One of my favorite lines out of a movie is from "Starman" with Jeff Bridges. Just before he leaves, the alien in Jeff Bridges body is meeting in a cafe with the government representative that will help him escape. The alien asks, "Do you want to know what I find beautiful about your species?" When they nod yes he responds, "You are at your best when things are worst."
I've always thought that to be worth aspiring to. Lately, I look at the undercurrent that seems to be agitating huge numbers of people. Everyone seems to be thrown into turmoil over something. At least a larger number than usual are reacting in a volatile fashion. It can seem like you are standing on the playground with a bunch of kids who have just been fed sugar. Consequently, it seems like it is time to "be at our best".
I am basically very positive in the way I see everything. Even things that are considered "horrible" I may take in stride because I see a greater good behind the out front seeming evil. However, I keep an emotional pet that is called "cynicism". And I often let it out to play for a while just for fun. Lately though, as I find everyone around me more cynical, I have banished my recreational pet. It is definitely time to be at my best. The world can't take me "playing" with this emotion, even if that is not sincerely where I live. When the world becomes emotionally volatile, it's time to be calm, centered, and "on track" without wavering.
The reactions of so many suggest that we are in a consciousness crisis. And in the crisis it's time to be calm, centered, & efficient about making your contribution count. It's time to step away from volatile emotions and be firm in knowing the Truth wherever you go in life. It's time to back off from volatile emotions, quit "indulging" (the Don Juan term), and be coldly efficient at doing the best for everyone concerned. "That's your assignment, is you choose to accept it" - "To be at your best when things are worst."
You can make a difference!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
I'll Have it God's Way!
Have you ever noticed that when you get what you want it often doesn't look like what you asked for?
In my life I have noticed that when I affirm something long enough it comes into being in my life. However, it arrives in character, not necessarily in the exact form that I had in mind. I've learned that from the macro perspective, what is created after God transmutes it into the form that finally arrives, is generally better than what I thought I was praying for, even if "my idea" would have been more direct or dramatic. God's version always turns out to be more real, have more extended possibilities connected to it, and of course it is never a finished product. The answered prayer never provides a place to sit down and rest and say "I'm here. I can stop now." It always becomes a new begining, not an end. After all life is "not the destination but the journey." We give this lip service, while always wishing for a destination. God always thinks in terms of the journey and destination prayers must be transmuted.
Part of the "Art of Prayer" is recognizing you answer. Thus we must always be prepared to break our prayers down into the character of life, the energies that we are asking to be created. The picture is simply a symbol of our desire. What we really want is an "energy state" that we think this picture would create. But in actuality, there are many expressions that could create that particular energy state. So, as we look for signs that LIFE is responding to us and our desires, we need to back up on a constant basis and assess the energy of the new circumstances that are continually arriving. Sometimes those arrivals are only the promise of what is to come. And sometimes those arrivals are the real thing, expressing the full character of our request, but appearing so different that we might have missed them as our answer were we not vigilant. And of course sometimes we get in form exactly what we pictured.
We become powerful at prayer by recognizing that our prayers are answered. The exact replica, everyone can recognize. But, it represents only a percentage of answered prayer. And we remain quite limited as spiritual beings if God's answer has to be in our reflection and not HIS - which is a much vaster realm. The more you can recognize LIFE responding to you in the multitude of ways that it does, the closer you will feel to the SOURCE and the more dramatic your responses will become.
At Unity I pray that "everyone who enters our doors receivces the blessings they need and the ones they want." What we want is fun to get. And if it is the highest possibility I like to have that kind of fun happen. But what we "need" is the part of the meal that makes us healthy and life full of well-being. God grant us the strength to see all our blessings: the ones we asked for, the challenges we need, the mutated requests that arrive looking different than we expected, the half-steps that lead to something else, the darkness we need to go through to become something greater, the wonderful surprises, and the response to our every desire - whether we know it or not.
Life is responding to you every moment. The more clearly we can see this the more intimate that response will become. When we begin to see that we have been blessed, God's blessings in our lives begin to flow faster than we could have ever expected.
In my life I have noticed that when I affirm something long enough it comes into being in my life. However, it arrives in character, not necessarily in the exact form that I had in mind. I've learned that from the macro perspective, what is created after God transmutes it into the form that finally arrives, is generally better than what I thought I was praying for, even if "my idea" would have been more direct or dramatic. God's version always turns out to be more real, have more extended possibilities connected to it, and of course it is never a finished product. The answered prayer never provides a place to sit down and rest and say "I'm here. I can stop now." It always becomes a new begining, not an end. After all life is "not the destination but the journey." We give this lip service, while always wishing for a destination. God always thinks in terms of the journey and destination prayers must be transmuted.
Part of the "Art of Prayer" is recognizing you answer. Thus we must always be prepared to break our prayers down into the character of life, the energies that we are asking to be created. The picture is simply a symbol of our desire. What we really want is an "energy state" that we think this picture would create. But in actuality, there are many expressions that could create that particular energy state. So, as we look for signs that LIFE is responding to us and our desires, we need to back up on a constant basis and assess the energy of the new circumstances that are continually arriving. Sometimes those arrivals are only the promise of what is to come. And sometimes those arrivals are the real thing, expressing the full character of our request, but appearing so different that we might have missed them as our answer were we not vigilant. And of course sometimes we get in form exactly what we pictured.
We become powerful at prayer by recognizing that our prayers are answered. The exact replica, everyone can recognize. But, it represents only a percentage of answered prayer. And we remain quite limited as spiritual beings if God's answer has to be in our reflection and not HIS - which is a much vaster realm. The more you can recognize LIFE responding to you in the multitude of ways that it does, the closer you will feel to the SOURCE and the more dramatic your responses will become.
At Unity I pray that "everyone who enters our doors receivces the blessings they need and the ones they want." What we want is fun to get. And if it is the highest possibility I like to have that kind of fun happen. But what we "need" is the part of the meal that makes us healthy and life full of well-being. God grant us the strength to see all our blessings: the ones we asked for, the challenges we need, the mutated requests that arrive looking different than we expected, the half-steps that lead to something else, the darkness we need to go through to become something greater, the wonderful surprises, and the response to our every desire - whether we know it or not.
