Moseying along your spiritual path and carrying on with your daily life in 3D feels, much of the time the two mindsets are so different that they seem mutually exclusive. Such is the dilemma of living in integrity in 3D (Gossip, Soapies, and Beauty magazines don’t make it any easier, I am not putting them down just making an observation).

I would like to offer an overview of 3 topics that will help integrate and possibly make some sense of what appears to many that walking a spiritual path in our modern-day lives can be confusing, exhausting, & contradictory. You came across this article for a reason, have faith in the synchronicity of it all, and just maybe you’ll find a few more pieces of the puzzle… Your Puzzle, maybe even that piece that’s been eluding you for so long.

Tools for a smoother path:

(I can hear the groans already, “I KNOW THIS” or “I’VE ALREADY READ ALL ABOUT THIS.” That’s great. It’s good for you; now kindly KEEP READING! Or else…)

We hear the word integrity tossed around so much that it has become synonymous to many as honesty (that’s even the first definition in Webster’s Dictionary). But dig a little deeper (past Mr. William Webster’s Freemason ideology) and you’ll find a much more useful meaning of integrity. Simply defined (or rather practised) integrity means what you say, what you feel, and what you do are all in line and the same; Being true in thought, emotion, & deed: what you think, what you say and what you do all fit together in perfect harmony with your intentions; Be True in Word, Deed, & Thought; Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Integrity does not necessarily mean honesty, although the implication is there. I once met a man who made his living as a con artist. He was by no means or definition an honest man, however, he (when in safe company) would state what he did, had no issues with his chosen profession, & did it well. This man was in integrity with his profession. I got to know him quite well and found out that he was a man of his word and could be trusted to the very end. He was a man living in full Integrity.

I use this example for those who think integrity and honesty are the same thing.

Honesty = Being truthful.

Integrity = what you think/say, what you feel, and what you do are the same

You’ll know when you are “out of integrity” when you get that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach when you promise to call a friend back or are busy conjuring up excuses in your head on the way to an appointment you are already 15 minutes late for; or the obvious hypocrisy of our double standard society such as the often spoken phrase of parents “do as I say, not as I do” or the famous and ambiguous South African phrase “Just Now‟.

Step one to Living in integrity are the simple things like being on time, keeping agreements, and holding a friend’s confidence sacred; they may seem small because they are simple, however, they are essential basics of living in Integrity.

Would you like to gain a little more insight into the connection between events that happen to or around you and why you react to them, be it negative or positive? Do you blame people, traffic, or your dog when you are late? Taking personal responsibility is the single most empowering thing you can do in the process of becoming a Sovereign Human Being.

It really does boil down to personal responsibility.

We live in a country of excuses and blame, although the “just now” phrase is a grey area for you to use as you see fit; And where being polite sometimes puts oneself in a less than honest scenario, easily justifiable for the sake of someone’s feelings but your integrity suffers for it..

Hmmm, that is a tough one. Do you think the “in your face American approach” (after all it is more honest) would help the person more than patronising or ignoring something you FEEL could help them? Perhaps this is a situation best served warm and balanced. You are responsible for your words.

The old saying “Sticks and stones can break your bones but words cannot hurt me.” Is a misnomer of note. WORDS HURT and the scars cut deeper than you think; sometimes they never heal. By employing Kindness, compassion, & truth you can say even the hardest things and people will thank you and respect you for it.

The moment you begin taking sincere and absolute responsibility for your actions and ensuing consequences you’ll begin a path of incredible power.

I put it to you to make a sincere effort to live in integrity every day. I know this is no simple task; in fact, it is a daily commitment that is much easier said than done. In practice, I’ve found it helpful to ask a close friend to remind me if get off track (This is very effective but keep in mind it is not their responsibility to monitor your behaviour so it is a favour you are asking for, a favour you can repay by doing the same for them, provided they are also committed to Living in Integrity, as well).

OK, that’s about as simple as it gets for the first 2 topics. Let’s move on to the next 2:

Setting Intention Vs Setting Goals

How to Make Wishes Come True & Manifest Miracles

We are a society of goal-setters. We set a target for the making of a certain amount of money or a specific number of push-ups; hopefully, more money than we are making and more push-ups than we are able to do now.

