Oprah’s weekly Super Soul Sunday program has become one of my favorite shows. Used as a means to interview modern thought leaders, each episode provides various points of view meant to challenge viewers. On a recent episode, she interviewed Gary Zukav – a best selling author of many books including “Seat of the Soul.”
The conversation, which centered on the concept of the soul, was enthralling as it touched upon many of life’s questions: what makes us who we are, what is the purpose of life, what happens to us when we die, etc.
In Zukav’s view, our soul is forever – not having a beginning or an end – and is encapsulated by our personality (our human existence). Our soul is what leads us forward, what guides us, and what continues on after this life on Earth. It is when we recognize we all have a higher purpose – and we create alignment between our personality and our soul – that true power, joy, and meaning can be realized in our lives. Said another way, our mission in life (and what this “Earth school” is teaching us every day) is to have our personality fully serve the energy of our soul.
The intriguing aspect is the extent to which people are aware of “something more.” Some are tethered completely to the human experience – the objects they own and their physical experiences are their sole existence. Some are completely attune to a higher power and are already on a journey toward “higher awareness.” Most, it seems, fall in the middle – struggling with the daily physical existence yet hoping or longing for something more. This was the focus of Zukav’s talk.
So how does one find that more? How does one get from “here” to “there?”
First, consider you’re a powerful, creative, compassionate, and loving spirit. Now notice where you are today and how far away you are from that as an end-state. That distance, or gap, is your spiritual journey and what you will encounter in Earth school. If that doesn’t ring true (just yet), start with simply identifying a struggle you’re experiencing today.
The path to higher awareness begins with intention – the motivation, energy, and quality of consciousness driving your actions – and intention (or lack thereof) determines every outcome. When you’re making a choice and you aren’t aware of your intention, you’re “creating” with an intention of fear. You’re automatically deciding based on past experiences or previous learned behavior. However, if you’re consciously aware of the choice at hand, you have the opportunity to do two critical steps:
- Go inside. Examine what you are feeling and develop an emotional awareness. This involves not reacting, but rather pausing in the moment.
- Inject consciousness. Change the direction – powerfully create your life – by choosing your intention in that moment. Without this, your choice will simply be automatic – based on past events or experiences – and those will lead to painful consequences.
Two steps. That’s it. In the heat of the moment, it’s pausing and choosing your next step rather than it being chosen for you. It’s what your mother or father always said – think about what you’re going to say or do before doing it. It’s taking the power of choice to a higher level wherein you are co-creating your life with divinity. And it’s how you master the limitlessness of opportunities the universe gives you rather than limitless limitations.
Watch a video clip on the power of intention from Oprah’s interview with Gary Zukav.