Lessons From Ron Lewison (1938-2008) (Blog)

[changingbetter]

Thank you Steve.. great Article.. it has waken up something big within me.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by supertom

Hey, so how can I be totally OPEN, say when im reading, there might be greater truths that im blocking out. im rading abraham again and im seeing it totally differently this time, that 99% of people wont see

The short, most realistic answer is that you normally can't be totally open, at least not right away. We're here to experience growth, not instantaneous perfection.

Recognize that you created the walls yourself at a soul level, so you could have certain experiences and learn certain lessons from within those limited perspectives. Once you've absorbed what you need, you're ready to drop those walls and move on to a more expansive stage where you'll be ready for new truths.

I think the reason it works this way is so that you can maintain a reasonable balance between your level of truth, love, and power at all times. If you were to gain too much power in a single step without your truth and love alignment following suit, you could do a lot of harm to yourself and others. It would be like if your body had such strong muscles that flexing them would rip you apart. Similarly, if you were exposed to too much truth without the appropriate levels of love and power, you'd be completely overwhelmed and would feel incredibly helpless.

You needn't try to collapse every block all at once. Respect that the blocks are actually there to serve your progressive growth. Just work on the challenges that are right in front of you, and consciously work on the lessons presented you. Solve the problems you can solve today, and leave the rest for later.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by supertom

Hey, so how can I be totally OPEN, say when im reading, there might be greater truths that im blocking out. im rading abraham again and im seeing it totally differently this time, that 99% of people wont see

Steve already wrote a good post for you, but I see an opportunity to share an analogy of my own.

I liken limitations to training.

In a game I used to play (Diablo 2), I would deliberately under-power my character when taking on human opponents to improve my ability. You see when you only have limited options available, or when you have a significant weakness, you must learn to work around that. When you finally do ramp yourself up to maximum capacity again, you will significantly better. Unnecessary movements will be eliminated, and you will have gained a whole new repertoire that augments your full power. In the weakened state, your flaws are exposed and hammered out, much like impurities in a forged blade.

You can use the same principle for physical training.

A while ago I did some training with some leg weights. You'd be surprised at what adding a little bit of weight can do to you. It's not such a strain on your muscles, but it sure chops down your cardio endurance. Again, limiting yourself and restricting what you can do proves beneficial. Once you take those leg weights off... well, lets just say it's good fun.

So limits become useful because they confine your scope and force you to grow in new, different ways, kind of like pouring a malleable substance through a mold. I'm not sure whether we all start of perfect or not, but at least, I know it's useful to improve yourself by limiting yourself. That's a fundamental principle that continues to hold up for me.

So consider that the non-physical you is investing energy (you) within the physical world so you can grow and make improvements that, when you de-invest from here, you can take with you and continue your existence. That doesn't mean you're perfect, be it physically or spiritually. I think that's a common misconception, and while I can't speak from experience, it makes sense that the non-physical is merely another realm for growth--for desires, experiences, and experiencing existence. Lots of people like to say that we're perfect, and at some fundamental level, we might be, but I think "perfection" is the most inherently unsatisfying thing you could wish upon yourself. Wish for an instruction book, not perfection.

(This post was fun to write.)

[Hari.c]

Really amazing article once again Steve. Thanks for sharing your experiences with Ron from other side. I wouldn't have believed the story if some body else would have told about this kind of experience. Thank you so much. This article is very inspiring.

[zicitron]

Steve, I'm a loyal reader of your blogs since a few weeks. You write very well; no doubt about that. Your writings are very inspirational and it has helped me a lot in my personal life but I don't know whether I should voice out my feelings publicly after reading your story about connecting with Mr Lewinson. After all, I think I should since it has disturbed me a bit. I will say it plainly: I don't believe what you narrated. I do believe in God, in angels and in evil but I think you are taking us for a ride with this "connecting with the dead" thingy. Not meaning to be harsh here but I, as a loyal reader to your blog, I think you could have spared us that lengthy paragraph about Mr Lewinson coaching the dead! I do hope he drops that idea and may his soul rest in peace! I am just asking myself if I need to keep on reading your blog; if you are really serious at times; if you are really that sane! I know your die-hard fans will jump at my throat after reading this post. But again, I do not want to create any tension here; that piece of blog just disturbed me somewhat. Ok, you did say that those who don't believe shouldn't go on reading that part but you see, you did also subtly say that those "who won't read it" are not open-minded. If that's not an insult to those who do not believe in these so-called spiritual meetings, then what is it? Some cursed tongues would even say that there seem to be a marketing disguise for Erin's daytime job in that piece of writing!

