Nurturing Our Nature

I want to begin with a Zen Buddhist story:

“Fire! Fire!” In the midst of a great feast, the villagers turned their heads in a drunken stupor and through their hazy vision, saw rapidly spreading flames, threatening to engulf them. They desperately looked around for a way out, but were too drunk to get up.

“We’re done for! We might as well all get ready to die,” somebody started to weep. However, one clear-headed person called out, “Isn’t the most honored and venerated Buddha staying in our village right now? His wisdom will help us escape from the God of Fire!”

Everybody prayed quietly and a few moments later the Buddha appeared. At once, this strong and solemn voice brought on a sense of calm. “Each sentient being has three fires burning within them: the fire of greed; the fire of anger; and the fire of ignorance. I will use the water of supreme wisdom to put out these fires. And in the flash of an eye, the fire disappeared without a trace.

The villagers, with newfound faith in and gratitude for the Buddha, wept in joy and cried praises. “It is not I you are to have faith in, but the Divine within you,” the Buddha answered.

Later, the other monks asked him how he knew to perform this miracle. Per his usual, the Buddha told a parable:

“One day, a ferocious wind came and caused the bamboo bushes to chafe together with such violence that they caught fire, setting the whole mountainside forest ablaze, so all life would surely end. Then a parrot called Joy, feeling sorry for creatures without wings to fly away, soaked up water with his small wings from the nearby sea and flew back and forth, hundreds of thousands of times, between the sea and the forest, trying to extinguish the fire. A passerby asked the bird, “How can you, being so small, hope to put out such a great fire?” The parrot replied, “My heart is more powerful than the fire!  Even if I cannot put out the fire in this moment, I swear I will do it in the next.” With seemingly supernatural power, brimming clouds came in to rain on the mountainside, thus instantly saving every living being on the mountain”

“I inspired them by telling them about Truth, about who they are, so they could reveal the Divine within and use Law of Cause and Effect to extinguish the destructive fires in their hearts, and attain peace. The fire isn't out there as much as it is in here,” he said, pointing to his heart. When you extinguish one, it is easy to extinguish the other. Peace in heart, inspires the imagination and sparks intuition to rise up with wise and effective decisions and actions.


What is our Nature? Who are you? What are you? 
I remember the Michael Keaton Batman movie when he was on a roof with some bad guy who didn't know him and nervously asked him.....

Well, you may or may not be Batman, but you are God - God of your experience, your mind, your feelings, your reactions. 

Each of us constructs and lives a ‘narrative’. This narrative is us. ~Oliver Sacks, neurologist

What is your narrative? Whose narrative are you going to live? Mine?  Nope, taken. CNN's? Hope not. You live yours ...the one you choose. I know stuff is happening around us, but that doesn't mean it has to happen to us...unless we allow it.

Man's word is his wand filled with magic and power! Yeshua emphasized the power of the word; “By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned,” and “death and life are in power of the tongue.”  So man has power to change an unhappy condition by waving over it the wand of his word. In the place of sorrow appears joy, in the place of sickness appears health, in the place of lack appears plenty.   ~Florence Scovel Shinn, Your Word Is Your Wand
How does our nature help us, especially now? Well, it is an oft said phrase in New Thought that “Principle is not bound by precedent.” One of my first teachers, Dr. Robert Bitzer said many times to “Stay in Principle even on special occasions." Principle is....well let's go to the big SOM book:

The source or cause from which a thing results; a truth which is unchangeable. 

Principle is Truth, the Divine expressing Itself through us, as us, with us, and for us. But only as we consciously allow It to do so.

TO DESERT THE TRUTH IN THE HOUR OF NEED IS TO PROVE THAT WE DO NOT KNOW THE TRUTH.   ~Ernest Holmes, SOM text pg. 282 (all in caps)

Theme for the 2020 year is Perception. You get to decide how you are going to perceive your life in this experience.

Okay, OK – what about all this monkey mind I have going on, you might ask? Well, for now, it looks like most of us are home, so take a moment, in this time of stay-at-home, to get clear. Clear?

Clarity entails tuning in to our inner guidance systems. But how can we know our voice of wisdom is speaking or when we're just having another Monkey Mind conversation? ~Maria Nemeth, Mastering Life's Energies

In here book, Maria Nemeth has a list of how you can tell if the thoughts going on in your hear are Monkey Mind or Wisdom. Here is Monkey Mind talking:

1) very insistent - “Listen to me now!”
2) survival oriented – the body tenses
3) sense of dread or impending doom
4) defensive – feedback is an accusation 
5) humorless or deflective humor

And here is Wisdom intuiting and informing:

1) compassionate – toward both you and others
2) spacious – your heart relaxes
3) gentle good humor about situation
4) generosity of spirit – helping others (example)
5) sense that all is well or will be

Basically, if it's monkey mind, your hearing destructive thoughts. If it is intuition and wisdom, you're hearing constructive thoughts. Either way, you get to decide what stays or goes and what state of mind you will be and stay in. You get to decide what frame surrounds your picture and what narrative you will tell.

