by Rebecca Edwards
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”—Albert Einstein
Who AM I? What is my purpose in this lifetime? Where do my gifts fit into the master plan of my soul? How can I achieve the enlightened state of mind that so many authors, gurus, sages, and mystics speak of?
In search of Nirvana, I intently listened to people as they shared the intimate details of their spiritual autobiographies. They shared how they discovered their true selves through a spiritual awakening. I heard them, but could not comprehend what they were saying. The information was trapped in my head, as if an emotional barrier was preventing this secret of bliss from reaching my heart. This all changed when I experienced my first awakening.
It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom emotionally, spiritually, and mentally that I was able to understand and experience a spiritual awakening. In this broken state of being I realized that everything leading up to the point of my awakening was crucial in creating a spiritual gateway. In order to become the person I was meant to be, I had to fully embrace my own experience of suffering and identify the painful emotions that kept me stuck in shame.
Shame is defined as a painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. My shame was the direct result of childhood sexual abuse, emotional abandonment, martyrdom, and addiction. The shame I carried with me separated me from my creator and put a wall of judgment between me and anyone who I felt did not understand the depth of my suffering.
The Truth
The power of telling my story, out loud, for the first time lifted the veil that blocked the vision of my spiritual truth. Until that point, I viewed my experience from a perpetual state of unworthiness and, in doing this; I could not see the lessons I was to learn in this lifetime.
Speaking the truth, no matter how painful, enhanced my perspective and released the grip suffering had on my soul.
With help from a counselor, a 12 Step program, and likeminded guides, I thoroughly examined the events of my life. I saw a pattern of me repeating my mistakes and expecting different results. Every time I reverted back to old behavior, shame would take me lower than where I originally stared. I desperately wanted to know what it felt like to be connected, whole, worthy and loved, but in order to do this I had to be guided through the process of change.
I desired change, but I lacked faith in the process of changing. Until I made a conscious choice to let go of everything I was reacting to and refocus on how I could become proactive from this point forward, my life would not change. I knew that just having spiritual understandings and knowledge of how to change—without a plan of practical application in my life—would only continue to lead me in circles again and again. And for that change to have a lasting and profound effect, I had to find faith in a power greater than myself
If faith was to be a keystone, I would also have to learn to trust. I developed trust in a higher power when I learned how to pause when agitated, be still, meditate, and pray. I struggled with this at first, but with time I began to see tangible evidence that things worked out better than I could have imagined. When I began to rely on both faith and trust, I tapped into a new consciousness that created a new reality, one that was structured by love and resonated with who I was becoming.
The Psychic Change
Through that faith and trust, unconscious robotic reactions were replaced with an inner calm and intuitive knowingness. The less I resisted, the more space was created for daily conscious contact with my higher power. This open space of potential reconstructed my personal relationship with an all-powerful, loving creator. In surrendering old beliefs, I transcended deeper aspects of my consciousness that I was seeking to explore. My heart opened, creating a transcendental shift that completed the alchemic elixir that transformed the perception of my experiences. For my spiritual growth, I had to go through the dark night of my soul to see the light of truth; I was now a more vibrant woman connected to a higher level of consciousness.
Dedicating time each day to meditate has deepened my oneness with consciousness. Because of this, I am in harmony with the world around me and with my creator. This oneness helps me separate from the concerns of each new day as I hand them over to my higher power. My spiritual appetite has become insatiable. With clarity, focus, and presence I remain teachable and open, which feeds my soul what it needs to continue to grow along spiritual lines. I am eager to fill the hunger of my soul with a variety of teachings that support and enhance my heightened state of awareness.
United In Oneness
The spiritual reprogramming I am experiencing has offered so many benefits that I am compelled to write about how an ultimate surrender opened my heart and deepened my compassion and empathy toward myself and others. Writing as a form of healing myself allows me to process the deeper experiences of life that I am unable to verbalize. My desire to reach the final destination of happiness has morphed into accepting there actually is no grand arrival and there is no ultimate destination to reach. I am an eternal being and the awe of an awakening can only be appreciated in the now and one day at a time.
Connecting heart to heart with others creates a deep sense of joy in sharing my truth to help others heal. Reaching out, speaking out, and surrendering strengthened my inner alchemist and opened my mind, heart, and soul to new levels of gratitude and enlightenment.
The way I feel when I am in conscious contact with an infinite intelligence is undeniable confirmation that my thoughts are inextricably linked to the Universal mind of unconditional love and oneness. In that spirit of that connection, I hope you are inspired to awaken your own inner alchemist.
Rebecca Edwards is an inspirational author thriving in a Universe that yields to her desires to be a catalyst for spiritual change. Her own journey of transformation through life’s most difficult circumstances has awakened within her a deep passion to share her personal story. The words of Paramahansa Yogananda echo her soul’s true purpose, “As the sun spreads vital rays of light, I will spread rays of hope in the hearts of the poor and forsaken, and kindle a new strength in the hearts of those who think they are failures”. Visit RebeccalEdwards.com or Rebecca@RebeccaLEdwards.com
This article is a chapter from the book Transform Your Life! written by 60 real-life heroes and experts and available at Amazon.com, BN.com, www.Transformation-Publishing.com and all ebook formats.