Life is responding to you every moment. The more clearly we can see this the more intimate that response will become. When we begin to see that we have been blessed, God's blessings in our lives begin to flow faster than we could have ever expected.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Time Stress
I read this week that Einstein's whole theory of relativity is in jeopardy because someone thinks they have measured a neutrino moving faster than the speed of light. The way I see it - and though I took a course in "Special Relativity" in engineering school years ago, I'm definitely pretty amateaur-ish on my sub-atomic physics - I think E = MC2 sugests that the speed of light is the Time Barrier. The whole concept only gets broken if we assume that time is constant. After all thought goes faster than the speed of light. There are a few psychic experiments done in space that suggest such a thing. So I guess the Moody Blues were right, "Thinking is the best way to travel!"
In High School when cornered about electrons in an English class, I responded that they were a place where matter and energy merged rather than were distinct. Since I was the science nerd at that time, the English teacher had no recourse except to take me at my word. Even though I knew that statement was departing from the classical model used at the time, it seemed right to me. Of course now days we suggest that electrons can be either a particle or a wave. And there are lots of sub-atomic residents that disappear and then return (we assume into and out of anti-matter). Why would it be astounding to discover that in the magical sub-atomic realm something goes faster than light. Just let go of the idea that anything is constant - particularly time!
I've chosen to blog on "Time" because it's been four days since my last post. Obviously, time is getting the better of me. In spirituality we recognize that time is all about perception. Vibrating at a high level and perceiving more intensely creates the illusion of having plenty of time, while vibrating at a lower level and perceiving at a less intense rate creates the illusion that time is flying by and we don't have enough of it. And of course at higher levels we seem to be able to catapult ourselves forward into the future, seeing reality from a different perspective in time and then return to the original perspective. In physics everything appears to change depending upon your "frame of reference". Mastering time seems to be all about "frame of reference".
So let's talk about frame of reference. There is an old spiritual adage: "If you don't have time to meditate, you don't have time not to meditate." This suggests that by meditating you will lift your vibration and meet life from a more efficient frame of reference. We will suggest that the world around you will appear to be more orderly and things will unfold in a greater sense of harmony. Thus, you get more done. But the truth is that all this hinges upon your entering a higher energy state where you can perceive this harmony and take advantage of it.
Sometimes the world seems a little overwhelming. So much is required of us that we begin to "fear" that we won't have enough time. Fear lowers our vibration, making us less efficient, and the prophecy of our fears is fulfilled. We call this stress. And stress begets more stress. It is a viscious cycle that appears to have complete control of our lives. And the only way to break the cycle is to alter the vibrational rate at which we are meeting life - that is LIFT it!
In a sense our world can be our barometer of where we are vibrating, if we've gotten drawn in to the life-drama and have forgotten to pay attention. When the barometer strikes "Time Stress", it's time to stop and detach for a moment. Touch that absolute peace that lies within you. Then return to life vibrating in that state of peace. Face each thing you must do with calmness, joy, and intense perception. Only then can we perceive the harmony and do our work on a time level that can accomplish what was impossible at a lower level. Face what is before you. Do it to the best of your ability. Enjoy the moment even if it is a demanding one. And leave the future (concerns over what you will not be able to accomplish) to a future time when that will become your NOW experience. At that point your higher level perception will show you options that you couldn't see, when your failure still lay out in the near future before you.
This walking through life in peace is a talent to be developed and honed. None of us have totally mastered it yet. The first step is just to recognize that your world is swirling a little faster and take reponsibility for the vibrational rate at which you meet life, rather than blame life for overwhelming you. We fall off the horse constantly. There is no shame in admitting that. It's not slipping into a "time stress" state that measures our abilities. It's how quickly we can recognize it and get back on the horse.
I believe that time itself is a human illusion. There's a higher state of our soul where these particular chains fall away. But let's just start by meeting our "time stress" with peace in order to have a little less stress and a little more time.
In High School when cornered about electrons in an English class, I responded that they were a place where matter and energy merged rather than were distinct. Since I was the science nerd at that time, the English teacher had no recourse except to take me at my word. Even though I knew that statement was departing from the classical model used at the time, it seemed right to me. Of course now days we suggest that electrons can be either a particle or a wave. And there are lots of sub-atomic residents that disappear and then return (we assume into and out of anti-matter). Why would it be astounding to discover that in the magical sub-atomic realm something goes faster than light. Just let go of the idea that anything is constant - particularly time!
I've chosen to blog on "Time" because it's been four days since my last post. Obviously, time is getting the better of me. In spirituality we recognize that time is all about perception. Vibrating at a high level and perceiving more intensely creates the illusion of having plenty of time, while vibrating at a lower level and perceiving at a less intense rate creates the illusion that time is flying by and we don't have enough of it. And of course at higher levels we seem to be able to catapult ourselves forward into the future, seeing reality from a different perspective in time and then return to the original perspective. In physics everything appears to change depending upon your "frame of reference". Mastering time seems to be all about "frame of reference".
So let's talk about frame of reference. There is an old spiritual adage: "If you don't have time to meditate, you don't have time not to meditate." This suggests that by meditating you will lift your vibration and meet life from a more efficient frame of reference. We will suggest that the world around you will appear to be more orderly and things will unfold in a greater sense of harmony. Thus, you get more done. But the truth is that all this hinges upon your entering a higher energy state where you can perceive this harmony and take advantage of it.
Sometimes the world seems a little overwhelming. So much is required of us that we begin to "fear" that we won't have enough time. Fear lowers our vibration, making us less efficient, and the prophecy of our fears is fulfilled. We call this stress. And stress begets more stress. It is a viscious cycle that appears to have complete control of our lives. And the only way to break the cycle is to alter the vibrational rate at which we are meeting life - that is LIFT it!
