Problems are Gifts of Spiritual Enlightenment -- Inspirational Life Quotes

There is no such thing as a problem
without a gift in its hands.

Richard Bach

My brain has two basic categories of life events: what it wants, and problems. It is programmed genetically, socially, and emotionally to avoid problems, and to pursue what it “wants” – to control outcomes. The “belief” seems to be that if everything in my life went as my brain “wanted”, we would be happy and ok.

Fortunately that is not true. If everything and everyone’s being the way I wanted was the meaning and answer to life, I would be severely short changed – and hopelessly lost.

In my experience, I don’t really know what I want – because I can get people and circumstances to be my way, and still be miserable. There is something else – there are “more” – and not more desirable outcomes.

Problems, to me, are reminders that I don’t have what I “want” – and problems are directions toward finding what I am really looking for. They remind me when I am not happy, so I can seek change. And they remind me which path to stay on toward spiritual enlightenment.

My only real problem in life is separation from my God’s higher Presence. When we get separated from each other, I begin to fear, and hurt, and fight what is.

Problems are problems because they bring my pain and fear into conscious experience. Problems are gifts of life – solutions – because they remind me to reconnect and stay connected to my God, to others, and to myself – to find the hope, love, and joy of spiritual enlightenment in conscious Presence.

We need to have “problems” today – undesirable and uncontrollable life events – so we can receive the spiritual healing gifts of spiritual enlightenment, and loving Presence.

Embrace the undesirable. Treat them with daily inspirations and life’s precious moments. They will bring us to spiritual enlightenment -- back to our precious selves.

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Finding Our Selves Through Inspirational Life Quotes

We usually see things not as they are, but as we are.

Anonymous

What are we looking at? What relationships, what situations, what events – what is it we looking at? And most importantly -- what are we looking for?

As we begin submerge beneath the surface of thought and intellect – into emerging spiritual enlightenment – we begin to see and experience “things” -- parts of ourselves deeply hidden within ourselves – lost and forgotten selves.

To survive the threats of abandonment and loneliness, our brains stops the “tape” of our lives and replaced it with yet another “tape” – another self – with some of same memories hidden in its memories and programming. And yet this new self is alone and separate from the rest.

Each time we lose another part of ourselves – another self appears to continue the trip toward unconsciousness – and toward death – the seemingly ultimate and final separation.

When life happens, our brains has unresolved issues recorded in unconscious traces – becoming activated by external events. Most of what we experience is our painful past selves projected on to the material world – a giant mirror of ourselves. What we see and hear are actually reflections of our past and lost selves.

Some become distracted by the perceptions of prior lifetimes – or reincarnation. I suggest that we might be more productive by re-experiencing and restoring our many lifetimes within this lifetime.

I was raised in spiritual enlightenment to view all my perceptions as reflections of lost and abandoned selves – life times – seeking, looking for a return to being present and conscious -- now. To become distracted from ourselves by living the material world as truth has major power to sever more of ourselves from the core of our spirit self.

Spiritual enlightenment involves establishing a heightened conscious presence with God, allowing ourselves to stop losing selves, and to be progressively restored to ourselves.

What are we looking at – looking for? Our selves.

Experience our perceptions of life – Connect with the higher Presence -- God of our experience – Actively embrace who appears in God’s care as our newly returning selves.

The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.
Madeline L’Engle

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Shadow Selves Returning Through Spiritual Presence and Inspirational Life Quotes

Most of the shadows of this life are caused
by standing in one’s own sunshine.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am reminded of an image and inner vision that I have experienced, especially during meditation. I see shadows moving in and out and around me, and I wonder what these shadowy figures are. When I reach out to touch them, I experience that they are “Me’s” – lost selves -- separated by excessive levels of pain from past events and circumstances. They are moving – sometimes running -- around, trying to get my attention – wanting to come home – back to conscious contact with me. And I feel a sadness, an emptiness, and a different type of loneliness.

I sense that I lost selves when I experienced massive abandonment and separation – emotional pain. And I have experienced the regaining of lost selves when my God’s Presence was restored to my mental processes.


There are wonderful treasures of selves and spiritual enlightenment hidden within these shadows. We must connect with a higher Presence of loving Light in order for our darkness to be changed into this spiritual enlightenment – the restoration of our lost selves.

This conscious experience of our shadowy selves can be a wonderful gift of awakening and spiritual enlightenment. But first it may produce a terrifying sense of hopelessness and loss. In any case something will change – as our shadowed selves step back into consciousness, and once again – become Light.

