Your Mission, If You Decide To Accept It

Imagine the Mission Impossible theme. A man rushes across a balcony down stairs and peeks around various signs, making sure he is not being seen and won't be caught. He ends the journey and sees a tape recorder. He pushes the button and hears...

Good Morning Rev. Jay. This community has decided to join you on a purpose to reveal and awaken the Divinity within each and every one of them. They and all watching have committed to vibrating at the speed of the Divine. They are gathered together today to be inspired by your words, your presence, your charisma and humor (no pressure). 

Your mission Rev, should you choose to accept it – and, of course, you are always at choice – is, to paraphrase Richard Bach, show them that they can fly as fast as thought by beginning to know that they have already arrived. As always, should you be caught or killed, trip over your words or say something dumb, the Universe will disavow any knowledge of your actions. 

This tape will not self-destruct in five seconds, our insurance won't cover that, so just toss the box. And, since we don't believe in luck....break a leg, merde, toi-toi-toi, mazel tov....oh hell, have at it, Rev. Jay!

[as the man exits, the final blasts of the M.I. theme play]


Why do we exist? Why are we here? How we gonna do this thing called life...What is our mission?

Just a few simple questions I want to ponder today...lol.

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace. ~Dalai Lama

Thomas Troward said something similar in the late 1800's in one his wonderful New Thought philosophy books. But wait,  Ralph Waldo Emerson, another, if not one of the first New Thought influencers, said:

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.

I am not writing this to discuss the meaning of life. I want to talk about the mission of this Center, New Thought Spiritual Center, though they could be one in the same
Mission Statement

TO USE THE PRINCIPLES AND TOOLS OF THE SCIENCE OF MIND AND SPIRIT, NEW THOUGHT, NEUROSCIENCE AND ANCIENT WISDOM TO 

BUST THROUGH, SOAR AND ZOOM

INTO OUR GREATEST LIFE AND SHARING THAT GIFT FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Let's break it down:

A) TO USE THE PRINCIPLES AND TOOLS OF SCIENCE OF MIND AND SPIRIT

The Science of Mind and Spirit is considered the textbook for this philosophy. It is part of the New Thought Movement. In case you are not familiar with it, it was written by Ernest Holmes as a book about "A Philosophy, A Faith, A Way of Life." In the briefest of nutshells, it teaches one how to think, not what to think, but how to think. What does it say?

B) To use the principles and tools of NEW THOUGHT

So, at NTSC, we not only use the wisdom found in the book above, but others wisdom found in the New Thought philosophies of  Unity, Divine Science, and the various authors whether they consider themselves part of New Thougth or not, that express similar principles and the tools they prescribe to enact them. What do they say?

C) To use the principles and tools of NEUROSCIENCE

I love neuroscience, neurolinguistic programming and other sciences that explore the working of the brain and psyche. Neuroscience, mostly not on purpose, unifies consciousness & brain function studies.  I try to post those studies I find that show, using quantifying equipment, how the sciences are constantly catching up; proving spiritual concepts in the lab. The Dalai Lama holds a conference on those unifying results in the "proof" of consciousness that science finds.

The aim of life is self development. To realize one's nature perfectly

                                                                             ~Oscar Wilde

Neuroscience teaches how powerfully your thinking works. Did you know you have up to 60,000 thoughts per day? Some do less, some more. And that 98% of them are the same. And 80% of those are probably negative. Scary thought that so many of our thoughts each day are negative. How do we stop that? Well, neuroplasticity tells us that since the neural pathways and synapses snap, crackle and pop from behavior, environment and thoughts/feelings, and, daily, the brain engages in synaptic pruning, deleting those neural connections that are no longer necessary or useful and are also strengthening others that we do deem necessary, this act of neuroplasticity, allows us to intentional do the pruning, like in your garden. The brain, in a sense, is moldable like clay and our thoughts, which we can control, become the pathway to beliefs and vice versa. As Mahatma Ghandi said:

Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny

Neuroscience and the plasticity of our brain explains the scientific path to our destiny.

D) To use the principles and tools of ANCIENT WISDOM

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. ~Albert Einstein

What does Torah say? What does New Testament say? What does the Buddha, the Koran, the Upanishads, the Vedics or the Bahagavad Gita say? When we do the Light the Flames of Faith ceremony, we not only honor and mention their tenets, but their mission. Now the Scriptures of ancient wisdom seems to tell you what to think, but look deeper. These are metaphors, tales,mythologies that are there to teach and inspire. If you read them without religious jargon or any twisted reasoning from clergy, you will see most passages teach what could be for greater good, lessons of how to and how to not think or take action. Admittedly, they are not perfect, say a lot of dumb things. But just like we do to ourselves with our ideas, myths, tales, stories and "facts" that we considered true or taught were true, we can release them, ignore them and recognize that they are out of date or just plain...b.s.

