Here is a brief thought that I wrote down for myself the other day and I wanted to share it with you…I modified it to the third person.
You are abundantly provided for and have all things in your life to support and nurture your soul, body and god given gifts. This promise shall endure all the days of your life here on Earth. You are capable of a beautiful, divine existence that emanates love and are a wonderful, worthy being of splendor with a right and purpose to live joy and discover your god force.
Life is less serious than we make it, more meaningful than we know, and a journey best experienced with all senses opened.
This is a mantra that I am carrying with me in my pocket and I hope that if it resonates with you.
Blessings,
Andrew
We have been connecting to each other as human beings since our existence as a species. So what is it that is different now as opposed to thousands of years ago? There is a positive and negative aspect to every situation, depending on how you look at it. Technology and tools are one of the largest differences that are an essential part of our lives today, and another very important difference are the levels of awareness or understanding of ourselves that has occurred throughout our evolution up to this present moment.
This is such a beautiful time to be alive. So many possibilities and so many ways to find and connect to other beings who share our intention and vibrational energy.
Although we are living more separate lives than ever before, we are also seeking to connect like never before. The interesting thing about this disparity is that tools and technology can be a double-edged sword which keep us from allowing this desired connection to happen. Yes, we want to connect and reach people and yet we also want to be isolated, not let people get too close, and keep ourselves protected. This second set of protection instincts can be very easily enacted in today’s world. In ages past it was a tribe that would keep you safe. The individual being on his own and isolated was against the norm. Community with daily interaction was a way of existence. In today’s world it is this fundamental paradox of wanting space while wanting to be connected that leaves us feeling as if we are pulling in two separate directions, and indeed we are. We want one thing and yet fear it happening at the same time due to all of the new scenarios that might take place, or new situations we might be presented with that feel threatening or uncertain.
It would seem that by overcoming this discomfort and finding ways to embrace and connect to humanity, we can return to a space where community and support can enhance our lives and help us grow. Rather than having to be connected as a necessary means for survival, we are able to selectively find those who are in alignment with our beliefs and vibrations, who can help us reach higher levels of awareness of our true nature and gifts here on this earth.
The aspect which pulls us toward new things and growth is our higher self, which operates beyond the physical form. The other aspect, which fears change and seeks to keep things the same, is our human mind, which is a fundamental component to our physical form. The human mind seeks to keep the physical form safe and alive. It perceives any threats to its physio-emotional being and then creates a defense structure to keep those things that made for unfavorable experiences from happening again. These defenses are built up within the mind and create patterns of our behavior, what we know and define as ‘us’. The mind doesn’t want to accept that there is indeed no ‘us’, but rather a continual opportunity to evolve and redefine our mind-body existence. This evolutional ability is our innate guidance to become more aware and in-tune with our higher selves.
It is through the higher self that we begin to open and attract all the things that we truly want to be in a state of joy, peace, love and goodness. Feeling good and enjoying life is the sole reason for our journey here on earth. We are here to have a wonderful human experience and realize that by connecting to these other human beings, who are also having wonderful human experiences, we will grow in leaps and bounds and continue to become more and more aware of our purpose and potential while here on planet earth.
By coming to a clearer understanding of this higher self and creating a space to listen to it and allow it to bring all that you want into your life, you then begin to attract people and things into your environment that will accelerate you toward this joy. Your potential is unlimited but your mind only knows limits. This opposite nature can leave you trapped within the mind. So go beyond the mind and embrace believing things before you see them. This is potential. Potential exists before it is ever seen or quantifiable. The fact is that nothing you want can ever be as long as your mind is focussed on the fact that it isn’t there. You must see your potential and know it is there and trust that each moment you are moving closer and closer to it.
It isn’t always easy to put these actions in place and can often feel like a struggle. By continuing to trust in the purpose of your life and the synchronicity of connections that come into it you can forge through these states of mind distraction, which create doubt, fear and uncertainty as to where you’re going. We are here, existing in this moment, with love, joy and peace surrounding us at all times if we will be access it.
Blessings to you on your journey.
As I type this I am sitting in a restaurant basking in tiredness and also in gratitude. Why am I tired and grateful?
A night spent sitting on park benches and finding places to eat to keep yourself awake is taxing and I wouldn’t recommend it for daily living. However, this has given me a chance to reflect on life, human connection and the vastly different environments in which we as human beings can and do survive.
You see I am not under any great plight and don’t face any serious burdens or obstacles in my life. I am merely, at current, without a place to put my things or lay my head and that’s okay. Despite some of the uncertainty and fear that goes along with not having a place to live, there is also an under-current of gratitude. Gratitude for my existence and ability to appreciate all that I have been given, which has brought me up to this point in my life.
