The Labels we Cast Upon Another

Mony Dojeiji

Four years ago, we were living through a period of suicide bombings. Fear gripped us as we witnessed the horrors in countries around the globe. The entire world was on edge, not knowing how to respond or even contain these acts.

A good friend sent me a private message then, asking:

“What is going wrong with the world, Mony?”

Not a loaded question, eh?! 😄

I’ve taken my original response to her, and expanded on it. The focus is around the idea of LABELS.

Of course we know that today, even as then, we were going through a deep transformation, confronting the ever-fundamental questions of who we are, what we believe about ourselves and others, and what kind of world we choose to live in. And with each cycle of change, we face our hidden biases, our deepest fears and prejudices, perhaps even our shame and guilt at the feelings that these events awaken in us. We go through this inner reckoning individually and collectively.

Our mind loves to separate, to divide, to create bundles and pieces of information. It does this because it needs order. And with order, comes the belief that it is in control. And in its quest for order, the mind creates labels:

Terrorist. Fanatic. Radical. Extremist. Zealot. Maniac.

Even as I’m writing these words, I feel the energy shift within me. I feel the characterizations that these words carry. I feel them feeding the separation between me and the person, dehumanizing them, making them into an object upon which I can thrust all of my judgments.

These labels, however, are artificial; inventions of a mind seeking to understand what is often un-understandable…not with our human mind anyways.

The more we hold on to these labels, the more we keep them in our collective consciousness.

The more attention we pay to them, the more of them we see.

The more that we believe that “those people” are incapable of change or growth, the more we keep them where they are, and look for any action to support what we believe.

We do this individually, and collectively.

But we can change those labels, because what’s a label? Nothing more than an idea, a thought, a perspective… And an idea can always be changed. It can always be replaced by another idea.

So, let’s consider that “extremist”…

What if I choose to see him as a fellow human being, a brother, who has chosen terribly, whose life journey has led him to such desperation and hopelessness that the only solution he saw was this terrible act?

Would that influence what I say and how I act? I believe it would…

And what if I believe that there is nothing random in this Universe? That it is, in fact, a Loving Universe? That Love is the only Truth, and what moves all things? What if I believe that this person is a spiritual being having a physical experience, as I am, as you are, as we all are? How do I know how his actions affect his soul journey, the highest within him? Who am I to judge that? How do I know the sacred agreements involved with others? How do I know what their soul journeys are all about? What they have agreed to do? I have no idea… but again, this is all based on my belief that there is nothing random in this Universe, and only Love exists.

If I didn’t believe this, I couldn’t possibly make sense of this world.

And because I believe that the outer world is a projection of my inner world, that what I see “out there” is showing me what is happening “in here” (in the inner universe of my mind, my heart, my beliefs, my memories)…then I must also look within me to whatever has brought this event into MY awareness. If I’m aware of it, then it’s my task to take responsibility for whatever my part in it is – conscious or, more likely, unconscious.

How could I possibly contribute to the creation of a terrorist or extremist?

By holding on to any belief that violence is justified:

That the means justify the ends. That there is a “just” cause. That sometimes the only way forward is through violence, even the threat of violence. That I have a right to take out my anger, frustration, hurt and helplessness on another. That violence is the only way I can be seen or heard, my cause taken seriously. That my violent thoughts towards another have no effect, if I don’t act on them.

With ALL of these beliefs do I contribute to the “extremist”. And whenever I see their actions, it just confirms what I already believe anyways.

And so in this cycle I remain. Until I am ready to stop it at its root. Within me. How?

I take every thought of violence and attack; every judgment and label; every emotion; every act I may have taken (known or unknown)… and I bring them in offering to the altar of Love. To the place where all is forgiven. Where I can lay down my shame, my pain, my guilt. Where all the errors in my thinking and perceptions can be corrected. Where my heart can be healed. Where I can be transformed, by Love. Where I can finally be at peace.

And in that peace, I can see more clearly. Understand in new ways. Look upon “the other” as my brother. See the light and awakening arising in him, in the same way that it is in me. See him changing in every moment, as I have, in every moment becoming more and more filled with wisdom, with light…and acting in consequence.

But I can only see that in another if I am able to see that in myself first.

Could this be the meaning of the teaching by Jesus: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

I do this work for every person I’m tempted to label and judge. And I stubbornly hold on to my vision, no matter what others choose to say or do.

There’s also a lot RIGHT with this world. There are so many people working from a consciousness of love, bringing that into the world, building the world we want to live in. It is happening now, and gaining momentum. That’s why all that was hidden needs to come to light. So that we can see it, and liberate it. We’re ready for it.

Hugs, my friend. Just keep on keeping on!

Love, always, 🙏💖

Mony

#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #love #judgment #labels #peace #innerworld #healing #transformation #onlyloveisreal #awakening #lightworkers #violence #lightandlove

To Mask or not to Mask

Mony... and the Mask!