In a sense our world can be our barometer of where we are vibrating, if we've gotten drawn in to the life-drama and have forgotten to pay attention. When the barometer strikes "Time Stress", it's time to stop and detach for a moment. Touch that absolute peace that lies within you. Then return to life vibrating in that state of peace. Face each thing you must do with calmness, joy, and intense perception. Only then can we perceive the harmony and do our work on a time level that can accomplish what was impossible at a lower level. Face what is before you. Do it to the best of your ability. Enjoy the moment even if it is a demanding one. And leave the future (concerns over what you will not be able to accomplish) to a future time when that will become your NOW experience. At that point your higher level perception will show you options that you couldn't see, when your failure still lay out in the near future before you.
This walking through life in peace is a talent to be developed and honed. None of us have totally mastered it yet. The first step is just to recognize that your world is swirling a little faster and take reponsibility for the vibrational rate at which you meet life, rather than blame life for overwhelming you. We fall off the horse constantly. There is no shame in admitting that. It's not slipping into a "time stress" state that measures our abilities. It's how quickly we can recognize it and get back on the horse.
I believe that time itself is a human illusion. There's a higher state of our soul where these particular chains fall away. But let's just start by meeting our "time stress" with peace in order to have a little less stress and a little more time.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fear is the Mind Killer
Today, I was struck by how much fear surrounds us. It seems to be sown into almost every aspect of our lives. And rooting it out may become more difficult than we realize because it has become so commonplace that we often don't even realize that it's a fear thought when it confronts us.
I was just reading one of those dire predictions about the American economy that abound these days. Now to be fair, you don't sell investment advice unless you appeal to either fear or greed - and fear has proven itself the most effective at drawing people in. Yet I was taken at how unabashed the author was at trying to instill panic. And if you panicked properly, you had to purchase his advice. Then, I realized that this tendency toward panic is almost epidemic in all of life. In fact, staying calm and centered seems to be the main challenge of this current time period.
I'm not talking about "head in the sand" calmness. After all I'll be the 1st to tell you that we live in an era of major change that I believe to be almost unparalleled in human experience. If you want to panic, I agree that you can choose any one of a hundred relatively valid reasons. But what comes to mind is the quote from the science fiction classic, DUNE, "Fear is the Mind Killer!" Notice the speaker doesn't say it is groundless. He simply states that it robs you of your ability to handle the challenge at your peak performance. If you want to run your life on fear, you are free to. However, it will freeze your ability to respond constructively. If you refuse to give fear a home in your consciousness you are free to succeed even in situations where the odds may be against you. You are free to see and take advantage of the one opportunity that you have to make something good out of what otherwise would most certainly become disaster.
I'm actually going to quote scripture here because it totally applies. Jesus says (Matt 6:34) "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself, Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." Fear is almost always about tomorrow or at least what's coming next. And there are options opening up in the next moment that you may be unaware of in the present.
So, should we never prepare? Yes, Prepare! Preparation is a wonderful NOW activity, even if your preparations are made useless in the next moment. The important thing is to do the best you can with the moments you have right now and the tasks that are before you right now. Fear makes you impotent because there is absolutely nothing you can do about a circumstance that has not yet presented itself except prepare. The future is filled with unknowns that make us feel powerless. But feeling powerless isn't all that bad if it reminds us to continually place our lives in the hands of the One Presence that always holds all the Power - a Presence that Loves us and wants for us our Highest Good - even when we don't know what that is.
So are we on the verge of devastating financial Hell? Who knows? I take relief from the fact that the doomsdayers are almost always early, even in those rare times when they are correct. And, by the time it does unfold the options have generally changed and there are alternatives they never would have thought of. However, this train of thought addresses the wrong question.
There will always be change, even disaster, across our globe, and occassionally right in our midst. The state of civilization is always in flux. Nothing is secure - except for that One Presence. I guess we need to remind ourselves almost constantly that God is in charge no matter what we may have to face. And, that we are spiritual beings and can face whatever life insists we must. My job is to ENJOY the journey each day.
If you can touch the Peace inside of you that Jesus referred to when he said, "Peace I leave with you... not as the world gives, I give to you." - a Peace that comes from within not from outside situations!!! - then you are prepared to grab and climb any rope that life throws your way. And you will be vigilant enough to not let it fly by un-noticed. Do you KNOW that God always throws you a rope? I suppose in the current state of our civilization, that's something we all could improve on.
I was just reading one of those dire predictions about the American economy that abound these days. Now to be fair, you don't sell investment advice unless you appeal to either fear or greed - and fear has proven itself the most effective at drawing people in. Yet I was taken at how unabashed the author was at trying to instill panic. And if you panicked properly, you had to purchase his advice. Then, I realized that this tendency toward panic is almost epidemic in all of life. In fact, staying calm and centered seems to be the main challenge of this current time period.
I'm not talking about "head in the sand" calmness. After all I'll be the 1st to tell you that we live in an era of major change that I believe to be almost unparalleled in human experience. If you want to panic, I agree that you can choose any one of a hundred relatively valid reasons. But what comes to mind is the quote from the science fiction classic, DUNE, "Fear is the Mind Killer!" Notice the speaker doesn't say it is groundless. He simply states that it robs you of your ability to handle the challenge at your peak performance. If you want to run your life on fear, you are free to. However, it will freeze your ability to respond constructively. If you refuse to give fear a home in your consciousness you are free to succeed even in situations where the odds may be against you. You are free to see and take advantage of the one opportunity that you have to make something good out of what otherwise would most certainly become disaster.
I'm actually going to quote scripture here because it totally applies. Jesus says (Matt 6:34) "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself, Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." Fear is almost always about tomorrow or at least what's coming next. And there are options opening up in the next moment that you may be unaware of in the present.
So, should we never prepare? Yes, Prepare! Preparation is a wonderful NOW activity, even if your preparations are made useless in the next moment. The important thing is to do the best you can with the moments you have right now and the tasks that are before you right now. Fear makes you impotent because there is absolutely nothing you can do about a circumstance that has not yet presented itself except prepare. The future is filled with unknowns that make us feel powerless. But feeling powerless isn't all that bad if it reminds us to continually place our lives in the hands of the One Presence that always holds all the Power - a Presence that Loves us and wants for us our Highest Good - even when we don't know what that is.
