Standing On The Shoulders of Giants

So much of what I teach comes from Ernest Holmes and the books teaching the Science of Mind and Spirit, my teachers in New Thought, and those who have counseled me, been in class with me, or indirectly taught me or inspired me in other ways and from other fields of study. It all adds up and continues my growth and what I can bring to you. It also reminds me that though I may put a spin on something, make it my own, even inspire people with it, I am standing on the shoulder of giants. And even behind that, it is more about my openness to the open-source of all wisdom that comes to me from the Divine Source.

Like software for which the original source code is made freely available, and may be redistributed and modified, the wisdom of the ages and the intuitable creativity and imagination of the Universe is an open-source venue ...for everyone. Even Newton’s “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” wasn’t entirely original...

In the 12th century - John of Salisbury, who described himself as Johannes Parvus, was an English author, philosopher, diplomat and bishop of Chartres said, "We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours."

I look at my library and I see all these ideas that interested me, were suggested to me or required for me to read, and some I don't remember why I was inspired to have them. Many are stalwarts in our teaching, but all of them created by standing on the shoulders of giants from ancient times to the last couple of centuries, or from each other.

It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.  ~Jean-Luc Godard

An everyday example is found in the book,  Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, where Nassim Taleb describes an evening of a dinner out...

I realized I was going to a place the likes of which have been around for at least 2,500 years, in shoes similar to those worn at least 5,300 yrs ago, to use silverware designed by the Mesopotamians and drinking wine based on a 6K year-old recipe, from glasses invented 2,900 years ago, while eating cheese unchanged through the centuries (in fact, the older the better – right? wine too) while awaiting a dinner prepared with one of our oldest tools - fire, using utensils much like those the Romans developed.

2021 is not a New Year, New You. It is a New Year, NEWER you. As singer/songwriter Peter Allen wrote, “Everything old is new again.”

January's theme, in our year of AWAKENING, was Believe It. What we believe is the ground floor of our awakening. What we believe is the basis with which we experience a fabulous life and a fabulous life is a creative series of connecting the dots of wisdom throughout the ages, ancient to modern to today into our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Here's an example of connecting the dots wisely. It is about creating something you probably have in front of you right now:

1. The first touchscreen was developed by E.A. Johnson for air traffic control almost 50 years earlier than this thing

a. by 1975 other engineers built upon Johnson's work, developed and patented usable models

b. around the same time, the University of Illinois was developing touchscreen terminals for students

c. the first commercial touchscreen computer came out in 1983, soon followed by graphics boards, tablets, watches, and video game consoles

d. Casio released a touchscreen pocket computer in 1987 (20 years before iPhone)

2. Likewise, Kane Kramer (23 yrs old) designed a small portable hand-held touchscreen digital music player called the IXI

a. 1979 invention inspired by the Sony Walkman

b. held only 3.5 minutes of music

c. Kramer pitched it with the potential for immediate delivery, digital inventory, taped live performances, digital storage, and the promotion of new artists and micro-transactions.

Sound familiar? All that got us to the iPhone. Similarly, the technology for a fabulous life is already present and ready to have the dots connected. We can stand on the shoulders of giants right now to make these ideas our own; from Ernest Holmes, the Vedas, James Allen, Meister Eckhart, Wayne Dyer, Florence Scovil Shin, and hundreds of others. Even Shakespeare, drew heavily upon prior works to observe and create from (some may say, plagiarize)

• Hamlet took inspiration from a play based on Gesta Danorum, a twelfth-century work
• Holinshed's Chronicles was a comprehensive history of Britain originally published in 1577 - a source for Macbeth, King Lear, and Cymbeline. 
• Parts of Antony and Cleopatra are copied verbatim from Plutarch’s Life of Mark Anthony. 
• Arthur Brooke’s 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet brought us Romeo and Juliet. And that poem came from a 1559 poem by Pierre Boaistuau, who in turn drew from a 1554 story by Matteo Bandello, who in turn was inspired by a 1530 work by Luigi da Porto.

In 2015, John Maxwell wrote a short primer on how to stand on the shoulder of giants. He said:

Stand on the lessons of history.

His example was through Norman Cousins, who wrote, “History is a vast early warning system,” teaching us to learn by mistakes. I say we learn by successes instead.

Stand on the lessons of others.

