Keys to Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Life
By Reed Summers
In reading the revelation The Origin, I came upon an important passage which speaks to the process of navigating life as a student of Knowledge.
“The intellect is a powerful communicator and a powerful navigator. It is here to guide your ship. But you must be the captain of this ship, and this is where the preparation must begin. This is where you must look and see that which limits you and that which expands your life, that which leads you to the power and the presence of Knowledge and that which denies this presence and takes you away from it.
This reminded me of a game I played as a child, “The Hot and Cold Game.” In this game someone hid something in the room while I wasn’t looking, and then, as I searched around the room, they would say out loud: “hot” or “cold” depending on whether I was getting closer or not. As a child, it was exciting to be getting closer to what I was looking for and to hear a simple cue to tell me if I was.
The simplicity of this child’s game is similar to the essential nature of navigation. It is looking, seeing and feeling for a basic inner response; a sense of hot or cold; or perhaps yes or no, toward or away, limiting or expanding, stop or proceed. Certainly, there are greater skills we will need to learn as navigators of our lives, but can we see and feel for the simple cues within us to tell us if we are on track or not? These cues naturally lead to choices. And these choices add up each day and ultimately determine the condition of our lives and the state of our minds and bodies.
“Look and see that which limits you and that which expands your life…
Look for a sense of limiting or a sense of expanding—a simple and visceral sense. Can you feel when something feels limiting and constricting instead of opening and expanding?
“…that which leads you to the power and presence of Knowledge and that which denies this presence and takes you away from it.
Look to your day, your week, your month and see what is leading you toward the reality of Knowledge in your life and what is taking you away. When you look, what do you see? Through simple observation and an earnest desire to see objectively, so much becomes apparent.
There are big decisions in life—big turns in the road that are very consequential, and these require their own unique approach. There are lessons we need to learn and skills we need to develop. There is a process of undoing the past and relearning in the present. We have Pillars that need to be built, sometimes requiring real determination in order to make a big turn or get over a real hurdle in our way. These are all important and represent the greater movement of our lives.
But also important is the smaller movement each day. Today and tomorrow we have the opportunity to exercise our authority and to navigate our lives by making small decisions regarding where we go, what we expose ourselves to, who we spend time with, what we read, watch and listen to and what thoughts we entertain. None of these things are neutral in nature. Everything we do either strengthens us or weakens us. Everything leads to actual results in our lives.
Here, navigating our lives as students of Knowledge may be more essential than we thought. It’s largely about being present, seeing clearly, making decisions and learning from the results. It starts with paying attention and being present enough to actually “look and see” what is in front of us, as the New Message says.
Over time, layers of learning and skill building will need to take place. But that will largely happen on its own as we prepare in Steps to Knowledge and as we engage the daily navigation of our life. This daily navigation is part of our captainship—our role as navigator and captain of our ship, the ship of our lives. And navigating a ship is largely about making many small decisions, not a few drastic ones.
The beauty of a simple approach—the simplicity of looking and seeing each day—is that once we see, we can act. We can actually make a decision about what to do or not do, and this brings much needed confirmation and vitality into our experience. Here, the way becomes more simple, direct, readily felt, clear to see. And it leads to real action. And these actions bring us a precious resource that no amount of study and learning could give. We receive confirmation of our Knowledge and a vital sense of connection to the larger movement of life. Believe it or not, small decisions and daily navigation can yield this experience.
Compare this to the opposite. The burden of knowing something for a long time that we are not able or willing to do cannot be underestimated. Perhaps we know something about our health. Or perhaps it is about our primary relationships, our work or where we live. Ambivalence and confusion build in our minds without movement. Justifications are created, compensations are sought, perhaps even spirituality is pursued to relieve that feeling of inner conflict, confusion or stagnation. There are many compensations for this. But really it is movement that relieves it. And movement is not just about really big or grandiose decisions in our lives. It is each day. Is there a next step—even a small one, even a simple “hot” or “cold,” “yes” or “no”—that you can recognize and act on? If so, do it. See what the result is in your experience. See what it leads to next.
You see, movement is what matters. Our soul needs movement. We are spiritual beings that chose to come into the world for a purpose, and purpose in the world means getting somewhere, meeting certain people, getting things done, making things happen in a world of change. This is why we came. How could any of this happen without real and ongoing movement in our lives?