So are we on the verge of devastating financial Hell? Who knows? I take relief from the fact that the doomsdayers are almost always early, even in those rare times when they are correct. And, by the time it does unfold the options have generally changed and there are alternatives they never would have thought of. However, this train of thought addresses the wrong question.
There will always be change, even disaster, across our globe, and occassionally right in our midst. The state of civilization is always in flux. Nothing is secure - except for that One Presence. I guess we need to remind ourselves almost constantly that God is in charge no matter what we may have to face. And, that we are spiritual beings and can face whatever life insists we must. My job is to ENJOY the journey each day.
If you can touch the Peace inside of you that Jesus referred to when he said, "Peace I leave with you... not as the world gives, I give to you." - a Peace that comes from within not from outside situations!!! - then you are prepared to grab and climb any rope that life throws your way. And you will be vigilant enough to not let it fly by un-noticed. Do you KNOW that God always throws you a rope? I suppose in the current state of our civilization, that's something we all could improve on.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Dogs Nipping at our Heels
Have you noticed these days that even when things are going quite well, there seems to be some "tremor in the force" going on at the same time. The lesson seems to be that we must pay those "tremors" very little mind and continue confidently down our path toward our objective. You are the strongest consciousness in your life. Don't get distracted by life.
The picture that has come to mind over the years is the image of a bull coming down the valley at my parents home in Colorado years ago. Nothing could stop this ton of lumbering power. Yet, when my parents' two Australian shepherds bounded out on either side of it and started nipping at its heels, the bull became so obsessed with these pestering dogs that it forgot where it intended to go and allowed itself to be herded by two animals that were no match for it in power.
We often live our lives like that bull. We are more powerful to create the life that we want, than we know. We are children of God. But the dogs nipping at our heels dominate our lives and curb us away from our dreams. The human experience is always setting some tremor in the force around us. If we pay attention and lose our intent & focus, the events that pester us will define the lives that we live. But if we stay centered, totally focused, and remember our relationship with God, all the tremors will come and go, but we will still be able to plod forward toward our goal.
Your humanness & human challenges will always be trying to distract you from the realization that God's Good is unfolding in your life right now, that your prayers are powerful creative energies set in motion by a Christ Being & the power of God moves through you. Don't let the dogs nipping at your heels rob you of your spiritual intentions. You are the bull, powerful to make your demonstrations. If you keep your focus, nothing can stop you!
The picture that has come to mind over the years is the image of a bull coming down the valley at my parents home in Colorado years ago. Nothing could stop this ton of lumbering power. Yet, when my parents' two Australian shepherds bounded out on either side of it and started nipping at its heels, the bull became so obsessed with these pestering dogs that it forgot where it intended to go and allowed itself to be herded by two animals that were no match for it in power.
We often live our lives like that bull. We are more powerful to create the life that we want, than we know. We are children of God. But the dogs nipping at our heels dominate our lives and curb us away from our dreams. The human experience is always setting some tremor in the force around us. If we pay attention and lose our intent & focus, the events that pester us will define the lives that we live. But if we stay centered, totally focused, and remember our relationship with God, all the tremors will come and go, but we will still be able to plod forward toward our goal.
Your humanness & human challenges will always be trying to distract you from the realization that God's Good is unfolding in your life right now, that your prayers are powerful creative energies set in motion by a Christ Being & the power of God moves through you. Don't let the dogs nipping at your heels rob you of your spiritual intentions. You are the bull, powerful to make your demonstrations. If you keep your focus, nothing can stop you!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
New Self
Sunday I talked about releasing the Past so it doesn't hold you back. This sounds like a wonderful experience, but it is also somewhat frightening, one that we resist in subtle ways. Transformation of Self (who we experience ourselves to be) is a major part of spiritual awakening. However, no matter how limiting it is the old self is comforting and gives us the illusion of security. We let go (forgive) so that we can be free to have new good come into our lives. Releasing in order to get new toys or opportunities is exciting & fun. However, real release means that we must become a new person. Prayer isn't just about getting new things. It is about Being a New Person so we can naturally draw a new state of life around us. Jesus covered this in the "don't put a new patch on an old garment" analogy.
Self transformation can come dramatically or subtly. Each path has its own challenges. I remember one of the most dramatic & traumatic transformations I went through. A little over 30 years ago, I returned to Florida from a devastating 8 months in Colorado that had changed me so dramatically that I mourned the death of who I was before and was still trying to adjust to who I was then. I marveled that others around me looked at me as if I were that same person I had been before. To me the change was so severe and dramatic that I could not understand how everyone around me still thought me much the same person. This of course led to dramatic changes is my outer life over the next couple years and a whole new life evolved. In this transformation many years ago, the challenge was fielding the trauma of the change in self concept.
More recently I am struck by the challenge of praying for change, but having it come so subtly that we miss it. If you remain unaware, the past will often supply memory of who you were, and even drown out the current transformation. If we keep running on cruise control, we can fail to claim the gift of self-transformation.
I have a rather long affirmation that I've used for more than three years now. It includes many areas of my life that I would like to see evolve. But I have noticed that I have become so accustomed to praying for something down the road, that I sometimes don't notice that I have changed and I should start conducting my life to access this change. In one area in particular in the last couple days I have realized that I am so used to this being a goal that I have failed to notice that it really has become a quality of my present experience. I am still making my decisions on the past memories of my experience and not on what that experience has transformed to become. It's time to let go of the past and embrace the change - a change that has evolved so naturally and subtly that I have observed, but not really noticed it.
My reactions to things have altered, so subtly that I have failed to pay much attention in a number of areas. In some areas when I asked myself what I feel about this area, I get a blank. So the natural tendency is to slip in the memory pattern that fits the situation, rather than explore the blank and see what is evolving. The Past is only good for reference. If you let it into the present you will stagnate and stagnation is destructive to life.
