"What a liberation to realize that the "voice in my head" is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that." ― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
Observer-Ship
Woooweee, that’s not at all what I expected this morning! I just got off the phone with a very Nervous Nelly. I listened intently as her voice shook while she asked me what will come of her and her husband when the additional $600 weekly Federal Funding for the PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) ends on July 31, 2020. She was stuck in a round and round story of all of the possible gloom and doom scenarios that the voices in her head could feed her. The questions she was asking me had no true answers. I did not have a magic bullet to quiet the intense fear wreaking havoc throughout her being. So I just sat quietly listening to her with my full attention. I hoped that my peaceful quiet presence would offer her some relief. The escalation of emotions peaked with her saying with a tearful voice,” I have lost my faith, why would God be punishing us this way, we are good people.”
One of the many hats that I wear is that of an independent contractor who performs various administrative and bookkeeping tasks for a few entities. Yesterday I found myself fielding calls for one of these entities, as the tax deadline crunch was pressing down. Though I am ME no matter where or what I am doing, I usually do not find myself directly engaged in spiritual work while wearing this hat. Indirectly, yes, but full-on heart-to-heart and soul to soul conversations are rare. Hearing her plea to understand God’s place during these strange and potentially unsettling times was all I needed to switch hats. She had taken us to the “where is GOD question” and I felt compelled to support her.
I softly said, Nelly, “God is God” no matter what the outer world is showing us.
We continued our God conversation for several more minutes. Slowly Nelly settled into the grace of remembering that from a quiet state of being the Omnipotence and Omnipresence of God is evident. Her faith returned as the voices in her head were quieted by our very present and holy conversation. I felt immense love and gratitude that I had been able to “hold the space” of peace for her until she was able to find it for herself. As we said our goodbyes, Nelly said that she wished she had recorded our phone call so that she could listen to it again and share it with her sister. I reminded her that the Knowing has been written on her heart and that she now would have the words to support others as they struggle with the “Where is God” question.
The more intense things get in our current state of affairs, the more I am intrigued by my "observer-ship;" the vehicle that allows me to be in the moment yet removed from the chaos. In my mind's eyes, I see it as an impermeable energetic bubble surrounding me. Not that I concentrate on stepping in and out of this so-called bubble, but when I place my attention on it to try and describe it for you, this is what I see. I have noticed that I am in this detached state or "observer-ship" more often than not, and I believe it to be my saving grace. I am deeply grateful that I was introduced to this concept several years ago via Eckhardt Tolle's book "A New Earth – Awakening to Your Life's Purpose." Becoming the Observer has benefited me in all aspects of my life.
It is with the use of this vehicle that I can participate and be fully present in the now. I can focus on what truly IS and not what I want, wish, or imagine things to be or not to be. This disassociative state is a means to disentangle from the sometimes powerfully negative impact of politics, social media, news, family chaos, and general dysfunction. My observer-ship eases the worry over possible future events and the pain and lamenting over past events. This bubble assists me in sensing and understanding the energetic impulses and imprints of others and situations. This space of no-thingness enhances and amplifies my intuitiveness by allowing me to hear the whispers of my higher self, guides, and my higher power. This ship of observation enables me to slip into what some refer to as "Ginger Mode" where I can hear, sense, and empathize with the human condition, and then articulate what that energetic imprint is conveying.
The state of which I speak is not magic or only available to a few. It is there for all to partake. The one and the only thing holding someone back from viewing our world from this state is choice. It is a choice to quiet the voices within our heads knee-jerk by merely participating in the now. At first, it takes practice, but with time it slowly becomes your knee jerk response.
Why does it matter? When life is in a skippity, do da mode full of sunshiny days and experiences, we tend not to need a navigation vehicle. But when life here on planet earth throws in a couple of rain clouds, thunderbolts, and downpours, our human tendency is to fall into a state of fight or flight. As they say, this only serves you if you are up against a saber tooth tiger or tyrannosaurus rex. Allowing ourselves to remain in this state of fear, alters our metabolism, impacts our immune system, robs us of our much-needed sleep; the list of negative impacts on our mental, physical and emotional states is a mile long. The long-term effects are devastating to our overall well-being.
How does one build a personal observer-ship? You can set the foundation by setting aside a few moments each day to just BE. You may be asking, what does it mean to just BE. My seven-year-old grandson calls it “dazing”. I think he combined the word gazing and daydreaming together. But it is a perfect word to explain this detached state. The difference between this state and daydreaming is we take a moment to explore this very moment, then the next, and so on. We are not listening to the voice of the stories in our heads. We are not focused on the should of, would of, could of, of the past or the projections of the future. We are right here, smack dab in this very moment. We can be present in this moment by sensing our breathing, feeling our feet on the ground, the wind caressing our skin, the warmth of the sun, the sounds in the room. You get the picture. Being present in this very moment opens the doors to your observer-ship and places the key in the ignition.
As you become accustomed to doing this little exercise try expanding the time you do this or the instances per day that you allow yourself to partake. I love to wash my hands fully present. Feeling the water flow over my skin, the softness of the soapy bubbles, the sensation of my own touch as I rub my hands together. Instead of singing happy birthday a gazillion times and making handwashing a chore, make it a 5-minute meditation of this present moment.
As you explore the present moment, begin to notice how with time your ability to slip into this state becomes easier. You may even find yourself longing to be there. Believe it or not, you can be fully engaged in a conversation and yet be in a state of "present detachment." Communicating with others from this state will bring a deeper sense of connectedness and oneness, even in your work environment. Now try it with your family, children, crazy neighbor. Even if they don’t find peace through your interactions, you will find the peace of your inner knowing and the understanding of your higher self.
Next time we sit together in community, let's all fly in on our Observer Ship! Until then, I love you with all of my heart,
Ginger
A little side note. Observer-ship is the backbone of Reconnective Healing. As practitioners, we are merely the facilitator and observer of your healing.