Earlier this morning, while in this same restaurant, I was eavesdropping on a meeting between two former actors and theater gentlemen who were discussing possibly joining forces to help bring a major play to fruition. This play has been in the works for 7 years and a ton of labor and love have been put into it. As I listened to these men recant industry tales and shared connections, I was deeply touched by the wonder of this life. Our ability to interweave with separate lives and accomplish things with and through these lives is profound. In fact, much of my journey through life has been accomplished with the help and support of others.
If I had come into this world alone and had to learn everything from scratch, I’d probably just now, at the age of 29, have my head wrapped around changing my own diaper. I am extremely grateful for all this assistance through my journey. Perhaps it is because of this gratitude and exhaustion that I was able to be open and strike upon a conversation that could yield a solution to my current situation.
A short while after my theater gentlemen left, a man came up and asked if he could share my table. You see I am sitting at a very comfortable booth meant for four and I’m hogging the whole thing, but to be fair, it was the only table with a plug, which I must have to continue these computer endeavors. I was clicking away online, looking for a place to live and glancing up at this gentleman across from me. When his food arrived I decided that I would stop, lower my computer screen and ask him what he was having. This action began a conversation, a shared connection. Anyhow, to cut to the chase, my new conversationalist tells me of his work, his spirituality and some of his life. I in turn share some of mine and we arrive upon the fact that I’m looking for a place and am without shelter.
As it turns out, this fellow has a room he is strongly considering renting in a great location here in NYC and also at a really great price. A price that is within my budget and will allow me to also save money for my trip to Egypt in March. Now I don’t know if this will work out, but the synchronicity of the moment has left me knowing the Universe will continue to provide for me and that I will be alright.
Sometimes a challenging experience can help you come through and see just how much more challenging it could be and that despite all this there is support and opportunities if you will just open yourself up to others.
Today I learned a lesson of what can happen when I stop what I’m wrapped up in and take the time to connect to another human being.
While I was doing a meditation on Egypt and the Sphinx specifically, I had these thoughts come through to me and wanted to share them with you.
- Everything is a tool.
- There is no identity.
- It is all about opening people’s hearts.
- This is the purpose of human life and why we continue to incarnate on this earth.
- We are learning of our true nature, potential and purpose.
- We are here to evolve humanity and create a new human earth that mirrors the peace, love and serenity of Mother Earth.
I would like to share with you a new way of thinking, a way of watching your mind and learning how to hold it under your control and exert Ninja like mastery in your daily life.
Of all the experiences we have in life and the paths we find ourselves traveling, none is of more importance than the human mind. It is the road map for where we have been and where we are going. Without taking precise control of this mind, it is as though one is wandering the desert and hoping to happen upon an oasis to re-plensish, re-build and nurture the self, only to return to wandering the desert again, moving further and further along the dunes of life.
This would seem like madness, and yet it is exactly where we find ourselves to be. Occasionally, you may get a glimpse of your thoughts in action and perhaps you then feel an identification with them or an alienation from them. At times the voice can seem to say things in argument, and sometimes this voice will be a voice of affirmation. What is missing from this example is the state where the voice stands still, where it is observed even before it becomes an internal thought.
This technique or ability to be the observer of thought is Ninja Mind Mastery and is the number one way to create the life you want and live right now, in this moment and in peace.
Here then are three simple techniques that will help you begin to become the Ninja Master of your mind.
1. The Breath: Take note of your physical body, wherever you might find yourself, and breathe in deeply. While you are breathing, let your body relax and feel the air as it expands your belly outward and then again as the air leaves your body, pay close attention. Repeat this process until you become conscious of your breath as the focus of your mind. The internal voice becomes silent…can you feel that?
2. The Iron Wall: Picture your mind as a space that exists inside your head. A cavity that fills the entire inside of your skull from your ears upward. Imagine that in this cavity you can see every thought that enters your mind’s space and watch these thoughts as they pass from the external ear, through this cavity and out the opposite ear. Send a though across this chasm now and watch it move in your mind’s eye. Now imagine that you have an iron wall at each ear, a barricade that you can erect at will to block any thought from entering into your mind space. Visually put those walls up, observe your mind. Does a thought come through? Are there less of them and are they moving at a slower speed? Practice fortifying your iron walls and using them anytime. This is your Ninja armor to create and protect your inner peace.