The movement we need to be concerned with is not the attainment of spiritual states, uniting with Source, or reaching higher levels of consciousness. Some of that may happen along the way according to the requirements of your specific purpose. But it will happen on its own, if it happens. Let your emerging purpose dictate what must be so in your life. And stay focused on where you are going. You are meant to be the captain of your ship, and the captain must always have their eye on where they are going.
It all starts with learning to be present. It starts with taking stock of your life and looking to your daily experience to see what is supporting your preparation and what is not. It requires you be willing to change your thinking and activities. It requires you be willing to take small actions and build from there. All of this is within reach for us now, and even though it may be small in scope, it adds up to a real result.
What a blessing that through the New Message we are each being empowered to be captains of our ship, to claim our authority in life and to find each day opportunities for movement that confirm the greater purpose that brought us into the world. Something so small, a decision at the level of a single day, can confirm what is so great, at the level of our entire lives.
This is how engaged we are meant to be. The New Message has come into the world to teach us about this, to empower us to claim our authority and show us how to use this authority in concert with Knowledge, all so that we can move into position to serve humanity as it steps into a new world reality and, beyond that, into a Greater Community of life.
This is how I see the larger process underway in the world. And at the heart of this process is the reality of individuals exercising their authority, learning to navigate their lives each day and getting into position to live a greater life. We are forerunners in this regard. But many more will follow, and they will be greatly served by seeing others navigate the realities of life and knowing that this is possible for them too.
Thank you Reed for this guidance and wisdom. I very much look fwd to meeting you one day.
Thank you Reed for the lucid and clear description on this authority to navigate through life.
I strongly relate to the game that you described. It brings this ‘surgeon’ attitude described in the Wisdom I book that one needs to take toward reality. There is a tendency to be enveloped in the mind and it’s thoughts rather than be attentive and open to the world, where listening for the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ of Knowledge is so important. It seems that one of the predominant effects of Steps to Knowledge is opening up through stillness this capacity to listen. Just listening for what is limiting and constricting and what is opening and expanding, what brings closer to Knowledge and what takes us farther away from it.
It seems that this is the essence of navigating. As opposed to overcoming and passing thresholds, navigating is an ongoing process made up of a continuum of small moments that in their entirety are consequential in the overall movement in the world. The only requirements seem to be a state of receptive listening. Listening for Knowledge.
Thank you, Reed. What an example – ‘hot’ or ‘cold’. It sounds simple but contains a deep meaning. NNC.
“Even if the world goes mad, Knowledge within you will keep you certain and focused alive and aware, even if you were required to make a hundred different unanticipated decisions in the face of the great waves Knowledge within you will lead you in making each one with wisdom and clarity. You do not realize the greater power that resides beyond the reach and the realm of the intellect and you do not see the essential importance to the welfare and the direction of your life even under normal circumstances but now you are facing unprecedented circumstances, change on a level that the human family has never had to face before.
You are also facing the presence of forces from the universe, physical beings who are here to take advantage of the weak and divide humanity. These small groups of forces are not military in nature they represent resource explorers and economic collectives. They will seek to further human conflict and gain influence in the halls of power, in government religion and commerce, they represent a great danger to humanity they will pose as enlightened beings as benign and beneficial to the needs of humanity but it is really a deception. They come into the world now at a time when the Great Waves of Change are building, they know that humanity is unprepared and that it will become further fractured and contentious within these great waves. ”
“There will be many false leaders that will arrive in these difficult times. Bad advice will be plentiful there will be many movements to condemn other people there will be claims of salvation that will be false, many selfish and deranged individuals will seek to rise to power under these turbulent circumstances. This is a time of great risk for the human family.”
“This is a time now to stop blaming others, to end your ceaseless debates, to set aside your grievances and your hostilities to face the fact that you are going to have to live life much more simply in the future. You will be living in a world of great resource restraints. You will not be able to get around very easily, everything will be very expensive and there will have to be a great emphasis on producing food and other necessary things on a much more local scale.
There will have to be tremendous restraint of anger blame and hostility if people are to make this necessary transition. So many assumptions and beliefs will have to be set aside to face the reality of your situation.
The guidelines that the New Message has provided will give you a beginning start to position your life more securely and more safely and to provide you the infrasource you will need to reconsider your interests your actions your commitments your involvements, how you spend your wealth, how you are going to remain employed, how you are going to be able to be stable while people around you become unstable.
