Welcome to Round 3! How is your Journey going so far? I’ve noticed a recent pattern in my Journeys: I start off really strong in the first round and by day 10 I feel like I have made headway. But then, during Round 2, I fizzle–there’s little intensity, few insights, and I feel as though I am doing good just to keep going (and I keep going!). I recognize that this may be merely a perception, distorted by my own expectations of myself. Nonetheless, my overall feeling of the past 10 days is that I’ve been going through a bit of a malaise. It’s as though my enthusiasm of Round 1 gives way to a backlash from my brain that I am making it work harder than usual. You would think that my brain would be used to that by now. If I continue in this pattern that I mention, I pick back up again during Rounds 3 & 4, with intensity and insights…we shall see. I will continue to monitor this possible pattern in future Journeys as well.

Do you notice any recurring feeling or behavior as you go through the Journeys? For the first year or so, I had a pattern of really freaking out around day 8, and having an emotional crisis of some sort. Pay attention to yourself. Insights about the process can be just as enlightening as insights from the Guiding Thoughts.

If you are new here, please see this page for an explanation of the Rounds, and how and why they change.

Guiding Thought

Love is everything. Perfect Love is Original Source, from whence we came. We return to the awareness of the Love We ARE  by simply releasing anything and everything which inhibits our consciousness of our True Self. We release those inhibitors now, and Know ourselves as the Love We ARE.

Reflection

Enlightenment does not have to be hard, difficult, or a struggle. In fact, it should not be. Enlightenment should be simple, easy, and natural. After all, we are simply returning to the Love We ARE. What could be difficult about that?

Love is what we are and who we are. Love is our natural expression. Love is our natural state.

We are all either Michaels or Kobes of enlightenment, and with a little nurturing of our inner selves, and letting go of bad habits, the star emerges.

I’m not saying we don’t have to work at it. Michael and Kobe both worked at being the best. But “working at it” does not mean “struggling at it”. We all have an innate sense of that greatness within us. When we realize that greatness we work joyfully, eagerly, and tirelessly to bring it out.

This is particularly easy with Love, not just because it’s who and what we are, but because Love is the only endeavor that is worthy of us; it’s the only endeavor that rewards with lightness, peace, and joy; it’s the only endeavor that when we give it away it grows and strengthens within us.

You are doing it right now. Are you struggling? Set your sights on the star within. Practice what it means to be that, what it means to be you. Abolish all actions, words, or thoughts that do not support your goal, who you are, or who you want to be. Go for it.