1 Let the Journey Begin

Your first step on the Voyage to discover the Light of Inner Space is surprisingly simple.

Reflect on something You Created.

It might be knitting a scarf from yarn. Or creating a sculpture from clay. Or creating a drawing using a paper and pencil. Or making a pie from apples and dough.

Note that on the Voyage to discover the Light of Inner Space, we will be using our minds in the same way that we drive a car.

If you have driven a car, you know there is:

  • D for drive Forward

  • R for reverse Backward

  • P for parking in your current location

On Our Journey of Inner Space, we will use our minds to:

  • Visualize forward to the Future

  • Reflect backward to the Past

  • Stay current in the Present

In your first step on the journey of inner space, you will reflect backward to the past.

Now, take a moment to reflect on something you Created. Visualize it in your mind’s eye. Then allow yourself to feel how you Cherish what you Created.

Capture this profound experience by journaling about your inner experience as you Cherish what you Created. Journaling is simply sharing in a way that permits inner thoughts to come into being in the outer world. Reflect upon the emotions, thoughts, and sensations that arise.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences here in the comments section of the Cherished Community, where we foster an environment of mutual respect for those who are courageously embarking on their journey to discover the light of inner space. Your insights and reflections can be a source of inspiration, offering support and encouragement to others on their own path.

We invite you to participate actively by posting comments or sharing excerpts from your journaling that you believe could inspire or resonate with fellow members of our community. Your contributions have the power to uplift and connect, creating a shared tapestry of wisdom and growth.

2 You Are Cherished

While many things remain unknown to us, there are other things we can know with Certainty. We can know with Certainty the existence of a Creator—Who created something out of nothing.

Otherwise we would not exist.

So if we exist, there must certainly be a Creator.

While you can create something out of something else (a sweater out of yarn), only the Creator can create something out of nothing. But by creating something out of something else, we can experience the Joy of Creating.

Now that you know how it feels to Cherish something that you Created, can you imagine how the Creator Cherishes You?

Yes, You Are Cherished.

How does it feel to know You are Cherished?

Now take a few seconds… minutes… hours… or days…whatever you wish… to reflect and journal about how it feels when you realize the Creator Cherishes You.

(If you feel skeptical because you have never before considered that the Creator Cherishes You, allow yourself to move past the skepticism so you can truly embrace the profound feeling of being Cherished by the Creator.)

Remember, laughing… weeping… contentment… are not only acceptable, but encouraged in this process.

3 Now That You Know...

Now that you know how it feels to be Cherished by the Creator, focus on feeling cherished to your very Core—to your heart center.

Allow this deep connection to transform your perception of yourself, others, and the world that surrounds you.

Can you feel how liberating it is? We no longer have to be concerned with whether our parents or siblings or friends loved us. It doesn’t matter if we were told by our parents and siblings that they hated us. It all becomes irrelevant once we realize the Creator Cherishes us.

Take a moment to journal about the transformative impact of feeling cherished. Explore how this newfound awareness alters your view of yourself, your perception of others, and your view of the world around you. Let your words capture the profound shifts in your perspective that being cherished brings to your life.

Notice in this third step of the journey, depending upon your specific journey, your mindset may be shifting between:

  • Reflecting backward to the Past

  • Being current in the Present

  • Visualizing forward to the Future

Sometimes having an awareness of our mindset shifts makes the journey less overwhelming. Awareness of our mindset shifts can support us in sorting out conflicting emotions and lead us to a state of calm, tranquil joy on our journey.

4 Until It Opens...

Now that You have embraced the profound feeling of being Cherished to your very Core, can you feel your heart’s scars healing? Can you allow yourself to feel the healing process taking place within your heart?

Can you feel a once shattered heart opening once again?

(Let’s be honest, everyone has at least one scar on their heart. Sometimes people hide heart scars well, but the scars are there nonetheless. Sometimes we build armor around our heart to hide the scars and protect our hearts from more scars.)

Take this opportunity to journal about how the transformative power of knowing you are Cherished can lead to healing your heart and mind. Reflect on the experiences, emotions, and insights that arise, capturing the essence of your heart healing journey.

Once again, notice during this process, how your mindset may be doing a complete 360, shifting between “gears”:

  • Reflecting backward to the Past

  • Being current in the Present

  • Visualizing forward to the Future

If you begin to feel overwhelmed, strive to determine which “gear” you are in: Past, Present, or Future. You do not have to re-experience the heart scars of the Past to heal them. You can heal the scars in the Present and Future, knowing that the scars served a purpose… to open your heart.

5 Cherished Bond

Take a moment to reflect on a special person in your life, your cherished companion, one of those individuals who hold a unique place in your heart. Have you ever found yourself wondering why they don't reach out more often, or why you don't spend more time connecting with them?

