- The Time for a Spiritual Revolution is NOWContinue reading →
An excerpt from "I Am God in Disguise, So Are You"
by Craig Kolavo
As I sat on the floor in my closet, unpacking boxes of dusty journals and notebooks I'd collected over the past 20+ years, the task at hand seemed overwhelming. How do I organize all of these life experiences into a coherent story? How do I put these events into a clear, chronological order for my kids to understand? You see, I had no plans to write a book. My original intention for writing was simple and somewhat selfish. I was hoping to explain to my children some of the discoveries I've made on this crazy adventure of life. Maybe all parents feel this way at some point. Why should my kids have to experience the same struggles, pain, and suffering I've been through? I know stuff! They can learn from my mistakes.
This painfully slow process turned out to be very transformational. Months turned into years. Finally, I stepped back and began to see the story unfolding before me. It was like I discovered a secret treasure map. Unfortunately, this map was given to me in puzzle form, and the pieces were revealed over decades. Funny how the Universe works.
When this puzzle was finally assembled, it was a real aha moment. On second thought, it was actually more of an oh-shit moment! Although I was excited to see on paper what I'd been feeling for many years, I instantly knew I was going to have to share my discovery with all. The thought of this was terrifying. My insecurities quickly came to the surface. My demons were saying, "Who the hell do you think you are? People will think you're crazy!" I'm grateful for my wife and the small group of friends who motivated me throughout this painstaking process.
As I studied this treasure map, a theme began to emerge. Through my decades of soul-searching, the same nagging questions kept bubbling to the surface. Why is there so much pain and suffering in this world? Why are so many of us living with illness, disease and addiction? Why all the fear, anxiety and hate? The entire planet seems to be on edge, and temperatures are rising.
By stepping back and taking a panoramic view of the situation, the answers began to reveal themselves. It became obvious to me that we continue to repeat the same mistakes. We are treating the symptoms of our dis-ease, which is the chaos we see in our world, rather than exploring for the root cause. Focusing on symptoms will only result in prescriptions for bigger bombs and more Prozac.
Instead, why don't we ask the difficult questions, like "Why is everyone so pissed off?" Contrary to what many believe, this worldwide crisis did not start on September 11, 2001, nor did it begin on November 8th, 2016. We have been sleepwalking for generations. We've been stuck in a depressive state of apathy, allowing a loud minority to rule the often-silent majority. The struggles we see in the outer world are a direct reflection of the battle being played out in our inner world. We have been consumed by the external stimuli, completely identified with our small selves.
In other words, we have been disconnected from our True Nature. This is the "root cause" I'm referring to. Most of life's pain, suffering, and struggles can be traced back to this disconnection. Although I believe that forgetting our Divine Nature is a necessary stage in our spiritual evolution, so is remembering! When we learn how to end this inner battle, peace will soon follow in the outer world.
One of the many things I've exposed on this journey is that we all share the same collective purpose, which is to Discover, Surrender, and Inspire. We must first Discover the Divine within, this dormant power embedded in all of humanity. This is our Sleeping Giant patiently waiting to be discovered. Every experience we have during the School of Life is designed to lead us to this discovery. We must then Surrender to this power. Divinity is your birthright. Yes, you were born into royalty. It is time to awaken! Finally, we must Inspire others on this path.
After discovering this "secret treasure map" my writing project soon transformed into the book, I Am God in Disguise, So are You. My goal was now to demystify the spiritual path and inspire others to join me on this adventure. I resist having this message lumped into the "New Age" movement. This is actually an age-old message. This is the same message Jesus was teaching over 2000 years ago. I'm not a religious guy, but I was thrilled to find these bible quotes; The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. It's the Father in me doing this work. Whoever believes in me will do the work I am doing (John 14:10). This next one is even more direct; Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you (Corinthians 3:16). Richard Rohr, a bestselling author who has also been a Catholic priest for the past 50 years says, "humanity was not ready for this message 2000 years ago, but maybe the time is now."
Despite these turbulent times, I am still an optimist. I feel we are entering a stage of positive change and increased awareness. This era will prove to be a blessing in disguise, propelling us towards this change. Unfortunately, it's often darkest before the dawn. During these times of collective pain, humanity always rises to the occasion. Look at natural disasters as an example. Living on the Gulf Coast for 30+ years, I have experienced the devastation of many hurricanes. People always rise up and take care of their neighbors. This is baked into our DNA. When the rescue boat pulls up to your door, they don't ask who you voted for! Unfortunately, it often takes these highly emotional states to bring people together. I feel the turbulence we see in today's world is one of these storms.
A spiritual revolution is long overdue. A simple shift in awareness is all that is needed. No shots will be fired. No blood will be shed. The beauty of discovering our Divine Nature is that we also see this Divinity in all beings. No longer will you see your fellow humans defined by their skin color, nationality, or sexual preference. When these superficial labels and layers are peeled away, we discover our ONENESS.
Maybe it would be helpful if I explain how I define God. To me, God is a Life Force, a vibrating energy that animates every cell in my body. This same Life Force also flows through all of creation. This is what connects us all! When Einstein discussed this subject, he said "This is physics, not philosophy!" Knowing this, how could we ever hate our neighbor?
Although this spiritual revolution is not about religion or politics, you will soon discover this awakening will affect all facets of your life. We develop an X-ray vision. Our bullshit detectors become very sensitive. Whether the message is coming from the pulpit or the podium, we will demand more from our leaders. Upon awakening, it becomes impossible to support any candidate who promotes fear, hate, and separation. A Sleeping Giant lies dormant within all of us. It's time for a wake-up call! This is your birthright. You were born into royalty. Reclaim your power and join the revolution.