3. The State of Nature: When you are outside next or around any sort of organic life (I find trees & flowers to be wonderful examples) take a moment to take in this life-form. As you gaze upon this life, use your breath and iron wall techniques. Create a channel, a protected walkway between you and this beauty of nature. In this sacred, quiet state become one with this form, recognize yourself within it and acknowledge that you both come from the same source. Observe your mind through this process. What has taken place? Have you felt peace, calm or stillness of mind?
These are three techniques that I hope will help you connect more deeply to your infinite self and connect you back to the power of your soul which guides you on your life journey in the quiet of the mind.
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About the Author Andrew Hand is a singer/songwriter, author and producer in New York City who seeks to carry a positive message to others. With a passion for truth and authenticity Andrew wants to share information and empowerment with you. To get more of Andrew’s insights and work, join his email list at http://andrewhand.fanbridge.com
As I sit here writing this post I have been working with some layers in photoshop on a drawing I did several years ago. Mostly just fooling around with the different things that I could add on or take away with different sets of layers. Hence I began thinking about the vast amounts of layers that make up the average adult human being. It is quite startling just how many different shades and colors we wear and are capable of displaying to others as our aligned and presented fronts.
I don’t know that it serves for me to go off on the tangent of listing all these different aspects, as I am sure you readers are well aware and it is nothing new that I’m presenting. However, I would like to offer up this thought on the subject of layers, masks and different shades of persona. I know that in my own life these layers have served as a defense structure, a way to keep things safe, ordered and happening to me on my terms, as is best for me (that being my ego, my fearful shadow, that part which can never comprehend existence without it). And so many great lengths are take to preserve this identity that creates safety.
At my core being I believe that these layers mostly serve to keep us safe inside of a box, a safe zone and a zone that cuts us off from our infinite ability to grow and become anything under the sun. New things can seem so challenging and daunting that it is easier to create a mask of rationalization for why venturing into new territory isn’t right, doesn’t serve our goals at this moment, is better put off for some other time, etc, etc, etc…Now I know I touched on these thoughts in my last post, but perhaps I need to dig a bit deeper into the layers here…something compels me to write more.
A mask is a very interesting thing…it can itself be anything…take on marvelous shape or frightening proportions, it can be sweeter than a tooth-ache or colder than Siberia. What is interesting is that masks can take us to places that would seem to be great areas and grand achievements. By virtue of a mask an entire persona can be created and implemented (a model of change and accomplishment, bountiful growth). It is however only a facade, not a real part of soul and hence will never have with it the infinite possibility. It has a cap to go along with it, a limit and a breaking point: A temperature past which it cannot survive. I believe that it takes a fine level of observance to evaluate what is being accomplished by way of a mask or a defense layer and what is being accomplished through alignment with our soul’s core intention and purpose on this earth. It is very easy for the mind to trick us and have us seeing and believing that we are on a true path, a path of soul.
How is it that this mind can be such a clever architect and thief, a robber of our infinite design. What sort of trickery is this mass inside our heads capable of? It is capable simply of this, keeping you in a state of identification and belief with it and its thoughts. That really is it…if you begin to disassociate with the mind as the voice of direction and guidance and align with the stillness behind the mind’s chatter, then there begins to be a light that shines through. A beacon that seems to be calling you toward a point of truth that rings certain and more clear that anything you’ve ever heard in words or felt in thoughts. This alignment can only be described as being outside and beyond the mind and in this state you will live life for life. We live because we are alive, in this present moment, in this peace, in this stillness. Like a breezy day in the meadow, so still behind the breeze, the crickets chirp, you almost hear the flowers moving, calling you toward this calmness that recognizes the innocent child behind the years, behind the identity, behind the careers and everything else. It all fades away to this meadow; you, nature and the circle of life, boundless, border-less and free. Free to be just as you are, anything and everything.
Blessings to you on your journey,
Andrew
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Andrew Hand is a singer/songwriter, composer, author and producer in NYC. He seeks to convey a message of positive thought and empowerment to others through direct communication, truth and authenticity. See Andrew’s recent website creations: A Trip to Egypt and A New Look at AndrewHand.com
I recently read a great book by Osho called “Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously” and was deeply impressed by this notion: that what we are afraid of doing is exactly what we need to be doing. This line of thinking quite simply holds the truth of human evolution.
When we just do the things we know and the things that are safe, we don’t really grow. In this state of living in a world kept just right, we actually are living in a world that keeps us sitting in a snug little box and knowing that we’re alright…nothing fearful, nothing out of left-field…and nothing new.
