Divinity is the fourth step in our series of 7 steps to happiness
Divinity is the point where you get relax, not like as in zone out, but this is a point of arrival, a space of being even when you are doing, a point of acceptance, And as you’ve been experiencing as you practice the first 3 steps there’s no acceptance without surrender so you’re chill.
First off let’s define divinity in the context of these 7 steps to happiness by establishing what its not
Those folk in Oxford define divinity as
The quality of being a god, like god or a god, a being having divine attributes, ranking below God but above humans: minor divinities.
This suggests you’re better than or worse than others and we’re not playing the superior inferior, shame blame game here.
Now, In Christianity, divinity belongs to God alone. Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus is divine as well as human. Jesus is God and man, and the second person of the Trinity; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And there are lots of religions so let’s get clear the context in which we are discussing divinity is not about any religion
It’s also said that God is the being or spirit that is worshipped and is believed to have created the universe. And of course, being human we made him human too, and a guy because well, the patriarchy so we can relate to God and if the word God has immediately made you reach for the exit button.
Let’s also get clear on what the word GOD means in this context.
In Kundalini Yogi the lineage I practice God is an acronym for the Generator, Organiser and Destroyer which is too far away form the the Hinduism concept of the Trimuthis are more traditionally called as
Brahma - Creator
Vishnu - Preserver
Shiva -Destroyer
So let’s consider that for a moment, there’s always something beginning or being generated in your life, something that is organised or working, that’s stable or stabilising and something that is ending. You’ve chosen to stop playing tennis because you’ve fallen in love with the sax or you’ve chosen to commit to a yoga class because bootcamp isn’t working for you anymore.
Now divinity in the context in which we are speaking means that
No one has any duality about you. They accept you for whom you say you are, and you do too. This engenders trust and that's a valuable quality to have and to receive.
That you trust yourself too is where the real power is here.
This is the kicker. You’re no longer fighting with yourself.
There’s no longer an internal argument between what you think, say or do
Remember you’ve worked to get here. It didn’t happen by accident or in a moment. You are not an overnight success and in a world where instant gratification takes too long, you’ve practiced your craft, you’ve stayed the course, you’ve built crebillity
And that takes time and it’s not a hole in one fluke. You have reached a point of mastery at being you. And as we’ve established mastery takes discipline devotion and dedication.
Now you know that mastery isn’t a state you reach and then you stop practicing. Yogi Bhajan when asked why when he was a master, he still got up to do his sadhana daily practice responded
To remain a master.
This is the brand building. It’s not slapping a logo, some type faces and a pretty colour palette on something and saying this is a brand. It’s not doing a yoga training and calling yourself a teacher. Those are great beginnings but but this is warriorship. It takes discipline and devotion - there I’ve said it again. You’re applying what you’ve learned, overcoming obstacles, course correcting where necessary. Discerning what is important to you and developed and building the caliber and grit to show up consistently.
You are committed to whom you want to become.
Commitment is the first step, then you discerned what behaviours this guy or girl needed to become proficient in so you weren’t just pretending or performing, you embodied these qualities, skills, gifts and talents through consistent practice which gave you the dignity of self-respect, character, self-esteem - can you see these are all qualities you want in your leadership, in your partners, friends and lovers and to recognise, attract and hold space for them in any sustainable way you have to have them yourself.
This gives you Divinity, then you can serve anybody and everybody without question.
This is what Maslow refers to as self-actualisation you are committed to something bigger than yourself and are on a constant path of growth and evolution
And truly this is Martin Luther King’s 'everything collapses in the face of love.' The concept of love is this; where there’s a love there’s no question, where there’s a question there’s no love, period. When you practice that status, you shall be very graceful which we’ll speak of next week but for now let’s get back to Divinity.
Can you see how powerful you are, when you hold no duality in yourself and others see this in you too.
Let’s revisit the mother doubting being able to ‘do this’ but being in action and doing it anyway. Learning on the job through practice: mentally jumping between beating herself up for being the worst mother in the world and feeling I’ve got this. Now she’s just in it, she’s not questioning, she gets up and shows up, does her tasks and others witness her doing this commitment again and again, and again.
