Deeper Streams

I have said it many times, in conversations, in sermons, and in writings: I cannot change the past.  I cannot control the future.  The only place to effect change is in the present.

Hence, the point of meditation, to bring us deeply into the present moment, to breathe, to notice, to notice what we notice, and if we are persistent in observing ourselves without judgment, we find those exquisite places where the reprogramming takes place.

The great bulk of what we do on a daily basis is done without conscious thought, and is therefore based on the subconscious, which contains all those unspoken habits that showed up in our early lives. Our present reality isn’t determined so much genetically as it is by the ways our parents, grandparents, and siblings affected our “hard drive” in the first months of life. And much of that was done by them without consciousness as well, since they were programmed by their own experiences and those of previous generations. Apples fall, of course, right beneath the tree.

Evolving consciousness, also known as spiritual depth or even spiritual growth, comes when we make the unconscious conscious, then consciously choose something different. It is the practice of co-creation, beginning with meditation and mindfulness, moving into what we might call prayer. This kind of prayer might consist of words or sentences, a mantra to be repeated, or just an attention to the breath.  It is this state of awareness that sows the seeds of new life, new designs, and big changes for ourselves, for those around us, and for the world.

“I’m praying for you!” is the oft-repeated phrase which may at times just be a nice thing to say, but the deeper our practice of it, the greater the prospects for real and lasting change. This is the energy that moves mountains, and brings healing, or peace, or abundance. It is the fuel for true activism, the movement toward justice for humankind and for the earth. It is a language that belongs to all of us, regardless of tradition, religion, or background.

We cannot control the future, it is true, but we can create it. We can open wide the doors to allow all of the unexpected synchronicity of Spirit, and from the field of possibilities begin to choose things that are better than we ever imagined they could be.

The door to the future is the present moment. Enter early and often.

David