As the Paradigm Shifts | Give an inch, gain a mile

||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN |||

My intention in sharing what I do through my offerings As the Paradigm Shifts, is to perhaps spark just a little bit of curiosity in you. By generating even a titch of curiosity, you may awaken slightly to what’s going on inside you in a way you’ve not considered before.

Here’s something I read the other day that made me giggle. In Emmett Fox’s, Sermon on the Mount (1939), he says, “If one is praying every day for enlightenment and guidance, the one certain thing is that he will not go on holding to the same ideas as he grows older, but that he will be continually revising, enlarging, and expanding them. He will die daily, as the man he is, to be reborn bigger and wiser and better on the morrow.”

Okay, why do I giggle reading this quote? Well, for most of my life, I’ve prayed to be enlightened and guided. In my unworthiness and hopelessness I groveled for assistance. “Tell me what to do so I stop suffering, settling and surviving.” Then, I waited to hear what I expected to hear and what I wanted to hear. I wasn’t open to hearing anything but that! And because I wasn’t hearing what I expected to hear, I felt ignored, betrayed and abandoned, over and over again. I made no space to receive even a whispering of guidance that wasn’t aligned with my own orientation—My will be done!!

My religious background was infused with fear, anger, powerlessness, guilt and shame. Within this Religion my only hope was to abdicate any sense of worthiness and pray to God that I would be saved. It never worked for me!

Whatever the truth is, all I know is that for me, this groveling, beseeching, imploring practice didn’t work. And it took me decades to figure out how to shift my relationship with that certain something related to my “higher power,” so that I felt safe, trusting, seen, heard and gotten within this relationship.

To admit that I’m powerless over people places and things—including my own self-righteous, superior and entitled attitude, I opened up—just a titch, to the possibility that maybe I could receive more guidance and be less resistance to listening for something that went right along with “my way.” Man!! My resistance was super-charged. It didn’t want to give an inch, unless there’s guarantee to receiving what it knows itself to be entitled to. JEESH!

Igniting Curiosity
As I’ve been doing for many years, I ongoingly engage with many spiritual teachings, especially those that ignite curiosity within me. It seems that curiosity doesn’t pose a threat to that resistant part of me. “Be curious all you want,” it says, with a grin of a Chesher-Cat. 

So, without disturbing the resistant one, I explore what life would be like without resistance, without fear, without contempt and anger, without the need to try to control everything.

Within this space of curiosity, my listening begins to adapt itself to greater possibilities and potential. Like a radio tuner/receiver, it begins to pick up more signals and I hear stuff way beyond what I imagined possible. My opening up even an inch provides me with greater capacity to receive what seemed miles away from possibility. It’s really fun!

What About Resistance?
Curiosity, to me is like breathing fresh air. It’s like returning to Orcas Island after a trip to the mainland. You know you are on your way home when you breathe in something better than what the mainland offers. I know you know what I’m talking about. That resistant part of me says, “Yeah, you’ll be back! You can’t live without me.” But more and more, I can. Just like living on Orcas—I have less and less reason to leave!

If or when you pray for guidance, support, enlightenment or something else, just notice perhaps, how quickly you close off to any new wisdoms that arise. Even just being curious about that is fun and fascinating: “Did I just ask for help and then ignore that help?” JEESH!!!

Be curious about being curious, just a titch or an inch. You might experience yourself being in wonder of what shows up. It might be an insight, a felt-sense, a thought or emotion. That’s the fun of being curious. What you thought was miles away is so much closer than you think! Well, only if you are open! You don’t have to be. It’s up to you! I’m just sayin’!!

I would love to hear your comments, questions and feedback. 
If you’d like more of Dr. Rosie, check out her website: www.theparadigmshifts.com. You’ll find blogs, books, videos and more.