You see whether you’re the yogi, the tailor or the candlestick maker, the brand strategist or entrepreneur it is in the doing that you gain credibility and trust. The proof truly is in the pudding. The chef who can produce the same excellence in his signature dish 10,000 times over. People see you executing on projects, delivering the goods you said you would, being the mother, lover, healer, business person. You are walking your talk.
Divine Attributes explores the traditional theistic concept of God as the most perfect being possible, discussing the main divine attributes which flow from this understanding - personhood, transcendence, immanence, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, perfect goodness, unity, simplicity and necessity
And definitions like these are all good for more mental masturbation but how does that show up in your day to day as you pay your mortgage, unload the dishwasher, juggle competing tasks, motivate yourself to get to class, or get your client or boss on board for the risk you know is needed to grow and evolve your business.
Central to being able to embody your divinity is the belief that you are not a human born for a spiritual search. You are a spirit, an Atma (soul), born for an experience as a human.
And this changes everything. Suddenly everything is elevated to being an experience, an experiment which presents as opportunity for growth and evolution. You are practicing the yamas and niyams which we’ll get to in a minute but in psycho-spiritual speak, this is Jung’s view that human life is a journey of individuation and I’m with him. The challenge and the suffering in life is the sense of separation that we do no belong, that we have been cast adrift and need to navigate this adventure alone. And as we do this meet challenges and obstacles, evolve and grow as we build character and dignity through our commitment and it brings us back to oneness, to divinity where we realise we are all in this togethe,r and as I say so let’s play nicely and share.
Jung’s journey of individuation brings us to the realisation of oneness - and the journey is one of integration. Integration of your shadow, anima/animus and the self. That the gift of being more fully yourself unites you with everything else. Nice eh!
Once more it’s the concept where most try to differentiate through competition (which is of course exhausting as you are constantly in compare/ contrast mode trying to outrun others), you’ve not yet realised that true differentiation naturally emerges through integration. There never has and never will be someone like you so as Oscar Wilde counsels ‘ be yourself everyone else is taken.
Divinity is when people have no duality about you.
They trust you right away. They have no fear about you.
Divinity is when you honour your commitment to yourself and others.
There is no internal argument. You have entered the state of flow.
Think of it in terms of a yoga posture, your arts or professional practice, a surgeon at work. You trust that you know what you know.
Flow is when the technique has been embodied
You can’t master the flow until you know the practice
Only then you can allow yourself to enter it. You are now in devotion to your discipline. You are relaxed into it and you are letting the posture/process guide you. At the beginning of anything we are learning we are trying to grasp it all, understand it,
In this first phase there is alway resistance as the mind and emotional body is stimulated and you become aggravated as it upsets your status quo, your unconscious operating, your expectation of yourself. You’re nervous system is tense as you meet your edge of comfort because there’s chaos before calm - things get messier before they get better - like when decluttering your house. You are reorgnising and redirecting energy and neural patterns. What follows is clearer which allows true creativity to emerge
Creativity is the juice of happiness.
In astrology speak you’re balancing your mars with your venus - your use your will to get what what you desire
Your body mind and heart are all lined up and heading in the same direction. Divinity gives you GRACE.
In yoga this the concept of divinity is closely related to the concepts of atman and brahman. Atman is the individual Self, Consciousness or soul, while brahman is the universal Consciousness, or Absolute Reality. Because both atman and brahman are infinite, they are ultimately the same thing.
Can you see now how we have to go on this spiral of growth to come back to our essence, to the source.
And of course like all things we can know this intellectually for years and even decades but like all knowledge it must be applied and experienced to become embodied wisdom so then you just know that you know
You have to continuously imagine, visualize, believe, and expand in all directions; connect to everything, meditate, practice, and project that you are what in KY we call Ang Sang Wahe Guru (so with every limb, every part of your organism mind body and soul you belong to the Divine because you are part of this oneness), and that the energy gives you elevated spirits
Your nervous system is strong, your physical body is strong and your mind is clear. Your vibration is elevated so you don’t experience depression or anxiety. You are connected to your higher self, never caught in emotional turmoil. You see what’s good in yourself and in others. You don’t worry about the future or ruminate in the past.
Worry is a prayer for what you don’t want to happen.
