Spirituality | Howard Falco

‘spirituality’ Category

The Value of Suffering

August 22,2011

Why do we suffer? This has to be one of the more frequently asked of the larger questions about life. Millions across the globe fall peril to daily suffering that often seems senseless. There is hardly a soul alive today that has not faced some form of either physical or mental suffering along the road of life. So where is the redemptive value in this pain?

Since life is a never-ending process of the expansion of awareness, the direction this expansion takes is based on our intents and desires. There is a certain process of gaining the knowledge necessary to achieve these creative desires. Suffering is simply one part of this process. These desires could be as simple as wanted to eat and stay sheltered or as more complex as building a large business or sharing your creativity with the world, either way there is a process to accomplish these ideas.

When information hits your senses that is not in line with what you believe is true about yourself, you suffer because of it. For example if you believe your particular job is the only way you can provide for yourself and you lose the job, your suffering will be a result of a mind that says I will not be able to provide for myself. However, if your belief is that you will always be able to provide for yourself and you lose your job, you may not suffer at all but actually may become excited about the new opportunities that may unfold for you. The suffering in this case is to represent to you that what you believe about how you provide is NOT true.

The previous example can be used for any circumstance including the loss of a loved one, physical illness, financial concern, family troubles, relationship issues etc. The point being offered is that the value in the suffering is in the underlying message it is sending you regarding what you believe to be true. Suffering is telling you that the belief you hold that causes the suffering is NOT THE ULTIMATE TRUTH ABOUT WHO YOU ARE. There is a greater truth that is waiting to be embraced and when it is embraced suffering dissolves and peace and tranquility are yours to be experienced.

This is not presented due to a lack of empathy or compassion for what anyone is going through in the world today. It is just the opposite. It is out off the greatest empathy, compassion and love that this information is offered as the way to experience the greatest amount of joy, peace and creative fulfillment along the journey of life.

Suffering births questions. It is these questions that lead you to more of the answers you are truly looking for as you continue on your creative path. Suffering is simply a more pronounced way that the universe nudges you towards the great gift of self-reelection and self-awareness that allows you to experience more of the grandeur, magnificence and possibility of who you really are. The more you can see this the less you will suffer as you will see that life is always working with you and your deepest of desires.

Howard Falco is a spiritual teacher and author of a powerful new book on self-awareness titled, “I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are (Tarcher/Penguin) http://www.thebookIAM.com He teaches and speaks on the power of the mind and the creation of personal reality. More about his work and schedule can be found at www.HowardFalco.com

Tags: Answers in life, Howard Falco, I AM, self-awareness, Spiritual Teacher, spirituality, Suffering
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The Power of Your Perception

August 13,2011

In the age of 24 hour news and the internet it can seem hard to escape the barrage of negative events occurring around the world on an daily basis. This can often lead one to wonder and seriously question what is going on in the world? These events include wars, terrorism, famine, disease, political division, nuclear crisis, financial crisis, global pollution, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes volcanoes, wildfires and on and on.

One’s faith in the purpose of life can surely be tested when witnessing the suffering that these events cause on seeming innocent people. The terms bad luck, poor fate, and an idea of a certain randomness of events are often the rationalization many use to make some sense out of what seems like extremely senseless and disturbing images.

What if there was a new way to look at these events? A much more empowering way, where you realize your role in the conditions that create what happens next?

You see, the only person that these events are really happening to is You. You are the one who interprets, feels, responds and reacts to what you experience. The reason this understanding is so critical is that it allows you to see how important this process of awareness is to what you believe about your world. There is nothing more important than what you truly believe to be true. These Truths shape every bit of information enters your consciousness and in turn directs every bit of energy that goes out from you that affects and influences the world around you. How you decide to experience your world is key.

Do you see despair, hate, randomness, sorrow or fear? If you do you will certainly send an energy out that looks for more of it. It’s not your fault it is simply how life works. You must work to confirm what you believe to be true.