So my advice is this. If you are on the spiritual path at all, you are changing - you are in a constant state of transformation (not just in world around you or what your life looks like, but transformation in "who you are"). Past experience is truly useful to draw upon while facing your present. But if it becomes too powerful in your life it initiates a downward spiral. It's of note: you can't maintain the status quo. You are either embracing who you are becoming or you are slipping into pain and disappointment as you try to maintain what has been and cannot remain the same. It's all in motion. It's an illusion to believe otherwise. Keep vigilant as to who you are now. Do not accept that you are who you were yesterday. If you pay attention you may discover that what you have been praying for has already begun to change who you are. Go with it! The old self is constantly falling away and the New (higher) Self is constantly rising to take its place. Never condemn yourself to being who you have been.
Self transformation can come dramatically or subtly. Each path has its own challenges. I remember one of the most dramatic & traumatic transformations I went through. A little over 30 years ago, I returned to Florida from a devastating 8 months in Colorado that had changed me so dramatically that I mourned the death of who I was before and was still trying to adjust to who I was then. I marveled that others around me looked at me as if I were that same person I had been before. To me the change was so severe and dramatic that I could not understand how everyone around me still thought me much the same person. This of course led to dramatic changes is my outer life over the next couple years and a whole new life evolved. In this transformation many years ago, the challenge was fielding the trauma of the change in self concept.
More recently I am struck by the challenge of praying for change, but having it come so subtly that we miss it. If you remain unaware, the past will often supply memory of who you were, and even drown out the current transformation. If we keep running on cruise control, we can fail to claim the gift of self-transformation.
I have a rather long affirmation that I've used for more than three years now. It includes many areas of my life that I would like to see evolve. But I have noticed that I have become so accustomed to praying for something down the road, that I sometimes don't notice that I have changed and I should start conducting my life to access this change. In one area in particular in the last couple days I have realized that I am so used to this being a goal that I have failed to notice that it really has become a quality of my present experience. I am still making my decisions on the past memories of my experience and not on what that experience has transformed to become. It's time to let go of the past and embrace the change - a change that has evolved so naturally and subtly that I have observed, but not really noticed it.
My reactions to things have altered, so subtly that I have failed to pay much attention in a number of areas. In some areas when I asked myself what I feel about this area, I get a blank. So the natural tendency is to slip in the memory pattern that fits the situation, rather than explore the blank and see what is evolving. The Past is only good for reference. If you let it into the present you will stagnate and stagnation is destructive to life.
So my advice is this. If you are on the spiritual path at all, you are changing - you are in a constant state of transformation (not just in world around you or what your life looks like, but transformation in "who you are"). Past experience is truly useful to draw upon while facing your present. But if it becomes too powerful in your life it initiates a downward spiral. It's of note: you can't maintain the status quo. You are either embracing who you are becoming or you are slipping into pain and disappointment as you try to maintain what has been and cannot remain the same. It's all in motion. It's an illusion to believe otherwise. Keep vigilant as to who you are now. Do not accept that you are who you were yesterday. If you pay attention you may discover that what you have been praying for has already begun to change who you are. Go with it! The old self is constantly falling away and the New (higher) Self is constantly rising to take its place. Never condemn yourself to being who you have been.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Facing Flux
The other day Karrin called to my attention that the sycamore leaves are falling early this year. I had already noted that I was starting to clean them out of the pool earlier than seemed normal, but I hadn't really tuned into it. Looking around we realized that the sycamores around us started shriveling and dropping leaves the end of August. Our memory places that happening more like October.
When I mentioned it to my Dad, he said he had heard something like this from a friend in Georgia that he talks to regularly. She had pointed out that the Ginkgo trees in her yard were losing their leaves considerably earlier this year than they usually do.
Karrin then declared that she felt the shift in the seasons the end of August this year. The weather is still hot without a doubt. However, that oppressive heat that is summer, broke very early. We used to say that September is a Summer month down here. There's no break until October. And of course, the dry season in the Spring lasted at least 6 weeks longer than I expected from past patterns. And this year has provided a number of record breaking weather extremes - not to mention earthquakes in places we are not used to.
All this is simply examples I call on to illustrate that the world is in extreme flux right now. Everything is changing. The patterns we have learned to depend upon are in motion. And those trying to preserve the status quo in their lives are doomed to disappointment.
I see patterns in everything. I've learned to depend upon these patterns. They make it easier to navigate life. They give us a measure of belief that we KNOW what is happening around us. But just as world consciousness is in transition, so is EVERYTHING in the world. It's as if God is saying, "Everything that you have depended upon to make you feel secure, is now in motion. Everything is now changing. FLUX is the new norm. You better find something beyond all of this that can make you feel secure."
Facing FLUX is one of the challenges of the spiritual path. But, right now it appears to be everyone's challenge. Learning to navigate a reality that is in motion vs. a reality that has the illusion of being stable, plodding slowly forward, is quite a talent. But it is one that everyone is being forced to master. Change is not our enemy, but meeting it with poise and confidence takes some spiritual work on our part. We are all being asked to connect to "the Presence underneath life that is consistent" for our security, while letting go and free floating in order to field and even enjoy whatever flux brings our way.
If awareness of the Presence of God is your anchor, you can float freely through life taking advantage of whatever choices are presented. If God is your source & your relationship with God is the most real thing in your life, you can handle multiple possible futures, many of which are presently unknown to you. If you depend upon your personal control of life, multiple and especially unknown future outcomes are overwhelming, intimidating, and totally unacceptable.
One of the things I often do is head constructively forward toward multiple and often very different potential outcomes. One doesn't have to know where you are going to feel secure. In each area of our lives we are often facing a question, "Am I staying or am I leaving?" My answer whether the area is abstact or concrete is often, "I don't know. My life is not my own." I know this flies in the face of declaring a thing and making it happen, which certainly has its place in our teaching. But with humility comes the realization that I will demonstrate when I can, but "Thy will be done, not mine." This is terribly unsettling if you are not firmly attached to "God is in charge of my life."
