Monthly Archives: November 2022

by | November 29, 2022 · 5:56 am

You are a magnet for …

Anger is a hot coal that you hold in your hand while waiting to throw it at someone else.” —Buddhist teaching


Life is seasonal and when times get rough you might just be one of those rare individuals who discover inner strengths beyond measure while the crowd sinks into the shadow world of grievance culture. Minorities, the weakest, and all those in society who don’t fit the norm are targeted.

When toxic emotions and fear rule the mind, there is a disconnect from authentic soul nature. The demons of hate, xenophobia, and intolerance take hold.

Within the soul is embedded all knowledge

According to Plato and spiritual teachers such as St. Augustine, your soul has within her all knowledge and wisdom. What you practice outwardly acts like a magnet to your innermost being.

What you emanate you attract. If you are surrounded by negative and angry people ask yourself: „What is it in me that attracts such people? What do I need to change within to attract kindness, empathy, thoughtfulness, generosity, and gratitude?

Blaise Pascal said: „All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

It is stopping to reflect: Where do  I come from and where am I going? A walk in nature, meditating in stillness, and finding solace in solitude are those precious moments of reconnection to the wisdom of the soul.

The 13th-century Dominican Mystic Meister Eckhart quotes a sage with the words: „Unless you transcend world and time, you will not see God. “

According to these ancient Mystics, God is embedded in the heart of the soul. God is unseparated from all things.

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Evolution and consciousness

The purpose of all creation and soul nature is evolution of consciousness. It happens in the adaptation and interplay between the outward and the inward. How this works is best understood in studying nature that constantly moves in the polarity between the Yin and Yang, yet ultimately in a spiral of completion and change. God finds expression in nature.

On another level. The evil that we see and experience in the world exists at the same time that there is goodness, innocence, and purity. We have been given the power of choice, choosing at every junction one or the other. Meister Eckart writes that the soul must return to God by „means of good and divine works“, in service of peace, justice, and wisdom.“

Especially during these times when we witness unimaginable atrocities of war and terror in Ukraine, we ask ourselves why an omnipotent God is not intervening. Why does he allow this to happen?

Evil in its harshest form also means complete disconnect and absence from God.  Its only purpose is to serve as a clarion call into action of what is the opposite of destruction and hate.

It is a small yet comforting thought that in terms of nature’s law of the seasons the flowers of spring inevitably come, even after the harshest and coldest of winters.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

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by | November 22, 2022 · 12:10 pm

What my elderly dog is teaching me

In human terms, my elderly Dalmatian is well over the age of 80 teaching me many lessons on the passing of form and inevitability that comes with life‘s seasons.

Since Klara first raced into my arms at the age of four months I‘ve known her as my best motivating coach for long walks where she would race ahead tail wagging with joy as she utilized all senses of sound, smell, and touch in complete situational awareness.

From my earliest childhood, I‘ve had dogs around me, and believe they are creatures sent by the Creator to help us become better humans. I was devastated when at the age of three we had to leave our Ridgeback mix „Pajatz“ at the farm in South Africa when the family moved to town.

One of the distant memories is Pajatz constantly standing guard around me. I would gently stroke him behind his ears as he nudged his cold nose into my face. On one occasion he instantly killed an approaching poisonous snake. Dogs are loyal and love unconditionally like few humans can. They will not hesitate one moment to sacrifice their lives in order to save yours.

They will be the first to greet you when you come home. My fox terrier „Stompie“ would be heading for the garden gate some minutes before I came home from school in boundless joy as if we had been separated for weeks as soon as I arrived.

Dogs are emotional shifters

All stressful thoughts and experiences of the day would be instantly removed as „Stompie“ demanded his pat and bring me a ball for him to chase. Later in life during my job at a news agency in Hamburg, Germany I would sometimes bring my dog Akim along. He was a great shifter of toxic emotions. 

Very often colleagues coming to me with an issue would forget the problem after „conversing“ with Akim who even featured in a widely publicized article on the positive effects of well-behaved dogs on office staff.

Klara was my constant companion and sounding board when I dealt with separation, a very stressful divorce, and giving up a home of more than 20 years. Strapped in the passenger seat of my car we took a two-day journey to our new home in Majorca, Spain. She was the star of the show every time we stopped at a petrol station traveling through France.

In contrast to rainy, foggy northern Germany the Mediterranean island of Majorca in our first month on the island offered beautiful blue sky and comfortable walking temperatures in the low 20 degrees Celsius.

