Stones of Truth Engagement Principles
Living Who We Are Authentically
Many espouse to the values of love, compassion, truth and understanding. Yet what we espouse is not always what we demonstrate. While a healthy gap is important to maintain, if we are not practicing the values we believe in we are not being authentic to who we truly are. It’s better to adjust one’s values to match their actual behaviors than to fool one’s self or others by attempting to be something we have not yet grown into being.
Accepting 100% Responsibility
There are two ways of living, being at life’s effect and being at cause. Living at cause begins by taking 100% responsibility for all that arises in our lives. As we accept responsibility, we begin living at choice and our choices gain momentum towards an extraordinary life. Personal responsibility and living at cause is a foundational principle from which all our happiness, outcomes and results arise from.
Releasing Self-Importance
Surrendering our need for self-importance allows us to experience life’s extraordinary blessings. The more we release our personal agendas, need for control, and our “stories of woe,” the more we embrace life’s true majesty. This principle is about surrendering our need for ego-driven credit, or indulging in its antithesis, blame and shame and instead developing and sustaining a healthy sense of self.
Embracing Life’s Paradox
Life is paradoxical and those who are able to hold oppositional circumstances have a great advantage. Embracing paradox requires letting go of our one-sided thinking and rigid opinions. Rather than wasting energy on trying to change our negative traits into positive traits, this principle is about expanding to include all our traits and learning how to draw upon them as valuable resources.
Being Fully Present To Life
Being present is about showing up fully in life and engaging in all its challenges and joys, from the most inspiring to the most devastating. We abandon our presence when we hide, rationalize, suppress, ignore, externalize or internalize. This principle is about opening fully to life and to our feelings and trusting that living with courage and vulnerability will lead us to exactly where we need to be.
Opening And Opening Again
New opportunities come to those open to receiving them. And while many believe they are open, the true test is when we feel we’ve opened, to open again, and again, and again. Wherever we stop in this process is where we are closed. This principle empowers us to open our hearts, deepen our patience, compassion and love – essential qualities that enhance every area of our lives.
Reclaiming Our Life Energy
We are each given a set amount of life force energy which we either use well or abuse during our lives. Abuse occurs when we fail to act responsibly or allow repetitive destructive patterns to drain us. It also occurs when we leave negatively charged events incomplete by ignoring them or by forming reactive conclusions. This principle is about reclaiming our enthusiasm and energy for being fully alive.
Being of Service & Contribution
There’s a limit to the amount of fulfillment that comes from focusing on our personal needs and successes. Those who’ve arrived at a place of material success soon discover the need for shifting their focus to making a contribution in the world. This principle is about giving back in ways that forward the well-being of humanity as a whole and the sustainability of our planet.