Each man must sooner or later learn to stand alone with his God; nothing else avails. Nothing else will ever make you master of your own destiny. There is in your own indwelling Lord all the life and health, all the strength and peace and joy, all the wisdom and support that you can ever need or desire.     ~Emilie Cady, Bondage or Liberty, Which?

How you get to Carnegie Hall is the same way you get to love vs. fear, calm vs. panic, hilarity vs. hysteria, nurture your True nature:  practice, practice, practice...Spiritual practice

We go apart to get still, that new life, new inspiration, new power of thought, new supply from the Fountainhead may flow in; and then we come forth to shed it on those around us, that they, too, may be lifted up.    ~Emile Cady

Then, after some spiritual practice, it's time to celebrate the March 22nd special holiday:  National Goof Off Day. So, take the rest of the day off, stay at home, maybe get a puppy... March 23rd was National Puppy Day. And remember:

From six feet away know and wish all .... Namaste!

Affirmation
Today I Reaffirm...
...the Power and Presence of Divine Intelligence ripples through all I think, feel, believe, know and do.  I open my heart and mind to the wisdom of intuition and all the information the Universe has to share with me to make the best decisions for my health and welfare.
I shift what needs to be shifted in my attitude and perception, knowing that I am protected by It's Power and my wholeness is intact.
My Normal Is Love and Calm

20/20 – Not Perfect, Just Normal

20/20 vision is considered normal (read-average) visual acuity. Outside of  the U.S., normal would be 6/6...of course that's meters versus feet. 20/20 vision may be goal for most and the minimum requirement for pilots, but 20/15 visual acuity is considered superior, one can see clearer by 5 ft. Also, you can have 20/40 vision and still pass the Driver's License test in all 50 states, not to mention that most print is designed for this level of acuity.

This week, I will be infusing the blog with some puns and what most will think as dumb jokes. A groany grin is still a smile and a sort of chuckle is at least the beginnings of a full on laugh. It's an especially good time to get a smile or laugh going on.

What type of vision do dustbin workers have?

-bin-ocular vision

Where is the eye located?

-between the H and the J

What favorite organ does an Irish person & pirate have in common?

-the eyeee

Happy St. Patrick's Day, by the way, though I know it has passed by the time you read this. I trust you Zoomed or Facebook Live'd your gathering this year. Speaking of saints, this month I am being sure to give honor and mention to Womyn in History and Shestory. This week I want to talk abou Brigid of Kildare.

Saint Brigid of Kildare is Ireland’s only female patron saint. Interestingly, her father was a pagan. Brigid was actually baptized by Saint Patrick. She is considered the patron saint of babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, cattle, chicken farmers, children whose parents are not married, dairymaids, milk maids and dairy workers, fugitives, infants, mariners, midwives, poultry raisers, printing presses, sailors, scholars, travellers, watermen, creative scholars and poets -a wide spectrum of those protected by her sainthood. As well, she is the Druid Goddess of poetry and healing in Celtic myth. Brigid (c 451-523) has been held up as a symbol of Divine Femininity. She was a powerful Abbess who offered an alternative to the confines of domestic life to up to 14,000 women, a peace-weaver, a fearless negotiator who secured women’s property rights, and freed trafficked women. And she was also reputed to be an expert dairywoman and brewer. She was known for her generosity and concern for the poor. Brigid’s mother was in charge of the Master’s dairy. Brigid tended to give the produce away to the poor. The dairy prospered in spite of her generosity. When she gave produce to the poor it tended to multiply! There's a familiar story. Also, when she gave water to a thirsty stranger, the water turned to milk (which in Ireland means Guinness). A quote that fits her, is from her and evokes Truth in consciousness:

Christ dwells in every creature.

Visual acuity is just one aspect of the typical eye exam, however optometrists also test for other vision skills:

Peripheral awareness

Eye coordination

Depth perception

Ability to focus

Color vision

Don't confuse your visual acuity or your mental acuity with your most powerful one - spiritual acuity. Joke time....

A man went to a specialist to get his eyes tested. “Doctor, will I be able to read after wearing glasses?”


“Yes, of course,” said the doctor, “why not!”


“Oh! How wonderful that will be,” said the patient with joy, “I have been illiterate for so long.”

Getting back to those other vision skills that optometrists test, I am reminded of my last blog on the subject of Foresight - the seeing, visioning, envisioning and declaring your next experience. It got me thinking about spiritual acuity:

Spiritual Acuity takes peripheral awareness .... what's going on around you and within you.

