California Free Press

We Are Born to Love

Dear friends,

Are you as surprised as I am with how abhorrently people behave? I am never shocked at the good things people do; the great service they offer to others; the kindness and compassion they show. But the haters and the liars? They shock me because there is no reason for it. There is no good to come from lying about someone who has trusted you. There is no positive outcome from hate. There must be some serious unresolved trauma in these individuals for them to get so far off the natural path of humanity.

And that is where my own compassion must arise. We are born to love. Our most natural state is peace. The origin of our very body is pure love and intelligence, and they are still actively working to maintain the integrity of our physical self. But our thoughts and actions can interfere with the process of maintaining wholeness. If we are full of negativity, fear or anger, our highest self is, in effect, put to sleep. We are then operating from ego and that is where the trouble starts.

When we are faced with people who rant and rage at the slightest perception of loss, as spiritually aware people we must affirm: their higher self is emerging in this moment; they are dropping their fears and the mind is restored to peace and bliss. Part of my spiritual practice (a large part) is knowing the Truth about others, even when they are behaving badly. If not me, then who? If not now, then when? If not Truth, then what?

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.californiafreepress.net

Only 21 Days to Change

Dear friends,

It has been said it takes 21 days to change any habitual behavior. That is only three little weeks. Doesn’t that seem like too little time to change anything? However, most of us would forget the plan in day three. If we were to stick to it for the entire 21 days, we might be shocked at the results. Today I am proposing that we take up the challenge and make no negative judgments for 21 days! That means no complaining, no blaming or shaming. Imagine if the whole world was involved; we might come to the realization of how powerful we are, which would lead us to creative solutions to the issues we are now complaining about!

We give up our happiness every time we blame someone else for our condition. We abandon our creativity when our mind is churned up with resentment. We destroy all possibility of joy as we bring down others. We need to ask ourselves why we feel so entitled to heap negativity on those around us. Who do we think we are? If we were really honest we would answer; I must think I am worthless and powerless to behave this way.

We all know that a wounded animal can be dangerous. Wounded people who have done nothing to heal their inner imbalance can be dangerous as well. They lash out with the intention to hurt; to make someone else feel as bad as they do. But with some spiritual courage, some intention to elevate our thoughts, we can begin to experience the natural joy that lies under our fear. The very things we say “they” are taking from us remain within us, awaiting our attention. How can we ever make contact if we are so busy complaining and judging?

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.californiafreepress.net

Be Happy Now

Dear friends,

HH the Dalai Lama has suggested we adopt this phrase; “we human beings" when speaking about our shared issues. Rather than seeing the world as “us and them” he feels we could improve conditions more rapidly if we saw our natural equality as humans. We all want the same thing, to find happiness and to avoid suffering. That is the essence of every decision we make. The mistake we make is in the trying to find anything. Our capacity for happiness depends on our awareness that it is a spiritual quality innate in us and is revealed by our moment by moment decisions. We can feel happiness right now!

In that sense, we create happiness and in the process, avoid suffering. Can we do it in times of great change and chaos? Why not? Why not be happy anyway? Do you really believe that happiness means you don’t care? Do you think happiness lacks compassion for those who are suffering? Are you unconsciously waiting for the whole world to change before you claim your happiness?

Happiness and social activism are not mutually exclusive. In fact, HH the Dalai Lama has said “happy people don’t cause problems. They solve them.” Moreover, research has proven that a happy mind is a healthy mind and a healthy mind creates health in the body. The earth/body is not healthy right now because of the lack of happiness in “we human beings.” In our ignorance we have created suffering by the decisions we have made that were largely based on a superstitious model of the universe and our place in it. We all want peace and plenty for “we human beings.” Can we be happy while we want it? Can happiness help us be more active in the creating of a world that works for everyone? Let’s put it to the test. Be happy now.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

We Are All in This Together

Dear friends,

Usually I do not write Living Consciously on the weekend but so many friends are saying they feel hopeless, afraid and helpless during these trying times, I felt the need to address those concerns. It is not a simple thing, for sure. On the one hand, old systems are crumbling and falling into chaos. On the other hand, new ideas are trying to break through our collective consciousness.

When systems break down due to their un-workability, there is that phase between the old and the new that is fraught with uncertainty. We are in that phase right now. The old is fighting to stay in charge, causing the tumult. At the same time there is much to be optimistic about. Young people the world over are pushing for the change. They are refusing to accept the old ways. They are coming up with innovative solutions to our man-made problems.

Those of us who have been around a while need to support them, stand with them and be available to mentor and learn at the same time. This is not the time to hide our light or retreat into apathy. The change will not come without participation. That means voting, staying informed, holding to our spiritual practice and being together in community. Speak the Vision of a world that works for everyone. Insist on it, Believe in it. Make it real. We are all in this together.

Emerson at age 30 wrote: “the lover of Nature dreaming through the wood would never awaken to thought if the scream of an eagle, the cries of a crow or a curlew near his head, did not break the continuity.”

Those of us who have lived in relative privilege would be unaware of the extreme injustices in our society if it were not for the screams of the oppressed, the telling of the secrets, the abuse revealed, the corruption made visible. We are living in the time of transformation from a world that belonged to a very few, into one that honors and supports all living beings. This is a time that is fraught with danger and potent with possibility. 

Those who would oppress, will fight to the death to stay in power. The rest of us need to insist on positive change. We do it through or local efforts, our participation in the solutions, our spiritual declarations. If we do not say it out loud, it will not come to pass. Declare: “This world is a place of peace and plenty for all. We live in harmony and cooperation. Our joy is in diversity. We love each other. We care for each other. We see the highest and best in one another. We call forth our unbounded potential.”

The late futurist, Barbara Marx Hubbard, once said that we humans exist today because millions of years ago, Bacteria learned to cooperate. Well, if a single celled organism can do it, I think we ought to be able to emulate their achievement. 

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspiritualllivingbakersfield.com

www.californiafreepress.net

Ideas Produce Forms and Experience

Dear friends,

There is a way of being in the world that allows us to experience it all and yet, not become mired in it.  It has to do with training the mind to see everything as temporary, transient and nothing more than a construct of mind (ours and everyone else’s.) It is not an easy path but can be cultivated with simply being appreciative of what is right in front of us. Celebrate the Temporary was the title of a book in the ‘80’s.  It is a profound practice and one that helps us to see through the appearance to the essence of it, which is always an idea acting as cause.

We have learned that ideas produce forms and experience. Therefore a change of ideas will bring about change in our immediate experience. Right now, humanity is struggling to embrace a new idea of its Source. The old religions do not include science and that is why they are outdated. As a people, we have created the world we live in based on our beliefs about God and the universe and our place in it. We have limited our own possibilities due to the superstitious nature of religious doctrine. How can we ever achieve peace and cooperation if we think of some as “outside” the love of God, or less than us?

Personally I have attended many, many interfaith meetings. They never produce anything other than a professed respect for the right to believe what we choose. But that is the problem. It is the beliefs themselves that are the Cause of war, violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, the destruction of our biosphere. Sure, we respect the right to believe what you want. But we do not have to respect the lies themselves. In fact, we need to open our minds to the possibility that we have been thinking too small to create the vision of a world that works for everyone.

Affirm: “I am not fooled by appearances. I see through them to the mighty power of possibility. Where there is hate, I see love. Where there is ignorance, I see wisdom. Where there is lack, I see plenty. Where there is separation, I see equality. I am available to new ideas about everything!”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes  www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.caliorniafreepress.net

I Am In Ascension Mode

Dear friends,

When the caterpillar is in the cocoon, being acted upon by the forces of Nature, he has nothing to say about his condition. Even so, he is in a state of ascension from one mode of living to another. He will literally be lifted off the ground as a creature who crawls into the rarefied air of a Being who flies and is beautiful. Our own soul is like that furry creature, forever being acted upon by the higher Intelligence. It is called inherent potential attempting to be revealed.