That seems to be the question these days, as the mere mention of the word brings up so many emotions, so many guttural reactions, so many beliefs!

And in this space that appears so divisive, I see a grand opportunity for liberation, for transformation, for love to enter.

As always, let it begin with me.

At the core of these conversations seems to be our beliefs about FREEDOM:

That, as a free person, I have the right to decide what is best for me, and no external force can make me do anything I don’t want. The virus isn’t dangerous, we’re all going to be infected anyways, and even if I did believe in the virus, my faith/ immunity/ body are strong enough to handle it.

vs.

As a free person, what I do for myself impacts others – no matter what I believe – because with freedom, comes responsibility to the community that we all share. What affects one, affects all.

This is all – once again – the outer manifestation of an inner conflict that just happens to be playing out right now in the conversation about masks. I’m sure similar inner dialogues happened when helmets, seat belts, vaccinations, etc. were introduced.

As I now turn my attention away from the outer world of effect, to my inner world of cause, I ask myself:

Why is wearing a mask so triggering to me?

The answer to this question will be unique to the person answering it. I don’t know the original cause for it and, to me anyways, it doesn’t matter. Whether the original trauma happened in this lifetime or another, my childhood or adolescence… what matters NOW is that I acknowledge that the trauma is within me, playing out like a record-on-repeat, triggering emotions in me that are making me respond in one way or another.

It is at this level that I do the inner work. Again, today it’s a mask triggering me. Tomorrow, it will be something else. I’d rather do the work of healing now.

Freedom is the gift given to us by a God Love. Each soul here on this Earth is inherently free, because that is the nature of God. That is the nature of the universe and all creatures and creations. It is a universe that is in continual expansion fueled, in my opinion, by love.

I get that we don’t want anything that limits our freedom.

But if we look at our Mother Earth, at the wisdom of Nature, at the plant and animal kingdoms, we see that relationships among its members are often symbiotic. The members care for each other and, in so doing, ensure the health and well-being of all and of the ecosystem that supports them all.

Humans are no different. We are wired to care. We are wired to love. We are wired to look after one another. That IS our true nature, given to us by a Creator whose nature IS this.

What gets in the way of the natural expressing of that brotherly relationship are ideas that we have learned that somehow:

To love is to lose.

To offer is to be deprived.

To belong is to disappear.

Even if I don’t buy into the symbiotic nature of our existence and I believe myself to be the master – all on my own – of my own domain, then how can anything outside of me imprison or suppress me?

If I hold the idea that some outside political, social, economic force is trying to control me, suffocate me, silence me, lie to me, manipulate me…. then I have already muzzled myself by that belief. Not only by projecting that belief, but by interpreting everything I see through its lens. Of course this will be my experience. It’s what I believe. And what I believe, I will see.

I appreciate that removing the mask feels like I’m removing the very symbol of what’s trying to silence me.

But if I were truly free, no face covering would trigger me.

And all the outcries that we see are the acting out of the anger and guilt that we feel at our own self-imposed imprisonment.

There is nothing and no one in this world that can give – or take away – the state of being called FREEDOM. It is an inner state.

Freedom is of the mind that knows the truth, unwavering, of who it is.

Freedom is of the heart, awakened in love and compassion, which only wishes to extend itself into the world.

Freedom is of the spirit, which is already free, and doesn’t need to prove that to anyone else.

The ultimate freedom is freedom from the illusions of this world:

The knowing that I am always one with my Creator. That I am loved, and forgiven. That nothing in this world can bind me. That when I am bound to God Love, I am free, for nothing that is asked of me in this material world (be it a mask, confinement, social distancing, a vaccine, a law…) can affect the knowing that I am already – now and forevermore – free.

Alberto and I wear masks when we enter any indoor space. Why?

Because, to us, that is the most loving thing we can do at this time; to not add to the anxiety, tension and divisiveness that we see. We know who we are, and Who is with us, in every moment. A mask will not change that.

To us, this is the meaning of the teaching by Jesus: I render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (i.e. the mask, what is of the world), and render to God the things that are God’s (my freedom, what is of the Spirit).

In fact, when we go into a store, we remind ourselves of that. And that we are here not to defend against a virus, but to leave seeds of light, of peace and love, of wisdom, of consciousness… with whoever we see and in every aisle that we walk. This is all inner work. This is all light-work, and has nothing to do with what we see in the outer world as a virus.

When we feel that we are losing that feeling of oneness and connection – because, hello, we are still human! – we go home. We go inwards again, and recommit to the inner union.

A grand opportunity for healing and transformation is before us once again. We can take up the task of clearing those beliefs that veil the light and love that we are. Or we can keep the veil in place, believing that something outside of us is trying to hurt us.

And while we decide, Love always waits. Ever patient. Ever extending a hand to help us walk through this “darkness” to the other side where only light exists. Where only love is real. Where brotherhood is the only truth.

Love, always 💖🙏
Mony

BTW, all credit to Alberto for the inspired Hamlet reference in this pic! 😁

And yes, please feel free to share!