Spiritual Acuity takes eye coordination .... Divine Matrix is the coordination of the Mind, Heart and Gut.

Spiritual Acuity takes depth perception .... we must dig deep past the shadow (per Jung), or the superficial and shallow thinking.

Spiritual Acuity takes the ability to focus .... spiritual practice, daily, deeply, and with joyous gratitude.

And Spiritual Acuity takes color vision .... our attitudes, perceptions and beliefs color/filter your experiences. Speaking of attitudes and perception: 

Where do you send a depressed eye?

-to the low vision centre

What did the right eye say to the left eye?

-Between you and me, there’s something that smells

We are in a Spiritual Fire Drill. This viral pandemic is an expose' of the weakness in our systems of community, preparedness, love, kindness, peace, clarity and gratitude. In this time of social distance and staying home, it's a good time to ruminate on how we as a species are treating each other and our planet. It's a wake-up call to clear this up....

Patient: I see spots before my eyes.

Optometrist: Didn’t the new glasses help?

Patient: Sure, now I see the spots much clearer. 

Like that patient, its time for all to take note and apply the lesson. It is a wake up call for the consciousness of humankind to declare:

Love

Community

Kindness

Peace

Mental and Physical Preparedness

The masses don't always see it at first:

Optician: You need glasses.

Patient: But I’m wearing glasses.

Optician: Then I need glasses

But, as you can see in these and other experiences like disasters, etc., it brings out the crap and fear in many, and the kindness and gratitude in others. These times show us who is who and what is in their attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs; especially those that may hide in the hustle and bustle of modern and urban daily life. We see who has a 20/20 vision of Divine Love or is in need of corrective lenses - i.e. spiritual practice. Basically, the Universe is telling us to sit down, shut up (not the polite, get quiet) and get centered. I read the following letter that illustrates what has been happening in China right now during this pandemic.

QUIET CHINA

by Chinese Pastor, sent to brother in Istanbul via friends in Singapore

The hustle and bustle of China finally quiets down, the restless society comes to a still, and the restless Chinese people gradually calm down. Humans finally lower their proud head and have begun to think quietly:  are we still the king of the earth?

Mankind finally feels the power of nature once again....in the face of the threat of death, human beings have only begun to reflect seriously, only to realize that a lack of awe-inspiring social atmosphere will lead to more harm and more risks. The greedy heart is being purified by the virus, and the mouth that loves to eat is being punished by the virus. the people who have been soaking in the bright red and green places all day have been driven home by the virus, saying.... "go home!"

There are fewer and fewer people on the street, few cars on the road, the air is getting fresher..., the haze is gone..., the sky is getting bluer, the sun is getting brighter, family lives are getting warmer, more harmonious and cordial. people's hearts have become more and more calm. People who haven’t read for years have picked up books at home. parents and children who had no communication, couples who couldn’t speak few words a year have opened up the conversation box. Children who do not know how to respect the elderly have began to be filial.

The virus teaches human beings a vivid and profound lesson. it makes us understand awe. It also lets us know what is called "good times". It also makes us feel true love on earth. …. we really should be grateful for this "enemy", we need such an enemy to give us a "reminder" and give us "empowerment."

The virus will not leave so quickly. it needs to see the CULTIVATION of human good habits. the virus will not continue to rag, because human love will gather more power to keep the virus away. Time will tell us everything. Time will also prove what is right. 

So dear reader, it's time once again to slow Down, get centered, breath, talk to one another, take time to view the inside stuff (creativity, imagination, inspiration); as we constantly was our hands. In fact, we can wash our minds at the same time we wash our hands. Which reminds me....  

What music do optometrists listen to?

-Itunes

Don't pray and hope, pray and know .... and wash your hands, touch elbows or bow and “Namaste” everyone - hell, smile and just say “hey.”

Skip the psychology of virology and get into the theology of Love – loveology.

Spread love not germs!

Practice the Biology of Belief simultaneously with the physiology of social distance

and hand washing

Instead of being fearful, be cheerful from a few feet away

Don't strive for 20/20 normal visual acuity, be and envision the perfect spiritual acuity

...it's not a number, it's a knowing - your birthright.

What did the sailor say to the captain of the optometrist's boat?

-eye-eye captain

That's right!!!!

Affirmation

I Turn Toward...

...the vitality in my body.

...the prosperity in my mind and pocket.

...the Love and goodness that permeates everything and everyone I encounter.

...the grace and beauty that surrounds me.

...the Power of my faith and Truth.

...the wisdom of Divine Inspiration.

This is the turning point for my best life.

I affirm this turning right now!

Today I Start My New Normal!

