The Three Levels Of Existence

   Basically, I have a philosophy on the three levels that us humans exist on.--- The Spiritual Level, The Emotional Level, and The Concrete/ Factual Level. I believe that while one soul mainly exists on the Spiritual Level, they are also able to come down to the Emotional and Concrete/ Factual Levels. Someone whose highest level of existence is the Emotional Level, then they can only come down to the concrete/ Factual Level.  The following diagram best describes the hierarchy of these three levels of existence:



                                                            SPIRITUAL LEVEL
                                                                           /
                                                                          /    
                                                            EMOTIONAL LEVEL                                
                                                                            /
                                                                          /
                                                      CONCRETE/ FACTUAL LEVEL


   I believe that most humans probably exist on the middle level, the one where we are aware and in tune with our emotions, we listen to our heart and our gut feelings, and do not let our morals, values, or souls be compromised.                                                                                                                      
  Unfortunately though, there are many humans who only believe what is in a written, factual document, never believe for a second in anything that they cannot see with their naked eye, touch, taste, or read about in factual literature. These are people who are overly enamored by political news and worldly events...almost to the point where it takes over and becomes their lives, and they forget who they are anymore. The same can hold true of a Concrete/ Factual person with their job, where their job description actually "becomes" them in all their facets of life and they can only associate themselves with the 9 to 5 job that they perform. Something like where their profession becomes their identity and true identity is lost.
   The highest level of existence, that I refer to as the Spiritual existence, is not about going to church or worshiping God. It is about possessing the knowledge that there is more to life than what meets the eye, we are part of some ebb and flow, a mystical and divine energy that surrounds and envelops us. For the most part, people on the Spiritual Level believe in karma and try to put forth good energy into the world. It doesn't matter what religion or creed one possesses, this Spiritual Level is about something more intense and cannot be labeled. I believe that it is the highest level of awareness that one can achieve.
   So basically, these are my thoughts, my philosophies and ramblings. You may not agree with this hierarchy at all. And by no means am I saying that one cannot move up to a higher level of awareness. The way of thinking that we possess now is not a lifelong sentence. We hold the future and we can always strive to better ourselves in any way humanly (and super-humanly) possible. May you take my writings with stride. Merry Part and Blessed Be...

Exercise As A Spiritual Practice...

   Exercise, to me, is a spiritual practice. Your physical body is supposed to be your temple. By taking care of your physical "shell", pushing it to the limit in positive ways is truly divine.
   When I am exercising, before I break a sweat, it can be difficult and challenging. Once I pass the point of breaking a sweat, as my body temperature begins to rise higher and higher, and sweat is pouring down my face, I feel a natural high that to me, can only be described as sublime.
   Every time I have an exercise session, I push my body harder and farther. To feel the pleasure and the pain from an intense and grueling workout, I know that these feelings only come with possessing a physical body. I think to myself that when I die, all sensations of the physical body will cease to exist, and I will only be pure spirit. So in knowing that, i appreciate the physical sensations that I am blessed to be able to experience now.
   The pain turns into intense gratification when I surpass the 3.75-mile-mark that I attained just the day before. As I push myself farther this time, I smile inwardly with pride. This is a very spiritual practice to me. An active form of meditation if you will, where my only competitor is myself.
   This is overwhelmingly beautiful to me. For a brief moment, I feel that I am one with God. I am at peace with myself and my surroundings, and all is right with the world.
   When I walk out of the gym, I try to take that feeling with me, carry that inner peace and sense of accomplishment with me wherever I go. My exercise sessions are my special time where I am competing with myself, feeling the "physical" to the fullest, and communing with my God. Yes exercise, to me, is a very spiritual practice, and I wouldn't trade all of the pain and grueling sweat for anything in the world!!!