Right now there's no choice. Flux is the new norm. We can't control the waves of life, but we can surf them. Place your trust in God. Declare what you want in your life. Give your input as a child of God. But never forget that "the Father" is in charge. You may not always get what you want (though often you will) - but you can always know that God is leading you securely through a reality that is in swirling motion to somewhere that will be GOOD for you. If you know this, you can accept multiple possible outcomes to anything you face with poise, peace, confidence, and even an excited joy for what lies before you.
I cannot tell you exactly where we are going. But I can feel the texture of what lies before us and I am filled with excited anticipation of the tour of life that the PRESENCE has in store for each of us.
When I mentioned it to my Dad, he said he had heard something like this from a friend in Georgia that he talks to regularly. She had pointed out that the Ginkgo trees in her yard were losing their leaves considerably earlier this year than they usually do.
Karrin then declared that she felt the shift in the seasons the end of August this year. The weather is still hot without a doubt. However, that oppressive heat that is summer, broke very early. We used to say that September is a Summer month down here. There's no break until October. And of course, the dry season in the Spring lasted at least 6 weeks longer than I expected from past patterns. And this year has provided a number of record breaking weather extremes - not to mention earthquakes in places we are not used to.
All this is simply examples I call on to illustrate that the world is in extreme flux right now. Everything is changing. The patterns we have learned to depend upon are in motion. And those trying to preserve the status quo in their lives are doomed to disappointment.
I see patterns in everything. I've learned to depend upon these patterns. They make it easier to navigate life. They give us a measure of belief that we KNOW what is happening around us. But just as world consciousness is in transition, so is EVERYTHING in the world. It's as if God is saying, "Everything that you have depended upon to make you feel secure, is now in motion. Everything is now changing. FLUX is the new norm. You better find something beyond all of this that can make you feel secure."
Facing FLUX is one of the challenges of the spiritual path. But, right now it appears to be everyone's challenge. Learning to navigate a reality that is in motion vs. a reality that has the illusion of being stable, plodding slowly forward, is quite a talent. But it is one that everyone is being forced to master. Change is not our enemy, but meeting it with poise and confidence takes some spiritual work on our part. We are all being asked to connect to "the Presence underneath life that is consistent" for our security, while letting go and free floating in order to field and even enjoy whatever flux brings our way.
If awareness of the Presence of God is your anchor, you can float freely through life taking advantage of whatever choices are presented. If God is your source & your relationship with God is the most real thing in your life, you can handle multiple possible futures, many of which are presently unknown to you. If you depend upon your personal control of life, multiple and especially unknown future outcomes are overwhelming, intimidating, and totally unacceptable.
One of the things I often do is head constructively forward toward multiple and often very different potential outcomes. One doesn't have to know where you are going to feel secure. In each area of our lives we are often facing a question, "Am I staying or am I leaving?" My answer whether the area is abstact or concrete is often, "I don't know. My life is not my own." I know this flies in the face of declaring a thing and making it happen, which certainly has its place in our teaching. But with humility comes the realization that I will demonstrate when I can, but "Thy will be done, not mine." This is terribly unsettling if you are not firmly attached to "God is in charge of my life."
Right now there's no choice. Flux is the new norm. We can't control the waves of life, but we can surf them. Place your trust in God. Declare what you want in your life. Give your input as a child of God. But never forget that "the Father" is in charge. You may not always get what you want (though often you will) - but you can always know that God is leading you securely through a reality that is in swirling motion to somewhere that will be GOOD for you. If you know this, you can accept multiple possible outcomes to anything you face with poise, peace, confidence, and even an excited joy for what lies before you.
I cannot tell you exactly where we are going. But I can feel the texture of what lies before us and I am filled with excited anticipation of the tour of life that the PRESENCE has in store for each of us.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Midnight Magic
One of my favorite times of the day is the middle of the night, often after midnight. It seems that as the vast majority of people sleep that the clutter of our human thoughts dies down a little and the magical hum of life moving thru the world around us rises in volume. If I stop to feel the beauty of midnight, I can suddenly feel myself surrounded by an almost fairy land beauty and that amazingly large presence that loves me, almost cradles me with this magical life. It's as if I've entered into a Thomas Kinkade painting & the Presence feels very real and very full to me.
Some holidays are like that. Somehow all humanity jumps ship from the normal state of drama and embraces the spirit of the holiday. Suddenly the specialness of life stands out for us. UNITY WORLD PRAYER DAY, which is today, is like that. The beauty is strong & there is magic in the air. Don't miss this time to immerse yourself in the Presence and get carried away with the beauty of life. We like to think that it's because millions of people have their attention on the sacredness of life thru their dedication to this prayer vigil. However this Presence is always there. We choose to turn away from the drama of life and embrace the sacredness of life on certain occasions. Well this is one of those occasions and we need to take advantage of the "step up" we get from everyone agreeing to the sacredness of the day.
Join us if you can. Otherwise join us by listening for the sacredness all around you. Today you will surely hear it!
Some holidays are like that. Somehow all humanity jumps ship from the normal state of drama and embraces the spirit of the holiday. Suddenly the specialness of life stands out for us. UNITY WORLD PRAYER DAY, which is today, is like that. The beauty is strong & there is magic in the air. Don't miss this time to immerse yourself in the Presence and get carried away with the beauty of life. We like to think that it's because millions of people have their attention on the sacredness of life thru their dedication to this prayer vigil. However this Presence is always there. We choose to turn away from the drama of life and embrace the sacredness of life on certain occasions. Well this is one of those occasions and we need to take advantage of the "step up" we get from everyone agreeing to the sacredness of the day.