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Saved by Love -- Inspirational Life Quotes

Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;

therefore, we are saved by love.
Reinhold Niebuhr

Over the last forty to fifty years, there have been major changes in the structure of our culture. Financial and educational opportunities have created more and more space between persons and their supportive others. Families become scattered all over the country and world – some see family members every couple of years – and childhood friends and acquaintances – never. The fabric and strength of human relationships have been sacrificed for progress, success, fame, and wealth – none of which brings any real closeness and intimacy – serenity or joy – any really deeper meaning to life.

We are forced to live alone – with human bodies passing and flailing about us – no real contact, caring, connection, warmth – we are forced to live disconnected -- alone.

Well, alone just doesn’t work. The massive distractions of our modern world may numb our brains enough to forget – that it’s not working. But then – something happens – flowers, clouds, a death, a birth, an unexpected something happens -- appears on the screens of our brains – and we remember – something just isn’t “right” – something’s missing – and we are remembering – what we forgot – and it’s important.

What is “it”?

Normally what happens next is that our phone rings, someone turns on a TV, a text message appears, and we forget – again. And sometimes – nothing happens – and we still remember – and we want something different – something real – something bigger than ourselves – love.

We begin to believe – and experience – that a love, greater than ourselves, might restore us to Life – at least for this moment, and for this breath – maybe -- maybe longer.

The material nature of our perceived world is an illusion – a mirage – in real terms it doesn’t exist. It can only anesthetize – not energize and enlighten.

Life melts in our hearts not in our heads. And when our hearts touch, something happens – we begin to see a path -- back home to our true and deeper selves – and we become amazed – with others -- along the way.

Today, let’s touch someone else -- with conscious, deliberate smiles -- with sincere and attentive ears -- with hearts opening wide and wider – rediscovering the beautiful place that love can build –that already is.

We can truly make life a better place – by love’s design.

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Raising the Shades with Inspirational Life Quotes

Before sunlight can shine through a window, the blinds must be raised.
American Proverb

Light – the presence of energy that reveals what is – colors, depth, space, hues of moments and breaths emerging on the surfaces of our brains – revealing something – nothing – everything.

We are looking for that something. From one day and time to the next – we are looking for different somethings. We don’t really know what we are looking for – does it even exist – is it hidden behind – beneath – inside of something – someone? We don’t know. This is the place to begin. I don’t know what or where or who I am looking for – there is a darkness.

In our unknowingness, something must change – something must move – an opening must form that exposes our brains to Light – spiritual enlightenment – a Presence beyond sight and sound – experienced with our hearts – Light that pulls ourselves back into our own consciousness – by allowing Their Presence to flow – into our hearts – illuminating our unthinking brains.

Before light can shine through a window, there must be a window.

How obvious? But missed. A window – an opening – the presence of open Presence – through which life can enter.

For some, it seems simple. A spiritual presence, with a spiritual guide, and there appears openings.

For some, more complex – a need for intense and consistent spiritual therapy – an IV line to our brains -- through which massive doses of Presence can flow – specifically into the missing voids of seething absence.

Reach out and touch others – smile, be present – and listen – messages, voices, intimate spiritual conversations, emerging, opening -- time stills -- Light shines -- and we see – more and more – what we were looking for --all along.

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Finding Wonders of Daily Inspirations in Darkness and Silence

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

Helen Keller

I have always been impressed with the wisdom and depth of Helen Keller's words. Here we have someone who was blind and deaf -- absent of the two main physical sources of sensation and awareness -- who was able to "see and hear" way beyond what is normal for human beings. The depth of her vision and insight, and her ability to hear our humanity in her dark and silent world reminds us that we do not have to be limited by our humanness.

"Everything has its wonder" -- in every situation there is the unknown. Our human condition can paint pain and dread on to the canvasses of our brains. We can expect only the worst -- only what our shame and separation describes as "what we deserve!"

"I wonder what horrible thing is going to happen to me to day." Prerecorded, programmed messages on the filters of our brains that tells us, "it's coming -- and it's going to be bad!"

How do we get from here to "wonder"?

My shame and guilt are the results of separation and experiences of abandonment from others. They have programmed our brains this way. To change this, we must become connected -- intimately -- to a higher Presence -- a "God" of our life experience. In this relationship, we can begin to take on "God's Vision" of what is, and who we are. His (and Her) views of life and of us are very different from ours -- full of wonder and expectant joy -- wondering what we are going to do next -- like a parent watches their infant, toddler -- child.

"Even in darkness and silence" Maybe more accurately, in darkness and silence we begin to experience depths of true wonder. Many times we become so distracted by the blaring noises, and blinding lights of our world, that any possible wonder is drowned out by sheer overstimulation.