Foresight

A monk was meditating by a river when he saw the Plague pass by. "Where are you going?" the monk asked the Plague. "I'm going to the town downriver to kill 100 people," the Plague responded.
A week later, the monk saw the Plague returning upriver. The monk called out, "You didn't keep your word! 1,100 people died!"
The Plague responded, "I did keep my word! I only killed 100. The other 1,000 died from fear."

God, not germs, is our Source. The power and presence within us is what we use to change our DNA, cells, environment; while being mindful and practicing good hygiene. As well, staying consciously in the flow of Spirit, not fear, is as important. I wrote about this in a recent eblast ... treat and wash your hands!

I'm not just talking about COVID-19. It's about having foresight for everything. Our spiritual practice, treatment, mind-full affirmations, goals, manifestation practices is an act of foresight.

Definition time....foresight is:
  -an act or the power of foreseeing...PRESCIENCE
  -provident care...PRUDENCE
  -an act of looking forward...vision
-premonition, pre-notion, clairvoyance, divination
-forethought, perception, insight

Having foresight is not being myopic or shortsighted about the condition or experience with a 'woe-is-me' attitude. Foresight creates and prevents hindsight; the hindsight of “I shoulda...” and creates the hindsight of “of course.”

We create foresight by our choice of food, seeing and experiencing it as either nourishment or deprivation; in partners, see love in them or ignoring the red flags that warn us from them; jobs, by seeing or experiencing only the money aspect without the job satisfaction necessity; in attitudes and  environments which either are starving the soul or feeding it; and in addictions, by either ignoring the condition versus turning away from it spiritually, feeding the soul with Truth and facing it head-on psychologically, while resolving, reducing and removing it from affecting our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and future.

In our spiritual practice, Spiritual Mind Treatment or affirmative prayer (versus an pleading or beseeching prayer) is a form of proofreading our foresight into fruition. I bring that up because March 8th was National Proofreading Day. A few examples of a lack of foresight and proofreading:

1) A 1631 version of the King James Bible became known as the “Wicked Bible” because the word “not” was left out of “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.”

2) Air Canada’s luggage tags in 2005 let customers know that bags had “been x-rated at point of origin.”

3) One edition of Hamlet dropped the “not” from Shakespeare's “To Be or Not To Be”

Thinking about that last one, one could make that work. A speech not about life vs. death, but life vs. living. I will do a talk and write abut that another time.

Here are some tips for proofreading and how they are also tips for treating, praying and manifesting:

1) Walk away – Proofread after an article, important email or chapter has time to set, and you read it with fresh eyes. 
     Not feeling the prayer? .... stop and start over or come back to it or treat for a powerful prayer to come to you. The rules are to feel it in the fullness of your heart, mind and gut.

2) Do not disturb – Remove all distractions, including phones, other deadlines, traffic, noise, and interruptions. 
     Immerse yourself in the quiet to listen and commune, though also be able to commune with the Divine when surrounded by life's noises, as well.

3) Turn off the autocorrect – When used strictly as a tool, autocorrect may be helpful. Over time we become reliant upon it. In texts and emails, it can overcorrect our messages, creating havoc. When we’re uncertain of the spelling or a word, so many more reliable and efficient tools are available. 
     Change up your wording. Call the Divine something different (don't worry It won't care) or try using different phrases than the ones you usually use. Mix up your mantras.

4) Say it aloud – We catch different errors when we say aloud than when we read by sight alone. 
     Say it aloud - when we hear through our eyes, it can give an added power to the words

5) Print it – And use a different font. Our eyes see the document differently when printed, and we find errors we didn’t see the first few times. 
     Write it out, journal, use the affirmation cards I pass out in our Sunday Celebrations or is listed at the end of this blog....and do so daily.

6) Read it backward – A fresh perspective allows us to find new errors. Start with the last sentence and work your way to the beginning.
     Go out of order. Whether you use the five step method of Spiritual Mind Treatment or have an order to your affirmative prayer, mix it up.

7) Fresh eyes – When the second set of eyes reads something completely new, it’s amazing what they find!
     Get thee to a Practitioner or spiritual professional

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.   ~Marie Curie

As this is International Womyn's Day (March 8th) and we are a philosophy of science, I want to write about three womyn of science. First is Madame Curie, the author of the above quote and the first woman in Europe to earn a doctorate in physics and first female professor at France’s Sorbonne University. She lived from the late 1800's till her death in 1934. Curie discovered the elements polonium and radium and was the only person ever to win two Nobel Prizes - physics and chemistry. Her studies with these elements have made her notebooks to be stored in lead-lined boxes, as they are still radioactive for another 1500 years. She once said:

A great discovery does not issue from a scientist’s brain ready-made, it is the fruit of an accumulation of preliminary work.

Our preliminary work is in mind, heart and gut through perception, foresight, belief, feeling and consciousness – treatment work is at its most powerful and specific through the work and use of the Divine Matrix (Mind, Heart and Heart-Brain, and Gut - the intuition and imagination). Curie once wrote on the subject of perception and foresight....

