The Governor

I’ve been promoted at work again. The rate at which I have been promoted is probably very unlikely.

I suppose it would be most unlikely if I was unavailable for it. By this, I am referring to the mystical side of life. I am slowly getting back to a belief; however, I am also becoming more aware that my belief’s are there to govern my advance; not to cause it. .

I remember, years ago, reading the book by Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking. As I reflect on that book, I do so with the greatest part of my life’s story behind me. I reflect on this concept with the clear advantage of having lived with the concept in the back of my mind. So how much of an impact did this idea have in my life?

Well, as I grow older, I am becoming more aware of the other story; behind the scenes. If I consider my life’s story, scene by scene, it is not at all unique. I certainly did not become rich and famous by my own standards. I live in a mansion of sorts, but in my own opinion, I suppose I will always feel I missed more opportunities than I seized. So if I allow my mind to give the summary, my life’s story will compare to most other life stories. It seems to me that we humans typically have more in common than we have independently.

I’ve just described my story, and the scenes I’ve participated in, but this does not give much insight into the nature of my backstage awareness. This is the part that matters.

I can only really explain in human terms; and it really only makes sense from that perspective. So here goes:

At some point, decades ago, I slipped into this earth-suit (as Ram Dass calls it), and I began having this exciting experience as myself. And I don’t want to give a history of that experience here, but I will go on and tell you that my beliefs developed from thoughts I have had within this experience; therefore, they have worked as governors rather than facilitators of abundance.

One definition of “governor” is: a limiting mechanism. And this is the definition I am using here. Mounted alongside the throttle of many, older carburetors, there would be a governor, limiting the position of the throttle. This would hopefully prevent over-revving of an engine and it could even be used to limit the speed of the vehicle. If, for instance, you were going to allow your younger child to operate the machine we are discussing, you’d probably turn the governing screw inward, to further limit the speed of the engine; to slow it down as it were.

As a human, hoping to discover the true nature of reality, I wanted, very much to dive in from my youth on. I went to Pentecostal Church gatherings that promised a Holy Ghost Filled Revival. I’d witness speaking in tongues and dancing. I’ve been in alters and I have been in mosh-pits; there was no discernable difference. It was a frenzy. There were people, involved in these alter-calls, who appeared to be completely jacked up on Ecstasy. But then I would go to raves, where people were actually jacked up on Ecstasy and I would always wonder if they’d tapped into something divine. It was a paradox to me. It’s that same paradox where you find yourself looking at a real landscape and feeling as though it’s a picture, and then looking at a picture, and feeling it is somehow very real. I mean to say that I wondered: “Are the people at church high, or are the people at the rave having a spiritual experience?”

And here is where the concept of a governor is helping me presently. It seems to me that all physical expressions of any kind are really only there to limit – rather than to promote – potential.

You can only get so excited and so worked up in a church service or a rave. But if you will pay close attention, you’ll find yourself bumping up against the limits of the character you are playing. Yes, you can enjoy the thrill of an emotional revival, or you can enjoy the thrill of trance-music, played very loudly, with lights and a shiny, dance floor.

I mention all of this to quantify my story. In fact, every human story can be reduced to the many measurements present in each scene. If you will try to tell your own story, you will soon find yourself using similar measurements. You’ll say that you did something, somewhere, at some point in time, and you’ll give numbers and dimensions to convey as much detail as you feel comfortable with. Now, imagine that you are telling me your life’s story. Now imagine me, within a minute or so, stopping you and asking, “So is that you?”

At this point, you’d probably say, “Oh goodness no, let me go on.”

So in another five minutes, suppose I stop you again, “Is that you?”

And you’d probably laugh and say, “Not even close.”

So I could let you go on for hours and hours. After having this discussion for a few days, suppose I stop you and then I ask, “Is that you?”

By this point, you may have gotten used to my annoying question and you may give another answer: “Well, no, but I have given you many of the details I now recall. You should have some idea of who I am.”

The fact that you are not in the details should give you some idea of a “behind-the-scenes” version of You.

