99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #27

The journey inward starts out-there:

From our earliest inklings of social interaction we were building our pathways inward. In perhaps the strangest of all dichotomy's what we build without, we build within. We may not be able to fully comprehend the dynamics, but the resultant reality attests to the truth of that. When we learn to embrace this principle unabashed, miracles are born and societies prosper, when it is eroded or betrayed tragedy strike and societies crumble. This act has been played out on the stage of life for as long as the social model has existed. Why is this relevant in our personal journey? Because we play a bigger role in it than we think. In fact the stage where it is being played out is in our own mind. 

When we view the world around us we often fall prey to the illusion that it is separate, this is not a shortcoming on our part it is a choice we have made based on our reliance on what we term tangible reality vs intangible choice. The world we perceive around us seems real, we can touch it see it hear it, it requires no capacity of trust nor inquisitive undertaking. From the time we can crawl we are impressed upon by its apparent reality. Wherein the world of the self seems illusionary, we can neither touch, smell, taste or see it but over time we are taught of its existence, impressed upon by its uniqueness expressly unto ourselves, and soon we separate it from reality, and the separation sequence is now complete.

We can and do make servile adulation to the self, sometimes so much so that a detrimental character is born out of the scenario, this is unhealthy. We can also erect pillars of non-conformance in our minds, subconsciously implanted and tolerated as wardens of corrective behavior, or so our malformed psyche leads us to believe, this also is unhealthy. Layer by layer, process by process we build this model of self, or so it seems, but sometimes the reality is, we are just building a division between the self and the separate reality we view externally. This is where our journey leads us in this course. We must remove this division, not by omission or radical shift, but by awareness and realignment. Every nature-state we possess, is a valued part of our reality, but what we must insist on is that no part of our structure of the self, is an un-authored  agent. And what is most critical is, we are and always will be the author of our decisions.

But it should be mentioned briefly for those that embrace a faith or  a spiritual leaning, the precepts that are outlined hear should not be construed as replacements or arguments against that belief, but should be considered as refining the individual as a whole, and then applying that whole to the practice of faith or spiritual undertaking.

 What is imperative for us is that we begin a process of unifying the scope and vision of our actions and interactions both inward and outward as one. We have to begin to feel our self, in the same way we feel those around us. The tangible nature of the external world has to be focused inward also. and when this process is realized we will begin to see the world not as an individual placed on it, but as an individuals experiential journey through it in a state of perpetual awareness.          

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #26

This that I know thus far:

When we first decided to approach this project, we as a collective had one thought one focus in mind. The reclaiming of an individuality that we had lost touch with, lacked trust in, or abandoned all together. It could also be none of the above for those that finds themselves here, maybe, perchance, mere curiosity baits you.  It could also be that life had never pressed upon you the necessity of being an awakened individual. So for what ever reason you find yourself here, we bid you welcome. From the outset we have tried to relate to this life experience not so much as a methodical construct of mind and motion, but more of a creative journey. We have skimmed the surface of many of our character attributes, social intricacies and communal traditions, as have we done the same with the basic interactions of the emotions, and character attributes of the individual. And this all done deliberately in the most briefest of examples and explanations. It was, and never will be the intention of this course to provide you with the answers to your life's questions, but more over to provide you with methods by which you can find those answers in yourself, which is the only way to personal awakening. This is why we have maintained the most simplistic model of conveying these ideas, not to present, what would appear as a dumbed-down attempt at psycho-analytic observation and dialogue, but to plant a seed and let the persons own creative process work with it to fruition.

With that said we should recap what we know, or what we have agreed to accept as the framework for working through this course. (1) We agreed we are not a self but many selves collectively assimilated  (2) We agreed we have a complex matrix of emotions that control our interactions consciously-subconsciously, expressed internally as well as externally. And we have agreed to refer to these emotions as "nature-states". (3) we agreed to group these nature-states (emotions) into three primary groupings, those being: The inquisitive-state, the hesitant-state and the neutral-state. And we were asked to categorize specific  nature-states under these primary groupings, to refresh you memory on these refer back to step #5. (4) We were instructed briefly on the crucial interactivity between these primary groups, their origins, purpose and influence on the collective. We were also counseled on the necessity of the self to curb and control the orderly flow of the transition between these groupings. (5) finally we were introduced to the critical necessity of authorship, and that during any event, positively or negatively influenced, we were to follow the protocols necessary to re-assume authority for it is only when we are in control, that we can exercise control. Lastly that we should not view life as a exercise but as an experience. We are in an eternal state of becoming, time is an illusion, the construct that we build will be left for those that follow, as was the case with us. Nothing is new, but simply a re-awakening.

When we view life experientially the classes the castes the genders and roles all lose their ill-gained glory. The only thing that matters is you in the process of becoming. It has no ceiling, when you can grasp the truth in this, the writings, the poetry, the promise of every belief structure ever recorded can be reduced to one singular expression; "I am". 

  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #25

Bridging the gap:

Keeping on with the exploration of the super-natures, if we are ever to respect the correlation of the unseen in our conscious lives with the seen, we must first come to an agreement that such a state really exists. This truly is an impossible task if you demand a tangible or physically attributable solution. The errant debate in these arguments always follows the notion of tangibility in these regards, and the resultant outcome always ends on an impasse. The irony here is that in similar facets of our social  and emotional interactions, we would never demand physical proof of their existence. As an example: I have never heard of an individual struggling with the love of a partner, simply because their was no physical way of determining it. Each one would see the respect each other displays, the emotional bond that exists, and the devotion that is extended between them. If asked to physically prove it by scientific method, you would find each partner scratching their heads as to the absurdity of the notion. We too through the higher principle of singularity have this same intangible bond working within ourselves. 

When we bridge this gap, we tap into an ageless, timeless realm of universal oneness. Some who discover this, feel the need to extract this essence from its realm, but this is a mistaken strategy on their part, one I am sure that you have witnessed expressed in many spiritual groups. What instead should be done, and is the correct approach is to simply accept it as truth, and awaken to the realization that we are far deeper and far more capable than we ever imagined.

This principle has not only been related throughout history, it is the foundation of many schools of thought, which is not our intention to delve into at this time. What is imperative to us is that we understand that this principle is inherent in us all, and is very much an inward journey that is self experienced rather than being something externally experiened. If you are of a spiritual nature, and are not conflicted in these matters, then you will have no problem grasping this. The reason we would go more in-depth into an explanation of it is for those that have distanced them-selves in these areas or are conflicted.

Often times we are biased by beliefs either forced on us, or of sensationalism propagated through groups and the media. The only thing we need for personal introspection is to focus on acceptance. Once we are willing to believe, the expression of our inner natures will come progressively easier to grasp and more readily comprehended.

Understanding the language of our inner natures is the second step to reaping their resources. For most up until this time had as previously mentioned, created pillars of obstruction in their minds. They did not act for us, even though we were deceived into believing that they were there for our correction. What the truth was, is that they were created through an abandoning of authorship, and were free to discharge at will any time our emotions were impressed on by external influences. The quiet required for inner refection could never be achieved, so our super-natures could never be freed and made available to us. We can change this now, if we desire. When we have the courage, patience and honesty to begin to order our minds, we will see the complexity of our lives shrink dramatically but the potential of our lives grow exponentially. 

To begin to practice with this, try a simple reflection. Imagine that your mind is a chess board that you have stumbled upon, and all the pieces are strewn on and off the board. Start to order them on the board in proper sequence, visualize the completed task as you stare down at the board. feel the peace, the composure and the symmetry of the chess pieces. Now feel the presence of your super nature in the calmness of the moment, and do not feel hesitant to ask a question, and then wait in calm assurance that the answer will be forthcoming.     

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #24

The hidden realms:

Our tangible persona is our link to the outside world. Our emotional states, which we have accepted to refer to in this course as our nature-states, are the conduit for our internal persona. But we have one more, and that is what we will call our super-nature. Known and documented throughout time as many things, one thing to the secularist, another to the intellectual and another to the spiritualist. We set out in this course not to color its scope or content with affiliation to any one system of thought.. We will continue this throughout the course. In light of that when dealing with this third dimension of our being, we will simply refer to it as the super-nature that resides in the neutral-state.

