Are you caught in the familiar?

August 24, 2015

Patrick Ryan

As a coach I have many conversations with people about the next direction for their life, their business or career.  For some it involves subtle shifts, dialing in what has already been created, often for a greater sense of fulfillment, peace and happiness.For others, a bigger shift is wanted; perhaps a new job, a new relationship, or some other change that will have a big impact on the form and experience of their lives. In either case what one must realize is that the status quo of how things are today, will likely be resistant to change.

 

The status quo likes things to remain the same.

You can think of this as a comfort zone, although ironically it is often not comfortable at all.  At best it is a familiar zone.

 

So what does it take to affect a real change in your personal or professional life?

Such change will likely be initiated from one of two possible directions.  Either you will finally acknowledge the stirring and willingly engage in the change process, or the world around you will do it for you. If the world around you does it for you it is often extremely jarring though not necessarily surprising.

 

Most people will say that they, “saw it coming.” The range of such events could be anything from the breakdown of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the onset of illness where early signs were being ignored or pushed away.

 

On the other side of the coin, it could also be getting promoted into a scary cool job, or falling in love, or coming into a fortune of some other kind.  Either way, the familiar zone has been disrupted and you are now being called to engage consciously.

 

Ultimately change is usually for the best, it is just that the catalyst can be alarming. Once people choose to engage and open to all the possibilities that lay ahead, the experience becomes quite empowering.

 

If you are stirring with some hints of change that are wanted in your life, then it would be good to engage sooner rather then later, allowing you to navigate the river consciously.

 

 

 

What to notice:

• The mind – Often when deep down inside change is wanted the mind becomes critical, picking away at every opportunity.  Left unchecked this could manifest as resentment towards someone or something, resignation that this is just the way it is and that you can’t do anything about it, or it may spin stories of fear and doubt about what is going on with regards to your ability to create the change you really hope for.
• The heart and emotions – Emotions of discouragement, anger, frustration, doubt, or fear often signal that you need to pay attention to something in your life. If you find yourself leaking such emotions through outbursts or directing them inwards through self-destructive behaviors, then your subconscious may be asking you to notice and engage.
• The body – The body will often want to get your attention through aches and pains, sore backs, or pulled muscles. Left unaddressed such symptoms could eventually escalate into more significant issues that could have been avoided.

Yes, it does take courage.

Yes, it can shake up your otherwise familiar life.

Yes, it will eventually get to a point where needed change will be activated with or without you choosing the timing of it, and it will almost always be inconvenient.

 

It is far better for everyone involved (especially yourself) if you engage sooner rather then later.

 

What is needed to create a change?

 An infusion of energy.

 

Imagine that your familiar zone runs along on, asking very little of you.

The familiar zone likes it when you are distracted, busy, lazy, afraid, etc.

 

To break free of the familiar you need to infuse new energy into your life.

 

That energy could be created by channeling the anger, frustration, or fear into a resourceful energy of courage, letting go, and sooner if not later, action.

It takes energy and engagement to break out of the familiar consciously!

 

What can you do?

• Open up a conversation either with someone involved or with someone who can just listen openly, allowing you to express what is going on. You may be amazed at how clear things can look after talking it through.
• Engage with a professional coach. Virtually every successful athlete, and business leader has tapped into the resources of people around him or her as sounding boards.
• Don’t over plan; it will unfold as it must. Over planning is another distraction to avoid getting on with change.Plan just enough to be responsible to yourself and the people involved, and then get going.
• Step away from the familiar. Attend a retreat, a vision quest, go for a walkabout, a sabbatical.

You can’t really see the big picture from inside the frame.

I have continually seen the people who have come to our vision quests, get the clarity, courage and direction for what is needed in each of their lives to achieve their goals and dreams.

 

This precious life is so full of wonder and opportunity.

What life asks of you is to engage courageously.

 

 

Patrick J. Ryan is an author, life and executive coach, clinical hypnotherapist, and retreat and vision quest guide. He practices from his two favorite places on the planet, Mill Valley, California and Vancouver, Canada; and by skype or telephone.

You may reach Patrick by email at info@AwakenedWisdom.com

Vision Quest with AWE!

Doing it on Purpose

August 10, 2015

Patrick J. Ryan

 

Hi this is Patrick from Awakened Wisdom, guide of the AWE Vision Quest

 

I’m doing it on Purpose. Are you?

 

Lately I have been quite restless in a good, and not so good kind of way, wondering about the direction my life is taking at this time.

It seems that I have fulfilled much of what I wanted to and at the same time I have been feeling quite dissatisfied with that.

 

That’s right. I have been quite dissatisfied with the successes that have happened and with the parts of the dream that did not come through, as I wanted them to.

 

Looking into this more deeply, this sense of discontent, I find an old familiar layer of energy that drives me to keep pushing forward. That sense of not good enough yet, of not doing enough or, of not whatever, yet.

 

I know that these are distorted thoughts, lies my subconscious makes up so that I may be more driven and, even knowing that, the current of dissatisfaction runs in the background nonetheless.

 

On the other hand, the more positive framing, is that I am called to make a difference. I have always believed that living a life on purpose is a meaningful life and ultimately a more fulfilling and happy life.

 

I believe strongly that a fulfilling life is a life in which I am inspired by a vision and that I am moving forward purposefully towards the aspiration of my vision.

 

A happy journey is also one of balance. I also allow for days off, travel, siestas, and time to play and to be in nature. It is just that for me I enjoy the downtime more when I am connected to my vision and I have a sense of purpose around me.

 

Knowing as much as I can about the vision that calls me towards it I can then learn to pace myself.

 

It, the vision, informs my navigational choices in life. And, in challenging times I can take solace and find joy, in the fact that at least I am living my life according to inspired choices.

 

There are many ways to express your life on purpose professionally.

 

Many entrepreneurs are living their life on purpose. Initially perhaps as small business owners risking it all for the sake of their calling, their vision, their drive to build it. Then, as it grows, as the creation takes on a life of its own the vision and resulting creation attract in more interest and energy in the form of resources.

Exciting times for those that make it through!

 

It is the vision that gives an entrepreneur the courage, the strength and the determination to weather the storms of startups and nay sayers.

 

Many intrapreneurs, the inspired people within organizations, are channeling their entrepreneurial energy in collaboration with an organization, and are living synergistic lives. That is if they are lucky enough to be in an organization that encourages such behavior.

 

Beware if you are an organization of such talented and called people that either they will build it with you or they will find another way but the vision that drives them will not be denied.

 

If you, as an organization, are lucky enough to have attracted such creators of tomorrow’s great ideas then you must provide the resources and the container to let creative geniuses do what they do best and this is getting on with the business of the future.

 

Solopreneurs and professionals who are practicing their art through their individual practices could be living on purpose. When a professional has aligned their personal talent with a professional expression for a service that the world wants and needs they are likely tuned into a sense of purpose and hopefully vision. They are connected but not one in the same.

 

Vision stirs

Often people are stirring inside. This could be a driven and inspired energy that moves you forward through each day or, it could be a sense of discontent. This stirring could be experienced as an uneasy feeling of thought that you are just putting in your time until someday when things will be different or it could be a sense of restlessness like that alerting calm of ions just before the thunder crackles and has us jump or duck.

 

Do you jump or do you duck when stirred by the crackle of vision?