[mncz]

Nooooo, that was the part that inspired me the most!

[DanielBrenton]

Originally Posted by zicitron

Steve, I'm a loyal reader of your blogs since a few weeks. You write very well; no doubt about that. Your writings are very inspirational and it has helped me a lot in my personal life but I don't know whether I should voice out my feelings publicly after reading your story about connecting with Mr Lewinson. After all, I think I should since it has disturbed me a bit. I will say it plainly: I don't believe what you narrated. I do believe in God, in angels and in evil but I think you are taking us for a ride with this "connecting with the dead" thingy. Not meaning to be harsh here but I, as a loyal reader to your blog, I think you could have spared us that lengthy paragraph about Mr Lewinson coaching the dead! I do hope he drops that idea and may his soul rest in peace! I am just asking myself if I need to keep on reading your blog; if you are really serious at times; if you are really that sane!

Dear Zicitron --

I'm sure that if Steve sees a need to "defend himself" he can do this more than adequately, but I don't just believe he is speaking truth here, I know he is speaking truth because I am one of his two Toastmaster friends who communicated with Mr. Lewison shortly after his passing. I confess I was hesitant to state this earlier in the thread, but in reflection I realize I've said things that are just as "out there" in the past on my own blog, so I think it's time I bellied up to the bar.

I should preface this in saying that I am nowhere as clear with this kind of thing as Steve and Erin are.

Honestly, Ron and I had had some friction in our relationship, so I hadn't invested any energy into it for about the last three years, and I had little exposure to him otherwise because I had backed away from the Toastmaster community here for a while to focus on writing and blogging.

The night he died, I felt Ron's presence very strongly, and all I could could think was "Ron, everything will be fine. Go into the Light."

I repeated that several times, and the energy I got back off of him was "Will you shut up and listen?"

Ron was a very strong presence to me at that point. This was a remarkable experience to me. I had never had this kind of communication with this kind of clarity before.

So I listened. And Ron told me he regretted that we had not worked through Judy Carter's Stand Up Comedy: The Book together, as he had suggested we do a few years ago. He had expressed to me, I think back in 2004, that he had a desire to be able to banter and "riff" off of a partner, and at the time he saw me as that partner.

In hindsight, I see now that Ron valued his relationship with me more than I realized. It was rare that he would talk about his personal feelings, and I guess I wasn't that good at reading between the lines with him, so I simply didn't pick up on it.

My priorities on speaking changed after the fall 2004 Toastmaster season, and Ron continued to get himself involved with the leadership side of the organization, so this effort went by the wayside.

Naturally, I wonder now if this may have been a choice that I should have followed, but "the hand has writ," as they say.

So, if you're questioning Steve's sanity, you'll have to question the sanity of this reader, too.

Welcome to the Nut House.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by zicitron

Steve, I'm a loyal reader of your blogs since a few weeks. You write very well; no doubt about that. Your writings are very inspirational and it has helped me a lot in my personal life but I don't know whether I should voice out my feelings publicly after reading your story about connecting with Mr Lewinson. After all, I think I should since it has disturbed me a bit. I will say it plainly: I don't believe what you narrated. I do believe in God, in angels and in evil but I think you are taking us for a ride with this "connecting with the dead" thingy. Not meaning to be harsh here but I, as a loyal reader to your blog, I think you could have spared us that lengthy paragraph about Mr Lewinson coaching the dead! I do hope he drops that idea and may his soul rest in peace! I am just asking myself if I need to keep on reading your blog; if you are really serious at times; if you are really that sane! I know your die-hard fans will jump at my throat after reading this post. But again, I do not want to create any tension here; that piece of blog just disturbed me somewhat. Ok, you did say that those who don't believe shouldn't go on reading that part but you see, you did also subtly say that those "who won't read it" are not open-minded. If that's not an insult to those who do not believe in these so-called spiritual meetings, then what is it? Some cursed tongues would even say that there seem to be a marketing disguise for Erin's daytime job in that piece of writing!