The difference between us and the caterpillar is our ability to say No to the power within that wants to make all things new in our life. “But wait! (we cry) I want everything to stay the same. Isn’t this just fine? I mean, sure, I struggle down here on the ground, but it’s what I know. I’m good at it!  The not-yet-known is scary, so no thank you. Stop nudging me from within to do more, be more, take a risk. I do just fine in the familiar conditions I have lived with for a long time.”

Humans are the only sentient Beings who can say no to God, and we do it all the time. We resist change, carry grudges, refuse to forgive, malign others, hold on to our supply in fear of lack. These are the traits of a lost soul. But it is all changeable. Our inherent potential is never diminished by our fears and misplaced faith. It is always intact and ready to ascend to higher levels of living.

Try this: “I am in ascension mode. I give permission to the forces of Spirit to take me into higher levels of prosperity, love, vitality and joy. I am ready to fly!”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.californiafreepress.net

Share Your Optimism with Those in Fear

Dear friends,

Yes, it is a real challenge to stay optimistic in these times. Now is when we need to feel the depth of our conviction; a transformation is taking place. Ultimately it will lead to a new beginning for humanity. We must hold to our belief in the Presence of a perfect intelligence and love in every one of us. We refuse to fall into the trap of blame; rather we know that everything that is happening now has been unconsciously allowed to be by our collective consciousness. We denied the symptoms of a dis-eased culture for too long. It has reared its head and we are experiencing the effects of a Cause known as Ignorance.

But it is not too late to turn it all around. When a dis-ese is revealed we are in the Power place. It is what is hidden that causes the trouble. Whether it is in us due to unresolved issues from childhood or if it is rage for a people who have been mistreated in the worst way, if we refuse to see it, it has a life of its own. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of Humanity. We must hold to the Truth: we are in the most potent time in human history. This is the turning point. Our thoughts right now are more important than ever. We cannot afford to generate more hate, more anger, more fear. We absolutely must use our intelligence and love to affirm the best in people; to call it forth in ourselves; to share our optimism with those in fear.

Our current trouble has been revealed to be healed. Keep above he fray. Know the truth. Believe in us.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.calfiorniafreepress.net

Let's Contribute to the Well-Being of Mother Earth

Dear friends,

Planet Earth is the Garden of Eden. It is a system of incredible beauty, order and perfect function. The interdependence of species is stunning in its complexity. Like a great orchestra playing a symphony, all the parts are joined together in a shared effort to reproduce Life moment by moment. There is one species, however, that from sheer arrogance, has thought itself separate from the whole. In a misguided understanding of ‘dominion', that species has caused a terrible rift in the perfectly organized field of Life.

Arrogance will always lead to trouble. Spiritual arrogance is the worst, due to the assumption that there is a cosmic power supporting our actions. Humans assumed that dominion meant they could do anything they chose to do to Nature. That would include women and children since women had long been considered creatures, not full humans. The same was said of people of color.

We have come a long way in understanding our place in the grand design. The rise of women and minorities to positions of authority is a good thing. It is essential that all humans be included in the governance of our environment. We are in a place of great turmoil right now as the old ways are being challenged. Those who held the reins are not happy, threatened by the inclusion of those they felt to be inferior. This will pass. We will prevail, but in the meantime, the Garden is suffering.  Let’s give some serious consideration to how we contribute to the well being of our Mother.

Affirm: “I am naturally led to consume and purchase from the awareness that my actions are either part of the problem or leading to the solution.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

Spirituality Ain’t for Sissies

Dear friends,

Emerson:  “Summer will have its flies. If we walk in the woods we must feed mosquitoes. If we go fishing we must expect a wet coat.”

Yes, our goals are within reach. Yes, we can help co-create the full actualization of them. Yes, we can use our mind very specifically to bring about a desired effect. But can we deal with what comes with the manifestation? Lottery winners are often broke in a short time because they are unprepared for what comes with great wealth. There are investment counselors, accountants, lawyers, tax experts to assist, but it can be too much for someone who has never had real money. They unconsciously get rid of its burden as fast as possible.

Fame is another outcome that can seriously throw people off balance. The loss of privacy is a blow to the psyche. The instantaneous criticism that seems to accompany one’s every move must be emotionally debilitating. But fame also affords one entrance into the realm of privilege and elegance. People want to give to the famous, but there is danger in assuming one has somehow become special. The rarefied air of Fame must be balanced with a healthy dose of good sense. Fame is fleeting. Life is real.

Spiritual practices, such as meditation have wonderful benefits, but like summer with its flies, deeply exploring one’s own psyche can dislodge old emotions that temporarily wreak havoc with us. Suppressed anger might arise, surprising us and causing riffs in our relationships. In fact, just the fact that we have become spiritually motivated can threaten friendships. The upside is personal growth and increased well-being. But it doesn’t come without a few mosquito bites. As a fellow minister once said “spirituality ain’t for sissies.” It takes a real wholehearted commitment and a kind of easy fearlessness, but the results are worth the temporary discomfort.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

On Being You

Dear friends,

There is something special about being with a friend who knew you when you were young. In couples who have been married for many decades, there is that bond of mutual perception. You just know when they look at each other they see that young face behind the wrinkles….or is it within them? A friend from elementary school may have developed different views of life than we have. They may have political opinions that are disturbing to us. But when they remind us of how we played together in the sand box, there is only a feeling of unity.

We are the same regardless of the ideas that have become our version of reality. There is still that Being of light and optimism, forever eager to believe in life again. I think that is why class reunions are so popular. Perhaps someone will know us. Perhaps we will feel open and free again. Perhaps we will see our real self, reflected in our friends eyes.

Modern New Thought spirituality is rather like a reunion of the mind and the soul. It is often described as “coming home.” There is, in each of us, innate knowing, a natural awareness of our own Spirit. When we encounter ideas that speak the language of the soul, we are quickened into remembrance. We see ourselves at the beginning of this lifetime, ready to be seen and known for who we really are. We may have been talked out of it, taught a different story, made to forget. But one day we walk into a New Thought Center or read a book about our True Self and we begin to see who we have been the whole time. The soul is never changed by events. It is forever intact and ready to be revealed. It simply needs us to recognize it; to say, I know you, you’re the one I have been searching for all this time. Let’s play!

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspiritualliving.com

Also check out www.californiafreepress.net

Live in the Moment

Dear friends,

It is wonderful that Fred Rogers is being honored and recognized for his gentle way of talking with children about important things, such as kindness and compassion and self respect. Those are the same things we teach children in our Centers for Spiritual Living. Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister but he never taught theology. Kids don’t need theology. They need to know how to navigate this world and remain in love with life and eager to participate in it.

So do we. Spirituality must be relatable to our experience or it is just theory. What I love most about New Thought is how invested we are in helping each other stay current. Dwelling in the past does not usually reap many rewards. We learn from it but we move forward. Day dreaming about the future has its place, if done with intention and real vision. For the most part, our lives need our immediate attention, right now, here and here again. What is important now in this moment? What can I bring to it that is helpful?

When I see those old politicians turning their backs on the suffering they have assisted in causing, I wish Fred Rogers could sit them down and have a talk with them. Seriously. They seem to have lost the soul that is forever young and always eager to bring more love into the world. Where and how did they get so far from themselves? In Emerson’s essay on the Oversoul, he writes beautifully of the soul and how it could shine through the façade of self we have created, if we allowed it to have its way. It is virtue, love, and genius; everything we could ever need to be real Fred Rogers grown-ups navigating this world in compassion and self-respect, helping to make it a better place for everyone.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspiritualivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

It is Time for Us All to Speak our Truth

Dear friends,

Some of our Center for Spiritual Living Ministers are joining with other spiritual leaders at the Texas border today to stand up for human rights and dignity. Those of us who are unable to accompany them will be standing with them in consciousness. There is nothing political about spiritually motivated social activism. To ignore how innocent children are being treated would be as evil as the acts against them. The blatant denial of human rights is a spiritual issue, having its roots in patriarchal religions.

There is an old saying “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” There is truth in that statement.   When we are wishy washy about things, we often are drawn to the loudest voice, not necessarily the wisest. It is easy to use ‘mob psychology’ to sway the masses.  Those of us who stand for the rights of all people must make our voices heard above the fray. We need to write, speak, march, engage in dialogues with diverse groups and of course, vote.