Or, do you see, opportunity, faith, perfection, joy and love? If you do you will certainly send an energy out that looks for more of it. It’s not your fault it is simply how life works. You must work to confirm what you believe to be true.

This is not about willful ignorance towards what you see, actually it is just the opposite. It is about knowing what you see and believing strongly in your power to change things to be more in line with what you desire to see in your world. This is when you will exhibit the true power that you have within to create more of the conditions necessary to experience these desires for your world. It always begins and ends with you.

Having empathy and compassion for others and their challenging situations? Yes. Exhibiting an inability to understand that there is perfection to all things and a losing hope and faith? No, not if you really want your world to change. You must always believe in more possibility from life and there is no better time than now to exhibit this belief. In doing so you may just surprise yourself with how fast and wonderfully your world changes.

Howard Falco is a spiritual teacher and author of a powerful new book on self-awareness titled, “I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are (Tarcher/Penguin) http://www.thebookIAM.com He teaches and speaks on the power of the mind and the creation of personal reality. More about his work and schedule can be found at www.HowardFalco.com

Tags: awareness, Howard Falco, I AM, Perception, self-awareness, self-help, Spiritual Teacher, spirituality
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Theh Search For Bliss

August 13,2011

For so many on the spiritual path to greater wisdom, the goal seems to be achieving some idea of bliss, nirvana and the peace of complete transcendence from the suffering of mind. Fixated many become in this conception and the idea of a better state in which to experience life. One who desires this will do almost anything in the effort to achieve it. Meditate for hours, give up worldly possessions, stop eating meat, taking medicine, drinking or even having sex. The idea is that purity in the physical will lead to purity of mind. While there is nothing right or wrong with these ideas or practices, none of them have anything to directly do with the bliss or where it truly comes from.

In 2002 I experienced this bliss. Not once but twice. The first experience lasted for a week. The second one occurring a few months later lasted a full year. Today the mere thought of what produced it brings it all swirling back, lighting up every cell in my body, welling tears up in my eyes and causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. When this happens all words and thoughts simply stop as I close my eyes trying to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can. Invariably, as soon as I try to hold on, it fades as quickly as a rainbow does when the sun stops shining on it.

What I can offer about the path to this experience is that it has nothing to do with some idea of purity, whatever that means to you. I wasn’t meditating in any traditional sense, I was eating meat, occasionally having a drink, taking medicine when necessary, and married with a healthy sex life. What I learned regarding these different experiences is that the impact they have on you achieving bliss or awakening have nothing to do with the activities you are engaged in and everything to do with your intent in doing the activity. Something to contemplate.

That being said, what is most critical to coming to the experience of this sought after state of being is your DESIRE to ask questions about a greater idea of who you are and your WILL to accept the answers when they show up in your reality,(Here’s a hint: they are always showing up in your reality) (Here’s another hint: This moment is no different). It is in your quest for greater self-awareness and your will to embrace what’s offered that the biggest door opens for you.

Everyone has the same access to this knowledge and the freedom of mind it offers. It is the understanding that leads to the liberation of mind from the idea of death or a “finite” nature that results in the bliss. It is the liberation of mind from the idea of “time” that result in the feeling of nirvana. It is the liberation of mind from the idea of “imperfection” that leads to the kingdom of heaven.

The understanding of these powerful ideas is what awaits you on your journey of life. Take heart, you will not be denied for this path is your destiny. What you do have free will over is the speed at which you come to these realizations. In your own time and at your own desired pace. There is no need for rush or pressure. You are right where you are supposed to be. The universe will always be ready when you are…

Tags: bliss, enlightenment, Howard Falco, I AM, Nirvana, Spiritual Teacher, spirituality
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The Essence of Gratitude

July 25,2011

Gratitude is a word that has been used a lot lately in teachings offering the “spiritual” path to others. It is especially offered as a concept to those looking to manifest more in their lives. The standard line is something of the order of “You just need to practice being grateful for everything you do have in your life”. Now, while it is true that a shift in perspective from an ungrateful state of mind to a more grateful state of mind helps one to temporarily feel more at peace, it is also true that any concept offered without the root understanding of the concept is likely to be misunderstood, misused, and lead to eventual frustration.