We have a choice to live in the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Darkness. ~Mommy Moo Moo (Debbie Barbuto)

Remember, we are always at choice in our thoughts, feelings and beliefs and we get to decide which is from the dark and which is from the Light. If it is constructive, generally from the Light. If it is destructive, definitely not part of the enlightenment. Anyway, any of the ancient wisdoms texts are all merely guides. In the end, middle and beginning, it is what you say, what you decide that is important.

So what's your mission? It could be influenced by the main drivers in your thoughts, attitudes, and perspectives. These are the six human needs according to Antony Robbins:

1. Certainty: assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure
2. Uncertainty/Variety: need for the unknown, change, new stimuli
3. Significance: feeling unique, important, special or needed
4. Connection/Love: a strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something
5. Growth: an expansion of capacity, capability or understanding
6. Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others

Whichever is your main driver, remember, your mission, like this Center, is to:

1) Bust Through old thinking habits
2) Soar into new perspectives, attitudes, consciousness
3) And Zoom into your best life.

The greatest fear that human beings experience is not death, which is inevitable, but consideration of the distinct possibility of living a worthless life. ~Kilroy J. Oldster, “Dead Toad Scrolls”

This month our theme was “And So It Begins.” We talked about:

1) The Big Bang and other origin stories; how they are very similar in telling how we all began. We are essentially all descendant from a singularity, an energy, an intelligence; an idea of the Universe expressing Itself in individual creations.

2) On Mother's Day, I talked about The Divine Feminine and the women of New Thought colliding as a creative force for this philosophy; which, of course, truly resides in us all.

3) I discussed our Purpose statement of Revealing the Divine Within; an energy that is always at work, awaiting our intentional use of It.

4) One week I talked about our Vision Statement -LIVING AT THE SPEED OF THE DIVINE- a statement that is less of a vision, and more of an envisaging, something that is backed by belief , a foundation of acceptance and knowing, our intentional use of how this Universe works, what we see in our lives. And what we see is not to be looked at with our eyesight, but with our insight.

5) And now our mission...Bust Through, Soar and Zoom!

It is not that we have so little time, but that we lose so much. The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided, but use what we have wastefully.      ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Don't waste it! Take these tools - learn, relearn, re-discover and re-awaken them in your heart and mind. Use your imagination and instinct, from your spiritual practice and just taking an intentional breath and listening to the insight the Universe delivers.

As you live your best life, whether in stages or in adjustments over time, you will inspire others to be their best, through your example. And you'll find yourself wanting to share that good, with your time, talent and treasure for this community and the common good.

And that, my friends, is a mission to be proud of...
                                                                                    ...a life well-lived!

Namaste!

Affirmation
I declare to use the principles and tools of the SCIENCE OF MIND AND SPIRIT, New Thought, neuroscience and ancient wisdom to BUST THROUGH, SOAR AND ZOOM into my greatest life. I joyously share my gifts with all, for the common good.

I'm Having A Vision

An engineer who was unemployed for a long time decided to open a medical clinic. He puts a sign outside the clinic: "We guarantee a cure for your ailment for $500 or we'll pay you $1,000, if we fail."

A local doctor thinks this is a good opportunity to earn $1,000 and goes to his clinic.

Doctor: "I have lost my sense of taste." Engineer: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth." Doctor: "This is Gasoline!" Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500."

After a couple of days, the doctor is still annoyed and decides to go back to recover his money.

Doctor: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything." Engineer: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth." Doctor: "But that is Gasoline!" Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500."  The Doctor leaves angrily.

Several days later, he returns, more determined than ever to make his money back, and says, "My eyesight has become weak."

Engineer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for this. Take this $1,000," passing the doctor 5 $100 bills.

Doctor: "But this is $500..." Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your vision back! That will be $500."

Today, I want to talk about vision. Not what we see, as much as what we see with. And not the eye, the cornea, lens, optic nerve, iris apparatus, but the inner eye – the mind's eye, where we see the formless behind the form, the meaning behind the meaning, know of the essence of creation that is behind and within the substance that is created, the mystery behind the focus or the belief behind the perception...the Spirit behind it all.

When an organization or person creates a vision statement for their company or life, it claims what it is we want to be as an organization, community, or person. The create a statement that is a guide, an aspiration, what is the ultimate becoming. It is something you envision will happen. It may start in the imagination, it is something to look forward to, and it usually is visualized until it becomes a fact.

