3 ‘Dark’ Lessons Darth Vader Can Teach Us!

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The Geek That I Am

I’m a Star Wars junkie. I grew up on it and even had my very own personal Luke Skywalker figurine.

As I entered my adulthood I never grew out of my lust for sci-fi. When I jetted into my 20’s George Lucas brought out the prequels to this trilogy and I was back in exo-politics heaven again.

Thankfully, my husband is also a total Star Wars fundi (a South African word for ‘expert’), so we have sci-fi marathons on the couch together and totally geek-out. We just recently had one of our back-to-backs and it got me thinking.

Poking About the Dark Bits

So, in the movie, the ‘Dark Side’ is still part of The Force (God/Source/Universal Energy Field or whatever else you want to call it) but it is the negative scale of emotions — giving into anger, fear, betrayal, vengeance, etc.

Those emotions spiral us down a path that leads to great suffering and pain.

So what can we get out of our darker side?

Fumbling in the Dark — We all experience great loss and sorrow but to linger in the past does not serve us (nor did it serve Anakin Skywalker who later became Darth Vader). The good news is that life’s hardships often make for life’s most important lessons and elevating stepping stones to self-realization.
Peering into the Dark — It’s okay to face our dark half and experience our darker emotions. We all have to face the dichotomous nature of self at some point. The key is to accept our selves, be in a place of non-judgment (especially when we face our shadow self — read more about that HERE) and rather adopt an attitude of compassion and understanding. Know that we all have our moments but what defines our character is how we act upon them (unfortunately ‘ol Darth took the path to destruction).
I’m Not Afraid of the Dark — Then the ultimate lesson we can take from Darth Vader is acceptance of what is — not being afraid of the cycles of life and death and acknowledging the eternal nature of spirit. This is something that Vader the young could not adapt to, especially when facing the death of a loved one. His rage, fear and anger overtook him — everything seemed so ‘unfair’. Vengeance was all he sought and the fear of loss (caused by unprecedented attachment) clouded his vision. At the very end of his life his own son showed him that love, compassion and forgiveness was the only path to true freedom.

Yoh! Thanks George Lucas for bringing us this silver-screen gem.

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Finding Your Magnificence

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you.” — Eckhart Tolle

Where is my Pluck?

To have pluck is to be spirited with a determined courage. Its very definition is inspiring — bravery, nerve, valour, guts and heart — but how can we truly embody this deliciously tantalizing trait?

If you feel you’ve lost your pluck or, perhaps, never had it in the first place — a good place to begin to look for it is within.

It cannot be found, with any sustainable long-term results, at:

The gym
The latest copy of ‘Heat’ magazine
The TV/gaming console or any other distracting electronic device
The bottom of a bottle
That new nightclub around the corner
The mall (note to self — especially the shoe shop)

Don’t get me wrong — there is a certain amount of nerve that comes from wearing shoes that elevate you a couple of inches.

I’m not saying you need to stop doing any of these things if they make you truly happy, I’m just pointing out that the things on the list above can be titanic distractions if you are seriously trying to pursue better living.

There’s a bit of magnificence in you and it shines like a diamond, however, unlike a lump of coal enduring vast amounts of stress to produce a diamond — yours is innate. It just might be covered in layers of soot.

Fight-or-Flight Syndrome

We Homo Sapiens have an inbuilt radar system called ‘fight-or-flight’. It can be pretty useful in dangerous situations.

Say for instance, you are being chased by a lion (it surprisingly doesn’t happen often, I know — not even in South Africa, where I live) but for the sake of a good metaphor, I’ll use it.

The chances that you stick around to face your foe and brave out the storm are slim. It would be far more prudent to take flight (preferably up a very high tree). This kind of scarpering in the face of certain death is essential for survival.

To fight it — say perhaps you were armed with a rifle or a kilogram of catnip — may also be wise if there was a high possibility of success (i.e. living to tell the extraordinary tale to your grandchildren).