Whatever the Mind Can Conceive and Believe, The Mind Can Achieve

   I'm about to talk about something called "thought- manifestation". What we believe in our minds is true, IS TRUE. We create our own reality, and we really can achieve anything that we believe.
   To define a purpose is the starting point of all things achieved. Without a purpose and plan, people drift aimlessly through life. Ideas form the foundation. Once we learn how to harness the power of our minds and organize our knowledge, we can begin to learn how to keep our minds trained and focused on the things that we want to manifest, and off of the things that we don't.
   When trying to manifest a reality for yourself, you have to create an alliance with other minds with the goal of a common purpose. Minds collaborating together creates a proactive energy and is much more effective than only your mind alone. A reality cannot manifest itself clearly without the conscious or unconscious cooperation of others. An active alliance of two or more minds in a spirit of perfect harmony for the attainment of a common objective, stimulates growth and change. There is thus a higher degree of courage that that ordinarily experienced, and paves the way for a state of mind known as "faith".
   Faith is actually not just a quality that one possesses, but also an active state of mind. This "blind belief" is applied to achieving a definite major purpose in life. What I mean by "blind belief" is that it has no basis in fact. Faith is a purely mental concept. When we apply faith, we are listening to our gut instinct and following our heart. And just to have faith alone is not enough. Action is the first requirement of all faith. Having faith that things are going to unfold the way that you "will" them to, that things are going to come together as they should--- is only half of the battle. Now you must apply "action"...
   There is something called the Universal Law. It it the law that governs "karma", and evenly and rightly disperses energy. This Universal Law neither permits anyone to get something for nothing, nor allows any form of giving or labor to go unrewarded. So give a little more than what you get... as often as possible. The Universal Law also governs the Law of Compensation. If you continuously put positive energy, good deeds, and good karma into the universe, the universe will reward you.
   What is true in our minds IS TRUE. We DO create our own reality. We are all just energy in the shell of a human body. Having a moral code and a personal initiative is vital to creating your own destiny. Creative vision is also essential. Our minds are very powerful. We can create the vision, but then we must apply our faith and consciously put our plan into action. By creating positive karma thus positive energy, our thoughts CAN and WILL manifest into our REALITY...

How To Argue Effectively

   "Argue" is such a negative word, but I thought I would use it to gather your attention. When I say "argue", I mean "handle disagreements" and have positive confrontations. No relationship of any kind doesn't go through periods of struggle,  misunderstanding, or hardships. It is beneficial to be aware of more effective ways to manage confrontation when disagreement strikes.
    Usually when one feels compelled to confront someone about something, it has to do with one's emotions being hurt in some way. The first thing to remember is that no one likes to feel like they are under attack. Therefore it is very important to approach someone in a way that doesn't make them become defensive. Some people's egos are very sensitive and the slightest threat to their ego being bruised will put them in "defensive mode" at the drop of a dime.
   I stand by this method with all of my being, it is a technique that I learned long ago. Here is how the initial confrontation sentence should go (a general outline):   " I feel  ____________  when you ___________. In the future could we ____________ so that this doesn't happen again?"   In using this method of confrontation, you are not accusing the other person of anything, you are simply stating how YOU feel. No one can dispute your feelings. Your feelings are your own and should be respected as such.
   Also, it is just as much in the tone that you deliver your message as the words that you choose to say. If your tone is hysterical, condescending, or cruel, that in and of itself can make a person feel hurt or defensive. You want to make the other person feel respected as well as you wanting to feel respected yourself.                  If you have followed these two steps and still the other person reacts in a negative way, then now is a good time to say something like, "I guess that there has been a misunderstanding in our communication. Perhaps we should come back to this later." When you can't heed any positive results for whatever reason, then it is always best to walk away. If you continue "feeding the fire", a small confrontation can turn in to a huge fighting match where no one feels satisfied, and ultimately both parties end up feeling hurt.
   The main objective on both ends should be to come to some form of reconciliation and agreement, not to tear each other down and come out the "winner". There is NO WINNER in a disagreement. There is also no loser. Both parties have feelings, and both people's feelings need to be acknowledged and taken into account. When both people realize that they are on the same page with wanting to resolve the issue at hand, then you realize that you at least have one thing in common!!! You are NOT ENEMIES!!! You both want the same outcome. Now if you can proceed with respect and compassion, then a resolution is sure to be found...