i had no control! I am very much the one who likes to drive the car! i want to insure that if something "bad" happens to "me" its my fault. 

         This desire for the steering wheel of life is a main vein of suffering in my life… The big question comes down to… do i believe in a higher power? A power that watches over me and all others at the same time and will manipulate reality for the benefit of all those involved! Every Time!

        This is where the power of being powerless comes in strong! The Infinite Creator is honestly the only one smart enough to create a response to any given situation where it positively effects every single living being involved (including humans) … and when considering the butterfly affect… every single action and reaction becomes monumental for future results. 

        Control has millions of facets. Relationships, Government, Business, Religion, Social interaction, diet, exercise… so many more :)

                                               "Be the change you wish to see" 

       The common factor in all of these... You! Self! They are all made of you! and You are the only thing you really have any control over any way!

Control your Self and The Infinite Creator will take care of the rest!

Mastery of the Self is rewarded with miracles… coincidence… random events of good fortune! 

So how do you master your Self?

Master...

Emotional reactions

Thought patterns

Conditioned habits 

       Either you are already completely aware of how amazing this Spiritual journey is or your about to find out! either way i wish you indescribable experiences!          

                                                                                                           Much Love,

                                                                                                                               Ryan

The Power of Not Knowing!!! ?

There is a great power in not knowing. 

There is a classic martial arts story about a student asking for tea. The master began to pour the tea into the students cup until it began to overflow… when your cup is already full any new knowledge will simply not fit. 

So as the student you either need to focus on keeping it empty or find a bigger cup!

Now 

translating this analogy into a practical aspect. The cup is your mind. The tea is all the vast possible thoughts, concepts, practices, beliefs, skills, knowledge, "facts", goals, memories… etc.

When we claim to already know as in the classic "I Know!" response. Our cup (the receiving tool) is already completely satisfied (full)  and so we don't truly listen. Instead of gaining a fragment of valuable thought, we either strengthen our sense of "knowing" through repetition or we impatiently wait for the other to finish speaking in order to further expand on the topic. 

Part of the "unknowing" process is to be humble in your approach to learning! Even when you "know" the answer, you also keep one foot inside the door of possibility. Just in case a "better" thing to "know" appears. This humbleness can be found and cultivated if you focus on your primary goal versus being right. When you make it a point to say you would like the best of the best, then you are declaring a stance of humble Genius! ( By the way often as you go through this process your "primary goal" will fluctuate) 

You are brilliant and you have many things to teach to those around you.

Begin with not knowing!

Practical Life Practice :  

The realm of not knowing also defeats one of the biggest sources of conflict on this planet… Assumption. 

Observe how you assume "claim to know" who various "strangers" are and what they are about. 

Then if you remember… Experiment with not knowing them. Let go of all guesses, hypothesis, conclusion and simply ask them :)

Let the Treasure Hunt Begin!

                                   

                    What is the most valuable experience life has to offer?

     

           From the second we are born into this world, we are bombarded by information! Then slowly as our brains start to develop and memory becomes a valuable tool we start to filter through the overwhelming wave of information. Every time a new piece of information presents itself we look at it with wide eyes! As we make sense of it we begin to categorize it and store it deep in our minds. When we find a piece of gold (a valuable experience) we hold on to it and usually add it to how we identify ourselves. Then eventually our priorities shift to finding more "gold" more regularly! 

  

    This process of discernment continues for the rest of our lives as we get closer and closer to

            discovering " the ultimate treasure"!        

                   What is the most valuable experience life has to offer?

                          This is a valuable question! 

                               My best guess would be Love!

                                     However,  don't take my answer completely… i would much prefer you to filter

                                                       through this message and find the "gold" that resides within your own

                                                                   perspective.

   Remember that no one is a master "gold miner". Unless of course they seem to have found something that you would like to find… maybe you didn't even know this level of value existed!… 

                                                                                   Now you do so enjoy the treasure hunt!

Feel Complete Regardless of What is on your TO DO list!

     I have spent countless hours on this new website and meditation practice! I keep catching my self feeling like i was almost done and if i could just finish my laundry list of things to do then i can take a deep breath of relief… "Why can't i feel the peaceful feeling of completion while i am in the process of doing the work rather than projecting that relief into the future… like a dog with a fishing pole tied to it with a bone dangling always slightly out of reach. i laugh at myself because the whole purpose of this website and curriculum building is to practice Enlightenment! This simply means that when you are "Enlightened" you enjoy every step and road block on the journey of life… it doesn't mean "problems" don't occur… It simply means that you continuously see the solution to "problems" that arise because you main concern is your state of being! When you focus your energy on "How" rather then "what"…  then you begin to live in a much more rewarding and stress free style! 