#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #mask #COVID19 #love #freedom #free #WeAreOne #brotherhood #transformation #healing #light #lightworkers 

Healing our Racism

Mony Dojeiji

Carl Jung famously said, “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”

And what a time of awakening we are living through!

So much is being revealed, collectively and individually. So much pain awaiting transformation. So much division awaiting reconciliation.

As always, let it begin with me.

This is how I understand racism and injustice:

Racism is of the heart and mind. It is ideas, beliefs, thoughts, programs that convince us that we are somehow more than another, separate from another, with an inherent right to thrive and develop our full potential while denying those same basic rights and freedoms to another.

Injustice is the result of putting these beliefs into practice, creating systems that entrench the separation and feelings of entitlement and superiority.

Healing racism is inner work. Healing injustice is outer work.

Those of you who follow my writings know that I believe that the outer world is a projection of our inner world. We are either projecting our fears (in the form of denial, attack, racism) or expanding love (in the form of forgiveness, empathy, building equality).

So if I’m angry, resentful, entitled… what kind of just or equitable laws or systems am I going to build?

I was going to write about applying one of my favourite spiritual tools – Ho’oponopono – but instead felt called to approach the inner work from a different perspective today.

Peel back enough layers of hatred, and you will inevitably find pain. Guilt. Shame.

I’m not excusing any behaviours here, just trying to go beyond the surface. It’s easier to attack and hate than to look at the pain that keeps the hate alive; than to look at the shame of having attacked and hurt another; than to face the guilt that our individual and collective actions have caused.

Hearts divided into so many fragments cannot mend.

Souls obscured by so many layers cannot shine.

If acknowledging the shame and guilt and betraying the truth of who we are is hard, imagine how hard it is to consider forgiveness.

That we are forgiven. Because we are all children of a God Love.And a loving God would never punish a beloved child.

One of the most difficult phrases I ever read – and eventually understood – was that even Hitler went to heaven. That’s from “Conversations with God Book 1” by Neale Donald Walsch. Why? Because he too was a child of God. I encourage you to read this book for deeper context.

If we allow that thought – that we are forgiven – in, then that means we must somehow be worthy of forgiveness.

Which means we are somehow worthy of love.

“How can I accept this,” we reason, “with all the hatred that I have thought, felt, spoken and committed?”

Therein lies the greatest barrier to transformation, liberation and peace.

Because until we can accept forgiveness for the deep error in thinking we hold about who and what we are – and what we have done in consequence –, there is no room for love to enter. There’s no room for healing to take place. It’s easier to keep punishing ourselves for our errors than to accept forgiveness and love for them.

Unable to see ourselves as worthy of love, unable to accept forgiveness, we continue to perpetuate the attack, the hatred, the pain.

Unable to forgive ourselves, we cannot ask for forgiveness of another.

We cannot extend forgiveness to those who have erred, as we have.

And so in that cycle we remain, generation after generation. Until we finally say, “enough.”

This is the moment of healing we have all been waiting for. This is the love and light that’s been unleashed, and that’s bathing humanity at this time. This is the awakening we are being offered:

To finally liberate ourselves from the shackles of unworthiness,

And walk together into the promise of a world united in brotherhood, love and peace.

Let it begin with me.

Love, always 💖🙏
Mony

* * *
#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #healing #transformation #racism #healingourracism #peace #love #innerwork #freedom #forgiveness

Reflections on IWM 2020

Mony Dojeiji

On this day, I join in celebrating the courage and many achievements of women around the world and throughout history who have worked to bring about equality, and acknowledge the work that remains to achieve this equality on all levels.

I also reflect on the deeper meaning of this day, exploring the concepts of feminine and masculine that I and we hold, and our path forwards together as brothers and sisters – one human family – in this life.

On my journey of inner reconciliation and learning to become whole in body, mind and spirit, I’ve had to reconsider my concepts of masculine and feminine.

Love, inclusion, compassion, nurturing, home… why are these the exclusive terrain of women?

Power, dominance, assertiveness, independence… why are these the exclusive terrain of men?

I know women who would be considered “masculine”. Should I celebrate them exclusively because they are women?

I know men who embody the “feminine”. Should I exclude them, just because they are men?

What about the increasing number of individuals who either don’t identify with any one gender or identify with more than one? Where is their place in our celebrations?

The outer focus on gender – while so well intentioned – has, at the same time, distracted us from focusing on developing and harmonizing these qualities within us, independent of gender.

When we talk about the harmful things that some “men”, and even some “women”, have historically done and continue doing, we are really talking about abuse. Principally, abuse – and misuse – of power.

As a woman, I have suffered such abuse at the hands of other women, and I have seen women exercise that power over men. I have also seen men be the shining lights of love and compassion.

This abuse of power – the result of deep separation from truth, harmony, Spirit – is not only limited to gender. We see it manifest in religious divisions, racial inequalities, sexual abuses, economic divisions, social distinctions… and so many more examples.