Yes, you have had these many measurable experiences, but you are not defined by them or limited to them. You may have passed through them, but you haven’t snagged yourself on a single experience. This means you have a life-story, but it does not mean you are your story.

Imagine your entire life as a “Height-Stick” leaning on reality’s wall. No matter how often you back up to it and make a mark on it, it never captures who you are. You can grow old and you can refer to your life’s Height-Stick and you can talk about it, but you really don’t see much besides a few marks. And when you die, others can walk over to your height-stick and consider your achievements, but they won’t find you there.   

Story after story, the marks you’ll make are just physical expressions of the physical part you have played. However, the marks are not The Observer, but the observed.

To be awakened is to become aware of the drama as The Observer. When you remove your earth-suit, you’ll still Observe it, but you will then know it as Who You Are and You will see the story as a part You played rather than Who You Are.

We are all so involved in our story that we cannot be disturbed easily. Thoughts and beliefs can enrich the story. Sadly, thoughts and beliefs can also ruin the story. Presently, I remember yesterday, and all of the events that went into the development of yesterday’s story and now, I cannot wait to see where my story goes from here. I am so into this story that I cannot really look up from it because I am afraid I will miss some critical part of it. But when I do look up, I can tell that it is all a part of this saga. Momentarily, I occasionally put the book of my life down and I look around. I see a bird on a limb, and the bird looks at me. The bird seems to wonder if I am thinking what she is thinking. Of course, I feel I cannot sit and stare at a bird for very long; and the bird seems to feel the same way. Either she flies away or I walk back inside. We give up on staring each other down. As quickly as I can, I get back to my story so I can finish it.

Who manipulates the story of my life? Who manipulates the story of your life?

Ironically, it is the character who asks this question. The character – you – looks around and eventually asks, “If I am not myself, then who am I?”

Does the character set up the scenes or is it The Observer?

Who governs the acceleration? Who limits the speed?

In a way, it would seem to me The Observer should be able to manage the stage and change the scene instantly. Is that right?

If I were a bear, I could not be a butterfly. Some limiting factor would have been responsible for my fate in this scene. If a bear were to climb high up on a hill, and jump off, hoping to fly the way a butterfly flies, the limitation would become very obvious, very quickly. As The Observer, You watch the bear, you are the bear, experiencing the difference between a bear and a butterfly. The poor bear falls to his death and You awaken and say, “I was a bear and I thought I could fly. I jumped from a hillside and woke up, just as I would have hit the ground.”

And this brings me to the Ultimate Truth: it is always, ALL about You. When You look around, You will see many things and beings; none of which appear to be You. But All has to be there to experience All. You could not even witness a thing or a being if You were not You. Take a moment and think about how perfectly centric this make You. If You suddenly stopped being a witness to the limitless oppositeness around You, then All that you now witness would suddenly stop as well.

You can be aware of this now, or later. You have given life to All. Without You, it cannot go on. If You cease to be, then everything and everyone else ceases simultaneously.

So let us take this to Your perceived point of death. What happens when You die? Nothing. You simply occupy another, opposing point of view.

You are not Your Life’s Story. Thoughts and beliefs allow you to experience opposites from that protagonist’s point of reference, but You are just enjoying a really intense novel and you are so deeply interested in it that You cannot put it down. That’s all this is.

How many of You are there? As many as You can possibly imagine.

There is only One You.

Who wrote the novel in the first place? Ah, as exciting and as mysterious as it seems, You authored the entire script. Why is it so impossible for You to believe that You wrote this story? You must realize, as the character You presently play, You authored this tale billions of years ago. Why would You think it odd that You’ve forgotten?

You meant to forget.

You were so thrilled when You came up with the idea for the character You now play.

I knew you in the womb.

You knew what you would do, where you would go, the choices you would make. Some of those choices even seem ridiculous to yourself in retrospect.

If You are presently unimpressed by the direction your drama is going, then You wrote it this way. You knew what You wanted to experience and You are going to Love the way this ends.