Throughout my life, starting when I was a very young man, I’ve made it a practice to spend time with people ahead of me on the journey. Observe and ask questions of people you respect, and you’ll gain incredible lessons that you can apply to your own life.

Stand on the lessons of experience.

When you learn from others first, you gain skills in evaluating experience in order to grow. I’ve often said that experience is not the best teacher; evaluated experience is. Use what you learn from others’ experience to evaluate your own, and you’ll go farther, faster, than you would have otherwise.

With your mentors, ally's, and life itself ... what is your history, your lessons, your experience? What do you believe? Whether you are new to this teaching or have been involved with this philosophy for a while, what are you doing with your beliefs?

The words are nice to hear and read - I know, but the belief and its integration, the awakening and embodying of it is essential to the transforming and transcending or for just having a happy life

You must be willing to incarnate your theology and illuminate the world around you … that devotion will give you the will to follow through on all you are guided to do, say, and become in this life. ~Carolyn Myss, Entering the Castle

We don't have to reinvent the wheel for a prosperous life.
We don't have to hold ourselves back or have misery in our lives to learn and grow.

When it comes to the ideas of:

• Divine Love always within and available
• Using the Law of Cause and Effect to reveal all  good in your life
• The One Mind and Unity of Spirit in all life
• Limitless Power of the Universe is available to us at all times

...our belief in them is proved by our use of these ideas, conscious or unconscious.

Take it all in. Don't lose the wisdom from the ancients because it's old and maybe abused. Don't lose the wisdom of the recent as just the latest fad or what those other people believe

Look at it, smell it, listen to it, touch it. Is it loving? is it constructive? Does it support:

• Divine Love always within and available
• Using the Law of Cause and Effect to reveal all  good in your life
• The One Mind and Unity of Spirit in all life
• Limitless Power of the Universe is available to us at all times

If so, add it in, make it your own, make it work for you.

Awaken your spirit to adventure; hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; soon you will be home in a new rhythm, for your soul senses the world that awaits you.   ~John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

Believe it, risk with it, love it, be it. Always remember that behind (and above!) it all is God, the biggest giant with the widest and strongest shoulders. 

As we advance through our year of awakening and continue allowing the evolutionary impulse of Spirit to work through us, let us remember and commit to an upward journey of Divine Unfoldment. Mary Shelley wrote in a preface for Frankenstein: “Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos.”

Not the chaos of confusion, disarray, disorder, and mayhem, but the chaos of the cosmos, of the Divine, of the wisdom of the ages - an open-source of information, inspiration, and transformation.

You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. ~Luke 17:21

Stand on the shoulders of my words and the words my words were inspired from, and the fruits where those were burgeoned and on and on till you get it, believe it, awaken to it; till you see further than ever before …and thrive!

Affirmative Incantation

Today I am lifted up and carried by the gigantic stature of that undeniable, ever-reliable Loving Intelligence that moves through me, with me, as me, and for me.

 I experience It's love like I do gravity, oxygen, magnetism, and electricity – in the result of Its power and presence in all of life.

I believe in It as I see It expressed in the beauty of nature or the eyes of a puppy or my truest love. I believe It as I hear It ringing in the sounds of the cooing of birds, the laughter of children, and the music that stirs me. I believe in It as It is disclosed in my freedoms of choice, words, thoughts, feelings, and actions. 

I believe that I Am to be guided and enlightened today, centered in the love and support of the Highest in me.

A Matrix of Divinity

Sometimes it can seem like nothing matters

To how you feel and the way that things are.

Uptight, anxious and a little scattered;

Dreams that once felt near, now seem so far               ~Steve Apperson

Dreams, wishes, hopes, fantasies, desires, revelations, declarations - we all have them. How do we materialize them? bring them into form – the 3D world? It's one of the big questions for us all. We have the spiritual tools, however, do we really believe in them?

Saturday was Tooth Fairy Day. Remember the tooth fairy?

Children cannot tell fantasy from reality until age 7 or 8. That is why they so easily believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  ~Jean Piaget, child psychologist

And psychotherapist/parent coach Patti Ashley would add:

I would say keep the imagination going as long as it lasts!

However, Elaine Rose Glickman, author of “Your Kid’s a Brat and It’s All Your Fault: Nip the Attitude in the Bud - From Toddler to Tween,” thinks parents shouldn’t let their kids believe in the “Tooth Fairy:”

It sets your children up to look like a fool upon realizing they’ve been duped. They’ll feel gullible and stupid. Saying that these gifts are from some pretend creature takes away from your relationship. It teaches your kid not to trust you.

