Ask the Author: Question and Response
 

You refer to assisting lost souls who don't know that they are dead finding their way. Are there also lost souls here? How, then, if every moment is perfect and meant to be, can this be? I have been struggling for the past 8 months to find God. Some days, I feel hopeless. Is this meant to be or am I an aberration. How do I solve this? I always believed God would contact me on his own or it would happen when I died. I never realized you could have more while alive. With your book, however, I have achieved more peace than I ever believed possible and want to thank you for that. You definitely followed a calling, dude! How can I follow mine? 

- Sherry, Michigan, USA

The ego places parameters around ideas such as “lost soul.” These parameters are usually filled with negative connotations. Like a whirlpool, the ego tries to draw you into accepting these parameters as your own, and little by little you begin to define yourself through the ego’s parameters. It fills this idea with negative connotations hoping that you will be so weighed down by them that you will not have the strength to look beyond, and thus have to eat from its plate. But go deeper, what does it mean to be lost? When someone says they are lost, does that not imply that they are on a journey? Does not knowing that you’re lost imply that you know your final destination? Does not having a final destination mean that you have a home? Don’t most people on a journey, regardless for how long they may be lost, not usually find their way? When you truly look deeper, does this not increase your level of hope? And as your level of hope rises, does that not make you more optimistic, self-assured, and confident? And when you think about it, isn’t everyone on this planet, in one way or another, on a journey? Being that you’re included when I say everyone, does this then make you an “aberration?”

My friend, we are all on a journey. For many, it is the realization that they are not where they want to be that awakens them to their journey. Yet, it is not an external journey that most truly seek, but an internal journey to a place that we have never left. It is a journey from forgetfulness to remembrance, from struggle and stress to release and freedom, from worry to trust, from the person the ego’s world wants to force you into being, to the being you truly are.

I remember whitewater rafting down the Pacuare River, a Latin America river winding deep inside one of Costa Rica's most impressive primordial rainforests. In between rapids, I jumped off and started floating down this river that for millions of years has coursed through this virgin tropical rainforest. I’m basically in heaven, looking up at giant trees, listening to parrots and monkeys and thanking God for being alive. Just after thanking God, I hear this couple on the raft arguing. The argument becomes more heated, then after a minute they give each other the silent treatment. You see, even when the perfection of the present moment physically manifests itself in such an obvious manner as this heavenly site, those who were not focused on it, missed it. The perfection of the present moment is always available to us, yet at the same time we have free will, thus we have the right to experience the present moment as it truly is, or replace it with the illusion we choose to focus on.

I then returned my focus to the heavenly feelings, I, in my mind, forgave them for their arguing, said a little prayer for them, breathed out any negativity I carried because of my reaction to their action. I then returned my focus to the parrots and monkeys. Just a bit after that, I began to hear one of my friends and his girlfriend arguing. First, in my mind, I admit with a hint of frustration, I told myself “I know this can not be happening. I mean, I understand we are all passionate Latinos here, but come on!” I looked over to my friend and said, “Brother, look where you’re at and look where your mind is at.” He got the point and became silent.

That rafting trip was physically the same for all of us, yet how we chose to participate in it was different, but only because our thoughts and emotions were different. This does not exclude the fact that it was perfect for all of us. How many times in our lives have we been through trying times only to come out stronger and wiser because of them. And those times you once perceived yourself as suffering through, those same moments you are now thankful for. I got from the experience that I did not need to participate in the noise, the distractions, and be taken away from the moment. My friend got that, regardless of the physical environment, where his mind goes so too does he. The other couple, I’m sure had to look back and ask themselves if their conflicting ideas were truly worth missing out on this experience. We all got from the moment what we needed to experience and for that reason it was perfect.