   Eventually you start to see "why" these so called "problems" happened in the first place! They all have a reason… And remember when you get swept away by a strong current of negativity Gratitude is a reliant branch hanging off the shore. 

                                                            Love, Ryan  

Go Beyond the 7 Day Cycle of Life

 There is great beauty in our seven day a week system. It allows our society both locally and globally to operate in sync. Organizing school, work, church, pay structure, weekly events... Etc. However there are also some unfortunate side affects aswell. 

 

    Millions of people hate Mondays ... To a point where depression and mass amounts of suffering are experienced. Why? Because our seven day cycle of life makes you feel like you relive the same day over and over again... "Oh it's another Monday". This is very unfortunate because it is not true... If you erase the label of the day... "Monday" or "Wednesday" or "Saturday" then you get to experience a more mysterious day!

    This very moment you are reading this see if you have already labeled the day... See what happens when you release the name of the day for a while . I promise  the day will still exist... Just not in such a limited form like "just another Monday":)

Climbing a mountain always starts with a first step….

       This is my first step in sharing some mind blowing practices that i have been super, super lucky to recieve from the highest intelligence. The one most refer to as God or Om or                    Jesus or Buddha or Shiva or Allah or .... many many more beautiful names... But to limit the power and intelligence of infinity  in some symbol...(all those names) is the source of the issue itself. 

       To believe in "God" is to hope that this power exists. To Know "God" is experience the presence of this Incredibly powerful Being right NOW! "God" literally is surrounding you right now.

      What is fear ?! when you understand this!

      If you truly understand this perspective there is nothing else to talk about... except.........Woah!

Separate what is True from what is not ...

One of the most precious and valuable gifts i wish to share with you is the full ability to trust yourself! When you fully trust your own perspectives you can dive into so many different ideas and concepts. Take what you like and leave what you dont like.... before you fully trust yourself it seems dangerous to venture out into the unkown... but when you know you will make the right decsions at the right time you get to explore much more comfortably and effectively... Almost everyone says "follow me , no follow me, no this is truth, no that is truth, this is the only way, no this is the only way"..........Trust yourself and you will find your way!

Discernment

The ability to seperate Truth from that which is not True to YOU! Truth is relative.

An Abundance of Teachers

Everyday i make it a point to connect with at least one "random" individual

... There are so many beautiful souls out here! If you are truly comfortable being yourself than there is no anxiety or stress in sparking up a converstation with a stranger. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they have something to teach you! Regardless of there apperance, first impression, or seemingly obvious bad mood :) 

     

    Once you have mastered this skill your advancement into your spiritual path will sky rocket! Suddenly you are always surrounded with the opportunity to learn and teach with the "random" people that surround you... Even right now, take a moment to acknowledge someone within your field of experience. 

   

    Also if you feel like someone has come across your path and they are not aware of the underlying lesson, then silently ask them as they talk (or emotionally reacting)... What is the lesson in this?

   

    Remember Insanity is defined as "Doing the same thing expecting different results". 

Transcending Challenges

 Today i was driving home from a wonderfully peaceful yoga class when a tiny rock hit my windshield... My first thought was "are you serious! i just had my car windshield repaired recently from a kamikaze pebble"  Why ? why? why? Did i do something to deserve this? then i quickly replayed my day leading up to that moment seeing if maybe i put out some bad karma along the way... nothing really came to mind... then i thought " everything has a reason , but that doesn't mean i get the satisfaction of always knowing why!" 

     I am grateful that most of the time when something "bad" happens / "unplanned" . i simultanteously surrender the need to know why... instead i just trust the flow of the Now . the continual change that this beautiful universe Is. Nothing is really an accident... nothing! this is an incredible realization to truly understand. 

   

    Most of our daily suffering can be sourced back to an initial mental resistance. The thought that "this event" was not supposed to happen... it does not match "my will", my plans!!! 

   

    This is a silly reaction... When you know that the Higher power       (insert your name for the divine infinite intelligence here________) is right Here with you always! Always has been, always will be... much like a loving parent our Creator allows these " bad " events to happen for our own personal development. We must learn. The Creator wants us to experience the full range of Life and that includes one day being a Creator!!!!  You dont give your child the keys to your car, such a powerful instrument!, until you know that they are old enough " wise enough, developed enough" to use it effectively and safely. 

    A couple hours later i felt a deep place of peace , and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for all i have.. this "destructive pebble" gave me a wonderful gift! the gift of apprecatation for all i have and everything to come!!!!        

    I am grateful for every obstacle in life... Opportunity to become stronger / more resilient ... slowly but surely mastering life!