By Jake Bridge
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Marine Corps Officers don’t file for Conscientious Objector (CO) status. It’s just “not done”. But, as a First Lieutenant in the US Marines, I filed for Conscientious Objector status in June of 2014.

Why? On May 20, 2014 I woke up and remembered what it is to truly be alive. The feeling was wonderful and I felt connected to everyone and everything. The only hitch was I was two and a half years into a four year contract as an officer in the Marines. All of a sudden I found myself an advocate for peace in an aggressive and violent military branch, with no easy way out; and I could no longer reconcile my role in the military with my own spiritual wellbeing.

Now that my CO application has been approved, I have decided to tell my story and let others in a similar position know that this kind of thing is happening. For now, the best I can do is live my life as I would have others live – or as the Corps puts it, “Set the example” – and live the Marine Corps’ core values of honor, courage, and commitment.

“My mind just won’t shut up” is the most common excuse I hear when people explain to me why they can’t and don’t regularly attempt to make meditation a part of their daily life. It’s the reason why so many of us feel as if we are doomed to be victims of busyness and scrambled thoughts, never experiencing the peace that comes with daily quiet time.

As someone who has struggled with that same issue (and still at times find myself battling it), I know how difficult quieting your mind can be. But when we do experience those quiet moments, we understand how powerful they can be, how rejuvenated they can make us feel, and how much simpler our “big” issues can become.

Here are 6 techniques that I personally have found helpful in quieting my mind:

1. Focus On What You See When You Close Your Eyes

If asked to describe what we see when we close our eyes, most of us would describe it as the colour black. However, the truth is that our closed eyes are often telling us a much more interesting story. Close your eyes right now, focus on what you see. Is it actually just the solid colour black? Or is it more of a mixture of colours, some of which are undoubtedly created by the lighting in the room in which you are sitting?

From synchronicities, and serendipity to deja vu, everywhere you look you can find hidden meaning or messages. The question you ask yourself is, are you looking?

One can argue that the mind only puts two and two together, because you are looking for these messages, but on the other hand. If you weren’t looking would they still be there? Its kind of like, if a tree falls in forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a noise… ?

There are hidden messages everywhere, you just need to know how to listen.

Here are 3 Ways to Find the Hidden Messages in Life

1. Awareness...

The energies of shame, blame and punishment have been used in your society to try to correct behaviour that was deemed unacceptable. But you see, if someone has exhibited a behaviour that was less than their highest expression of self, it is already an indicator that the person was out of alignment. Steeping them in more low vibrating energy will not ever end up in a desirable result, in fact, it will just move them even further from their own expression of divinity and perpetuate their pain and separation.

It is through alignment that people are able to express themselves in their truth. Inclusion is the way to remind people of the Source they are always a part of. Unconditional love, unity and acceptance are ways to uplift others, and encourage the healing they seek. Using the old energies of punishment, blame, shame, guilt and anger to control another will only deepen the disconnection that has caused the issue in the first place.

Do you see? As your society continues to evolve it is time to stop re-wounding the already wounded. It is time to compassionately hold the space and create the conditions for people to find their way back to themselves and their own divine nature. ~Archangel Gabriel

http://trinityesoterics.com/2015/06/09/daily-message-tuesday-june-9-2015/

Each and every person you encounter on your Earth-plane is deserving and worthy of being loved by you. If you do not see it right away, you may need to look beyond your ‘cloud of perception’. ~ Creator

https://thecreatorwritings.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/loved/

Christina Sarich, Natural Society
Waking Times

There are a million and one things that can get in the way of a daily meditation, but like the old Zen saying states:

“You should sit in meditation every day for twenty minutes, unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”

When you read these 5 excuse-busting motivations, you’ll want to find at least twenty minutes a day to clear your mind and take some cleansing breaths. Meditation is that good for you.

1. It Only Takes 20 Minutes a Day

You really think you’re too busy for meditation? How about that time you spent watching reality TV, or gossiping about office politics? You can make use of your time more wisely with one of the meditation apps if that is what it takes.