Pod discussion from yesterday - enlightenment

Enlightenment: There is a quote by Marianne Williamson in her book "A Return to Love" that I love. It says:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we uncounsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." <- End Quote

I used to do a lot of spiritual, self-help,philosophical reading. My reading and my life experiences helped to shape my own personal religion. And in my own personal religion, I believe that each of us has the power to be Godlike. We can lead a life of total bliss and happiness, with heightened senses, heightened energy. All we have to do is get rid of all the crap in us that is not God. The ego stuff. The insecurities and fears and jealousy and judgement that we carry around.

I know most of you don't know me at all because I just recently joined Zaadz. But I am not a highly religious or spiritual person.

However, there was one day in my life when I truly felt like I had reached a higher level of consciousness. I felt elated. Ecstatic. I could see better, hear better, think clearer. It was during a period of my life when I was trying to reach that state. I was eating really healthy, etc. The feeling only lasted one day. I didn't want to go to sleep that night because I was afraid that when I woke up the next day the feeling would be gone and it was. I have never felt like that again.  I am not really sure what combination of things made me feel like I did that day. All I know is, I know that feeling is out there and that we can all reach it. I'm just not sure how.

Get rid of the negative thoughts and negative people and negative activities (alcohol, drugs, etc.) that are holding you back. Reach for your dreams. I truly believe that you can have anything and be anything you want if you just go for it. And whether you ever reach your goals or not, you gotta try. This is your only shot at life. You have to go for it.

Enlightenment: Post 2

I still think the answer isn't really in adding anything but subtracting things. I have never been good at meditating. I have too much going on in my mind. I don't "study" any particular theories of spirituality. My personal belief is that we each create our own religion. I think God created us all in His image, but we are each a separate piece of the Whole. We shouldn't have to study to figure out how to be ourselves or to be that piece. We just need to get rid of all the crap that is keeping us from being ourselves.

I know it is easier for me because I live a fairly isolated life and I have a husand that accepts me completely and a mother that accepts me completely (mostly because of her Alzheimers). So I am not surrounded by people that I think are judging me or people whose expectations I feel that I have to live up to.

I spend much of my time alone or with nature. I am not saying that this is a good way to live. I don't really believe that it is. But if the choice is between being with people that change us into someone else or being alone, then sometimes the best choice is being alone.

Once you get comfortable with who you are, then it is easier to be around other people and not feel like you have to adjust yourself to fit their image of what you should be.

I think everyone needs to keep in mind that their ROLE in life is to be the best THEM that they can be. They were perfect when they were created but a lot of garbage and gunk and trash came into their lives and many of them changed themselves to adjust to the trash rather than rejecting the trash and not letting it change them.

The place of enlightenment is inside us. I'm sure some of you have heard the "story" about Adam and Eve and how God punished them when they ate the apple. Well one theory is that the way he punished them was by giving them an ego. And the ego is where everyone's insecurities, fears, hangups, judgements, etc. live. If we can learn to break through our ego or "leave our egoes at the door" as the saying goes, then we can reach the enlightened state that is inside us.

Keep in mind that these are all just MY OWN PERSONAL RELIGIOUS VIEWS. I am not trying to change anyone else's views. Just share some of my own.