There is always an open channel to the soul, so said Saul Bellow. No matter how awful things appear to be, how much despair we may be in, there is a way in to the place of power and peace. The mind is the doorway into the deeper self. It is by giving up thinking about the problems and turning instead to the origins of awareness that we find it.
Before anything was added on to our self-identity, we knew we ourselves were an open channel for the revealing of our Source. We knew that our individual expression was what the universe needed to continue to unfold. Consciousness on the move is what drives the whole thing. Imagine what we could do collectively if we agreed on something, were for something and gave it expression.
First we have to separate our sense of self from what seems to be missing in the world. We have to know that the soul is more than peaceful, it is powerful. It is where the power resides as our potential. It is the same for all of us. No one has a more powerful soul than another. What makes the difference is how aware we are of that deeper self and how to access it. The vehicle is meditation or silence. Solitude is essential to our well-being, but it is always a choice.
Emerson: “the sum of life ought to be valuable when the fractions and particles are so sweet.”
All the minute aspects of life that make up the human experience are sweet indeed; such as love and laughter, dancing and singing, friendship and caring, a baby's smile, rainbows and starlight. These are just a tiny example of the gifts of life that we all experience. The interconnection of all sentient beings, from the insects underground at work on our behalf, to the invisible forces like gravity that make it possible for us to be here; our appreciation ought to be profound.
But no, we kill life with impunity. Pesticides, chemicals, war, violence, hunger, poverty, weaponry, the seeming disregard for future generations, all point to an ignorance of how perfectly nature is designed to thrive if we would but interact with her with respect and gratitude. We have become arrogant and willfully destructive. Not all of us, of course, but to the extent that we do nothing to help real change happen, we are somewhat culpable.
Our vision for humanity must include forgiveness for ourselves and everyone else for the misunderstanding of Reality that has allowed us to behave so unconsciously. Our perception of our place in the universe has to change. We are of it, not merely observers of it. We are part of an incredible intention to know and experience Love in physical form. Our life is one way that can happen.
There is a God but it is nothing like the one we made up, in our image and likeness. God is everything that lives. Not merely in it, but IS it. It is boundless potential and immediate power. It is always accessible. Like right now. Imagine a world where that was common sense. What would we be doing together?
Everything changes for the better when we come to the realization that life is a revealing, not a happening outside of us. But what is being revealed if not our version of God? Our individualized use of pure intelligence and absolute love? Of course we are referring to God as a universal presence, not a person far off in the sky. It is consciousness without form but it takes form as us and continues to take form by means of us. What a system! Can you think of a better way to run a universe?
If we could keep in mind that simple principle, we would be much happier and more creative people. The Power that makes all things new is ever present and always available to do our bidding. We call it forth with two words “I am.” Those are the magic words that direct the power into full manifestation. I am love in relationships. I am joy in every moment. I am prosperous mind. I am grateful and praising. I am living a life of ease and pleasure. I am helping to make the world a better lace for all. I am engaged in perfect work to reveal my own souls purpose.
Think about all the add -ons that you announce as “I am” throughout your day. Most of them will be negative or limiting. I am bored. I am broke. I am angry. I am not enough. I am hating this job. I am not in my right place. Turn them around into positive declarative statements. You can do it. It just takes being aware of what you are allowing your mind to entertain. Stop the train of thought and give it something good to think about. Love yourself and say it out loud! I love being me! I love this life I am living!
On the grounds of this apartment complex there are some of the largest and fullest trees I have ever seen. They are thick with foliage, towering over the buildings. I know that in a few weeks they will begin to shed their leaves. It is hard to believe, looking at them now, that they will soon stand bare and stark against the winter sky. Come December it will be even harder to imagine they will become lush with greenery in the Spring. I admire those trees for their non-resistance to the changes they must experience. They do so with apparent trust in the unseen power of Nature.
I don’t know very many people like that. We resist everything that seems to threaten the status quo, even when the status quo is limiting our experience. Are we so afraid of change because of a deeper fear of our own demise? Is that why we see wrinkles as some kind of indication that we have failed in living well? Isn’t it strange that a species would actually create an industry called Anti-Aging when aging is as natural as birthing. We come in and we go out. While we are here we might want to heed the words of Helen Keller, who knew something about non resistance to Life. Blind and deaf, she became an icon of how to live well.
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole, experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
We are still working out the kinks in our live streaming venture but you can watch my last talk on You Tube 9/29 Center for spiritual living Bakersfield.
Have we, as a people, normalized violence? Do we no longer see it as an aberration? Have we come to expect the worst kind of behaviors in each other? Is that why we are so suspicious, so wary, so fearful? The mistaken belief that humans are inherently evil acts as cause to the way we live together, the world we make.
I wonder if we can’t trace it back to the belief in two universal Powers; Good and Evil; God and Satan. Those metaphors are not to be taken as reality, and yet we have done just that. Those of us who believe that humans are inherently Good, that our natural tendency is to love, to praise, to celebrate this life together, are seen as Pollyanna-ish and naïve.
While we accept the facts as manifestations of awareness, we believe that we are, at any point in time, perfectly capable of taking a leap in awareness that would act as cause to a whole new way of being and doing. This is the time we are living in, right now. Millions of us have left superstitious religion behind, and yet, some have not yet accepted our true origins. We are born from a field of pure intelligence and Love. That Field is conscious, in ways that are hard for us to grasp, but we know that we are conscious and it follows that we came from consciousness. What would intelligence and love be conscious of?