 

If you are stirred with such a feeling then it wants to be addressed. Ignoring it will not only not make it go away it may just drive it underground where it will run like a current of unexpressed creative energy leaking out any chance it gets. The problem with this is that it usually leaks out as anger or frustration or anxiety and at the very least as distracted thinking. At its worst it could manifest itself as illness.

 

It will do whatever it takes to get your attention. That is what it wants.

Your attention!

 

So what is a guy or gal to do?

Vision asks you to pay attention. That literally means that your ticket to vision is paid for with a-tension.

 

How do your pay a-tension?

First you have to acknowledge it. Admit that you are being called. Notice through which channel or multiple channels this vision is corresponding with you. Though I am calling it vision, which is clearly a visual word, it works on you through every channel in which it can get your attention.

 

Through the body

Vision wants you to hear it as it whispers in the recesses of your mind.

To feel it as it stirs in your heart to wake up and get on with it.

To notice it as it burns in your belly, and the muscles of your back, and the very fibers of your body.

To see it as it dances in your dreams both day and night flirting with you like a lover that beckons you to twirl in her winds of possibilities.

To taste it as you salivate with the possibilities of a pleasurable if not forbidden future.

And to take in the scent of vision it as it mixes with the enticements of nature and even industry, and spicy futuristic imaginings.

 

Through the mind

It may be beckoning with day dreams, distracted thoughts, recurring ideas that persist and will persist until you, or will it be someone who gets there before you, finally says, “Yes”, to it.

 

Through the heart

Oh that aching pull of the heart that screams out that you are wanted somewhere else. That you have completed your time and mission in the current configuration of your life and that now is a time for courage. A time to respond, knowing that the road is perilous, knowing that you just must because though the safer road is the one you already know so well, it is also the road of a slow death. The death of vision.

 

Through the spirit

For those of you that are open to partnering with the Universe your road is no less risky at least according to the concern channel of the sub-conscious mind and the bureau of statistics, but it is a path that is met with guidance, good fortune, synchronicity, and all manner of strange and illuminated occurrence.

Your spirit lifts at the very thought of it and demands that you let it out of the box of conformity for no great vision saw the world stay as it was, but rather showed us what it could be.

If you are called you would ignore such a call at the expense of your spirit and that is far too high a price to pay.

Better to risk all your worldly fortune then to take that last gasp and remember the time that you looked away from the luminous path.

 

There is help!

This is where the Awakened Wisdom Vision Quest comes in.

It is a courageous act to say yes to the quest. Knowing that all that you hold dear in your life is put on the table of choosing. In the quest you will be challenged to own up to the highest aspect of who you are.

 

Once you are aligned with your courageous spirit you will know what is needed.

 

Don’t worry yet about the how, the wherefores, and the details. That time will come for all of that but that is not what you are being held accountable for now.

Now is the time to say yes to the AWE Vision Quest.

 

 

Join us on October 12, 2015. Join us for a most extraordinary journey out of the ordinary and into the visionary.

 

Click here to read more about the AWE Vision Quest

Transitions and the AWE Vision Quest

March 7, 2015

Patrick J. Ryan

 

Many Journeys – Vision Quest with AWE
The Transition Journey

In the last article we explored how attending an AWE Vision Quest could support those who are on a healing journey.
Now we will consider how AWE Vision Questing is a great experience for those in transitions.

Life is a series of transitions.

Transitions could be any change in your inner world such as a sudden shift in your understanding of how this world works, or, it could be in your external world such as a change in career, personal relationships or anything. These transitions may at times be subtle, or at other times large disruptions to our otherwise regular life as we knew it.

What are some typical causes of transition?

• Getting promoted
• Getting divorced
• Career changes
• Changes in fortune
• Epiphanies
• Retirement
• Loss of loved ones
• A diagnosis
• A healing
• Loss of anything that causes an impact on our life.

Generally a transition is caused when you don’t fit some aspect of your life any more or it doesn’t fit you.

As you grow and develop through life you will experience some defining moments when you must respond to something that has intercepted you along the path.
Once you have experienced an epiphany, had a breakthrough awakening of some sort, it cannot be put back into the bottle. Such an experience will challenge you to redesign your life in order to make your life or career current with your newly realized worldview.
Sometimes that life-altering event is thrust upon you. It could be a wakeup call from a health challenge, it could be that your life partner wants a significant change, it could be a disruption in your work situation.

However it came about, you are now at a crossroads.

 

There may be some decisions to be made and at the very least there is a need to understand, to get some perspective, on what is going on and what this is telling you about who you are in the world now.
Sudden life changing events are like lightning bolts that may have been foreshadowed by thunder. If you weren’t paying attention earlier it could seem as if it came out of the blue.

Regardless of how you got to this transition point, here you are.

• Who are you now?
• Where do you go from here?
• What do you do?

These are just a few questions that transitions will confront us with.

The AWE Vision Quest
Stepping out of the center of your life, being reconnected to your inner wisdom, getting a perspective check, these are all just a few of the benefits of attending an AWE Vision Quest..
Here you will be skillfully guided and challenged to really see what is being revealed; to be held to your own truth, and supported with belief in you, that you have what is needed to excel through this next stage of your journey.

Become present.
In order to access your own wisdom it is essential to become present. In becoming present you step out of the forward velocity of your life and you drop in vertically to your own wisdom.
Something is emerging around you. You can likely feel it, perhaps you know something about it, perhaps it is just a sense of being out of synch, or not quite connected to your life or career.
You are never alone except when you disconnect your Self from the inside out.
We always have the opportunity to tap into wisdom that is at the same time, of us, and, bigger than us.

By stepping out of the jet stream of your life you not only allow your inner wisdom to become known to you, you tap into a source that is far beyond your self.

You are part of an ocean of universal wisdom, which I like to call the wisdom field. When you become present you are more able to connect to the wisdom field and to gather in hints, clues, and overt messages from the Universe about who you are now and what it is now time for as you navigate your great adventure.

In the AWE Vision Quest Experience you will be guided into a deep experience of presence.

Although life’s breakthroughs cannot be scheduled and are seldom convenient they are precious opportunities to embrace and to consciously engage with. Any great adventure is filled with uncertainty, risk, and asks you to tap into your courage for the sake of something that you are being called to at this time.

I have found that through the AWE Vision Quest Experience I am able to connect to my inner resources, to courage, and I am then able to navigate the opportunities that are being presented.

What is calling you?
Give yourself the gift of an AWE Vision Quest Experience and get real in your life.

 

Click here to read about the AWE Quest

Patrick J. Ryan
Founder, Author, and Guide
www.AWEVisionQuest.com

AWE Vision Quests and Healing journeys

Many Journeys – Vision Quest with AWE

This is the first of a series of vision quest articles written by

Patrick J. Ryan, Founder of Awakened Wisdom Experiences (AWE)

 

The healing journey, as a motivation for vision questing

 

 

There are as many reasons for participating in an AWE Vision Quest as there are imaginations.  People come to refresh themselves, for renewed vision, to clarify a way through a transition, to get clarity on whether or not to activate a life transition, and more and more.  Many people who show up are on a healing journey, whether they know it or not.

 

What is a vision quest?

Many styles and interpretations of vision questing have existed through the ages.  The idea of a quest, or a pilgrimage, or an initiation ritual, is present in many cultures around the world.

 

I have quested in a variety of countries, cultures, and traditions over a period of decades; and have been guiding my own style of AWE Vision Quest for several years.