It would appear, and evidence surely demonstrates, that the realm we will refer to as the third dimension is a conflicted state of being to many. To some it is an aloof mystical placebo, to others a guilt crusted confine, and yet to others it is a trigger for intense retributive vehemence. Yet for a great deal of our society it is a gathering space for solace, peace and reflection. The latter is where we will choose to reflect when covering the topic in this lesson.

The third dimension is an external influence or conduit for us to soar unrestricted by the fetters of the body. this may seem an aloof statement to some, but in reality, rejection of this critical element of our being is as detrimental a notion as having two perfectly functional legs, but choosing instead to hobble on one. Spirit nature simply is, period. With out getting into the reasons why there is so much retaliatory fervor created around this subject, and believe us their is more than ample cause for it. But realistically to delve into this would take us away from our focus, and introduce into this course something that has no apparent benefit. How ever this subject finds you, we would ask you at this time to set aside those convictions, and just appreciate the value of this "nature" in our path to awareness.

The third dimension is the realm of the "nature states" we refer to in this course as the "Neutral state". We chose this name for that very reason, for to connect with this part of our-self we have to suspend all activity around us, for however brief it may necessitate, or how long it takes to refocus our authority. We must establish this area of our-selves as it implies "neutral". This requires discipline and conviction, but for this course to have any value in your life, this commitment to the neutral state must be taken seriously.

Each manifestation of our whole has its value. The positive attributes that we extol, and the negative attributes that we use as reflection. When approaching the state of authorship that we seek, we have to have the ability to step outside of ourselves, and reason the antecedents that precipitated the lapse of authority that we experienced. And this is where the value of the neutral state comes into play. When-ever, an emotion, situation or circumstance usurps the moment, and we loose control, we need to identify it! "This is me loosing control" [pause] - [engage neutral state] - [reflection] - "This is me regaining control" The apparent machinations of this through practice will become second nature overtime. And we must be willing to see this process as an intrinsic part of our makeup, and not as a means to an end. What we are designing here is an SOP (Standard operating procedure) for us as an individual. The etched in stone pillars of guilt, shame, inferiority and remorse, that we have erected overtime as detriments to our growth or custodians of our attempts to correct behavior are not cast off, but reassigned to their respective position with in the group we have identified in step#5 as the "hesitant state" and as previously mentioned, not abandoned,  but reassigned.

Finally for this lesson we should set aside a few minutes of our time for reflection, if that is, the concept of the idea of a spiritual nature conflicts with you. If indeed it does, then you must begin to disassociate what you have learned externally in this regard, not abandon it, but just set aside for the purpose of this course. For it must once again be reasserted that this is not about change or replacement, but about realignment and awareness. Everything that is you, is you for a reason, all thing visible and all things hidden, when we can establish in our minds this simple truth, we will lose the fear or urgency to resist the hidden nature that resides in us all.    

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #23

Singularity:  (snggy-lr-t)

n pl -ties

1. the state, fact, or quality of being singular

2. something distinguishing a person or thing from others

3. something remarkable or unusual

Three very astute and accurate definitions. Three we are, one we will be. Since time eternal man's quest to understand his true nature has been orated, documented, and postulated, and  then critiqued criticized and condemned equally as fast. The common thread? Society. We are indeed, individuals, it is only when we integrate into the society around us that the individual that we are, finds itself conflicted, obscured or plainly absorbed by the integration. So how do we survive the transition and maintain our singularity? One simple word: "Awareness"  For some, it is not that they willingly capitulate, that causes them to lose their authorship, that we have learned must be maintained to be in control. It is most often the case that simple repetitiveness or complacency surrenders the authorship autonomously on our behalf, and then overtime the abnormal state becomes the norm, and we slowly surrender authorship to the whim and whimsy of the prevailing nature state (emotions). And the result? Worst-case, a conflicted individual, that fails to integrate into society nor finds peace within themselves, and at best an individual that toils obscurely as just another cog in the wheel of existence.  Neither of these states were we intended to occupy, neither of these states do we have to be.

In all honesty it is practically impossible to give a concise directive as to how one maintains a level of awareness absent of the influences that the natures (emotions) exert on us. Even on the most disciplined observer, it would be folly to suppose such a state is possible. Our purpose is not to achieve such a state, but to acknowledge that a return to a "state of awareness" or "neutral state"  is the correct action to undertake in order to resolve a lapse of reason, and return to a state of authorship, which in the realm of the individual, we could consider it "our true magnetic north". What we need to stress in our undertakings is not infallibility, but reflection and correction.

If we could again digress to the  principle of singularity. Do you remember a time, most likely in childhood, when you had constructed a reality distinctly your own? Think, that magical make-believe-world of your imagination. The place where for every invention, how ever constructed, that when-ever you came to an impasse --- you simply created a workable solution. You must re-create that scenario now. When we left the make-believe world of our childhood and integrated ourselves into society we cast-off this notion, we were told evolution and advancement required it. True, we had to trade the intangible world of make-believe for the tangible world of career and responsibility. But we may have also accidentally abandoned that rich resource of creative problem solving that saw us always finding a solution to the obstacles our fantasies provided us. This resource we have to reclaim or revitalize.

This world (our society) conditions us to a gospel of omission, when ever anything goes awry. We must supplant that with the new paradigm of submission, that is, not ourselves submitting to the authority of the nature-states (emotions), but of us, through our inherent problem solving capacity, exercising authority over the nature-states and having them submit to us.

Our reclaiming of the realm of singularity in thought will not alienate us from society, but will in a matter-of-fact  rejuvenate our experience and integration in society. We will soon see that societies were never intended to be subjugated hierarchies, but in fact lateral relationships. There are indeed stations of higher authority but these are met with equal higher authorities for equal tasks. At this point we would wish to take a step back, for this goes far beyond our focus in this course. You will indeed see these relationships unfolding the more you approach this course in earnest, but these will be fruits of your new or re-found awareness, and many more awakenings to follow.  Oneness in thought, through the rich resources, that flood our senses through the singularity of an authored self.       

  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #22

The Journey begins:

Up until this time we have focused on grasping the ideological purpose of, and the acceptance of, the concept of the many selves (natures). We have tried to construct a few simple examples, with the intention not to direct but to explain by scenario the ways in which, what we refer to as the nature states of the individual function collectively in our daily lives. We have attempted to do this without any focus on altering our current life patterns, but by simply introducing the variable of self awareness, and letting that be the momentum for change. Finally we tried to further assert that there is no "curriculum vital" no absolute truth, no answer that will bring the individual into enlightened completeness. But moreover an ardent assertion that harmony and prosperity occur when the self is directed by internal motivation, and that motivation is authored by an individual acting in a perpetual state of awareness.

Now it is time to accept as truth, the principles we have laid out. This should not be problematic nor create any anxiety, simply because, you dratted the plan. You identified the characters and assigned the roles. Now all that left is to let the journey begin.

Day to day life often presents a cornucopia of causalities, and the reason we use this term is because we often feel as though life is acting upon us, and not through us as it should be properly interpreted. Cause and effect. The reason we often mistake this is because we have no direct control of external influences or activities, in the same way as we do over our internal influences. This is not to say that we cannot predict them, nor control their impact on us (within our capacity), but we do not originate their action, we simply respond to the stimulus. What can, and does happen to us over an extended period of time is, we become conditioned to actions, and equally condition our responses. This autonomous cycling patterns itself into our natures and manifests itself positively or negatively depending on the nature of the input. If we can for a moment think of this activity as a fueling of our nature states, we can then feasibly imagine them as being like energy cells that have polarities and levels of charge. Now to use an example of a modern electronic device, we would not for instance assign any deterministic value to say the battery on our cell phone. We would not conclude that it played a role in the structuring or inclusion of persons on our contact list on that phone, would we? No, it is simply the energy source for the device. Likewise nature states for all their wondrous elusiveness and mystique are nothing more. They are their perspective energy sources to fuel the device which is you. And again keep in mind that universal caveat of the course, we are experientialists, that is our purpose and that is our design.