Let’s make a real effort today to see through the appearances of evil and into the heart of the one ignorant of their true potential. Can we keep the vision of a world that is made for love and joy alive? Change will only come from a changed perception and of course, like everything does, it begins with us.
“When we understand, we cannot help but love” Thich Nhat Hahn
In this sense Love is compassion and a sense of being one with. When we know the motivation behind behaviors, we can see through the act to the person who is in some kind of emotional pain. The pain may be masking as anger, or outrage, or fear but there is always a limiting perception behind violence of any kind. Humans simply do not lash out unless they believe that is their best option to either get their good or ease their pain. This is not about excusing the act, it is knowing that person is redeemable.
We live in a world of crime and punishment, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Forgiveness and compassion are feminine responses that have proven to be as, or more effective in rehabilitation than punishment by itself. In our personal lives, we often keep people in a kind of mental prison. Understanding can work wonders on us even though we may still choose to not interact with that person physically.
There is something quite healing about knowing we are never the target. Yes, we can question as to why we were there to be the recipient of bad behavior, but that is as far as it goes. In the grand scheme of things, at the soul level, perhaps we had been wanting to learn what true compassion is and here is our opportunity. Release and let go. That is the mantra of Love. We release the harsh judgments and let go of the need to seek revenge. We let Love soften our hearts so that peace may be the active energy between us. Then some serious healing can happen.
Old people often wonder “where does the time go?” Good question. Unanswerable, but a good one to think about. Time is something we all experience and yet, it is nothing. It is the way we account for our movements in space. Or something like that. Time is a mystery. We can speed it up or slow it down with our perception. The fact that it is not real, in and of itself, but a perception, is why we cannot imagine how we got to be this age. We are here, and here and here and somehow we are older today.
The numbers have no meaning. They are part of an accounting system the mind seems to prefer. We are always in accounting mode. This is not that, and so on. Instead of young and old, how about “new and seasoned.” Would it make a difference or would we be saying “she is too seasoned to wear that short skirt.” Dealing with the so-called passage of time is one of our greatest challenges. If we say we do not have enough of it, we feel rushed and pressured. If we feel we have too much of it, we conjure up all kinds of “I should be doing something” feelings.
It is easy to advise, “Be Here Now” but it takes some serious practice. Meditation helps and so does gratitude, laughter and being in nature. Would we “get older” if we did not experience before and after? I don’t have the answer to that one. But I do know that any age is great when we see beauty, love it and cultivate it. We are forever “new” if we are still in awe and wonder at the sheer magnitude of the universe and of the exquisite details in the smallest life forms. If Life seems like a gift we keep unwrapping, we are here now and we are ageless.
Goethe: “certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.”
We are not perfect. Spiritually, yes. Humanly, no. We would not be individuals if we were perfect. It is our quirkiness that friends love and remember. A song that never deviates from a monotone quickly becomes a dirge. We cannot dance to it, nor sing along. Yet, in this culture of commerce, we are urged to seek perfection in our looks, our clothes, our children, our work; everything! That is how merchants sell us stuff we do not need.
How much do we love ourselves as we are? An indicator is the level of insistent self-talk we tolerate about how we need to do this or that to achieve a more acceptable image to present to the world. How much do we worry about how we seem to others? A person who loves themselves is not a puffed up ego, but simply at ease. They have come to terms with imperfection and are even able to laugh at their own quirks.
You may have noticed how quickly people tell you what is wrong with you, what you should be like. Those are the very ones who are ill at ease in their own skin. Unable to see through the façade to the beautiful being before them, they have the same trouble looking in the mirror. How about we have a day of celebrating the flaws? Let others be. Period. There is a ancient saying that speaks to the ego mind's ability to perceive its own wholeness. “I, the imperfect, adore my own Perfect.” Let’s start there.
In Nature the most interesting times for me are the beginnings and endings; such as the first inklings of Fall arriving. The cooler mornings are also the last days of summer. Tiny rose buds are as enchanting as the open beauty they will become and then again, what is more moving than a vase of Tulips that bend low as if to greet their petals lying on the table. Newborn babies of any species, human, canine , feline or any other, are so adorable we wish they would never change, yet we welcome the mature friend who can play with us.
Graduation ceremonies usually include a speaker who addresses the issue of “what next?” Advice and encouragement are given along with inspiring stories of those who achieved more after their school years than they did during them. The whole subject is about using the ending to launch a beginning. Is there something ending in your life today, something that, at its beginning was thought to be the ending of something else? It seems that life is rather like the game of leap frog we played as kids. One way of living is eventually overcome by another and the pattern repeats itself.
Look at it this way. If you are bemoaning the loss of a relationship, a change in your work, or even the chaos in the world, ask your higher mind “what is trying to begin? What is the press to express? What do I need to know right now?” If sincerely asked and if you can be silently patient, you will receive an answer. Endings are not failures. They are indications of a shift in consciousness. When that happens, what was, loses its form, rather like a beautiful rose becoming a little pile of petals. It is not to be lamented but thanked and released.
Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes www.carol-carnes.com thank you for supporting my writing via pay pal
Rumi: “that which is false troubles the heart but Truth brings joyous tranquility.”
Yes, it is the lack, the disease, the bitterness of others, the injustices, the whole gamut of human mistreatment of the planet and each other that causes us emotional pain, sleepless nights and stressful days. But when we sit down and give our mind a treatment of spiritual truth, peace is restored; hope is rekindled, feelings of love are quickened. That is the real meaning of prayer, to give our mind a healthy dose of Truth, which tends to dispel the limited perception.
