How will you be this year... really?

We’re almost three weeks into the new year and resolves for new intentions are still strong. The resolve is strengthened when we reflect on the events and energies of 2009 — truly a horrible year. It was a year charged with negative and lower energies of greed, power, corruption, selfishness, destruction, mass murder, suffering and pain. The end of the year also had the Hollywood movie 2012 showing the cataclysmic destruction of the world. No, I chose not to watch the movie — only because I felt I wanted to continue seeing the beauty of our world and planet growing, blossoming and not destroyed. And also because I know that the events of 2012 (two years away from now), will not be so much about the exaggerated destruction of the physical world as the movie showed it, but a shift away from the kind of world we are living in: an egoistic world that is plugged into materialistic values that defines the physical world and all its expressions as the ONLY reality. The wisdom of 2012 as how the Mayan civilization and many other ancient cultures have recorded and shared with us through time, is that Earth is ending a cycle and a new one is about to begin. The process culminating in the winter solstice date Dec. 21, 2012 is the omega point of the shift in consciousness towards a radical transformation that sees everything from a spiritual and cosmic level.

In the face of such seeming overwhelming energies and overpowering changes manifesting today, what can we each do? Let’s take a look at some directions for changes we can really begin to embrace this year.

Have an intention. Let us intend our day. Intention is a conscious action. Make this a habit. During all moments of the day, try to think, call-in and visualize all that is positive for growth. Let’s use this power of intention to change the fundamental program of stress that linear time and the materialistic value choices give us daily.

Make a choice: Shift. The shift in consciousness is to understand that we can change all the negativities, chaos, dramas, suffering and pain by stepping out of it and above it. This will take effort to do, but we must repeatedly keep trying until it becomes a habit. One part of the shift is to change our idea of time… meaning, finding that timeless moments to go into our inner space, not only in meditation, but also in action. Stay in the present, in the awareness of just being… we can do this as we move through daily life and more so when the external demands of the outside world come at us.

Change the program. The outer world gets processed in us as we observe life through our five senses. We get caught up so intensely with the material, physical life which we perceive as real. We need to develop our sixth sense and more, to help us get out of this existing program. There needs to be a stronger desire to transform our inner programs so we can likewise transform the outer world and change it to make it more positive. We must take the responsibility of living “upward” through joy and harmony, of being positive, of flowing with the higher energies coming into our Earth today. Our program is so deeply plugged into our present reality that we forget to really look at the purpose of our lives. Is it to make children, work, buy products, watch TV? — NO! But we need to seriously ask ourselves these questions. Are we repeating habit patterns, going down the same old road of the psyche time after time, never learning lessons? Are we supposed to allow to continue destroying the Earth due to our inability to stop or change systems we all create? Do we constantly retreat back to the familiar, to what is self-indulgent and self gratifying?

Watch what arises. Watching what arises signifies that we have shifted our perception from “my story” or “me” to a clearer realization that there is something bigger and more vast outside us and our little ego dramas. Meditative practices allow us to go beyond the mind and watch the dramas that unfold, our emotions that run havoc, see our desires, illusions and fears. We can watch what arises in the presence of just ”being.”

Join groups with higher purposes. We can help our shift by joining and collaborations with like-minded people, forming groups that look towards positive change. When we cultivate relationships with other individuals or groups who share these higher values, perspectives and insights, we sustain continuous growth.

Begin a spiritual discipline. The energies of this year will accelerate as our bodies are given new frequencies, higher ones. We need to have a rudder to guide us. And it really is all about balance. Living a wholistic, healthy, positive life, with a combination of physical exercise, a healthy diet with less meats and processed foods, religious or spiritual practices, life enhancing family relations and friendships, challenging work that we can enjoy and grow with, quiet time daily for inner work to check the state of our hearts and minds, joining collaborative efforts towards making our communities and planet a better place — all these when consciously scheduled and worked on diligently will raise energy levels.

2010 is just beginning. How will you be this year?

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(Look towards beginning a spiritual discipline this 2010. Check out Yoga Manila’s Beginner Grounding Workshop which I will be teaching on four Saturdays of February in Ayala Alabang. Visit www.yogamanila.com, e-mail info@yogamanila.com or call 0918-9075377.)

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(Transformational speaker and Kabbalah authority Yehuda Berg will launch his book entitled “The Power to Change Everything” tomorrow as part of his Asian Tour. Register for the free lecture. Call 0920-9029008 for more information.)