Spirituality, or the concept of our innate equality and our shared Source, has to be more than theory. It is a practice and that practice is more than daily meditation and prayer. It is about how we are in the world. Do we remain silent when others are suffering? Do we offer a differing point of view or are we afraid of being controversial? It is time for us all to speak our Truth and stand for liberty and justice for all. “We are the World! We are the children.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

Peace and Harmony More Important Than Stuff

Dear Friends,

Looking around my home I see that everything in it was made by human hands, or on a machine made by human hands. When I look up at the night sky into the cosmos, all of these mundane things - furniture and dishes, paintings and books, linens and hairspray, seem so odd. How did we become so locally focused that we largely ignore where we are? Perhaps the universe is simply too immense to comprehend, or too strange.

Yet we sense our connection to something larger, something beyond powerful, something else. We do not spend much of our mental attention on it unless we are of a spiritual bent. Even so, our focus is often what we can get it to do for us, whatever it may be. It seems as if it hears us, at least some of the time. We hope it does because we feel that humans, however good they may be at making things, are not very well equipped to live together in peace and harmony. It often seems we are worried about the others getting our stuff, whether that be our possessions, our oil fields, our country.

We ought to look up more. We ought to try to go there. Maybe get a new perspective on where we actually are and our part in the whole. As long as we are possessed by the things we make, we will never find out. It has to happen that humanity says “enough!” Enough stuff, enough trash, enough compulsive buying and selling. Let’s explore Reality and see what we can make of that!

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also check out www.californiafreepress.net

Beauty and Love

Dear friends,

There are parts of us that are forever young. They are those natural preferences that remain constant throughout our time on earth. Things like a love of beauty, a certain stillness that comes over us in nature, the awe and wonder of a starry sky. That which remains with us, never changing, is the child’s delight in the created universe.

No matter how many years we are here, we will always respond to a baby’s laughter; a bird singing in the morning; a few lines from a remembered poem.  We will never lose our love of music or flowers and bodies of water.  These are the eternal delights, things of the soul. Everything else shall fall away, as Emerson wrote: “the wind shall blow them none knows whither.” He was referring to cities and societies and customs.  But beauty and Love shall always be with us for they are components of our own soul.

We can experience beauty and love in the midst of war or chaos of any kind. We can reclaim the delight in Being, regardless of what temporary structures have fallen or are crumbling. Our lives may change dramatically and yet, that ageless soul is ever intact. That is why we can recover from great loss; why we can leave the past behind and look forward with eagerness and cheerful expectancy. Emerson said of us “ the souls advances are not made by gradation but by ascension of state.” We retrieve our true self, our delight in living, and leap forward.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.caliorniafreepress.net

Be Open to a Better Way

Dear friends,

If you hear yourself say “but we’ve always done it this way” stop yourself from any further defense of the situation. Be silent and think it through. Is there any good reason to keep doing something, especially if it is not producing any new or better results? How else could we proceed? Our greatest inventions began this way, in the mind of someone who asked “what if?”

What about our own lives? Are we in repetition mode at work, in our relationships, with our perception of the world? Have we changed our mind about anything lately? If there is an area that seems to be running on automatic, ask the ‘what if?’ question. What if we don’t spend the holidays at home this year? What if we went somewhere we don’t speak the language? What if we became vegetarian for a week to see how we felt? What if we took dance lessons together? What if I could work from home?

The question itself opens up our creative center. There is a genius in there who would love a chance to lift us out of sameness into higher levels of living. My favorite description of “God” is “the Power that makes all things new.” It never repeats, repairs or heals anything. It transcends what was and creates something new in its place. To us, in the objective world, it seems like a healing but it is not actually the case. It is a new version of the original idea of wholeness. Our healing is a revealing, not a fixing. Let’s give this amazing Power some space in our mind. Let’s let it have its way with us. Let’s open to a better way.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

A Healthy Balance is the Key

Dear friends,

We live on three planes; physical, mental and spiritual. They are like parallel universes which bleed into each other. The ones that are the focus of our attention, become the leaders in our life experience. The goal of spiritual practice is to achieve a balance between all three. How does that happen? First we must accept the truth that our bodies are the products of the spiritual, identified by the mentality and seen as form. They are not “who we are” anymore than our parents are the source of our Being. Bodies and parents are vehicles for the carrying forth of a spiritual intention.

Second, we learn that our thoughts tend to make things out of themselves. Ideas activate energies that shape them into visible effects. We learn that how we think about who we are is key to bringing the power of the spiritual into everyday life.

Third, we practice communing with the invisible realm of Cause; the spiritual plane out of which all Life arises. This is the field of infinite potential that is our very own possibility playground. Those who access it are those who respect the physical but do not see it as the ultimate experience; they value thoughts and work to keep them positive but they “see” a larger Reality than the mental field.

The irony is, those who have an active relationship with the spiritual realm, do not become withdrawn from the mental or physical. Rather they become creative, often desiring to help others achieve better circumstances. They know we are all in varying stages of awakening to our true nature, which gives rise to compassion.  They love life and its diversity. They contribute to the greater good in some way. Think about those we call saintly: they were all social activists! It seems that a healthy balance of the three realms of Being, reveals our purpose.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

Making the World a Better Place

Dear friends,

Last Spring I watched a crew of painters begin the task of repainting our entire apartment complex. It was a huge undertaking. They had to tape off doors, power wash walls, set up scaffolding before they began to paint anything. It took months but every day they did a portion, setting up and taking down equipment. There were days when the weather prevented any work. It was an impressive example of patience and a ‘stick-to-it’ commitment.

There are thousands of generous people giving of their time to causes they support. While it would be natural to want to see immediate change coming from our efforts, it is unlikely that we will. Sometimes we have to realize we are engaged in long term work that will benefit those a generation or two down the road. Yes, there are some instantaneous results when we feed the hungry or offer a few dollars to someone in need, but the larger problem of wiping out lack of any kind will require re thinking how we are as a culture and how we do so many things.

Serving the higher idea is not always gratifying in the moment but we do it anyway.  It is rather like a teacher who instills a love of learning in a 7 year old. They may never see how that child progresses, but their faith in the work they do is sufficient. I think we get ‘burned out’ if we are seeking constant appreciation for our efforts or if we mistakenly think everything will suddenly get better. If you are involved with any group that desires to make the world a place that works for everyone, keep giving of your time, talents and treasure. You are making it happen. Someone in the future will notice and be grateful.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.caliorniafreepress.net

Life Is For Us and Never Against Us

Dear friends,

Thomas Merton said it, as did Jesus, Ernest Holmes, Emma Curtis Hopkins and many other wise spiritually aware people; “There is a hidden wholeness within all visible things.” It is this wholeness that heals the sick body, restores our mental well-being when things look the worst, gives us hope and new ideas. It is a kind of indestructible field, a matrix, made of intelligence and love that contains the soul of each one of us; the soul being the innate self, unlike any other, yet arising from the same Source. It seems that there are fields within fields, some cosmic, some atomic, some wavelike, some particulate. We are a both/and kind of version.

The wholeness within is potential, still a wave, ready to become the particular experience we desire. It is responsive to our most energized awareness. It does one thing and that is to make out of itself, a visible thing. This is what Holmes calls “God specializing just for us.”

It will be a grand and glorious day when science proves the reality of what the mystics have glimpsed, what our souls know to be true, what we have intuited but have, perhaps, made too local and limited. Science will take religion out of superstition and dogma into the realm of understanding how the universe and humanity are one something. It will change everything for the better. It is good to imagine what life be like when we deeply know that “Life is for us and never against us.” The new science is the best friend spirituality ever had.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

See also www.californiafreepress.net

Let's Create a World That Works for Everyone

Dear friends,

When we were kids, there were no leash laws. Dogs ran wild throughout the town. They were free to overturn trash cans, chase cats, rummage behind the local burger place. Once I was riding my bike to visit a friend. I was on my way up the long driveway that led to her house, when a big dog came running from the neighbors yard and bit me on the leg. I had to undergo a painful treatment and it took all summer for the wound to heal. The scar is still there. People complained when leash laws were passed, but some of us thought it was a good idea!

