Today we ask you to understand that you are not a slave.

You are not a slave.

You are not a slave to your boss.

You are not a slave to your paycheck.

You are not a slave to your responsibilities.

You are not a slave to your children.

You are not a slave to your spouse.

You are not a slave to your parents.

You are not a slave to your society.

You are not a slave to your physical health.

You are not a slave to your mental health.

You are not a slave to your reality.

You are not a slave because you are of a certain race.

You are not a slave to your class.

You are not a slave because you are a woman.

You are not a slave because you are a man.

You are not a slave because you are a homosexual.

You are not a slave to religion.

You are not a slave to the government.

You are not a slave to fate.

You are not a slave to God.

You are an entirely free human being.

In all likelihood, no one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to do things.  You can walk away at any time.

You do things by choice.

Know this.  Own it.

You do things by choice.

Even if someone puts a gun to your head — you have a choice.

You are not a victim.  You are not a slave.

When you really believe this, you are free.

Today we ask you to sit with the idea that it is okay for things to fall apart.

Sometimes, especially after traumatic events, there is a kind of collapse that occurs within people.  A breakdown.

It is okay, and in fact important, to allow yourself to experience such breakdowns from time to time.

Unfortunately, many people are taught that it is not okay to break down.  They believe they must remain strong.  Keep a stiff upper lip.  Fight on.

In the heat of a crisis situation, it is important to remain upright and calm, it is true.

However, once the immediate crisis is over, it is crucial that you give yourself time and space in which to discharge the trauma.

That is why “breakdowns” are sometimes necessary.  They allow the body and mind a way of discharging trauma.

If trauma is not discharged, it will linger in the body and mind, and create the symptoms of the syndrome known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In truth, many, if not most, human beings carry low to high amounts of trauma in their body and minds.

That is why antidepressants and other mood stabilizing medications are in such high demand.  So many people are on the verge of breakdowns, and they take medication in order to stop the collapse, and remain functional.

In a healthy society, there would be places people could go to collapse after experiencing trauma.  Places in which trained practitioners would support them in their collapse.

In this way, trauma would be released, and not linger.  As a result, there would be a great reduction in physical and mental illness.  Much physical and mental illness is caused by unreleased trauma.

It is okay to collapse after trauma.  It is okay to have a breakdown.

It is an important part of life, in fact.  Collapse allows humans to grow and regenerate, like the phoenix from the ashes.

Collapse is also sometimes important for institutions, and societies.

If collapse could be understood, and not feared and suppressed, it would be allowed its proper place as a vital part of human existence.

Today we ask that you keep your eyes open as you move through the world.

Many people walk through life half-asleep.  They are caught up in their thinking.  They are not present.  They are not looking around at the world.  They are like crazy people, heads full of thoughts, almost mumbling to themselves as they walk along.  They do not really communicate with other people, because their minds only have room for their own thoughts.

The only external thoughts such people pay attention to are the ones that are broadcasted in such a way as to overpower their internal chatter.  Faces on a television screen can do this.  Thoughts communicated on the bright screen of a computer can do this.

Because they are half-asleep, they are apt to believe whatever the bright screen tells them to.  The thoughts communicated over the bright screen are absorbed into the internal swirl, and the person continues along, absorbed in thought, not present.

Half-asleep people are easily hypnotized.  They may find themselves compulsively doing things that deep down they do not wish to do.  Sometimes human beings commit unthinkable violent acts against other human beings because they have been hypnotized into doing so.  If they were more awake, they would not.  But sleepwalkers do crazy things without understanding why.  Later, they may wake up and wonder “How could I have done such a thing?”

So keep your eyes open.  Be present in the world.  Look out the windows of your eyes, and truly see.  Stay awake.  It is not easy to hypnotize someone who is wide awake.

Today we ask that you release your need to “make things happen.”

In truth, things happen, or they do not happen.

This does not mean, be passive and lay on your sofa watching TV all day.

On the other hand, it is not a bad thing to relax.  Watching TV is not particularly relaxing.  But it is very good to relax.

You may accomplish much more by getting a massage than by keeping your nose to the grindstone.

Sometimes you cannot “make things happen” no matter how much you try.  Other times things just seem to fall into place.

