Sailing The High Seas. Initiation Into the Higher Realms of Reality.

DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO DISCOVER THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE INTELLECT AND THE INTUITIVE MIND 

I do not understand the mystery of grace; only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us. 2018 Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict It was during Spring Break at Panama City Beach, Florida; that I joined co-workers on what turned out to be an adventure of a lifetime. I could describe this best as a scene from the Twilight Zone, and the life and times of the Russian Mystic named Rasputin, who was impossible to kill. 

My co-workers and I were marketing representatives for a large corporation, worked long hours, attended business meetings on weekends, and desperately needed a break. Little did we know what was about to transpire during our brief vacation. 

As we traveled onto the Panama City Beach Strip, the smell of the ocean breeze and the scent of suntan lotion heightened our sense of adventure. We had driven 16 hours to experience this moment. 

Suddenly, a large Jeep Wrangler with a front stinger bumper; driven by a very drunk college student hit the back of our company car and pushed the trunk into the air, and the back bumper into the back seat. We found ourselves in a local hospital for hours being examined for injuries, head traumas, and broken bones. 

Upon our release, we discovered the car trunk, which was in the air; could not be repaired or replaced until we returned home. 

Not only were we forced to drive around Panama City Beach with our car trunk in the air, which became a hilarious source of attention and laughter. But we would face a 16-hour drive home, unable to see out of the back window. We would have to take turns sitting in an awkward position while riding in a distorted back seat. 

In complete despair, we called it a day. 

The next morning, we enthusiastically hit the beach and enjoyed the sand between our toes, while acting like kids who were seeing the ocean for the first time. What a grand experience we were having when someone suggested renting a catamaran and heading out into the ocean. 

I knew nothing about sailing, but reluctantly, with a sense of adventure, I agreed to go along. My co-workers were sitting on the catamaran, and as I jumped on the boat, the shipyard owner shouted out to everyone, “Jump off; the broken rudder needed to be repaired, and it was impossible to steer the boat.” My co-workers jumped off the catamaran as it took off flying at high speeds into the ocean, carrying me along for the ride. 

I was sailing on a catamaran with no idea how to sail, or the ability to identify the various parts of the boat, and having no thoughts regarding what to do. I watched as the shore disappeared; there was nothing in sight but a vast dark blue ocean. I realized instantly I could die and easily become shark bait. Shockingly, it became apparent there was no solution to my problem. I was on a runaway, fast-sailing catamaran; my destination was unclear, and the future seemed bleak. 

No one was coming to rescue me. I had signed a release form stating that if I died or became injured, I would not hold the shipyard owner or his business liable. 

I asked out loud; “Is this the day I am going to die?” 

I heard an inner voice; “NO, not today.” At that moment, I was told what to do and had an inner vision that showed the steps to take. The message was to crawl to the head of the boat (which is called the BOW), lie face up, eyes closed over a square white box at the front of the catamaran. I immediately followed the orders. 

There was no time for thinking or fear. 

My eyes were closed, and I did not know what was going on until, at last, I heard loud voices screaming, and people yelling. I recognized the voice of the shipyard owner who had told everyone to jump off the catamaran. He was screaming and yelling that what he was witnessing was impossible, absolutely impossible; how did I bring the catamaran back to shore, much less sail it into the original boat slip, near the dock? 

I opened my eyes, attempted to sit up, and then stand up; the wind pushed the sail around, and it hit me slightly on the head and knocked me unconscious. I had to be carried to the shore. I am convinced this action was mandatory for a connection between my mind, body, spirit, and the universal forces to be broken. 

Hundreds of people on the beach and a shipyard owner witnessed a miracle that day. There was screaming, applauding, yelling, and crying throughout the beach. People knew that something extraordinary had taken place. I was simply an instrument for that miracle. 

Upon returning home, I signed up for a sailing course at a local mountain lake, which is famous for its high winds. I had the privilege to sail with other people and finally enjoy the absolute thrill of sailing. It is one of the most exuberating activities on the water. 

Mysteriously, I witnessed first-hand something, someone, a force that was guiding and watching over me when I needed it. It told me what to do when I had no method of understanding how to troubleshoot the situation. I realized these forces would always protect me from situations and people who caused me harm. I was indeed here on Earth for a purpose. 

This lesson pertains to everyone. We have forces, powers beyond our understanding, looking out for us, but we MUST ask for their help. Beware of your ego and pride; these are the mechanisms that will prohibit you from accessing these invisible forces and living your destiny. 

If one is in doubt, always ask yourself if I had only one day to live, what choices would I make, what truths would I speak, what regrets would I have? 

If we lived our lives as if we had one more week to live, would we live differently? Would we embrace our lives more fully? Could we love more passionately? Could we be kinder and more compassionate to others? 

And at last, would we decide to be more fully who we are rather than carbon copies of each other? 

Perhaps when everything is said and done, it will be the people who can embrace the fullness of the mystery of life that gain the insight, knowledge, and wisdom that it offers. The intellect cannot provide the answers to our complicated lives and experiences. While we search for evidence, we know there are more questions than answers. 

The mysterious possibility is that the intellect carries out the actions and orders from the intuitive mind’s direction. Yet, today’s societies have convinced us that the Intellect can solve our problems; with little to no emphasis on the Intuitive Mind. If this were the case, why do we still maintain the same problems that were relevant decades and centuries ago? Are you aware of the difference between the Intuitive Mind and the Intellectual Mind? 

Many people will choose to live in distraction, status quo, and unaware of their inner world, the forces that exist around them, never gaining clarity of their existence. Will you be one of these people? 

We are living in unpredictable, turbulent times. Consciousness appears to be expanding throughout our planet and perhaps throughout the universe; the message being delivered is quite clear. 

It is now the time to contact the Higher Realms through meditation, prayer, stillness, mindfulness, and spiritual practices. These practices and higher connections may very well save your life, deliver you to safety, and help you fulfil your mission on earth. 

YOUR SOUL KNOWS THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOUR FATE; YOUR SOUL ALONE HAS THE MAP OF YOUR FUTURE, THEREFORE, YOU CAN TRUST THIS INDIRECT, OBLIQUE SIDE OF YOURSELF. IF YOU DO, IT WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO, BUT MORE IMPORTANT IT WILL TEACH YOU A KINDNESS OF RHYTHM IN YOUR JOURNEY. 

—John O’Donohue