Appreciation and Presence
Topics:
Session 20150716
"Appreciation and Presence"
"Global Change Is More Than Climate Change"
"Attracting a Specific Individual"
Thursday, July 16, 2015 (Private/Phone)
Participants: Mary (Michael) and Jason (Spensar)
ELIAS: Good day!
JASON: Hi, Elias!
ELIAS: And what shall we discuss?
JASON: Okay, a few things. I first wanted to ask you: When you talk about global changes, such as in the most recent group session, you don't use the term "climate change" or "global warming," which are terms that are commonly used currently. Why is that?
ELIAS: There are two reasons. One is that climate change and global warming are not actually accurate terminology, for there is more involved than climate change. Therefore, that is one reason, is that it is not as accurate. But another reason, which would be more pertinent, is that individuals are familiar with that terminology, and they generally incorporate their own set perception as to what that means. And in that, using familiar terminology generates with most individuals two actions: either they stop listening, for they already incorporate their own perception of the subject matter, or they listen and they incorporate a tendency to argue in their thoughts—that they are not tuning out, but they are also not listening. For they are responding to their definition, their perception of the subject matter, and in doing so they may be hearing the information, but they are also disputing it or arguing with it in their thinking.
Now; I would express that from the onset of this forum, and much more so in the beginning than I do now—but I do do it now—I have chosen very specifically to use different words for many familiar concepts and subjects, to encourage individuals to not only listen to the information that is being offered, but also to expand what they are assimilating and what they accept in information; that if you are not using familiar terminology, individuals are much more likely to genuinely listen and evaluate what is being offered rather than dismissing or not hearing.
JASON: I understand, and I've certainly noticed that tendency. So when you talk about it being more than just climate change, that reflects earth movements or earthquakes, which I think you've talked about as well, right?
ELIAS: There is considerably more than merely climate change. It is much more than merely what you think of as your external environment that affects you individually, such as your air or your weather patterns, and different aspects such as that, or even rising sea levels. There is so much more that is occurring that all involves your planet and you. And what individuals are not actually genuinely familiar with, other than in words, is that everything, EVERYTHING, in your world, in your universe is interconnected.
Therefore, what is affecting of one element in your world is affecting of many more also, and in very many different locations. Therefore, you interpret a tendency—which is very understandable in relation to the factor of separation, which is very much a part of your physical dimension—to compartmentalize with almost everything. And in doing that, you also compartmentalize in relation to areas; you reside in one particular area that is connected with one particular country and in a particular space arrangement of that country. Perhaps you live near a coastline, or perhaps you live in the middle of your country.
But in that, you interpret a tendency to view your immediate environment, and you compartmentalize that, and then you expand it slightly to include your community, or your state, or your country. But beyond that, you move into different compartments, different segments. Therefore, what is occurring in a particular area of a particular state in the country of South Africa you do not view as directly affecting of you, your area, or some action that is occurring in Australia or Antarctica. You see that in a different compartment. It is removed from you, --
JASON: I understand.
ELIAS: --and therefore, in theory, may be partially affecting you in the capacity that you can understand that air is not bounded, and therefore perhaps the air might be affecting you, or that a sea level could rise. But If you are not an individual that resides near a coastline, then you compartmentalize that also, and that is not directly affecting of you. What you do NOT see, generally speaking, for you are compartmentalizing, is that the fracturing that industry does with the earth in the area of Pennsylvania is affecting of individuals in Oregon, or Iceland, or Japan. The actions that groups or industry engages in Norway in relation to your oceans, or in Japan in relation to your oceans, is affecting of all of you throughout your world.
Therefore, it extends far beyond the concept of "climate change" or "global warming," for there are so many factors: other species and the decline in other species, or the alteration in habitat in relation to other species, and how that affects you in many different capacities—
JASON: These global changes are, in my understanding from reading that session, are the mechanism that we are going to use to change our relationship with, I guess, money or jobs, economy?
ELIAS: Yes. Yes, this is the method. I would express that it is not that it was a PLANNED method but that this action was unintentionally set in motion, and now you are using that to further the changes in relation to this shift; yes.
JASON: Makes sense. I think you had mentioned some sort of catalyst would be needed.
