Joshua once lived in a house with many mirrors. They seemed everywhere he looked. There were mirrors in the bedrooms; mirrors in the bathrooms; mirrors in the halls; mirrors in the living room, dining room, and grand entrance. All about him, he saw reflections of whom he thought himself to be. The proof seemed inescapable, irrefutable, real. A glance in one of his many mirrors was all it took to reinforce his belief.

There he was–the business man. There he was–the husband. There he was—the father. There he was–through the faculty of memory–the little boy, brimming with innocence, joy, and enthusiasm. And here he was now–the forty-six-year old man, with the personal history of trials and tribulations; the one who was twice divorced, deep in debt, out of shape, lonely, isolated, a workaholic and near alcoholic; a man who was running as fast as he could to keep pace with a world that was forever changing. His identity was also reflected–and reinforced–by and through his interactions with his family, friends, and acquaintances.

Joshua’s view of the world was this: Some people are fortunate enough to be born into a rich family, but most are not. Some individuals get all the lucky breaks, but for most–as in his case–this world is a dog-eat-dog experience. Some people will have healthy bodies most of their lives, but the majority will succumb to one of an infinite list of lurking diseases. On a good day, he could line up his ducks and–with unrelenting attention–keep them in a row. On a bad day, he couldn’t even find them. There was no sense trying to change this reality. It was just the way of the world.

Time passed, until a year came when Joshua–inspired by a deep longing for a more meaningful way of Being in the world–quit work, sold his home, and moved to a cabin that he purchased on a small island. The island, which he nicknamed No Man’s Land, had no other residents. He lived alone there; free to come and go as he pleased. He rose early and stayed up late. He ate, slept, and communed with nature. On the third day, he forgot to wear his watch and never wore it again. Life seemed simpler without time. Soon after, he began a meditation practice and faithfully gave himself to it every day. One morning when he was heading outside for a walk, he noticed a small inscription carved into the back of the cabin’s front door. He assumed it to be from the previous owner. It read: To find yourself, you must lose yourself. Its meaning was perplexing, yet raised a strange but comfortable feeling within him.

Although the cabin was very different from the grand house in which Joshua had once lived, he soon became accustomed to it. Of the noticeable differences was that it had no mirrors–not one. Nowhere in his humble home could Joshua see his reflection. That felt startling at first; for it almost seemed he wasn’t there. There was direct evidence, however, that he was! He was conscious; he was alive; he was living moment to moment on an island. As the days turned into months, Joshua realized he was happier than he had been in years. It felt as though he had shrugged off a heavy burden; for everything about himself and his experiences felt so much lighter–real but unreal. This way of Being felt natural to him, as though a birthright now remembered. The reason?

***

Simple, when we understand the mechanics of how this reality operates; and the nuts and bolts of how it’s constructed. When Joshua moved to the cabin with no mirrors–on an island on which he was the sole resident–there was nothing to reinforce the identity of the false self (the conceptual self, which exists only in the mind and is constructed from a multitude of beliefs and memories). In the light of a deeper reality, his real self–Spirit–had the space to rise up and make itself known. “Here I Am, it whispered, “the One for whom you’ve been longing.” What are the practical implications that relate to the Law of Attraction? First: That, as in Joshua’s case, the person experiencing the problematic life is conceptual…only; nothing more than a fabrication of the mind. Second: That we should continue to dream and create–as that is our nature–but from the wiser and detached perspective of our true self. By doing so, we gain access to an Infinite Well of power and knowledge.

Joshua’s awakening was a process of true recognition; not a single ah–ha moment. As his mind released its stranglehold on his identity, his true essence was free to shine forth. To Joshua, it felt as though he had shrugged off costume after costume after costume; all of which had been worn by a small fictional actor who had no true reality outside of the mind. As compulsive interpretations fell away, the awakened Joshua was left free to live and breathe and have his Being in this world; but with the intimate recognition that he was not–now or ever–of this world.

***

In time, as Joshua’s new way of living stabilized, he left the seclusion of the island and returned to the hustle and bustle of the world. Its hectic pace continued, changing from moment to moment; but he felt grounded in the Unchanging. He felt untouchable–safe, sound, secure. He started a new business and bought a new home. In fact, he fell in love and married again. Knowing what he knew, he chose to focus his attention positively and thereby create a better life. However, the most important change in Joshua’s life came through knowing his true identity. Thus: All painful longing and false belief of separation fell away.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”