Before sharing a tip about today\u2019s reading, I would like to review the following definitions:<\/p>\n
Judgment<\/strong>\u2013 Comparing, and then favoring or rejecting. An example of ego judgment is comparing two possible solutions to a problem, and then choosing one solution over another.<\/p>\n Discernment<\/strong>\u2013 Comparing, and then favoring or rejecting. The difference between judgment and discernment is its purpose. The purpose of discernment is to reject ego and favor truth or ideas that point toward truth. An example of discernment is noticing that your mind is filled with worry about a particular situation, choosing to let go of (reject) worry and trust (favor) all is well even though you are facing the unknown.<\/p>\n Intuition<\/strong>\u2013 A feeling or sense that guides one to make sensible decisions without using judgment. The hallmark of intuition is the feeling to do or not do something without having mental reasons. An example of intuition is having the feeling to stop what you are doing and call a friend on the phone.<\/p>\n Guidance <\/strong>\u2013 Following the highest vibrational choice that is currently available. An example of guidance is the prompt to stop thinking and give your full attention to a friend who is speaking.<\/p>\n Resistance<\/strong>\u2013 Habitual or willful avoidance of change. Specifically, ego resistance avoids a rise in vibrational level, and it avoids awakening, which is the end of ego. An example of resistance is choosing to defend one\u2019s way of thinking.<\/p>\n Willingness<\/strong>\u2013 Open to change. Specifically, spiritual willingness is open to change in order to achieve one\u2019s spiritual aspiration. An example of willingness is being open to letting go of problem-solution thinking, because you realize that thinking is ego.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s reading is about fear. From time-to-time, great fear can come over us as we move forward on the spiritual path. As today\u2019s reading says:<\/p>\n Great fear is nothing more than great resistance. I have had several experiences of great fear that were directly related to my decision to awaken in this lifetime. In hindsight, I can see that fear was a loud cry from the ego-mind to avoid a change that would result in less ego control over me. If I had listened to fear, I would have remained an ego-controlled being. By choosing not to listen to fear, I took a step towards freedom.<\/p>\n Again, I can see that now, in hindsight<\/em>. However, when I was in a situation of fear, that wasn\u2019t so easy to see. The ego-mind screamed that I was heading for impending disaster. It shouted ever-so-convincingly that I needed to listen to it in order to be safe.<\/p>\n What did I do?<\/p>\n I used discernment to see ego as ego. I remembered that I wanted my spiritual aspiration above anything else, including safety, and then I focused on my willingness to follow-through with guidance and avoid falling prey to resistance. Rest-accept-trust was a key practice until the fear subsided.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s reading says:<\/p>\n [When fear is strong,] this is a time for accepting that the world is not real.<\/p>\n I found that to be very important whenever great fear hit, because fear tempts us with everything that we\u2019ve believed up until that point in our lives. In order to withstand fear, we need the willingness to trust that everything we have believed is mistaken. Without that faith, it might not be possible to resist the incredibly sly arguments thrown at us by the ego-mind.<\/p>\n There is one more thing that I found very helpful whenever I was faced with great fear:<\/p>\n Be okay with feeling fear.<\/p>\n Fear is one of the most unpleasant emotions that can arise in the human experience. Most humans will do almost anything to avoid feeling fear. That\u2019s why the ego-mind uses fear to try and control us when we are on the verge of breaking free. It knows how much we dislike fear, and it knows that when all else fails, it can control us with fear. If we remain like most humans, who will do anything to avoid fear, the ego will control us with fear. If our goal is to avoid fear, as soon as fear arises, the ego-mind will provide a suggestion about how we can get out of fear, and we will listen. Again, we will listen if our goal is to avoid fear<\/em>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to be okay with fear. If I am willing to tolerate the feeling of fear when it\u2019s with me, and if I maintain my spiritual aspiration as my goal, the ego cannot use fear to control me.<\/p>\n Fear is just a feeling. It\u2019s an energy running through the body. It is entirely possible to watch the feeling of fear with awareness and notice that fear is nothing to be afraid of. When we learn to be with fear without fearing it, we take a giant step towards freedom, because one of the ego\u2019s greatest weapons against our freedom is now ineffective.<\/p>\n Note: It may be useful to print this tip so it can be accessed easily when it\u2019s needed.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Before sharing a tip about today\u2019s reading, I would like to review the following definitions: Judgment\u2013 Comparing, and then favoring or rejecting. An example of ego judgment is comparing two possible solutions to a problem, and then choosing one solution over another. Discernment\u2013 Comparing, and then favoring or rejecting. The difference between judgment and discernment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[101,88],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-30034","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-gentlehealingtips-year2","7":"category-sidebar","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nAnd so the means for overcoming great fear is great willingness.
\nGreat willingness comes from remembering what you want.<\/p>\n