What is Truth? The simple awareness of our shared potential for love and beauty, prosperity and peace. It is the realization of our unity in Spirit and our capacity for change. It is knowing that all effects are temporary manifestations of ideas, and ideas themselves are temporary. It is the certainty that Life is for us and never against us. Truth helps us to see through the misbehavior with compassion. It keeps us in the optimistic and cheerfully expectant mode.
This is not head-in-the-sand foolishness. It is seeing through the veil of the illusion of permanence. It is judging righteously. It is turning to the field of possibility with a healthy conviction that we humans are quite capable of making a Leap into a higher level of consciousness, one that would make all things new. In fact, we tend to believe we are struggling right now to do just that. Let’s do our part to make it so. Tell yourself the Truth and watch what happens.
Things grow in silence. Grass, trees, flowers, babies all reach their potential without fanfare. We did not hear our own bones elongating, did we? Does our hair make a racket or our fingernails? Physical growth makes no sound. But psychological growth, that is a different story. We rail against circumstances that, upon reflection, seem to have been necessary. We resist change by expressing our discomfort, loudly, only to look back and see how it put us where we needed to be to succeed in some way. We are quick to voice our displeasure, but it is much more beneficial to growth to be for something, not against it.
Coincidentally, spiritual growth is more like nature; silent. It is from the silence itself that our awareness of inner peace develops. It, as Emerson said of God, “comes without bell.” Spiritual growth sneaks up on us, expanding our perception gently. We realize over time that we are not the same agitated, fearful, contradictory person. We are emotionally more stable, less likely to “freak out” over daily challenges. We have outgrown some promptings of the ego.
Spiritual maturity is an ongoing process, of course, but even a smidgen of it makes our life much smoother and easier to navigate. With regular practice our inner silence acts as a kind of landing place for the more excitable aspects of our mind. We might feel the nudging of the ego to lash out at some grievance, but the silence is stronger. It pulls us back and we find other ways to cope. It is wise to cultivate silence in ourselves. That is where the real growth happens, and it is necessary if we want to be seen and known for who we really are.
Lao Tse said “nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
Yes, it all seems to happen at the right time in just the right way to produce the intention within the form; as in the acorn becoming the oak and the bud opening into the Rose.
A friend told me a funny story about a dinner party he was planning. He wanted everything to be perfect. He bought two dozen while tulips a day before the event. They were not opened but he assumed they would be the next day. When two hours before the party, the Tulips had still not opened he tried to help the process by using his hair dryer to warm them up, thinking that was the answer. He was horrified to see the Tulips wilt and fall apart, completely ruined.
There is a natural order to things. Your heart’s desire comes true when you are fully prepared to experience it. Forcing the issue with mental willpower might produce a version of it but more than likely it will not be sustainable. If we do not have the self-identity that matches the desire, we might rue the day we set it in motion. “be careful what you ask for, you will probably get it.”
Make sure you are ready to receive. That means do the work in consciousness. Release old contrary ideas about the subject. Adopt some new behaviors that support your dream. Become the thing you desire in action. Then it is naturally yours and continues to unfold.
Ernest Holmes remarked that is has taken humanity thousands of years to learn it can control its own destiny. Much of humanity has yet to discover this liberating truth. It is contained in the power of thought, or consciousness. That which we are the most conscious of, we become immersed in and it spills over into form and experience. It is not easy to navigate this path. Largely, we are dealing with the invisible realm of Cause. Most of us are very invested in the realm of Effects and we get mired in them. They seem more real to us than the Cause that is unseen but very real.
To “be in the world but not of it” is great advice and difficult to maintain as we move about in the world of experience and seeming limitations. It takes practice to know a higher truth than what is before us as facts. But what are the facts but Cause revealed? In New Thought spirituality we always work with Truth, not facts. While we do not deny the existence of a fact, such as an illness, we deny it has any consciousness of its own and must be reinforced at the level of belief to continue to exist.
This does not mean the person with a scary diagnosis wanted the dis-ease or created it consciously; but that everything comes into existence from deeper levels of awareness. A simple belief in disease can be the culprit, or long term stress which weakens the Life Force in us. There is no blame or shame. There is a returning to the inner to straighten out our thinking. We declare our spiritual being, our wholeness, our vitality to be active right now creating vibrant health.
New Thought offers classes in the art of thinking from the Infinite. Those classes are life-changing. You can find them at a Center for Spiritual Living.
This is one of those “how could I be so unconscious?” stories. Last year our Center had a new website built. The person who did it was a friend of mine who had done the same for me in the past. While she was here I asked her to resurrect my personal site because it had been hacked and was taken down. Then she also retrieved some information I had posted on another site. It was a busy time and I was very involved with being the new senior minister at the Center.
Here is the silly part. I forgot she had actually created a new site for me! Don’t ask how that happened except to say overly involved with other things. In the past few months I have been thinking how much I needed my own website. After some conversations with people who thought they could help, I decided to call my friend again. She said the most shocking thing to me “Carol, you already have a website.” Huh? Yes, it was true. She went in and improved it and it is up and running.
Now, is that a basic New Thought principle or not? We already have what we are seeking! We have forgotten our true origins. So involved with the human side of things, we are not accessing our spiritual nature, which is where all that we desire is contained. That is why it is so important to have a daily visit with our own Spirit. A quiet time of communion with the more unbounded aspect of our Being is like preventive medicine. Sure, we will still do silly human things, but we will know where to look when we are seriously challenged or when we want to make all things new! Ancient saying “what you are looking for, you are looking at and with.”