 

Some of the more consistent elements of a quest include a time of preparation, a time of gathering with a circle of people who are choosing to have this experience, a time of being solo (alone with yourself and your “Self”), a time of reflecting and engaging in a personal process.  It includes a time of returning, first back to the circle and then back to your life.  It is in the return that you begin the often-challenging process of integrating what you have learned or received from your experience.

 

A vision quest is generally considered a courageous, generous, and selfless act to engage in because there are risks, and whatever you gain from the experience is considered to be for the benefit of others around you - including your family, community, organization etc.

 

 

I have developed an Awakened Wisdom Experience style of vision quest that I call the Clear Mind Medicine Journey©.  

In this style of vision quest we do not use mind-altering substances.  I have a lot of respect for, and have been on vision journeys where we did use mind-altering substances, and I have had amazing break through experiences as a result.  When such experiences are well guided they can be very helpful.  I have also experienced many profound breakthroughs without the use of substances.  

 

I have chosen the Clear-Mind approach because when it comes right down to it, when we meet ourselves in the experience of the quest, and learn to achieve a clear-mind and open-heart, we are well positioned to experience extraordinary breakthroughs.

 

Some people make the comment that they go out on their own, into nature, for a self-guided experience.  I do that sometimes as well.  Although it is an amazing experience to go on your own for a getaway, it is not the same as being guided, and journeying with a circle of people who have come for their own reasons and who are also contributing support to each others experience.

 

In days past, communities and cultures, often organized quest experiences to support their people through varying transitions.  We have mostly lost that in our western culture, and so this AWE Quest Experience becomes a profound way to claim this process for your Self.

 

Throughout this AWE Vision Quest Experience we engage with nature and reconnect to the wisdom of our minds, hearts, and bodies.  

Nature is the source from which we came, and nature is always there in relationship with us.  It is we who cut ourselves off from nature, and so it is we who can choose to re-engage with the land in a powerful and conscious way.  

 

Through connection with the land we may gain insight, clarity, an open heart, renewed spirit, and resources to support the healing of our bodies.

 

What is a healing journey?

The healing journey is a strong motivation for giving yourself a quest experience.

 

Every one of us is on a healing journey in some way.  

When we have been diagnosed with a chronic condition such as cancer, or other condition that demands our attention, we become more consciously aware of our healing journey.

 

When we get that diagnosis we are being told that there is something going on in our system that wants and needs our attention.  The choices of how we respond to a diagnosis - whether it is for a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual crisis - are as varied as there are days in a life.

 

 

However we arrived at this point, it is now where we are.  It is our present reality.

 

Understanding the underlying cause for a diagnosis is valuable to the extent that we can understand how this situation might have come about.  However, more often than not, it is not a simple cause and effect story.  More often than not, there are many influences that came together which eventually, or suddenly, resulted in a person’s current state of being.

 

Everything in our inner world and our outer existence is related, like a web of influence, therefore it is unusual to be able to determine a single cause for anything. Our choices of diet, activities, exercise, lifestyle, stress, environmental influences, and even our DNA, all connect together and add up to our current moment – our current experience.

 

It makes sense to take a more holistic approach when one is consciously choosing to recreate a sense of wellbeing.

 

As a coach, clinical hypnotherapist, vision quest guide, and shamanic practitioner, it is my observation that people reflect the impact of their past experiences in their emotional body, their mental body, their physical body, and their spiritual body - or what some might call ‘the soul.’

 

Even if you don’t buy in on the spiritual dimensions of our experience then, at a very pragmatic level, what we are pointing to is the impact of our perspectives, our behaviors and the levels of positivity that we bring to our daily experience.

 

Once someone has received a diagnosis, a few strong influences kick in.  

Your doctor will likely have a recommended course of action depending on what you are now working through.  You may be referred to a series of specialists who may or may not agree on what you should do now.

 

Your family and friends, who love you, will have their own fears, concerns, and responses to your situation.  Your colleagues, business associates, employers will have another set of concerns.  All of these well-meaning people may start projecting onto you their fear of losing you, along with their well-meaning advice of what they think you should do.

 

Your challenge is how to stay open to receiving the love, support, and ideas, while maintaining a grounded connection to your own wisdom.  

In order for you to do that, you need to be able to access a clear-mind and an open-heart.  That is your AWE Nature.

 

How can you stay open, centered, and positive with regards to treatments, life decisions, and outcomes?

 

It seems obvious that when you are facing a life threatening or life altering diagnosis your strongest option, your point of power, is to stay connected to your AWE Nature and not get caught up in reactivity and fears.  It is also true that being able to sustain from that can be quite a challenge.

 

What to do?

This is where working with someone, an AWE Guide, who is skilled at connecting you to your own wisdom, is a great help.  This person becomes a valuable member of your team of resources, complimenting the efforts of your professional advisors and love ones.

 

Your job is to stay creative, resourceful, and positive, and to consider the options that are being presented to you by your trusted professionals and loved ones; and then to choose your course of action according to your own best wisdom.

 

 

The AWE Vision Quest process.

At the AWE Vision Quest you are guided into a deep and profound relationship with your own AWE Nature, which is the inner source of wisdom that we all have access to when we learn how to connect with it.  In order to accomplish that, we open a profound relationship with nature, we create a container of intention, and we get still and allow our selves to drop down into the core of our creativity and wisdom.

 

Nature as an amazing healer, clarifier, supporter, and nurturer; she becomes your partner.  The more connected you are with her; the more you are connected to the highest aspect of your Self.

 

Another facet of an AWE Vision Quest is the field of positivity that is opened by all those who say, “Yes,” to the experience and who choose to gather.  There is always a resourceful response to any situation which life presents along your path.

 

As a guide, coach, clinical hypnotherapist I am freed of the responsibilities of diagnosing, and treating; and therefore I’m available to support you as you clarify your own wisdom, and as you consider your options as they are revealed day-by-day.

 

Whether you are healing from a diagnosed illness, embarking on or considering a life transition, or working through minor stress related challenges to your wellbeing, the AWE Vision Quest may be just what is needed now.

 

I am happy to have a conversation with you to discuss your situation, and to support you in accessing your wisdom on the question of whether or not working with an AWE Guide and attending an AWE Vision Quest is a good move for you at this time.

 

Click here to read about the AWE Quest

 

Be Well,

Patrick J. Ryan

The power of practice

I have been noticing lately that life is moving forward for myself, my clients, and even for the men in San Quentin that I am working with, at quite a fast pace. That, of course is not a big revelation, and it is worth noting.
This seems to be a time of manifestation for so many people. For many there is a tradeoff with that through what is needed to keep up with it all.
The forward momentum of our professional and personal lives has a way of compelling us forward much like a river has its currents sometimes running faster sometimes swirling about, and sometimes being quite still.

 

Imagine that you are on that river.

It may be that you imagine yourself in a boat of some kind, or a kayak, or perhaps you are in the water swimming, floating, or holding onto a log as the current carries you along.
Now check in with your state of mind, heart, and body.

 

Would you say that you mind has been quite clear lately, calm, connected to your vision, or perhaps frantic, unsure, even confused or overloaded? Just notice.

What about the state of your heart? That is your emotional experience and your experience of connection back to your self, your family, colleagues, and to the natural world. Do you notice that you have been in joy, happiness or frustration, anxiety, perhaps you have been quite open lately or has all that is going on around you compressed you? Again, just notice.

Now check in with your body. What tensions might you be holding? Where in your body is that showing up? How is your digestion, your heart, your breathing? Just notice.