Join us if you can. Otherwise join us by listening for the sacredness all around you. Today you will surely hear it!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Undercurrent
There is a lot going on in the thought atmosphere. My dad will sometimes privately confess that he believes that he is picking something up that's happening in the world when he suddenly doesn't feel good and there is no apparent reason for it. Yes, we do pick things up. Then sometimes we generate these feelings ourselves with our own sub-conscious fears. And more to the point, there are a number of levels from which we can pick up an emotional energy current. For instance yesterday, both Karrin & I experienced falls at different times - she walking thru water while cleaning and me, stumbling over something in the dark. Both of us seemed caught in a current of hurting ourselves. But we both did survive fine. So was this just something we were sharing as a couple or was there a chaotic current going on in the thought atmosphere that we were responding to? I'm not sure it matters, but you get the idea.
Currents that carry us along (unless we consciously obstain) can happen at several different levels. There can be an exciting current happening around what's going on in our lives right now. Then at the same time we can sink deeper within ourselves and feel the abstract sadness of tragedy happening somewhere, though we do not know where or even if it is something that has already happened or is about to. But just because you are picking up on a wave (or current) that is just below the surface, does not mean that it holds power over your life. There is an old Unity Addage: "If you don't think for yourself, race consciousness will think for you." Thus the currents are there, we choose how we respond to them. Sometimes becoming aware of the current reminds us how important it is to think for ourselves.
However, there is a current that runs deeper than all these things that I have mentioned. It is the current of "Goodness" - of "God drawing you toward great goodness that lies before you". This is a current worth immersing yourself in. With the stock market slipping, the weather causing people problems, the economies of the world in turmoil, and of course war, terrorism, revolt, and famine spreading, there is a lot to dip into in that current that carries the "pain" of the world. But that's only at medium depth. I suggest that you go deeper beyond the "pain of the world" to that really deep place where you can feel "God's current of Goodness" and how we each are subtly being carried to a great good that lies before us.
The turmoil that we feel surfacing through our emotions is a midrange current of "race consciousness" that we need to recognize so we don't claim these feelings as our own. We need to realize they belong to the world around us. And we choose consciously not to flow with this current. Just go deeper and feel the silent but powerful current of God's Good moving in the world and particularly in your life.
As we go through our day facing the more surface level chaos, but inwardly feeling that deep current of God's Goodness, not only does it improve how we are fielding the challenges life is throwing at us. But, it also becomes part of our homework for this week: Spending more of our day dwelling on "God's Presence". Add this to your daily meditation time. It's a meditation you can do while walking around in life.
Bottom line: I can feel the turmoil, the pain, and the fear. I can feel the current that it provides that wants to drag us all along. However, I also feel something deeper and more powerful that makes my soul rejoice. We've turned a corner, though we probably won't realize it for a time yet. The surface could actually get worse before it gets better. But in the depths we've turned a corner and tremendous promise lies before each of us. I choose to emphasize this deeper current, let it fill my heart with joy and positive anticipation. The rest of this will pass with time and we will see where we've really been going. I can feel the joy that lies before us. And I'm hoping if you take a moment, you can too.
Currents that carry us along (unless we consciously obstain) can happen at several different levels. There can be an exciting current happening around what's going on in our lives right now. Then at the same time we can sink deeper within ourselves and feel the abstract sadness of tragedy happening somewhere, though we do not know where or even if it is something that has already happened or is about to. But just because you are picking up on a wave (or current) that is just below the surface, does not mean that it holds power over your life. There is an old Unity Addage: "If you don't think for yourself, race consciousness will think for you." Thus the currents are there, we choose how we respond to them. Sometimes becoming aware of the current reminds us how important it is to think for ourselves.
However, there is a current that runs deeper than all these things that I have mentioned. It is the current of "Goodness" - of "God drawing you toward great goodness that lies before you". This is a current worth immersing yourself in. With the stock market slipping, the weather causing people problems, the economies of the world in turmoil, and of course war, terrorism, revolt, and famine spreading, there is a lot to dip into in that current that carries the "pain" of the world. But that's only at medium depth. I suggest that you go deeper beyond the "pain of the world" to that really deep place where you can feel "God's current of Goodness" and how we each are subtly being carried to a great good that lies before us.
The turmoil that we feel surfacing through our emotions is a midrange current of "race consciousness" that we need to recognize so we don't claim these feelings as our own. We need to realize they belong to the world around us. And we choose consciously not to flow with this current. Just go deeper and feel the silent but powerful current of God's Good moving in the world and particularly in your life.
As we go through our day facing the more surface level chaos, but inwardly feeling that deep current of God's Goodness, not only does it improve how we are fielding the challenges life is throwing at us. But, it also becomes part of our homework for this week: Spending more of our day dwelling on "God's Presence". Add this to your daily meditation time. It's a meditation you can do while walking around in life.
Bottom line: I can feel the turmoil, the pain, and the fear. I can feel the current that it provides that wants to drag us all along. However, I also feel something deeper and more powerful that makes my soul rejoice. We've turned a corner, though we probably won't realize it for a time yet. The surface could actually get worse before it gets better. But in the depths we've turned a corner and tremendous promise lies before each of us. I choose to emphasize this deeper current, let it fill my heart with joy and positive anticipation. The rest of this will pass with time and we will see where we've really been going. I can feel the joy that lies before us. And I'm hoping if you take a moment, you can too.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Last Bus out of Town
Twice in the last 2 days, I've had experiences where I felt "I caught the last bus out of town before the calamity." I guess we need these things to help us be sure that Life is intervening on our behalf. And for me it makes me amazingly grateful.
Today, I had to take my "Droid" phone into AT&T to have it looked at. It's been a year and things have slowly started going wrong, screens popping up unbidden, not responding to commands the first time, etc. But last night the volume adjustment screen kept engaging and wouldn't disappear so I could not see what I wanted to see. At first it was annoying. Then it got so consistent that I couldn't do things on the phone properly. So today I decided I needed to go to the store where I bought it. They concluded I would have to take it to the repair office further away, though they thought it only needed a cleaning. As the afternoon progressed, I decided that there might not be enough time to go there today. I kept feeling like I needed to do it today, but I didn't want to push things too close with an appointment in the late afternoon. Suddenly, I decided I might have enough time & I just needed to try. If things were too busy I could come back later.