Ernest Holmes wrote “In our ignorance we misuse our divinity without changing it.” Our divinity is, of course, our spiritual or more universal Self. We are capable of great Love, for instance unconditional love, but we misuse that power. In some cases it is shrunk to indifference. There are polar opposites to everything. With Love, they are, (on the low end), indifference and on the high side, Oneness. In between are all the possible variations of Love, such as: like, interest, compassion, caring, commitment, romance, friendship, all the way to a sense of being One with something or someone. On the low end of Love it can look like the fear of difference, actively refuting oneness, hate and violence. Yes even our most atrocious acts are a misuse of our divinity.
Just so, extreme poverty is a form of abundance. Opulence being a greater use of it and Constant Flow being the most evolved. Stockpiling is not abundance, it is fear of lack made visible. Circulation is the higher form of wealth. And so it goes with everything we desire in life. Are we at the low end of our use of it? Can we move ourselves along the spectrum? What can we do this day to make that become our experience?
When faced with the need for drastic change in perception we often hear “I can’t help it, it’s just the way I am.” No it isn’t. It is just the way you believe. The way we really are is a unique expression of the Divine with all of its qualities available for our use right now. That is my personal mantra, the one I repeat to myself throughout the day. It never fails to lift my sights and to raise my expectations of what is possible with the right use of my Mind, which is my divinity in residence.
It is interesting to note how many physical bodies we have outlived this lifetime. From a newborn weighing only a few pounds to a toddler, to a big teenager, to a young adult, to a middle aged person, to elderly or wherever we may be now, we have remained within the façade. We, who are observing the passing scene, do not pass ourselves. We are a permanent resident in the ongoing adventure of evolution. It seems reasonable to assume that life itself, does not end.
In his chapter on Immortality in The Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes suggests rebirth is the eternal action of Being. He said “our contention is not that a dead person lives on, but that a living person never dies.” He did not teach reincarnation in the usual way, but more universally. He felt there were so many options, why would we come here again? On the other hand, why not? Perhaps we want to finish some business or continue to learn a particular skill.
Assuming the premise is true, what are you doing here this time? Why did you desire to be here on this planet at this time with the skills that you have accumulated over eons? What are you going to do with them? My contention is that it isn’t so much a conscious choice but more of an affinity. It is an energetic that is so well defined in us that we are pulled into form by the need for it here on earth. Well, there are lots of variations on the theme, but it is still a good question. Why am I incarnated here in this place at this time?
You’re either in or your out, so says the world of trends. Things change so rapidly, if we tried to keep up we would be unable to attend to the rest of our real lives. What is fashionable today looks ridiculous a few years later, so why bother to be “trendy.” In short, because we have a natural desire to belong. We are somewhat tribal in that sense. Familiarity helps us to feel at home and comfortable. We know what is expected of us and how to retain our group status.
I can remember when my daughter longed for designer jeans, when her speech patterns were like all the other girls her age. Of course my own teen years were also about having the right white buck shoes, a certain brand, not the pointy toes ones but the round ones, or was it the other way around? Point being obvious; a sign of an underdeveloped self-identity is revealed in the level of our need to look like everyone else.
My observation has been this; the ones with the most individualistic self-identity are those who achieve the most in life. Think of the great innovators, whether it be Jesus or Steve Jobs. These people do not base their decisions on what others are doing or what anyone would think. They have the self confidence to trust their own path and to follow it with passion. People follow them, not vice versa.
Do we claim our own true self? Are we available to what lies within us? Do we trust our natural talents enough to give them outlet? Are we our own best friend?
Affirm: “ I know my place in the world is everywhere I am. I trust my inner guidance. I belong wherever I may be.”
Ernest Holmes on Nature; “she does nothing without ample reason, leaves no gaps and provides for all emergencies.” This quote is from The Science of Mind (page 379) in a section on the more subtle uses of mind we all possess. The possibility of communicating with those who are no longer physical, is just one of our abilities at the soul level. It is a compelling argument.
We are often asked “do you believe in ghosts?” I can only answer, I believe in mind. I believe we can perceive many dimensions of reality. Do I believe these perceptions exist outside of my awareness? Is there anything that really exists outside of anyone’s awareness? According to quantum physics, the answer is No. This is an observer participatory universe. An apprehending mind is required in order to “see” anything.
The case is made that our reality is a construct of our mind. We don’t, for the most part, think that is even possible, but if we decide to be more observant of the connection between what is now in our life and how we have been thinking, we will see the flow of the one to the other. It is never easy to admit we had something to do with what is challenging us, but when we take ownership of our life, we are free, perhaps for the first time.
Here is a serious question. “What would you like instead?” Answer that and begin to infuse your mind with images of what you do want. Think of it as already so in the realm of possibility. See it already manifest in the world. Convince yourself that this is yours to experience. Affirm it and act as if it were so. That is how we participate in the creative process. Nature provides for all emergencies!'
Now that the mornings are cooler I have no excuse for not getting out and walking every day. When it is deep in winter, however, it will be “too cold.” Aren’t we all good at coming up with reasons why we do not do what we know we should and vice versa? The psychology is obvious; we do not really want what we say we want or that we think we ought to want. Motivation is everything.
But even motivation is temporary if it is to please someone else or to impress, as when a class reunion is coming up and we go into exercise mode to drop a few pounds. Once the event is over, we will go back to our usual routine unless something important has changed; our need has become a real desire. Temporary motivation is like doodling on paper, making quick little images. Real desire is more like drawing a complete picture.
