I thought that I was in heaven
But I was sure surprised
Heaven help me, I didn't see
The devil in your eyes
You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
Devil in disguise Devil in Disguise, lyrics
I have observed that this dream reality we collectively refer to as earth has been designed to distract people from being true to themselves. Why? Because when you are being true to yourself, you are in your full power and self-sufficient. There is, therefore, no need to look to another authority to tell you what to do. However, there is a force in the universe whose purpose is to distract one from being true to one's true self. I believe that which distracts people is what religions refer to as the Devil or Satan. Being an anagram fanatic, it hasn't escaped my notice that "Santa" is one anagram for "Satan."
In the West, there is a belief in Santa Claus who is supposed to bring children gifts at Christmas until they stop believing in Santa. Mind you, I believe and will always believe in Santa Claus, but that's beside the point. My point is that while Santa is meant to make us feel good about ourselves, Satan does the exact opposite. In other words, Santa giveth and Satan taketh away.
What has Satan got to gain from distracting us from being ourselves? When you realise yourself as your true self, life is magical. You become the cause of your dreams. Obviously, those who want to take control don't want that to happen. Satan is simply a mindset that keeps one in bondage. Satan's purpose is to bombard everyone with conflicting beliefs to distract people from realising their true potential.
I have observed that while there isn't a damn thing I can do to stop Satan's silly tests, I can be disciplined and focus on being myself. In Staying On an Even Keel, I wrote that the way I maintain staying true to myself is "I practise: being in silence; giving and receiving love; doing what I love; [and] asking Infinite Love to raise me up and keep me in Joy." When I am being myself, I am in my full power which means I am in control of my thoughts and emotions.
I also find that part of being discipline involves staying alert to what is going on around me to avoid being mesmerised by appearances. Here are a few examples.
I was on another bus journey. When we arrived at a stop where I could get off to catch another, I didn't feel like getting off because it felt like way too much effort walking to the traffic light and crossing the road. I figured I would stay on and change further down the route, which doesn't involve crossing heavy traffic. Lots of passengers got on at that stop. The bus engine was suddenly turned off. Now what? Maybe I should get off. No, I don't feel like getting off. Whatever it is will be resolved shortly. The bus driver soon came upstairs and announced to passengers that he wasn't moving the bus until passengers, who sneaked in through the back doors without showing their passes, got off the bus. Passengers looked round as if trying to spot the "culprits." I could see the experience for what it was: a temptation for me to get worked up and not be myself. I refused to buy into that reality. In fact, I was happy to stay on the bus all afternoon if need be. After a few minutes a few passengers got off. They didn't look like they had just got on, but I guess they didn't feel like hanging around in the bus. After those passengers got off, the driver turned the engine back on and we were on our way.
Yesterday evening I met my mother at the local bus station and we caught the bus together. I gave her a copy of the poem, Today by Thomas Carlyle, which she'd asked me to download from the Internet. There's nothing my mother loves more than recalling snippets of a poem from her youth and asking me to print it off for her so she could memorise it afresh. While we waited for our bus, she read the poem and was beaming with pleasure. Then our bus arrived. We sat in the first two seats near the driver. At some point the driver's opened his cubicle and flung the door so wide that it nearly squashed my mother. After we alerted the driver, he closed the door. Mum said she was going to have words with him for nearly hurting her. I didn't see the point, it wasn't as if the door had touched her. However, if that's what she wanted to do, then so be it.
At the last stop mum approached the driver. She told him that his door had nearly injured him. The driver said the door would never have injured her but mum insisted it could have. The driver wasn't taking mum seriously. I would imagine bus drivers are used to people complaining, it's water off a duck's back. Mum didn't get any joy from him and we left.
As far I as I saw it, that was another test. I didn't take the bait because I could see right through the experience and was able to stay in my joy regardless.
I currently have someone in my life I care very deeply for. I've been going through a period of adjustment as it's been ages since I've felt so strongly for another human. At first I felt this roller-coaster of emotions. Fortunately, I've been able to draw on my discipline to focus on being in my joy and love him from that space. If I sense that I'm picking up on his stuff, all I have to do is raise myself back to my peace, which also helps to lift him back in his peace.
Anyone who lives in Britain is aware that the weather appears to be unpredictable. One day it's lovely and warm the next it's pissing it down with rain. They are now attributing this constant change to global warming. I believe it's more linked to people's emotions which are all over the place. When there is a sudden wave of emotions, this is manifested as climactic conditions, which the weather forecasters then use to predict the coming trends. This is when I focus on being myself regardless.
I can't change how people react to situations but to paraphrase the Audioslave song called Be Yourself: to be myself is all that I can do.
Enocia
Related articles: Loving Myself; Masks; No Drama; Behind the Scenes - What Keeps Us from Being Love?; Is There a Devil?; Staying Focused on the Mould; I'd Rather Be Grateful, Thank You
See also YouTube videos: Devil in Disguise; Be Yourself - Audioslave