When we are goal-driven we are contracting ourselves to achieve or increase more than we are currently achieving now. In other words, we are confident that we will do better in the future. The past is an unchangeable history that we can at best learn from and at worst suffer from. The future is unset. The future is unknown. The future does not exist beyond what we think might happen. It’s actually just a fantasy. Neither of these places is real; the past is a collection of subjective memories and the future is a fearful or wishful unrealised probability.

My point is that everything that is happening, everything that is real and everything that exists is right now, this moment, the present.

Living in the moment IS truly living all else is daydreaming and fantasy.

This is a good foundation for you to understand the reason behind why it is essential that to live a meaningful life one must put as much energy into living in the now.

Be present in the moment, not momentarily in the present but operating in the eternal now.

NOW is where it’s at, it’s where you are, it’s where all things happen and it’s always moving, well almost always for you clock-stopping Zen folk, so make the best of it. BE HERE NOW!

Goal setting is for an outcome of intended results at a future date.

If your desire is to learn more, have more, or be more of anything, why would you promise yourself achievements in a non-existent place in time… The Future?

I’m not saying that goals aren’t good just that there’s a much more powerful way to get the results you want when you want it.

It’s called Intention Setting.

It’s something you do in the now and manifests the desired results with or without the time constraints used in goal setting. Setting an intention is a much more powerful way to achieve your goals and the desired results, in the NOW!

Intention Setting 101

An intention can be likened to a sincere prayer or a powerful wish that you make right now with full faith and confidence that it will come true. Again: with full faith and confidence that it WILL come true AND in total gratitude; You must begin to act as if your intention has already manifested.

When setting intentions it is important to be as specific as possible, you are using the power of your subconscious mind and Universal Energy (Universal Energy is an unlimited source of extreme power, and it has rules just like gravity or rugby).

The more specific you are the more likely you are to get exactly what you want (and don’t forget the old saying “Be careful what you wish for you just might get it”).

Now that you know what it is that you want (and consider yourself lucky most people get stuck here because they really have no idea of what they really want) you may or may not give it a time frame for which to manifest. I feel this is a good idea to give your intention a time constraint, but remember the achievement of your intention begins right now not at some point in the future, as with goals. The time frame is only a parameter to help align your intention in 3D. It is a parameter of success probability that increases every time you envision yourself as if your intention has already come manifested. Hold this image and keep it handy; avoid constantly restating your intention; it kind of annoys the Universe and slows things down. Think of an Intention like a boomerang; once you throw it out it does its thing until it returns; best not confuse it by sending it new coordinates or needy energies… IT KNOWS WHAT TO DO AND IT WILL COME BACK.

For example, after setting an intention the probability of being in the right place and at the right time or a noticeable increase in beneficial synchronicities is a reality that is HAPPENING rather than WILL HAPPEN. Look for the signs and follow the synchronicities!

The process is ongoing, relentless, and amazingly effective!

Be concise and deliberate in the words you use to construct your intention. For example, do not use the word “try”. Trying has a connotation of non-commitment and the word is probably the least empowering verb in the English language. It is more a state of mind than an action. In fact you would do yourself great good in eliminating it entirely from your thought and speech. It‟s quite simple really simple just replace try with sincere effort.

I repeat: Replace the word „try’ with „I will make a sincere effort.‟

Say the following two sentences out loud: “I will try to work harder”

“I will make a sincere effort to work harder”

OR

“He is trying to pay me back”

“He is making a sincere effort to pay me back”

Point made. So make a sincere effort to eliminate the word try from your vocabulary.

Trying is for tryers and ‘just now-ers’ and ‘I promise you china-ers’. Accomplished people make sincere efforts.

Monitoring your inner dialogue by replacing negative or non-actionable thoughts places you in the driver’s seat of your life. This is the Think part of living in Integrity

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Ok, let’s put this into action and construct an effective, comprehensive and concise intention. My Intention is: to make a sincere effort to listen more carefully to my children and to earn a minimum of R20,000 per month.

Do not worry about HOW, just make your intention with faith and sincerity. The universe will do the rest, it’s very smart.

Again: Do not worry about the HOW, just make your intention with faith and sincerity. The Universe will do the rest.

The Power of Intentions: Infinite Organising Energy

Now that you have stated your intention (yes, out loud) it is set.