There is no shame in not doing what everyone else thinks we ought to do, but we often fool ourselves in that regard. If we agree that it would be of benefit to us and still hesitate, then we can be fairly sure that there is a hidden resistance that we think is a better idea! For example: I once knew a woman who was quite obese. She had a wonderful personality, fun and quick witted. But after she lost the weight she became snarky and impatient. She gained it all back because in her own words “I don’t like my thin self.” The same idea was present in her whatever she weighed. It was the belief that she needed to protect herself, that she was vulnerable to attack. In both cases, she was trying to keep others at a distance. The mind is so creative!
Affirm: “I am in complete agreement with what is the highest and best for me in any situation. I know what to do and I love doing it!”
At least 30 years ago, futurists, metaphysicians, gurus and some scientists, began to speak about the enormous shift in our collective consciousness that, at first, magnifies all that is not in harmony with Nature and our spirituality. They predicted the collapse of a certain mind-set and the arrival of a completely different perception fueled by our collective soul. It seems we are in the final stages of it right now. The cartoon-like behavior of some world leaders, the closing of huge businesses that have been staples of the economy, the mass protests in the streets of cities around the world, the revealing of injustices in our prison system, the tainting of our food, the melting of the glaciers, all are indications that our unconscious, money-oriented choices have come to a point of unworkability.
Like the caterpillar in the chrysalis, we are at that stage where the old ways cannot be supported. We have come to the point of no return and the possibility of transformation is upon us. This is the time to forgive, love, hold to our spiritual truth, know the highest and best for everyone. This is when our hearts must take the lead and the wisdom of our souls must prevail. We are beyond politics, beyond revenge, beyond name and blame tactics. We are the ones , in the right time and the right place to lead the great awakening.
We simply must begin with our own lives; pay attention to our soul. It is prompting us to be on the high side of things in every situation. It wants humanity to live up to its potential. It is not easy to be a light-bearer. It is tempting to curse the darkness but it is not the way. We are better than any choices we have made. Let us remember who we are and act accordingly.
In the time/space world where we live, nothing is perfect because this is an evolutionary dimension. Everything is fluid and meant to grow and change and become more of itself For those of us who have discovered the power of mind and that we can bring desired results into our own lives, we need to know that imperfect aspects of our dream-come-true, exist. If we cannot handle what comes with our manifestation, it may prove to be more trouble than it is worth, or we will not be able to keep it intact.
An example often used in the plot line of films, such as “Arthur”, is that of the immature and frivolous scion of great wealth who inherits millions but cannot accept being a “grown up” with the attendant issues of managing money. He either becomes what he was resisting, learning new skills, or loses it all. Are we any different? Suppose we have been longing for the “perfect” relationship. We have used our visualization tools, affirmed and declared and suddenly the “perfect” partner appears. But after a short time of getting to know one another, we are faced with our own insecurities again. The unhealed wound of past relationships rears its head and we find ourselves blaming the other person for “making us feel” insecure.
The shocking truth is that we cannot make anyone feel anything that is not already alive in them and vice versa! Obviously then, winning the lottery, gaining fame and fortune, attracting the ideal mate, whatever it may be, will not make us feel what we assume is inherent in the manifestation. Just the opposite. We will be, once again, up against our own unhealed issues. The answer is a spiritual one. Claim the whole self now. Release the past with forgiveness and compassion. Be grateful for your beautiful mind and its ability to bring through you that which you used to think came to you. That is the secret.
Have you ever thought about how most products are advertised in such a way as to make us feel like victims? You would think our value is at the mercy of everything from dandruff to yellow teeth. We only buy things we think we need to make us better in some way. Most of them do not live up to their promises so we try a different version of them. I am reminded of Emerson’s observation “Society everywhere is in a conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members,” (adulthood would be more correct today).
Emerson’s essay on Self Reliance, perhaps one of the greatest statements on the subject ever written, supports the individual's capacity for self-determination. Our New Thought teaching is very much in alignment with that sentiment. We are each endowed with the ability to know what is right for us, how to achieve it and to change our mind if we so desire. The spiritual aspect is simple. The Power that is behind all Life is conscious by means of us. It is present and accessible through the avenue of our particular awareness. What we are conscious of, the Power makes visible. Simple and astonishing at the same time, but so is gravity and electromagnetism and birds flying and grass growing through concrete and all of Nature.
Let’s look around today and see if we can take back our power in some way. What do you NOT need that seemed so important? What can you eliminate from your list of “things that will make me like myself better.” They do not have lasting effects. The answer is to become more Self Reliant; that is, reliant on the Self that we really are; the Self that is the personification of the Power we knew as “God.”
Try this: “Today I see myself through the eyes of my Source. I am beautiful, capable and lovable just the way I am.”
Emerson wrote of “a deep remedial force” that, over time, puts things to rights. That is, the very events that had us feeling down and out, will come to be seen as necessary to the growth that got us to where we are now. An example would be having come through a serious illness that caused us to lose our work, but set us on a new path that turned out to be what our soul wanted all along. This is more than “making the best of a bad situation.” It has to do with trusting the higher intelligence that is always functioning by means of us. It has one intention, and that is to further the progression of the soul.
The key to trust is non-resistance. We do not fight the situation, but that doesn’t mean we are not pro-active. It is more like putting one foot in front of the other, moving towards solution, but equally interested in what the situation has to offer.
Always there is an opening to love, to forgiveness, to compassion, to understanding. It is as if Life is saying “even this is for your highest Good.” This is tricky because we are not saying God made us sick so we could learn something, but rather, that within human experience, whatever it may be, that “deep remedial force” is active. The message is “stay calm and carry on.” Life is for us and never against us. Our part is to hold to our faith in the unseen powers that act as “guide and genius” (Emerson’s words) taking us to the a better outcome than we had thought possible.