One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.

Logic, education, intelligence, imagination, insight and intuition led Madame Curie to greatness.

Katherine Johnson had that kind of foresight, as well. An American mathematician, her  calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. She recently made her transition at the age of 101 and was one of the principal characters in the movie, Hidden Figures.  NASA described her this way, “Her calculations proved as critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landing program and the start of the Space Shuttle program, as they did to those first steps on the country’s journey into space.”

Foresight is scientific and part of a Truth-driven faith such as those in the New Thought Movement. 

Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated. ...faith is essential to success in life (success of any sort) ...all that is necessary for faith is the belief that by doing our best we shall come nearer to success and that success in our aims (the improvement of the lot of mankind, present and future) is worth attaining.  ~Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA, particularly the one called Photo 51. While at King's College London, her work led to the discovery of the DNA double helix for which James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in 1962. She did not, but has subsequently received recognition for her work. She reminds us that foresight is an x-ray of the conditions, fears, past, DNA, etc. It helps us see through them and remove them from our subconscious and their effect in our lives. 

The Divine Feminine traits of intuition and imagination empower our foresight to declare our next storyline. They are the power behind our ability to envision, declare, and enact; which is having the foresight to our next now. These traits enable us to take a route that is scientific, mathematical and powered by Divine Truth to a life full of prosperity, vitality, creativity and love.

Practice your foresight everyday and watch your life soar!





Affirmation
I  Am Blessed Today!
In present time, right here and now, I announce a joyous time of sweet peace and prosperity in my world. I intend to feast upon a  life guided by imagination, inventiveness and wonder. Assured by the great Power and Presence within me; I notice, observe and take to heart all the wisdom I require for this day, and forward, to be rich with happiness and vitality.

Are You Living A Myopic Life?

March is Women's History month. In it, will explore seeing the Divine Feminine in you. Gender-wise, as we honor women in history and non-gender wise, as we explore the Divine Feminine within us all.

We want to wish everyone a National Pig Day (March 1st). It is a day to avoid bacon or any pork, please, maybe shop at your local Piggly Wiggly or eat at the Pig 'n Whistle in L.A., and to honor some famous female suids like Miss Piggy, The Oinker Sisters (Sesame Street), Petunia Pig (Porky's girlfriend), and, of course, Babe. Pigs don't sweat and are quite smart (3 yr old mentality), can recognize mother’s voice, and clock a 7-minute mile (don't race one). But they don't see very well, lacking focus and depth perception. Which brings me to the talk title today:

Are you living a myopic life?

A definition of a myopic either in eyesight or insight, would include one whose...
...uncorrected eyeball is too long
...able to see only near objects
...focus is only on what's in front of them
...uncorrected perception will cause them not to see whole picture (sounds like 'being in the now,' but actually means you may be lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight)
...near-nearsightedness in eyesight and insight puts us out of balance

Are you living a balanced life or a myopic life?

Are you living a life so focused, you can't see the forest for the the trees?
...or your True nature for your troubles?

There is a well known Hindu/Buddhist parable, Blind Men and an Elephant, that illustrates a myopic perception on life.

The Essence of an Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe:

It was six men of Indostan

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

At once began to bawl:

"God bless me! but the Elephant

Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk

Cried, "Ho! what have we here,

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me 'tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up he spake:

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,

And felt about the knee:

"What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain," quoth he;

"'Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, 

Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun 

About the beast to grope,

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope.

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,

All, [yes all,] were [very] in the wrong!

They had what is called proximity blindness. I'm not talking about their ability to see out of their eyeballs, but by not "seeing" the whole situation. You don't have to be actually blind to have an experience similar to the six men above. When we have proximity blindness, we are out of balance between what's going on and who we are. If that is happening to you, not able to see the forest for the trees or the Truth through what's going on around you, then get thee to a practitioner or spiritual counselor or therapist! It is with a professional you will be assisted in bringing in the overview....the nature of the Divine in all - it's energy, power, and attributes that lies within you.

Life is Androgynous, i.e., It contains within Itself both the masculine and the feminine factors. The male and the female of Creation come from One Principle; all come from the One and all will return to the One; all are now in the One and will forever remain in the One…  ~SOM, Repression and Sublimation – The Spirit of Sex

It is myopic to be gender-oriented in the Divine and in ourselves. It limits our belief as individualized expressions of the One. Even if you were brought up in a traditional religious experience, when you translate the Scriptures in Hebrew, Syriac and Aramaic English, you will see that the word for God is actually gender-complete, not neutral nor especially gender specific. One of the names for the Divine found in the Bible is Elohim, which, in Hebrew is a mixed-gendered word for God. The root of the term is "Eloah,” a distinctly feminine title for the Creative Power of everything. And attached is a plural, grammatically masculine suffix, “heem.” That makes Elohim mixed-gendered and thus gender-complete. Father-Mother-God is the parent of all. It is the Sacred Masculine + Divine Feminine combined.

