Being enlightened is just a perspective.
It is not a place. It is not a destination. It is a state. It is a point of view. It is a contextual framework.
Each enlightened person will behave differently than all other enlightened people. You won’t do it the way I do it. I won’t do it the way you do it. There is no one right way or wrong way to be enlightened. Why?
Because enlightenment is just a perspective about existence. Here are some of the definitions from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to help put this idea into context.
Merriam-Webster’s Definition
Enlightened: 1. freed from ignorance and misinformation 2. having or showing a good understanding of how people should be treated: not ignorant or narrow in thinking
Merriam-Webster’s Definition
Enlightenment: 1. the state of having knowledge or understanding 2. a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
I know, I know. You may be thinking, “Isn’t this an Eastern religious thing Matthew?”
That’s what I thought at first too.
But, truthfully, enlightenment is not really a religious thing at all. It’s a people thing. It’s a word that spiritual teachers, healers, and religious philosophers have used to describe the ultimate human condition.
Here’s my definition of enlightenment.
Enlightenment is the recognition that the source of life within you is the source of life in everyone and everything else. We are all one thing expressing itself with infinite variety.
This gives you…
- The ability to see what has been hidden by the contextual filters of the survival mind
- The ability to accept what you see without unwanted emotion or reaction
- The freedom to act in accordance with your true desires
- To ability to operate completely free from guilt, obligation, cultural dogma, societal programming, fear, concern, doubt, and worry
Enlightenment gives you mind-bending power to create your epic life. At the center of my definition of enlightenment, is the ability to accept what you see without unwanted emotion or reaction.
The more you accept, the less you resist. The less you resist, the happier you are. The happier you are, the easier it is to think, express, and create the life you want.
Happiness is one of the cornerstone experiences of being enlightened.
When you are happy, you are more resourceful. You are also easier to deal with. Moreover, enlightenment gives you an unbelievably strategic advantage in your life. Success in all aspects of life is much easier when you are happy.
Now don’t make the mistake that just because you are happy you are also effective. Happiness and effectiveness are two different things.
Being enlightened gives you the ability to be happy regardless of the circumstances. This simply means that your ability to be effective is enhanced because you are not in a state of resistance. It doesn’t make you effective. It allows you to accept the challenges you face when working to become effective at something.
Enlightenment unlocks courage by recontextualizing what you fear. With the release of fear, you have a surge of creative energy. Back burner projects become front burner projects. New projects mean new challenges to overcome.
An enlightened perspective creates an empowering context that allows you to fearlessly embrace the challenges and overcome them.
As you overcome challenges, in essence, you become more effective. Therefore, enlightenment is a very powerful tool for becoming effective at the things in which you are interested.
This is a state of unbelievable freedom, creativity, power, and influence over your life. As you pierce through the veil of the mind’s denial system, you begin to see life as innocent, perfect, and meaningless.
This power allows you to deal with things very sensibly. There is no suffering. There is no desire. There is no worry. There is no doubt. There is just bold creative energy.
When you become enlightened, there is inspiration. There is compassion. There is a level of joy that feels so good you can’t put it into words
ADVANTAGES OF DEVELOPING AN ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE
As your enlightened state becomes more pervasive and your conscious awareness increases, so does your integrity. You continue to become more whole, complete, undivided, integrated, and uncorrupted.
Enlightened people simply deal with things more sensibly. Because you aren’t afraid of addressing issues, you don’t back down. You don’t sweep things under the rug that don’t work. Instead, you fearlessly take on the unworkable aspects of your life because you are no longer weighed down by doubt, concern, and worry.
These are huge advantages! Like a magnet placed near ferromagnetic metals like iron and nickel, your energy, your attitude, and your engagement begin to galvanize like-things together. Life gets easier, and more fun.
Author
Matthew Ferry