TRULY INDEPEPENDENT

In 1963, at the March on Washington, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ended his speech saying:

When we allow freedom to ring - when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, "We are free at last."

He was stating a powerful call to action to the people of the U.S. and much of the world about equality and justice for the African American. Not to diminish that call to action, it is required per the situation at hand for minorities of all types in this nation and the world. However, none of us can be truly free until we claim our freedom for ourselves. Be you black, white, Christian, Jew, yellow, brown, any gender or who you love. Laws can be legislated, reparations paid, equality and justice completed, but only when we claim our freedom in our own minds, will we ever completely enjoy that freedom.

No matter your color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, religion or nationality, we must already have the impetus for freedom to ring from within first. Inviting it with legislation and education is not enough. Freedom for all must ring true in our own hearts and we must get clear on what that ring of freedom means to us personally.

So I ask you:
                       
What does it mean to know the Truth? to live this teaching as definitive, yet expansive?

That's Freedom!

What does it mean to know and reveal the Divine power within; an invisible presence and force as prevalent as gravity?

That's Freedom!

What does it mean to be free in your life? what does it feel like, look like, taste like being free?

What is living like knowing God is not simply “in" you, but experiences life as you, with you, for you, through you....is You?

That's Freedom!

The rest, as they say, again, not to diminish what needs to be accomplished in our society, but the rest is commentary. Freedom must be spoken about and acted upon, because though it is inherent, spiritually, it remains inactive unless fully accepted and declared by each and every one of else internally, in our hearts, minds and guts.

The essence of this teaching, New Thought and ancient wisdom (at least when read as intended) is love, responsibility and action; using our ability to respond, in mind with love, and in body with action to any and all situations and conditions with the Divine Truth at the forefront of our response.

We are all one, all part of the same God-stuff. Anyone not remembering that, doesn't know the Truth or maybe, “can't handle the Truth.” There is no them in us. We are all expressions of the same Power, the same creative energy.

In our three billion letters of individual DNA code and in our 20,000 genes, each of us are 99.9% the same as any other person on the planet. A mere 3 million letters are different...out of 20 billion. And 98.5% of our DNA are the same as chimpanzees and bonono's (another of the monkey-kind). And to those who get cocky about their humanity versus other life forms, know that 50% of our DNA is the same as a banana.

99.9% percent the same. Yet not all are free. Too much of that because of socio-politico-religio b.s. and much too much because not all of us have claimed that freedom for ourselves, in our hearts and minds and guts.

• Freedom is our birthright, yes, yet there must be a call to action internally for it to ring. 
• Freedom implies action and freedom requires action, whether to obtain it in legalities or to retain it socially.
• Freedom is not static, it has movement, responsibility, and belief attached to it. 
• Freedom cannot be legally and ethically bestowed by government or education alone; it must be achieved and declared and shared from within by all of us individually.

We’re all connected. Yet as the nation and the global community catches up with laws, education and ethics of justice, we must take the freedom journey in our own consciousness first. We must accept the freedom in our unique personal spiritual experience first. We must liberate ourselves with personal responsibility and action, without assigning blame and with the understanding that our divinity gives us the ability to know and live our highest good while recognizing the Namaste in all. Those who honor and recognize this freedom is for all are a force for good in the world.

To have freedom in our world prosper in all of life, we must have the mental equivalent of that prosperity in Mind. We can only attract what we mentally become and know to be like the photograph which can only show what the film was exposed to.

The road to freedom lies not through mysteries or occult performances, but through the intelligent use of natural forces and laws. ~Ernest Holmes "Living Without Fear"

Therefore, to let “freedom ring” in our lives, we must understand that our divinity and connection to God is shared by everyone in the world. Freedom, success and prosperity are spiritual attributes that belong to all peoples. So what are we to do?

Thurgood Marshall's speech from almost thirty years ago continues to resonate, when he says:

Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work.

As Americans and citizens of the world, we must get to work from without and within. As John F. Kennedy reminds us:

The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free.

Let us start a revolution in Mind, declaring our freedom in Mind first. As stated by Athenian historian and general (400 BC) Thucydides:

The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage.

So let us be courageous and proclaim to the Universe our...

Declaration of Independence:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the bands and bonds of struggle, strife, lack, and faithlessness, which has connected them with a life that does not serve their greatest good, and to assume among the Power of the Universe, the station of Prosperity to which the Laws of Nature entitle them, a decent respect to the opinion of one who speaks in Truth requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

I hold this Truth to be self-evident, that I am created equal, that I am endowed by my Creator, that which is within me, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and Happiness. That to secure these rights in my life, beliefs are instituted by me, deriving their just powers from Divine consent of my Mind and the Law of Cause and Effect. That whenever any Form of My Beliefs become destructive of these ends, it is the Right of Me to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new thoughts, new feelings, new perspectives, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing Its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect my Safety, Prosperity, Health and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Beliefs, long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that many times I am more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right myself by abolishing the beliefs to which I am accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce Me under absolute or partial lack, it is my right, it is my duty, to throw off such Beliefs, and to provide new thoughts and feelings, new perspectives and beliefs, for my future security, prosperity, health and happiness.

Such has been my patient sufferance; and such is now the necessity which constrains me to alter my thinking and my Beliefs.

Part of the history of my present beliefs is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over my happiness.

And so I now declare, with full knowledge and embodying of the One Power within, that One indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause. With that Spirit expressing through me, which is the Unity of all life, I claim and swear to use my creative thoughts to think from that eternal goodness, that eternal loving kindness, and that eternal givingness of Divine Intelligence. To act, be, and surround myself with love, abundance, vitality and vibrancy. To think, reason, and live without the bondage of any negativity from my past, without the consciousness of “no” or the shoulda/woulda/coulda of “not yet;” without fear of a future I will create, and without any water cooler gossip or the news and opinions of CNN, MSNBC, FOX NEWS, NPR or any government or religion that may be running around in my mind like a rat in a cage, like squirrels in a whirling dervish, like chattering monkeys – invading my consciousness.

I, therefore, do, in the Name, and by Authority of my birthright as an individualization of the Source and Substance of All, solemnly publish and declare, that I Am that I AM, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent of destructive thoughts and beliefs; and that I Am that I AM, is absolved from all allegiance to negativity, and that all connection between me and the State of Lack and Limitation, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a Free and Independent personalization of God, I engage my full Power to levy Peace, Prosperity, and Love in my life from this day, forward. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection and Power of the Divine Intelligence within, I pledge to my Life and sacred Honor.

Please sign your name in the air, declaring your independence and committing your freedom to be the greatest You that ever was....and, so too, for all!





Affirmation
I Am free to see my peace. I Am free to see my abundance.
I Am free to see the miracle that is Me, with a body that is energized and ready to rock.
I Am free to see life go my way - the way of love, Light, wisdom, beauty and grace.
I declare my freedom to Be the greatest I can be.

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.