I guess my point is that personal experience greatly influences what we support or are against. “White privilege” is a kind of bubble that prevents its inhabitants from actually knowing what it is to be at risk in your own neighborhood. It does not keep us safe from sexual predators or bullies, (they exist everywhere) but we do not have a clue what being a visible target every day of our life is all about. We cannot know the anxiety of a young mother who has no choice but to send her little boy out into a world where he is considered inferior and not worth living, where her daughter is vulnerable to the worst kinds of taunts and attacks. If we are female, we have an inkling of what bigotry feels like, but it is not as intense on a daily basis as what, say, gay people experience.  

The common denominator is “straight white male.”   But even some of them are victims of prejudice if they are not on the team. The team is the intention to rid the world of brown people, to control and enslave women and to kill off homosexuals. Fortunately, those younger white men who were raised, for the most part by women, are not in that camp at all. They are the ones we have been waiting for. They are, along with our daughters, going to change the world. They will hold office and become leaders. They will denounce racism, sexism, homophobia and class distinction. They will create a world that works for everyone. Let’s support them in their quest for a seat at the table!

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspiritualivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

Many Leaves, One Root

Dear friends,

William Butler Yeats wrote “though the leaves are many, the root is one.”

When we read such lines do we automatically realize they are about us, or do we  assume it is merely a nice philosophical sentient? I was involved in New Thought for a year or so before I truly “got” that it was about me, about my personal experience on earth. At first it was intellectually exciting but I did not take it personally at the level it was meant to be taken.

We are leaves on a universal tree of life but also, the root being within, there are many “leaves” to us. We have roles we play, titles we assume, beliefs we defend, memories that operate as if they were happening now, relationships, a body that changes; perhaps thousands of self-identifying characteristics make up our perception of self, such as “I am creative, artistic, musical, funny, educated (or not). I am impatient, insecure etc. Literally, thousands of conclusions we have drawn about ourselves over a lifetime.

Yet, all the while, the root is there, deep within, supporting our growth, offering its sustenance, its love, its inexhaustible supply. The root of everything is within everything, where else could it be? That is the simple truth that could change the world for the better if we all knew it, believed it and acted as if it were so. There would be no need to beg, borrow or steal. So secure in the awareness that the Source is always available and accessible, forever giving of itself into the form we desire, we would be able to dance with all the leaves on the tree without fear of loss or harm, because we would be harmless ourselves.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

Open the Channels of Love

Dear friends,

One of the components of a prosperity consciousness is Appreciation of Value. Whenever I drive on interstate highways that meander through mountains and deserts, I think of the many workers who withstood the elements, blasting through those mighty rock formations to create a road. Imagine the dedication, the hard work, the sheer ingenuity to make something that helped us to be more connected. That is of great value.

The internet is another source of value for us. Yes, it has been misused by some, but it is of tremendous value to our world. Gratitude is what I feel when I can chat with my family who live far away so easily. Cell phones help us to feel safer in a fast paced world. There is so much of value for us in these modern times.

Praise is another aspect of a prosperity consciousness. What we praise tends to multiply, giving us more gratitude and more reasons to be grateful. Praise is a wonderful tonic for the body, too. It is a form of Love, as are gratitude and appreciation. When we praise anything we are infusing our mind with positive energy. You can feel the difference immediately between praise and condemnation or harsh criticism. The body is either in expansive or contracting mode. Energy is either moving (health) or blocked (dis-ease).

We are beginning to understand more deeply that we are energy organisms. We are consciousness revealed. Do we praise our body, our mind, our life? Do we see value in what we bring to the world?  Let’s begin again to build a greater prosperity consciousness. We might want to make a list of what we deem to be of value in our world. We might practice seeing only with eyes of praise. We could tell others what we appreciate about them and of course, let’s include ourselves. Prosperity is what we experience when we are open channels for Love to flow.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out California Free Press for interesting ideas on contemporary society

Doing Your Dharma

Dear friends,

In my role as minister of a small Center, I find myself shopping for kitchen and restroom supplies. No, this was not part of my training and I have led large Centers where other people took care of these kinds of things. But this is what is mine to do right now. Why resist? It does not lessen who I am but it is a small contribution to the well being of others.

I remember a story about Paramahansa Yogananda, at one time the beloved leader of an Ashram. One of his disciples, a young monk, was assigned kitchen duty. He scrubbed huge old pots and pans, peeled potatoes, sweated in the hot, steamy kitchen for months and months. Every so often he would go to Yogananda and complain. He would beg for a new assignment. Years went by and eventually he stopped complaining and learned to love the work. When he told Yogananda about his change of heart, the great guru said “Now you will work in the latrines.”

The lesson is always this one: be who you are no matter what you are doing. Be in service to a greater good and every task will be sacred. Be happy in the moment and you will find the center of love within. Decide that your job is to reveal your highest nature regardless of where you are or what is asked of you. “Whistle while you work.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

As Ram Dass said: "Do your dharma."

Do We Live in Two Universes?

Dear friends,

Although it is not advertised as such, the movie “Yesterday” is really about parallel universes. It is a look at what would happen if two nearly identical universes overlapped for some, how we would be able to see the possible future. Whether we would benefit from our insight would depend on a decision to act on what we knew or not.  It is a creative statement about how one or two choices can change the arc of our life completely. Not only our own life but the collective as well.

Imagine a world where Steve Jobs decided to be a lawyer, or Bill Gates became an insurance salesman. What would life be like if Einstein had stayed in his job at the patent office?   For that matter, what would your life be like if you had decided to follow your bliss some years back? Would your family have benefited? Would you be happier today? What if you changed your mind about being a victim? Would the trajectory of your future be different? Would it affect your health?

In a way we all live in two realities; the one we have created and the one that is still possible, the field of potential that is always humming along, right where we are. That other universe is as real as this one, just not particularized as yet. It is still in wave form, awaiting our call to become something through us. It is a wonderful system, this universe. It never gives up on us, as it were. This now moment is our reality. What shall we make of it?

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

Life Is For Us And Never Against Us

Dear friends,

The wisest amongst us, whether it be a Plato or your grandmother, all arrive at the same conclusion; Life is what we make it. Some, like Thomas Troward and Ernest Holmes have elaborated. They stated some version of ‘there is a mysterious force in the universe, behind it, actually, that responds to all sentient life by corresponding to its perception of reality and proving that Being to be right.’

Homes said “Life is for us and never against us.” Does this mean that Life (pure intelligence and love) has no skin in the game of how we live our individual experience? Is it true that this Life Force has no awareness of what it is creating by means of us? It would seem so; that by personifying itself as us, we have already received the highest gift. We are empowered to extend the act of Creation through our perceptions and personal take on Reality.

What an astonishing thing to realize! What we have been calling God is our constant co-creator. The kind of life we seek is ready to be made manifest through us, but we must provide the right atmosphere for it to emerge. The atmosphere of our consciousness is the deciding factor. Although the New Physics is moving in this direction of explaining how things happen, it will likely be some time before humans can accept that kind of Power. Our old religious ideas are in the way.   Could it be this simple; Change your God, change your life? I think so.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

Don't Be Foolishly Consistent

Dear friends,

Emerson said “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”  It is foolish to hold to an old idea that has been proven beyond a doubt to be false. Yet people do that all the time. What is it about humanity that refuses to change?   Adopting new ideas can be an infusion of new, life-giving energy. We get old when we hang on to the past, whether it is memories or religion or accolades. We are meant to grow, to evolve and that always begins with a change of mind.

Whatsoever we may have accomplished yesterday is nothing compared to our potential, at any age. The problem is thinking it has to be achieved by doing the same thing. Perhaps there are other ways for us to prosper and serve humanity. Doesn’t it seem as if our culture encourages us to wind down, to stop contributing, like putting an old horse out to pasture?