Generally speaking, the use of force will only “make things happen” temporarily — and then it usually backfires.

Rather than trying to “make things happen,” it is best to simply “let things happen.”

Many people block energy, or stand in the way of their own light.  It would be better for such a person to just get out of their own way instead of making things happen.

When you make things happen, the result comes at a high energetic cost, and is usually temporary.

When you let things happen, there is much less energy expenditure, and the result is long-lasting.

That is the difference between making things happen and letting things happen. 

Today we ask that you meditate on what it means to be “in flow.”

To be in flow means there is no resistance.  No struggle.  No friction.  There is a wide channel through which energy can flow.

Energy is like water.  It flows.  It flows through things.  It flows through people.

Energy is energy — physical energy, creative energy, problem-solving energy.  It is the fuel by which things move and grow.

Many people feel that they do not have enough energy.  They do not have good flow.  

This is basically a plumbing issue.  For energy to flow, one needs a nice big clean pipe.  When energy is blocked, it is like there is gunk in the pipe.

So what clogs up the pipe?

Thoughts.

Thoughts clog up the pipe.

For example — you might have the thought: “I need to put pressure on myself in order to accomplish things.”  Or “I am under so much pressure right now.”

This thought of pressure puts a literal squeeze on the pipe.  It creates friction, resistance, and blockage.  

The only way to restore flow is to relax.

Another kind of blocking thought is any kind of argumentative thought.  When you argue with something in your mind, you create a mental projection of that thing.  It may be a person or a concept that you are arguing with, but it is still “real” in your thoughts.

Creating these thought projections siphons an enormous amount of energy away from your main flow.

So: two ways to immediately increase flow in your life are to stop putting pressure on yourself, and to stop arguing.

A third way is to practice empty mind meditation.  By substantially slowing down the thought process, you unclog your pipe and create a clearer channel through which the energy may come.

The Tao Te Ching says: “Stop thinking, and put an end to your problems.”

This is very true.

You may protest that it is irresponsible not to put pressure on yourself, and irresponsible not to argue your position.

That very thought is blocking energy.

It is your choice: do you want more energy, or do you want to be right?

Today we ask you to meditate on the idea that other people perceive reality in a very different way.

Often people get very frustrated with other people because they believe that everyone perceives reality in roughly the same way.  Therefore, when another person holds a different point of view, you get angry.  How could that person be so blind, or foolish, or pig-headed?  You may even believe that the other person is downright evil.

In truth, perception varies widely from person to person.  You all see and hear and taste and touch and smell, it is so.  But the perceptual field by which you process these sensory inputs varies widely.

One man may love the taste of raw fish.  Another may find it disgusting.  One man may be transfixed by the art of Picasso.  Another may find that art meaningless.  This should indicate how profoundly perception varies.

Perception varies because modes of thinking vary.  It is possible to alter one’s perception, but only by consciously altering one’s thought processes.

The vast majority of humans do not understand that perception is highly variable and rooted in thought process. They believe their way of perceiving is the only way.

One of the sanest things a human can do is to recognize the variability of perception, and cease to wish to impose his particular mode of perception on other humans who perceive differently.

If you love sushi and Picasso, accept that it is okay for someone else to hate sushi and Picasso.  There is nothing wrong with that person.  He just cannot perceive what you perceive.

If you consider yourself a tolerant person, then practice your tolerance on people who perceive differently than you do.  Do not attempt to force your perception on other people.  Then you will expand your own perception.

Today we ask that you step out of dualistic thinking.

Dualistic thinking is the primary mode of thought in your world.  It divides everything into opposing sides.

Left or Right.  High or Low.  Good or Evil.  Pure or Dirty.  Sacred or Profane.  Light or Dark.  Male or Female.  Young or Old.  Art or Commerce.  Individuality or Collectivism.  Everything is divided into opposing forces.  

Out of the dualistic division comes the great roiling drama of your world.  For the two opposing sides automatically create conflict.  They struggle, they contend.  They are like two people arm wrestling, ever going back and forth, muscles straining, veins popping.  

That is how many people live life — perpetually arm wrestling in a dualistic reality. Life is divided into allies and enemies, threats and non-threats.  And people are endlessly at war, playing their little war games.