I can’t claim to be an expert at always doing what I’m afraid of, but I continue to reflect back and see that the times in my life where I’ve grown are those times that I did something that ‘I’ just normally wouldn’t have done. I’ll share just a few examples from my own life and perhaps you will find resonance with them.
It is 2004 and I’m living in Arizona, uncertain of where I’m going or what I should be doing to move forward in my life. I feel a strong
urge to be doing something different than what I am, but am fearful of stepping into unknown and uncharted waters. What I am wanting to do is move to a place that I can get an acting career going and I have California on my left and New York on my right.
To cut to the chase of this story: I decide that I need to go to a place that will really test me and take me far away from where I am.
California is too close and feels like a safer move, allowing for retreat if I fail. So I move to New York, and the journey from that decision has altered my entire life path. I’m now a musician, have some amazing friends and mentors and feel I am moving into new directions as I stay open to change and try to remind myself to keep doing what I’m scared of.
Next example is this:
I’ve been wanting to gain more control over my own web-design but have felt overwhelmed and afraid of getting into it. Justification: because there’s just too much to learn. Funny how you can know you’re avoiding something that you want to do, yet will continue to avoid it and not take action.
So the short of this long is thus: I decide to stop wetting my toes with just creating html tages and embrace that I can learn as I go along by finding some good resources to teach me. I’ve now just finished coding my 4th page and this one uses css to boot. Now I’m not an expert coder yet, but I feel incredibly empowered by looking at the results of what just a little bit of stepping into the unknown can yield.
These are just two examples that popped into my head…I hope that in reading this you will make a conscious choice to begin or continue to face your fears, get outside of your comfort zone and find your true growth potential. I’ll include a link in the footer here for you to check out some of my coding pages (nothing too fancy, but it’s a great start)!
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Andrew Hand is a singer/songwriter, composer, author and producer in NYC. He seeks to convey a message of positive thought and empowerment to others through direct communication, truth and authenticity. See Andrew’s recent website creations: A Trip to Egypt and A New Look at AndrewHand.com
I am very excited to have gotten my official welcome video posted over at my website AndrewHand.com and invite you to watch the video below, find out more about Songs for Oprah and help me make my mission of spreading positive music to the world a reality! I greatly appreciate all the support.
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This morning while I was meditating I observed a bug crawling along the tile floor. I began to think about this bug’s purpose and if I could interact with this creature’s life. Now I didn’t want to pick the bug up but I wanted to commune with it. I wanted this bug to come over and contemplate me, as I was contemplating it, and crawl up on my hand so we could have a discussion of Universal meaning. Now when this didn’t happen, I began to get frustrated and thought perhaps I just need to help this little bug out to see that it really wants to be on my finger. And so I began dropping my finger in front of the bug; he’d run away and again I’d drop my finger in front of him, hoping and expecting that he’d oblige and jump aboard. He didn’t like this and promptly began running from my nagging appendage that would not let him be. Eventually I had a moment of clarity and left this sweet little bug alone.
What I began to think was this; ‘Here I am forcing the issue to get what I want. I am putting out an offer; over and over; yet receiving the exact opposite of what I am seeking.’ This struck me as a particularly profound moment of how our human conscience seems to work. When we really want something, or feel that something is right for us, we begin jumping up and down saying, ‘I’m over here, yes, that’s right…right over here. I’m ready for you to bring me what I’m manifesting.’ This is in fact the exact opposite of how to attract what is truly in line with our being, our life-force.
If I could just remove the ‘me’ from this equation, all the effort and desire would go away. There is no need to have desire when everything is already here. This is the problem with our minds though; we believe and trust that everything is here for us yet when it doesn’t show up we begin to fuss or become irritated that what’s here isn’t here! Now I know that many more eloquent writers have said the same thing thousands of times, but it is worth repeating; recognizing you are divinely here is the answer to everything. Embracing the fact that all things are here for you and you are receiving them as you are ready for them, nothing can be out of place. I should state that to receive these blessings as you’re ready for them, you must be in this receptive mindset 
; otherwise you just keep sitting there saying, ‘ok, I’m ready, where are these blessings?!’ It is the constant reminder that keeps us in-line with source and abundance. We must remind our minds to stay open and aware to the fact that our life is on a path of perfect design to align us with a deeper connection and understanding of our souls highest purpose.
May we live as a bug crawling along the path of life and recognize that we must keep the fingers that seek to scoop us up and create a reality at bay. It is in the effort of humankind to create that we miss the opportunity to accept and embrace what the Universe has already created for us. That being the path upon which we walk.
Blessings to you,
Andrew