I walked into the repair office and was told that there was only one person before me. It would be about 10-15 minutes, which was wonderful considering the hour & a half that it had always been before. He told me it couldn't be repaired. I'd need a new one, looked up the warranty and determined that today was the last day the warranty would provide me with a free new phone. I came in less than two hours before the office closed and my warranty would expire. Had I put it off, the same exchange would have been $185 with the insurance. I slid right under the line.
So many times the guidance is there. It just gets drowned out by the logical demands of life or the fears that cause us to wait for a better opportunity. Personally, I decided to try to pay closer attention to the guidance. Catching the "last bus" out of town certainly reeks of Divine Intervention, but catching a little earlier one expresses being in Harmony with the Divine - paying attention so I don't have to be saved at the last minute.
There is so much more going on here than we are usually paying attention to. It's time to keep looking for it!
Today, I had to take my "Droid" phone into AT&T to have it looked at. It's been a year and things have slowly started going wrong, screens popping up unbidden, not responding to commands the first time, etc. But last night the volume adjustment screen kept engaging and wouldn't disappear so I could not see what I wanted to see. At first it was annoying. Then it got so consistent that I couldn't do things on the phone properly. So today I decided I needed to go to the store where I bought it. They concluded I would have to take it to the repair office further away, though they thought it only needed a cleaning. As the afternoon progressed, I decided that there might not be enough time to go there today. I kept feeling like I needed to do it today, but I didn't want to push things too close with an appointment in the late afternoon. Suddenly, I decided I might have enough time & I just needed to try. If things were too busy I could come back later.
I walked into the repair office and was told that there was only one person before me. It would be about 10-15 minutes, which was wonderful considering the hour & a half that it had always been before. He told me it couldn't be repaired. I'd need a new one, looked up the warranty and determined that today was the last day the warranty would provide me with a free new phone. I came in less than two hours before the office closed and my warranty would expire. Had I put it off, the same exchange would have been $185 with the insurance. I slid right under the line.
So many times the guidance is there. It just gets drowned out by the logical demands of life or the fears that cause us to wait for a better opportunity. Personally, I decided to try to pay closer attention to the guidance. Catching the "last bus" out of town certainly reeks of Divine Intervention, but catching a little earlier one expresses being in Harmony with the Divine - paying attention so I don't have to be saved at the last minute.
There is so much more going on here than we are usually paying attention to. It's time to keep looking for it!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
It's in Motion
Everything is in motion. This is unsettling to us. We like to pretend that our lives are stable - that there are things around us that we can depend upon. But the old adage goes, "the only thing you can depend upon is change, itself." Actually the only thing you can depend upon is God's dynamic presence in your life. It is this connection that makes us able to negotiate an ever changing world (or life) with poise and quiet confidence. So when the world starts demonstrating how much in motion everything is, stablilize yourself in the "Presence" and enjoy the passing show, even an "inter-active" passing show.
Jesus said, "Do not foreswear." He went on to say that you can't change a single hair on your head, only God can. So to "swear" by your life that you will do a certain thing is pure vanity, dabbling in illusions and false ego agrandizement. We make commitments and we do everything in our power to live by them. But we need to be humble enough to know that God has the final word in all cases. And we need to trust the Spirit that is the source of our existence.
The truth is, it's not just the world that is in constant motion. It's US, too! Identity is in constant motion. Who I think I am, is always changing. And in the end this is a good thing. Because though the path may look like a stock chart with rallies and corrections, the general trend is always up toward greater awareness of our spiritual potential. You will change. Those you love will change. But through it all God is finding more & more outlet through each of our consciousnesses and through us as a pair or a group. You may be required to become more independent and depend on those around you less. Or you may be required to give up what you think you want in order to be part of something together, something more than yourself, & become more entwined. The changes are meant to carry us all forward.
There are no bad relationships. Only hard lessons and enjoyable ones. (That doesn't mean you should never leave a relationship and move on. That may be the lesson. Just don't do it impulsively. Make sure what life is asking of you. And if it is scarry, do what you must. Try to evolve within whatever you find yourself in. But if that fails over time, chock it up to Divine Order, trust God, and make your move. If I'm usure of any move I always go into a contemplative state and say, "If this is wrong, God, stop me!"
Once you realize that you are always in motion, you will realize that you don't have as much to defend within yourself and your personal desires as you thought when you were convinced that things were relatively static. The less you need to defend the more you can learn your lessons right where you find yourself.
Jesus said, "Do not foreswear." He went on to say that you can't change a single hair on your head, only God can. So to "swear" by your life that you will do a certain thing is pure vanity, dabbling in illusions and false ego agrandizement. We make commitments and we do everything in our power to live by them. But we need to be humble enough to know that God has the final word in all cases. And we need to trust the Spirit that is the source of our existence.
The truth is, it's not just the world that is in constant motion. It's US, too! Identity is in constant motion. Who I think I am, is always changing. And in the end this is a good thing. Because though the path may look like a stock chart with rallies and corrections, the general trend is always up toward greater awareness of our spiritual potential. You will change. Those you love will change. But through it all God is finding more & more outlet through each of our consciousnesses and through us as a pair or a group. You may be required to become more independent and depend on those around you less. Or you may be required to give up what you think you want in order to be part of something together, something more than yourself, & become more entwined. The changes are meant to carry us all forward.
There are no bad relationships. Only hard lessons and enjoyable ones. (That doesn't mean you should never leave a relationship and move on. That may be the lesson. Just don't do it impulsively. Make sure what life is asking of you. And if it is scarry, do what you must. Try to evolve within whatever you find yourself in. But if that fails over time, chock it up to Divine Order, trust God, and make your move. If I'm usure of any move I always go into a contemplative state and say, "If this is wrong, God, stop me!"
Once you realize that you are always in motion, you will realize that you don't have as much to defend within yourself and your personal desires as you thought when you were convinced that things were relatively static. The less you need to defend the more you can learn your lessons right where you find yourself.
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