The Short Road to Self-Mastery?

I received this response after my recent blog “Instant Reframe”: “My experience with instant reframes or epiphanies is they don't last. Maybe a better way to phrase my experience is it takes practice, practice, practice, sometimes years of practice to really assimilate the new paradigm heart, body, soul and mind. Can you speak to that experience?” This was such a great inquiry it deserved a blog of its own.

I encourage all of us to examine our own beliefs to see if they are actually true. Even the thought that “it takes years and years of practice to assimilate a new paradigm” is just a belief. It may be true; it may not be true. I once heard a speaker say, “The longest journey we will ever take is the 18” from the head to the heart.” When I heard it, I thought it must, of course, be true. So I repeated it and, thus, contributed to the belief that accessing our inner wisdom, our intuition and our authenticity is a long, hard road. Ironically, however, after years and years of practice I have discovered that the journey from the head to the heart is merely one breath and one intention away. And, at least for me, a true instant reframe provides immediate release from suffering and is absolutely lasting. What may also be true is the need for another instant reframe (and another breath) in another instant.

In my experience, “all” we have to do is make the decision to align with our spirit self instead of our ego mind and take one big deep breath to reconnect. With that breath, the intention is to bring ourselves into the present moment so that we deal with what is actually happening right now, not what we are remembering from the past or imagining in the future. While it may take years of practice to discover “who you really are,” it may not. With minimal guidance, you may be able to access that aspect of your being in a matter of a moment.

My personal practice includes what I call “Essential Life and Love Skills” and I invite you to experiment with them to see how quickly you can make them work for you:

1) Remember who you really are (or who you want to be if you do not know).

2) Identify the target, what you want to create (harmony, health, love, etc.).

3) Self-observe (notice what you are saying, doing, and thinking and whether these choices are leading toward your target or a way from it).

4) Make the decision to align with your spirit rather than your ego and with this choice take a deep breath.

5) Bring your attention to the present moment, from which you can use your head and your heart together.

6) Choose words, thoughts, and actions that are align with your target.

While this seems like a lot to assimilate, it all happens simultaneously in one moment, in the course of one breath. While it took me years to come to this practice, I do not think it takes years to master it once you know it.