You mention the following “I have been struggling for the past 8 months to find God. Some days, I feel hopeless.” The first thing I would say about this is to stop supporting the ego’s idea that you are “struggling.” For the ego uses words loaded with negative connotations to try and load you down and draw you into its way of thinking. Yet the good news is that the ego’s efforts are also its demise, for the ego can only control you for so long before you say “enough is enough.” Go deeper, and ask yourself why you use the words you use. Walk past the ego’s negative and loaded definition of struggle and truly take a look at its definition. To struggle means “to proceed with great effort,” and “an act of strongly motivated striving.” If you chose to define “struggle” in this manner would your first reaction not be one of being proud of what you were doing? If you were to look from the outside in, at your son or daughter in the middle of a task, goal or journey, and you saw them proceeding with great effort and acting with strongly motivated striving would you not be proud of them? As a parent, would you not take pleasure and delight in the effort they are putting forth? Can you not see that God feels this same way about you? Would the knowledge that God feels this way about you not bring you a certain level of peace of mind and joy?

Any and every time you feel yourself struggling, the feeling of hopelessness and lost comes about because you have bought into the ego’s fairy tale as true. You have heard this fairy tale over and over again, so many times, that it has now become real within your mind. You now see the world, not how it truly is but how you have been taught and trained to see it. This false “reality” has now become a fact, a habit, an addiction. You now act and react from habit. You replace the ever present moment with this false reality, and then wonder why you don’t understand what is really going on, or why you feel lost. You react with judgment towards you brother, sister and the world not because it is the proper or natural response but because you have been taught to react in this manner, and you’ve done it for so long that you now don’t even question your negative response. Over and over, this negative and judgmental response ends up hurting you, yet we have been brainwashed to believe that “this is just the way the world is” and we just have to deal with it. What I’m saying is that any time you react in a judgmental manner which creates stress, hopelessness, pain and regret, then you have been taught erroneously.

My dear friend, allow me if you will to invite you to try the following: do the opposite of what has brought you judgment, stress, hopelessness, pain and regret into your life.

Accept honestly this invitation for just one day and it will change you. Accept honestly and wholeheartedly this invitation for one week, and it will change your life. It will change your life because you will experience that indeed there is a better way. No matter how the ego has trained you, you will now know that in the present moment, peace is also available. And regardless if you, every now and then, are convinced by the ego to follow its self-destructive path, you will now have experienced the Godself way, and this way will remain in your heart, mind and soul, forever available to you. Now, when in any situation, you truly desire peace of mind and joy, you will simply choose to focus on the Godself way, and peace of mind and joy will be immediately available.

1) When waking up in the morning, instead of getting up and hurrying to do whatever it is you usually do, find a comfortable chair and just breath deeply. Start with 10 minutes in the morning. For the first 3 or so minutes just concentrate on your breath. Visualize yourself breathing in white light; envision this white light being God’s love. Let it flow throughout your body. When you breath out, imagine breathing out any stress you feel, any aches and pain, any unpleasant thoughts. For the next 3 minutes or so, pray from the heart, have a conversation with God, ask him to flow through you today. Ask Him to help you see Him in everything and everyone. Invite God to remind you throughout the day that He is always with you. For the next minute or two, thank God for his presence, for his listening abilities, for the love he has and shares with you. When you breath in, feel His white light thanking and blessing you. When you breath out, extend this light and thankfulness back to Him. Feel the gratitude flow back and forth, in and out. For the last minute or so, just be quiet and listen. As any dear friend appreciates it when you listen, so too does God.

2) On your way to work. Instead of judging those who drive recklessly or cut you off, try immediately forgiving their actions. Forgive them for their errors and you will be set free from having those negative emotions flow through you. After you have forgiven them, pray for them. Pray for every driver you feel needs a prayer. Send them love and peace through your prayers and you will feel these energies flowing and filling you. Try and be the best possible example to others on the road. Let them pass you. Wave them in front of you if they ask. Wave and smile at a child from another car until the child waves and smiles back. Pray for this child; pray for this child’s health and well being.

3) At work, instead of judging others for what you think they should be doing or not doing, look for a way to have a friendly and supportive conversation. See and journal how many people you can make smile, laugh, or in any small way feel better about themselves. Complement people whenever you can about their outfits, about looking thinner. Ask them how they are keeping their weight in check. Ask them if they’ve been working out. Ask people at work about their children. Try to get to know someone a little better today.