That is what we are made of and to be in balance, we must recognize these qualities in all of us, no matter the gender:

Sacred Masculine energy = logic, reason, tacking action, loyalty, security, stability, assertive without aggression, with clear intentions, strength, leadership, and courage;  confident without arrogance; rational without a need to control; honorable, diplomatic and honest without a desire for war or violence, adventurous but not reckless

Divine Feminine energy = a deep wisdom rooted in trusting one’s intuition and heart; a passionate, creative, and life-giving force which supports deep heartfelt nurturing and healing of all creation with gentleness, patience, and flexibility


First Cause, God, the Divine, Spirit is powerful, creative, loving, and nonjudgmental. It is an omnipotent, omniscient, and androgynous energy; a dance of balance we all share, the whole 20/20 vision of life revealed within us all.

So, don't be short sighted. Don't ignore the Divine Feminine nor the Sacred Masculine in you. Like the Divine in You, it is the whole of you.

Be logical and heart-centered

Be assertive and sacred

Be rational through your intuition

Be strong, courageous while nurturing and healing

Be the God in you – the Elohim

People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.  ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Living a myopic life, a short-sighted life, comes from living only from the outward. It is a narrow focused (myopic) perception of how the Universe works. Like the best actors, work from the inside out. Be gender-complete and you will live a full life of song, poetry, Light, strength, courage, prosperity and love.



Affirmation
A Sacred, Sensual Power Envelopes Me
I birth the everlasting creative force in my life, gathering the power and strength of the Divine in me. With this, I allow my entire being to expand, illuminating my every corner.  I Am inspired, empowered, and respected, feeling healed and nurtured by the ever flowing grace connecting me to Mother Earth. Honoring my emotions, body, intuition and wisdom...                                                   
I Awaken My Creative Soul

COVID-19 and You

There is a lot of talk and fear surrounding the Corona Virus and COVID-19. I totally get it and too many in the government are not helping the situation efficiently or effectively. So how do we protect ourselves both physically and in Mind?

Well, let's start with the physical. Most masks do not help, though if you have a cough it assists in not sharing the virus through the spittle of a cough, but in that case you should be staying home or in the hospital, depending on severity. The biggest thing is, yes, wash your hands...

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.  ~Centers for Disease Control

...or at least use sanitizing liquid or foam with 60+% alcohol - the basics. I understand it is a respiratory illness, but most contagion is transferred from touching an object that was coughed or sneezed on and then touching your face or hands, etc. Though the likelihood of it showing up at your doorstep is slim, it is good to be prepared and take the basic measures of any virus. And if you do feel sick or contract the flu or virus, get thee to the doctor. Science of Mind, mental science, metaphysics, and New Thought are not about ignoring the physical, it is about taking care of things in all its forms, the physical and in consciousnesses. God is in the medical procedure, too.

In Mind, let us remember that the consciousness of fear that this virus will show up at your doorstep is an attitude that will not serve you. Taking precautions in the physical and working the consciousness of health and protection in Mind is using the full spectrum of the Power and Presence of Spirit.

Fear, beyond the “alert system” designed to make us aware of imminent danger, is a corrosive element which weakens our ability to see clearly and to respond compassionately. Fear drives us to make excessive and unrealistic demands on conditions and the people around us. It drives us from grace.  ~Dr. Jim Lockard

If fear is in your consciousness (and I understand the news screaming at you doesn't help), then work on relieving/healing that fear with the Love and Power that is yours as One with the Divine. Harm has a rough time coming near you as you surround yourself with knowledge, expertise, the consciousness of health, and a communion with the Source and Substance of your supply.

Treat (affirmative prayer) and wash your hands!

Don't Squint

Researchers from Ohio State University studied people who squint at their monitor. They do so or you may be doing so now because you are looking at complex or detailed info, wanting to cut brightness or bring small details into clearer focus. What happens when we do that? It changes the shape of eye, lets in limited amount of light. You may more easily focus, but you are also changing your perception of what you are looking at. It is less illuminated and doing this squinting is a deceptive practice and has little impact on your vision. In addition, squinting makes one prone to eye strain and dry eye, resulting from a lack of blinking. It is irritating and uncomfortable. Even low-level squinting causes blink rates to halve from 15 per minute to 7.5 per minute. And it also means you are not seeing clearly. You may need glasses, contacts, or LASIK maybe or a clearer vision of Truth. Are you seeing life through a squint? When you do, you are lessening the illumination of Light and Spirit and drying up your True perception. You are being blinded to that which must be enlightened and only partially being open to inspiration and intuition.