In our fast-paced lives, it's common to assume that people are busy and we shouldn't intrude upon their time.

Imagine your joy when a busy friend reaches out to connect with you. To simply check in and spend time with you. Journal about that joy.

This situation isn't limited to our human connections. Sometimes, we hesitate to connect to the Creator, feeling that our problems are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

But here's a beautiful truth: The Creator cherishes you and desires a connection with you. (Remember the joy you felt when a busy friend reaches out.) The initiative, however, begins with you. The Creator is unlimited so avoid the excuse that the Creator does not have time for you.

Journal to explore the emotions that arise within your heart when you contemplate a connection with the Creator. What feelings arise? Is it a sense of longing, gratitude, or perhaps a profound awe? This process may uncover the depths of your emotions and the transformative power of embracing this divine connection.

Remember, your goal is to express yourself authentically and openly. Through journaling, you can illuminate your path of inner space.

6 Your Task

Are you open to finding barriers within yourself that keep love out? Are you open to the transformative experience of feeling cherished?

Journal about finding the barriers within yourself that you have built against love.

These barriers may have formed over years, shaped by life's experiences, but they can be identified, understood, and ultimately, dismantled. Understanding why the barriers were built in the Past is part of the journey to realize they no longer serve a positive purpose in a the Present. So the barriers can be dismantled to continue the Future journey of inner space.

Keep in mind, be gentle with yourself as you explore and embrace the beautiful process of dismantling these barriers to make room for love.

7 Gratitude

Today, choose a single action, no matter how small, and infuse it with the radiant essence of gratitude. While completing the action, from making a bed to drinking a cup of coffee, infuse the action with the intention of bringing a Divine Spark of Light into this realm.

As a wise sage once shared, it's not solely the action itself that carries significance; rather, it's the intention we infuse into that action. The same action can be performed with love and abundance or tainted by fear and negativity. Let this awareness guide you today as you consciously strive to infuse at least one action with love, gratitude, and the pure intention of bringing a Divine Spark of Light into our world.

Next,, through journaling explore the profoundness of infusing your actions with gratitude. Infuse your journaling with the intention to bring Divine Sparks of Light into the world. Allow your words to be a vessel for spreading Divine Sparks of Light. In this process, we discover that even the simplest of actions, when carried out with a heart full of love and gratitude, can illuminate the world around us.

8 Revealed and Concealed

Blessings surround us in our daily lives even if we don’t realize it. Because you are cherished, everything in your world is either:

  • Revealed Blessings or

  • Concealed Blessings

A Revealed Divine Blessing is immediately evident that it is a positive gift.

A Concealed Blessing may appear to be a negative occurrence, which only later is revealed to be positive.

Can you recall one instance when at the time you thought something was a negative occurrence that later turned out to be positive?

Journal about revealed and concealed blessings in your life. What emotions do you experience when reflecting about revealed blessings? Concealed blessings? Do you feel gratitude for these blessing? How has the combination of these revealed and concealed blessings contributed to the person you are today, guiding you toward growth, resilience, and self-awareness?

9 Joy

Contemplate a great sorrow that you have felt in the past. Now imagine sweeping the sorrow out of your heart.

Journal about how sorrow prepares you for joy. How does it feel when new joy enters the heart space you have cleared. Describe the vibrant, fresh, green leaves now growing in the bough of your heart.

Capture the emotions, sensations, and imagery that accompany this renewal process. How does it feel to sweep out sorrow and make room for joy?

Through your words, you have the power to illustrate the capacity of the heart to rejuvenate and flourish once again.

10 Silence of Inner Space

Still your mind to listen to the silence of inner space.

Once your mind has stilled, can you allow the knowingness of being cherished to enter your mind?

Do you have enough courage to permit feelings of being cherished to enter and open your heart? Invite yourself to embrace the warmth of love and being cherished, to recognize that you are deserving of this deep affection.

Journal about what you experienced when you stilled your mind and truly listened to the silence of inner space.

11 Silently

What do you truly love? If you let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love, what would that be?

What stirs your soul? What passionately captures your heart?

When you awake in the morning, what would make you eagerly think…

I can’t wait to get to work today!

Journal about what you discover about the stronger pull of what you really love. Permit yourself to be silently drawn on the path to discover the light of inner space, toward the fulfillment of your truest aspirations.

12 Lovers

What do you think about Rumi’s insight about lovers? Does this insight resonate with you?

As you contemplate this idea, observe your own internal reactions. Is your mind in overdrive trying to imagine this possiblity? Does your analytical mind struggle to align with the whisper of your heart that resonates with Rumi's insight?

Imagine that with your mind’s eye you can see into your heart center. Look within to explore inner space and perhaps discover the beloved who's been in your heart all along.

