In the next chapter, we’ll explore why we left the world where we were in-Spirit. Keep in mind the ancient simple truth that the mighty oak was once a little nut that held its ground. We’re all a mighty oak in the making, and it’s all right to be a little nutty as long as we also hold our ground!
CHAPTER 3
WHY WE LEFT OUR FULL-TIME SPIRITUAL IDENTITY BEHIND
“A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really need correct.”
— FROM A COURSE IN MIRACLES
WE NOW UNDERSTAND that we were created out of Spirit, so It must be a part of us. We also realize that for nine months, we totally trusted in this originating Spirit, and all we needed was provided for—and then we arrived as a pure representation of Spirit. So why did most of us trade in the “spiritual identity card” for one that wants us to believe in things that are nonexistent where we came from, such as suffering, fear, anxiety, limits, and worries? The answer lies in understanding why we left behind our full-time participation in the world of Spirit.
I’ve used the term full-time to signify that we’re always connected to Spirit, even when we think and behave in ways that don’t reflect spiritual consciousness. What I’m offering in this book is the awareness that we can return to a full-time position of inspiration, which is the true meaning of our life.
Inspiration can be cultivated and be a driving enthusiasm throughout life, rather than showing up every now and then and just as mysteriously disappearing, seemingly independent of our desire. And it’s everyone’s Divine birthright—that is, it isn’t reserved for high-profile creative geniuses in the arts and sciences. The problem is that from birth we’re gradually taught to believe exclusively in the world ruled by Club Ego . . . and we put our full-time membership in Club Spirit on hold.
Our Initiation into Club Ego
When we arrive in this physical world, we’re immediately cared for by well-meaning folks who’ve been taught to believe in the illusion of what Patanjali called “the false self.” They think that they’re not defined by the spiritual essence from which they came, but by their uniquely special individuality, their possessions, and their accomplishments. They see themselves as separate from each other, from what’s materially missing in their lives, and from God.
You can see why the word ego is often referred to as an acronym for edging God out. Ego, you see, is an idea that we acquire from our clogged environment, which is stuffed full of ego-dominated folks. I’m not using the word ego to describe overly self-important people who thrive on nauseating delusions of grandeur; rather, I mean it as a catch-all term for defining identification with the false self.
Very early on, ego tells us that we’re separate from everyone else—directly contradicting Spirit, which reminds us that we share the same life force with everyone. Ego nags us to compete and insists that we’ve failed when others defeat us or have more than we do. And more than anything else, ego fears our living an inspired life because then we’ll have no need for it.
As we progressed through our developmental years, we weren’t trained to stay in-Spirit—quite the opposite! We were constantly reminded that we were what we did in life, and failure to accomplish the kind of life that others saw for us meant that we should feel dejected. Our culture wanted us to learn early that we are what we acquire, and if we have or want very little, then we are of very little value. Furthermore, we are what others think of us, so if our reputation is sullied, we’re of even less value!
We were indoctrinated in these lessons by family, church, community, school, the media, and even strangers. These ego-dominated edicts were force-fed to us and allowed to mute the deep inner voice that beckoned us to remember why we’re here. Eventually, we learned to ignore those in-Spirit murmurs and replace joy, contentment, and bliss with an emptiness that wonders, What’s it all about? We opted to fit in, chasing someone else’s dream and counting up our earnings and possessions to measure our level of success. The nagging feeling that resulted is the result of relinquishing our true spiritual self as an active participant in this life. But take heart: It never left us, and is alive within us today.
Ego’s Dominating Messages
We can start returning to being in-Spirit by examining what ego has accomplished in our life, as well as making a determined effort to resist the powerful pressures of our culture’s ego in favor of an inspired life. Ego is just an illusion . . . so ask yourself if you wish to continue to be controlled by something that isn’t true, or would you rather look into what’s real and never changes? Keep in mind that Spirit is fixed, permanent, and infinite, while ego comes and goes with the wind.
To continue on with this discussion, I’ve adapted the following list from a fascinating book called The Disappearance of the Universe (Hay House, 2004) by Gary Renard, which gives an account of two spiritual visitors teaching Gary the significance of A Course in Miracles. Whether you accept the premise or not is your option—I find these teachings to be profound, and they merit consideration.
1. The ego says, “You’re a body.” The Holy Spirit says, “You’re not even a person—you’re just like Me, your Source of being.” This teaching shows that our ego insists we’re impermanent, which is opposed to our being what Lao-tzu (the mystical spiritual teacher of the 6th century B.C.) taught: that which never changes. When we think about our life here on Earth, we can’t avoid the awareness that everything we experience, including our body, returns to dust to be recycled by Spirit. Our ego finds this concept impossible to accept.