It is always important to be willing to notice what is going on with us. Often just noticing is enough to open up some energy blocks or gets us breathing a little deeper for a while. Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for our selves so that we may be able to care for the world around us. We have a responsibility to  make good choices, to say yes and no when needed for the sake of wellbeing and all that comes with that.

 

In order to make great choices it helps if we are centered, grounded, connected to our own wisdom.

Sometimes that is easier said then done given the demands of life.

 

Here is a simple exercise for accessing your center.

It will only take a moment or three and the benefit is immediate and sometimes profound.

Give your self permission to take a three minute break right now.

Sit in a good posture so that your body is relaxed and you are able to breathe deeply.

Notice your feet, what they feel like in your shoes or on the ground. Notice their temperature and whatever else you can observe.

 

Now scan up and notice your legs, your pelvis/groin region, scan up to your stomach, solar plexus, heart, shoulders, arms, back, neck, jaw, face and the crown of your head.

 

Take your time and scan your body noticing any tensions that you may be holding.

 

Then imagine that you can pull the energy of mother earth up through the soles of your feet and up through your body and direct that energy with your breath to any place in your body, heart or mind that catches your attention.

Then just sit for a moment with exquisite awareness and breathe, listen, and observe.

 

Blessings.

Patrick J. Ryan

Founder of Awakened Wisdom Experiences

Stay Connected

Ancient Wisdom. Modern Applications.

Hello,

Thank you for visiting and for your interest in Awakened Wisdom for Daily Living.

I have just released an 8-week live and recorded tele-program on this very topic.

To stay current with our latest blogs, as well as to get information on this and our other experiencial learning programs, please visit the Awakened Wisdom website at www.AwakenedWisdom.com

Patrick J. Ryan

Awakened Wisdom Experiences

Ancient Wisdom. Modern Applications.

The Dream of Soul and Life Purpose

Joseph Campbell, the highly regarded teacher of mythology, wisely pointed out that for the first half of a human’s life the ego runs ahead in search of experience and wealth. During this time, the Soul takes a back seat, patiently waiting for the ego to do its thing and to gather in what it needs. The Soul serves the ego by letting it run much like a wild hungry dog in search of adventure and wealth of whatever the ego is collecting. It could be money, other resources, or experiences.

Then there comes a time when the Soul turns its gaze onto the ego and says, “Thank you for forging ahead and for having the experiences you have had. There is a greater meaning to all of this though, and it is time that you, ego, sit back and serve me, the Soul, as I fulfill my bargain with the Universe and express my life purpose.”

The Soul works us from within, and so there comes a time in our human adventure when it gets activated and demands that we follow its yearning. For some, this time occurs at a young age. We recognize these people as “old Souls.” When we are around them we feel a deeper, fuller connection to the Universe. Others may not have this experience until the last few short moments of their physical lives on Earth, when suddenly at the end of it all they awaken and realize something important is being realized.

Still others experience this time at midlife, and it is often manifested in what we call midlife crises. I prefer to call these midlife awakenings. This is a time when, under the pressure of the Soul, many people start to ask questions about what this life is really all about. It is a time when people look at the houses, cars, boats, and shoe collections and realize that as nice as those things are, they aren’t providing much meaning to their human existence.

If we are lucky, we are willing and still able to respond to the call when it comes. If we do, we let go of the attachment to the ego’s treasures, which can often confuse our families and friends, and we allow our Selves to respond to the Soul's call and to seek out some meaning in our otherwise productive lives. The Soul is grateful to the ego for having amassed all the resources and assures the ego that these things will be put to good use. The ego has been creating foundations, which are pools of resources that can now committed to a use that is generally altruistic in its intention.

The yearning of the Soul to be out in front at this stage becomes a major influence on our life’s dreams. Many of the things that used to seem important suddenly fall away from our desires. The Soul has better and more important things in mind for you now. The Soul works on us in mysterious ways that we often experience as a longing, a yearning that arises from deep within. This stirring causes us to be restless. It calls us out of our comfortable life. It beckons us, calls to us in our sleep. It shakes us in the waking sleepwalk of our regular life. It will haunt you, follow you, and pull away the illusions of your life that ego built. It will not allow you to sleep any longer. When it calls for you, you will at least know; whether you answer or not is another question.


Watch for my book coming out this November:
Awakened Wisdom - A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance
************************************************
Patrick Ryan
Chief Waker-Upper

Check our website, www.awakenedwisdom.com for the next AWE event!!

The Yearning

The Yearning
We come from a Oneness, the Universe, and our heart holds a wisdom, distinct from the wisdom of our mind, that yearns to keep us connected to this Oneness. As the heart yearns, it speaks to us in the language of the heart, which is beyond words. The heart moves us according to its own wisdom with a pull, moving us towards something. This is the yearning.

As we experience the pull of the heart, we feel drawn toward something while our mind attempts to understand. Our mind gets drawn into the aching, the pulling, and it really wants to understand. The mind is sometimes spun around in its attempt to interpret what it is that will satisfy this yearning of the beating heart. When the mind does not understand, we may think that we are disconnected from the Oneness. This may lead to a sense of separateness or aloneness in life. These are just concepts that the mind creates.

So the heart pounds out its life call like a drum beat in the distance, reminding us that something more, is out there somewhere and we start to yearn. The yearning of the heart could be coming from the Oneness or Universe, calling you towards your life purpose. Or, it could be the voice of your Divine Essence, that is the source of wisdom within you that guides you along your journey. It is important to notice what we are yearning for.
At times it can be tricky as it may seem the yearning is taking you into seemingly perilous waters, and yes it may do so, in order to fulfill some unwritten contract with the Universe that requires you to engage with some healing of your heart. Just as easily, it may lead you to an easy part of the path that is filled with lightness and fun. Each part of the path, difficult or easy is important and guided by heart wisdom.

The heart wisdom demands that you engage with all parts of the path so that you may fully appreciate the beauty of full and open connection to your Self and the world around you. It may be that our ability to know joy is directly proportional to our willingness and ability to dive deep into the yearning for love and connection - even when the waters seem murky. And, of course, we must also be aware of the tendency of Distorted Self, that is the one in us that messes with our mind and heart, to distract us from our soul’s path. Distorted Self would have us believe that to feel such a deep longing is ultimately not survivable, so you are better off disconnecting from the pain of the unrealized longing, whether that’s through keeping yourself overly busy, using drugs, or engaging in some other form of avoidance. After all, according to Distorted, any form of pain is to be avoided and cannot possibly be good for you. Or on the other side, Distorted might tell you that it is only through your attachment to pain that life can have meaning. Neither of these ideas comes from the wisdom of your Divine Essence.

Again, it is the heart that yearns and lets us know that something more is possible. The mind responds to that yearning, seeking out an answer, and the heart and the mind pull at the fabric of our body creating the tension of restlessness. Perhaps every situation we encounter can be placed between two possibilities: One is to move towards the ecstatic joy of connection — fully open, heart connection to Oneness, the Universe; the second possibility is to know the pain of separation. And in between those two absolute extremes is where most of us live our lives.

Our Divine Essence is that aspect of ourselves that is the portal and connection to the Universe. It is the doorway between our life in this body and being the Light of the Divine. We came from a Oneness. That experience of being fully connected to it preceded this embodied life. We have this life in which to remember the Oneness and get reconnected to it.