Do you feel a sense of anticipation and curiosity? As though you are about to embark on a voyage of self-discovery within the sanctuary of your own heart? What emotions stir within you as you connect with your inner beloved?

Grant yourself time to explore this phase of the journey of inner space until you feel prepared to reflect upon your inner beloved through journaling. Do you sense boundless compassion and understanding? A presence always ready to offer solace in times of distress and celebrate the joys of life? A wellspring of unwavering support and love? A warm glow of boundless love that permeates your being?

Please be compassionate with yourself during your journey to inner space. It may feel lonely but you are connecting to a higher consciousness that is actually the opposite of aloneness.

Keep in mind that the word “courage” traces its origins to the French word “coeur”, which means heart. Indeed, it takes true courage to undertake the journey of inner space.

13 Voice of the Heart

Imagine you can sense beyond your words to Know the message—the voice of your heart. What does your heart whisper to you in its gentle language?

The path of inner space follows the voice of the heart and soul. But it is such a gentle language that it can easily be drowned out. So we must listen with care to hear the message.

Journal about the message behind your words — What is the message of the voice of your heart? What does your now open heart share with you?

14 Spark of Divine Intelligence

Upon awakening in the morning you have a unique opportunity to connect to a Spark of Divine Intelligence. It’s actually quite simple: allow a Spark of Divine Intelligence to enter your mind, like downloading an eagerly awaited online gift. It occurs in the in-between state of sleeping soul work and eyes-wide-open work in this realm. While in that in-between state, you can connect to a Spark of Divine Intelligence and download Divine Inspiration.

At first it might appear in a second as just a Spark, a quick flash of inspiration. With exploration and practice, you can extend the time from seconds to minutes.

Before you go to sleep, prime your mind by placing in your mind’s eye, what you want to focus on for inspiration. What has been vexing you lately? An issue that you know you can solve but can’t find the solution?

Upon awakening, allow a Spark of Divine Intelligence to enter your mind. Be open to experiencing a gentle glow or a sudden flash of inspiration.

Reflect on your experience of allowing a Spark of Divine Intelligence an entrance into your mind. Journal about the emotions you experience when you accept Sparks of Divine Intelligence and your progress in being more and more open to the experience.

15 Brilliant

After you begin connecting to a Spark of Divine Intelligence upon awakening in the morning, there are two additional steps to fruition and manifestation.

Unpack the download—process the flash of inspiration, process the significance of the Spark of Divine Intelligence. Finally, implement the Divine Spark into action.

Journal about this three step process upon awakening:

  1. Upon awakening, connecting to the Spark of Divine Intelligence,

  2. Processing or unpacking the flash of inspiration for meaning and purpose, and

  3. Implementing the Spark of Divine Intelligence into action.

16 Today

Take a look in your personal rearview mirror to see yesterday. In your mind’s eye, lovingly see your past self—yourself in the past. Did you want to change the world?

In your mind’s eye, now lovingly see your present self today. Are you now wise? As you look back and see your life’s journey like a video, can you see yourself progressing from clever to wise? From changing others to changing yourself?

Lovingly and compassionately, journal about your journey from your past self to your present self. Describe your past self with three adjectives, then describe your present self with three adjectives. What are three things that played a role in transforming your past self into your present self?

A Seeker

Congratulations on completing 18 significant milestones on your quest to discover the light of inner space!

Let's take a moment to reflect about this transformative journey, viewing it with a 360-degree mindset.

  • Reflect backwards on the past journey and your past self. Begin by looking back at the path you've traveled. Reflect on the past journey and your past self. How have you evolved, both inwardly and outwardly, throughout these 18 leaps? What were the most pivotal moments, the profound realizations, and the challenges that shaped your journey? Dive deep into your memories and experiences, and let your journal capture the essence of your growth.

  • Assess your present self and situation. Now shift your focus to the present moment. Take an honest assessment of your current self and situation. How has this journey to inner space influenced your life today? What changes have you made, and what aspects of your inner and outer worlds have transformed? Embrace your present self with compassion and curiosity, acknowledging the progress you've made.

  • Visualize your future self continuing the ongoing journey of inner space. Now, let your imagination take flight as you visualize your future self continuing the ongoing journey of inner space. What aspirations do you hold for your future self? How do you envision your ongoing growth and the evolution of your inner world? Describe the path you wish to pursue and the discoveries you anticipate making.

Through this journaling practice, you integrate your past, present, and future selves into a holistic perspective. It's an opportunity to celebrate your progress, acknowledge your present reality, and set intentions for the thrilling journey that lies ahead in inner space.

Bon voyage and happy travels on your journey to continue discovery of the light of inner space!