| Throughout history sages and spiritual teachers have | | | | machinery or equipment. |
| told us that there is a 'Sacred Path' that one can follow | | | | Last but not least we must honour ourselves spiritually |
| through life. A path that is in harmony with the Earth | | | | - by acknowledging the existence of a world beyond |
| and all of its creatures, and one that will lead to lasting | | | | what we can see, touch, smell, hear and taste. For |
| happiness. | | | | each of us this will be different but for all of us it will |
| But in a world full of concerns about global financial | | | | form the centre of the circle. Some may be nurtured |
| crises, climate change, interest rates, budget deficits | | | | by walking the dog or running, whilst others will pray, |
| and stock market indices, what would it look like? And | | | | meditate, sing or dance - whatever it takes to create |
| more importantly - how would you live it? | | | | space for the divine in our lives. |
| Walking a Sacred Path through life begins with honour. | | | | To nurture Self Honour you can put two simple |
| Honour for ourselves, all other beings, Mother Earth | | | | practices into your daily routine. First thing in the |
| and Spirit. | | | | morning - walk between the worlds to the future and |
| Let's take a look at each of these areas individually | | | | set your intention for what you want to do and how |
| beginning with the Self. If we fail to honour ourselves | | | | you want to be - then last thing at night simply ask - |
| we can be sure that we will be unable to honour | | | | what did I do right today? And acknowledge yourself |
| anyone else or anything else. Love, compassion and | | | | for it. |
| empathy all arise from within and it is only by cultivating | | | | By choosing to love yourself unconditionally, being |
| these qualities in ourselves that we are then able to | | | | kinder and gentler to yourself and being careful to |
| radiate them out into the world. | | | | manage your focus by asking - what did I do right? - |
| We can be our own worst enemies though! Within | | | | you can honour yourself and create fertile ground for |
| ourselves we can be conflicted by our base desires | | | | the growth of love, compassion and empathy. |
| and our higher aspirations which can result in an inner | | | | With an open and loving heart you are in a good |
| dialogue that sounds more like a brutal disciplinarian | | | | space to honour others. Living in the Past confines us |
| than our best friend. Buddhist teachings exhort us to | | | | to being who we always have been according to our |
| still the mind, stop the dialogue and break the cycle of | | | | collection of stories about our self. It also confines us |
| samsara. Shamanic teachings tell us that the world is | | | | to a fixed view of the world and by definition this |
| an illusion and that we create it through our beliefs and | | | | means that we believe that we know something about |
| stories. Interestingly Quantum Physics mirrors this by | | | | the way the world works and what is right and wrong. |
| telling us that like attracts like and therefore we are | | | | Now this is a comfortable and safe place to be |
| what we believe. | | | | except for the fact that by definition it can put us into |
| But what would it mean to step beyond our limiting | | | | conflict with other people because at times, we know |
| stories and shift into a space of existential alignment? | | | | we are right - or at least we believe we are. |
| In Hamlet, William Shakespeare advised, "This above all. | | | | Honouring others begins with recognising that we are |
| To thine own self be true" | | | | all linked together in a kind of quantum soup. Because |
| Honouring the Self is about finding your true purpose in | | | | of this whatever vibration or energy we send out into |
| this life and then living in alignment with that purpose | | | | the world simply stays in the world. As Martin Luther |
| and with a set of universal values. Key to this is to live | | | | King Jr said, |
| it pro-actively, always with one foot moving in front of | | | | "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that" |
| the other and not re-acting to what fear based stuff | | | | Honouring others must begin with a recognition that we |
| might be going on around you... | | | | are all 'brothers and sisters' and as such everyone has |
| So where to start? How about with unconditional | | | | a right to a particular perspective on life. Being able to |
| love? Finding a way of breaking the perpetual cycle | | | | 'live and let live' and to see others points of view is |
| begins with loving who you are right now regardless of | | | | key. |
| what you are doing or how you are being. | | | | However, honouring ourselves and others must also |
| Unconditional love truly must be unconditional if it is to | | | | be done in the space of truth - the greatest gift we |