Letting Go and Homeostasis

Imagine that you have your hands full, literally. There you are in your very busy life moving fast to keep it together and your hands are full holding tight on to everything that you have created. For the most part you like your life. And maybe you’d like to see just a few things be different, or perhaps you even wish something really big and important in your life was different than it is. Either way, you are so busy holding all of this together. Then sometimes in a stolen moment you might allow yourself to cast a wish out to the Universe - I wish that…And yet your life quickly jerks you back to its persistent reality that demands your attention to keep it all together.

Wow, what busy work, this keeping it all together! Consider this possibility - that all the while as you are running through each day, the very things that you don’t have yet and are wishing for deep down may very well be trying to come through for you. But guess what, they can’t get in, because you are too busy grasping at the old things and you are stuck, merely wishing that things could be different than they are now.

Homeostasis at work.
We humans are funny creatures. We get attached to things and conditions in our lives like sap to a tree. This is homeostasis at work - a property of the universe that supports a system to seek and maintain a stable condition and keep things the same. Nature experiences homeostasis of course, in order for systems and species to survive, and we humans rely on it to maintain the world we inhabit. It is a force we must be aware of if we desire to create a change in our life.

I hear from people all the time who have been trying to create something new in their life and feel discouraged when it doesn’t happen quickly enough. All discouragement is in these situations is homeostasis using your emotional system to keep you in line, to keep things they way they are. Imagine that all these elements of the life you are currently in are organized in a particular way and they are content to watch you there in the middle of it all wishing, wanting, working to make it change, frustrated that it seems that everything is resisting what you want. The resistance is not your imagination. Rather it’s the world around you simply doing its job. The world is not against you. It is not trying to create an adversarial situation to make things more challenging just for it's fun and amusement. It is just the energetic fields of "reality" holding the orbits of the people and the circumstances together in the established and familiar way.

It’s a powerful force, homeostasis, and therefore in order to create a meaningful change in your life you must influence the world around you and challenge it. You must be willing, even daring to change the ways things are. You may have to be persistent, creative, and courageous to be successful. You might be inspired by vision or perhaps frustrated by a situation. Either way you are called when creating change is what is needed. Consider the possibility that the world you are in is wanting to change and it is knocking on the door of your consciousness asking you to be the one to carry out this work.

Snap and its all different
Imagine one day it all breaks free, sometimes in a shocking way. It might even feel violent in the apparent suddenness of how it all happens. Perhaps your job is yanked out from under your feet. When you look back at it, after the initial shock has worn off you realize that you saw it coming and yet you’d gotten yourself attached and resisted responding to the early signs. Oh, those early signs. All those times that the world you are currently in whispered in your ear - hey, look around, see what else is out there, and try something different. Or all those times you tolerated some part of your life that was not working well but you were too busy or scared to address it. Instead you kept looking the other way hoping that it would work itself out somehow. And all those times you told yourself, I am too busy today but I will take care of that tomorrow…until one day it took care of you by jolting you out of an old reality that could hold no longer. When this kind of change happens it is like being caught in an earthquake. All the stored energy is released in one big jolt and everything around you that was not well secured is thrown around and broken free.

The world around us is beyond our control so any energy put towards controlling is not the best use of you. Imagine instead that at all times you are fully supported by the Universe. Imagine that there are new things that are constantly trying to come towards you and pay attention to the messages that you get. Notice the wishes and wants that occur to you. Notice the comments that are spoken to you and pay attention to what is trying to come in and to what is trying to be released.

The serenity prayer says it best:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
--Reinhold Niebuhr

What can you do?
• Look for what needs attention and tend to it like an important garden in
your life. Keep it vibrant by loving and nurturing it.
• Notice where the struggles are and ask yourself, what is going on here?
• Ask if a struggle is something that is a good use of your energy. If so then keep working it, if not then let it go cleanly and responsibly.
• When you want to create a change look at the entire system of
people and things around you and address the system as a whole.
• Be persistent with what you truly want. It is coming to you and it takes the time it takes. Not everything will move according to your schedule and many things will.
• Get help, get lots of help. Let people in, let the people around you know what it is you are trying to create and allow them to help you. They will love you for that.
• Stay flexible and open about how what you want will look and how it will happen.
• Understand that interruptions and surprises are normal and not personal, nor are they signs from the Universe - except when they are. Sometimes an interrupted or delayed idea is just the Universe saying it needs a bit more time to germinate.
• Trust your heart, appreciate your mind, and nurture your body. You will need them all.

Returned from Laos and Cambodia

I have just returned from a trip to Cambodia and Laos. I went there along with a colleague, Kyoko, to offer training to some local people. The recipients of the training were people that work with youth. It is our hope that the training supports the development of the next generation of leaders in the region.
I had fun meeting everybody and also experiencing a variety of great food. One particular dish was ants, which I would describe as crunchy and spicy.
I was last in Cambodia almost 14 years ago and it was remarkable to see the explosion of growth and development that has taken place there.
In Laos the last day of the training coincided with the beginning of their New Years festival also known as the Water Festival. During this time it seems that the only rule that applies is that everyone must get soaked and stay soaked for at least three days. The energy of the past is washed away to allow a fresh and “clean” start to the coming year.
It became a game of stealth to attempt to move around Vientiane knowing that I would be getting drenched by buckets of water thrown on by well meaning partiers while trying to save my camera from the same fate.
Even my final ride to the airport in an open tuk tuk was riding through a gauntlet of well wishers throwing water using every conceivable container they could find. There is nothing like arriving at the check in counter at the airport soaking wet from head to toe.

Many thanks to the engaged Buddhist movement and SEM (Spirit in Education Movement) and Jar, our friend and South East Asia contact who organized the trip, SRPD in Cambodia and PADETC in Laos for sponsoring us.

Sawaidee Bee Mai (Happy New Year) Everybody
Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

A Life Well Lived

Imagine a life in which you managed to rise above the fears and concerns that tend to linger faithfully in the background, haunting us with their song of intended safety and urgings to keep the status quo. What if you could shut out the voices that tell you all about what you CAN'T do, the ones that work to diminish the fullness of who you are?

You know the voices I mean. Imagine for a moment, that you integrated those voices in a good way, so that they no longer gripped you but rather just informed you about interesting and relevant conditions to which you should pay attention. And now, as you are no longer held in false constraints you are free - free to listen and respond to the wisdom of the moment, free to wonder what is possible in creating more beauty and dreams, and free to respond to the yearning of your heart that knows more is always possible.

Your wisdom informs you through every beat of your heart and through every thought of inspiration. Your wisdom informs you through your body which responds to the world around you as a drum responds to the vibration of the room at rest; it is waiting for the drummer to pick it up and bring its beat to life. You must of course be willing to respond to this wisdom. You must be willing to risk shaking up your world and the world of those around you and ask, What is needed? You must also be willing to risk losing that which seems precious to you. Holding on to anything is futile. If something is still right for you it will stay, and if it is no longer serving you, your holding onto it will only delay the inevitable. Worry not, because you were never in control of those things anyway.

Allowing good things to pass along through your life keeps the spaces open for other good things to come in, and come in they will if there is space - an opening. You must be willing to engage in the dance of life with flexibility and compassion and as you move you may dance in-joy. Stay in the game and turn it over at the same time. Turn it over to this great universe in which we live. Invite the universe in and listen to the call. Like the call and response of a great drum circle. It’s the call that informs you that NOW is the time to move. Now, is the time for you to commit to take one more step towards that dream that is relentlessly calling you into it.

And why not? Did you think it could wait for another day?

