1. The Illusion of Separateness
Life often feels fragmented, but recognizing the interconnectedness of all things can help dissolve this illusion. Through mindfulness, you can embrace unity and experience deeper connections with others and the world.

2. The Paradox of Power
True strength lies in letting go of control. By releasing attachment to ego-driven desires, you open pathways to authentic freedom and fulfillment.

3. Living in the Present Moment
The key to joy is living fully in the now. Mindfulness teaches us to release past regrets and future anxieties, cultivating peace and clarity.

4. Embracing Non-Duality
Moving beyond black-and-white thinking allows for a balanced perspective. Non-dual awareness fosters acceptance and reduces inner conflict.

By integrating these principles into daily life, you can cultivate a harmonious existence rooted in awareness and purpose. For more, explore Paul Pettit’s blog.

It is a very powerful moment when we finally realize that we create the results in our life.

However, the majority of us unknowingly create barriers blocking the very thing we seek; for it is in the action of seeking which creates the barriers.

When we reduce the action of either 'trying to resolve life's mysteries' by looking externally, or 'acquiring what we seek' by controlling externally, we begin to discover 'that which we seek' is already present.

THE POWER lies in the control of the desire, not the control of the outcome. When the desire ceases, the outcome arises.

THE PLEASURE is all ‘mine’….says our Ego.
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FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS is to be found only in each moment as it stands, through clearly seeing each fascinating phenomenon rise, appear momentarily to exist, and then dissolve, returning to whence it came.
They are not an attainable condition to the Self; they are an omnipotent omnipresent condition of the non-self.

Once discovered, this answer to the question: “who am I” cannot be unseen; for I am that which is at one with all things simultaneously, experiencing each interdependent segment concurrently if i choose.

When the illusion of duality is shattered; pure Freedom and Happiness exist.....this is who I am.

Any moment  in time offers One the gift to experience an emotion; thus the opportunity to develop wisdom and compassion.

Take the emotions of frustration and anger as examples. Beneath the waves of these emotions lies an ocean of grief; and all too often we take action from a place of frustration and anger, using them as weapons to fight against the frustration and anger we feel. There-in lies the cause of the problem. We fight fire-with-fire; we exacerbate the anger and frustration by viewing ourselves as 'separate' from all.
 
THE ACTION OF 'OTHERING'.
The fires of separateness can be fueled unintentionally, when we fall into the trap of 'othering'.
The terms 'they' as opposed to 'we', 'them' as opposed to 'us', 'you' as opposed to 'me'.....the list of nouns is vast and varied.

However, when we practice to draw upon compassion during moments of discomfort (such as anger or frustration), we quell the flames of reactivity and indifference. The spell of 'separateness' is broken. The opportunity arises for the development of wisdom, compassion and harmony by merely pausing in any moment, and asking the Self: "where am I 'othering' in my actions, words, or thoughts?

As a child, there came a day when I packed away my toys once-and-for-all.
It was time to cease participating in the illusion of make-believe, and start interacting with the real world around me.
Fifty years later I realized that I had merely substituted one world of make-believe for another.
All that I had grasped, and was grasping, was the barrier that blocked me from finding what I was truly seeking.

In meditation I discovered...'That' which I was looking for, was 'This' which was looking.
The self-created obstacles blocking my view of this truth were instantly dissolved.
There is no longer a seeker, for there is nothing to be sought.

Humans may be compared to a river, which retains an identity, though the drops of water that make it up are different from one moment to the next.
​No 'river' exists in and of itself.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY?
I discovered something interesting this morning.
My wife asked me: "What do you look forward to today?" This innocent question ultimately gifted me an experience of growth. I discovered that nowadays this question feels confrontational to me; it is akin to a tornado heading my way.
Why?
Interestingly, because of, as opposed to in-spite-of, my practices of mindfulness, the question: "What do you look forward to..." holds equal value to its opposite: "What don't you look forward to..."
The question now registers as: 'What do I, or don't I, look forward to in a period of time that does not yet exist'.

Having vigilantly practiced, and continue to practice, remaining in the present moment, regardless as to whether it is comfortable or uncomfortable, my inner-warning system is activated whenever I am being invited to step outside that realm. 

This present moment may be comfortable or uncomfortable, pleasant or unpleasant; either way I am right-here-now. 'Escaping' toward a moment of time in the past or future no longer makes sense to me. I have been practicing to be present (in this moment) to such an extent that when I am invited to step out of it, a part of me hits the warning button. My Higher Self whispers: "Don't go back to the old ways of 'being' in the present with a mind that is 'living' in the future or past". "That old habitual behavior did not serve you". 

The present is always 'gifting' us; and it will continue to gift us for as long as we remain conscious (awake) of being in it.

The experience I was gifted in that present moment (this morning) was the opportunity to see what I do when confronted with discomfort. Perhaps I didn't handle the moment as skillfully as I could have? Perhaps my attempt to explain what I was experiencing fell short? Being mindful (toward others) while practicing to be mindful (within the Self) takes practice. I am still an aspirant of mindfulness (even though I teach it), which constantly offers me opportunities for growth.  We do the best we can with the tools we have available at the time. This is why mindfulness is called a 'practice'. We continually rise to the next-best-version of ourselves.

To me, the message remains the same: "What do you look forward toward; and what don't you look forward toward, are both equal in value. Both are subject to desire and aversion, which are the creators of suffering. Whereas being fully present (in each moment), regardless of the level of comfort or discomfort, is the pathway to the cessation of suffering. 

I shall continue to accept the 'isness' of each moment, and be grateful for the 'gifts' of comfort and discomfort that arise within these moments. I am by no means perfect, I am a work in progress; and I am very grateful to be with a partner in life who stands by my side as I practice the practices of mindfulness  (she truly loves me for who I am).

Fear not the Knot
Attachment to the illusions created by the ego-self manifests our suffering.
Knowledge solidifies as we whittle-away each attachment. During prayer, meditation, or contemplation, a power from within highlights this truth. We begin to realize that 'I' hold freedom of choice. 'I' create the moment of experience. When resistance toward the external and internal states of flux is withdrawn, suffering diminishes, and is replaced by a state of calm.  Here awareness of all illusion can be seen with clarity. God-realization is born; God the creator, preserver, and destroyer are not separate to 'Self'. 'Self' is not other-than; all is the one.

The cycle of this awareness climaxes in death. Ultimately it is death that presents the gift of total non-attachment. The journey of illusion is utterly dispelled; there is no 'other' - no body to confuse the truth. This dropping of the physical body graces awareness upon the soul. The final knot of illusion is released.

Fear not the knot, for it is truly an illusion, creating sufferring.