When we loose focus of our authorship we should not focus on ways to eliminate the errant capitulation to the intensity of the energized nature state. We should instead focus on the return to authorship, for in this position the charge of the nature state (emotion) has no control over us, and its charge will dissipate. Easy words (I know) The goal is never perfection, but recognition. And in very much the same way as external influences conditioned our nature states, likewise, we can begin to condition our responses and overtime the autonomous repetition will of itself reduce the intensity of our nature states. And this in no wise implies that we will not seek the full spectrum of our emotional natures, but that we will have subconsciously established set points that give us the best quality of their expression.    

     

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #21

Integration, one in many, many in one:

We started this journey as a singularity, but for some, over time, that singularity was lost or overshadowed in the crowd of events that our integration into society precipitated. Which ever way you find yourself today, one thing you can assert with authority is; You are the dreamer dreaming the dream. There is no other. Life for some may have appeared to lose its meaning, but nothing is ever lost, The illusion of loss in our lives is just that, an illusion. And the illusion is often manifested when we feel a sense of being overwhelmed, and our emotional states are so energized that we are actually fooled into believing that their apparent strength is controlling the situation, but the simple truth is, that we are not "in control", and we have relinquished that control to an emotional state. If in these times we can but assure ourselves of this, even if that assurance hangs by a thread, we can then at that point assert that authority, and it will immediately commence an action of returning control to us. This will take practice, this will take time for some,. but it will work for all, irregardless of their  strength or awareness.

One of the biggest impediments to our growth of awareness and quality of life, is the illusion of the self acting on the self. The very nature of our environment, the very structure and mechanisms of our sensory awareness creates this illusion. To rectify this we must condition ourselves and educate ourselves to the inherent nature of our sensory perception. But we must be cautioned not to do this solely from a pragmatic objective, or reduce it to its basic machinations for then we rob it ( life ) of its experiential quality. And again we must clarify "We are the dreamer dreaming the dream"  The experience is the intention, the experience is the reality, and we are simply coordinating the input. If we reduce then that input to mere processing or mere productivity then what value does life hold? This could not possibly be the purpose of our lives don't you think? But sadly through surrender of our individuality, this repeatedly has enslaved many cultures, many societies over many centuries. We can be the change.

From the outset we have insisted that action on our part is not required, we should clarify this by the use of an example. Many philosophical or advancing spirits have, throughout time, presented in literature, prose or mythology an example of a master or healer.  This example presents a truth and the individual acts on the truth, and the improvement, miracle or healing occurs. Our acknowledgment is all that is required sometimes to alter the course of our lives, and it is not something acting on us, but our acceptance to allow something to act through us. This is why we use the analogy of the "dreamer, dreaming the dream", for though we are indeed tangible physical objects, the consciousness that we cohabitate is not.  And if we can wrap our head around this, then we have no problem accepting the structure of the many selves (natures) within the one self. Then further to this we can begin to see why some individuals can and do act in completely diametrically opposed nature-states, and then be at a loss to explain their actions. True individuality is not an individual that has adopted a singular approach to life. True individuality is achieved when we become effective managers of the many selves (natures), that makeup our being.

It is often opined that if we could just find the answer, find the key, or find the secret to peaceful coexistence then we could return to the proverbial Eden. This will never occur, how could it? What is being propositioned is that out-there in the tangible world, there is a tangible-object that can traverse the intangible realm of all, could identify with all, utilize and adopt into all lives and could render all conflict null. Could a greater falsehood possibly exist? But yet this concept is sold to millions every-day and every day the world cleaves to it with an abandoned hope.

If we want to enact change, then we must be the change. And in order to do this we must be willing to lay all the idols (fears) down, and be willing to take or retake control of our lives in a systematic and comprehensible manner. It is not an insurmountable task, because all we are doing is self-empowering our-self under one unifying authority, "our-self"  And the only conflict you have to address is the illusion that is being presented to you by yourself that you are not in charge. do you now see the folly?  You are the one, and the many are you.      

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #20

Transforming the nature and outcome of judgement:

Conceivably one of our first introduced dualities would have been that of judgement. Our ability to judge and assess can be seen as one of our earliest primal natures.  Indeed one of those first critical skills that launched us from a quadrupedal existence to our bipedal leap to exploration, required judgment. That judgment however gleaned, (and all the sciences would have an altering opinion on that) was accelerated because within us, biologically as well as psychologically, we were compelled to growth. The rate of that growth, for our intents and purposes was as a direct result of nurture, societally speaking  that is. We progressed mastering these skills, judging and assessing our surroundings in a primitive state that was normal for our growth. We were then introduced slowly to the society around us. And as we gained insight into our external environment , external as in outside our circle of family, we saw that norms for some were not the same as norms for ourselves or others. And on occasion when we attempted to assert that our norms were superior to those that were around us, we were for the first time asked not to judge from our indwelling mechanisms (either family concentric or personal), but to seek justification for our assumption from an external evaluation.

Now we have certainly witnessed the antithesis of this paradigm throughout society in acts of racism, assumed ethnic superiority, totalitarian ideology, and of the psychological aspects in individuals who have systemic failures in integrating into society.  These (the former) although a grievous blithe on our society, should not concern us at this time, our quest is introspection. What this paradigm did assert on us is the formation of the basic modulus of groups within our nature states, some of which being less favorable groupings within those nature states. The dualism is created out of the shift in our reasoning from one of reasoned introspection to reasoning through external investigation. It is then required of us to adopt new skill sets, which in turn requires us to adopt mechanisms by which to verify their accuracy and authenticity. These skill sets also required something that up until this time had been solely an internal intrinsic part of our makeup, "Trust".  Where at one time trust had been a sacred sheltered birthright, now we were being asked to extend it beyond its sacred realm into the vast domain of society at large. Such a leap without a supportive safety-net can and does create in a lot of individuals the anxiety states that over time will escalate and cause an impediment to an individuals growth. The reason for digressing this far back in the individuals journey into life is not to systematically go back and reconstruct their makeup, that is beyond the scope of this course. If an individual wishes to undertake this journey of introspection though, it can only bring about further awareness. And that awareness properly worked through and resolved can only lead to a better understanding of themselves. The reason we chose to introduce this retrospective was to remind the individual that most of the emotional states they experience now, were conditioned and normalized in their respective natures based on these judgments from early in their lives.

Why do we need to affirm this? So often in our lives we view ourselves as out of the mold unique individuals. We are indeed one-of-a-kind, and we are indeed unique, but we must be reminded on occasion that the individual personality that we are conscious of, relies on a matrix of natures to freely express itself in society and that those traits (natures) were learned or conditioned by experiential interaction within our environment. When we acknowledge this we reaffirm our authority, and as stated throughout the course, when we are acting in an authoritative position (neutral state), we are far more likely from that position, to act on circumstances and not have circumstances acting upon us.

Judgment is one of our most essential skill-sets, but judgment filtered through the lens of conditioned emotional natures is not only an impediment to our ability to assess a situation, it prevents us from seeing the situation in its entirety. In society we are often chided for making judgment calls, the word itself is often seen in a negative light. The truth is we are constantly in a state of judgment when acting in a societal context,  It is not the act that is at issue here but the clarity and the position from which the individual engages in the action that determines the value or appropriateness of it.  

 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #19

Illumination, dispelling the darkness with reason:

Reason has a unique quality, it does not need to be privileged to the truth to reveal the truth. Grasping this principal, and utilizing in our lives, can greatly speed our journey to self realization. Our journey begins as it always does when seeking to grow in self awareness, with the acceptance that "We can of our own selves do nothing"  Every thought ever thought, has been thought before. Every pondering pondered. Aspects of our natures would wish you to believe that this was not so,  but it is truth. We see the evolution all around us, and we think this to be new, and it is with regard to the physical elements that ground us in our conscious awareness, but the journey we take is inward. For the outward (external) is a manifestation of the recycling of the creative force that dwells in us all. We choose how it manifests, and if it does so negatively in our lives, then we must be responsible for the correction first, then the external will be modified. Connecting with that source is natural, even though the source itself is supernatural. We do not have to concern ourselves with this aspect within the realm of this course, for once again, it must be reasserted that this is a journey of discovery. And this will not be the last time you will be reminded of this fact, so please accept an apology for this beforehand. The supernatural as concerns us, in this course, is nothing more that the realization that a cause will have an effect and vice-versa. When we agree to accept this principle, which it is almost certain that we already do, then we are ready to begin the experiment.

