The gift of conscious perception can be an astounding event that happens whenever we realize that it is we, and we alone, who assign meaning to whatever our eyes fall upon every moment of every day.

There is no right or wrong way to experience your Higher Self, but it is important to pay attention until you are sure you can discern it. Then you can learn to listen to it. This level of attainment also shifts our relationship to the ego.

To truly exercise our most sacred ideals of "life and liberty" we must first be responsible to internally lay hold of who we are and not constantly live to appease other people's expectations or reactions of us.

As I began to grow up, I attempted to define myself -- this presence of "I" -- through endlessly collecting information. In this natural process of mental awareness inhabiting a body, I discovered a symphonic mandala of sometimes competing, sometimes complementing explanations.

What is causing us to relate to ourself in the third person, to want to turn ourself into a product? Are we afraid that if we don't continually tell the world who we are that we will be invisible?

Perhaps if we can let go of the interpretation of what we think our lives should be, we might finally be able to fully embrace -- and celebrate -- what our lives are.