The only problem with this ingrained sense of preservation is it get’s in the way of our emotional and spiritual growth.

The Human Duress Barometer

The fight-or-flight response is also known as acute stress response.

Essentially, this response prepares the body to either fight or flee any potential threat — no matter what it is. It is also important to note that the response can be triggered due to both real and imaginary threats.

A lot of us have lost our magnificence and have given into the stress of trying to ‘stay alive’ or play it safe.

Uncovering Your Diamond

It wasn’t really my intention to get you to accept your death in this article (although it certainly wouldn’t hurt), it’s more about finding your innate wisdom and knowing that all is well within you — your diamond core essence, living from your heart center.

To stand in love is to fear nothing — there simply isn’t enough space for fear.

In the Face of Inevitable Doom

I was in a discussion where two mature chaps, whom I happen to love and respect dearly, were debating what they would do in the face of a tsunami.

I said that it would be more compelling to stand your ground, knowing that you are about to enter a new phase in the chapter of your existence and to face the wall of water with a sense of awe and acceptance — to which one of the gentlemen concurred.

He said it would be better to face your death with love and peace in your heart and to enjoy the power of nature as the water swept you away. What an amazing perspective — to actually enjoy your own death!

The other lad, however, was shaking his head at us, not quite believing what he was hearing. He stated that he would turn tail and head for the hills! He couldn’t quite understand why we would not want to save our lives.

We retorted by stating that if death was inevitable, the only thing you can do is to truly embody the experience of passing on.

If you can do this with a sense of security about who you are, embracing your divinity, and facing impending doom with reverence and love in your heart — you will die according to your own terms and not in fear.

When Mind and Heart Work Hand-in-Hand

We all need our minds to navigate and to add some kind of structure to our lives but, all too often, our thinking carries us away on paths that don’t serve us. Our heart, on the other hand, is our intuition — our own personal guide.

If we can process situations through our heart first and then our heads, we would be living our luminosity.

To find the magnificence of your soul is to uncover heart-based living. To truly encapsulate your divine essence that is immortal, wise and glorious.

You are more than a mammal walking on the face of the earth. You are more than a statistic on a governmental consensus sheet.

You are a unique and heavenly expression that, with a bit of spit and polish, can radiate and cut through the heart of any situation to get to the deepest of truths.

You are pure magnificence wrapped up in a corporeal vessel.

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.”

— Francois Gautier

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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7 Ways to Tame the Ego and Become Instantly Likeable

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the
internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need
to be approved, and the need to judge.” ~ Deepak Chopra

What is the Ego?

I remember having a conversation with someone once, we were talking about Eckhart Tolle and the ego identification. The lady I was talking to piped up and said, ‘well, I don’t have an ego’.

“Do you get that an ego is the identification you have with your self and who you are, what you do and how others perceive you?”

Let me make this perfectly clear: Everybody has an ego! Here is the dictionary definition of this fruity little word:

e·go –

the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.
the part of you that reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
egotism; conceit; self-importance.
self-esteem or self-image; feelings.
the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.

Aligning with Your Awareness of Ego

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Are you a prancing show-pony or a shrinking violet? Either one has an imbalanced sense of self.

Now that we have cleared up the myth of the ego being only a no. 3 definition of the strutting peacock itching to get recognition and praise, we can move on to ways of coping with your ego.

“Ego is the biggest enemy of humans” ~ Rig Veda

Do you get that an ego is the identification you have with your self and who you are, what you do and how others perceive you?

So even someone who is timid and an introvert has a problem with ego identification. It is just in reverse but the principle remains. When you feel yourself either inferior or superior to others — you have ego issues.

Disidentifying With the Ego

The ego is an inseparable part of you, it is not the enemy. It is how you let your ego use you that can be detrimental to the quality of your life.

“Masters know when to speak, when to be silent and when their words will be like farting against thunder.”

