Dear Friend,
A new book is in progress. Here is an excerpt...
Not even your “I” or “me” thoughts are real. Why? Because they come and go, they arise and disappear. The big issue today may not exist tomorrow. What is real, on the other hand, is always present, always here. It doesn’t go away.
However, thoughts are very powerful. At the personal level, they have the power to cause joy and delight, like looking forward to a much-anticipated event. Conversely, they also have the power to trigger conflict and suffering, like dread at the thought of telling a friend some unpleasant news, or guilt at the realization you may have done something wrong.
Above all, thoughts have a very practical power. Everything human-made began as a thought, an idea, in someone’s mind. Everything, from the invention of the wheel over 6,000 years ago, to the microchip and nanotechnology today, had its origins in the human mind. So, the more you see that your thoughts are not real, the more you have the power to choose them and shape them in ways that serve your own—and ultimately humanity’s—good.
So what is real, in this ever-changing, impermanent world of thoughts, sensations, feelings, emotions, events, and circumstances?
The awareness, or consciousness that you exist, here and now, is real. It is always real. You’ve been aware of yourself as existing pretty much from the time you were very young. And, if you look back, you’ll realize that this awareness—“Wow! I exist here, now…”—has not changed. It is the one thing that has always been true, constant. It is the one thing that is true right now, even as everything else in your life has changed—your body, your beliefs, your friendships and relationships, your circumstances.
But that you exist, as an aware, conscious being—a human being—is undeniable.
This realization of yourself existing right here, right now is the real secret of happiness and inner peace. It is what has been called, in various spiritual traditions, enlightenment, awakening, or self-realization.
To feel yourself existing here now—in this very unfolding moment—is to experience an underlying, unchanging current of ease, harmony, and flow. It’s to know and to feel a happiness and inner peace that doesn’t depend on any circumstance, on any “thing.” It just shines on its own, flows out of your very being.
Then, from this place of being very present here, now, you use the power of thought consciously to manifest what you want in your life, to create more of what you love. It’s brilliant, really. So, so simple, when you see it!
Moreover, when you realize that happiness and inner peace is your true nature, it results, over time, in a deep wisdom or knowing, and an ever-flowing feeling of love in your heart. You recognize that this is the natural state of all humanity, of every single person, and you want to share the good news with everyone you meet.
And that’s when the real joy comes to you…
Love and blessings,Jim
New Book Released...!
Jim’s new book, End Your Story, Begin Your Life published by Hampton Roads ($16.95) is out in paperback. It has been widely-praised as one of the best and clearest guides to being free while fully engaging in the marketplace of daily life. More details on the Books page.
An article about Jim and his work, by Joyce Tate Dvoren, has just been published in the December issue of LA Yoga. Titled ‘Three Steps to Freedom,’ it can be read online, and begins on p 20. The link is http://www.layoga-digital.com/
After the Esalen Workshop, July 17 - 22, 2011
Pix from our wonderful workshop can be seen on the Teaching Schedule page below the schedule.
New Blog
My new blog, Reflections on Freedom, can be viewed at: http://jimdreaver.blogspot.com/Private Sessions
A private session with me is one of the most powerful and effective ways to uncover the stories that still keep you bound, preventing you from experiencing the love and richness possible in your relationships, work, and life. Sessions last about an hour and are done in person or, just as potent, over the phone, or via Skype with/without a webcam.“Three years ago, I asked Jim to be my teacher. Now, I am awake and free. I cannot say enough about Jim’s mastery at facilitating the experience of awakening in others.” -Juliana Dahl, Ph.D., Boulder, CO
“I got hit by a meatball thrown through the telephone by Jim. It blew my mind. It was the best money I ever spent!” -Jim O’Neil, St. Louis, MO, www.surveyroom.com