This is the deep division we must heal. Inside of us.

We all carry the principles of what we consider feminine and masculine within us. The harmonizing and marriage of those energies, to me, is the journey. It is from this marriage – this sacred union – that true power arises:

Power that is fueled by love and wisdom that is at the service of humanity, for the highest good of all.

Love, always. 💖🙏
Mony

* * *

#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #internationalwomensday #IWD2020 #masculine #feminine Alberto Agraso #sacred #power #reconciliation #wholeness #love #wisdom

UN-planning my Life

"Voyager", an Art of the Spirit original by Alberto Agraso

The greatest events of my life have unfolded with no planning on my part.

They’ve required my active participation, that’s for sure; but they’ve never been the consequence of any plans, goals, strategies, visualizations or even intentions.

There, I’ve said it! I’m an MBA who doesn’t strategize and plan. :-D

The most meaningful events in my life have happened because of the most difficult decision I’ve ever made:

Surrendering control. To Spirit.

This wasn’t an overnight process, and I was not a willing participant… at first.

I always had goals, personal and professional. It was how I lived my life. I moulded it to fit whatever ideas I had at the time of success and happiness.

All that changed with pilgrimage. The more I walked, the more I felt as if the entire Universe was screaming at me,

“Let go. Let me break down the hard lines in your thinking. Let me soften the black and white of your thoughts into greys that you can confidently traverse. Let me show you another way.”

My response was, “NO THANK YOU. I like my mind just the way it is!” LOL

But the experiences of that journey made me question every idea, every concept, even the very definition of what thought and mind are. Of who and what I am.

We all know that with enough focus and attention, the mind can achieve whatever goals it sets for itself. It’s a remarkable tool for that. But there’s a bigger question:

At whose service is this mind?

At the service of the whims of a self that always looks outwards for its satisfaction and sense of worth? Or,

At the service of the Highest Mind, the Mind of God?

This has been my journey these years after pilgrimage. To honour Spirit. Have it inspire thoughts that I alone cannot conceive. Open a heart often too fearful to walk in the unknown. Trust the inner light it’s growing in me to safely show me the way.

My mind still resists this process and insists on the futility of this venture: how will you live without plans, without goals? Where will your security come from? What about your child? At least think of her future! LOL

I’ve been bringing my mind to my heart. Giving it a seat at the table. And making it comfortable there.

A mind inspired by Love, at the service of Spirit, is invulnerable and a conduit for ideas that truly uplift the world.

How could they not?

This is a state of BEING that I cultivate. The breathing, the yoga, the walking, the meditation… they are the tools that keep me present. Aware. At peace. One.

Even as I write this, connections are happening that I never could have imagined. Ideas are bursting forth. New projects are coming my way.

Not by planning. But by UN-planning. And making room for Spirit to lead.

Step by step, my friends. Always further. Always higher.

Ultreia e suseia!

~Mony

* * *

#monydojeiji #albertoagraso #walkingforpeace #consciousness #unplanning #love #peace #lightworkers #Spirit #ultreia #pilgrimage #buencamino

Inquiry into MMIWG - Healing the Soul of a Nation

Digital Art by Janelle Richardson

Last week in Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) presented its report to Canadian government officials. This Inquiry was set up to understand why indigenous women are so disproportionately affected by violence, why so many go missing or are murdered, and why the justice system has failed them at every turn. They called the events a genocide.

I watched the presentation, and felt witness to a watershed moment in Canadian history. When faced with painful Truth, I’ve observed that the mind either denies and attacks, or bows to the calling of the heart to heal. Those who immediately focused on the word “genocide”, arguing whether its use was legal or correct, showed they were incapable of bowing to that call to heal, yet. Their hearts aren’t ready.

But I believe the vast majority of Canadians are ready. They simply don’t know how.

We are a good, kind and decent people, who try to do the right thing, so it’s difficult for us to conceive of this happening in our own country; that our own elected officials and the laws they enacted enabled this. But until we are willing to acknowledge what happened, and the well of emotions this Truth has now evoked, then we will perpetuate this trauma and inhibit our ability to move forward as this great united nation we claim ourselves to be. It is a deep, painful, collective memory we all share. It is in our collective psyche as Canadians.

But it can be healed. It can be transformed, and become powerful wisdom to guide us forward as a nation. It takes courage, which I know we have. Our courage to do this work will liberate us and all involved from this trauma. It is only then that creative, inspired solutions for reparations can be considered. Only then can we become the “True North, strong and free.”

We have before us an opportunity (and obligation, I feel) to heal the soul of a country harmed by actions inspired by ignorance and fear, and power exercised without wisdom or compassion.

This is all inner work, which means we each have the power to do this. Now, we only have to be willing. :-)

What can I do? That’s usually the question. I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t here when all this happened. The government has the report. They’ll work on the laws and policies that need changing. They’ll pay whatever needs to be paid.

