Re:Volutionaries - Living in Sinew
We’re on the crest of a wave (of consciousness) which is re-evolving each and every one of us. For those who are paying attention, you can feel it. You know it deeply, that a mass awakening is taking place in real-time.
You can choose to ignore it, to fight it or to ride the wave… no wrong answers, just listen to what your instincts tell you is right. We are all players in this game and each has their own role to fulfill.
That’s where I’ve found myself (literally and metaphorically) as a guide for the men and women who are ready to live their true purpose — after over a decade of intensive self-study and cultivation of discipline, mental fortitude and seeking spiritual connection, truth… I finally broke through. It didn’t look like I thought it would, but that’s how it goes. How could I imagine being healed if I was using the wounded mind?
We have WORK to do.
That prospect really should excite you. This is your life’s work! It is the very thing you are on earth to accomplish. Your task. Your mission. I’m going to help you find it and accelerate towards it.
Here’s how we’re going to set forth on this journey:
Body: this is where you must begin. Treat your body as a temple and develop it extensively. Do not settle for the mundane body riddled with pains which will impede your mission.
Mind: incorporate tools and systems to develop an unstoppable mind.
Spirit: once you have some tools at your disposal you must figure out your life’s purpose and reverse engineer the goal back to your starting point. When you are on task, you will be gifted insights from the universe and obstacles will be unveiled as teachers.
This idea, of starting with the body, is not unique or new. On the contrary, the yogic system works through the chakras, starting with the most fundamental, root - which is the physical body, finances, safety, etc. This is the very reason I have named my company Living in Sinew as an homage to the fractal nature of reality.
Sinew —> SineW(ave) —> Sin:ew —> Sin = YOU (your body)
Sin is oft touted as an action which is shameful or detestable, one which must be punished (by God) but that is not fully congruent with the original etymology. Tracing back the root word morphology I discovered Ancient Aramaic inferences to be more connected with the fact of physical reality, then the Latin and English forming what we see and hear today.
(Proto-Germanic) “syn” —> “sin” was more about a debt or something we owed. The body is temporary so we shed it once our term on this earth is up. The debt is repaid when you die. You are not your car, you are not your clothing… likewise, you are not your body. All are temporary and can be taken away.
(Old English) “seon” —> “sinew” meant “to bind” as in it pulls one together, holds one in place… it is the source of physical strength, the sinews of the body. You can embody a “sinful nature” one which is focused on hedonistic pleasures and physical exploitation at the expense of the higher spiritual aims.
(Latin) “sinus” —> “sine” which is a wave, a smooth and periodic oscillation, a function of fluctuation in mathematics. All three are related to strength, connection and vibration. Your consciousness determines the shape of the wave, the standard you hold yourself to, and the physical actions you take in this world.
New perspective, or old reflections?
The deeper one goes into themselves, their own mind, the more they realize the inherent divinity within themselves. Those who engage in evil and malicious acts do not have a keen sense of self-awareness nor do they stop to reflect on the impact they have on those around them.
When an under-developed person gets a glimpse into their true self (faces the mirror) they tend to look away and seek any scapegoat for their own shortcomings.
The studied mind seeks true power by dominating their lower nature, not the world around them. Becoming a better version of yourself is actually just an uncovering of your original nature, your true Self. The closer you get to your own divine spirit, the more knowledge, understanding, compassion, etc. you will have.
You must bring your mind to a state of balance. You cannot fight it or force it. The abyss is really just your own mind and it will take more than you can give it, always. Its antithesis is the heart, which will give infinitely as it is the portal to your higher Self.
Since you cannot force the mind to shut off, how do you overcome it? Don’t fight it. Realize what it is; just a thinking machine. Its job is to find problems, create potential solutions (SOULutions?) and to simply THINK. You are not your thoughts, just as you are not your body. You have a few options for outsmarting your mind:
Give it a task: keep yourself occupied on activities which serve your higher purpose.
Single-pointed focus: meditation and prayer, where you focus on ONE thing such as breathing or even connecting to your Creator. All attention is one this one thing so the mind calms and capitulates to your focus.
Distract it: exercise, cold water submersion, writing, play with your kids, play music… do something to enter flow state.
Positive affirmation: tell yourself the truth - that you are worthy of love and that you are a perfect soul having an imperfect experience. When negative and self-critical thoughts come up, simply take note of them and don’t take them personally.
Ultimately, you must train the mind to do your bidding. You will eventually become developed enough that you naturally gravitate towards activities which serve your mission. It will become as effortless as breathing.
You have to take this seriously. You must give up things that don’t serve you. Drugs, alcohol, weed… be honest, are these things helping you or are they masking pain which you know you should confront? Remember that you have to FEEL it to HEAL it.
This process feels like a paradigm shift, at first. At some point you realize that this is actually your true perspective and the undesirable thoughts and actions were merely illusions of you. Gandhi said “your habits become your character”, Aristotle said “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” the understood the wisdom of habit formation.
Thoughts —> Habits —> Character —> Perception
Change your thoughts, then your habits will improve. Change your habits and your character becomes rich. Change your character and change how the world sees you.
Wake up!
So, then, what is your mission in life? If you have no clue then it is your duty to figure it out. When you ask the Universe [God, Creator, the Divine] what it is that you came here to do, you will get an answer. Be patient and mindful. Listen with intention, remember that the answer is already known to some part of yourself.
This is a process of going within. The Kingdom of God is within. Christ rises within. Your inner light guides the way. In stillness, the answers reveal themselves. Listen to the whispers of your heart; they hold the truth. Your soul already knows the way; trust your instincts. Every religion and culture, from Western to Eastern, Native American to Tribal populations across the earth… they all know this truth.
Your process will be unique to you but, ultimately, it is a path inwards. Do not waste your time trying to change the world around you if you have not yet mastered yourself. You will be blinded in your pride and arrogance, subject to the whims of whatever influences have made their way into your head. There are countless examples of this phenomena littered throughout history. A tyrant is simply one who lacks self-awareness. If they were aware they would see; that which they seek to subjugate is actually their own shortcomings.
Developing a spiritual path is not just about spiritual experiences, out of body phenomena, or drug-fueled “eureka” moments… they can have their place but they are tools. Don’t miss the forest for the trees... Your path in this life, your experiences, enjoyment, pain, development, hardships, passion, pleasure… all of it is a part of your journey. Embrace it fully.
When you become aware, you become less and less attached to the outcomes of your pursuits and, paradoxically, you will attract everything you ever truly wanted and you will do it, all without ever having felt like you “worked” for it.
I salute your efforts to walk the path set before you. It may not be an easy journey, but it will be fulfilling and rewarding. Seek the pain, embrace the pleasure…
As always, hard bodies, soft hearts — Luke.
If you’re connecting with my message; check out the Sinew App. It’s free to create an account!