Taking the Lid off! - Montressa's View

Well, I am glad Mike started the post about taking the lid off! So, it only makes sense that I address some of my lids. And, boy I had them. That's why I needed a bff like Alex. She always had a sense of where and what the lids were. You know, she would ask me questions about where I was at and it helped illuminate things for me.

Well, I had the father thing. I wanted his attention and his respect and thought I had to do things or be a certain way to get it. Guess what, that's not true. That's a "nice" idea, but it did keep the invisible prison walls there until I could see them.  Then there was the "there won't be enough money if I set off to do what I want" fear. And, there was the "I'm not qualified" to do this conversation I was in. Shall I go on? Okay... Through my conversations with Alex and through my perseverance I kept going and heading for what I wanted. Then there's the "my boss won't like me if I leave" idea I had to get through, as well as what will my father think. That was a big one and then there was, "the company won't survive without me!" That was a fun one too. And, it was true, I had done a lot for ICE. But, then the ICE board made some decisions on their own that I couldn't support. So, that paved the way for me to make my decisions about my life. You know, life has a way of working out... especially when you find those pesky lids!!

What it boils down to is this: "Is your life worth it or not?" Yes, there's all these "things" in the way, but you need to connect with YOU. As you identify the "lids", those invisible prison walls that keep you in place, you need to ask yourself, "Is this true? Is this really true?" That is how you make the lids visible and ultimately THAT is how you remove the lids. Once you can see them you can then begin to make choices about them!!

But, make no mistake about it, I had to confront many things. What I mentioned above are only some of the bigger things. Then there are the relationship issues - oh, the lids... my word. But, I got to see those and confront those as well. I talked about them many blogs ago. I just didn't relate them to "lids" on who I am!! They definitely were. They were tied in with self-worth and even family issues. Oh yes, very invisible, but once you put some attention on them and the importance of your life, lids get visible in a hurry. And, you can make choices about them that address the fundamental question about you - "Is my life worth it or not?"

An Interesting Experience That Relates to Lids

We meet with some interesting people once a week and do among other things what is called "The Realization Process" based on work by Judith Blackstone. This process connects you with your body, so that you are fully inhabiting it and at the same you focus your awareness on the fact the "space" you inhabit is part of a continuum of space. It is all connected. In another process called "Core Breath" this becomes more apparent.

So, a few days ago after we had done Judith Blackstone's "Realization Process", our group was talking about how "the one" pervades all of us. Yet we are all differentiated and distinct. How is that we questioned? We are all different, yet one. Almost a Koan... right. Then, I saw it clearly, the underlying energy of us all and because of this energy we can be differentiated as we chose it! As I sat with this realization... I could see how we make agreements to come into the duality. We take on certain energies that we choose... some of which we then choose to "shift" here in this duality. These energies can and do pervade us and the reason we make the choices to shift them. This was such a powerful insight for me because I saw it perfectly clearly...at the knowing level...

And, I'll add here... I actually had a complete sense of the energy underlying all of us and then actually saw the way we assemble the subtle energies to our being. It is like a sculpture. There is a base... and then form is added that differentiates it from...say a "plain" rock. The "form" is added by choice and can be shifted as we choose. All this is part of a free-will universe. Although, I will say, sometimes the "choice" is only to say yes, as may be the case with karmic issues.

The reason I'm mentioning this now is to provide some background about lids. This form we put on to form all of who we each are can contain lids that we may wish to shift during our life in the duality. In total, I really can't address where all of these energies come from. There may be karmic issues that need to be addressed etc. Given that, it is what it is. Actually, I'm being as clear as I can be because every issue, every lid is there for a reason. As I have said many times... there's nothing "wrong" here. And, this is very important. The ego may take this into judgment because that is what the ego does. It assesses and differentiates. That assessment can cause action on your part. You can decide to shift something because ego has notified you that it is "wrong" or does not work for you. That is how the choice to shift something may arise. Even though that choice arises at the level of mind, it can still be useful to you. As the ego learns to trust you and YOU learn to trust the ego a balance is reached. Also, YOU and the ego will learn that the assessment is not black and white. It is what it is and there are choices you can make around that. The ego may initially perceive it as black and white, but YOU will add scope to it by using your total awareness. By doing this, you will learn to deal with the ego's assessments! Just ALWAYS be aware, there is nothing wrong here... it is what it is and there are choices to be made.