But reconciliation has nothing to do with money. This is not a financial matter, but an emotional, mental and spiritual one. We each have a role to play to liberate these energies within us.

How do we do this? What I share with you now is the inner work that I'm doing, what I'm saying to myself:

I take 100% responsibility for having this shared memory in my psyche. I may not have personally committed these acts, but I take responsibility for the fact that they happened in my country, in my history, by officials elected by me or my ancestors to create laws and policies that represented my values as a Canadian.

I take responsibility for the suffering they inflicted, despite the fact that this “was the accepted thinking of the time.”

I take responsibility for every mother, sister, aunt, daughter and child murdered or missing as a result of these laws. I take responsibility for all that they could have been… and never were.

I take responsibility for every disparaging thought and judgment I’ve had about indigenous people. I take responsibility for every moment I walked past anyone in need or looked the other way.

I take responsibility for the depth of emotions this has evoked in me, and wanting to bury them or ignore them.

That is my part in all of this.

Until we can see each and every one of these women as OUR FAMILY, our beloveds, then we will not grasp the heart calling to make this right.

I cannot change what was, but I have it within me to change what is… WITHIN ME.

These words I speak right now:

* To every emotion * running through me right now, from guilt, shame, horror, rage, disbelief, denial, helplessness…I see you. I see each and every one of you. This Inquiry is allowing me to see you, and for that, I say thank you for showing yourself to me. You are in me, so you are my emotions, no one else’s. I take responsibility for you, and say I am sorry. I love you. Thank you for the chance to liberate you. Thank you for the opportunity to be at peace, to have the chambers of my heart filled with peace. Thank you for the opportunity to now bring this peace into the world as inspired action, inspired words, inspired thoughts.

* To this memory * buried in my psyche that I share with all Canadians – a memory that is within me because I am Canadian – I say I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you are in me, in my country, in its people, in my land. Please forgive me, and all those who acted in my name, who had a hand in creating you. I know you don’t want to remain this heavy, dark shadow within me, lurking and unseen. You want to be in the light too. You want to be free. You want to shine. Thank you for the opportunity to free you, to bring you healing, to bring you peace. I see you. I love you.

I know I am connected to every other Canadian and human being on this planet and, in doing this work, I am not only freeing you within me, but doing my part to free you inside each and every person who has this memory in them too. In Canada, and around the world.

* To each and every indigenous * woman, girl and all her relations… to every victim… I am sorry for the pain that we inflicted upon you. I am sorry for all the wrong that we did to you. I’m sorry that we didn’t know any better. Without even realizing it, in harming you, we were also harming ourselves. We were losing our humanity. Please forgive us.

* My Creator *, I know I don’t need to ask your forgiveness because I am always loved, but I am sorry for my part in having this memory within me. I didn’t know any better. We didn’t know any better. I alone can’t do this work of transforming and liberating this trauma. I know you seek our highest good, and our continued growth into ever-greater versions of Love. I love you.

Thank you for liberating this memory within me, and all who may harbour it, in this country or another, this lifetime or another.

Thank you for this opportunity to grow in wisdom, love and compassion. Thank you the opportunity to apply this wisdom and love in service to all Canadians, to care for all, love all, and serve all, so that we may move forward as “the True North, strong and free” that we truly are.

Love is the most powerful force in the Universe and, with Love lighting the way, this is done.

And so it is. 💖🙏💖
~Mony

***
Image by digital artist Janelle Richardson. She’s a member of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and was born in Whitehorse, Y.T.to the parents Dorothy Washpan and Alvin Washpan. She was separated from her other 4 sisters who were all part of the 60's scoop era. She currently resides in the State of Georgia where she earned a Bachelors. Her youngest sister Tina Washpan a.k.a. Cindy Burke was one of the MMIWG of the Yukon. She dedicates this logo to her sister Tina, whom she never had the opportunity to meet, but will forever be in Janelle's heart.

***
#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #peace #love #reconciliation#MMIWG #Canada #Canadian #healing #transformation #trauma#loveistheonlytruth #wisdom #indigenous #truth #bigtruth

June - my Birthday Month - Reflections

Every year, as we enter June – my birthday month – I become reflective. I ask myself:

Where am I at, on all levels? Am I being true to the highest within me? Am I listening to the voice of my heart, or only that of obligation? Am I still walking the path of love that I keep talking about?

I can confidently say that this past year has been about standing fully on the spiritual path I undertook long ago, and placing it front and centre in all that I do.

Not allude to it. Not make subtle reference to it. Not couch it in pretzeled words.

Stand fully in it. Let its wisdom define my steps.

This has truly been my journey since the day I returned from pilgrimage, and began sharing the stories and experiences. There's a battle that has continually waged within me between the “professional” world and the “spiritual” world:

How do you bridge these worlds? How do you speak from the heart and be taken seriously in a professional setting? How do you remain loyal to your truth and BE an instrument of love when the world around you seems to trivialize that?