Glad to be of help. No insult intended.

If this sort of thing conflicts with your beliefs, then you should indeed be disturbed. That's actually a good thing because it means you're being challenged, and challenge induces growth.

It's not my intent to get you to agree with me or to be loyal in any way, but it is my intent to challenge you. Sometimes that means that I have to tug on the trust you may have with me in order to lead you to consider new ideas because those ideas could contain a lot of growth for you. If the end result is that you end up rejecting my work completely or concluding I'm deluded or insane, that's a risk I'm willing to take. You wouldn't be the first to go that route.

If being disturbed makes you run, then run. On the other hand, if you have the courage to go a bit deeper into this without running, you may find a rather fascinating growth experience ahead of you.

Although you may not realize it now, the reason you posted this is that you aren't fully comfortable with your current beliefs about life and death. Since my post stirred up some of that discomfort, you're obligated to "shoot the messenger" as a coping method. That's very normal. But as an alternative, you could also turn around and look deeper into the source of that discomfort.

You see... people who are fully comfortable with their beliefs never post messages like the one you just did. You may disagree with me on that, but if you give it some thought, I think you'll realize it's true nevertheless.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by DanielBrenton

I'm sure that if Steve sees a need to "defend himself" he can do this more than adequately, but I don't just believe he is speaking truth here, I know he is speaking truth because I am one of his two Toastmaster friends who communicated with Mr. Lewison shortly after his passing.

It's great to know that Ron is getting around.

I asked him yesterday why he keeps buzzing around me, and he said, "You're one of the few who can hear me." I think he'd like to reach out to even more people, but he's unable to get through to them because they aren't listening. It's like trying to talk to someone who's wearing earplugs.

Think of how many years of effort we invest in learning to use our senses like vision (shapes, colors, distance, object identification, hand-eye coordination), hearing (tones, volume, timbre, music, words, language), touch (temperature, texture, weight, volume), etc. Imagine how underdeveloped our physical senses would be without this training from a young age. We could stare at something and not even know what it is.

How many people bother to develop their inner/subtle senses to the same extent. Most people can't even lucid dream for goodness sakes. That's worse than being colorblind.

Concluding that psychic senses are bunk is like a deaf person picking up a guitar and saying, "This piece of junk does nothing for me." From your perspective you're absolutely right, but the guitar isn't the problem.

[supertom]

Thanks for the post steve and bruce.

How do you start off developing your physic abilities, whats the "learn to walk" in the physic world

[GreenTea]

Although you may not realize it now, the reason you posted this is that you aren't fully comfortable with your current beliefs about life and death. Since my post stirred up some of that discomfort, you're obligated to "shoot the messenger" as a coping method. That's very normal. But as an alternative, you could also turn around and look deeper into the source of that discomfort.

You see... people who are fully comfortable with their beliefs never post messages like the one you just did. You may disagree with me on that, but if you give it some thought, I think you'll realize it's true nevertheless.

The above quote really resonated with me. It reminds me of something I've heard Deepak Chopra say: "Belief is just a cover-up for insecurity--You don't have to believe in gravity, you experience it." Also, Abraham-Hicks says "A belief is just a thought you keep thinking."

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by supertom

Thanks for the post steve and bruce.

How do you start off developing your physic abilities, whats the "learn to walk" in the physic world

I recommend starting out by learning lucid dreaming. Belief-wise it's a mild step in the right direction that shouldn't create much resistance, but since it's experiential, it can be pretty powerful and eye-opening to take conscious control of your dreams. This is where I started.

A good place to begin is to read Dr. Stephen LaBerge's books on the subject. There are links to them on my recommended reading list.