ELIAS: Yes! I would express that you have been very creative in that, incorporating a situation that you could perceive as devastation, and you could perceive in a manner that would be destructive. You could also use it in a manner to be constructive and to aid you in moving forward.
JASON: Okay. I wanted to move on to a different subject, which is … this is about appreciation. I’ll take an example that you gave in a session with someone else, which was basically that their appreciation and energy of what they were selling to the public makes it attractive to other individuals.
ELIAS: Yes.
JASON: I think the example given in that session was about appreciating, whether if they're selling their house, appreciating their house, makes it more attractive to other individuals. What would be a way to use that, for example, at work to have clients more interested in my work, or management more interested in the work that I do, or more appreciative of?
ELIAS: Be creative and become excited. When you are generating some expression that, let us say, you want to sell [audio cut off] other individuals, what allows that to be considerably successful is when the individual appreciates what they are expressing, what they are offering and what they are doing, and they also express that element of excitement with it. They are excited, [and] they want to share their excitement and what they have to offer.
Now in this, another significant component about the excitement and the wanting to share is that that excitement and that wanting to share is not dependent or contingent upon reciprocation, that the individual is excited and wants to share, regardless of what the response is. Therefore, there is no contingency.
In this also, in relation to appreciation, appreciation can be a little tricky at times, for until you actually genuinely express a knowing of genuine appreciation, it almost requires an action to accompany it. It is not enough to think about appreciating.
Now; when I express "almost requires an action," first allow me to express that when you are genuinely appreciating, when you express that genuine knowing of what appreciation is, you automatically do engage action with it. That is an automatic byproduct, although the action may not be as overt or obvious; it may be an expression rather than a physical action. But when an individual is expanding and is becoming aware of genuine appreciation and what it is and how it is expressed, to generate experience with the expression that allows you to actually genuinely assimilate the concept of appreciation, it is almost necessary to engage some type of action with the expression, to communicate to the body consciousness what the experience of appreciation is. Remember, you are occupying physical focus; and in that, yes, expressions such as appreciation are natural in consciousness. But as a being in a physical reality, that has to a large degree been forgotten. And in that, to genuinely assimilate and express a knowing of a concept, it requires experience in physical capacity.
Therefore, as I have previously, I have offered suggestions to individuals of what action they can do that accompanies and is an expression of appreciation that communicates that experience to the body consciousness and will allow you to assimilate it and then genuinely do it. Now in this, in relation to wanting to appreciate some aspect of your work that you want to share with other individuals and therefore increase their interest, it is a matter of expressing the appreciation, generating the excitement and wanting to share, and engaging some type of physical action that reinforces it. And it does not have to be a physical action that is a part of what you want to sell, or what you want to increase interest in.
JASON: Okay.
ELIAS: Therefore, if an individual is wanting to sell a painting, and they are excited and wanting to share, and they are expressing that appreciation of the painting, and they are engaging in that direction, a physical action may be engaging a conversation with another individual—not a potential buyer—engaging in a conversation with another individual about painting, but not necessarily painting more.
JASON: That painting, or …?
ELIAS: A physical action is not necessarily doing more of what you are wanting to share, but expressing some physical action that displays that appreciation.
JASON: Ahhh.
ELIAS: Therefore, let us say that the individual generated several paintings of rocks, they are generating that appreciation and that excitement, and they want to share, and they are sharing, and they also are generating a physical action of engaging displays of rocks. Or they could be engaging interaction with a wall of rocks, or they may not be engaging rocks at all. They may be engaging some type of physical action that displays the quality of rocks.
JASON: With the knowingness that they are associating it with…?
ELIAS: Yes. Yes, not random. That is intentionally generating an action in conjunction with the appreciation, therefore reinforcing it in experience.
JASON: And that was like, I think the example you had given for me was putting some money in a container each time you appreciate yourself?
ELIAS: Yes.
JASON: If I wanted to translate that to my work, it would be sort of developing a similar ritual, or …?
ELIAS: Yes! Or perhaps it would be generating a simple expression or statement to each individual that you work with once per day, such as a compliment.
JASON: Expressing a compliment to the people I work with while knowing that I'm doing it?