Spiritually, we do not age. We mature. We become wiser. We are, in our later years, prepared for a higher level of living than ever before. There is a wonderful news story about an older man, maybe 90 or so, who spends four hours a day bagging groceries. He refuses to take a break and he loves doing his job. He worked his entire life and has no need to stop now. The job itself is not how he serves humanity. It is in his exuberance, his joy in contributing, his refusal to be old that is so inspiring.

Let’s take a look at our own insistence on keeping things the same. Are we perhaps engaging in a foolish consistency? Could we benefit from some new ideas, some change of mind, some creative energy?

Affirm: “ I am growing up, not down. I am ageless, forever new. My Spirit is leading me into new ways of serving.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also check out www.californiafreepress.net

And then there is Ben Ferencz, 100 years old, who prosecuted the Nazi Einsatzgruppen for war crimes. He performs 100 push-ups each morning, swims in his retirement community pool, cares for his ailing wife at night. Otherwise, he works at his makeshift desk, cursing the computer. Living simply allowed him to save his money and make a $1 million contribution to the Holocaust Museum!

The Truth Must Reveal Itself

Dear friends,

There is a wire basket shaped like a rooster sitting on top of my refrigerator. It holds onions and avocados. Yesterday when I closed the refrigerator door, Mr. Rooster fell from his perch and landed on the top of my head. Ouch!   He has some pointy parts. Today I have a little bump and a sore spot to remind me to make sure he hasn’t moved closer to the edge. (There really is no other place to put him.) Naturally I found a metaphysical message in the experience.

Things happen in life that hurt. Sometimes we are the cause of them and at other times we seemed to be in the wrong place at the right time. They can leave a tender place in our mind and heart. They can also be our teachers if we decide to use them as instructions for how to do something better next time or how to NOT react. It is not useful to merely feel the pain again and again.

Healing something means getting the good out of it and letting it go. The same can be said of anything that is causing us pain right now. Explore the deeper meaning involved. We could very well detect a pattern in our own thinking, coming from a long ago hurt that needs to be updated. We want to be current in our thinking on all levels, conscious and subconscious.

Take any limiting situation and declare the very opposite to be true right now (spiritually, it is!) Say it loud and say it often. There will be a noticeable shift in how you feel. Keep it up until there is no room in your mind for any other kind of thought about the circumstance. You are stating the truth and it must reveal itself.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

Let New Ideas Emerge

Dear friends,

Everything has its opposite, like two sides of the same coin. As Ernest Holmes wrote “where pain seems to operate, the Presence of God exists.” When anger is the current energy, there is peace just waiting to be expressed. Where sadness is prevalent, joy is standing by. This is true of all limiting thoughts, as well. There is a truth about any situation that can be known in the moment, if we choose to see it. Prosperity exists in the midst of poverty. Health is behind illness. That is the purpose of an affirmation; to give the mind a better idea to work with in the moment.

The juxtaposition of opposites can be the stuff of poetry and art. During World War II some soldiers wrote home about the beauty of the French countryside while bombs were dropping nearby. The birds sang and the bees buzzed while humans destroyed each other. Unlike birds and bees, humans act on ideas. The idea can be wrong-headed but a better idea is always available. It takes a mind that is somewhat quiet to hear it, however. There needs to be some space in the mind for a new idea to emerge from the depth of our own consciousness.

The easiest way to slow the thought processes is by daily meditation. Just sitting still and allowing the thoughts to relax, gives us a chance to see things in a new way. The limiting idea is taking up the space where our hearts desire could be activated. Let’s give ourselves a little mind vacation. Let’s pretend we have no limiting beliefs. What kind of thoughts would we have instead? Think those! Let’s declare the truth; ‘there is nothing opposing my Good.’  

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

All Is Well With Us

Dear friends,   

Here is a metaphysical question, just a little something to think about. If we are all One, (and we are) then doesn’t it make sense that what you want for someone else is actually what you want for yourself? That is why Jesus said to love your enemies. We wish for those who are bringing unrest and ugliness into this world, that they awaken to their true nature and act accordingly. Isn’t that what we want for ourselves, too?

There are people in everyone’s life who want to do us harm. It can be a mild envy or raging jealousy or serious sabotage. But they are simply our own demons rising to the surface so we can love them into submission. That means to heal ourselves of anything in us that looks like what we do not like in them! This does not mean we would do the same things, but perhaps it is an old resentment against a long ago person that is still active in us; and so we see it played out once again.

What we fight against will stay with us until we let it be and love it for the good it has brought to us in terms of self-awareness. And so we affirm for those who serve as our detractors: “You are free to leave me with your heart healed and your mind clarified. Thank you for playing your part in my awakening. All is well with us.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Take a look at www.californiafreepress.net

Let Go of Victimhood

Dear friends,

A wounded animal is dangerous. In survival mode, it will attack whatever appears to be a threat, which would be anything in close proximity.  Unhealed people are like that, too. The wounds of childhood that have never been attended will be the leading energy in almost every encounter. In order to alleviate the suppressed emotional pain, some folks will get it out of their bodies by heaping it on anyone in authority. They will find other unhealed adults to conspire with them. Some of these people rise to great heights of military leadership or political success. They can always gather a crowd because there are so many wounded animals out there posing as regular people.

If this were not true, there would be no therapists or psychologists in business. Transpersonal psychology is very effective, in that it begins with the premise of wholeness as the core of everyone, regardless of past experience.   New Thought spirituality holds the same perspective. Perhaps that is why we attract so many unhealed people. The promise of wholeness is very alluring, but the realization of it will not come merely by hearing the minister speak of it.

We believe that each person is a matrix of wholeness that cannot be damaged nor diminished by experience. To get back to that core requires letting go of a self- image of victimhood. It takes a decision to release the false sense of self and embrace the real. It takes work. It takes focus and diligence. It takes some courage. The power to heal by using the techniques of New Thought is in these words: “Who you are is greater than any experience you have ever had or will have. The real you is perfectly intact as unbounded potential. You can retrieve that self through spiritual practice and spiritual education. You can do it.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

The World in Our Phone

Dear friends,

 Emerson wrote this 50 years before the invention of radio:

“I think sometimes, if only I could have music on my own terms, could I live in a great city and know I could go wherever I wished the ablution and inundation of musical waves….. that were a bath and a medicine.”

Imagine Emerson today walking through his city with ear buds in place listening to a great piece of music.   Sometimes I am suddenly struck with the awareness that I am talking on my phone to someone in another country, while I walk to my car. We become so accustomed to the evolution of ideas and their manifestation that what Emerson thought would be an extraordinary gift is mundane to us.  

How do these innovations change us? Here we are, flesh and blood beings with access to a world of electronics that extend our reach into the world. Are we any more connected than previous generations? Of course we are. What do we do with this new power? If we have no love for humanity, no faith in our capacity for peace, our connection will only emphasize our bigotry, our mistrust, our prejudices. We see that sort of thing all the time on social media; the field we share being tainted with dark energy.

These things we call gadgets are not conveniences, they are portable power. Let’ make good use of them. Let’s send out some praise, some appreciation, some love. There are ways to express our desire for change that uplifts and encourages connection. Let’s be mindful of our part in the great awakening. Are we promoting or postponing it? Is connection the new spiritual practice?

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Also see www.califforniafreepress.net

Be Still, and Know That I Am God (Psalm 46:10)

Dear friends,

Emerson interpreted this old saying “God comes to see us without bell” as meaning there is no wall, barrier or separation of any kind between God and us. God being that Spirit of Aliveness, that pure Intelligence and Perfect love. Always present and always accessible. We are the ones who have put the distance between us.

Emerson explained it this way “when it breathes through your intellect, it is genius. When it breathes through your will, it is virtue. When it flows into your affections, it is Love.”  The sense here is that we ALLOW it to breathe through us by responding rather than reacting to outer stimuli. That requires us to be somewhat stable in the first place. Reactive people are not quiet on the inside. They are jumpy and indeed, are the ones who jump to conclusions. It is like trying to sail through choppy waters without a rudder or a sail.

A daily practice of silence and communing with our Source, which is sitting in the Presence, goes a long way to keeping this “Life Boat” on an even keel. Our best practice is doing nothing on a regular basis. That is a most effective use of mind, allowing glimpses of our true colors to emerge through all those ego-generated reactions.