4) During your lunch break, instead of sitting in your car or at your desk, go for a walk, sit outside, feel the sun and wind. Thank God for the sun and the wind. Instead of just passing by a tree, truly look at it, appreciate it. Thank God for it. Thank the tree for its beauty and shade. Take a look at its leaves playing in the wind. Smile at their play. Touch the grass. Thank God for the grass. Take your shoes off and feel the grass tickle your feet. Thank the grass for its beauty. Don’t just think all these thoughts, but slow down and feel them. Feel all that you are expressing. Offer God gratitude for all that you are experiencing and sharing.

5) Back at work, instead of judging people for how they dress or look, stop yourself and have yourself see their spirits first. When you see a male employee, have your first thought be “This is God’s son.” When you see a female employee, the first thing you should tell yourself is “This is God’s daughter.” Do this each and every time. At first it might be difficult, for the ego has trained us to look at people and then immediately judge them. Participate in the ego’s insane game no longer. Every time I can remind myself, I personally say to myself “This is the Christ in front of me. How would Jesus see this person?” Catch yourself when you begin to judge someone and remind yourself that God has placed this person in front of you. Imagine how grateful you would be if your son or daughter came back home to tell you how nice someone was to him or her that day. Would you not be grateful for those who treated your child with kindness and respect? Do you not think that God feels this same way when you treat His sons and daughters with kindness and respect?

6) When talking about others who are not in the room, instead of participating in the gossip and negative talk, look to say nice things about them. Even if you have to dig real deep, praise something about them to others. Be an example to your fellow traveler. Look into people’s eyes when you’re talking to them. Look into their eyes when they are talking to you. And when you get a chance, look even deeper and find their soul, unite with the truth in them and send them a silent blessing.

7) Back home, instead of turning the TV on, sit on a couch by yourself and again spend 10 minutes with God. Thank him for all the miracles you experienced today, and feel him thanking you for your treatment of His children. Tell him about a special moment you had today. Share with Him what you learned. Thank Him for His participation in bringing that event into your life. Look to do a little reading, maybe a self help book or whatever kind of reading you like to do. Remember to, every now and then, think of God and deeply breath in His white light and deeply breath out any stress or aches you might be feeling.

8) Instead of sitting in front of your home computer to surf the web, start a journal. Try and write at least a few paragraphs a day on how you were able to change the way you viewed reality. Write down how you blessed someone you once would have cursed. How you forgave someone you once would have judged. How you saw beauty in something or someone you had not noticed before. Write down how you made someone laugh or feel proud of themselves. Write down a moment where instead of worrying, you gave the moment over to God and trusted His plan. Write down what you hope to accomplish tomorrow, who you hope to meet and make smile.

9) Before going to bed, sit on a chair or couch and again meditate or pray for 10 minutes. Invite God to put people in front of you that need your assistance, and need that new outlook you have in life. Invite God to help you forgive those people in your life that need forgiving. Invite God to enter your dreams, to take care of you during the night, to re-energize your body and soul.

10) When you lie down, instead of worrying about tomorrow or other things, let go. Replace those hundreds of thoughts with a mantra to repeat over and over again until you fall asleep. Sometimes I use the mantra “God is love.” Sometimes I use “Only love is real.” Breathe in “God is,” breathe out “love.” Or breathe in “Only love,” breathe out “is real.” Start by saying this mantra out loud, then slowly and naturally allow it to turn into a whisper, then only a thought in your mind. You will have other thoughts enter during your mantra, do not judge yourself for this. Simply come back to the mantra and continue until you fall asleep.

My friend, follow your calling, for if God did not need you to be on Earth at this time you would not be here. Let go, stop supporting all ego beliefs and ideas that have brought thoughts of judgment, being lost, struggle and hopelessness. For within your heart and soul you know that this is not your natural self, that this is not your true self, that this is not what you want. Despair no more, for after 8 months you are not that far from birthing a new way of being. Bring forth now the light that exists within, and let it expand into the world touching everything and everyone you come across. Be thankful for your past experiences, for because of them, you will now be better able to understand, assist and guide many souls who feel lost walking the ego’s path. Choose to be God’s lantern and through your example light the way and lead those many souls who feel lost - home.

Note:  To read more about our Godself, you may want to read Chapter Three Overview: The Godself.
 

View larger images of front & back cover 
of the great spiritual / self development book You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey from Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy by James Blanchard Cisneros.