The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.   ~Native American proverb

We require our eyes to be moist for best vision and clarity. So too, do our minds and hearts be drenched in vision, intuition and imagination!

A six year old girl was sitting in the back of the classroom drawing when the teacher walked back to her and asked “What are you drawing?” The girl said “I’m drawing a picture of God.” To which the teacher laughed a little and replied: “But nobody knows what God looks like.” And the little girl said “They will in a minute.” 

They say seeing is believing. Most people would say that is true, but it is not required. Our vision, belief and connection doesn't require a Near Death Experience or a trip to the other side; it's an inside job – can happen right now. What it does require is to remove the obstructions in our perceptions from our histories and supposed DNA.

Matthew 7:1–5... 

1 Judge not, that you may not be judged.       2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with the same measure with which you measure, it shall be measured to you again.    3 'Why do you see the mote (splinter) that is in your brother's eye, but do not feel the beam that is in your own eye?'    4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take out the mote/splinter from your eye, and behold there is a bean in you own eye?    5 O hypocrite, first take out the beam out of your own eye; and then you can see clearly to take out the mote/splinter out of your brother's eye. 

Mote is like an irritating particle in the eye. We squint to make the mote less irritating. If you wear contacts you probably understand. If not, note that when dust particles get in your eye wearing contacts, if feels like a rock is in there and you usually squint to avoid the pain blinking brings. But in actuality, with eyes wide open, the tearing starts and the particles and dust are released. So too in mind with your beliefs. The Scripture story from Matthew implies that someone is ignoring a glaring fault of their own while criticizing a smaller one in someone else. This happens as well when we squint to see clearer. It is a lie, a deception, impermanent and shadowy. Temporary, at best.

All experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.  ~Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence

Don't Squint, it doesn't abolish you vision difficulties. Open your eyes wide and actually see more. There's a story about a parent with their six year old child....

“What are you looking at?” The child nestled in my lap stared, mesmerized, at the sky. She pointed to the sky and asked me, “Do you see those clouds. They are not clouds. They have magic. They move. And there’s a unicorn hiding there. Can you see it?” 

 Can you see it?

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.  ~Walt Streightiff

When we squint at life, thinking it will get clearer, we actually are eliminating some of the light. In mind, when we squint at life versus looking at it with eyes wide open, we don't see with the wisdom of the ages or the inspiration from the Universe supporting us. We blind ourselves of seeing a vision of life through the Power of the Source and Substance of our supply.

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision. ~Helen Keller

What is your vision? Are you squinting at it, hoping to see it clearer, but not illuminating it?

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.  ~Carl Gustav Jung

Focus on what you want. You don't have to squint to see it clearly. You just have to feel, visualize and vision, using insight, not eyesight.

The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.  ~Meister Eckhart 

Instead of hoping or even asking you to promise, I am declaring you shall dance with eyes wide open, heart inviting, inspiration and imagination at full bore, wings spread and ready to fly and take action
How?

In the universe there is an immeasurable, indescribable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link.  ~Carlos Castaneda

When you open your mind and heart, let your imagination flow and inspiration chime in, the needed teachers will show up and the course will get clear and you won't have to squint to see it...

Within man is the soul of the whole, the wise silence, the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal One. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't squint at your addictions or fears...
Don't squint at your past or lack and limitation thoughts and beliefs...
Don't squint to try to focus on what to change, update, upgrade, transform or transcend as this leads to dry eye, double vision, irritation, and a false clarity; without the luminescence of Divine Wisdom.

Don't squint  -you don't have to-  just open your eyes....the ones in your head and the one in your heart ... and Believe!

Believing is seeing and seeing is Be-ing

...the Divine in You!

Affirmation
I Can See Clearly Now...
...the reign of infinite possibilities is here ...the reign of Light shines through
...the reign of vibrant health, happiness, peace and pleasure is mine
...the reign of fortune, benevolence, and integrity surround me
These reigns rain upon me; powerfully informing, inspiring,and bringing me the presence of mind I require for my most greatest life..
It's Gonna Be a  Bright Sunshiny Day!

Reflections

Heart Of A Mouse from Heart of the Enlightened by Anthony De Mello

A mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But then it became afraid of the dog.

So the magician turned it into a dog. Then it began to fear the panther, so the magician turned it into a panther. Whereupon it was full of fear for the hunter.

Frustrated, the magician gave up and turned it back into a mouse saying, "Nothing I do for you is going to be of any help because you have the heart of a mouse."