Summer is a good metaphor for relaxation; getting away from it all; being with Nature. Well, you can’t find a better traveling companion than God. Allow Its presence to reveal itself to you. Let go of how you see things and allow your sight to clarify.

Affirm: “My mind is naturally attuned to silence. I let myself sit still in the Presence of my Source.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

Release All Ideas of Lack or Limitation

Dear friends,

Ernest Holmes was a man small in stature but with a huge presence. He was the spiritual mentor to thousands of eager students in the 20^th century. They were movie stars, musicians, politicians, philanthropists and people like us. He brought the secret of the ancients into modern language and gave it a practical application. He called it the Science of Mind. Transcendent of old-time religion, it is a reinterpretation of the scriptures of many traditions, but is not a blend of them. He picked up the thread of truth and followed it from ancient writings to modern science. Then he made it into something anyone could understand and practice.

The basic premise is: you are an expression of pure Intelligence and Absolute Love. In perfect right relationship, they produce universes and everything in them. They become what they make and continue to create through what they have made. That would be you and me. He stressed our perception as key to what Intelligence and Love could produce by means of us. Nothing higher or lower than our most energized perceptions would be revealed. This is the ingenious way of guaranteeing individuality and evolution of the collective.

It is highly observable that our expectations tend to come into our experience. Our expectations are almost exclusively based on our self image. Who we think we are is the underlying cause of our experience. It is changeable at any time. Human beings have proven that time and time again. They shift from seeing themselves as a victim of others or circumstance, to a Being worthy of a prosperous and vitalized life. It has been said ‘what you think of me is none of my business’ but it is better stated “what I think of me is everything”.

Affirm: “I release all ideas of limitation from my sense of self. I am brand new right now.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

The Age of Unity

Dear friends, 

Chaos needs order underlying it to exist. The appearance of separate types of Beings dances on the field of oneness. We live in a universe of sublime order, out of which everything comes forward. At the human level of life, change is possible, but only due to the changeless power within. Religion may have been an unconscious attempt to reconnect with that changeless power. We made the mistake of thinking it was not resident in ourselves. Seeking elsewhere for anything of value is foolish, and we all do it. Is it a game set in motion by pure intelligence, just for the fun of it? Are we playing our part in a cosmic relief from boredom?

Are we at the end of that particular game? It would seem so. Humanity is no longer as enchanted with fighting wars as it once was. There is a groundswell of youth who are not convinced that killing each other gains anything. They want more than peace, a cessation of violence. They want an end to the superstitious ideas that make violence acceptable. They want respect for difference, love of diversity, care for the planet, interaction with the universe. In short, they want (albeit without knowing it themselves) a consciousness of our oneness to be the ground of all the decisions we make.

We have had the Bronze age, the Ice age, the Stone age and so forth. Now we are in the Age of Unity and it is an absolute necessity if we are to survive and thrive. We must begin right where we are. Insist on seeing through the appearance of anything, back to the power that is the same in everything and every Being. It is the Power that makes all things new. Each of us must decide to play at that level of awareness. It may be the most effective spiritual practice of all.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Be Yourself. Be Free. Be Authentic.

Dear friends,

There is something about the arrival of summer that kicks up memories of our childhood. Remember the sense of freedom on the last day of school? When that final bell rang we charged out the door as if we were released from prison. Back then we had three whole months of no homework; entire days to take off on our bikes and discover the world. Summer meant freedom! Our mothers, for the most part did not work outside the home, so there was always someone aware of us, issuing instructions. But once we were flying on our Schwinns, they were forgotten.

Most of us have not had that kind of freedom since, perhaps, the summer of 6^th grade. Once we got into junior high, things got complicated with the energies of puberty; the formation of cliques; the more serious studies. We longed to be popular but never thought about why that was important. We began our quest to be seen and known and liked and desired. Those are the makings of an inner prison. We can never be fully ourselves if we are seeking approval from others.  

Spiritually, we are advised to be authentic; to never compromise our values; to stand for what we know to be true for us. But we have little training from childhood to do that. So invested were we in being accepted, we learned to act our way through life, rather than to reveal our true self, flaws and all. We were not allowed to have flaws. In today’s world there is what seems to be a movement to find and expose everyone’s worst traits!

Are we seeking authenticity? Or are we as superficial as we were in 8^th grade? Sometimes it seems as if nothing has changed. Of course much has, but underneath it all, we are still the kids of summer, wanting to feel the magic of unstructured days again, the freedom to be ourselves without being graded by anyone.

Affirm: “I am brand new right now. I am free to be who I really am. I love myself!”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

The Energy of "Yes"

Dear friends,

Emerson; “we are to know that we are never without a pilot. When we know not how to steer and dare not hoist a sail, we can drift; the current knows the way, though we do not.”

There are times when we must trust the Rest of Us, the Best of Us, the Not Yet Expressed of Us to carry us forward. We can be at a loss as to what is the right direction to take but there is a higher nature within that always knows. There is a tendency of the soul to follow its own bliss, to do the right thing. That is the current that is our natural path. There is an old saying “when in doubt, do nothing.”

We will always get moving again but we want to be motivated by inner conviction, by emotional stability, by a sense of rightness. That comes after a time of non-action, reflection and trust. We trust that our answer must surely arise in our midst, that life is for us and never against us; that the stream of power that animates all life is flowing through us, available for our use. Power comes through us on the energy of “YES.”   But don’t jump to conclusions. Rest in your own potential in daily silence. The wisdom of the soul will rise and inform, guide and direct. You will know and know that you know.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersffield.com

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Embrace the Next Wonderful Opportunity

Dear friends,

Sometimes the most simple wisdom is the most powerful. Here is a good example: you have to give up what you don’t want in order to have what you do want.  

That makes perfect sense and yet, it is often hard to do. Reasons of security are the usual culprits. We can’t imagine what we would do if we said no without a clear plan for what would come next! It is said that *Ernest Holmes’ favorite question was “what next?” He was not afraid of change, of letting go, of venturing into new opportunities.   Perhaps the key is to perceive our current frustration as opportunity rather than loss.

Humans are meant to grow and change. Personal development is part of the overall evolution of our species. We have created a culture that encourages security over discovery. There is nothing wrong with a needing little security but when it inhibits our natural need to expand our expression, it is not our friend. It is the sense of being locked in a situation that is the problem. This is an issue of perception and can be changed.

Daily affirm: “I am free. My Source is the boundless giving-ness behind this universe. My security is in my own mind. I release everything that is not for my greatest good. I trust my own soul to lead, guide and direct me. I am available to embrace the next wonderful opportunity.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

*Ernest Holmes was the author of The Science of Mind and founder of a New Thought movement

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What Are You Passionate About?

Dear friends,

For the most part, very successful business people did not set out to make money. That was not their primary goal. They had something, a product or an idea they wanted to give the world. Their enthusiasm carried them through the beginning times when there was ebb and flow of supply. Their passion for what they had to share with the world was the necessary energy to help them keep on keeping on, as they say.

I knew a man who owned a famous chain of restaurants. He started by thinking he made the best hamburger anybody ever ate. He began to sell them from a small stand near the beach. That was the beginning. People were lined up to get his burgers and soon he opened a real store where they could sit and enjoy his product. That led to a second location and a third, and he became one of the countries most successful restaurant owners.

The lesson is that love, enthusiasm, passion and a belief in one’s ability to grow with the business, can lead to either sudden or slowly unfolding success, or both! The key ingredients are within us, not attainable in any other way than to claim them, develop them and express them. What we want is the joy of creating something other people would love to add to their life. I feel that way about ministry in New Thought. My aim is to share this life-affirming teaching with the whole world. My passion for it has never dimmed and I know it never will. What are you passionate about? Can you find a way to share it today? That’s the first step. Who knows where it could take you?