More About Lids...

So, the lids are the invisible fences of our being. That is why it takes vigilance and perseverance to detect them and come to terms with them. Sometimes it happens as a Satori... a moment of complete recognition. Oh, this is why I do that ...or this is why I believe that.. It all comes from your inner knowing in those moments. At other times you need to look at your life and ask yourself... why is this happening or why is my life like that? Ultimately, it is all about your attention. When you ask yourself the right questions and put your attention on the lids that are confining you, you can begin to see them. It is important to realize that there is "nothing wrong here". Put another way... eliminating the negative... everything is the way it is supposed to be ..until this point of recognition! Now, at the point of recognition, we can make choices around what we see as lids or confinements. Some are very simple.. in an instant you know, this no longer serves me! Others times you may struggle with it. You may "need" to see them a few times until you are willing to trust your knowing and make a decision to go beyond them. Also, any criticism you have is a product of ego. Ego is looking for things for it "fix" so it has to be able to assess them.. this is wrong, this is too this or too that... however, it is still ego talking... ego assessing... at a deeper level you just know... GONNA do it differently... then ego may kick in with a justification ... Oh yeah, this isn't working.. fine, but your inner knowing has spoken... and because of the depth of the knowing, ego was not required to justify your actions... your actions are of being and choice... not of ego and rationalization!

Ever hear of someone who just said, "I'm gonna quit smoking" and stopped right then and there, cold turkey? Who do you think made that choice?  I have seen that several times. And, it is a powerful place to BE. It's about an inner truth and it comes from being. The ego will "struggle" with it, but YOU know what needs to be done and do it completely and immediately. In this instance, smoking was a lid to that person's health... boom... a decision from core... gone!!

And, this is true of ANYTHING in your life! Boom a decision from core.. gone if need be or brought into your life if need be, a creation... boom done! That's how powerful we are as humans when we stand at the precipice...

Taking The Lid Off!

Taking the lid off? Off of what? YOU!

I had been concerned that Montressa or I had not posted to the blog in awhile and the other night I heard - "Take the lid off!" So, I said, "Okay, let's look at that."

Well first thing, what is the lid? As you do, I had a sense of the metaphor presented by this. As I sat with that for awhile, I started to look at how the "lid" confines me. And then, what would happen if there was no lid. If my confinement was removed?

So, then I started to look at what confines me. Then where does that come from?

One thing for sure is my thinking that things are a certain way. They aren't any way. They are the way they are and they shift according to my attention. That is, as soon as I put my attention on something it is already shifting. Sound familiar? Heisenberg Theory of uncertainty. As soon as you go to examine something it becomes vague. You then are uncertain about where it "really" is. Interesting how we accept this in the physics lab, but not our life.

Okay, so where is this lid? I mean a pickle jar has a lid and I know where it is, right? How about us as humans? Where's our lid?

That question is worth looking into in detail. My immediate answer is that it is invisible, at least to us!! And, that is exactly the issue. We need to look for it. Look for bars that are confining us. That's the thing. It's a prison where you can't see the bars without looking for them. Yet, if you put your attention on them - they show up! I love Dr. Heisenberg! IF there is a reason to become an aware individual that would be it! To look for your invisible confinements. Look for things that are keeping you from being YOU. Looking for that lid.

Even our fear is part of the lid... oh my what would happen if the "lid" came off? There is fear in that question that probes our most intimate of unknowns.

There are many that would like to keep the status quo. Well, even if it is "bad" at least it is known, not like what could happen if we take the lid off. Scary, right? So, fear does "help" keep the lid in place. Remember, it takes courage to be you. It's not that you don't have the fear... you do... but take it with you as you look for the lid in you.