| be empowering. If you think of your most loved person | | | | can give to others is our whole selves in love and truth. |
| in the world - be it your child, lover, friend or parent - | | | | This means not holding back from our truth out of fear |
| and imagine a time when they have done something | | | | of the consequences but rather having the courage to |
| that they are not proud of or happy with, then you will | | | | speak in truth with empathy and compassion. |
| know that the story they tell themselves is far worse | | | | Balanced with this is the ability to hold space for others |
| than any story any other person might tell them - and - | | | | around a higher possibility. So instead of going into |
| what you say to them is completely forgiving and | | | | judgement when others act in a way that is out of |
| unconditional. | | | | alignment with love and compassion being able to see |
| Now the challenge is - can you hold that space for | | | | a higher possibility for them and hold this space for |
| yourself? Can you choose to consciously love yourself | | | | them to move into. Judgement is only a mask for fear. |
| regardless of what you do or how you are being? If | | | | Opening our hearts to others moves us beyond this. |
| you can then you have found a space from which to | | | | With honour for ourselves and others we move to |
| dare to walk between the worlds and step into the | | | | honouring the earth. Recognising that Mother Earth is |
| future. In the future you can plant seeds by asking - | | | | the cradle that holds us and that we are the bridge |
| what do I want? And how do I want to be? physically, | | | | between Heaven and Earth. It is our task as this bridge |
| mentally, emotionally, materially and spiritually. | | | | to be the vehicle to bring universal light and love onto |
| Importantly you also need to ask - what is most | | | | the Earth. We do this through our actions and our |
| important in my life? What values do I hold most dear | | | | being. |
| to me? "We plant the seeds of possibility and pray for | | | | To honour the Earth through actions is to ensure we |
| the rain of grace." | | | | do not defile or pollute the Earth in any way. The |
| With a picture in your mind you return to the Present | | | | practicalities of this relate again to our mode of social |
| and honour yourself by aligning your actions to your | | | | organisation. Every time you buy something, invest in |
| vision. The critic in us, the parent, tells us off when we | | | | something or work for someone you have an |
| are out of alignment with our stated intentions. To | | | | opportunity to ensure you honour the Earth. Bottom line |
| follow a Sacred Path is to have the awareness to | | | | is - take the time to ensure you are not implicitly |
| know what our highest vision is and then to have the | | | | supporting activities that defile our cradle. |
| courage and presence of mind to live it. | | | | The 'being' part of honouring Earth is to be conscious |
| Physically that means eating, sleeping and moving well | | | | of our role as the bringers of light. In every moment |
| - honouring your body as a temple. Mentally - by | | | | we have the opportunity to be in a space of love and |
| stimulating and expanding your mind - knowing that | | | | to radiate that love into the world. With every moment |
| new findings in neuroscience tell us that we really do | | | | we spend in nature we have the opportunity to give |
| use it or lose it. Emotionally - by allowing yourself to | | | | back to the Earth with gratitude and grace. |
| have a full range of emotional expression - to live life | | | | Mindfulness, reverence, honour. |
| deeply and graciously. Materially - by releasing worry | | | | And finally to honour spirit. To acknowledge that there |
| and concern and being in flow AND ensuring that the | | | | is more to life than what we can see, hear, feel, smell |
| way in which you interact with the financial system is | | | | and touch. Honouring the self, others and the Earth |
| aligned to your deepest held values. | | | | takes us a long way towards living in honour with spirit. |
| That means every time you buy something, every | | | | The last part is to release our fear of inadequacy and |
| time you invest money be it in the bank or in shares, | | | | to have faith in ourselves and the notion of a sacred |
| and every time you work for another person or | | | | path. This is a leap that can never be made by the |
| organisation you ensure that you are not supporting | | | | rational mind. There will never be enough evidence to |
| any other person or organisation that has different | | | | support a rational argument for doing this. This is |
| values to you. So if you believe in peace make sure | | | | beyond thinking. This is connecting to source and |
| that your superannuation is not invested in companies | | | | shifting our way of being. |
| that make ammunition or any type of war making | | | | |