The quote from the book really strikes me as profound.

“Pain exists to promote evolution.”

We humans are simply advanced animals, sharing over 90% of our DNA code with most species. But an amazing quality of evolved humans is that they embrace pain and learn from it. This is what sets apart a Richard Branson or an Olympic athlete.

Imagine if you realized that the pain in your relationship, in your job, even in your body, were there to promote your evolution and the evolution of the planet. For me personally, disastrous relationships with my intimate partners had me realize it was time for me to evolve and I began studying everything I could find on true love and relationship. It had me evolve into being a pretty awesome coach.

Personally, this is what frustrates me about the current political climate in the U.S. The great economic pain being felt is simply a call to evolve. China answered the call decades ago, as did Japan and India. Yet the noisiest U.S. politicians want to argue for keeping things the same or going backward. None have a real plan for the evolution of the U.S. the way the China & India do.

Unfortunately, since animals avoid pain, most humans avoid pain and miss the opportunity for evolution. Animals just run away, thus they don’t evolve. Man embraced the pain of cold winters and evolved to build shelters and make warm clothing. Ever notice a human that just wants the problem to go away? It’s a choice of evolution.

If you feel pain, notice that it is just evolution wanting to happen. What do you need to learn? What is the next higher level of spiritual evolution for you? Remember, there is no ceiling for spiritual evolution, so no matter where you are at you can evolve.

Most people experience this desire to expand as consumerism. Advertisers know this human desire and show us products as the only way to fulfill it. It’s the endless desire for more. A nicer car, better job, more money, a family, maybe even traveling the earth. Some have felt this desire to expand so deeply they literally want to go out into space as Richard Branson has with his Virgin Galactic space company. Even the entire universe is expanding as you read this!

This expression of the desire to expand is simply in the physical world however, so it is never fully satisfying. It can turn into addictions, to the next car, product, or even spouse. Nothing seems to satisfy the desire to expand because we didn’t realize that is the true desire. Even nations can continually seek physical expansion into territories of other nations.

The only way to truly satisfy our deep desire for expansion is to expand who we are and expand our soul. Expanding our love and ability to love is the deepest fulfillment. You can feel this in your body by imagining your heart space opening wide and being filled by and surrounding your loved ones. Then, opening your chest even wider to love the entire office you are in, then the city, state, nation, the globe, even the entire cosmos. Opening your heart this wide, unguarded, may actually hurt to some people or bring a tear. We are closed for so long, it’s uncomfortable to expand, and yet the tear is a tear of joy remembering how expansive we are meant to be. Expanding as love, into the entire cosmos while we walk through our day. Anything is possible from this place, knowing we are the source of love. Love only exists within us, as a gift, not out in the world. Expand today! Open as who you really are, infinite, eternal, as love. This is what you really desire. Now the toys are more enjoyable while you are expanding.

How can you expand today? Maybe it’s treating a stranger with the deepest kindness? Maybe it’s going beyond who you think you are at work and giving your best, just because you can? Maybe it’s filling your entire home with your love tonight when you go home, as if you could feel every thing and everyone and fill them with love, just with a smile from your heart?

Expand! Go for it!

Here’s the tag line for the show:

The spiritual philosopher discusses connection to the divine, manifesting goodness, and understanding a larger purpose in life.

The show is airing today until December 10th. Check here for your local listing: http://www.the-answer-is-you.com/airdates.html

Stop right now. Notice that the next five minutes is a mystery. Sure, your heart is beating, but how fast or how slow will it beat? What sounds might you hear? Will someone call? When you stop and notice that your future is a mystery waiting to unfold, you’re in spirit, not ego. This is the magic of children. They don’t think they know things!

What if when you wake up tomorrow the day was a mystery to you? You realize that anything is possible. What if you anticipated the wonder of each moment just like you are watching a great movie? You really don’t know what the next moment has in store.

A wonderful fact to reflect upon… that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.           ~Charles Dickens