The guidelines are here to help you maintain clarity stability and self determination in the face of ever growing chaotic events around you. The world will seem like it has gone mad but you cannot become mad, within you is a greater compass and a greater strength. ”
(Excerpts from: Navigating The Difficult Times Ahead)
“The Fourth Guideline:
Who you are is not your mind, it is not your beliefs it is not your attitudes or emotions either. All of your thinking, and your associations, your assumptions, your insecurity, and your identification with people, places, and things, that is all at the surface of your mind, the turbulent surface.
Like the surface of the ocean which is swept by the winds of the weather, you have a deeper nature that is wise and profound. It is not subject to all of these seductions and movements of the world around you, it is quiet it is deep it is profound it is discerning it is still it is not debating it is not trying to make decisions it is not in conflict with itself, it is not trying to accommodate other people’s expectations or demands, and yet this deeper mind is incapable of condemnation, and violence, and self hatred or the hatred of others.”
(Eight Guidelines for Discovering Your Higher Purpose)
Nasi Novare Coram
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Thank you, Reed!
This is a great approach to directing our inner lives. Great explanation! Thank you Reed.
Thank you, Reed, for bringing this to our awareness. I feel this is an important clue to use when and if there are many things to do and they all call for attention, and then feeling the strongest pull and combine it with the urgence of attention. I remember you father said to me, “you must remember the most important things”.
When looking at my early life in school, there were not that many options to take and the goal was (a bit unfortunately) already asked for within the first seven years at school. “The final goal?” I was thinking. Oh my gosh, that is a bit of a long way to see something coming to be, and I picked being a vetenarian, and then downsized as the years went on and Things took their turns in new directions. It funny how you say this about ‘hot and cold game’ because it comes back to me in a different way now, on a much smaller scale; now within weeks and not so much years. This is just speaking of not so big Things, that is. Thank you for bringing it up. A well worth consideration.
Thank you Reed for this teaching. Yes…there is Grace in the simplest thoughts, the simplest of gestures and in each act of kindness around the world moment to moment. For me, to navigate our lives as the NM teaches takes true honesty and determination along with compassion for yourself and for others. Nasi Novare Coram
Such a simple concept -the importance of small decisions made each day that strengthen our individual authority and the accumulation of these then supplying the strength we need to face future adversities.
Each day I’ve taken to write a review of that day’s happenings to see the direction I’ve taken re my step’s application. It’s been helpful also simply for memory recall and later reviews. Gratitude to you Reed for presenting this.
Thank You Reed for this teaching. It shows me how even a small step can help me navigate my course on this journey towards fulfilling my mission in this world…
I thought of why it is that Knowledge is not so evident before finding the NM and doing the Steps practice. In my case, it is because I wasn’t very observant to my interactions, to what I expressed, to what other people expressed, prior to learning and studying the Steps to Knowledge. And the reason why I did find it easier to recognise the evidence in the expression of Knowledge or the evidence of some direction in life (prior to the NM & to the Steps practice), is during the time of great reflection, introspection, and these times where times where something significant happened in my life that made me pause, and consider something deeply, becoming observant to what was happening at that time. But the evidence of Knowledge is evident everywhere in people, in oneself, but it goes unnoticed because we are not so observant. When I compare animals in their natural environment, they are very observant, and it is innate in everyone, but when you’ve lived a life without movement or a peaceful life without challenges, you loose this observation, because there is nothing considered deeply. Knowledge is evident even in the simplest gesture or expression.
Such an inspired teaching, Reed. One that I really needed to hear. Timely, as always. Thanks!
Thank you Reed for your wisdom. Establishing authority over my crew(thoughts and behavior) has been one of my primary practices this year even though they are still in chaos. So I understand how important this teaching is.
Gratitude for this great reminder Reed. A line from the NMG ” Knowledge is the movement of spirit within” comes to mind. The Holy Spirit that moves within us. Our guiding force. Without movement we atrophy and cannot even set sail to captain and navigate, we are forever in dock. However docked moments are useful too to integrate movement and prepare for the next voyage. I love how you explain the simple things Reed so eloquently. Thank you.
Thank you Reed for such a thorough teaching and wisdom!
Thank you, Reed, for this. Much to consider here.