ELIAS: Yes, because you are appreciating and you are sharing. Therefore, when you generate a compliment to another individual, what are you doing?
JASON: Appreciating them.
ELIAS: And what else are you doing?
JASON: Witnessing?
ELIAS: You are inviting them to engage. You are inviting them to connect. Therefore, you are generating a physical action that displays that sharing, that displays that appreciation.
JASON: Okay. That gives me something to work with. (Elias laughs)
Okay. All right, the next question is going to be a little fun, and I'm going to leave it a little bit vague, because it's going to be a little bit controversial. (Elias laughs) Is it possible to use your energy to romantically attract a specific person rather than just someone in general, which is what you've talked about in the past?
ELIAS: Very much so, yes.
JASON: Okay, and how?
ELIAS: (Laughs) Now; in this hypothetical scenario, would the individual be a specific individual that you are already aware of, or a specific individual that you have imagined?
JASON: I guess I would be interested in the answer to both questions.
ELIAS: Very well. If it is a specific individual that you are already aware of, yes, it is a matter of generating very similarly to what we have been discussing in relation to appreciation, that what is very important in that equation is to allow yourself an entire freedom without the factor of reciprocation.
JASON: Right.
ELIAS: For when you begin moving in the direction of the reciprocation, then you begin altering your energy, for then you begin generating expectations.
JASON: And when you said, "Engage the appreciation"—previously we were using the example of my work—how did you mean it in this way?
ELIAS: In this manner, it is a matter of genuinely appreciating yourself, and your expression, and what you offer, and in that, allowing the freedom to do it. And that aspect of …
JASON: When you say "allowing the freedom to do it," is that to take that specific action associated with that appreciation?
ELIAS: There is not necessarily a specific action.
JASON: I meant the INaction associated with the…?
ELIAS: Yes. Yes, which…that is the trickier aspect, for it is less tricky without the element of reciprocation, but the tricky aspect is not including any of the reciprocation. For in that, when you ARE including reciprocation, there is a tendency to move in many different directions that are not merely genuinely you. They are including the questions—the questions about the other individual, their feelings, their thinking, their perception, their doing—and their cues.
JASON: Focusing on their cues rather than keeping your attention on you?
ELIAS: Correct. And in that, when there is that element of reciprocation, there is also an influencing factor of your energy in which whatever you are expressing is not being expressed entirely freely; it is being expressed with a condition of a want.
JASON: Right.
ELIAS: And I am not expressing that the want is bad.
JASON: No, but it's …because of expectations.
ELIAS: Correct, and I am merely expressing that that was not the question. The question was, is it possible—
JASON: Not that it’s easy. (Laughs)
ELIAS: --to create what you want in a romantic situation and through your energy influence creating that. And yes, it IS very possible, and not merely randomly.
Now; I would express that another aspect of this would be that it is somewhat more tricky if you already are aware of a specific individual, for if you already are aware of a specific individual, you likely already do interpret expectations and reciprocation.
JASON: Right. So that's why you had mentioned the other option, which was a specific….?
ELIAS: A specific individual that you may have imagined.
JASON: Okay.
ELIAS: Understanding that imagination is very real. In that, imagination is not fantasy; it is very real.
Now; in THAT situation, it may be less tricky, for in that, you can move more easily in the direction of not including the factor of reciprocation, for you do not know the individual yet. In that, you can more easily focus on you and your energy and what you are doing and that expression of appreciation. And that allows you to project that energy in much more of a genuine manner. Which, what happens when you project energy? You project it, and it moves outward, and it seeks out what matches it, and it draws that to you as a reflection. Therefore, energy knows no boundaries; there ARE no boundaries for energy. Therefore, when you are expressing in that manner, you are projecting outward that energy, which is then free to move in every possible direction to discover what matches it and to draw that to you.
JASON: And it would just be the general appreciation exercises that you have offered, or is there something more specific?
ELIAS: No.
JASON: Okay.
ELIAS: It would be more specific. It would be more in alignment with the intention. Therefore, it would be a matter of yes, to a degree a general appreciation of yourself, but more than that, a more specific appreciation of what you are offering, and therefore what you are drawing—very similar to what we were discussing in relation to work. It is a matter of "I appreciate these aspects of myself in a romantic capacity, what is comfortable for me, what I value about myself in relation to what I share, or what I want to share, with another individual."