2. The ego says, “Your thoughts are very important.” The Holy Spirit insists, “Only thoughts you think with God are real—nothing else matters.” This teaching explains that thoughts centering on ourselves, appearance, possessions, fears, or relationship problems are not only unimportant, they’re not real. Ouch! The ego flinches at such commentary. But if we examine these thoughts from Spirit’s infinite perspective, we see that they’re indeed unreal. When we were totally immersed in-Spirit, we only had thoughts of Spirit because that’s all we were; when we left It behind, we opted for thoughts that our ego told us were important. A Course in Miracles tells us that we didn’t even have to think in heaven because we were thought by God. So we can access permanent inspiration by letting ourselves once again be thought by God and achieve a state of heaven on Earth.
3. Your ego says, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” The Holy Spirit asserts, “God only gives and never takes away.” When living an inspired life, we’re focused on giving our life away and simultaneously observing how it’s returned, thus fortifying the idea of what goes around comes around. Ego is constantly telling us to be fearful about losing what we have and warning us of greedy others who’ll take what’s ours—but God doesn’t take away from us. As we learn to think this way, we attract more of what’s missing in our life. The reason for this is simple: We become what we think about. If we think about giving, like God does, the Universe will provide. If we think about things being taken away, then that’s what we’ll attract.
4. The ego says, “There’s good and bad.” The Holy Spirit maintains, “There’s nothing to judge because it isn’t real in the first place.” When we accept the ego identification card, we agree to judge almost everyone and everything in terms of good or bad. The problem with this is that we all contain the same Spirit from which we originated. If I make you bad and myself good, for instance, I deny the presence of Spirit in you whom I elected to judge. God sees it quite differently: Our spiritual Source knows that only It is real—all of the ephemeral world of form and boundaries is not of Its infinite nature. At our core, the place where we all originate from and return to, there’s no one and nothing to judge. This takes some time to get used to, but once we grasp the truth of this observation, we’re free to tap in to authentic inspiration.
5. The ego directs love and hate toward individuals. The Holy Spirit’s love is nonspecific and all-encompassing. Ego directs us to love some, be indifferent toward many, and hate all o
thers. When we learn to be back in-Spirit on a full-time basis, we discover what we knew in our pre-ego time: There’s no “they,” there’s only “one.” The one Source of all-encompassing love knows nothing of boundaries; differing customs; geographic divisions; family splits; or differences in race, creed, sex, and so on—It only knows love for all.
Ego is probably working on you right now as you read, attempting to convince you of the folly of such thinking. It may retort, “How can you love those who would harm you and are your declared enemies?” When your ego speaks in this way, recall the words of Jesus: “You have heard that it was said ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy’” (Matt. 5:43). This is how ego works—it tells you to divide your love for some and offer your hate to others. Yet Jesus, who lived totally in-Spirit, goes on to say, “But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:44–45).
Jesus points so perfectly to the differences between ego and Spirit. When we were in-Spirit, we were a child of our Father in heaven and “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good” (Matt. 5:45). This, of course, means that it’s all one: Evil, good, righteous, and unrighteous are all the same—some move away from the Father, some move toward Him. This is such an important and powerful lesson to get as we move toward becoming inspired by living in-Spirit.
6. The ego devises clever reasons why we should continue to listen to its selfish counsel. The Holy Spirit is certain that at some point we’ll turn toward It and ultimately return. Ego will tout its irresistible logic to assure us that our body, our possessions, and our achievements are all very real and important. It convinces us by insisting that what’s real is what we can see, touch, hear, taste, and smell; therefore, invisible Spirit isn’t real. So ego continues to be attached to stuff and to make the acquisition of money and power a lifelong objective. To that end, it wants us to disdain forgiveness in favor of seeking revenge—very persuasive logic when we look around and see almost everyone doing just that.
Through the lens of inspiration, however, we’re able to see how ego has distorted the message of the Holy Spirit—instead of seeking revenge, we’re more likely to see a very sad nation of strivers and virtually no arrivers; a gaggle of pill poppers, searching outside of themselves for a resolution to their depressing, anxiety-filled, joyless, and often lonely lives. As we return to the Holy Spirit, we’ll no longer be under the influence of ego’s absurd counsel.
7. The ego wants us to regret our past. The Holy Spirit wants us to practice unconditional forgiveness. The Holy Spirit isn’t limited by a past or a future—there’s only the eternal now. Any energy we place on what transpired in the past is groundwork for guilt, and ego loves guilt. Such negative energy fabricates an excuse for why our present moments are troubled and gives us a cop-out, a reason to stay out of Spirit. And thinking about where we’ve been or what we did wrong in the past are great impediments to an inspired life.
On the other hand, when we’re inspired, we’re totally engaged in the now. In an infinite never-beginning and never-ending Universe, there can be no past. All guilt and regret simply serve as ways to avoid being here in the only moment we have, which is now. This is where we reconnect to Spirit—now. If we choose to use up this holy instant with regrets about a past that’s only an illusory thought, then we’re unable to be in the joyful, loving, peaceful, present moment. Cramming this holy moment with thoughts of guilt, remorse, and regret is great for ego . . . and keeps us totally resistant to being in-Spirit.
These seven messages are the dominant ones the ego drones on about. If we don’t listen, it will try to drown out inspiration by intensifying worrisome and fearful thoughts. I’ve managed to tame this annoying voice of the ego so that its influence is almost negligible in my life, and I know you can, too.