How exhausting.  How can humans evolve when all their energy is squandered in arm wrestling?

The answer is to stop playing the game.

Get up from the wrestling table.  Stop fighting.

This does not mean “Let the other side/bad people win.”

It just means stop fighting.  Stop contending.  Stop struggling.

Back off.  Calm down.  Relax.  

Look to the root of things.  There is really no difference between left or right, male or female.  There is a center, a root, that transcends dualism.

When you connect with the center, when you ground in the root — you see beyond dualism.  And in that moment, all the struggle ends.  

You get up from the arm wrestling table, and shake out that exhausted arm.  Then you can use it to cook a meal or paint a picture or sculpt a pot.  Think of how much you can do now that you’ve got that arm back.  Think of how much you can do with all that extra energy.

If humans stopped arm wrestling, very quickly they would find that there’s really nothing to wrestle about.

Today we ask that you release your need to judge, and condemn.

Please know this: if you could release the habit of judgment, you would be happy, at peace, and productive in your lives.

Most people believe that the world would fall apart without judgment and condemnation.  They believe that people must be held accountable, and that society would collapse without harsh laws and judgments.

This is the greatest lie in your world.  It is the root of all evil.  Not money.  Judgment.  Condemnation.

Judgment is a neverending crucifixion.

It can end at any moment.

Love is the resurrection.  Unconditional love is the resurrection.  It will heal everything.  Everything in your world can be healed by unconditional love.

Please understand that human beings have no more capacity to make judgments about their reality than chimpanzees do.

Your perception of reality is limited.  Extremely limited.

In terms of accurate perception of reality, there is very little difference between you, and a chimpanzee.

We do not say this to denigrate you.  Obviously you are far more intelligent than chimpanzees.

But you are not nearly as smart as you think you are.  For there are vast intelligences in your universe, and beyond your universe.

From the perspective of these intelligences, your perception of reality is not much more advanced than that of a pet dog.

Dogs are quite smart, and know a good deal about their worlds.  But you know a good deal more than dogs do.

You would not necessarily trust the judgment of a dog in important matters, would you?

You cannot trust your own judgment.  You do not have the capacity to correctly assess things in your reality.

The wisest of human beings understands this, and therefore does not judge.

When you stop judging, you evolve.  It is that simple.

Judgment creates wars, holocausts, and crucifixions.

Love is the way out.  Love is the way out.  It is the only way.

Your world will not collapse when you let go of judgment.  On the contrary.  You will become an actualized human being, capable of true wisdom.

Any story that leads you to condemn another human being is not true.  Any story that leads you to condemn yourself is not true.

Your perception is limited.

Knowing this is the greatest wisdom.

Today we ask you to sit with the power of the word “No.”

“No” is a good word, and there is a good way to way to say it.

There are many people who believe that they need to say “Yes” all the time, in order to be loved, or to be a good person.

That is crazy.

Saying “Yes” all the time is like a person who eats everything that is put in front of him.

A person who eats everything that is put in front of him will get a very sick stomach.  If he always eats everything that is put in front of him, he will get very fat, and suffer a host of illnesses.

That is what it is like to say “Yes” to everything.

A healthy human being knows how to say “No.”  He will not eat everything placed in front of him, but only what he wants, in the amount that is healthy for him.

The problem with not knowing how to say “No” is that instead of calmly saying “No” at the first awareness that you don’t want something, you say “Yes, yes, yes, yes — NO!!!!!”

People don’t know how to say “No.”  They only know how to scream “NOOOOO!!!!”

That is why it is good to learn to firmly, quietly say “No” to things.

So many people live life the other way: “Yes, yes, yes, yes — NOOOOO!!!!!”

Instead of “Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no.”

That is the healthy way.  It is a balance of “Yes” and “No.”

There are some people who say “No” to everything.  That is also not healthy.  That is like the person who starves himself when the banquet is spread in front of him.

The balance is neither to gorge, nor to starve yourself.

So say “Yes” sometimes, and “No” sometimes.  

You don’t usually need to scream “NOOOOO!!!!”  Generally, a simple “No” will do.

There is nothing wrong with saying “No.”