Awakened Wisdom Goes to Egypt

Hi folks,
I am happy to be able to tell you about the first offering Awakened Wisdom presented in Egypt this spring. In cooperation with BLDNA, an Egyptian NGO, our mission was to design a training that would support the BLDNA members in developing and integrating their respective leadership styles with each person’s own idea of a community project they will implement in order to raise the Egyptian society to a higher level.

I was thrilled to present the Ennea Leader Styles to these generous and courageous participants. Based on the Enneagram, the Ennea Leader Styles required each person to be willing to look not only at his or her own brilliance but also at where their styles break down and begin to work against their best intentions as community leaders.

Every person that attended took to the work whole-heartedly and the result was a brilliant experience of personal and professional development. The range of projects that is being initiated now is inspiring. These include ideas such as orphanages for children, a center for mothers, and housing for low income families to name a few.

For me it was gratifying to be able to offer the Ennea Leader Styles workshop in Egypt because this workshop is based on the Enneagram through a leadership context. It is believed that the Enneagram originated from this part of the world and so it was a particular privilege to bring it back full circle to the land of its origin.

I found everyone in attendance to be amazingly generous in energy and I was moved by the willingness of all to get real about identifying their personal work that must be taken on in order to be successful with their project. In particular I want to thank Wael Borhan who extended the invitation to Awakened Wisdom to come to Egypt for such an important assignment. Wael and his family, friends and colleagues personally took responsibility for the success of this event. Everyone was gracious towards me as I learned first hand about the high standards of generosity and hospitality of the beautiful Egyptian people.

I also want to thank Lina Nahaas from Dubai, and Mike Roberts from Germany, who came along and offered their uncompromising support to the event. Their partnership was most helpful as we managed the moment-by-moment unfolding of this three-day event. I am looking forward to returning to Egypt again and continuing the deepening of the Ennea Leader styles.

What is the Ennea Leader Styles workshop?
In short, this three-day workshop is an introduction to the nine fundamental styles of leadership as experienced through the context of the Enneagram and integrated with the Awakened Wisdom philosophy. It is a training that unlocks the mystery of how to be a great leader, by supporting everyone in identifying his or her own particular, individual leadership style. When we understand how to express our authentic leadership fully, the results we can achieve are limited only by our willingness and our imagination. And the more we understand about our styles the more our willingness and imagination is opened up to greater and greater possibilities.

If you would like to bring this powerful training to your organization or community, please contact us to discuss.

Now I am off to Cambodia and Laos to offer training there.
Journey well everyone,
I hope to see you soon,

Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

What is it to be a great leader? What is it to be human?

There you are in the center of who you are; in a way you are trapped by all the ideas that you have made up about who you are. You are trapped by the habits that you have created, and you are trapped by a life of living from an ego structure. It is the work then, of being human, to find your way through and past all the STUFF that separates you from living your full brightness all the time.

Finding your way is not an easy task and though it is possible to find your way home while blindfolded and groping your way along in the dark it is unlikely it will work quickly or well. It is much more effective to have a structure and a system that can provide a guiding affect to support you as you journey towards being a human freed of all your “stuff.”

In the center of who you think you are is your essence. That is the light of who you are. Your essence has been there all along it is just covered in veils of behavior that bury it deep and hide it from you.
We are each on a journey to reveal that essence to ourselves and in that revealing we discover a way of being in the world that honors the magnificence of who we really are.
When we touch into that light we shine brightly on those around us and in turn the people around us are then moved to show up at their best.

That is leadership at its finest. Walking a walk that supports all those around in developing themselves as well, while you accomplish the fulfillment of your vision.
Check out our new programs that are all intended to support you in revealing the best of who you really are.
Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

Getting to Know the One in Me that Reacts.

Getting to know the One in me that reacts.

One day I was walking along a crowded street in India. It was my first time visiting this country and I was shocked by much of what I was seeing. It all seemed so chaotic and the condition of some of the people was deeply disturbing to that part of me that wants everyone to be fine.

I was getting hooked by it all; my defenses were closing me down. When those particular defenses go down I get what I call tunnel heart. I am seeing it all and I am not allowing it to impact me, I am not allowing it to get in. It is a defense for a very sensitive, empathic heart. As I noticed my reaction to the experience of walking through this sea of intense humanity I wanted to learn how to walk with an open heart. How could I allow all this to touch me and still maintain, I wondered.

I choose a perspective that went like this: Imagine that every person here represents an aspect of who I am. Notice who and what is hard to look at. Notice what hurts. Notice who or what causes me to get angry or sad or happy. First – just notice.

I was opened from this and suddenly around myself I saw five thousand faces of my self. Every one became a part of me and I of them.

And I then allowed each person that I was noticing to represent a part of me. The beggar allowed me to face the beggar in me. The Sadhu became the Sadhu in me, the taxi driver the same and even the policeman, and on and on for each one that came to my attention.
As I experienced each one I also got to experience that part of me that reacted to the sight, sound, smell or touch of these individuals.

When we say, “I am uncomfortable/angry/happy here.” We are not really being accurate. It is more accurate to say that an aspect of you is uncomfortable/angry/happy here. Then it is possible to get the paradox of the moment - that one part of you may be angry, another part of you sad, and yet another part of you excited about any given situation.
The more we can learn about these aspects of us the more we can heal and integrate them into the wholeness of who we are.

The next step is to get curious with the one in you that is reacting. For example, if a beggar approached me and I felt uncomfortable I then got curious with the one in me that was uncomfortable.

I would ask to that part of me:
What is it about this beggar that makes you uncomfortable?

What is it that you are afraid of?

What is needed to stay open here?

Pay attention to any thoughts that occur during this process.

This is helpful in any day of our life. Perhaps someone at work pushes your button a lot. It is really not about him, it is YOUR button that is getting pushed, not his.

Instead of making others wrong for pushing your button try this:

Bless them first with loving-kindness. Open to that person, AND to the one in you that got triggered. And ask yourself:

- What is it that bothers me here?

- How am I creating this reaction?

- What does this part of me need in order for it to be healed?

Anytime people trigger us, it is never about them. It is about what is waiting to be revealed in us. So in my mind I say to those who trigger, “Thank you for triggering my anger/sadness/frustration and for showing me where my work is.”

At times like this, ask yourself – What is it time for me to heal/let go of/forgive?

It is great to be a human. We have so many opportunities to grow ourselves.

No one said it was going to be easy.

Patrick Ryan
Chief Waker-Upper

Awakened Wisdom in the Middle East

January of 2009 was a most interesting month. Among many other events, I was blessed to be able to present the Awakened Wisdom work to two incredible groups of people in the Middle East - in Israel and Dubai. Both gatherings were filled with extraordinary people who really allowed themselves to touch deeply into the questions of what is needed for we humans to live Awakened lives. Blessings to all who attended.

When I was preparing to go to Israel as the first stop on my trip to the Middle East, the military action in the Gaza strip was full on. I left with a prayer that the fighting would stop when Awakened Wisdom was there and thankfully that is what happened. On the day I arrived a cease-fire was announced and the day the workshop started all the troops had pulled back. May this blessing continue!! As a backdrop to the event the ceasefire added a preciousness to the experience. I found that I was especially grateful that all those who attended could have a time of dreaming into a future that would be filled with peace and hope and love for everyone. Thank you Einav for your amazing energy and for holding the ground and making this event possible.

From Israel I headed off to Dubai where I was once again blessed to be able to work with another group of creative and open, hearts and minds. The people who attended this event were from a wide variety of European and Arab countries. Once again we journeyed through the Awakened Wisdom process and moved closer and closer to each other and by extension to all humans everywhere. The people dreamed, cried, hoped, and planned how to move forward in a more Awakened way. Thank you to Lina for her magic in gathering in the people for this event.