Your child could question if you’re also lying about, say, the importance of vegetables or the existence of God. And if you double down on the lie when she voices uncertainty, you’re also teaching her to doubt her own instincts about what is worthy of her belief and what should be questioned.

It begs the question:

Are Spiritual Mind Treatment, affirmative prayer 

and other practices just an adult Tooth Fairy?

Are we being duped by these ideas of “as if?”

Are these just lies we are telling ourselves while we wait 

for fate to take its hand or the law of averages 

to do its dirty work?

Well, the answer is no. When we embody ourselves in thoughts of pure logic and fact, we separate ourselves from that which prepares the mind and body to receive the good. Our perception and attitudes about life affect our body, mind, spirit, and what shows up in our experiences. Sounds like a very subtle thing, but what's in the subtlety is very powerful and its the lack of appreciating this subtlety that is the foundation of most of our troubles.

Without spiritual practice, whether it's with daily affirmative incantation work, prayer, visioning, gratitude, radical forgiveness, or just being with an open heart in meditation, we are consciously and soon unconsciously separating ourselves and tuning out from our good by tuning out of the Light, the Presence...God (or whatever you want to call It).

Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics. ~Albert Einstein

Sometimes this frequency needs to build itself up to be equal to that reality you want:

Wire rope begins with a single steel wire that's anywhere from .6 to 8 millimeters in diameter. Then several of these small wires are wound together into a strand. The number of wires per strand depends on the job the rope will perform and different applications require different degrees of flexibility and strength. Just as our inclusion of more and different wires strands yields stronger, more versatile/effective wire; so too our inclusion of more and different ideas, images, dreams, feelings, envisions and visioning work creates expanded, stronger, and more effective manifestations. 

Focusing on what we want to reveal in our lives, what we shall declare from the Universe, and how we open ourselves up to be aware and embody Its inspirations is part of the Divine Tapestry of creation. A tapestry is made by weaving the horizontal threads over and under the vertical threads, then squishing those horizontal threads down so they are very close together, thus completely hiding the vertical threads from view. The vertical threads are like the heart-centered work we do, the communion with Divine Intelligence...that which is rarely seen or, many times, even heard about.

Choose to love every facet of yourself unconditionally. You are a complex, multidimensional being and loving yourself requires identifying, accepting and loving all of our seemingly separate parts. This includes your personal self, broader self (other people), balance of the physical world (nature, activities, concepts…) and the collective Universe/God. ~Russell Anthony Gibbs, “The Principle of Oneness”

Spiritually speaking, we are all part of one big energetic organism - a tapestry if you will, expressing and experiencing itself, in the seen and the unseen; an intricate matrix of varying vibrations, the lower ones easier to see in form and the higher (most powerful) ones remaining mostly unseen. All energy is commingled like water in the ocean; impossible to determine where one drop begins or ends because there is no true separation of our individualized expressions of this singularity energy and the One Mind. Ralph Waldo Trine wrote in “In Tune with the Infinite:”

Anyone – a fool or an idiot – can be exclusive.  It comes easy.  It takes and it signifies a large nature to be universal, to be inclusive.  Only the man or the woman of a small, personal, self-centered, self-seeking nature is exclusive.  The man or the woman of a large, royal, unself-centered nature never is.  

Conclusion and Call to Action

Ask yourself...

Are you doing without being?

Excluding the spiritual for the logical?

You may accomplish a lot of things in the logical, but are you moving forward? are you fulfilled? I have found I am not....doing, doing and accomplishing, but not Being...not inclusive of Spirit...makes me feel un-whole, unaccomplished. Oh, I get things done and it is fun, from passionate and compassionate intent, goals are met and such, but something is always missing without at least dipping my toes mindfully into the Matrix of Divinity.

The Divine Matrix, your mind, heart and gut, and the energy centers of the body (chakras, if you like), which are circuit boards with their own hormones, frequencies, and brain-like functions are meant to work together as a team:

Idea (brain)

Feeling (heart)

Openness to Source (gut)

All are aligned along the energy centers of the body creating the frequency Einstein was talking about.

When we stay connected to them all, we Be, not just do; we easily weave the tapestry and wire the steel rope of our lives with a powerful energy that intentionally connects to where the Universe listens and takes Its instruction from, and that which speaks to us through inspiration and intuition from that Universal tapestry.