What do you firmly believe today that a few years ago you would have strongly spoken against? Even some of our greatest physicists, such as David Bohm and Albert Einstein, could not accept the principles of quantum theory when first presented to them. So fixed in the old science, their minds were not prepared to accept this new and startling discovery. Somewhat later, most of them did accept the new view of our universe but it took some time.
Emerson commented on this kind of experience “God screens us evermore from premature ideas.” We simply cannot grasp, at first, anything that challenges our favored perception. But, when the mind is ready, the new ideas will appear as validation of something we felt we always knew. Many of us who walked into a New Thought Center for the first time were astonished at how familiar this revolutionary teaching felt to us. We were ready to hear it.
There is an old saying “the mind knows the truth when it hears it.” But the mind has to be in search of the truth first. Hard and fast beliefs block new ideas from entering our awareness. That is why it is difficult to “teach an old dog new tricks.” Old dogs have labels, such as sexist, racist, homophobe, but they are just closed minds, not evil beings. We cannot give up on them If enough of us are sticking to a more inclusive and liberated perception, they will one day join the crowd. The human heart cannot long stand the life-sapping energy of hate and malice. It secretly longs to belong to love.
Not every good thing we do is rewarded immediately. But doing the right thing even when it is unpopular is known as integrity. The day will come when it will be recognized as the gift it was, but never do we wait for validation nor do we expect it. Life takes care of us in that department. There are Laws in this universe that guarantee the consequences of our actions.
You have heard that old saying ‘what goes around, comes around.’ It is a statement of principle. If we are spreading negativity today and it is causing harm to someone, it will find its way back to us. Emerson speaks of the Law of Compensation as remedial. Thoughts, ideas and our actions, are seeds that we are sowing. They will reap a harvest at some time in our personal experience.
What are you planting in the very fertile soil of the quantum realm of possibility? There is a Power responding at that deeper level of consciousness. It takes us at our word and enacts it in time and space. Yesterday we talked about taking an inventory of our habituated thoughts. Today let’s be mindful of what we are sending out as direction to the forces of Nature that make things happen.
Try this: “ My mind is stayed on the Good, the True and the Beautiful.”
At some point in time I apparently chose coffee over tea as my morning drink. I like tea and could just as easily have a cup, but I automatically reach for the coffee. It makes me wonder how many other things I do that I think are choices but are actually programmed responses. The really interesting thing is the programming may have been handed down to me or made from circumstantial evidence that is no longer valid. For example, do you dread going to the dentist, even though the technology is such that there is usually no pain involved at all? Fearing dental work may have been programmed in us decades ago when things were quite different.
People often carry heavy ideas about church, ministers and religion from childhood when they were forced to sit for long hours listening to some boring old guy drone on about sin and suffering. They think they have chosen to stay away from anything related but actually are reacting to memory, not current reality. Spirituality today is very different The ideas are relevant, modern, include science and are about helping us raise the level of personal experience. Yet, many “choose” to act as if it were something to avoid.
It is always useful to take a mental inventory of why we react they way we do - to anything. Be honest with yourself about how you handle money, relationships, intimacy, your health, what you think about work and people who are very different in appearance from you. It might be a relief to discover that you can choose a completely different response to any of the important areas of life, right now. When we are current, we are in the flow of conscious living.
In recent years there have been many articles written by scientists suggesting we live in a holographic universe. Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke about it in the 1800’s in his essay titled Compensation; “the entire system of things gets represented in every particle.” What is true of the Whole is inherent in the part. In fact, wholeness is present in all life forms. Spirituality would refer to this as our Divinity. It is our hidden potential, the quantum realm where all things begin.
At the quantum level our own hidden potential is responsive to our self-identity. Imagine your greater possibility quivering with creative energy, just waiting to be put in the game. Like the kid on the bench, it cannot leap into action unless it is called. We call it with our belief, our I am statements, our conviction. What are we most energized about? That is what we are drawing from the wholeness, bringing it out into our experience.
Old saying “change your thinking, change your life” is proving to be dead-on accurate. Our mind is the direct link to our Source, to the quantum realm that we are coming to realize is what we have been thinking of as “God.” We erroneously put God way “out there” in the cosmos, when we ought to have placed it way down in the inner core of all life. It projects out, comes through , reveals by means of the avenue of consciousness. What are we giving it to do? That is the question.
When asked if we are happy, we tend to do a grocery list of sensory experiences. There is the feeling of being liked, or satisfied at work; the relief that our child is doing well; the relative prosperity we enjoy. But all of those things are changeable and temporary. There is a deeper happiness that does not depend on outer events or the ability to satisfy a momentary craving.
HH the Dalai Lama has written about happiness in many different articles and essays. He cites inner peace, a purpose larger than our own self-interest, feeling connected to Life and belonging in a community of some kind, as the essential ingredients of true happiness. This is the kind that sustains us when we receive bad news or are ill or have a serious financial setback. Two people do not respond the same way to such events. A truly happy person will remain calm and see the larger possibility.
I knew someone who received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. He was told he had a few weeks to live. He said something like, I’ve always thought there is life after this one, so now I get to see if I am right. If not, it doesn’t really matter, does it? He was a happy man, always laughing and bringing compassion into his relationships. He did pass on and left us with a great lesson. To be happy does not depend on anything external, not even our own body. The mind is the greatest power we own. It determines how we experience everything. If our mind is peaceful we are in a better position to see through obstacles and make wise decisions. We are more available to solutions and possibility. As the Dalai Lama has said “happy people don’t cause problems, they solve them.”