With Dalmatians relatively rare in Spain, I every so often hear enthusiastic children running toward us with shouts of „Dalmata“. Klara would stand with stoic calm as an entire school class would converge on her with each child wanting to touch her.

Like dogs, we are social beings

Being rather an introvert my dogs have helped me converse with total strangers and taught me much about happiness and relationships. We have such an affinity to dogs and they to us because we are social beings who thrive when interacting with others. We need our tribe, our herd, our pack, community, friends, and neighbors to stay mentally healthy. Dogs tied to a leash or kept in a pen all day become aggressive and neurotic. Humans living in reclusive isolation become depressed. Solitary confinement over an extended period is one of the worst forms of torture.

During our five years on the island, we have explored mystical paths in the Tramuntana mountains, climbed several 1000-meter peaks, and walked many of the most beautiful beaches, coves, and forests.

Yet, gradually as age takes its inevitable toll I‘ve noticed stiffness in her legs and body. She needs more rest and sleep. Recent health issues included removing two infected teeth and a lump on her leg. But Klara will still follow me with determined loyalty wherever I go and it‘s now my responsibility to choose trails where she is still comfortable and will not over-exert herself.

A walk in the Tramuntana mountains of Majorca

Wisdom comes with age

While younger dogs throw a yapping tantrum, Klara will stand with calm presence as if saying: „Not important. Seen it all. Heard it all. Let‘s now attend to other matters.“

It’s an important life lesson that I have transferred into my return-to-work programs for staff coming back into the workplace after a long-term illness. Unforeseen accidents, life-threatening diseases, and symptoms of age are external circumstances out of your control that will force you into surrender. 

A dog will never mull over that which was and is no more. It is all about what is possible in the here and now. What is still good? What is possible? What can I be grateful for?

We will be making the best of Klara‘s remaining time before she departs for doggy heaven. Life passes us by in rapid succession. What do you do with the remaining days you have left? What relationships need nurturing? What thoughts, beliefs, illusions, and regrets need to be given up? 

As form declines and dissolves awareness grows that spirit in its essence never perishes As the great 13th century Mystic Meister Eckhart is quoted as saying: „In eternity all things are present.“ Or as best-selling author and spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra says: “You are a conscious agent or a soul that’s having a human experience.”

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

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by | November 14, 2022 · 5:23 pm

What fills the soul?

„It is veils that wrap past, present, and future time from your view. When the veils are withdrawn one can see all.“

—  Abu al-Hassan al-Kharaqani 963 – 1033

The birth of a newborn entering the world is of pure and bare innocence. But as the sages of old teach us the child grows older with layer upon layer in the form of conformity, unworthiness, fears, and insecurities covering the true self. The journey of life then proceeds in another process of unwinding and uncovering the layers of what is true soul nature.

Choosing a spiritual path, which comes often after an epiphany or a wake-up call, then becomes a process of peeling back the layers of programming, trauma, and limitations that have been holding you back from living your truth.

The 19th-century American teacher and philosopher Amos Bronson Alcott said “there are truths that shield themselves behind veils, and are best spoken by implication. Even the sun veils himself in his own rays to blind the gaze of the too curious starer.”

Unveiling the soul is a journey that cannot be fast-tracked. Each uncovering of a veil is preceded by a chapter that has to be lived into maturity.

The shifting of old paradigms

As consciousness expands the veils start thinning and you enter a higher vibrational energy. Old paradigms of self start shifting, and rigid belief systems start falling by the wayside. It is the necessary precondition to make room for the new.

Institutionalized religion most often wraps individuals into a cocoon of what to believe, and how to behave. The purpose of life is to discover your individual true soul path. The journey of life is a journey into BEING.

While religion constitutes a set of externally induced worship practices, beliefs, and ways of conduct, spirituality is experiential. It is a deep connectedness to the moment, opening the cracks to the soul and to something much higher than the self. The spiritual seeker is on a “pathless path” of self-discovery. There are no external rules. The seeker follows an inner call to spirit.

Your voice matters. The world needs you with all your unique abilities and creativity. You are a beautiful person. You have the choice and you are the captain of your soul.

It requires at times a stock-taking of what fills and nurtures your soul. What makes you happy and live a life of bliss?