I began with a question:

Dreams, wishes, hopes, fantasies, desires, revelations, declarations - we all have them, but how do we materialize them? bring them into form – into the 3D world?

By opening our hearts to receiving and allowing, even inviting the Divine Intelligence in, as well as opening our mouths and mind to express our declarations to It, we set a powerful energy in motion.

Say it to claim it

Feel it to be it

And be open to receive it, to see it

Allow the Universe to inform you how to be more than a doer....and be the Be-er of life.

If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions. …. We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. 

Be like Albert Einstein, spend less of your time doing, and add more of your time being. Open your Divine Feminine aspects and put your order in to have the Universe provide the who and what of your desires - it will let the doing count more!

Affirmative Incantation

I embrace the entire community of Creation, expressing Its Divinity on Earth. Stocked with a myriad of infinite opportunities, I give my full attention to the beauty and wisdom of life, gratefully standing with calm and ease no matter what faces me. 

I know I will be informed with the perfect explanations and clarifications. 

I know I will be inspired to express the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that lead me to the best results. And I know I am taking the best direction, moving down the best path, and operating through an optimized course of decision and action. 

The source and substance of my supply, whether in my money, knowledge, healing, or love, lies in the Power and Presence that I commune with right now with joyous consecration. I claim my clarity and understanding and nothing will divert me from this community of appreciation, devotion, and peace. 

With this Divine Wisdom flowing through my entire energized body temple, I live an opulent life....a luscious life....a life that is blessed.

Allies With The Universe

Most people consider life a battle, but it is not a battle, it is a game. ~ Florence Scovel Shinn

That is how “The Game of Life and How To Play It” begins. The game of life has rules, challenges and interaction. There are skills to be had, exercises and movements to make, and educational and psychological roles to take on.

We play this game of life alone and as a group. All are professionals and artists in this game, with remunerations to collect, creative expression to fulfill, and imaginative beauty to behold. You may ask:

What are the rules of the game of life and do I have allies in this game?

Am I truly alone in this game?

Who or what am I interacting with? my opponent?

What cards should I play, moves should I make?


Let's answer those questions:

1) Who's the player and who's the opponent?  You.

Don't freak out.  You are perfect right now, as you are. There is nothing that needs to be changed or any test to past nor anguish you must endure to make you more deserving of winning the abundance of life.
There are skills to perfect and use, but you have them all. Choice!

At once, a great responsibility and a great power, choice gives all of us the power to decide, change our minds, then decide again about how we want to perceive and live our lives. We are free to see it our way for our lives with the Universe aligning Itself with us as we believe.

The main thing to remember, as Dr. David Walker titled his book, "You Are Enough."

Here is some "Constructive Self Talk," an affirmation you can use from Dr. Walker's book to concretize that in your consciousness:

I am enough. I am more important than anything I will ever accomplish, for I am the sacred presence of life. It is with my enough-ness that I now cause my life to look the way I want it to look.

2) What are the rules? It's pretty simple:

• declare what you want
• focus on what you want
• imagine that what you want is in all ways, through all of your sense, present
• be grateful for what you want as if you've already received it
• take confident action expressing what you want (this isn't just mental work)

We must decide if we are going to live by the Principle or Precedent. The Game of Principle tells us what we think, speak, practice, and serve shows up in the experience we roll (remember this is a game). The only precedent to be mindful of, is the Principle that we are divine spiritual beings having a human experience, undivided from God and a vessel for change, love, infinite possibilities and for good.

3) What moves should I make, cards should I play? Spirituality and mindfulness.

Many think that spirituality is not taking action. It's too heart-centered, too head-centered, impractical - even superstitious. However, done holistically, full-bodied, bold, succulent, with strong intention and feeling; it's none of those things. You can't be too heart-centered if you are also too head-centered. They can balance each other to great thinking and manifesting. You can't be too practical if you listen to your intuition, for that informs that which is to become a practical exercise. You can't be too logical, if you include imagination as you visualize your purpose.

You have all the game pieces you require:

• meditation, prayer and chanting
• visioning
• yoga and communing with nature
• Radical Forgiveness and the ho'oponopono

Just as a chess player doesn't usually win the championship on day one of their practice, nor can one usually just flip a switch to enlightenment (it can happen, but usually doesn't). With practice we find the tournament easier and easier until it becomes our nature and serious fun; so too this thing called enlightenment.