[seeker5]

Thanks Steve for posting the personal story about Ron contacting you. Hearing Erin mention frequently about how she talks to dead people, I've thought for some time now that if anything ever was to happen to me, I'd try to contact Erin from the other side to get her a message through. Now I know I could also try "knocking on your door" too to get a message through.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by supertom

Thanks for the post steve and bruce.

How do you start off developing your physic abilities, whats the "learn to walk" in the physic world

Look out for Erin's lucid dreaming audio program, too. It's still in development, but I'd think it'd be a decent purchase.

I think the best thing you can do is start to "hang around" with people who are psychic. There are many ways to "hang out" with people, be it in person, online via a chat or email, via reading someone's writing on the internet or in print (i.e. books, articles), etc. Connect with their energy and you'll focus more on this phenomena. To the degree that you do, and to the degree you believe the law of attraction phenomena is possible, you'll start to see evidence.

I'm now able to think of something and within a few hours, have some sort of evidence that I was thinking about it. And it's very coincidental, consistent evidence, so I tend to not even bother questioning it--that wouldn't be congruent with my focus (although some people choose to manifest things like that, which is their choice).

I first learned a lot of psychic stuff from playing around with energy. My first insight into this world was from the book, The Celestine Prophecy--and I hadn't even finished reading it! (Only got around to finishing it years later; great, enjoyable book.)

Also, this may seem strange to you, but I found that physical training is very effective at increasing your psychic abilities. The more your energy develops and improves, the more sensitive and conductive you seem to become. Eventually you start to see the overlap between physical and psychic-type experiences, and that there is no real barrier--it's something we all have access to, we just need to develop it (just like some people develop strength by doing strength training).

The most valuable tool, I think, will be your intent. So start focusing on what it is you want. Ponder it.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

It's great to know that Ron is getting around.

I asked him yesterday why he keeps buzzing around me, and he said, "You're one of the few who can hear me." I think he'd like to reach out to even more people, but he's unable to get through to them because they aren't listening. It's like trying to talk to someone who's wearing earplugs.

Think of how many years of effort we invest in learning to use our senses like vision (shapes, colors, distance, object identification, hand-eye coordination), hearing (tones, volume, timbre, music, words, language), touch (temperature, texture, weight, volume), etc. Imagine how underdeveloped our physical senses would be without this training from a young age. We could stare at something and not even know what it is.

It's terrible to think that a spirit (be it you or someone else) wouldn't be able to get through to someone. That must be uber frustrating.

Really makes me feel a responsibility for developing my intuitive abilities further. I've always had a pretty solid base, but was never really interested in opening myself up to the other side since, I guess, I feared what might come through.

I realise that's a suboptimal choice that, while it may protect me, it also blocks me from more positive guidance. Seems awfully wasteful, too (although I do put most of my intuitive abilities to good use; I love being able to sense things).

My challenge, however, isn't to really develop more abilities--it's to open up the door. As soon as I do that, I'm sure I'll get all I need.

Yep, I just know this is going to be an "interesting" experience, heh. First, I think, I need to come to terms with what I need to do with the messages that come through. There's also that pesky fear of me not being accurate in my delivery of such messages and how people may perceive that.

Out come my truth, love, and power tools. ("Powertools", get it? Ha ha... ha? )

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by supertom

Hey, so how can I be totally OPEN, say when im reading, there might be greater truths that im blocking out. im rading abraham again and im seeing it totally differently this time, that 99% of people wont see

My other, less commonly known secret answer to this question is that you can use your subconscious to cover what your conscious mind isn't good at.

For example, if I see a movie, sometimes there are themes in there that I intuitively feel have greater truth for me. So I watch it again. And again. And again, if necessary. I watch until I feel I'm done with it, using my intuition to guide me (which is more about subconscious intuition). I always know when I'm done with something.

People would say this is a waste of time, but such people aren't well versed with the power of the subconscious (also known as the "unconscious", which is different to unconsciousness). For example, I know there's great value in asking or writing down questions that you don't answer consciously. I used to do this for years, but now when I do it in my journal, I can feel if it's subconsciously sound or not. It either feels like it has some "meat" the subconscious can grab onto or not. Without the meatiness there, you won't get a great answer. With it, and perhaps weeks or months later, you'll get an insight about the question you asked that blows your mind.