JASON: So if you were looking for someone to go running with or be athletic with, then you would focus on the appreciation on those aspects of yourself?
ELIAS: Yes! Yes. And defining what a romantic relationship is for you, for it is different for different individuals.
JASON: Right.
ELIAS: An intimate romantic relationship for one individual may be much less emotional and much more intellectual, or it may be more emotional and less intellectual, or it may be more physical. It is a matter of evaluating what are the qualities of you that you value and that you want to share. YOU now become the commodity.
JASON: Right. The same as the previous discussion; it's just a different …
ELIAS: Yes, yes. But now YOU are the commodity. In that, what are the qualities, or what are the expressions of you that you value and that you are excited about and that you want to share?
JASON: It's very interesting. It creates a view of almost like your life is like a painting, where you color the different aspects of it… usually [inaudible].
ELIAS: Your life IS very much like a painting.
JASON: Because naturally there are things in my life that I appreciate and get excited about, then there's other areas where naturally not, so…
ELIAS: (Laughs) Precisely. And in that, it is a matter of focusing on those aspects of yourself that you do appreciate, that you are excited about, that you value and that you want to share.
JASON: Okay.
ELIAS: That is what companionship is.
JASON: Right.
Okay. I wanted to move on a different topic here, and that is being present, and add a few different ways to just clarify a few things. And we've talked about a lot of this in the past, but how would just being present more often at work, would that impact … well, I'm sure that changes my energy naturally, and so would that impact my success with clients or with management?
ELIAS: Definitely. I would express that being present increases your success in everything. Regardless of the subject matter, regardless of what you want, regardless of what you do, it matters not. The more present you are, the more successful you will be in EVERYTHING; everything involving anything outside of you, and everything within you. The more successful you will be with health, the more successful you will be with whatever you engage and whatever you want to accomplish, the more successful you will be in your interactions with other individuals, and the more successful you will be with anything that you incorporate any intention with.
JASON: Okay. And in thinking of my … well, you might be better at this than me. In being aware of my associations, what is the best way to think about being present from an instruction point of view? In other words—and I will give you a couple of examples. I could say, obviously, "Be present;" that's one example. Another way would be, "Pay attention to what you are doing and the energy you are projecting." A third way would be—and we've talked about this—what type of perception I am creating now? Okay, go ahead.
ELIAS: Now, define your examples. What do each of those mean? What do those words mean?
JASON: "Being present" would be … and I would add that from my understanding of the subject matter, would be that being present involves being present with the now and yourself, because you frequently forget yourself if you just focus on the now. (Laughs)
ELIAS: And what does that mean?
JASON: That would be paying attention to the sense data as it immediately comes in, and then the being aware of yourself part of it would be being aware of the communications, whether sensations and feelings or emotions and so on part of it.
ELIAS: Now let me stop you and offer you a scenario. Let us say that you are engaged in a conversation with another individual, and let us say that the other individual is expressing in somewhat of an intense manner. What would it mean, and how would it display itself, for you to be present in that situation?
JASON: I would say in my experience that the more present I am, the more that I would not be bothered by that intensity, that my … I would not be reacting at a subconscious—although there is no subconscious level—but I would not be reacting automatically if I was present.
ELIAS: Now; I would agree and disagree with you. I would express in agreement with you that you would not be reactive. I would not necessarily agree with you that you would be not bothered, or that you would not be affected. But regardless of either of those, you did not answer the question. How would that appear? What would you be doing? How would you define that you were being present if you were engaging a conversation with another individual and they were expressing in some type of intensity? I am not expressing whether it is good or bad; they could be excited, they could be sad, they could be—
JASON: There would be a knowing that I'm here, and knowing if I am reacting or I am being affected.
ELIAS: And?
JASON: That's all I got. (Laughs)
ELIAS: If you are genuinely being present, how that will display itself is you will be aware that your attention is moving—not your thinking, but your attention is mobile and moving between you and the other individual. You will genuinely be listening, therefore you will not be thinking, but you will be aware of whatever you are feeling. You will also be aware of what the other individual is expressing. You will be aware of your presence with the other individual. Therefore, in simpler terms you will be aware of your existence with the other individual, and you will also be aware of that connection.