In modern New Thought spirituality, we find a teaching that sees through the veil of illusion to the Power that truly is behind all manifestation. That power is Love/Intelligence. It is a perfect relationship that is necessary for the invisible to come into the seen realm of time/space. Love, in this sense, is oneness with, that is the feeling of the idea being alive and ready to move into visibility. Intelligence knows how to bring it through a vehicle, such as you or me.
What comes through us must, by law, be something we have been involved with in our own consciousness. We cannot experience anything that is not real to us. That is why we focus on wholeness, not disease; harmony rather than chaos; happiness over loss; peace within. We attempt to keep our mind stayed on what is desirable, what brings more good into the world, what is beautiful. This is not the same thing as burying our head in the sand. We know that the world is engaged in a battle for various versions of Truth, most of which have caused the problems humanity faces.
We help where we can, alleviate suffering when possible, vote and stay engaged in the world, but we do not become mired in it. It is what is meant by “be in the world but not of it.” It is a daily practice, one that will challenge us. Our most important work is to know that it is never too late; we are always in the flow of the creative process; things can change in an evolutionary leap; Life is for us and never against us. Our part is to think above the fray, see through the lack, call forth our own better selves and expect the best from each other.
A few days near the ocean, amidst tall pine trees, strolling deer and lovely people, was just what I needed to refresh my mind and calm my energy. It doesn’t take much to be restored! Of course it helped that 500 people gave me a wild standing ovation after I spoke! It was also the best New Thought music with Gary Lynn Floyd, Karen Druecker, Amy Bishop and top notch musicians. Every speaker added something valuable to the mix. We were bathed in spiritual truth and reminded of how much we all have within our own Being.
We can’t always leave home for a retreat, but we can create a mini version right in our own home. We can carve out a space for quiet time and meditation. We can play music that lifts the soul. If we have small children rushing to catch the school bus, we can join hands with them, say a few words of gratitude and cheerful expectation for a great day. We can plant a small garden or make something with our hands. These are simple things that slow down the mind and prepare us for the world.
It would seem unwise to enter the world of activity, opinions, challenges and conflicts without some preparation. We need to care for and tend to our own inner lives, for only as we continue to grow spiritually, can we bring our whole self into any situation. Your mind is important to the healing of this planet. How you think and who you are is vital to the transformation that needs to happen. Let’s ask ourselves this today: “Am I fully prepared to do my part in the Great Awakening?” We do not arm ourselves with weapons. We gear up with Love, compassion and clear thinking. These only come from deep within and they arise when we call them out, and that happens first in solitude and stillness.
Have you ever misplaced something you use every day? It seems as if it is lost but in truth, it is somewhere! You ask “where are you?” but there is no answer. You may stumble upon it at a later date or have already replaced it when suddenly you remember where you put it! The point being, no earnest question goes unanswered forever. If it means something to us, it is active in our subjective mind. If we relax and go on with our life, it has the space to work its way to the surface of awareness.
Ernest Holmes, the founder of the School of Science of Mind, referred to this attitude as a “divine shrug of the shoulders.” He said we ought to feel about anything “fine if it does, fine if it doesn’t.” This is not so much passive as it is a trust in the inner workings of consciousness. If it is important to my well-being, it will reveal itself.
Humanity is asking the big question right now. Where is God? Why does God not intervene and stop the violence and madness? How did we lose our way? The answer is actually already here. It is in the awareness that God is within each of us. The very source of all we desire lives in the realm of the quantum field of potential. We have all the answers if we ask the right questions, such as:
How are we to live together in peace, plenty and love? How can we celebrate diversity and share our resources? How will we create freedom and justice for all? Most importantly, what is mine to do? What part do I play in my world? Have I lost my faith in humanity? How can I restore my trust? How shall I activate my own peace, love and joy? How shall I celebrate diversity and initiate change?
The essence of spirituality must surely be Love. But there are so many levels of meaning in that one little word. The kind of Love that arises from a realization of our oneness is the most elevated experience we can have. Of course, young lovers feel that oneness but it does not last in the face of daily living. In fact, it is necessary to see each other as separate in order to develop the relationship. (Ironically, the unspoken goal is to get back to that feeling of oneness.)
Children feel one with Nature. They are enchanted with animals and flowers and water. Left to their own devices they develop a healthy relationship with the natural world and a love of it follows them throughout their lifetime. Many of today’s kids rarely interact with her. They are living in an electronic world almost to the exclusion of time spent in Nature. Family vacations to the beach or mountains are not enough to reawaken that sense of oneness with Life. There is a disconnect and we know what happens when there is no sense of love and responsibility for the health of our planet.
Any religion that approves of the decimation of natural life is not a religion with spirituality in it; it is devoid of Love. The new science that is moving toward the proof that every thing is connected; that we are all arising from One Source; that Nature is life-supporting and absolutely necessary to our health and well-being, will challenge those old ideas. Science and Spirituality are beginning to walk hand in hand. Let’s do our part in making sure our actions and choices reflect our love for all Life in all its forms.
My friend, Rev David Leonard says, ‘if I don’t know the answer, I stay in the question.’ What is the question today? Perhaps; how can I keep my spiritual resolve to know the best in people when I see such horrible things on the news? Every day there are reports of the most unconscious, brutal acts perpetrated on innocent people by other humans. Why are some people so eager to hurt others? Why is there so much unresolved anger? Where did this hatred for difference begin?
Yes, of course I want to stay focused on the larger reality; that most humans are kind and compassionate; that wonderful new inventions are helping the problems of pollution; that good people are serving the needs of the homeless; that most of us support those agencies financially; that good things are happening. It seems there is more good than evil but evil is so against our true nature that we cannot ignore it.