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

Your relationships are key

One of the biggest tests is to let go of people who are not good for you. They are your secret enemies who are actually preventing you from peeling away the next layer. But you are afraid to lose them or are afraid that you will no longer be loved. Surround yourself with people who emanate positivity, who encourage, nurture, and feed your soul.

Your relationships are key. From the day you were born, you have been surrounded by parents, siblings, carers, and teachers who have molded you into who you are. As a child, you had no other choice but to conform to the norms and behaviors of those around you. But as you grew into puberty and adulthood you will have begun questioning and seeking your own identity.

  • Who am I?
  • Where do I come from and where am I going?
  • What is my soul’s purpose?

What fills and nurtures your soul is a very unique and individual process. But here are some guidelines.

  • It will be serving and in service of something higher than the self.
  • It is unconditional and liberated from the transactional.
  • It triggers within you unlimited creativity and joy.

Do you remember when you were a child before you were conditioned by external expectations? At a time when you were closely aligned to your true soul nature, you might vaguely recall what activity, relationship, and state of BEING elevated you into a high state of bliss and happiness. All these are clues that you can pursue in creating the matrix of the path to purpose and meaning.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

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by | November 8, 2022 · 7:23 am

Inner stock-taking

As we near the end of another year it’s time for inner stock-taking: Was it worth doing what I was doing so far this year? Is it worth devoting my life to it? Where do I need to realign with my inner calling?

Daily habits can either lure you into a state of slumber or elevate you into utilizing all your talents and creativity. Setting aside time each day to practice positive habits is one of the most powerful tools in self-development.

The compound effect of daily habits has a huge impact on how your life is today. A daily routine to keep body, mind, and spirit healthy is key. An exercise routine coupled with meditation is extremely powerful.

A morning ritual sets the anchor for the day. What do I need to concentrate on doing today? What do I need to be aware of? What lower vibration, emotion, or energy from the night do I need to release. What is my positive mantra for the day?

But finding a good closure in the evening is just as important. What were my happy moments of the day? What can I truly be grateful for? What was the primary lesson that I need to record in my journal?

A more in-depth stock-taking of accomplishments, failures or even disappointments is recommended at least every quarter. A reflection with a mentor, guide, or coach can provide much clarity. A mentor is a sounding board and will help you refocus on what is truly important and help you remove the clutter that is no longer serving you.

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The biggest obstacles

There can be many obstacles coming your way that easily detract from the bigger picture and the goal-setting that you envisioned at the beginning of the year. Here are my biggest three.

Surroundings:

Are your surroundings in harmony with your calling? Is your room, apartment, or office cluttered with old things or stale energy from the past? The landscape of the house, village, town, city, or country you live in influences you in many subtle ways. The community, associations, and social conditions around you determine the vibrational field.

Associations:

Jim Rohn once said: “You‘re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Are those people you are around with having a positive, energizing influence on you, or are they pulling you down into a lower vibrational field with their negativity or narcissistic self-absorption. Who are the people that you would like in close proximity? Who are those that you need to limit contact with and those that you need to be keeping far away?

Distractions:

The pull of external distractions is probably the biggest obstacle of the three. Are social media, your mobile phone, Netflix, and all those things screaming for immediate gratification pulling you away from your mission in life, your most important objective, your dreams, your convictions, and your philosophy? Distractions can pull you into numerous directions where your thoughts are constantly dancing around in the past or the future.

Be kind to yourself

Even if you have failed to accomplish the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year and are in sadness and regret over missed opportunities or failures, it is important to remain in a loving and cherishing mindset to your inner self. Sabotaging yourself with negative self-talk can in extreme cases even pull you into a depression.

Be aware of the human condition that remains imperfect. You will have failures and disappointments. You will fall back into the trap of old habits. Life is happening all the time with its daily challenges and ups and downs. But the obstacles in the shape of people, events out of your control, unforeseen loss, and tragedy have shaped you into the person you are today and elevated you on a soul level.

You are on a journey of reconnecting to soul. You are much more than your physical body and its needs. As you walk the path of life you might deviate, and choose the wrong direction but ultimately set yourself onto the true path based on the learning experience you have had so far.

In a relaxed state of mind, in a space of solitude and contemplation, you will see things from a different perspective and be open to opportunity and growth.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...If you have found this article interesting you might want to subscribe with the “follow” button above or recommend my FREE weekly Blog to friends and family. My books can be ordered at all places that sell good books in both paperback and kindle.

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