Gratitude is not a practice, it is an understanding. As a practice it is forced, as an understanding it flows. Therefore, it is always the deeper nature of self-discovery and self-inquiry that leads to a deeper and more expansive self-love that results in gratitude.

This is a love that comes from the understanding that right now You are the perfection of all your past perfect choices, thoughts and actions. If you hadn’t made all those past choices you wouldn’t be on the path you’re on now coming to the amazing understanding that you are leading yourself towards each and every day. You would be delaying your evolution rather than expanding and evolving, asking questions, receiving answers and transforming into more of a peaceful, conscious creator of your life and a powerful master of your reality.

True gratitude comes from the realization that every situation in every moment, as much as it can seem against you, is always and forever FOR You. For example, in this moment, who else could these words be for? How you choose to respond, react and feel, based on what you desire to create and experience in this lifetime is your “free will”. You are the infinite and priceless observer and creator of life, and everything you can see, feel, touch, smell and hear is here to support you in your creative effort.

When you see all persons, places and things in your daily walk as the tangible matter that gives your life its meaning and growth, your judgments will disappear and the gratitude and love you have for all of it will know no boundaries. This is the gratitude that sees all as perfection, feels itself as part of the perfection and manifests from the unlimited and unrestricted nature of this perfection. From this state of grace the great mirror that is the Universe has no choice but to respond in kind…

With endless love & gratitude,
Howard

Howard Falco, is the author of a powerful new book on self-awareness titled “I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are (Tarcher/Penguin) http://www.thebookIAM.com He is a spiritual teacher and speaker on the unlimited creative power of the mind and the creation of personal reality. More about his work and schedule can be found at www.HowardFalco.com

Tags: Gratitude, Howard Falco, I AM, love, self-awarenes, self-help, sprituality
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Questions & Answers About Life Part 3

November 30,2009

The following are questions submitted in a recent webinar I held in October titled “Master Your Reality”. Each week a few new questions and responses from the event will be posted.

QUESTION: Why is it so easy to help others in their situation but, we don’t see or are mystified by our own situations?

RESPONSE: To see the truth or the solution in your own self you have to be good and ready. Also, once you see it, it makes it harder to avoid change. Change is the very thing that the ego often fights against. We hold tight to our stories even though many times they contain plenty of suffering. We do so because the fear of the unknown is perceived to be worse then the current suffering. Even though ironically it is what eventually liberates us from our suffering.

It feels good to offer another the truth when we see it clearly. However, for ourselves it has to be when we are finally and completely ready.

QUESTION: Is it Ok to feel pain and disappointment in life as long as you don’t make it apart of you?

RESPONSE: It’s not about being ok or not ok, rather it’s about what you desire to experience. If you would rather feel pleasure, joy and peace then yes, when you feel these negative feelings or they begin to creep up look to discover the thoughts or beliefs behind the feelings that support them and look to change them. This is how these feelings become less of a part of you and your story.

Challenge the “automatic” thoughts that sponsor any negative feelings you have and you will find the true source of your disharmony. These are the lies that have been lived out as truths in your life. The question to ask yourself is “Do these thoughts serve me now based on what I desire to experience?” If not, continue to challenge and change them into the thoughts that will support you on your creative journey.

QUESTION: How do you balance the desire to give to others ie, friends, family, clients,…. with your own necessity to take care of your own responsibilities, how do you learn to work smarter rather than harder?

RESPONSE: You can only do what you can do. The key is to make sure that at the end of the day you are content and happy knowing you have always done you best – for that day. To carry any burden of regret is counterproductive to your next day. Working smarter is about being in the most balanced and clear state of mind so that a more creative and powerful energy can flow out of you. If you feel you need to be everything to everyone else it is because you have not come to love and acceptance with who you are regardless of what you do for others.

Ironically coming to this beautiful state allows you to be just that for everybody. No matter what the key is to always know that for this moment you are good enough

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