The universal wheels of creative manifestation are in motion and their sole motive is to make your intention a reality!

Imagine your actions, your sub-conscious, your higher self, your guardian angel, your spirit guides, the Universe, and yes even GOD (she is quite the multi-tasker), all of these intelligent energies are now involved in a high-level priority conspiracy to give you what you want, based solely on and driven by your intention.

Do not underestimate the power of setting an intention. Want proof?

Pay close attention to the coincidences relevant to your intention. Synchronicities (meaningful coincidences) will become more numerous and notable. Pay attention for they are the road signs on your path that offer direction, guidance and confirmation.

Ok, you’ve set your intention and said it out loud for ALL to hear. Here are four ways to re-enforce and strengthen your intention:

• Placing your intention onto a piece of jewellery, stone, or good luck charm.

• Writing your intention down and putting it in a visible place

• Ritualistic restating of your intention with candles and prayer (not more than twice a month)

• Visualisation & Inception from Sacred Plant Mind Space

• Timing the statement of your intention with the New Moon (this is very effective as you will actually begin to see some form of results by the following Full moon, 2 weeks)

Creating A Strong Connection To Your Inner/Higher Self

The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the connection to your Higher Self and inner voice. Think of it as a telephone line to your soul where information goes back and forth. Your Intentions are much more powerful when projected from a quiet, unfettered mind.

This connection has always been there but it is now time to make sure the line is static-free and crystal clear. You may have never consciously been aware of this exact connection but this exercise will set up both sides for maximum effectiveness.

Your conscious mind or ego is the part that wants and needs things.

Your Higher Self is the source of your intuition and creativity, the control room for manifesting your intentions. When you have a clear two-way connection, integration and experience take on a new dimension.

Your intentions manifest faster.

Your intuition is clearer, stronger and more accurate. Your self-confidence and self-esteem grow to new levels.

Faith in yourself and your path is confirmed and strengthened.

This simple exercise is a very powerful first step.

State your intention (out loud or think it with absolute sincerity):

“My intention is to strengthen my connection with my higher and inner self”.

Sit in front of a mirror where you are able to see yourself at least from the shoulders up.

Look at your face and take 4 deep breaths, slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth; Silently stating your intention each time.

“My intention is to strengthen my connection with my higher and inner self”.

Now focus on your eyes. Look directly into the whites of your eyes; allow everything else to go out of focus. Now move your focus to the colour around your pupils, take your time, and then look directly into your pupils. Into the deep pool of black. Keep looking. Keep Looking.

While you are doing this it is important to clear your mind. Think about nothing, yes it’s easier said than done. You may keep your mind occupied by focusing on your breathing or by playing the Cloud Game*.

Do this for 20-30 seconds the first time, or for a comfortable amount of time, in other words, you may want to take your watch off and feel your own 30 seconds however long it may be. Then stay focused for just a few seconds longer, just a bit past your comfort zone.

Do this every day for 10 days, each day increasing the time by 10-20 seconds.

IMPORTANT:

Don’t be alarmed if you begin to see images within your eyes such as animals or faces. This is a sure sign that you are doing the exercise correctly.

You are actually seeing different aspects of yourself.

Don’t forget to state your intention each time before you begin. It is also a good practice to drink a full glass of water afterwards.

*Cloud Game

Thinking about nothing is much easier said than done. It is very important that your mind be calm and still while you are doing this exercise. If you have never meditated before this mental exercise is quite effective in calming the chatterbox chit-chat that constantly gives your conscious mind something to think about and fills your head with rubbish.

Imagine a clear blue sky that fills the whole space inside your head. Now decorate the sky with a bunch of fluffy white clouds; almost to the point where all the blue is covered by the clouds.

Now imagine yourself gently blowing the clouds out of the picture to reveal the clear blue sky again. Initially, your conscious mind will resist and you will have to blow a bit harder and keep going back to areas that the cloud has crept back in on. Remember to breathe naturally and keep gazing into your own eyes while gently blowing the clouds away until you have a clear blue sky. By the time you have finished, the exercise is over. This is a simple and easy way to clear your mind any time you want to change your mindset or perspective should you desire a little peace of mind‟. This is also beneficial just before you go to sleep and before setting an intention.