How did humans get so far from their spiritual roots? Was it patriarchal religion that led to the abuse of children who grew up seeking some kind of power? Was it the superstitious idea that God was far away and that there is an equally influential power called the devil vying for our attention? Was it a culture that promoted the have and the have nots? Was it the belief in Lack that led to greed and corruption? One thing we do know. People act out their basic beliefs about God, their own self-worth, what they think they have a right to expect, what gives them some kind of satisfaction, and what makes them feel “right.”
The question becomes “what will it take to help humanity awaken to its spiritual magnificence? What must I do?
It is possible to respect a person’s right to their opinion, but not respect the opinion itself? Yes, free speech is essential in a democracy but not everything that is spoken or written is the highest use of it. Our job, as aware people, is to challenge the belief, not the right to believe it. We do grow and change our minds. Many cherished perceptions are simply a reaction to woundedness from childhood or ideas left un-examined, out of habit.
It is not uncommon for un-examined beliefs to be very unconscious but emotionally charged. Perhaps our dear parents thought white people were superior to those of color. We might be paying homage to them by allowing that belief to linger in our consciousness, unchallenged. Or thoughts about politics or money or sex or anything else that is important to us can be the residue of our upbringing. If we do not ask ourselves what is true about these issues, we carry the old ideas forward.
Is it true that skin color has anything to do with intelligence? Obviously not. All one has to do is research the thousands of accomplishments made by people of color right here in America, to put that old notion to rest. Is it true that women are inferior to men? There is nothing real to support that one. Is it true that hitting small children builds their character? Uh, no! Is it true, or even possible, that God is a man in the sky in a battle with a Devil for our souls? It’s metaphor, not reality.
Let’s practice the art of challenging our own unproven ideas. We will be the better for it and our world will be, too.
You surely have noticed the positive energy when starting something new. A relationship, a job, a project of some kind give us a sense of “anything is possible.” As Emerson wrote “power resides in the moment of transition, in the darting of a new aim.” The energy we feel when embarking on a new aim, is power. We are actually experiencing the most natural state a human can know. We are feeling the presence of Spirit in us, as us, coming through us.
There are peak moments in every life when we have that sensation of being outside of our self, almost as if we are observing what we are doing. Those moments when everything seems to be perfectly aligned to produce the awareness that we are something more than a body with a brain. It can also happen when we are sitting still in meditation. The happy-for-no-reason feeling arises and we are complete in that moment. Nothing needs to be added nor taken away.
In our busy world, we cheat ourselves out of such moments. We have to give ourselves the gift of private time, perhaps alone in Nature or attending a weekend retreat. This week I am travelling to Pacific Grove to the Asilomar retreat center. I will be speaking there, as I have many times, but it is also a chance for me to do some de-stressing. It has been a challenging year and I am due some respite. Take some time for you, too. The world needs rested, relaxed minds and happy-for-no-reason hearts.
Sometimes we misunderstand what it means to be spiritually aware. We might think such a person is saint-like or one who never has a negative thought or gets angry. Not so. As long as we are in this physical dimension there will be things that we do not like. There will be moments of anger or frustration. But if we have developed a calmer mind, if we are generally optimistic, if we have compassion for humanity in its ignorance, we will not stay long in the limitation of anger or fear.
Spirituality is a practice. It is something we DO, as much as something we ARE. Living in the realm of pairs of opposites provides ample opportunity for every kind of human emotion. Our practice is similar to eating healthful food. We might have a big fat double bacon cheeseburger with fries once in a while, but that is not a part of our daily diet. With practice, anger and fear are no longer our go-to emotions. They lessen as our first reaction to outer stimuli.
In metaphysical literature, thoughts are represented by birds. They fly around at the superficial level of consciousness (the sky) always circling overhead looking for a place to land. A calm mind will manage those angry birds by either ignoring them or shooing them away with an opposing thought of love and peace. Ernest Holmes, the great spiritual genius of the past century said, “trained thought is more powerful that untrained thought.” He didn’t say it was merely better, he said more POWERFUL. A calm, trained mind, is the best indicator of evolved spirituality, the most desired quality in our leaders. But don’t misjudge. Jesus got mad enough to wither a fig tree, you know.
Ernest Holmes taught that “our word is the announcement of Reality” and that if we really knew this we would do “what Jesus did and more.” Most of us are not seeking to be a healer or a messiah; we simply want peace and plenty for all. We must begin with our own life, the only place we can begin; therefore, our word needs to be an announcement of our own Reality; affirmative and bold, first person, present tense.
The only person who needs convincing is us. That is why we remove all mental obstacles, such as old resentments, unforgiveness, suppressed rage and fear. We work on our own mind, telling ourselves the spiritual truth so that our natural knowing can become our dominant thoughts. There is a level of consciousness where we are completely untroubled, perfectly intact as potential and at peace. It is our spiritual DNA. Having been covered over with human, worldly limiting ideas, our job is to reveal that Self, to think from that place.
Seen in this light we realize the profound significance of Holmes statement “there is nothing to be healed, but something to be revealed.” The revealing begins in mind. It is noteworthy that every spiritual practice, such as meditation, contemplation, declarative prayer, affirmation, is done by the individual. We may meditate in a group, but the experience is solitary. Everything we seek exists within the field of potential; the ground of our Being. We call it out effortlessly with our own self-awareness. It automatically responds to our word and corresponds, becoming visible as our Reality.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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
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!”
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.
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.”
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.
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!
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.
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.”
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!
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