Those have been the big questions that I and Alberto have grappled with.

What I now know for sure is that there is only the inner journey. The outer world is a manifestation of all my inner longings and limitations. There is nothing "out there".

I see so clearly now that whatever shows up is a loving opportunity to see the wounds within me that are clamouring to be healed, the entrenched beliefs that seek to be transformed back to love, the thoughts that need to be elevated back to their divine essence.

I have also seen how this way of being transforms every opportunity and interaction I define as "professional".

For a while now, I have felt a tide rising within me that can no longer be contained… and that I do not wish to contain.

I believe this is not only happening to me, but all around me, in the discourse we are now seeing in all areas of life ( social, political, economic, etc.) on the importance of placing love front and centre in all that we do, that it may light our way forward as one human family and guide us to our inevitable awakening in consciousness.

It's an exciting time to be alive, and to participate, in my own way, in this awakening.

I’ll be making more concrete announcements shortly but, for now, I want to thank you for being on this magnificent journey with me as I too explore what it means to be love in this world and to continually pour it forth.

All my love 🙏💖
Mony

* * *

#monydojeiji #albertoagraso #consciousness #walkingforpeace #authenticity#wisdom #universaltruth #love #loveistheway #reflections #awakening 

Doing the inner work: a practical approach (WORKSHOP)

Good morning everyone!

This is a workshop that I have been wanting to do for a while, and that I'm grateful to be collaborating with Unity Spiritual Centre Ottawa on.

Spiritual traditions speak about the illusory nature of this world: it's not real. It's all a dream. Maya. A cosmic illusion. A projection of our inner world.

But it sure does look, feel and sound real!

How can I be responsible for what is happening in my world? I'm just sitting here minding my own business :-)

What power do I have - if any - to change anything in this world?

Using my own stories and stories from the group, I'll be sharing what each and every one of us can indeed do to liberate ourselves from debilitating thoughts, beliefs and emotions that play out in our reality, over and again. Individually and collectively.

The purpose and goal of this inner work is FREEDOM. TRANSFORMATION. LIBERATION.

"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
--- From Marianne Williamson's book A Return to Love

I hope you can join me.

Sunday May 5. 12:30PM to 2:00PM.
670 Albert St. (Ottawa)

Suggested donation of $20.

Ample free parking.

~Mony





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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #innerjourney #consciousness Alberto Agraso #unity #unityspiritualcentreottawa  #ottevent #ottawa #workshop #speaking #speaker #talk #doingthework #spirituallyspeaking #transformation #freedom #liberation

Christmas Eve in Bethlehem

 

On this night many years ago, Alberto and I celebrated Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, ending a 13-month pilgrimage for peace.

Like the Wise Men, we too had journeyed from afar, following a six-sided star. It was one of the persistent signs that guided our journey. We naturally assumed it referred to the Star of David, confirming our pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But it was so much more!

We didn’t plan to arrive in Jerusalem or Bethlehem on Dec. 24. I see now that it was one of those seminal moments – like the many we had during our walk – where a greater Hand was orchestrating the events of our arrival so that we may understand the mystical meaning of this sacred day. We were led to the people and circumstances to be physically in Bethlehem and to participate in the outer celebrations, but to mark the inner significance of this birth in a completely unrelated manner.

In stillness. In silence. In simplicity.

In our hotel room, we each lit a candle and gave thanks to all the forces that had delivered us there safely. We offered our deep love and appreciation for the journey we had just completed and the many lessons yet to be revealed.

We bowed in reverence to the Light and the Love that was being born that night in the cave of our hearts.

We brought gifts as well, offering a heart that had been broken open and its darkest recesses filled with love. We brought a mind whose ideas and constructs has been torn down and rebuilt on a foundation of truth and higher thought. We offered feet and bodies that had walked in service to that Love, and that committed to do so over and again.

It is a Love that is eternal. A Light more brilliant than a thousand suns. It heals all. It beautifies all. It comforts all. It illuminates all.

It is the Divine essence of who we are, a universal consciousness of brotherhood, compassion and service. It is what is born again at this time, and what we delight in celebrating.

May this Light shine ever so brilliantly in your lives, always. <3

Mony




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#monydojeiji #albertoagraso #walkingforpeace #consciousness #pilgrimage#pilgrims #peace #CaminodeSantiago #thewayofstjames #theway #peregrinos#light #love #Christmas #ChristmasEve #ChristConsciousness #lightworkers

A Pilgrim Blessing on the Feast Day of Santiago

To all those named Santi, Santiago, Jacobo,Jacques, Jacob, Yakov and more... and to #pilgrims who walk the #Camino... Feliz Dia de Santiago!

In honour of this day, July 25, I share with you all a blessing from the Camino, that I wrote in my book "Walking Alone".

Buen Camino!
~Mony
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Step lightly and with reverence, for you walk on paths forged by sacrifice, devotion and love. You are not merely stepping onto sacred ground, but into what is sacred within you. Treat both delicately.

