Awareness:

There are times in our lives when we may suddenly become aware that what we are doing or saying just isn't fitting to what we really want to experience. It is in this moment we have an opportunity for positive change and have insight within our self to do so. We have become empowered and enlightened; in other terms, blessed.
Our common desire as human beings is a desire to experience peace, tranquility and simplicity in our daily lives. Or is it? Let's explore this together...

The next question may be what are some of those circumstances and what does one do to make the best of that moment?
Examples I will provide will be testimonies as shared in first person, not necessarily my own (who had these experiences is not relevant here only the content to understand to process. All are worded in first person; however, envision your self in its place for the idea to be clear).

Example 1: I found myself judging a co-worker for her inability to act the way that I would in the first meeting of a client. My initial internal reaction was impatience, anger, and resentment for having her present and having to "cover" for what I judged as inadequacies as a professional. In my awareness and desire for inner and outer peace in that moment and to find it within myself later, I found it required me to revisit not a mental process, but a place deeper that could look at that person and "see" depth, value and appreciate difference and the idea of having to be "like me" then let go of me, because I became intentionally aware of her value and equality as a being and not just a mental concept -that she, "should be like (any manner, behavior or action described by my mind)...." I was intentional in placing a sense of peace where I was feeling the other emotions, because I recognized the reality; the truth of her, vs. the "story" my thoughts were making up about her just in that moment. I also cannot know her motivations, her thoughts -that is her business and Gods. My business is my how I am going to respond, that is all I have control over.

In other words, I realized, I am not her. I cannot know what it was like to feel or see things in whatever manner she was in that moment that may have causes her to act and/or respond the way she did when I was in disagreement with that behavior. At that moment I did however, I have a choice. I had the choice of either reacting or not reacting. Therefore maintaining peace internally and externally and also acknowledging she is her own being, as am I. She will deal with whatever she is experiencing internally and externally and now, so will I. It can be that simple, as I choose it to be in this moment.

Example 2: I found myself criticizing my relatives that had less income than me because some of them weren't working and I believed they could or should be and may not be trying hard enough. I would judge how they kept their home, since they were home more often due to not working or how they would eat and spend their money. I felt justified because I had helped them financially and in other ways and I believed what I was doing with my life should set some kind of an example. In my awareness, the first thing I caught myself doing was also self judging and criticizing -"oh, how self righteous; hypocrite, I'm not doing enough, do better/different, etc"... negative thinking patterns are negative, period. So that wasn't really true awareness; however, to go deeper and into true awareness, when I "saw" myself in this way of seeing and thinking, I was able to take a deep breath and now know I could do something about it.

So then, I "saw" how my relatives were just like me; human beings that get caught up in their thinking, lost in that little world at times, are doing the best they can with what they know based on their life and how they feel, see, think, hear, etc and if I were them and living their life - I would be doing exactly what they are doing. Just as if they were me, with my thoughts, experiences, feelings, processing my emotions and seeing through my eyes, they would be doing exactly what I'm doing. What is their business is theirs and what is mine is mine. It doesn't matter if I chose to help at any time; they also chose to accept it.

To help another gives no one authority over another, period. Help is just that; free will offering - no strings attached, don't tell another their business or change how they want it done, just do it or don't offer. Christ didn't say I'll help, heal, etc but I'm not going to like it, or you'll owe me or I'm going to come back and check to see if you cleaned your house the way I would or budget the way I would. So who am I to do so? No, that is the trick of the ego mind and now that I can "see" that and am fully aware (have shed the light; and where there is light there can be no darkness) then these thoughts have let me go. I breathe easy, I am peaceful and I am back in my own business, where I belong.

In these two examples we can come to realize a few things (I, me, my or mine applies to the self -to the reader, as well as to writer):

1.
There are three places that anyone's business belongs; mine, others and Gods/Creations.

a)
My (self) business is to choose how I am going to respond to a situation; this is the only thing I have control over; not my health - though I can choose wisely with good intention (that is still Gods/Creations business ultimately); not my finances -yes, I can make wise choices, however events in life will always happen & whose business is it when it comes to the rest of life and the world? (If it's not mine since it's out of my control; let it go to whom it belongs, that is -if I truly want peace within me and around me: its Gods/Creations business).

b)
Others business: their life, their decisions about their life, money, children, work, not working, how they eat, what they wear, their relationships, their religion, education, how often do/do not see their doctor, what they did with the money I gave them, etc (If I'm feeling lonely, I need to ask myself if I have been spending extra time in someone else's business - what they should or should not be doing. If I am feeling exhausted, especially mentally; I ask myself the same question.) I cannot change anyone else.

I am of no benefit to another person by verbally or mentally judging, criticizing and/or condemning another person. Period. If my mind is still trying to convince me otherwise; I will go deeper into awareness and "see" for myself. I imagine myself in the exact same position as the person my mind is judging or condemning. And I ask; how am I responding? Am I willing to improve? Am I uplifted; feeling good or inspired or feeling touched or blessed for positive change? Do I feel as though Christ himself has just knocked at my door and provided me with clarity, insight to move in any direction or uncluttered my mental thinking so I could have the peace internally to move forward at last, or at least be open to it? When placed in that perspective, it can be an eye opener.

My heart is then willing to be more open, so my mind (ego) will let me go. The "others (friend, relative, in-law, co-worker, etc) business" is their own. I can listen and just "see" or be aware, be present for them and then allow them to "see" for their self too. As I have been blessed, I now am a blessing, because this is how I have become an instrument of the same light; for that person to also be empowered by that light.

c)
Gods/Creations business is everything else; all that there is. You were created with free will; choice, that was to choose how you were to respond to all that there is and all has been created for you, and it is good. So, it is also the Creator's business. We were first created in the same image, spirit first and then placed in the vessel, the body. Which is also ran by the creative forces -we certainly don't spend mental energy thinking, breath, digest, excrete, etc. No, ofcourse not.