Where our heart goes, so too, the mind and feet. Experiences are a reflection of our consciousness, our beliefs. What is your reflection? What is our reflection as a people? Does it reflect the common good​? Here are a few common good happenings that occured in history during late February.:

February 23, 1455:  Johannes Gutenberg prints his first Bible

1896:  Tootsie Roll introduced by Leo Hirshfield
...fortunately, toothpaste began being massed produced in 1873

1954: The first injections of the Salk polio vaccine  given at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, PA

Feb 24, 1983:  Special Congressional commission  released report condemning WWII Japanese internment
...almost 40 years late and now California is putting together an official apology, too

1979:  Stamford, Texas, the highest price ever paid for a pig was made...$42,500
...pig's name was Glacier
...more for the common breakfast than the common good

And in 1924:  Pacifist and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was released from jail
...one who dedicated his life to the common good.

Seeking the common good is a Habit of the Heart; something that must be developed:

  I asked a Rabbi once, “Why does Torah tell us to ‘place these words upon our hearts’? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?” 
The rebbe answered, “It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until, one day, the heart breaks and the words fall in.”

Opening the heart to new words and new insights, thus a new habit, must be intentionally developed in order to reflect into our own experiences and those of the common good. Before we get to the how of developing this habit, let's remember that this country was created for the common good:  preamble of Constitution begins “We the People” and the U.S. motto is "E Pluribus Unum" - Out of many, one. So, for those in the United States, remember that working for the common good is one of the American ideals, as well as one for humanity.

Let's talk some more about creating this habit of the heart. In defining the work ”heart,” I found that it comes from the Latin word “cor.” Interestingly, the heart is the core of the whole system -mind/body/ spirit- and is the first organ to develop in a person. It is the core of the body because the heart pumps much more than blood; it also pumps hormones that regulate many bodily functions, including those in the brain. The heart also has an electromagnetic field enveloping the body which has been proven to influence behavior of DNA in our cells. The heart has an intelligence; is the core of the human self, where all knowing converges. Within it is an intricate network of several types of neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells, like those found in the brain. It is where we integrate what we know in our minds/brains with what we know in our gut - the place where knowledge, intuition, and feeling connect.

Heart-Mind well-being refers to creating a balance between educating the mind and educating the heart. ~Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Understanding

Cor is also the Latin root of the word courage.

When all that we know of self and world comes together in the center-place called the heart, we are more likely to find the courage to act humanely on what we know.  ~Parker Palmer

Our heart is a reflection of our beliefs into experience and our experiences are a mirror from our heart.

I know it gets difficult out there. Statistics show that in 1963, over 70% of Americans trusted government to do the right thing, nowadays it's only 16%. Trust for corporations in the late '70s averaged 32%, by 2016 it was only 18%.  Trust in banks has dropped from 60% to 27%, in newspapers, from 51% to 20%. This decline is found in nonprofits, universities, charities, and religious institutions. Seeing this for years, we start to feel hopeless, out of control and become apathetic. Our heart closes - for protection more than anything.

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.   ~Jung

In the end, the face we turn toward our self, is the face we will turn toward the outer world. What to do? Parker Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner of the Center for Courage and  Renewal designed five habits to heal the heart of democracy:

1. An understanding that we are all in this together.

Everything we receive through the Law, comes from a reflection of our consciousness

2. An appreciation of the value of "otherness"

Of course, "otherness” is a made up notion / bias / prejudice. It is a fear from a learned or accepted perception. There is truly no otherness as all come from same creative energy - the Namaste.

The measure of mental health is the disposition to find good everywhere. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways.

Life can be imperfect, yes, however what we do with the tensions of the imperfect is what is important. Are you going to be a victim or a victor? You get to decide.

4. A sense of personal voice and agency.

What we put into the race consciousness via our opinions, judgments, biases, prejudices, etc. affects the culture and our community and world. Choose wisely.

5. A capacity to create community.

If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.  ~Anonymous

A person's true wealth is the good he or she does in the world. ~Mohammed

Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.   ~Helen Keller

 Being in and taking care of community and collaboration is not versus taking care of self. It is inclusive and part of taking care of self.

Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will never be shortened. Happiness never ceases by being shared.  ~Chinese Proverb

"Lighted from a single candle" reminds me of the Hanukkah menorah lead candle - the shamash. The shamash is the helper or attendant candle that is there to serve if one of the eight candles blow out. Let us all be the shamash for each other, with the heart of a lion and for the common good. In you “there's a heart that must be free to fly…” Break open your heart, let the sacred words drop in and watch the world reflect that heart and shine longer, steadier and brighter as a reflection of love, inclusivity and prosperity for all.




Affirmation
I Am a Mirror Of..
...kindness, victory, prosperity, vitality, creativity, influence, certainty and comfort. I Am in control and secure, full of variety, significance and uniqueness.
I inhale the oxygen of life -Love- and I exhale, spreading that Love.
I Am connected, growing, evolving, transcending, contributing, and seeing life with clarity, beauty, and possibilities
I Reflect the Divine Wisdom In Me!