Reason is not new to you, it was one of your earliest conquests. You merely under use it, refuse to use it, or choose to avoid it by sway of an emotional intervention. There can be any number of reasons why you would choose to avoid reason. You could pause now, and reason why this is, and that would be perfectly acceptable. Each of us will draw different conclusions, because as already affirmed each of us is uniquely configured. For this exercise experiment with common examples and see what the result is..

Each one of us at one time or another has been faced with the dilemma that if we precipitate an action, then an unfavorable resultant action may be the result. But if we do-not complete-it the results may equally be unfavorable. The classic damned if you do, damned if you don't. How could reason alter this?  Reason is an independent voice. In neither seeks truth or justice but simply weighs the facts. If you agree to use it. then you have voluntarily placed your self in your neutral state, and the perfect state to be in to provide the best possible solution. Secondly you are surrendering this dilemma to the supernatural, effectively opening all possible channels of resolve. And it is quite likely that when you resurface you will not only have gained the conviction to move forward with resolve, but also gained insight into how to equally resolve any resultant repercussions.

Reason is the internal illumination of ourselves. Reason brings out the best in us, because its job is not to judge us, but judge the facts on our behalf, and then on our behalf also, present those facts illumined so we can extract the truth as much as is conceivably possible to any situation with which we choose to apply it.      

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #18

Observing emotions, the alternative perspective:

Understanding our emotional nature is key to a healthy individual makeup. When-ever emotions are discussed or referred to, it is usually in a repairative or subjective manner. We seldom observe our emotional state and more often tend to recover from it. Now by emotions very nature, to effectively control emotion, would in essence be to rob it of its intrinsic value. Certainly one of the most serious flaws in the way we treat symptoms of emotional disorders in today's society, is by attempting to medicate them away. Emotions are a rich and essential part of the human experience. And again, in the pattern of our progress in this course, we seek to observe not alter this rich experience of life.

What we must learn to do is acknowledge them for what they are, and then accept their inherent homogeneity in the totality of our nature(s) plural. When we do this, they no longer have the sense of acting externally on us, but we gain a sense of experiencing the moment through the lens of our emotional natures, which ever one we happen to be experiencing at the time. The caution here is to understand their intrinsic nature, and understand that like everything else in our make-up as individuals, there are polarities, and there are extremes.

We have consistently through this course, so far, always arrived at a point where we are simply asked to observe! Why? Acknowledgement or awareness in any circumstance, in any situation grounds us to the reality that we are being acted upon, and have a choice to approve of this action or behavior, and choose also to alter it, or decline it. Never in any area of our life is this as critical an awareness and practice, as it  is when dealing with the emotional natures. Mastering this skill, if nothing else, will guarantee you a life of total self determination. But also we should stay grounded in the truth  that if it were as easy to control the emotions as deciding what we wanted for dinner or the choice between a hot or cold beverage, our society would not be as rife with emotionally distraught people as it is today, or over the course of history for that matter. Emotions as previously mentioned are an intense part of our conscious awareness as humans. Their omni-faceted natures intersect the complete spectrum of our consciousness, both physically and psychologically. This complexity should not dissuade us from gaining mastery over their control, but simply prepare us for the challenge that will lie ahead.

By simple tools of analysis, evaluation and assessment we can begin to unpack the ominous seeming complexity of the realm of emotions. One well incorporated strategy is the basic 1 - 10 scale.  When we experience emotional stimuli we can start our assessment by attempting to gauge the strength or intensity of those stimuli by rating them on a scale of one to ten What this does, is like in previous exercises, disconnects us from the intensity of the emotion and returns authority to ourselves. Once this is done a few times we will find that the numbers we record will decrease on the scale the more incidences we record. This decrease is not occurring by any increase in tolerance, character or stamina but simply because we are preventing the escalation by mere awareness as previously noted. Secondly and most importantly we should begin to recognize that for example, an angry outburst that we would rate a seven, and a minor grievance we would rate a two, are originating from the same source emotion, and we can if we so choose, effectively control the outcome, and this realization further empowers us, not the emotion, and once this is realized the intensity of the emotion is corralled. Once again, without force without coercion we regain authority and in that authority regain our individuality.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #17

The Temporal illusion of time:

Each one of us was born at a time, will live for a time, then pass on out of time. Time is the grand illusion, our entire lives beginning to end, curtain rise to curtain fall are its willing and sometimes not so willing captives. A lot of conflict arises when we attempt to posit, ponder or contemplate life without its restraints. This shouldn't be. Time simply is, and is not! When we can finally accept that, then we are free. Individuality poses the same paradox and the same dilemma Created by an exchange of energies, which originated in a stream of energies, which causal nature is said to have occurred from a single energy. The rhythm of life.

Who are you? When did you, become you? What you, chose the attributes that constructed the you, that is you? And is the you, that you are, the you, you wanted to be, or is the you, you are, the you , you are supposed to be? And if so who determined you to be it? The you that is you of course. As humurous a display of linguistic word play, that, that was, it is well worthy of a little reflection. In life we have been conditioned to address the tangible with more authenticity and credibility than the intangible, why? Because we are sense primary logicians. But you might ask, "If this be true, then how do you account for the predominance of supernatural assumption that still goes on in the world today? Quite simple, The them that is them, or the you that is you, thought that there must be more. To reclaim what we once had, or to claim what is ours, we don't have to change our beliefs. Nor do we have to adopt new beliefs, we just have to accept that if something comes along, and it is unknown to us, are we willing to accept it. When we do this, time no longer becomes our keeper, it becomes our teacher.

How can a teacher that teaches nothing, teach? A valid question, and one you must consider wisely. What is the definition of learning? To gain knowledge of something, that up until that time we had little or no knowledge of before. What are the prerequisites to gaining that knowledge?  Willingness, inquisitiveness,  and allotment of time. I will ask the question again; Who are you? Take as much time as you need now, feel free to use the above variables of willingness and inquisitiveness. feel free to take as long as you wish. then finally... Feel free!

Now back in step five it was asked of you to construct a list of what you felt were the elements of your inquisitive nature state. How many of those elements did you  reaffirm in this exercise, how many additional  ones will you add now. This is your true inquisitive nature state, and quite incredible isn't it! The potential that was always there, the ability that was always there, the part of you that was always there, waiting for you but to ask to assist. And it is there in us all, because the you that is you, is quite remarkable indeed.

If on the other hand the exercise left you confused or frustrated, we have work to do. Because discovery is always a positive motion. We will now see that we have a blockage in the free flow of our nature states. And we will also know now that it is easily repairable. For if we seek to understand the inquisitive nature state, and we know that this is done in the realm of the neutral state, if we are not accomplishing our goal, then where is the issue arising? The hesitant state. And since we have a list of the emotional states that arise from this nature state, which one is the impediment? The miracle that usually occurs here is that the simple act of discovery, most time will clear the blockage. Try it, you have time.



 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #16

Deconstructing the myth:

Our lives are but a sequence of memories. That statement is pretty much agreed upon by all. What constitutes a balanced life, is when we accept this truth, but at the same time, we are not enslaved by it. Equally, we have all overtime, created a construct of who we think we are, and again and most critical; what constitutes a balance here, is when we accept this truth, but at the same time, are not enslaved by it.

Most streams of self help, or self empowerment advice focus on the erroneous pendulum logic ideology. If its wrong make it right, if its black turn it white, if its left, then make it right. Obviously when there is a void in our lives, or discomfort, or a sense of something missing we should seek to find a solution. Many opinions flourish as to the correcting of these absent variables, but few seldom consider the most obvious of solutions, which is simple awareness. Why is this obvious solution for the most part, always overlooked? Because it is often buried behind the fortress of a well armed and well armored formidable force. The self!