I love diversity and all the beauty that comes with it. I still marvel at how at the end of the day we are all so much the same. We laugh, we cry, we love, we get angry, we learn, we grow, and we move our lives forward one day at a time. Every one of us wants to live a fulfilled life and each of us will navigate our own way through a myriad of challenges and opportunities. As for me I am grateful for the tiredness I feel in this moment. It is a tiredness of being well used in these last few days. Stay tuned, as the next few months will take Awakened Wisdom and I to the USA, Canada, Spain, Egypt, Laos, and Cambodia for a more growth and exciting adventures.

And please do join us at an Awakened Wisdom event near, or far, from you.
Rumor has it that the magic is real.

Awakened Wisdom Heads to Israel

So here we are entering 2009 with so many mixed signals coming in from around the world. Most recently we have an escalation in the challenging situation between Israel and the Palestinians. We have an on-going economic crisis (or opportunity, depending on how you view it) and we have new leadership taking over the United States of America, which wields a powerful global influence. It is a most important time to be staying resourceful and awake.

As a new level of violence in the Middle East breaks out again, Awakened Wisdom is scheduled to head over to that region. As I believe everything in our journey is synchronous, I ask what is the reason AWE is going to the Middle East at this time? What part can I play according to my wisdom? What contribution can AWE make? It is with great humility that I will intend to bring the spirit of peace and reconciliation to the people of these troubled regions.

In general I prefer not to tell people what they “should” be doing, or thinking. I prefer rather to remind people that we are each amazing beings who need not be afraid if we stay resourceful, flexible and willing. If every one of us can stay out of blame and judgment and instead keep our intention of creating peace, beauty, and life giving energy then the seeds of such violence would not have soil in which to take root. What is needed to make this happen? We need to be awake.

To be awake means to be grounded in your highest wisdom or Divine Self, and to respond to the unfolding of the world around you in ways that are wise, resourceful, and creative. Being awake does not mean that life is easy or that it goes the way you want. It means that you develop yourself through the experience of the moment you are in. As we respond to life’s challenges we continually shape our character. The one we are now, in this moment, is the result of who we were in moments past. And who we are now in the moment sets up who we will be in future moments. It is never too late to set a new course or to bring out the best of who you are. What is important and oh so challenging, is to bring the best of who you are forth into each and every moment of your life.

What is needed to be fully awake?

1) First what is needed is the willingness to forgive. As long as the actions of the past are used against people in the present then the opportunity for peace is slim. It is easy to cite the past as a case for present moment actions, as justification, as rationale. It is easy to judge and blame. What is more challenging is to set all that aside and ask, what is needed now for us to live in harmony here and then truly listen for the wisdom to reveal itself. Divine Self is always willing to forgive. Divine Self is always willing to live in harmony.

2) Second what is needed is the willingness to listen. Both sides of any conflict have “good” reasons to justify their feelings and behaviors. And, it’s easier and feels more solid to act from a defended position. What feels more risky is to act from the Divine Self to be willing to listen, to really listen to each other and see where our pain and grief are common. Witnessing each other in our pain, in our grief, is a powerful step towards healing. Even if you think you have “heard it all before” that is not the point. It is the act of listening, with open ears and an open heart that is so powerful. To listen without defending your position, to listen without a position at all, is a courageous act.

3) Third, what is needed is to look into the situation and ask your self, what have I contributed to creating this situation? We all have an impact and we all contribute to what is going on right now. The more willing we are to own our part of the situation, the more likely it is that something different will become possible.

4) Fourth, what is needed is the willingness to be flexible. The more firmly positioned we get on a certain point, the less likely it is that we can find a solution that is workable for everyone involved. The last thing to get stuck on is principle. Stay willing and flexible and ask, what is needed here for the best outcome for everyone?

No matter where we live in the world, as we each stay willing to examine the wounds we carry in our own souls and heal them, the brighter our contribution will be to issues that seem far away and so much bigger than us. As you sit here right now, in this moment, you are having an effect on worldly matters. Are you willing?

Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

We Each Have the Power to Create

Even in these strange and trying times, we are each blessed with the opportunity and the responsibility to live consciously and create powerfully. Even as global economic and social systems are being redesigned before our very eyes, each of us can step up to make a difference. Today's wealth was created through old systems that are giving way and new ideas and opportunities are emerging. The ideas that will carry us into the future will have to offer sustainability for all involved - including our planet.

This transition is shaking up all the old ways of thinking; yesterday's experts are today's beginners. People's lives are turning upside down; old jobs are being lost as new ones will be created in more sustainable, people and earth-friendly industries.

Now more than any other time we are faced with the truth of our connectedness to one other.

There is no self-serving policy - for any nation - that can hold out much longer. We are inter-related in every way. And, while this will one day be recognized as the most amazing blessing, in the meantime it terrifies some. (Love to you!) The days of "Us vs. Them" will eventually play out its time.

Terrorism is an extreme example of a destructive "us-them"ideology. Terrorists strike out with misguided actions, using old ways of force and destruction to attempt change. Though this time of such intense violence will pass, it will likely be a painful time for all until it does. When we learn of terrorist action, we grieve both for loved ones we've known personally and those we may only read about in the news. When terrorist actions erupt, we all become victims of the violence, of broken hearts, and of the desperate thinking of people who have become divided and disconnected.

Thankfully, in even greater numbers and at the same time, good people are doing amazing things in the world. They are creating beauty with open hearts, supporting the development of new ideas, and showing others how to find their way in to a fulfilling life. Overall I am finding that hope and resourcefulness are prevailing and believe it is possible for each one of us to take a role to assure they will prevail. Together we can set a course for recovery, not just for ourselves but also for others.

Here's how it can work. You can start each day, by recovering your own connection to the resourceful One you are, the intelligent One you are, the beautiful One you are. I call this One the Divine Self in you. You can begin a daily practice of moving from judgment and doubt to beauty and possibility. In order to do this it is helpful to create some practice that opens up your mind, your heart, and your body to the beauty of this and every moment and to the truth.

Take time each day to review your behaviors. Are you often slipping into doubt, criticizing our self or others, or assuming a victim role? Each of these behaviors distorts what is really going on around us. It turns what we are experiencing into lies, and then we use those lies against others or ourselves. Any idea or thought that puts you or someone else down is a lie. Falling into this way of thinking happens all too easily when we aren't paying attention and taking the responsibility to move past such lies. When we are connected to our Divine Self, such lies do not take hold.

From our own place of Divine connection and grounding, we can more easily look out into the world and assist others as they discover their own path - their gifts and genius that take them closer to their own unique expression of the Divine Self. It is important to note that in this work of getting reconnected to the Divine Self, we need never find ourselves alone. Alone is yet another lie. It is created from an aspect within us that uses the illusion of aloneness to hold us down. In truth, we are never alone.

From the place of personal recovery, look out into the community of your choice and ask, "What is needed here?" and "What part can I play in providing that?" Something, however small or large, will occur to you when you ask these questions from your Divine Self's point of view. Ask these questions with friends, family, and colleagues, and ask from a place of openness. Notice who resonates with your ideas and who would like to join you in creating new ideas from the inspiration of Divine Self.

Next move from the inspiration of those ideas to the creation of what is needed. It may be as simple as calling people and having brilliant conversations, or it might require the gathering of resources and leadership to build something new in response to what the world needs now. Whatever the case, allow yourself to move towards it with ease and delight and trust that you have been gifted with a part to play in this new unfolding story of the world today.

