Tom Bruein

Increasing Global Gratitude

“The antidote to grasping and clinging is generosity.

There is an emptiness behind every undefined desire. A need that can’t be envisioned as fulfilled can never find satisfaction and will search and attach to anything, repeatedly. It will never be met.

This is the nature of a hungry ghost: always wanting for something but never having enough, searching ceaselessly.

There is a way to discern hungry desires from true dreams. Before attaching to or pursuing anything, visualize it as already being in your life and the role it will play in bringing you joy and ease. If you can’t, it is not for you. Without this ability to experience gratitude in advance, the possessing will always be hollow.

The same can be applied to anything already in your possession. Consider not only if it fills you with gratitude – but can you you envision it filling another with more joy and gratitude?

Would it increase global gratitude in someone else’s hands? If so, you are being called to move it along in that direction.

When you see you are called to increase gratitude on a grand scale, not just personally, then generosity becomes a fulfilling practice. Every act of giving is a success in this endeavor to increase global gratitude.

Gratitude based only on what you have personally will ultimately feel empty and foster more wanting. Only generosity allows you to connect with and enjoy the gratitude felt by all.”

The Highest Gift You Can Give

GuidePosts

“Unity Consciousness is the realization that when you win, prosper or experience peace, so do others. Joy isn’t merely contagious, it is an energy that radiates like the sun, that others may bask in as long as you remain in that state.

Anxiety, too, can be felt by others. All emotions and mental states radiate out, and each human is both antenna and receiver. Be aware of the energies you wander toward and remain nearby, but also what you broadcast.

To focus on stabilizing and raising your own energy is not selfish, but rather the highest gift you can give to the world.”

Cultivating Connection

GuidePosts

Q: If unity and non-duality are the ultimate nature of the Universe, how can I feel more connected and supported in my decisions, actions, and life?

“When in Human form, connection arises from focusing thoughts on that which you seek to commune with. Connection dissipates when your focus wanders. This is the natural state for most Humans, so don’t lament because you are among the ordinary, and don’t compare yourself to those with higher vibration, unless it is to guide or encourage you.

You can raise your vibration over time. This requires repetition and regularity – hallmarks of the Human Condition. Just as you must eat, breathe, bathe, and exercise regularly, so must your connection to Source be cultivated. Do not seek instantaneous revelations or shifts, but rather cultivate habits and rituals that remind you to connect.

Keep a talisman by your bed and on your body to re-mind your wandering thoughts to return and center on connection. Trust that Source will respond in kind to your gestures.”

Connecting Through Ritual

GuidePosts

Q: What causes us to lose our connection to the Divine? How can we best restore it?

“You always remain connected to Oneness, for unity is your nature. You simply lapse into unawareness, like falling asleep.

Remembering this truth about your nature can be aided by reminders. This is why ritual and habit can be so effective in maintaining the connection. Things like prayer, icons, bells, and sacred music. These things don’t hold magic in themselves, but they do awaken your own powers and connection to the Divine. If you forget easily, establish reminders such as these.

But mostly, spend daily time in union with the Divine. That is the surest way to strengthen your connection.”

Step Off the Familiar Path

GuidePosts

“To travel a new direction in your life, begin by stepping off the familiar well-worn path you are on. Remain on the same road and you will see the same sights, have the same experiences, entertain the same possibilities, and experience the same limits.

Change begets change. All that is required are small steps onto a new path. As the sights begin to change, so will your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. Possibilities previously hidden will reveal themselves to you.

The very nature of exploration is to go somewhere unfamiliar, unimagined. This is where discovery, joy, and wonder await. Turn away from the familiar and explore!”

Re-Create Yourself Daily

GuidePosts

“Develop a loving relationship with yourself and be eager to feed your soul. Ask if what you consider recreation actually serves to ‘re-create’ yourself.

Let go of this notion that each activity should produce an outcome or result. Even painting is not about the finished piece, but rather your connection to the creative force.

Creativity feeds creativity. Be on the lookout during your day for ways to connect with the creative in you. Step aside and let if flow through you and you will feel re-created over and over.”