The self, not to be mistaken with the individual, which is the nourished collective of the many selves, is a complex construct we have been creating since our first breath. To give an example of what often-times occurs in the mechanized self, we first have to Analise the relationship of the many selves. As previously mentioned throughout what we have been discussing in this dialogue, we are not one self we are many. What most-times occurs in many life-events is the expressing of the emotion (nature) as a manefestation of the individual self .This emotion (nature) unseats the rational individual and for as long as the event occurs, rules the actions of the individual. In order to disagree with this premise, you would have had to have lived an incredibly sheltered life. We see this scenario played out in our lives several if not several dozen times a day, through our own shortcomings, through the media, through our interaction in our social circles and community, there is no doubt, about this truth. What is the simple solution?  "Awareness".

When we address the needs of our individual natures, consciously, we establish not only a connection with ourselves, but by our action assume authority. When we do this consistently, we prevent not only the usurping of that authority by emotional outbursts, we receive supportive feedback from all of our emotions (nature states), thus giving ourselves an internal support structure to fortify our interactive decision making. truly an incredible sensation, the first time you experience it.

So again our goal is not attack, not surrender, nor denial, or any attempt to force change, but to simply accept truth and let change be the result. Our life is a beautiful myth, it will be to us, upon its completion, the greatest story ever told. Shouldn't we then think for such an important task, for an exclusive one of a kind adventure, that we should indeed be the authors of it.  And then in that great universal library of time where all the mythologies are proudly displayed, there on that shelf will be the story of you. 

     

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #15

The pendulum logic of the adversary:

Society, which in essence, is the purpose for the writing of this, often is our mirror, our standard, our barometer of our health as an individual. Even though this sounds like as yet another paradox, we should be coming to a illumined realization of the profusion of paradox's that inhabitant the normal state of our existance. It was once quoted that we are never direct doers of anything, but deciders. This is true of the individual but not of everyone. Our culture today for the most part, is only too happy to infer or imply that we should simply do it, but with the caveat that it be of-course based on decisions they (the overlords of society) deem the appropriate course of action. Equally if one asserts that individuals should control the course and direction of their lives, then those same overlords label them any one of a plethora of subversive associations like: Anarchist, rebel , anti-social etc, etc. Thus the cycle of pendulum logic is initialized. Swing to the left, swing to the right. The myth and misuse of surrender has plagued mankind and society for ions. If we are to reclaim our individuality we must first have a definitive grasp on its (surrenders) application in our life and what authority delegates it.

Our example today surrounds our association in, and our understanding of our role in society. We are for all intents and purposes social beings. What ever the complexity of that integration is, we all are. How we interact is as unique to the individual, as is their own makeup as an individual. (Though seemingly from the similar habits of many, one may conclude different) When we begin to work freely consciously between our nature states, which is our natural and healthy state, we will begin to realize that what we experience in social settings when we are cohabitively relaxed, is not a bartering or an exchanging of elements or energies, but a perfect symbiosis of them. Allow me to unpack my assertion for better clarity. We have been culturally indoctrinated to believe that society is a give and take proposition. We give something, we receive something.  We ask a question, we receive an answer. We offer something, and we accept something. All basic principles and gestures right? Then why you might ask is "Greed" such a pervasive adversary in our culture and in every past culture since the beginning? Society is not based on a give and take principle, but a "willingness" to give and take principle. What has always derailed societies and will continue to derail societies is this false assertion of give and take. The surrendered individual will be burdened with the guilt of obligation to the furtherment and prosperity of the society they inhabit. This occurs through state taxation, moral obligation, and the assurance of the security that membership in the society offers. Now all these variables are intrinsic necessities of a functioning society, and it is not our intention to renege on our obligations, but simply bring them into the light of reason.

We will often demonize the Ego, and blame societies inadequacies on the selfish natures that are often placed under the heading of that ambiguous entity. The Ego is merely a polarized aggregate of the individual stuck in the endless loop of the "Hesitant Natures" that were discussed in the previous lesson. And the adversary (anti-individual-result) uses these ploys in society to elicit that which is seen as all the negative attributes of a otherwise healthy society. So the Ego in essence is the victim, both taunted and seduced, victor and victim villain and hero, and with no-one to break the cycle it is kept in a trance of self indulgence, and obligatory pandering for necessity.

This may give you some insight into why it is crucial for us to become impartial observers.first and foremost. The only way to break a cycle is to have the capacity to stand outside of it, and the only thing that will prevent you from achieving that is to authorize any of the "Hesitant natures" to participate in the exercise. Again this should not be difficult, because as we learned in the previous lesson, our goal is the free flow of the individual through all of its "nature states". This momentum alone when conditioned will have us aligned with the most effective nature to utilize in any circumstance. It also assures that if we succumb to the cumulative persuasions of the ego state, we are not stuck in the endless loop, but ferried to an area where we can formulate resolve. The individual then gains equilibrium, and the pendulum no longer provides the transportation.                                 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #14

Navigating emotions, the double edged sword:

If we have been open and receptive to the scope of this project, we will have set aside preconceived notions, defensive prerequisites and affirmed to ourselves this is about discovery not change. So inasmuch, we are not concerned with negotiation, because we are not being asked to surrender anything. It is also hoped that the reader will have had the opportunity to put into practice some of the fundamental elements the previous steps have outlined. Without these steps being utilized continuing would be pointless because, like stepping stones each may be different, but each one is essential to the sequential progress of our journey.

Today we will focus on the region of our natures that presents the most challenge in our daily lives, the grouping we have agreed upon to be known as the "Hesitant natures".  Each one of us will have assembled the subset of natures we have placed in this category, they should include (as outlined in the example) the  more irrational emotions, anxieties, fears and deep seated resentments and convictions, in short we are entering the throne room of the EGO. It has often been cautioned by scholarly advocates not to approach this facet of our nature naively, which is good advise. But we are not there to challenge the authority of the King, so we should be allowed audience today. It is also hoped that we will have had an experience, where-upon having found ourselves engaged emotionally in this nature state, that we also, at any point during, actively reflected on our involvement, or questioned the emotional response, and sought to investigate its trigger. If we consciously sought to do this then we have started the process of  un-autonomization, and will over successive attempts change the process of how we consciously move in and out of these nature states. A huge awakening of our overall individual nature indeed.

Continuing on let us use for an example the emotion of "Anger" or "ANGER" or "A@#$N!@G%E#@R" !! these emotions work on the cumulative principle. Although knowing the antecedent behavior of this nature's characteristics would be valuable, this is not our intention at this time. What we are interested in is the unconscious trigger. What moves us from a state of conscious control to emotional surrender? This is where it becomes challenging, for the more we become an impartial observer, the more we witness that the terms like "You have every right to be angry" literally mean "You have every right to be angry" and not "the totally irrational behavior you just demonstrated was justified". What is critical here is to diffuse anger not suppress it. And we do this by following some very old and well documented advice "We count to ten" , "Take two" ,"Walk away". Why? It gives us a chance to regain control and move our conscious awareness to our "Neutral nature state" where we can assess, consider, and construct a path forward. Still angry, but still in control. When we collapse into a state of emotional free-fall, the only tools we have to work with are the tools within that nature state we are in. Anger escalates, or what is more often the case oscillates between a volley of anger-fear-timidity or rage, and either blows itself out, crash lands, or ends in serious upheaval. If we can diffuse this before it closes the gate and leaves us as the helpless victim of circumstance, we become an angered individual instead of a victim of an angry outburst. This is again just one more example where simple awareness alone can keep us in control and increase our control of any situation.

Seeing this from a relaxed observer state, is quite simple, enacting it when the situation arises is the challenge. The best way to condition this behavior is to practice on past events, identifying the triggers, associating the range of emotions involved, and finally rewriting the ending. Now you have a choice. And that choice can be used as your own trigger when a future event occurs. With which edge of the sword you strike with will determine your victory. But "You" will be wielding the sword, so the choice of action should be obvious.