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check Out California Free Press

Bubble Up Spirituality

Dear friends,

You have heard of trickle down economics. Well, spirituality is bubble up awareness. We have stored within our very Being, all the wonderful qualities of Spirit that turn themselves into every human experience. We have Love and Joy, Peace and Creativity, Vitality and Supply.  Like all   potentials, they remain dormant until we activate them. How do we do that, if not by claiming them, and expressing them? Put “I am” in front of any of those words that represent the quality we wish to see fully absorbed in our life, and watch what happens.

From within, the energy of Love, for instance, will bubble up. If we allow it, we will be moved into action. The same is true for Peace or Joy. They are each a trait of Being that everyone has in equal measure. In other words, all of it! The seeming difference in experience has only to do with how much we let ourselves reveal the trait. Love begets love. Peace gives rise to peace. Joy is contagious. Supply fills the place where it has a use. Vitality becomes the energy of our involvement with life. Creative ideas rise up as we trust the process.

The great realization is that there is nothing to get out of life, but everything to give into it, thereby fulfilling our desires. We have had it backwards for so long, it seems unbelievable that it could be so simple. How hard we have made life for ourselves. How sad it is to think God would be somewhere other than within. How quickly we gave up our power. How available it has always been. How perfect this moment is now. We are waking up. We are almost there.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Checkout www.califforniafreepress.net for some diverse views on the passing scene.

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Dear friends,

What is your happiness quotient today? Are you waiting for something to happen or change before retrieving your most natural state of mind? Happiness is a state of mind although most of us associate it with emotions triggered by pleasing events. Until they re treated too harshly or become confused, children are naturally happy beings. We call that innocence and assume it is lost once we have lived in this world for some time.

What does it mean to be innocent spiritually? Would it not be welcoming each day as if it were a new beginning, an adventure to be discovered? Would it be the assumption that all is well and that things work themselves out for the greater good? Is innocence a kind of trust in the invisible realm of Cause? When seen in this way, we might realize it is something we can cultivate or, better said, retrieve.

If you don’t believe happiness is still in, just watch how you react to what you consider “good news.” You will feel happy! But where is that stored? Do you really think the other person or event gives it to you? No, it is dormant and activated by us liking what we see. Why not find things to like even when we are going through some challenges? Why not be happy about being alive no matter what our bank account is, or our current state of relationships, or our health?   Do we believe that being happy anyway will deter us from solving problems? Not so.

HH the Dalai Lama once said “happy people do not cause problems, they solve them.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Take a look at www.californiafreepress.net

Time's Relativity

Dear friends,

You may have noticed how time slows down or speeds up according to how we perceive ourselves in the moment. It seems there is not enough of it when we are under a deadline and feel inadequate to complete a project. Time is like a slow moving stream of honey if we are waiting for something wonderful to begin. Einstein famously said, "2 minutes feels like an eternity if you are sitting on a hot stove; but it is no time at all in the arms of your lover.” How we interact with the moment is what gives us our personal experience of passing time.

The irony is that time does not pass. We pass from one piece of awareness to the next and the next and the next. It is we who create time by our internal reaction to stimuli. It has been said there is no such thing as time, but it is an experience of being here in this dimension.

One could also say there is no such thing as love but we do experience love in its many variations, in exactly the same way we experience time. We respond or react to something according to our internal state of mind. If we feel one with someone we are “in love” with them at that moment, in the field of love, for the duration of our experience of oneness. When the perception of separateness takes over, we “fall out of love.” We may still love that person but we are not “in love.” Living happily with a separate human being over a long period of time is what mature love is all about.

Let’s seize the moment and fill it with love!

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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Going on Holiday

Dear friends,

Starting tomorrow I will be off on holiday and will not be sending my daily message until the 15^th. Originally, when this trip was planned, I thought to take my laptop and to write from beautiful Kona, Hawaii. However, I realized how good it would be to have a few days “unplugged” as it were.

My grown children and I will be “going home” to the place that holds our hearts. They grew up on the Big Island and so did I, in a way. I was a single mom there, not terribly equipped for the job, either. Their childhood was a bit unstable but they also had the freedom that only island kids in the early 70’s had. I know it served their own evolution. I learned to meditate there, found New Thought spirituality shortly thereafter, began my studies and generally was launched into my own future there. It is my spiritual home. 

Everyone has one, a spiritual home, and it is not really a place. It is within us. Sometimes we are so tied to artificial intelligence we forget where to find our own. Reconnecting with myself is the idea behind being unplugged. We can do it right where we are if we decide it is something we need. I am so grateful for my wonderful children who are delightful companions on this life trip and who I know will provide us with many hilarious moments on this time together in our “laughing place.” I bet there will be much to write about on my return.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfieldcom

Also see www.californiafreepress.net

The Authenticity of Being Yourself

Dear friends,

We are happiest when we are being ourselves. What else could we possibly be, some might ask. Oh, there are thousands of personas we could adopt to please others, to keep a job, to sustain a relationship that is not really sustainable.   We are very good at pretending to be what “they” think we should be. Over time, however, our heart, our soul, cries out for authenticity. That still small voice becomes loud and insistent. Our true self longs to be seen and known for who we really are.

Having said all that, there is nothing wrong about trying to fit in or please people;   it’s just that if we do not have some outlet for what our inner self needs, we will slowly shut down and become tired, bored and possibly angry, or maybe just cranky or sour on life. Those folks who tend to be optimistic are the ones who find some way to express their whole self.

It can be a matter of balance. Keep the job but bring something of yourself to it. Give of your time where it is needed. Learn something that can become a hobby. I know someone in her sixties who is the leader of an organization with lots of responsibilities. In her free time, she is a tap dancer. She actually performs with a small troupe at various venues. This kind of outlet gives the soul a chance to reveal itself. It is all too easy to get locked in a mental and emotional cage, thinking we have no way out. It is never true. There is some part of all of us that is lying dormant within us. Give it something to do and see how real you can be.

Affirm: “I am seen and known for who I really am.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforsp;irituallivingbakersfield.com

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Speaking the Truth

Dear friends,

Language forms our world view. The Inuit people have many, many words for snow because they live in it almost exclusively. They must interact with it, use it, build on it and deal with the effects it has on their experience. In Hawaii, the word Aloha means many things; hello, goodbye, welcome, love, good will and more. Ohana means family but it is about the extended family of the whole community.

English is a language about the objective world. Everything has a name and is considered a “thing.” Other languages reflect the cultural beliefs that all “things” are alive and conscious such as some of the First Nations people believe. For example, referring to a deer or bear as your “brother” creates a completely different relationship to them than “prey” might. Nature as the “Mother” incites respect and wonder, not dominion and ownership.

Let’s watch the words we use today. Let’s see if we can identify our world view within our choices. Do we sprinkle our conversations with “they and them” or are we learning that in all things “we” is more appropriate? It is WE who are creating the world we live in and it is a reflection of how we talk about life, God, each other, Nature and possibility.   Someone said “the God you believe in is your choice for the kind of world you want to live in.” That is the start of it all.

New Thought spirituality is its own language; it speaks of oneness with our Source; that it is within us, one and all. It tells a story of unconditional love and personal power. It is an inner narrative that enlivens our creative mind and heals our broken hearts. It is the language of inclusivity and equality. “First came the Word. And the Word was made manifest.” Let’s speak our Truth loudly and clearly.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes   www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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We Get to Decide What Our Mind Entertains

Dear friends,

Good things are coming to you today. Why not believe that? Why think otherwise? Our fear of the not-yet-known causes us to think the worst. It might be the ego mind’s way of preparing for the perceived blow, to not be surprised by it. It is a bad habit that can be changed with a little discipline. We have to decide what to allow our mind to entertain. That means we need to shift from local mind perspective to non-local mind. We do that in 21^st century prayer.

When we start from the premise of One Power present in us right here and now; one life being all life; one pure intelligence and absolute love; one source of everything, pressing to express all its qualities through us, we have begun to enter the realm of boundless potential. Every one of us is an inhabitant of that field of all possibilities. We rarely give it much to do beyond survival needs. But it is forever awaiting the call to greatness, to lavish abundance, to joyful relationships, to vital health.  