Instead you focus on what you could accomplish and take action towards that
You will continuously graduate towards the Divinity and Infinity that are the essence of your existence. If it helps you could think of divinity as another term of flow
So can you see how divinity emerges through Integrating the shadow, animus, and Self to create your spiral of success in your work, relationships, play and well being. By aligning your actions with your deepest values, you can unlock your full potential to get the results that really matter to you. So let’s connect back to our yamas and niyamas as the guiding principles to show how this integration can lead to divinity:
Satya - Truthfulness when there’s no duality no gap between who you are and how others perceive you there’s truth. While there are universal truth you accept your truth can change and evolve as you learn and experience new things. Being authentic and real in your work, will resonate to create a sense of trust and connection with your audience and magnetise ideal clients leading to greater loyalty and success in all your relationships, personal, business or creative endeavors.
Ahimsa - Nonviolence - when you have reached a state of divinity there is no better or worse, higher or lower you can be more democratic, kinder and more generous and form deeper bonds because you have embodied your essence and are no longer competing.
Asteya - non stealing - with a bigger philosophic perspective comes acceptance of the nature of your essence, of human nature, and of physical reality, so you establish a firm value structure and many of our ‘problems’ that pre-oocupy others seem to dissolve. You become more interdependent and also independent of your social environment. Becuase you’re motivated by internal growth, you’re more focused on developing your potential where the muggles or person on the street is dependent on and motivated by social or cultural forces.
Brahmacharya - Moderation or right use of energy. Practicing self-control and moderation is at the centre of the discipline of freedom. Being all in and no attached. using tools such as yoga or astrology cna help you explore and discover how integrating the shadow, animus, and Self helps you tap into your innate strengths and potential. With clarity and purpose and how to use these energies as fuel for your fire in your endeavors with mastery and discernment to create impact as you pursue your goals.You have tools to keep your balance and know how to access it in every moment, in work, relationships, or personal affairs
Aparigraha - Non-attachment: You’ve transcended the attachment to material possessions, people, and outcomes. Of course you are all in but you knwo your identity is not connected to the outcome. Letting go of the need to control and possess you enter the cosmic flow of life and align with your true self.
Saucha - Cleanliness: As a successful woman, taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and psychically is just part of your discipline and devotion to yourself and others.
Santosha - Contentment: Being able to hold the space for joy and contentment under all circumstances is a challenge for all of us. It brings us into the present where we can be all in and not attached to a future outcome. You have worked hard for your success, but sustainable joy and happiness is found in the here and now. This inner confidence and contentment shows you hold yourself in high regard, radiates positivity to all who encounter you and magnetises those who resonate with your vibration.
You can become
Ishvarapranidhana surrender to a higher power - Integrating the animus can help a female entrepreneur or creative professional tap into their inspiration and motivation to find innovative solutions to overcome obstacles and challenges. You’ll need this in traditionally highly competitive fields, where perseverance and grit are essential for success. You’ll have an edge because while you are all in you’re unattached to the outcome. This ability to connect with your superconscious and play an infinite game elevates you above others players who are ego driven to look good at all costs
tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-reflection) By cultivating a daily self contemplative practice, a entrepreneur or creative professional can create a strong foundation of ethics and values that can guide their decisions and actions. This saves you time energy and money and liberates you to focus on what really matters. You are actively choosing what you want to be known for, what you stand for so building a positive reputation and a loyal following, which can lead to greater success over time.
Understanding and working with the planetary energies of the lunar cycle can help a female entrepreneur or creative professional tap into the natural cycles and rhythms of the universe, and use this knowledge to make more informed decisions, schedule launches and meetings to advantage of opportunities as they arise. By integrating these different elements, a female entrepreneur or creative professional can create a spiral of success that builds on itself over time, leading to greater levels of achievement and fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives.
So that’s divinity for you and when you are in that state of flow you radiate a state of grace which we’ll talk about next week
So the question to leave you with is
Are you feeling happier already, no seriously -
Can you see by giving yourself a set of guidelines as a framework for understanding yourself helps you discern what you truly value and what value and impact you can deliver for others helps you focus your attention and energies to creates your spiral of success.
This is the discipline of freedom
Next week we’ll talk about grace which compounds your divinity.
Until then, my wish for you is moments of pure grace. Soak it up you deserve it!
If you love these themes and topics there are two ways to work with me and some tools you can use in your day to day.
Brand Strategy Workshop - Essence, Experience, Expression
The immaterial by design collection
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