But it can also be something bolder, stronger, more concrete; it can be an envisage of what is to be. An envisage is an idea based on evidence or a strong belief. So what you see as the vision statement for New Thought Spiritual Center isn't really a vision statement as much as an envisage. It is a statement, based on evidence or strong belief, of what is to be; possibly in future, but most definitely in the present, as well. Present in the mind and consciousness, in the heart and gut.

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

                                                                          ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The rock pile is the infinite possibilities available to each one of us on this planet, at this time, for this life. The cathedral to be built, well, you get to decide what that is. You get to vision it, then envisage it.

The complete vision statement for New Thought Spiritual Center is:

To vibrate at the speed of the Divine with love always being the answer and optimizing our greatest Self by being a clear, luminous and dynamic force for Good

Let's break it down. What is the speed of the Divine? 

Well it starts in heart. Uses the heart-mind, the heart-brain as its birth, its foundation, its initial power. In this place, with this power, as the foundation of the envisage, it removes delay and removes fear and makes the unknown be gone.  It is a knowing, a faith, a perspective, a belief, an act of being-ness; of consciously and intentionally connecting with Source. When doing this and being this and living through this intentional and conscious connection with Source, we step into the road of traveling at the speed of the Divine.

Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be.

                                                                     ~William Shakespeare

When living at the speed of the Divine we don't have to wonder what we may be, because we are on the path of the being. We don't have to know how, because we are in the know that the Law does the how and we can thus take confident and bold action. Living and being at the speed of the Divine is the key, through spiritual practice (prayer, meditation, contemplation, etc.), to traveling on the right track at the right time to the right place with the right people for your best life.

The second part begs the question:  How is Love always the answer? We answer with the synonyms and antonyms of what love looks like.

Gratitude is love!
                               ...chiding and blaming are not

Compassion is love!
                               ...indifference and passivity are not

Listening is love!
                               ...having to be right or ignoring others are not

Instinct (what we know in our gut, constructive thoughts) is love!
                                ...destructive or lack-filled thoughts are not

Living fully is love!
                             ...existing without wonderment or not staying open-at-the-top are not

Having boundaries is love! Yes, it is. Love being the answer doesn't mean you allow to be walked over or live as a wallflower or walk around wearing rose-colored glasses or blinders. When the bad and ugly (attitudes and actions, not looks or appearance) are present, love is the answer by knowing and by wishing someones highest and farthest.....highest of good for them and farthest away from you.


Lastly, how do we optimize our greatest self by being a clear, luminous and dynamic force for Good? 

Simply put, clarity and specificity of purpose is optimizing, vibrating at the speed of the divine is full of luminosity, taking bold and present action is a dynamic force, and if it betters your life, while harming no other and its prosperity is shared, it is Good.

Last weekend was the yearly Wesak celebration. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha. It is named for the month of May and celebrated on the full moon (in Taurus), when the Buddha's mother is said to have given birth to him in a garden in the Himalayan foothills while en route to her parents' home (sound familiar?) over 2450 years ago. It is a time for all to have a re-commitment to practice his teachings. It is also a time to remind ourselves of the life we envisage for ourselves.

A Buddhist tale describes....

One afternoon, some people saw an old woman looking for something outside of her hut. “What’s going on? What are you looking for?” the people would ask her. “I lost a needle,” she said. All of the people present started to look for the needle with the old woman.

After some time, someone commented: “The street is very long and a needle is very small, why don’t you tell us exactly where you dropped it?” “Inside of my house,” said the old woman.

“Have you gone mad? If you dropped the needle inside of your house, why are you looking for it out here?” the people asked her. “Because there’s sunlight out here, but there’s none inside my house,” she said matter-of-factly.

Too many times, we seek for things on the outside that are actually found on the inside. A vision is not something we see on the outside, it is an idea in our minds, hearts and guts that we see as our inevitable future, but in the present. When we see that idea in this form, it becomes manifest, as the Universe can take this precise, concise, specific idea easily and powerfully to task, coming up with the how and demonstrating that idea into our experience.

What's your vision?  What do you see in your mind's eye for your life?

Start with vibrating at the speed of the Divine with love always being the answer and then optimizing your greatest Self by being a clear, luminous and dynamic force for Good.

In that way, you envisage your idea, so the vision blocks are set in Truth and built to specs, lasting for as long as it serves you and the next one comes in "sight."

Let me leave you with this blessing. You may have heard it at the end of a Yoga class:

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings everywhere be free and happy.

And may all the world know love and peace.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Peace in my body, Peace in my mind, Peace always surrounding me

Peace, Peace, Peace

Affirmation:

I Vibrate At The Speed Of The Divine with Love always being the answer to any situation.

I optimize my greatest Self by being a clear, luminous and dynamic force for Good in every part of my life. It is this clear vision which propels me to take bold, massive action and bring my desires, dreams, revelations and requirements to form.