It’s easy to stop! To say: “Oh, I’m not in the mood.” “This isn’t really good for me right now.” “I have something (anything) that is better to do than that.” All of these comments are limiting beliefs about your endurance, your perseverance and your determination.
How can you push through these false ideas about who you are and what you’re capable of? There are crazy videos of people lifting up cars to rescue someone, of getting out into quicksand to retrieve an animal who’s stuck. But when you bump up against resistance and you hesitate, you quit, and then you feel like a failure. Once you have crashed into internal resistance enough, you create a false story for yourself about who you are and how you deal with life.
Having a spirit guide is one helpful way to move beyond these impressions of yourself. Shamanism is the most ancient way that humankind connected with the divine. The shaman understood the way that the world works; they connected to nature, the cycles of the year and the cosmos. And you can also tap into this ancient wisdom to have trusted, faithful insights for your everyday life.
Shiela Baker is a practicing and teaching shaman, a psychotherapist, and a PTSD specialist.
My guides reveal what is best for me to eat, do and be in any given moment. They have my highest and best or better in mind. My little three-pound brain screams out: “No, don’t. It’s not safe, and above all I want you to be safe and comfortable.” Well, really that’s the ego not wanting to stretch and grow. The ego is all about keeping things as they are; no growing or expanding, no driving after dark and going to places you’ve never been. No siree… not happening. Go home, watch TV and stay small. No going after your dream; that’s not for you.
What a bunch of crap. We think our minds are our friends, that the mind is creative, comforting and knowledgable. But that’s not the truth. What’s so, and has been said by many spiritual teachers, is the ego mind is all about not taking risks, not moving beyond your comfort zone. And that comfy place is perhaps no bigger than your neighborhood or familiar surroundings. It says the world is not a safe place, people who are not like you are scary and to be feared.
It even says to shun, ostracize and criticize those people and places. The only safe place is what you already know. Can you imagine a child going to grade one with those ideas? How could that child possibly become a contributing member of society? And yet, so many of us live from that place of security where we only eat, drink and do what we have already eaten, drank and done.
It’s time to break free of those confines and open up to a bigger more compassionate, loving nature. Spirit guides are available for you to help you move beyond your known comfort zone, and experience all that the universe has for you.
How you ask? First, set an intention to experience one new thing each day. Start small. Maybe it’s a new flavor in your coffee or a new tea. Nothing too scary at first, you’re building a muscle, and just like any exercise it requires patience and perseverance. If you find you don’t enjoy whatever you choose, don’t give up, choose again. And again and again, until you are comfortable choosing something new each day.
This practice is just that, a practice. Soon you’ll find that you look forward to your new thing each day, and who knows, maybe you’ll make more choices outside your box. Life is a participatory game. Can you imagine your favorite sports team losing one game and quitting? Nope, neither can I. So be like your team and practice over and over. Just like any new skill, it becomes easier when you do it more often. It all comes from setting an intention to explore more of what’s possible for you.
Once you have set a clear intention, you can take steps to bring your vision to life, connecting to the inner wisdom of spirit guides that is both the source and fulfillment of your desire. Tune into your intuition. This is a form of intelligence that goes beyond the rational ego mind. In shamanic terms it’s called non-ordinary reality. Your intuition is an attribute of your soul. Your intuition eavesdrops on the mind of the Universe, gives you access to a field of infinite possibilities. When you tap into your intuition, you experience insights and quantum leaps of creativity that are logical, practical and useful. You can feel your way through life, trusting the nudges, staying open and flexible, instead of rigidly sticking to a plan devised by the limiting ego self.
Intuition isn’t a special gift that is only for a few. Everyone has an intuition. Not everyone listens to it. And sometimes it takes a bit of practice to hear the voice of your guides. You have intuitive abilities that you can cultivate and use to manifest your desires and fulfill your destiny, your dharma. Sometimes you are unaware of these messages your intuition sends because it is shrouded by fear, anxiety and depression. In shamanic journeys you move beyond your lack of trust into deep knowing.
Your intuition awakens, and spirit guides you into spontaneously making the most beneficial of evolutionary choices. You grow, change and develop into who you truly are and what you are here to do. There is not just one passion or purpose in your life but many passions and purposes.
With these new experiences, your intuition muscle develops and your life is more fun, playful and fulfilled. Who doesn’t want that? Reward yourself generously when you discover a new coffee place, a new restaurant, or a new friend. This pattern of giving yourself small acknowledgements is what will keep you going and it becomes your most favorite game. Who knows, you might teach someone else to do this. Then you’ll have company getting out of your known, small space and growing into your true self. You are here to live in bliss and being unbounded in your desires opens many doorways.
Bliss.