We each are blessed with the opportunity and the responsibility to live and create according to Divine wisdom. We must learn how to walk this life in ease, delight, and joy. That is our Divine purpose.

So walk on and I look forward to hearing more of your stories about how you are creating your own most amazing life.

Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

Thank you United States!

Thank you United States!!
Can you feel the sense of relief from all around the globe since the US election? There is a beautiful opportunity now, to recreate the way the US will be in relationship with the rest of the world. I trust that now is the time, a new time for all of us. A time for healing. It's a time for all of us to look out past our immediate interests and consider what is needed for the greater good of all.

One good thing that may come from the global economic situation is that we get to see in an undeniable way, how we are all so connected and interrelated.
I believe that we now have a world leader that will be able to bring the planet together rather than blow it apart. Barack Obama is that leader. Obama will need all of our support because the problem is not his, it is ours. It will take all of us, globally, to turn the tide around into waters that create healing and openness rather than the fear and separation that has been flowing for the last eight years.

In a strange turn of events, the State of California has voted on a clause which, if followed through on, would take away basic human rights from a minority group of people. It is the right for gay and lesbian people to get married. I was stunned that this proposition passed. One step forward, two steps back. That conversation will now be front and center, at least in California. What can we do?

It is very difficult sometimes to understand another person’s point of view when it is so different from our own. It is even more difficult when we get afraid and shut down our willingness to hear one other. The willingness to listen deeply and fully is one sign of an awakened human. So, lets stay open, remember to breathe deep, stay grounded in our resourcefulness and out of fear, and lets discuss this.

As Rumi so beautifully stated...
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.

We must all be willing to meet there, please join me.
Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com
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Patrick Ryan
Chief Waker-Upper

Who is doing your voting?

Hello!

Well here we are again, about to choose the next generation of leadership in the United States. As a Canadian residing in the US, I do not get to vote so I have a unique perspective on what is unfolding. It’s an interesting time in the world right now, and as I’ve been traveling about the world lately I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to hear so many different perspectives on the changes taking place. The current global economic challenges are trading headlines daily with the US election process, and the entire world is keeping an eye on the United States as it all unfolds.

Obviously running a presidential election campaign is stressful. One gauge of a great leader is how he or she responds to stress and how he or she continues to manage a campaign under pressure. After all, if you can’t manage your own campaign in a good way, how could you be expected to manage the role of President of the United States of America and its attendant global responsibilities?
Consider, both candidates in this US election said very clearly early on, that they would not stoop to the pressure to include negative campaign ads In their strategy.
Low and behold, both have. Why is that?

Election strategists tend to agree that negative ads can and do work, and some might insist the use of such ads is necessary to win. But what do we gain in a campaign that’s “won” with negative ads? Negative ads do “work” in that they prey upon our often-present underlying fears and cause us to doubt our deepest voting instincts. The fearful side in each of us is always on the look-out for things to be afraid of so, yes, negative campaigns can “work” if they gain power as THEY feed on our fears.

During the presidential debates, groups of undecided voters are hooked up to electronic equipment, which indicates when they are either attracted to or repelled by a candidate. The meters flip quickly into attraction when candidates speak about solutions from a resourceful and wise aspect of themselves; when a leader is able to stay clear and grounded in his or her wisdom, this in turn activates the wisdom of those observing. If an undecided voter were to stop right there, and vote from this place of wisdom, we’d likely end up with a candidate who has some pretty sound ideas.

However the converse is also true; when candidates start bashing their opponents, approval indicators start dropping as undecided voters start to feel conflicted. The candidate who goes down the road of negativity is counting on this, for negativity is contagious. If a candidate can get voters to cast doubt on his rival’s character and abilities, the vote may sway. When candidates campaign from this lower aspect of their nature, they activate it in others. And those who are not grounded enough in their own wisdom may get pulled down the road of negativity.

We can hope, but not expect that our candidates will always refrain from using negative ads. When one candidate starts, another may feel obliged to respond and defend – a seemingly inevitable and vicious cycle of negative ads ensues.

So what can we hope for in a voting nation when negative ads are calling out to us? We can hope for discernment.

We have two basic inner aspects of our selves through which we can choose a candidate. Awakened Wisdom teachings describe these aspects as the Divine Self and Distorted Self. Simply put, Divine Self is the resourceful, creative, empowered aspect of who we are, while Distorted Self is the fearful, critical, judgmental aspect of who we are. We each have our own personal version of these two aspects lurking within us.

As you step into the voting booth you have an important choice. You can vote for what you believe is the highest and best solution or you can vote from fear.

Whichever aspect you put in charge of your voting will determine what you’ll create in this election and in your life. If you vote according to your Divine Self, (a choice based on your best wisdom given all the insight and information you have) it is likely to attract positive results for all. (FYI - Making a Divine choice can also still feel risky. It may include agreeing to short term risks in hopes for long term, or more broadly reaching benefits, not just for yourself, but for others.)

If you allow fear to guide your vote, you are choosing to put your own Distorted Self in charge. Such a fear-based choice would continue to create more fear, resentment and scarcity. It would attract a leadership style that would be operating through the same fearful energy that has empowered it. If a presidential candidate wins through fear and negativity, these energies will no doubt overshadow the entire presidency. We have been trudging through a long stretch of fear-based leadership; we have a choice to shift this energy. The world is watching the United States as it chooses its next leader.

I cannot tell anyone which way I think he or she should vote. I am however, reminding people to choose well - through wisdom rather than fear.
When you do vote, ask your self these two simple questions:
What is most needed in the Leadership of this country at this time?
Which candidate is most likely able to create that?

I will state that it seems time for all nations to learn to create again from wisdom, trust, courage, and openness. To do this now, Americans must be willing to let go of creating from fear. That doesn’t mean being naïve, it means operating from Divine wisdom. This is the kind of wisdom that knows real, from imagined dangers and is willing to hold out for long-term sustainable prosperity versus short-term gain.

Any idea or action that does not add beauty to the next generation is not a good idea for the day at hand.

Thank you for hearing this Canadian’s two cents,
Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

Awakened Wisdom at work in London

Hi Everyone,

The London Awakened Wisdom workshop took place this last weekend. It was a fulfilling event set in the beautiful grounds of the Maria Assumpta center in Kensington.

I found it very interesting to have an opportunity to apply the Awakened Wisdom teachings against the backdrop of the financial crisis that is especially hitting Britain now. We got to look into this situation according to the Awakened Wisdom philosophy, and through that perspective a general sense of well being and optimism prevailed.
Everyone in attendance reported their delight, about being able to renew their relationships to their Inner Wisdom and to check in on their life dreams and purpose.
And what fun - to gather with people that came from as far away as South Africa, Denmark, Dubai, Switzerland, and then of course there was the marvelous UK contingent. Time and again, these teachings hold to be cross-cultural, so everyone is able to relate and find their own Awakened Wisdom within them.
One of the most frequent pieces of feedback I get is about the simplicity of the ideas and that despite the simplicity, they still create a deep and profound shift in how the participants learn to live their lives.
Thank you to Pemma, Sue, Karen, and Kate. Without your help this event would not have been as successful.
The next Awakened Wisdom event is in Toronto in November. I look forward to seeing everyone there.
Check out the Awakened Wisdom website for details.

Patrick Ryan
www.AwakenedWisdom.com