I am, in no way, saying that the ego needs suppression or containment, just proper management and understanding — it’s as simple as that. Your ego identification is an integral part of you, and like the universal concept that we are both yin and yang/light and dark, you need it. You are a unique individual with irrevocable personality traits in your toolkit — this is the part of ego that can be embraced. The key is to see this beautiful quality in every other soul.

Here is the pitfall of the ego — it wants to be separate from the whole, better than the rest and put itself somewhere untouchable. This is the downfall of our current society, it is a separatist theory that pits people against each other and keeps them in an ‘us against them’ mental construct.

This is the dangerous element of the ego — the total takeover and manipulation of the authentic self. Unfortunately, most of our worlds cultures are primarily caught up in the subconscious identification of the ego.

So how can you disconnect and tame your ego?

Let’s Spring Clean this Concept

There are 7 fundamental principles to keeping your ego in check. Let’s explore them now:

Water Off a Ducks Back — do not take things
personally. When you do, you are subconsciously (or consciously) in agreement with whatever you have taken offense at. This can leave you in constant need for validation from external sources which is the need of the ego. Be at peace with what other people think of you, even if it is not congruent with how you see yourself. You are never going to have universal appeal, there will always be someone out there who doesn’t like you — get over it now and save yourself any future distress. Acceptance of what is is key. For more about this in-depth trait, click here: Do You Take Things Personally?
Think Before You Speak — honour the power of your words and you will honour not only others but your sense of self. Choose your words wisely. You will be in control instead of having a hurtful motor-mouth. People will pick up on this and return it in kind. Practicing the integrity of your words will result in a better quality of life for yourself and those with whom you interact.
Hold Your Tongue — the ego loves to make itself right. A common trap to fall into is trying to make someone else see that you are right. Really? Is it that important for you to force someone to see life through your eyes and perceptions?
No, that is your ego trying to justify itself. Masters know when to speak, when to be silent and when their words will be like farting against thunder. Control over your mouth is like having control over your sphincter muscle at a dinner party. Exercise it and you will notice how easy it becomes to have total control of outbursts or having to explain yourself constantly. The best book I ever read about learning to be impeccable with your words is ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz (a must have for your spiritual library).
Don’t Buy into the Labels — get in touch with who you really are and reconnect
to your source or core being. Look past the labels and identifications that society plasters you with. You are not your profession, you are not the role you play in your family or community. You are a special individual spark of the Divine that is nameless and authentic. Get to grips with that through meditation (click here for an article about 5 Easy Steps to Meditating).
Quit Comparisons — learn to be comfortable in your own skin. There is no-one in the world like you — from your individual fingerprints to all the exclusive experiences your soul has accumulated. Comparing yourself to others is another trick of the ego — don’t fall for it. Fall in love with yourself (read an article about this HERE).
Count Your Blessings — instead of complaining about all the things that are wrong with your physical appearance and situation, try to see all the positive
aspects of your life and body.
See Divinity En-Masse — don’t try to elevate yourself above or bury yourself below others. You are part of a collective consciousness of Divine souls here on Earth. See the divinity in yourself and see it in others too. The ego won’t be able to do this. If you are finding resistance, you need to go into why you can’t accept that your fellow human beings are just as much a part of God as you are. To see the internal beauty in another will put you on a level playing field instead of comparing yourself and others and passing dangerous judgments.

Why Will This Guarantee My Success?

How to Train Your Dragon of an Ego by Cherie Roe Dirksen

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When you tame the ego, you are paving the way for smooth and easy life flow. You relinquish judgments, comparisons and the need to be or feel superior. This is a frequency that you will project and I guarantee that people will be attracted to you. People standing in their truth and integrity are like moths to a flame — be it in your personal or professional life.

Your ego won’t go away but you can have control over it instead of it running amuck with you.

When you do have control, you will never feel the need for superiority nor inferiority to any one else. You simply are — a state of grace, least resistance and an inner knowing of peace. Now isn’t that something worth going after?

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