Taste of my abundance. Dwell in my magic places. Drink of my beauty. They are all freely shared, and reside within you too.

Leave your sorrows and travails with me, so that the flames of my sword may unleash their hidden light. But don’t forget to also leave me your joys and triumphs, for they are my nourishment too.

The sacred in you resides in me also. That is because we are created by the same hand. No separation exists between us. My imprint on your heart is as binding as your imprint on mine.

I am the worker of miracles. I lead you to the most unexpected places, places that feel both familiar and unrecognizable. I lead you to the greatest treasure, the one that you were carrying with you all along.

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#CaminodeSantiago #pilgrimage #monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #SantiagodeCompostela #walkingalone #pilgrimlove #pilgrimblessings #FelizDiadeSantiago #BuenCamino #sacred #magic #light #love

I don't need to be right...

I don't need to be right.

I need to be Light.

#Inspiration for your day!

Bright blessings,
Mony


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#monydojeiji #consciousness #light #lightworkers #walkingforpeace #inspired #creative #love #vibration #transformation

The Author's Journey hosts Dr. Gita Baack

Author, poet and social activist Dr. Gita Arian Baack speaks about her her latest book “The Inheritors: Moving Forward from Generational Trauma”.
She offers insights to survivors of trauma on how to process the pain, anger, hatred and violence so that they will not be perpetuated to future generations.
To learn more about Dr. Gita Baack, visit her website http://gitabaack.com.
To listen to the PODCAST, visithttps://soundcloud.com/mony-dojeiji/sets/the-authors-journey.

Thanks for tuning in, and for sharing!

~Mony

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@YouTube #TvHost #books #Authors #Television #Canadian #TheAuthorsJourney #monydojeiji #podcast #soundcloud #itunes #tvshow #trauma #consciousness #lightworkers #transformation

Announcing..."Walking Alone: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Inner Journey" book

In the many presentations I’ve done over the years, one of the consistent themes that arises is how to walk alone.

Not only on pilgrimage, but in life.

What I have learned is that key to walking alone is having the courage to look beyond the physical, and to delve into the workings of our inner world – mind, emotions, spirit – so that we can better understand ourselves, and walk in confidence and curiosity of the world rather than in fear of it.

In this personal guide, I offer you insights and reflections based on my personal experiences of having walked alone (as a pilgrim on the path and in life), and how you can begin that journey towards self-knowing that only you can tread, starting now.

"Walking Alone" is available as an e-book and paperback, in the Amazon of your country.

I will also offer workshops in the new year, in person and online. Stay tuned! :-)

May this book serve you in your personal journeys, wherever they may lead you.

~Mony


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#walkingalone #innerjourney #emotionalpreparation #spiritualpreparation #mentalpreparation #beyondthephysical #mentalemotionalspiritualhealth #Spirit #Mind #Emotions #BodyMindSpirit #monydojeiji #pilgrim #pilgrimage #CaminodeSantiago #Camino #WayofStJames #consciousness #walking #alone #guide #personalguide #innerguide #Mastery #selfknowing #SelfMastery #courage #confidence #curiosity #Amazon #Ebook #paperback #book #walkingforpeace #buencamino

I'm Doing the Best I Can

What can I do?

This was a question that was asked often during the Indigenous Youth conference, and was answered beautifully by this story from keynote speaker Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard:

A huge forest was being consumed by fire. All the animals were transfixed, watching the forest burning, and feeling overwhelmed and powerless.

Except the little hummingbird.

It flew to the nearest stream, took a drop of water, put it on the fire, and went back for more, over and again, as fast as it could.

In the meantime, larger animals such as the elephants with trunks that could bring much more water, simply stood there watching, also feeling helpless. And they said to the hummingbird,

"This fire is too big. You are too small. Your wings are tiny and your beak can barely hold a drop of water at a time. It's even evaporating before it gets to the fire."

Without missing a beat, the hummingbird responded,

"I am doing the best I can."

This obviously applies to any situation in life that makes us feel overwhelmed or helpless.

So, wherever you are, be that single drop of water that quenches even the tiniest part of that raging fire.

Be the first to listen with an open heart and mind.

Be the one who makes amends.

Be the bringer of laughter and joy.

Be the carrier of goodwill and compassion.

Be the hand that reaches out.

Be the bridge-builder.

Be the love and peace you wish to see in the world.

~Mony <3

Image by Randall Ruiz on unsplash.com
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#peace #love #consciousness #reconciliation #truthandreconciliation #TRC #BetheLove #BethePeace #indigenous #BetheChange #wisdom #humminbird #storiesthatinspire 

Reaching Indigenous Youth Conference

Driving home tonight, my heart felt both heavy and hopeful.

I was at an all-day conference called “Reaching Indigenous Youth”, attended by Elders, Wisdom Keepers, MPs, Senators and so many individuals and organizations working for peace and reconciliation on all levels.

