That Which You Focus On You Become

At this time of year, your being wants to focus inwardly. Yet you may be forcing yourself to focus outwardly.

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Most of you live in the northern hemisphere, along with me. Just like the life force we see all around us, we are being pulled inward at this time. The visualization of this is a golden sphere of light glowing and still at the center of the Earth deep in winter. The ball expands in an outbreath at Spring, and stays expanded, radiating out in a kind of held outbreath in Summer. And then, in Fall, is the Earth’s inbreath.

Picture yourself breathing the light within you outward, and then holding it. Feel how expansive, solar, and completely inappropriate it feels right now. Now–whoosh!–let go. As you breathe in, picture your leaves dropping away, and the falling away of Fall. Then hold within you the delicious radiance simply glowing inside. Nothing else to do. Nowhere to be. No one to become just now, indwelling, inbreath, involution.

What Focusing Looks Like

Art is a way of knowing. The image accompanying this post is me focusing on what I want to become.

Every day, I read a few words by a few spiritual writers, and contemplate them. The twelfth-century Zen master Dōgen Zenji is one of my authors. I have read his “Mountains and Rivers Sutra” many times since I moved to the headwaters of the James River. This is my photo of our clouds over our mountain above our river. I am this river, those clouds, and that mountain you can’t see beneath them. What I focus on, I become.

Because mountains are high and broad, the way of riding the clouds is always reached in the mountains; the inconceivable power of soaring in the wind comes freely from the mountains. (Dōgen)*

Passing the “Vampire Test”

Lately, on social media,** I’ve urged passing the “Vampire Test.”***

The holidays in our culture are vampirish. Anything not worth the time, focus and money you give it is a vampire.

What are you focusing on at the turn of the year? It’s a very energizing time if you use it right.

What does focusing look like to you?

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*Find out more about the artist who translates Dōgen here.

**In addition to RAISING CLARITY’s Facebook page, I hold a space for your calling on social media. It’s a private Facebook Group called “Claim Calling Confidently.” Please see if it moves you to join. (Click on the link to find out more, and ask to join using Facebook. Let me know of course if you have any trouble: bethraps@raisingclarity.com.)

**For a charming 93-second video illustrating the test, click here. (You don’t need a Twitter account even though it’s a Twitter video.)