So repetition, especially when you practice the skill and properly channel it using your own internal feedback as a guide, can be very effective for "seeing" more. Developing my subconscious ability has been extremely helpful to me. I've used it to win two Toastmaster table topics contests and to fast-track my personal development. Now, instead of taking months get my bearings with certain issues, it takes me minutes, hours, or days (depending).

[Dan.Linehan]

I was listening to Modest Mouse this morning, and the lyrics really reminded me of the situation with Ron.

And in this life like weeds, you're just a rock to me.
(I could have told you all that I love you)

And in the places you go, you'll see the place where you're from.
(I could have told you all that I love you)

And in the faces you meet, you'll see the place where you'll die
(I could have told you all that I love you)

And on the day that you die, you'll see the people you'd met.
(I could have told you all that I love you)

And in the faces you see, you'll see just who you've been.

I wish I could have told you all:
In this life like weeds, eyes need us to see.
Hearts need us to bleed, in this life like weeds.

You're a rock to me.

[Ben Shewmaker]

Think of how many years of effort we invest in learning to use our senses like vision (shapes, colors, distance, object identification, hand-eye coordination), hearing (tones, volume, timbre, music, words, language), touch (temperature, texture, weight, volume), etc. Imagine how underdeveloped our physical senses would be without this training from a young age. We could stare at something and not even know what it is.

How many people bother to develop their inner/subtle senses to the same extent. Most people can't even lucid dream for goodness sakes. That's worse than being colorblind.

Concluding that psychic senses are bunk is like a deaf person picking up a guitar and saying, "This piece of junk does nothing for me." From your perspective you're absolutely right, but the guitar isn't the problem.

Steve, this is a very interesting to look at the situation, especially for me. My wife is working on a masters in piano performance. As a musician myself, she likes to share new things she has learned or discovered about the instrument. She is at such an advanced level that the things she learns are extremely subtle. For instance, one evening she was demonstrating a new way of approaching a certain passage in a Beethoven sonata she was working on. She played the passage twice, once the old way and another the new way. Isn't the new way so amazing, she asked me. It has such warmth and fullness to the tone. I began taking violin lessons at 5 and I am no stranger to music, but I had great difficulty in distinguishing the difference in the two passages. I might have easily dismissed her claim that there even was a difference in the two passages. But I understand that when you immerse yourself in something as deeply as she does with her piano, even the tiniest movement of a finger is noticeable.

My wife has also always claimed that she firmly believes that some people are in tune with the "other side" shall we say. She says her mother especially seems in tune with these things and that she has felt presences on many occasions, especially when visiting graves of loved ones. I, however have always been very skeptical of all things supernatural, preferring hard evidence and science to back up any claims. But the way you put it, Steve, puts the argument in a shape I haven't considered before and is really making reconsider my opinions.

Regardless of any argument over a belief in the supernatural, though, is my desire to give you my condolences. I may disagree with your philosophies on life, but I respect your opinions and even though you are complete stranger, I wish you the best in dealing with the loss of a loved one. It is never easy, no matter what your beliefs.

And this may not be the most beautiful of poems, but it always makes me smile and is special to me because it was written by a dear friend I lost at an early age:

Never Forget Me

Never forget me.
Let my smile
haunt your dreams
until there are
no more smiles
or dreams.

And remember
who you are
though you
might be given
many names
-Xander Smith

[Dan.Linehan]

If you two are still conversing, no reason not to keep writing about it. I'd love to hear about Ron's experiences on the other side.

[MissK]

Hi everybody, I am new to this forum, in fact this is my first post. I was not happy with my life and began consciously pursuing personal development about a year ago. I am very happy with the progress made so far i've come out of a deep depression and am greatly looking forward to the potential that i've been discovering inside myself and the world.

From the article..
Life is way too short to waste your precious time doing work you don’t love, enduring relationships you merely tolerate, and settling for limiting thoughts that hold you back. If you decide to waste this day, that’s the same as deciding to waste your life because your life is happening right now.