How I Learned to Slay the Ego Intruder
I realize that the ego’s voice has most of us convinced that we’re powerless to manage our own destiny. There was a time when I felt much more kindly toward the ego, since it plays such a dominant role in the lives of so many people—but today I see it as something that needs to be destroyed. I no longer agree that since it’s in our lives, we might just as well learn to love and accept it, troublesome as it might be; nor do I believe that it serves some useful purpose. Knowing that we’ve been created in the image of our Creator, and therefore have the same essence and the same ultimate potential, means that ego is out of the picture! Ego denies our original invisible reality, so it must be removed and completely banished from our awareness.
Realizing that ego is a traitor to our greatness is what ultimately set me free of its pull. I keep remembering that ego isn’t real, even as it still protests and attempts to delete my feelings of inspiration. My highest self responds with, “But remember, Wayne, what’s trying to drag you down isn’t real.”
What also helps to keep me on track is parenting. I’m the father of eight children, so I can recall thousands of instances of being sucked into a black hole of confusion and uncertainty with my kids. Arguments with them concerning schoolwork, questionable friendships, curfews, staying at a pal’s house, dress codes, dating, cigarettes or drugs, what was right from my perspective and wrong from theirs (and vice versa) . . . on and on this list could go. There were anger and hurt feelings, sleepless nights, and of course, much happiness, joy, and contentment, too.
As I look back on those years of parent/child conflicts, I realize today, in this now moment, that none of it exists. It isn’t real because it’s in the changing world of time and space. Similarly, I now realize that every conflict or struggle that exists, as well as those experiences I’d call good and joyful, are not real from the inspirational point of view. So if anything I experience is immediately going to fall into illusion, why not simply stay connected to Spirit through it all?
While I still have occasions when I slip, today I’m able to say that every conflict I have with my mostly now-adult children (or anyone else for that matter) isn’t really between me and them—it’s between me and God. I look for a way to be like God and stay loving, caring, forgiving, and peaceful within myself, suspending my need to be right and knowing that in the next moment it will all be gone . . . which is true of everything that’s being played out in this illusory world.
I want to emphasize that I’m not suggesting that peace means being in a place where there’s no noise or trouble; rather, it means that in the midst of turmoil, I can still feel calm. Not one of the things that I was so upset and out of control over matters today—not one. It’s all illusion fed by my ego’s need to make me important by “winning,” “being right,” or “coming out on top.”
I’ll conclude this chapter a little differently by presenting a few passages from the Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of the Hindus, on which Mahatma Gandhi based his life. These passages speak to our leaving that world of pure Spirit and inspiration and incarnating into a body and reflect, in ancient spiritual verse, what I’ve attempted to convey. (Notice in this highly respected spiritual text that the word Self is capitalized—this is to signify the spiritual, eternal Self.)
The Self dwells in the house of the body,
Which passes through childhood, youth, and old age.
So passes the Self at the time of death
Into another body. The wise know this truth
And are not deceived by it.
When the senses come in contact with sense-objects
They give rise to feelings of heat and cold,
Pleasure and pain, which come and go.
Accept them calmly, as do the wise.
The wise, who live free from pleasure and pain,
Are worthy of immortality.
As I’ve tried to express in this chapter, pleasure and pain and troubles and good times aren’t eternal—Krishna advises us to accept them calmly, but stay detached. If we do, we’ll live in-Spirit in what I call immortality.
Not pierced by arrows nor burnt by fire
,
Affected by neither water nor wind,
The Self is not a physical creature.
Not wounded, not burnt, not wetted, not dried,
The Self is ever and everywhere,
Immovable and everlasting.
This spiritual classic reminds us that we’re not only physical creatures with egos—we’re a Self to which we wish to be wedded in-Spirit, which is everywhere and everlasting. This is our true essence. When we move into this space within ourselves and see all of our life experiences from this point of view, we’ll be permanently inspired.
Some there are who have realized the Self
In all its wonder. Others can speak of it
As wonderful. But there are many
Who don’t understand even when they hear.
Deathless is the Self in every creature.
Know this truth, and leave all sorrow behind.
When we do as Krishna advises and realize the Self, we live knowing that our true being is deathless. This is a great comfort, as we can leave sorrow behind and be inspired.
Some Suggestions for Putting the Ideas in This Chapter to Work for You
— Seeing this physical world as an illusion ironically allows you to enjoy it more and stay inspired. Practice laughing at the importance that you and so many people place on everyday circumstances. View it from an eternal perspective, and you’ll find yourself lightening that heavy load. (I’ve personally often cited the words this too shall pass to keep me unburdened when my imagined problems feel troublesome.)
Your ego wants you to live in a state of self-importance, but your Holy Spirit knows that the only thing that’s truly important is being in alignment with Spirit. Therefore, anything that’s not of Spirit—such as fear, illness, worry, shame, anger, and the like—is worthy of your laughter.
Living an Inspired Life Page 4