              

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #13  

The paradox of persuasion:

At a point in time, its causal nature known exclusively only to us, but yet, communicably not unlike a virus spread in a wave of mass agreement, the normative conscious around us was shifted. And equally similar to the many shifts that have occurred over time from one state of cultural normalcy to another, we stood on a plateau still unaware that it was of our own construct, and were humbled by the realization of how insignificant we were in comparison to how vast the perceived reality around us was.  We all have, or will take this journey, because this is an intrinsic part of our makeup as humans. Our erring in choice comes when we are persuaded  to abandon self in favor of something else, and there is no shortage of these types of persuasions,or those that would seek to persuade us, in this construct we call reality.

Now also, we must, we have or we will come to the realization that all we have, all we know is but a reiterating of what was previously concluded and what was previously known. This of course is aside from technological advances, aside from astrological, scientific, or medical advances. The self and the understanding of the self is much different in these regards. The universal truth is that the journey to self is a processional journey, one that is realized only when the realization comes from within, and this can only occur when the self is rightly ordered, and when we have the capacity to cement this in our authoritative position as an individual. The antithetical expression of this realization, to the abandoned self though, is most often a state of melancholy or depression, or the preoccupation in mundane stimulus or consumerism.

Equally the seeming paradox continues when we also come to the realization that the only way to regain or maintain our status as individuals, is to persuade ourselves that our answer to the question is that we were designed to ask questions. And questioning is our purpose and answers are the effluent effects of our questions. There is no ultimate answer, and knowing all the answers will not bring peace, but only boredom.
This certainly is not a new premise or postulate, it is many a millennium old, and for the same expanse in time reiterated and reiterated a multitude of times, in a multitude of ways..

What we have become in our current society is, again, the antithesis of what we were intentioned to be. We have become a society that expects and receives answers. Again the ubiquitous paradox returns; If we are a society demanding answers, then we must be a society asking  questions right? Wrong! We are given the answers to questions that are originated from the same source that is supplying the answers. An example of this rhetorical slight of hand is when a politician or a propagandist declares, "People demanded we be tough on crime, and we were quick to answer, with building more prisons."  Incrementally we have been downgraded in our society to a drone work force, and being held in that state of equilibrium by the illusion of democratic rule and paltry rewards. The critical error in this ideology is that, when the questions originate from the same source as the answers, the questions offered are usually only to meet the self interest of that body. Increasingly the needs of the society are neglected, there is a growing gap between the needs of the select few who formulate the ruse, and the rest of society, and eventually the society erodes or collapses. Again not a new postulate, but one that has been proven and demonstrated time and time again.

At a point in time we as a society were persuaded that the answers we seek were beyond our capacity, government grew. Tyrannical rule was refined to a palatable state for mass consumption. Obstruction and distraction played devils advocate and the disappearing elephant rouse became the parlour trick of every financier, corporation and government body. The grave problem is that we now have all these suspended elephants looming in every corner of our existence, and the one law you cannot change or manipulate for ever is the law of gravity. So the inevitability we face now is not expecting answers as to why, or shelters capable of withstanding falling elephants, but of the realization, that if we don't change the rules with which the game is played. We will be crushed. Not as an act of intention, but as a result of denial.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #12 

 Alignment, and the internalizing of authority:

 Since the beginning of the project our focus has been to bring self awareness to the complexity of our being, but at the same time adopt a simplistic method by which we could undertake a critical examination of it. The key as previously expressed, is to do this without the fetters of emotional culpability, or assignation of any form of goal setting or reparations. That being said we must now work to establish a  linear mapping of our natures. For consistency we will agree to adopt the three primary nature states. Those being, as laid out in Step #5  an inquisitive state, a hesitant state, and an neutral state. Under these we will list the elements of our natures as we see them. We can compile these columns by asking ourselves the simple question; "My inquisitive nature is comprised of these elements" etc ,etc. This is only a guideline, feel free to document your critical examination in any way that you  feel will be the most beneficial to you.. The request to keep the natures identifiable by predetermined primary groups is only for functional communication in the progress of the project.

Once we have completed this task, we should have  three columns listing the elements we have assigned to the various nature states. An example would be:

Inquisitive State:

• Intellect

• Education

• Career aspiration

• Awareness

• Social Conscious

• Growth and Commitment

•  Legacy

Hesitant State:

• Fear

• Insecurity

• Anxiety

• Complacency

• Caution

• Ignorance

• Arrogance

• Egotism 

• False pride

• Anger

• Frustration

Neutral State:

• Balance

• Moderation

• Reflection

• Consideration

• Inspiration

• Regeneration

The complexity of each category can be as intricate or as minimal as meets your current make-up. If you are the type of person who currently has a very unstable life and are prone to swings in mood, then the more detail will allow you a better way of assessing the transitional nature of your mood swings. The most important benefit to this is,  that even if you put little effort into this first step, what it is going to do is create an isolation point that can, through practice, interrupt the autonomic habit of letting your expressed nature state define you. Instead  you can experience the nature state, and consciously experience the practice of working it through to resolution.

You will find once again that the focus of this exercise is not proactive but reflective. When we begin to perpetuate an aura of self awareness in what we have been lapse, conditioned to, or indoctrinated into, we will begin to regain or instill in ourselves a new found sense of individuality. We will in fact become humans being not humans doing.

Today we should practice identifying the transitional shifts, mood swings,creative sparks and periods of reflection. What precipitates them? Are there antecedents,individuals,or environments that excel or repel them? Are these dependent shifts or independent? are we conscious of the shifts, or do we gain awareness of them either at their zenith or identify them only after the fact? This critical awareness will become second nature over time if you practice, but first we will have to initiate the actions by causal reminder. This will be neither challenging or invasive to us because we have agreed just to be the observer for now. 

    

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #11

Unmasking the behavior of natures:

We tend to have a paradoxical understanding of our natures. On the one hand we have no conflict discerning the difference between emotional traits, intellectual pursuits, or physical desires. But when it comes to the administration of these traits, pursuits and desires (natures), each one will have their own opinion on the motivational functioning or reasoning of them, and the rational dispensing of their outward manifestation in our daily lives. Now it is true as previously mentioned, that we, each of us, are uniquely wired, but with respect to the formation of our intrinsic natures, we are very much the same. We previously used the analogy of all possessing the same operating system, and as a purely vanilla wrapper of sorts, this fits well.

So if we continue to use this example, we find our lowest common denominator when expressing our functional behavior, as being the result of a set of responsive reactions to an equal set of stimuli, and those responses correlating to a stored sub-routine of conditioned behaviors (natures). How do we validate these behaviors, so that they develop into what we express in this project as natures? I think the easiest and best example to use is the algorithmic structure of the search engine.  In its simplest function a search engines ranking is based on a simple rule, "That the more people who search after a common object, and find that common object in a specific location, that specific location will tend to be the most accurate or suitable one."

And the way we store and hierarchically order, authenticate, and prioritize the sum that we will form as the basis of our natures will be aggregated in a similar fashion. This purely mechanical truism should not be rejected because of its apparent simplicity. What we are seeking to do in this experiment, is to unmask the shrouded complexity of years of layered conditioning, that we neither want to, at this time, criticize or condemn, reject or approve, but merely expose. And in the instant that we can accept the methodology by which our natures are conditioned, then, not only can we make any corrections necessary, but most importantly we can easily acknowledge when attempts are made to force this conditioning on us by external influences.

The complexity alluded to in regards to the forming of our existing natures, make no mistake, will not be an easy task to unmask. What we are approaching to do is set aside every preconceived notion of what our fabric as an individual is, (in our current state of awareness) and stand as an outside observer, and examine its foundation. This is why it is critical not to embrace any notions of undertaking any reparation at this time. Neither is it wise to set aside any faith-based, long-held beliefs, or convictions how ever formed, on the preemptive discoveries you are about to unfold. This is not about abandoning oneself in favor of another, but of uniting the many selves in a newly empowered self awareness.  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #10

Self, individuality, and the manipulation of choice:

 

One of the most common precepts when trying to justify the relinquishing of individuality, is, that one should relinquish self in favor of the collective of community. Whether this is conspired politically or asserted through moral or subjugate authority, it is erroneous and wrong. Many a scholar and learned author has reiterated this objection over the millennium milestones of mans societal cohabitation, but yet the argument still resurfaces and occasionally gains popular support.

