Reflections

I offer these contemplative reflections based on my own experience of living a life of inquiry. May they serve in some way or invite you to explore the ordinary mystery of life!

  • A few years ago I had a strong prayer to love all beings unconditionally. What I didn’t realise is that life would simply show me all the ways I didn’t love myself unconditionally. To live unconditional love requires first that you love yourself unconditionally. All of you! Start right Here, right Now. Whatever is appearing, be open and willing to love it unconditionally. Dare to love all parts of you especially those parts which you want to hide, fix, change or improve! As I learn to love all of me unconditionally, it is so natural and easy for me to love all of you.

  • The teacher is in you. It’s never found outside. The best teachers will always point you back to your own self and nowhere else.

  • After years of inquiring into “Who am I?” one day I just asked, “Where am I?” While inquiring, I could not find or locate the idea of who I thought I was. By really looking into WHERE I thought I could exist (in my case, I was exploring the idea of the inner Being/soul of “me” and I assumed it must be somewhere in the body), it became very obvious and clear that “I” could not be found! It was all just concepts. As well, since I could not be located to a specific place in the body, by logical conclusion, it was obvious that this “I” doesn’t actually exist anywhere! What a revelation. Could it really be that I am not confined to this form/body?! Then, where am I? EverywHere? If I am everywhere, then of course everyOne else is too! One consciousness. No separate beings. Only awareness. All else is truly illusion.

  • One of my favourite quotes from Katie is - “I AM who I believe YOU to be, the moment I believe it.” The mirror is always an instant reflection. What you see is who you are. For example, as soon as I call you judgemental, I am, in that moment, also being judgemental. To accuse and point the finger outside ourselves is to miss an opportunity to expose and reveal our own blind spots.

  • When I flew to India the first time, I had a tiny thought arise - “Wow, I can’t believe I am going to India” and immediately a voice answered from beyond. It simply said - who is travelling and from where to where? You are always Here.

  • If I’m not free to judge, I’m not free. If I’m not free to be angry, I’m not free. In other words, freedom isn’t about creating an ideal person or lofty spiritual Self who shows up a certain way! It’s just FREE. Free to Be! It’s not free WHEN xyz has happened, or free IF … it’s just… Free.

  • Allowing everything and everyOne to BE as it is, exactly as it is, is the key to liberation.

  • I believe it was Eckhart who once said - if we could just welcome the present moment as it is, there would be no need to meditate or do anything! It’s SO simple. When my mind attempts to complicate life, I come back to this simple revelation and ponder - “Can I just stop and fully allow my life to BE exactly as it is?” In that invitation, alignment is possible. Surrender happens.

  • What it really comes down to, after all the stories and drama, the emotional expression and various attempts at control and resistance, is we arrive at just three, simple, humble words. “I don’t know”. Can you allow that to be enough? To not know anything?

  • This is a fail proof recipe for the clearest and direct way out of suffering. Is what I am doing/being bringing me Peace or Stress? Wisdom/intelligence is choosing Peace. And so it is.

  • In my deepest moments of despair and pleading for God/Life to respond, nothing ever happened! It turned out to be the most profound answer in my life.

  • I was involved in a car accident once and life slowed down just like you hear some people describe! In that moment, I saw clearly how life happens. Nothing happened until thought arose and interpreted the apparent “happening” by describing it. The first thought was that something happened to a sense of “me”. Before this thought, there was simply nothing and nothing happened.

  • Katie offers the practice of Turnarounds in The Work. It’s fun to sit in these and contemplate the meaning of the opposite to reflect if it can be equally true. One contemplation happened when I felt I was about to enter into “a dark night of the soul”. The turnaround was so liberating. Could it be that I was entering into “a light dawn of the form”?

  • The more I do The Work or sit in inquiry, I notice two things seem to unfold equally. 1) I find there is less of a motive to “do” anything specific in the world and I am more available to allow it to unfold, as it does anyway! I trust the deep silence which guides everything and it’s enough. 2) There is simultaneously a natural tendency to be of service to “others” for they are seen to be my own Self.