Craig Kolavo is author of "I Am God in Disguise, So Are You", a practical guide to creating lasting change in today's world. 100% of e-Book proceeds benefit water.org. Learn more at awesomlife.com.
- Double Vision: Where is the Love?Continue reading →
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After ten years plus on this spiritual journey, I find myself riddled with more confusion and questions than ever. Here's one: If positive thinking and purity of heart is our natural state, then why is it so difficult to overcome our negativity? Once we realize our natural state, shouldn't it just become natural? I was raised in a family and social environment that destroyed my self-esteem and emotional stability, but I worked hard to overcome my issues and grow. Oddly, the more I sought change, the more I lost. This includes losing some fantastic people I loved. If these people loved me then, and I was working on becoming a better person, why would they fall away? Wouldn't "the Universe" seek to keep me surrounded with love? After all this time, I am still pushing that stone up the mountain. Why does it feel heavier and more impossible to push? Throughout, my intention has been to align with Spirit, do better and be a better person. Time and time again, I slip back into my old habits and feel so weak or abandoned by Spirit. If I desire to be "awake," then why doesn't "the Universe" acknowledge that desire with support? Millions of people are still "asleep" and I choose to awaken - why isn't this act blessed in and of itself? Mostly, I have found myself completely alone on this journey. It is often sad and painful. My prayers are not being answered. Moreover, though I've discovered what I am meant to do in life creatively, I have found no success doing it. As the song says, "Where is the Love?" Thanks for reading.
A.
Dreamchaser:
Thank you for bringing this issue to light. Every person who has ever walked this path has felt exactly like you do time and time again.
One of the most common assumptions about adopting a spiritual path is the idea that things will get easier. That is a profound misconception, for instead, things tend to get harder because you have to experience more challenges in order to grow more than people who choose to stay "unenlightened."
Did you begin this path to get rewards? Did you assume that just because you were living "right," you would enjoy a trouble free life? I say this all the time, but Jesus Christ was homeless and got murdered at a young age. There are many examples in whatever "Bible" you follow of great suffering while traveling the "path." At the same time, you have to remember that there is also great joy mentioned.
I explain all the time that life is like a spiral, not an upward climb. As we grow, we move around the spiral. As we learn, we move to a new level. For example, when we are done learning all the first grade lessons, we get promoted to the second grade. We are still learning all the same things such as math, science and history, but we are in a new class, with new books, desks, views, kids and a new teacher. We are in the same school, but in a different room. That is why things keep looking the same over and over, yet you KNOW you have been growing.
You are always surrounded by love. You are asking for romantic love. This is one of the hardest lessons that we humans have to learn, in my opinion. We have to learn that love only exists on the inside of us. "Intimacy" can also be pronounced "in to me see." EVERYTHING starts on the inside of us. Until you fully love yourself, you will not manifest a positive, strong, working romantic relationship.
If it is not happening on the outside, the reason is because you do not have it happening on the inside. You have SO much love inside yourself, but you still do not believe that you can have the relationship of your dreams. Look inside yourself and seek the reasons for your experiences.
We all go through times of darkness and times of light. When it is light, we are having fun, and the time seems to pass very quickly. When it is dark, the time seems to drag by, and nothing is easy, fun or happy. You are in a time of extreme darkness. The good news is that times of darkness DO pass. The sun WILL dawn on a brand new day, so to speak.
Look inside yourself to find the love you long for.
I wish you wholeness.
*****
Astrea:
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, all of us human beings are on a Spiritual Journey from the moment we are born on Earth. With our free will we select mates, political heroes and religious rituals. We make our own luck by making right choices as much as we possibly can. We create love or a lack of it for ourselves, and no one else is responsible for what we manifest.
Sometimes we definitely GOOF. At that point, we can choose to leave the past behind and move forward with our lives, or to sit down and wallow in the wrong choices we've made in self-pity. Many people choose sadness because they UNDERSTAND it, and it feels familiar and safe to them. They feel they've grown and changed, and many times, they have - but not enough to judge their own or anyone else's connection to Spirit. If this journey is making you angry, choose another path. If something isn't working for you, you can try something else.
From your questions, I can tell that you are about halfway through your Journey, that you have somewhat grown and changed, but you are still seeking some kind of value from your experiences, either to be acknowledged for coming from Darkness, or to be given some kind of REWARD. That isn't how Enlightenment works. Where did you get the idea that a spiritual path would always feel good?
Our inner state is always fluctuating. What was natural for you yesterday could feel extreme for you today. Human beings make human mistakes and choices. If the consequence of a choice is always sadness, make a different choice! By complaining that you're not receiving any "payback" from your "enlightenment," you block ANYTHING positive from coming to you.
Enlightenment is about peaceful acceptance and gratitude for the abundance in your life. The Universe is NOT responsible for your happiness - you are. Right action will bring what you want into your life, so you must not have found right action yet. You're resisting the TRUST aspect of enlightenment.
You seem to think that you've achieved enlightenment over and above the "millions of people who are asleep." If you had, you wouldn't feel out of touch, and CERTAINLY would not feel abandoned by Spirit! The free will choices we make that create drama and conflict for ourselves and others are NOT Spirit's doing or responsibility. How can you hear anything the Universe is trying to say to you if you keep yourself in agitation, anger, misery, and suffering? Spirit is telling me to tell you to "Be quiet! Hush! You are talking, but not listening!"