The inherent reason, possibly one of many, no doubt; is that our natures will tend to sacrifice a little liberty, for comfort. And as the famous quote attests: "When we do this we deserve neither", what rightly should be asserted is that self empowered, self aware and self motivated individuals do not need to be compelled to act  with social cohesion, they do it autonomously. Why? They are managing their natures, not responding with them. The key to our success is yet another seemingly contradictory assertion, that being: That we must separate to gain individuality, yet that separateness must be subjugated by an overseer which is you.

Confused? lets unpack it. First and foremost is the clarification of the selves (natures) that make up the self which is the individual. Lets take a simple example: Often those that would seek to oppress or manipulate you  will appeal to these natures, thus giving them (the isolated natures) an empowered sense of hierarchical authority, and in this way isolate the individual and allow them to be defined by this nature, and in so doing transfer their authority (the individuals) through the nature to the oppressor. We see this tactic being used in todays society with calculated preciseness,  and make no mistake it is incredibly effective, and deceptively subliminal.  Its perpetrators can utilize it without ever feeling the threat of exposure for the deception, because it is done not only with compliant approval of the target (the isolated individual) it is done with their full consent and approval.

Again yet another example of where awareness alone can circumvent the deception, with-out any form of rebellion or confrontation, simply by empowering yourself with this simple knowledge, you can avoid the entrapment. 

Within the scope of the project it  was never intentioned that it would be a conclusive in-depth approach to self-awareness, self realization or liberation. We are complex individuals, each with its own unique structure and capacity. But the one thing we do share is a common operating system. These examples that are put forward, are presented in the hope that an individual can reflect on them, and where applicable see the correlation between elements of their personal make-up, and take steps to align solidify and order their individual natures to be a force working for them, not acting on them.

 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #9 

Discerning Motives & Methods:

Each one of us, is a skilled negotiator when interacting within the realm of our inner natures. We have, for instance no problem when desire elements of our natures request attention. Instantly based on our approval or disapproval of the desire state, will immediately offer up to ourselves justification for the action, or likewise justification for the rejection of the action. When this is under our control we form beneficial habits, when not in our control we develop addictive behaviors and compulsive actions.  We are inundated in our current societal status-quo with the addictive properties of many of the things we consume. But seldom is there ever a focus on the nature of addiction and the psychological antecedents that act as the catalyst for these external elements.

Again, and just to reiterate, the scope of these steps is not to alter our behavior, but to bring us back to, or make us aware of, our behavior, and once illumined, the course of action will be obvious and committed without question, simply because it will be the logical thing to do.

As an example, society has over the last decade or so changed it's tolerance for the unhealthy habit of smoking. There is little doubt within the mind of  the non-smoker or the smoker that this is indeed an unhealthy habit. Why do people still do it? The answer? Addiction! But not because the properties of these substances are indeed insurmountable to all except those of incredible stamina and determination, but because the labeling of the action as addiction has surrendered the authority to an external source. The individual then is relieved of the moral obligation to cease the unhealthy behavior  because it is not them, it is the addiction!

In order to reclaim our absolute authority in things concerning the self. we must be thorough in our discerning of the motives and methods that we operate on during the course of any one day. We must take time each day for critical analysis of our actions, and be willing to acknowledge without guilt or justification the errant behavior and what steps led to it, and what actions could be utilized in future to avoid it. Repeated errant behavior should never be written off as hopeless or futile, but worked through until mastered. The most gravest of errors occurs when we externalize, justify, or identify these actions as beyond our control or capacity. Nothing in regards to the self, is insurmountable. Accept this premise, and you will reclaim your individuality.      

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #8

Growth & Rebirth:

Individuality is a process of continual growth. Socially, culturally , intellectually our spirit compels us to grow.. When we do not embrace or acknowledge that spirit, stagnation occurs and we lapse into a cycle of spiritual redundancy. Many if not all of the ills of our society can be found locked in the endless loop of this state. To go into each of these maladies is not our intention or scope. What ever hinders spiritual growth, understanding and identifying it is a critical step in the process of escaping the stagnation that the individual experiences, but for the purposes of this lesson we simply choose to accept the errant direction of our past actions or state of mind, acknowledge it and move on. We do this because as we discovered in our last lesson, our periods of rest that we experience in our neutral state give us an incorporated time of reflection without the derogatory associations that our hesitant nature state will often color our decisions, movements and actions with..

This notion of abandoning guilt is something very new to us now. So long have we been prisoners of the endless ebb and flow of externalized authority, with all its oppressive dictates, connotations and penalties, that the notion of self rule, even in-its-self, seems to conjure up feelings of rebellion. This is not rebellion, but liberation, there is a difference! But with it also come a new found responsibility, self accountability.

The rebirth we now experience as self-accountable individuals separates us from the herd. And this new way of viewing our environment seems alienating for the interim, this is natural, but should be clarified.. First of all it is not new, in the sense of being something that we must adopt, it is simply something that we abandoned through our own lax outlook, or was obscured by the manipulative nature of our externalized societal influence.. Which ever the case, we are now free of its influence, if we will continue on our path of reclaiming our inalienable right to individuality.

Learning to present yourself as an individual in today's society, will conflict, there is no doubt about that. Society for the most part, has narrowed the scope of expression to a dualistic paradigm. feigning this ideal that acting with a global conscience, is the way to peaceful cohabitation, but the truth is, it is just the opposite. It is the kettling of individuals for marketability, merchantability and manipulation en-masse of populations. That should be quite evident to anyone today.

When we start expressing ourselves as individuals, who through the principles of self accountability, with envisioned ideals that focus on self empowerment, self sustainability and self management. We can turn the tides of the doomsday machine that is in overdrive now. The many selves who by their very narrative want for others what they wish for themselves. This is not an unworkable ideology, We have only been conditioned to believe so.  Will you stand united by the one, and prove them wrong?. 

 .     

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #7

Rest:

Rest, true rest, is a somewhat of a perplexing paradox on our journey. It has been what seems like an insurmountable struggle to regain our momentum, and now finally in motion we are asked to rest. But the rest we are seeking today is not the rest of the body, nor of the mind, but of the self against the notion that it is under attack and must keep vigil or face defeat, subjugation or annihilation. Awareness of our true nature requires a tremendous effort and conviction within the realm of self,but it also requires a surrender of our perceived self to that which is our true nature. If this all sounds a bit too esoteric for your liking, accept our apology, but unfortunately there is no other way that one could describe it, the aloof simplicity will make absolute sense to you as you surrender more to your true nature and not the illusion that has been built up to mask it.

Many writings, in many cultures, in many epochs, since the dawn of man have spoke of this rest. This, as is the case with all, is just a reiteration of that truth.. Not new, could never be, because that would associate it with the illusion of time, and time has no meaning for the soul. Today we would rest from the notion of being in control. In its most simplistic example, today, when your environment dictates that you should respond in such fashion, [as you normally would] pause, and motion your true nature to reveal the correct response to you. There are no magic words, no mantras, no implements no ceremony,  just rest. The results may vary from individual to individual. for some the chaos of thought, will be too much to bear, for some the scrambling of the natures will seem like the  scrambling of individuals out of a dangerous situation. and for some the promptings of those same natures will precipitate a capitulation.. If any of these do occur then congratulations the operation was a success, and the patient will live.

