Of what is the proverbial box made?
Many years ago, I worked with a psychologist who would administer a test that asked you to use your imagination to visualize a cube and a few other items and then place those images on a sheet of paper. One evening he playfully administered the test to a group of his coworkers, me being one of them. There were six or seven of us in the room. When we were done, I was amazed at how different we imagined a cube. There was an ice cube, solid cubes made of wood or other solid materials, a metal frame cube with no walls, a rubrics cube, and even someone who saw it as their work cubical. What I imagined was a transparent solid cube made of Plexiglass. When the test was over, he revealed the significance of each of the items. The cube represented how we perceived ourselves or was representative of our nature. I often think about that cube, an empty transparent container. Wondering how I would perceive the cube today, although knowing the purpose and outcome of the test, it would be impossible to retake the test without having preconceived ideas. Why am I asking about the box and thinking about the cube? Recently, I have had several life experiences that have me wondering about labels. The labels we place on ourselves and that we place on others. There are so many categories and labels to choose from that it is impossible for me to list them all, but I will give you a few examples.
Categories of Labels for Humanity: Sex, Age Group, Race, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic, Religion, Political Affiliation, Relationship Status, Sexual Orientation, Zodiac Sign, Numerology Number, Enneagram Number, Archetype, Personality Type, Diagnosis, Mental Capacity, etc.
Basic Labels: good/bad, right/wrong, ugly/attractive, fat/skinny, loving/hateful, compassionate/judgmental, broken/whole, abused/supported, addicted/sober, victim/perpetrator, sick/healthy, etc.
If I asked you to create a drawing of a box with all the labels you have placed on yourself or allowed others to place on you, what would the box look like? These labels create the proverbial box, the self-imposed limitations to who and what you can be and create in your world. In the years surrounding the time of the "Cube Test," I was in a significant life transition; everything I thought I knew was falling away. At that time of my life, I envisioned the cube empty, and it was transparent, but there was no way in and no way out, which was an excellent description of how I was experiencing life. I had begun to understand my holy perfection (Christ Consciousness) but was unable to access it or share it. A friend said to me yesterday that she saw humans as the empty vessel (Divine Feminine) being infused with the light or seed of God (Divine Masculine) in the creation of Christ Consciousness. A depiction of the Macro reflecting the Micro. - As Above So Below. How absolutely beautiful is that statement! I am covered in Truth Bumps every time I read/hear this. Bear with me as we explore the following ideas. If taken out of context or at first glance, my words may raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Try to stay in a nonjudgmental state, in flow with the words, and allow the possibilities to unfold. For as long as it has been documented, humans have had the incessant need to label and categorize everything we come into contact with. It seems to be a function of the reptilian brain. I will explore a few of these labels. As a society, we have agreed to test our children to give them a diagnosis or label of their ability to learn and participate in a structured lifestyle. Personality, IQ, and EQ Tests and their labels place us in a constrictive space limiting our possibility to evolve. For example, we have agreed that a Personality Disorder diagnosis is "Uncurable" and is, in essence, who that person will be for the rest of their lives. Many prominent spiritual teachers use labels in our quest for enlightenment, using the labels to support our growth while pigeonholing us into a certain way to express our divinity. I, too, tend to use labels; I can usually decipher what industry someone works, if they have been sexually abused or a child of an alcoholic, by their speech and energetic imprints. This knowing supports my ability to interact with my clients more compassionately. Categorizing and labeling are not bad or wrong. Still, the assumptions and constraints embodied by the individual being labeled are detrimental to their evolution, which I would label as bad and not aligned with their divinity. As an evolving being, it is my responsibility to understand myself as Creation in Action and the observer of the Ever-Evolving Me. I am to allow all labels and categories that I have placed on myself and have allowed others to place on me to dismantle and dissolve. Ultimately to become the Empty Vessel of the Divinity where ALL things are possible, and I am ALL things. In turn, it is also my responsibility to minimize my need to place anyone or anything into a constrictive container by using labels with my words, actions, or beliefs and to see all of humanity as an aspect of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine and beings of LOVE incarnate. In a society of Enlightened Beings, there would be no need for labels. You might be thinking, "We Need Labels and Categories; without them, it would be sheer chaos!" And I say, EXACTLY! Divine Chaos is the essence of creation itself.
"Chaos is God's intricate plan to bring about new things in your life. Chaos saves you from mediocrity. Chaos marvelously inspires innovation, creativity, ingenuity, and imagination. Chaos destroys old patterns in your life and escorts you into your destiny."- John Paul Jackson – Divine Chaos: God's Method for Spiritual Advancement
Chaos Theory
Chaos: When the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.
Chaotic behavior exists in many natural systems, including fluid flow, heartbeat irregularities, weather, and climate. It also occurs spontaneously in some systems with artificial components, such as the stock market and road traffic. This behavior can be studied through the analysis of a chaotic mathematical model or through analytical techniques such as recurrence plots and Poincaré maps. Chaos theory has applications in a variety of disciplines, including meteorology, anthropology, sociology, environmental science, computer science, engineering, economics, ecology, and pandemic crisis management. The theory formed the basis for such fields of study as complex dynamical systems, edge of chaos theory, and self-assembly processes. - Wikipedia