I understand that for most individuals, that word "existence" is not immediately comprehended, for you automatically begin thinking, "Of course I exist." But when you are engaging in conversation with another individual, for the most part most individuals are not necessarily aware of their existence with the other individual, or their participation with the other individual. They are aware of their thinking, they are aware of what the other individual is expressing, and they become aware of what they are feeling, which triggers what they are thinking again. Being aware of what you are thinking is not the same as being present.
JASON: Putting this together, it sounds like when I was asking the best way to either conceptualize this or think about from an instructional point of view, your answer is that it's being aware of your existence, which you have talked about in the past is your presence or beingness.
ELIAS: Yes.
JASON: Is the key aspect.
ELIAS: Yes. You exist. You are not merely a mind, and you do not disappear when your attention is projected to some outside source. But literally, for the most part most individuals actually generate that type of perception whenever they are engaging outside sources. They cease to exist. They disappear, and all that exists IS the outside source.
JASON: I wanted to put this in a practical, to make use of this sense, and one of the things that I do—and I've maybe talked about this with you—is I'll make a recording where I'll repeat an affirmation once a minute or something like that. Do you think it would be helpful for practicing and being present to remind myself, "Be aware that you're here, or that you exist"?
ELIAS: Yes. What I would suggest, which I would suggest in any situation with any affirmation, is that you alternate, meaning change the words, generate two or three affirmations of the same subject but word it each differently, therefore you can alternate with them. And in that, perhaps one day you express one of the affirmations, and the next day you generate a different one, but they all are saying the same subject or the same message. The reason for that is that when you are repeatedly expressing the same words to yourself, you very quickly become unaware of it.
JASON: Understood.
ELIAS: Attention will very quickly incorporate a tendency to drift. Therefore, it is more efficient and effective if you alternate but you maintain the same subject.
JASON: And could you give me—I said an example, but would that be a good example? For example, be aware that you exist, that you are here?
ELIAS: Or you may one day express the affirmation “I am here now,” and the next day you may express the same by changing the words to "I am present" or "I am present now" or "I exist in this moment" or "I am here." And in another timeframe perhaps you can express an even simpler affirmation of simply "I am."
JASON: Ah. Excellent.
We may not have the time for this, because this is going to open a whole 'nother can of worms (Elias laughs) but it's on my [inaudible] questions, but in taking this being present to another part of being present that you talk about is being aware that we have choices and the implication of those choices.
ELIAS: Yes.
JASON: And that gets into the whole "yes and no" subject.
ELIAS: Yes, it does, and expectations and perception and even being aware of whether you HAVE choices or not. There are many, many, many expressions and situations in which your perception may be that do you do NOT have choices, that what is is and there is no other direction.
JASON: Okay. And my last question as the timer is going off is just to finish this topic, or at least for the moment here.
ELIAS: Very well.
JASON: Would you agree with the statement that the more present you are, the more you naturally pick choices that say "Yes" to yourself or put yourself in the primary position?
ELIAS: Yes, I would.
JASON: Okay.
ELIAS: For I would express that the more present you are, the more you have already addressed to issues and associations, and the less influencing and affecting they are. For issues and associations pull you out of the Now and pull you out of being present. Therefore, yes, the more present you are, the more you incorporate the ability to intentionally choose to your greatest benefit.
JASON: Fantastic. Thank you very much, Elias.
ELIAS: You are very welcome, my friend. As always, another simulating discussion.
JASON: (Chuckles) This has been great.
ELIAS: (Laughs) I shall greatly be anticipating our next conversation.
JASON: Same here.
ELIAS: I express tremendous encouragement, my friend, and great supportiveness in your thought-provoking ideas. (Both laugh) And I express tremendous encouragement to you in your direction of expanding your appreciation of what you are doing and drawing more positive reflection to you.
JASON: Thank you.
ELIAS: Until our next meeting, my dear friend, in tremendous lovingness as always, au revoir.
JASON: Goodbye, Elias.
(ELIAS departs after 1 hour 1 minute)
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