When we still our minds and become receptive to our full identity - a self that has no boundaries, for it is everywhere at once - we realise that our individuality has no more permanence than a ripple in a pond. In truth our individuality is literally a ‘ripple’ in the universal field of consciousness that enables us to experience an illusion of time and space. It is time and space that enables us to identify with form and separation. By immersing ourselves so deeply in this world of form and separation - to the extent that we believe it is the only reality - we maximise our potential for self-realisation. For to experience fully that which is, we must also experience fully that which is not.

So our journey of evolution is our journey towards unity consciousness. In practical terms this may start when we feel the pain and suffering caused by our identification with separation. We are most aware of this pain and suffering when we experience war on our planet, either as someone who is caught up in it, or as someone who is looking on in despair, perhaps feeling the hurt in their own hearts. We can also be aware of it in our personal and social relationships, in our relationship with the Earth, and in our relationship with the greater whole.

This pain and suffering always stems from our identification with the smaller self or ego, which perceives the world to be a place of separation. Often, though, our experience of pain and suffering is suppressed because we fear going into it and acknowledging the root cause of it. This fear takes many forms - the most prominent being fear of change and fear of rejection. For example, if we were to go to the root cause of the pain and suffering created by a society and a culture that is based on a worldview of separation, we would see that such a worldview would have to change, along with our own lives, our society, and our culture. Too many people do not wish to take responsibility for such a change, and fear being rejected for doing so. Our journey of evolution requires that we go into this fear and see what positive message it has to give us. The essence of the message will always be about opening to our greater identity and experiencing more and more fully our essential unity with all that is.

Clearly we are all at various different stages of this journey, and we have many challenges to overcome before we can fully experience the truth of our identity. Those of us who have touched our greater identity, and are aware of it as the ultimate meaning in life, may sometimes sit in judgement of the rest of the world when we feel that they are not changing, or are changing too slowly. Yet the crucial challenge we are facing is not whether other people are waking up with us, but whether we are actually willing to fully experience and express our essential unity in all aspects of our life.

When we fully experience ourselves as all that is, we will not choose to participate in activities that perpetuate separation, and will see our personal, social, economic, and ecological relationships as opportunities to heal ourselves and to work together as co-creators with Spirit. The awakening of unity consciousness starts with the expansion of our identity and the perception of the interconnectedness of all things, but is only completed when we embody this state of consciousness in all that we do.

Amongst those of us who are spiritually aware there is still a fear of taking this step because there are still aspects of our being that are locked in separation. Deep down somewhere we still fear change and rejection because we have yet to fully spiritualise our ego and embrace our greater identity. Many of us still, for instance, contribute to an economic system that is widening the gulf between rich and poor, and damaging the planetary ecosystem. Many of us still conspire with a political system that perpetuates the fragmentation of society by dividing people into the governors and the governed. Many of us still find it difficult to cooperate with others, often choosing instead to attend to our narrow self-interest, or to affirm our ego by seeking personal recognition, reward, or power. If we search deeply enough, and are honest with ourselves, we will find that there is an ego-based fear at the root of all these choices.

The solution is to make a choice to experience everything we do with full awareness, and to make a choice to express the truth of our essential unity at all times - without condition - so that we really do 'walk our talk'. If we think we do not have the ability to do this then we need only to remind ourselves that deep down we are one with all that is, and therefore have enormous power, wisdom, and love to draw upon: when all things are already one in essence, the reflection of this essence by form will always be possible. If we think that the time is not yet right then we need only to remind ourselves to live in the now. If the truth be told, the whole world, and maybe even the whole universe, is waiting for us. Let us start now and celebrate who we are by going into and then releasing our fears, our patterns, and our conditioning, for we deserve to flower and fulfil our destiny. This is the path of self-love.

Leigh Tremaine is a healer, networker, transformational thinker, and astrologer. He is the joint-initiator of World Earth Healing Day and the webmaster of the World Healing Website (worldhealing.co.uk). Permission to reprint this article in its entirety is granted.

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