My question..

Is there an easier way to change beliefs and limiting thoughts??? Even with affirmations, visualization, etc, some negative beliefs are rooted so deeply within me when i try to reprogram them i never fully do because half of me believes i am lying to myself. Should i just continue to pursue the aforementioned methods and they will work after a longer period of time? or is there some secret i am missing about reprogramming my thoughts? Any response would be appreciated even if just a pointer to an article that really helps this. Lol sorry for the novice post. I'm sure you guys have already conquered this issue specifically and moved on.

[MissK]

Hi Steve,

I'd also like to say your articles are very touching and time specific. I see from reading some of the other posts they resonate with many others as deeply as they do with me. Keep up this great work of love. No doubt Ron was a great man who touched you and indeed your work touches as many lives as he did. Love can only create greater ripples of love. I can't wait to learn and grow and help others grow also. I have become so much more excited about my life and this journey!!

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by MissK

My question..

Is there an easier way to change beliefs and limiting thoughts??? Even with affirmations, visualization, etc, some negative beliefs are rooted so deeply within me when i try to reprogram them i never fully do because half of me believes i am lying to myself.

It sounds like these methods might be the "easy way." What are you trying to make yourself believe, specifically?

Originally Posted by MissK

Should i just continue to pursue the aforementioned methods and they will work after a longer period of time? or is there some secret i am missing about reprogramming my thoughts? Any response would be appreciated even if just a pointer to an article that really helps this. Lol sorry for the novice post. I'm sure you guys have already conquered this issue specifically and moved on.

I think of it as a process of challenging my assumptions, and making small improvements here and there that end up snowballing into bigger positive changes.

Here is a good article from Steve on Empowering Beliefs too.

Nice to meet you MissK!

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

If you two are still conversing, no reason not to keep writing about it. I'd love to hear about Ron's experiences on the other side.

He's still hanging around. Most of the interaction is very personal, so it's not something I'd post publicly... mainly because it involves other people. I've been interacting with other friends who've been perceiving Ron around them. I'm not going to repost the content of private emails, but I'll just say it's really amazing.

There have been some further developments, including with blackjack, so I'll make another blog post about them soon.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

He's still hanging around. Most of the interaction is very personal, so it's not something I'd post publicly... mainly because it involves other people. I've been interacting with other friends who've been perceiving Ron around them. I'm not going to repost the content of private emails, but I'll just say it's really amazing.

There have been some further developments, including with blackjack, so I'll make another blog post about them soon.

I'd like that.

I found the post to be really, really great--one of your best in terms of writing quality, authenticity, depth, etc.

I think this whole topic is pretty cool in that it's a topic you haven't covered much. Erin covers it, but it's a whole new thing to actually cover it while the "connection" is still there.

Nice work, Ron; don't let a silly thing like death stop you from making an impact.

[carenkh]

Originally Posted by MissK

Is there an easier way to change beliefs and limiting thoughts??? Even with affirmations, visualization, etc, some negative beliefs are rooted so deeply within me when i try to reprogram them i never fully do because half of me believes i am lying to myself. Should i just continue to pursue the aforementioned methods and they will work after a longer period of time? or is there some secret i am missing about reprogramming my thoughts? Any response would be appreciated even if just a pointer to an article that really helps this.

I've had some deep breakthroughs with Angela's coaching method. (She's a moderator on these forums) I can tell you, though - it's not easy. It has involved a lot of deep work and really facing those not-so-great parts of myself. I'm holding on to the belief that the freedom on the other side will be worth it!

The ability, too, to observe thoughts, and recognize YOU are NOT your thoughts is very beneficial. I get that through meditation, I'm sure there are other methods.

Originally Posted by MissK

sorry for the novice post. I'm sure you guys have already conquered this issue specifically and moved on.

You'll find folks all along the spectrum of personal development here! Welcome.

[trcoach]

Steve

I thought you would like this quote. its from Messiah's Handbook, Reminders for the Advanced Soul by Richard Bach

"Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."

Tom