If we are ever to gain control over a situation, we must be sure that we have control over ourselves. We cannot do this by vigilance alone, nor discipline, nor stamina,. these all fall with in the subordinate realm of our natures. What we need is the rest offered in the neutral zone spoken of  earlier in step #5. When we put this into practice in our everyday lives, we will begin to see a change in our lives. Today we will rest in calm assurance that what every crosses our path has a solution because we are now aware of what we have and which necessary action is required.. 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #6

Symbiosis:

 The dictionary defines symbiosis as: "The state of living together in more or less intimate association" Through our process of discovery, if we have adopted the role of managerial overseer of the self which is the true symbiotic state of our individuality. Then we have, or are in the process of realigning and prioritizing the course of our daily interactions. Our worlds have becomes far less restrictive, far more insight filled and the challenge of life is now met with an aura of intrigue and assurance; even if that assurance hangs by the tendrils of the finest strands of reason, we have accepted it as truth therefore it cannot be untrue. Such is the law of self.

Many at this juncture will be met with the impulse to accelerate the process of self actualization, after all a sense of urgency compels us to make up for lost time. You should be cautious not to adopt this errant notion. Time is a variable in our externalized activities, time is nothing more than the draw string that keeps the drapes apart and lets the sun stream into the room. The time at which the curtains shall be drawn is beyond our control, but sadly for some the acceptance of this is too great to bear, and tragically for them  they draw them, themselves. The mischevious nature of time is well captured in this poem by Harvey Scott:

I saw the old thief, Father Time,
Came hurtling down the road,
He had a sack upon his back;
Lost minutes were his load,
He opened it and showed to me,
Not minutes, but a host,
Of years, decades a century
Or more of minutes lost,
"I want to buy a year," I said,
"And I shall pay you well."
"If this Earth's mould were finest gold,
to you I would not sell,
For I have minutes stolen from Kings,
From Milton, Shakespeare and Bach,
How could you buy such precious things,
Your common gold is trash?"
He tied his sack and said,
"Farewell, young man, I have got my fee."
For while I tried to make him sell,
He stole an hour from me.  - Harvey Scott

Today will bring the calm assurance that the past how ever cluttered, cherished or in-between has been swept away from us by Father time. All encased in the fabric of our existence, there as a reflection but never again a reality. This moment, as many a traveler has mentioned, is all that reality offers to us to mold. So with your fine crew, set sail on this day, the captain of your ship, the crew under your command.  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #5

Self this is self:

As previously mentioned, we are many selves within ourselves. This is not an analogous reference, but a fact of our makeup as evolved social beings. Our emotional nature is comprised of three basic states of being. an inquisitive state, a hesitant state, and an neutral state . In our inquisitive nature resides the facets of  learning, exploration, maturation, social expression, creativity, community. Our hesitant state is the realm of our more restrictive natures of fear, anxiety, resentment, resistance, anger, timidity reclusive behavior and psychosis. and finally our neutral state is where we find Balance, moderate behavior, planning and analytical and observational skills. 

Each individual will, based on their environment, social upbringing and conditioning, traverse this matrix of  the self,  and the cumulative end result will be "you". Extremes in any of the facets will become dominant traits that identify the individual. This is where the detrimental isolate characterization of the individual becomes skewed, and what should be identified as a  behavioral state, becomes a label for an individual trait. Now whether this polarized identification is of a positive or negative attribute, does not really matter, because in reality they both end up causing a state of being that does not allow the individual to freely triangulate within the normal bounds of the harmonious states of being, previously discussed..

This basic premise fully realized, would if properly interpreted to every individual make it nearly impossible for anyone to succumb to a state of mental duress. Unfortunately there are physical, environmental and genetic predispositions in our current state that complicate the lives of some, and that we have yet to find effective therapies for..  I only mention this to clarify my position that the scope of this project mainly focuses on individuals who do not possess such unfortunate psychological infirmities, but if approached with assistance, compassion and patience, it could indeed improve the quality of their lives also.

Why did I feel it necessary to mention the above? Primarily to affirm to you, that you reside in a perfect state of being. It is identical to the state of being of the individual beside you, behind you and before you. What has happened though to many, is, they have become isolated from that realization, and in so much become isolated from their true self aware natures. And the stranger this premise sounds to you, the more you really need to sift through it, deconstruct it, or construct it in a manner that will resonate with you. because it is truth, I did not design its framework, nor hypothesize it , I merely accepted it.  Do likewise and you may bump into someone, and that someone may be you. 



    .   

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #4

 Approaching the onion:

Systematic ideology can tend to make individuals apprehensive of participation, for after-all aren't we attempting to break-away from the machine, not become entwined in it? Not so. Every awakened individual needs a baseline, a reference point, a standard for evident normalcy regarding their position; what ever it may be at the time. What we must avoid at all cost during our journey to self awareness or self reclamation is the errant ubiquitous human compulsion to pendulum logic and pendulum reaction. In grasping this alone we can break free from the clandestine cycle of conditioned reaction and compliant participation.

How do we establish a baseline that is truly an expression of individual choice? We do this by first investigating the matrix of the many selves that make up the self, the individual that is you. Once we have a clearer grasp of what constitutes individuality, we can then easily throttle many of the emotional, physical, and psychological roadblocks that we circumvent unknowingly during the course of any-one day.

Many scholarly individuals have produced models of the make-up of the individual. Some through religion, some through discipline, and many through philosophical, literary or poetic discourses. All have their intrinsic truths. The key to valued application of these principles in our lives is to nourish ourselves with the truisms contained therein, and not enamor ourselves with the prestige with which these writings meet with the approval of society at large. Truth is truth however packaged, discerning that truth is your obligation and your path to individual freedom.

Today's exercise is a simple introduction, but yet critical to the awareness of the individual we would wish to re-unite. It was never lost just un-managed. Like a poorly run event, organization or community, for all intents and purposes operating and functioning on a daily basis autonomously, but when the chaos of rush hour ensues, or the photo-copier jams, or an event is seemingly beyond our control or grasp, the many selves scramble to offer there retributive courses of action, and we are left at the mercy of which ever one screams loudest. Understanding that, and working to peel away the many layers of self, not to purge, not to abandon, not to scold or condemn, but simply to introduce yourself and then introduce your authority.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #3

Acceptance:

No project, idea, or commitment can move forward until an individual accepts that the problem does indeed exist. When dealing with social issues or psychological issues the extent of the problem becomes skewed because many problematic layers, conditions and probable solutions are evident The rule of one size fits all that this era has indoctrinated many if not all to believe is the only way to resolve a solution, is not only ineffective it further compounds the problem with futility and financial burden.

Gaining now from our newly reclaimed individuality we move on to acceptance. In what ever station of life that may find you, the motive is not to identify the problem but to simply accept that a problem may exist. Now it is time for a non-critical evaluation of your life and role in society. A seldom realized or communicated principle in group conscious today, is the notion of the individual in the society. Society for the most part today, is the obligatory contribution to the sustenance of the model and infrastructure, and not to the health or the true nature of what a functioning societal model really is.

Prospering societies do-not exist when the needs of everyone are met by the society, but when the health of the society creates, on its own, the opportunity for the needs of everyone in it, to be met. In a functioning society individuality is the pinnacle of the idealism. Empowered individuals willingly participating for the betterment of all. When all are respected in what ever station of life they chooses to resonate on, this defines a functioning society.

The logic of our current society vilified the former terms of classes in society and set one bar, and one trajectory for all. You are measured as a success if you own this, have this, or achieved this, and if you don't you have no-one to blame but yourself because we gave you the freedom to do so. and then to further compound it they established an equally dysfunctional social system to compensate for the unworkability of the model and idealism they set up. The result? incredible burden and debt, class division where supposedly no classes exist, and the total alienation of the individual from society, and the society transformed into a ever watching nanny-state,

There was a popular quip that floated around and probably still does, that went "If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

Never has that resonated so truthfully as seen in the light of today's society. We all need to pick up our polls and start fishing again. You may on occasion come back from the beach empty handed sometimes, but on the days that were bountiful and you shared with your neighbor, rest assure he will be only too willing to share with you. That is community, that is society. The current model promises you that fish will always be there! and at election time maybe even two, but the reality is one day you will go to the store and see a sign and a line The sign will say "No fish" the line will be chanting angry slogans about the lies they were told. Don't be lied to any more. You are the solution go fish.