Actually, my experience is that we need to return and be returned to the basics of darkness and silence so we can find wonder, Presence, and hope. Out of this spiritual darkness comes a different light that only our hearts can see -- a still small voice that only our hearts can hear -- in silence.

The irony is that the human brain is programmed to avoid and condemn darkness and silence as if it were an evil plague. It's time to receive spiritual enlightenment and Presence that recreates our being in the dark and silent womb of unknowing -- the wisdom and intimacy that is born out of not knowing.

As we begin to live in this new perceptions -- with these new spiritual senses -- we begin to see and hear past what the brain defines as what is, moving into contentment and serenity, and eventually into love, Presence, and expectant wonderment.

"What's next! Something wonderful is getting ready to happen!"

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Self-Forgiveness Begins with the Spiritual Enlightenment of God's Presence

Sometimes the past is so painful to think about that your only salvation lies in complete surrender to the mercy of God. Only in Him are you given the strength and courage it takes to keep on walking when every step is hard. But, finally, after what can seem like an endless journey in the darkness of your own regret, you come upon the light again. You have no doubt who has set you free, for only One who is author of forgiveness would give you still another chance.
Marianne Williamson

The past can be painful, whether the outcomes were desired or undesired. In my experience, accomplishments frequently reminded me that I was expecting a certain event or series of events to make me happy, and when they failed, I was left even more hopelessly lost.


Ultimately, I am forced to surrender – to stop buying the illusion of my possible control of what is, and of how I will perceive and feel as a result. I am powerless – I cannot control what is or how I react to what is – the past reoccurs on the screens of my mind as if current and happening. These inner images are programmed to continue repeating themselves indefinitely if not changed.

I am left no choice but to turn to the loving and merciful Presence of God – to change and spiritually heal my experience and perceptions. In His (and Her) Presence I am given the sanity of strength and courage to keep putting one thought, and one feeling – one moment and one breath at a time – in front of the other.


My journey seems endless because it is recycling my past -- over and over again -- with greater and greater darkness – repeating abandonment and separation. The Light – God’s loving Presence – begins to glow – and the walls of my inner prison begin to dissolve. I am being taught and reprogrammed to see me with God’s eyes – and They hold nothing against me – They are teaching me to experience Their truth – and I am able, with their love and caring, to forgive and admire myself – and love me with Their unconditional love – and admiration.


We really are Their children – created out of their infinite love.

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What Happens When We Stop Falling? Darkness and Inspirational Life Quotes

A baby learning to walk falls a lot.

Kathleen Rowe

What happens when we stop falling? Have we “learned to “walk”? Have we “arrived”?

I am fascinated by my own desire to finish something – to step out from behind my human stream of being, and find my self at a predetermined set of coordinates – fixed and whole. And yet I am lost. Erected road signs claim to show the way through life to some desirable and earned place of happiness and completeness. And yet I am not -- there.

My brain seems so foolish. It is programmed to project any version of reality that hides my truths – to keep me away from understanding what can only be experienced – to mislead me away from who I really am.

A child -- learning to walk-- is confronted with a physical force – gravity. Something is sucking him or her toward their own feet – the basic and simplest place on top of this giant sphere of existence – the ground of all human beingness. Wandering around the universe of new sensations and experiences, the child is repeated thrown to its knees – to a place of pain and fear --- and then hope – the belief that someday they will be able to negotiate a working relationship with what they perceive to be freedom.

And the child falls – again and again. Until – something seems mastered – and the ordeal has produced its desired end. And now the child races forward to new experiences – forgetting the struggle that occurred to become – in motion.

I experience that to stop falling is to stop growing – to settle into the world’s glittering illusion of dreams. To fall is to reexperience the truth of my human state: without lasting intimate connection with my God, my self and my others -- I am powerless. Areas of my self are disconnected – in this breathing life. So I should always be falling from my own human graces -- toward a state of being that is “more me” – than I was before.

If this is not happening, I am not becoming. I am disbecoming – losing and leaving the existence of my living selves – aging into the oblivion of what my brain paints as the beyond – to finally stumble – back -- at the last -- into the stream of where I must become – and die into the life I leave behind.

The gift of falling is being given to me today, and I am growing – more and more consciously present – and I am faced with my deepest darkest truest selves. Together, with my God’s loving Presence, we are shedding the darkness and becoming a different light.

Maybe “walking” is overrated.

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Finding Daily Inspirations in the Storms of Life

In the storm, the tree that bends with the wind

is the one that survives to grow tall.
Brenda Scheffer

Most of my life was spent surviving actual and perceived “storms” –inside and out...

For the complete article, click here: Finding Daily Inspiration Within the Storms of Life.