Have you ever heard the saying, “if you spot it, you got it?” Or this one – “What we resist in others, is what persists in us?” These sayings are based on the guiding principle that teaches us that the world is a mirror.
I have certainly noticed in myself, and in those around me, that the things we judge and protest in others is usually that with which we ourselves are struggling. It's as if, through opposition, the Universe works to help us embrace our own shadow by attracting what we judge “out there.”
I had a recent experience that illustrates this perfectly.
I attended an event that was designed for the purpose of recognizing 11-11-11 as a significant date, as a symbol of initiation, and as an opportunity to invoke a gateway experience into higher consciousness for the planet. It was to be a celebration of “unity consciousness” through prayer and breath meditation.
However, as often happens when we set our intention in a particular direction, the opposite energy manifested, so that instead of being a celebration of unity, it became, at least in the beginning, a time of divisiveness and separation.
It was a gathering of some two thousand people in a beautiful outdoor setting – a free public event on a balmy evening. It promised to be a wonderful time for all. As our group leader began his opening remarks on coming together in unity, protesters appeared. They were each carrying a Bible in protest of what they deemed as our “new age” gathering.
Unfortunately our group leader, taken off guard, got hooked into reacting verbally from a place of hostility and anger towards the protesters. Suddenly our peaceful event turned into a different kind of gathering altogether! Fortunately it did not erupt into violence; our group leader did eventually regain control of the evening and was able to fulfill the promise he'd made of bringing to the crowd a beautiful evening ritual, so it ended well enough.
It's the learning opportunity that the event offered to which I want to speak here, for indeed, that evening's turn of events seems a great example of what is meant by the words, “if you spot it, you got it!”
Throughout the evening our leader pointed out the “we-they” consciousness of the protesters. What I found myself wondering was if he recognized his own polarized view point?
It is the things we judge and protest in others that we are being asked by Reality to make conscious and address within ourselves. Once we learn that our reactions are about us, not about those we are resisting, we can begin to better contain our negative reactivity. We learn to call upon spiritual principles that guide us into observer consciousness, rather than to allow our reactions to drag us off into the “we-they” consciousness that is typically found in victim consciousness.
When we are in victim consciousness we are convinced that those we resist are against us, and that we need to defend ourselves, or our point of view to them. We feel compelled to discredit, or attempt to control them, whereas observer consciousness reminds us that these recalcitrants are indeed part of us! Those that trigger us represent that part of our own mind where we are divided against ourselves, and out of harmony with Reality. This awareness brings us back into unity consciousness, the place our leader was attempting to take us that evening!
From observer consciousness, rather than react blindly from our triggered emotional state, we recognize our reaction for being what it is, a reflection of that within us that is being brought to our awareness for healing, and we respond from that awareness instead. In Observer consciousness we move towards, rather than away from, unity.
If our group leader had been able to respond from observer consciousness, instead of verbally attacking them, he might have spoken with kind firmness to the protesters instead. Perhaps he would have asked them if they would like to join us. Realizing his own tendency towards “we-they” consciousness, our group leader might have exemplified unity consciousness, by saying something like, “Thank you for voicing your concerns, and for bringing the Word into our midst. We invite you to set up a place afterwards where you can share your viewpoint with those who are interested. We respect your thoughts and concerns, and appreciate your respect as well, so let us continue,” or something along those lines.
The principles teach us that there are no coincidences. What we encounter on our life path is always an opportunity to further refine our own growing consciousness and move us more surely towards peace. When we receive the teaching that is being reflected to us in any given situation, we upgrade our mental vibration first which allows us to respond from a higher frequency to that situation, and then the outer world, being of the nature that it is, will immediately mirror that adjustment to us through a higher frequency outcome.
May you discover the truth of these principles in your own life.
Blessings, Lynne