So, that is the business of the Creator. It is wisdom to care for your vessel/your body; obviously, just like your car, if not cared for it's less likely to keep running well due to improper use. However, by the same token, because it is a rental and though expected to be under your proper care, whatever comes with the package, does and that is the Creators business.

If it is out of your control -let it go to whom it belongs; when you bring your awareness to it and "see" how the thinking mind may try to convince you otherwise, the thoughts can then let you go and you will naturally replace it with peace, regardless of what you are experiencing; and thus better deal with whatever is happening in the life circumstance. It is possible to have life challenges, even events that we label as crisis, and still remain calm and peace during the entire event.

2.
To be aware, you are "seeing" yourself in action; in your thoughts; how you're responding emotionally.

3.
Awareness is deeper than the thinking mind; holds your foundational truth; is stability, peace; and provides your enlightenment and empowers your change to a better you.

Earlier the question was do we really want to experience peace, tranquility and simplicity in our daily lives? In taking a deep breathe and allowing that to just sink in for a moment and questioning the heart, what response to you hear back to you?
For some, the mind may have responded with, "no, I will be bored." Some may have had a response that said, "Everyday is that even possible?"

The reality is our mind tries to keep us trapped only in concepts; concepts of just the past or the future. When I have become more aware of my thinking patterns, I have noticed how the thoughts are actually quite boring -because they are excessively repetitive. They repeat themselves over and over to occupy mental time. Yes, there are the mental checklists, and this is not to say the mind is not a useful tool. However, it is just that, a tool. The mind is not to be in charge of me or you -and for a large part of the human life span, it has been. The primary aspect of the spiritual awakening is to become aware of this. To realize our tool, we have allowed our computer to run havoc for awhile on autopilot and it's not programmed to live our life -we are required to live it; that is why we have experienced an increase of negative emotions, unpleasant experiences that could have been prevented given prior choices -with our conscious awareness to make those choices in those moments.

Now you and I have that opportunity because we are waking up again; in other words, you and I are once again becoming aware and "seeing" that our thoughts aren't always correct and do not always fit the circumstances we are in.

Perhaps another example would be to ask you this: do you recall occasions when you would react to something a person said to perhaps with frustration or anger, and maybe all they did was ask a simple question? For example: "Did you remember to call cousin so-n-so today?" And you snapped back in an angry tone, "well ofcourse I did!" Only to realize, maybe even as the words are coming out of your mouth, that your anger is not fitting to a simple inquiry, because the thought that came to mind that you were actually responding to verses the verbal inquiry, was something to the effect of "s/he is doubting your ability to do anything right!" or "you can't remember anything so, that is why your being attacked -so attack back!" or "this is going to lead to you being told how incompetent you are -attack now!" When in reality you were just asked a simple question and it was your thinking mind that ran away with it, not the person asking the question.

This is a classic example of the ego mind randomly planting thoughts; which we tend to believe as the absolute truth, because the mind says everything I tell you is fact and is the truth. However, with insight and awareness, we now know to question our own thinking and can ask our self - is that true? Can I be absolutely sure that it's true... that I am angry because I was asked to make a phone call? Oh, well no, that's not true. Ah-hah, question the mind and the truth can be discovered. We can do this even before responding quite quickly as we become more aware and enlightened. Then our relationships with each other are even blessed.

Bringing us back to the idea of peace, tranquility and simplicity in our daily lives; the reality is the only time we experience is this moment. The moment we are in right now. It doesn't mean we do not set a plan or a goal. It does mean, regarding the thinking mind, to become more aware of it, this brings us back to the present moment, which is what the thinking mind is trying to avoid.

Christ's ministry was demonstrated in a manner that indicated presence in each historical moment that has been presented to us. In sacred texts from those whose practice is of the same idea in ministry, the messages demonstrate the content -the intention, your awareness, "seeing" your own thinking, yourself in action and how you are responding with your emotions. When you begin to "see" yourself, this is your moment of awareness; you are blessed with the opportunity to develop your spiritual growth. You are being deliberately empowered to "see" so you may make your own changes from within. Change yourself and the world around you changes.
This is what it means to be "Christ-like." He never stated I want you to suffer. He never stated I want you to think less of yourself or to think in terms of sacrifice. In fact he said I want mercy, not sacrifice.

Mercy, not sacrifice; say that again and let it sink in -Mercy, not sacrifice. To have mercy for yourself and for others means "seeing" with awareness, so that you can express with love, compassion, empathy, understanding and tolerance. If you cannot see, and you express from only the thinking mind, the "ego" mind -it is only capable of limited abilities that are not from the unconditional, all loving God source and Creator, but only from judgment and conditional expectations (which is not love, regardless if the label is used), which would request, expect or demand some kind of return, even if unspoken including expecting to be appreciated for whatever was offered. Understand that true love, pure love, wants nothing, needs nothing and just is. Love offers freely and requires no return in order to be what it is or to experience itself.

So, can we have peace, tranquility and simplicity right now, in this moment? Yes, ofcourse we can. Ask yourself the same question in the next moment, if that is what it takes. Remember, it is your choice; I invite you to not just believe words on a page, however, try the experience for yourself in your daily life; making it a conscious life experience to see for yourself.
Blessings on your life journey. Namaste'.