Our local mind cannot go there. It is by nature set up to keep us in this time/space reality with its perceived limitations. But once we have glimpsed the spiritual truth about ourselves, we have dominion over that local mind with its tendency to think small. Now it is our responsibility to declare our freedom from lack, from disease, from fear, from limitation. Now we change the trajectory of our lives by making this fundamental adjustment in our perception. God is trying to give us our hearts desire. It is only we ourselves who can prevent its progression from idea to actual experience.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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Collective Consciousness is Changing Its Mind

Dear friends,

Emerson observed that the microscope cannot find any life form that is less perfect for being little. Every particle of life is a representation of the universal substance our of which we all draw our individuality. We are all the same stuff, as it were. The elephant and the flea, humans and worms are all a version of One Life, the animating force we have named God. The problem with naming things is they become separate from us in perception. That is a useful tool in the time/space dimension but also one that is fraught with danger.

If we do not understand our initial oneness, difference may seem like a threat. We become territorial and tribal with a made up list of why we are superior to the “others.” Racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism etc. are born of fear. It is a Spiritual problem with a spiritual solution. The problem has been religion without science, giving rise to beliefs that all things, including God, are separate from each other.

Modern New Thought spirituality embraces the new science that is indicating One Something Being All. In the years to come we will see this clearly proven. It will cause huge shifts in our perception of who we are, but first it will cause tremendous resistance. People desperately want to hold on to their perceived superiority because it is equal to Power. We are seeing some of that now as those who once were minorities rise in stature and accomplishment proving the old ideas to be very wrong. It is a tumultuous time, but it always is when collective consciousness changes its mind.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

Check out www.californiafreepress.net

My Life is a Joy

Dear friends,

During the month of May at our Center, we have been exploring the stories we live from in the important aspects of life. We have a money story, a trust story, a love story, and most important, an I am story. We are the main character in each and the plot line is evident in the circumstances of our lives. We reveal our story without knowing we are doing it. If we are not completely pleased with how things are for us, we might need to tell a new story. One way is to reframe the old story and make it a gift. Often, the hardest parts of the past turn out to be the impetus some necessary growth.

First of all, we need to rewrite our part . He or she leaves the victim role and becomes the (s)hero, not in a battle for survival but in an unfolding adventure of discovery and joy. Changing the I am story is the most powerful way to change the entire script of our lives. The other stories, money, love, trust, come out of that original description of who we are.

 Here are some New Thought ideas to adopt, and they are all true.

“Life is forever attempting to pour out a blessing by means of me.”

“I am the way Life reveals its vitality and intelligence. My body is the visible evidence of that ongoing activity.”

“I am the recipient of lavish abundance from the demand I make upon the Source.”

“My life is a joy to live and a joy to behold.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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Everything We Do is About Who We Are

Dear friends,

Eric Butterworth, the author of Spiritual Economics wrote about the “divine pattern” in each of us. He was referencing the key ingredient that leads to our personal success in life. He said, in effect, we can only truly discover that pattern when we are in service. Our job, our career, can be performed as a service with a few adjustments to our thinking. We may have unconsciously accepted the notion that we do what we do for a paycheck. That can keep us in a kind of “running in place” mode.

The spiritual principle is that our supply comes from our invisible Supplier known as Flow. It is constant and comes through the one who is cheerfully expectant. Our work is merely one of many vehicles through which supply may flow. It is perhaps a subtle shift, but one worth making. We are working to give, period! We work to express our wholeness. We work to bring some good into the lives of those who participate in our efforts. That could be anything from eating the food we prepare to the house we sell them and beyond.

If we can see what we do as a service to humanity, extended by means of our “customers” then we will be more open to the expansion of ideas that lead to ever greater service (which in turn lead to ever greater profits). Ask this question of yourself. If I were financially wealthy, would I still do this work and how differently would I do it? Would I bring more fun and joy into it? Would I teach someone else how to do it? If I knew I were not “dependent” on this paycheck for my supply what would I be thinking about my job? This is merely a little inventory of our relationship to the success pattern in us. Sometimes we can forget it is real if we are so wrapped up in the accepted meme; that work is what we do but has nothing to do with who we are. Let’s let that meme go. Everything we do is about who we are.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com Donate!

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Do You Believe?

Dear friends,

Are you fascinated with psychic healers? It is easy to dismiss them all as fraudulent, yet there are people who have experienced complete healing from serious injuries or illnesses at their hands. I just read a book about the phenomenon and the final conclusion of the author and even some of the healers is that the placebo effect may be in play. Some of the psychic surgeons said they only pretend to remove actual tissue and/or diseased organs but it is the patients belief that does the actual work.

For Christian students it might be recalled that Jesus only asked one question of the leper, the crippled, the diseased, before he performed the “miracle.”   It was, “do you believe?” The overriding lesson from each of the healers was the importance of the patients faith in the healer, or faith in God working through the healer, or some kind of conviction that they would be healed.

Modern physicians, practitioners of allopathic medicine, will also agree that the attitude of the patient is of great importance in the efficacy of the treatment. If one believes in it, the results are usually more favorable than if the patient is not convinced it will help. There is too much evidence of the power of our personal mind to have physical effects to dismiss its role in our health. Long term stress will cause internal dis-ease, which can become an actual disease.

“My body is a vitalized center of Love and Intelligence!”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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Think About the Good, the True and the Beautiful

Dear friends,

When I look out the window and see the soft rain falling, the trees billowing in the breeze, hear the birds singing their morning song, it is almost impossible to think of Earth as a tiny speck in an infinite universe. My mind, like yours, is naturally attuned to what is very local, what is right in front of me. It is a useful tool in survival, knowing what is going on around us in the moment. But the mind has another capacity, the non-local field of imagination.

It is also a useful tool in the creative process. We access ideas in that field and do our part in bringing them into form and experience. An artist is very familiar with that process. Most of us under-utilize it, to say the least. We plan dinner, think about tomorrows tasks, but rarely go into the “What if?” mode of true imagination. In today’s world, which is ripe for a huge transformation, we ought to be giving some real time to what is possible for our shared experience.

Can we imagine a world without war and violence? Do we think humans are good and kind at the core? Do we believe in freedom and justice for all? Everything we now know as our reality came from the human mind. Unfortunately, we only accessed very local ideas to create this current world. We believed in lack and disease; in evil and pestilence; in superior and inferior. We bought into the superstitious model of the universe and the results are on the news.

Can we give some of our attention to the Good, the True and the Beautiful? Will we dedicate part of our thinking to our shared future? Are we available to those universal ideas that are trying to come through us?   “God” is not a person who wants to punish us for past mistakes. It is a Power that has one function; to bring forth our most energized beliefs.

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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Talent Will Manifest

Dear friends,

Last evening we went to a local Little Theatre production of
As You Like it.”   So many words and eloquent speeches! I wondered, who taught Shakespeare to write? For that matter, who taught Einstein to think so independently of his peers? Who taught Sinatra to sing and how did Walt Disney learn to imagine and execute his ideas?

We humans are born with intact talents and affinities. We lean in one direction or another. Our gifts are either nurtured by our upbringing or they are not. Either way, they will find a way into our life. My mother was one of the most creative people I have ever met. Offered a job in Kansas city, drawing for a newspaper, her parents would not allow her to venture out into the big world. She could draw, paint, design clothes and make them; hang wallpaper, fix appliances, put up art and pictures without measuring, bake like a professional and decorate cakes with amazing skills. Although she never found an outlet for her talents outside of the home, she used them every day. Holidays at our house were like a trip to Disneyland. No one taught her how to do any of it. She was born with those talents. We all have some natural gifts. They are stored in the soul.

Our talents do not always generate income, but they can be used to generate beauty or warmth or ease for others. Our natural gifts can find a place if we are willing to give them. What comes easily to us could be the answer to someone’s prayer. Let’s find a way to share the wealth. Participate in life in a new way.   Maybe you have been keeping your talents a secret?

The contents of our soul belong to the world. That is why we have our gifts, to release them into our shared experience. Otherwise, what purpose do they serve?

Affirm: “ I am grateful for my natural talents. I release them into circulation with ease and joy.”

Stay tuned in,

Carol Carnes www.centerforspirituallivingbakersfield.com

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