Words like genocide and apartheid are difficult to hear and evoke images of far-away lands, of peoples other than your own. To learn about what this country did to its indigenous population over the centuries - and to experience it through an activity called the "blanket exercise" - left me feeling shaken, outraged, ashamed.

It would’ve been easy to stay there, but the voices of the builders gave me hope.

Talk of healing of the Spirit lifted me.

Aspirations to a higher consciousness, where Love is the foundation of how we move forward together, united, as brothers and sisters sharing this land… made my heart sing.

There is much to be done to rebuild the broken trust, and the journey, as in any relationship, is fraught with perils…but at least we are on the path, walking together, moving into action – and that’s what matters.

Let there be reconciliation in the land, and let it begin within my own heart.

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#peace #love #consciousness #letitbeginwithme #indigenous #peacebuilding #innerpeaceouterpeace #reconciliation #truthandreconciliation #anewrelationship #anewstory #hopeful 

The Author's Journey hosts Kevin T. Johns

Kevin Johns is a writer, ghost-writer, podcaster, writing coach... and punk rocker!

Join me on this episode of The Author's Journey as Kevin shares his passion and extensive knowledge not only as a writer, but as an entrepreneur in the business of writing.

To learn more about Kevin, please visit http://www.kevintjohns.com.

Enjoy, and please Subscribe and Share!

You can also listen to the PODCAST on https://soundcloud.com/mony-dojeiji/sets/the-authors-journey.

~Mony

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#TheAuthorsJourney #writers #authors #ghostwriter #books #writtenword #writingcoach #writing #fiction #non-fiction #writingpodcast #writingtips #interview #television #YouTube #Facebook #MonyDojeiji #bookworm #ilovebooks #KevinJohns

Our Story of Love

Many people look at us and say, “You guys are so lucky to have found each other. You don’t know how hard it is to find someone these days.”

We have now been together for fifteen years. We have gone through the trials of every relationship, including parenthood. What people don’t know, perhaps, is the story of how we met.

Ours was never a romantic love…not in the beginning anyways. 

We met when each of us was on a personal journey of self-exploration, self-knowing and above all, self-love. We were determined to stay away from romantic entanglements because we knew how distracting they were and how far they can pull you away from your own inner quest.

Mony: I had just come out of a divorce that had left me shell-shocked. No woman wants to be told that the man she loved was now leaving her for another. My self-esteem, and dignity were felled in one swoop. I can look back it at now as the greatest gift of my life because it forced me to look at myself, at my beliefs, expectations, childhood…all of it. And my journey became one of healing and transformation, and of learning to love the person who walks this earth simply as Mony.

Alberto: I too had come out of a marriage and a few relationships that had left me wounded, but wiser about what love really means to me. Above all else, I knew that a relationship had to give me the freedom to continue my own personal quests. I didn’t think, at that moment, that I could make that journey successfully with another person, and I was determined not to take that risk so readily any more.

When we met as pilgrims, and began walking from Rome to Jerusalem, we were companions on this path of inner exploration. No one believed we weren’t romantically involved, which is why we always learned how to say the word ‘only friends’ in the language of every country we walked through. There was no attraction then, since our focus was very much on what the journey was revealing to us about ourselves; what every encounter was teaching us; what every argument between us was bringing to the surface to be healed. We looked at EVERY THING that happened on that journey as an initiation: a shedding of the old, and an emergence into that part of ourselves that was grounded in love, compassion, wisdom. 

We walked in this way for six months, until we arrived in Greece. By then, we had experienced so much, lived through so many intense moments. We had already been rejected more than once when asking for shelter. We had already separated and walked apart for forty days. We had already broken down and rebuilt ourselves a hundred times over. We were each standing more confidently in who we were as individuals and what we believed about ourselves and our world – even when we still disagreed on some things.

The romantic shift happened unexpectedly, when the masks we were wearing finally fell; and they fell, because we had each been insistently peeling back our personal layers of fears, judgments and shame. When you commit to shedding those layers that no longer serve you, EVERY aspect is brought forth. 

Which now meant that we were also ready to examine our understanding of what it means to be in relationship.

How do you remain loyal to who you are and your beliefs when you are with someone?

How do you walk your own path, while still sharing it with the one you love?

How do you continue sharing the path, while remaining anchored in your own journey?

How do you continue the journey of self-love, when your disagreements threaten the fabric of your relationship?

How do you continue believing in love, despite the hurt we inevitably caused each other?

These are the questions that our relationship allows us to explore, to this very day. 

This is the opportunity for personal growth that Love offers us.

This is the infinite gift of relationship. 

It’s been said before, but remains a great truth: we found Love when we stopped looking for it “out there”, and began seeking it and honouring it in ourselves.

Love of self, anchors our relationship. 

Love for the other, gives it wings.

With infinite light and blessings,

Mony and Alberto 

#love #loveistheway #valentinesday #everydayisloveday #loveyou #loveyourself