What you can do too much of is wish or hope, try or attempt. If your sad ole story never changes, neither will your sad ole life. We must move from the land of hope and wish to the land of make believe and manifestation which turns into belief, which turns into experience.

Irrigators channel waters; fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters shape wood; the wise master themselves.   ~Buddha, Dhammapada, verse 80

4) Is this a game of Solitaire, this Game of Life? Simple answer is no.

In the Infinite Nature of God, all conceivable Good is eternally available, ready to flow into human experience.

Nature relentlessly whispers:  I am here for YOU. ~Gordana Biernat

Every hunch, intuited word or idea is your ally. If it is constructive, peaceful and loving, it is the Universe speaking, teaching and guiding you; giving you a lead for the receipt of a bonus card or a prosperous move in this game of life.

Yo might remember the story I tell about going into ministry. How it took me two weeks after the rest of my class began, to decide to join the 2 year training (took five years of training to get to be eligible for the two year ministerial training). In the 24 hours I was given after the final invitation to join the class was in progress,. I went to see the movie, "Angeles and Demons." During the closing credits, alone in this theatre, tears flowing down my cheeks, my eyes closed, I heard, "Do It." No, it wasn't a Nike commercial running on the movie screen, it was the answer to the question I was pondering that day. Well over ten years now, I decided to watch the movie again. I was wondering what could have been the influence, if any, the movie had in this "voice" of decision. When this dialogue was spoken near the end of the film, the tears returned. A memory perhaps of influence?

Cardinal Strauss:  Mr. Langdon, thanks be to God for sending someone to protect this church.

Prof Langdon:  I don't believe He sent me, Father

Cardinal Strauss:  Oh my son, of course He did.

I never really remembered why I was so effected by this movie, but that small bit of dialogue hit me hard. A memory, a hunch, an intuition, a Divine nudge showed up, the Universe supporting my next game!

It is God's will to give every man, every righteous desire of his heart, and man's will should be used to hold the perfect vision, without wavering. ....when man takes his spiritual stand, he collects all that is his from this great Reservoir of Good.                                                              ~Florence Scovel Shinn

The Universe is ever conspiring for our highest good. With that knowledge, we can play the game fearlessly, seeing Divine Love flowing in every roll and every play, moving us towards our very best.

A Conclusion and Call to Action

When you're truly compelled to make a difference and move beyond business as usual, you become capable of creating and achieving miraculous results. Too often we allow ourselves to be limited in our thinking:  “That's the way it's always been, so that's the way it will always be.”     ~Rick Tamlyn, "Play Your Bigger Game"

You have an ally in the Universe. It's the Love and the Law of Cause and Effect. How can it be a loving law? Because it comes from the same source. For every action there is an equal reaction and for every experience you have, there is a mental equivalent that preceded it. That is the law and it is powered by a loving Presence, an energy this is unconditional and infinite. 

In "The Game of Life and How To Play It," Shinn writes an affirmation that goes like this:

Infinite Spirit, open the way for the Divine Design of my life to manifest; let the genius within me now be released; let me see clearly the perfect plan.

Start today to play your game of life. 

     The rules are simple, the opponent easy to beat.

     The ally always present and in your corner.

It is not a game of blame, but of responsibility.

It is not a game of shame, but of dignity.

It is not a game of guilt, but of infinite possibilities.

It is not a game of woe, but of wow, love, life, 

Light and wisdom. 

For the gamer that is in you, I give you this explanation:

● It is a Candy Land of sweet Spiritual support where any Clue you need is available

● A game where you always have a Monopoly on your thoughts, feelings and beliefs

● The knowledge is at your feet to un-Scrabble the richest words

● There's no Battleship to fight or reason to put your body in a Twister of positions

● There is no Risk in playing or reason to feel Boggle-d, as the Universe is your ally

● The more you use the wisdom of your ally, the least amount of time you will have to say or feel Sorry

● Your Cranium, heart and gut, the Divine Matrix, will keep you out of Trouble

● You are in control of the Operation

● There will never be Angry Birds or Dungeons and Dragons in your way

● With the Universe on your side and the Law providing you Apples to Apples, you will never have a  Trivial Pursuit or pull any Cards Against Humanity

● Your Call of Duty is to have some serious fun

● With all this going on, you will shout “Yahtzee” every day

Are you ready?

Take the first roll!

Make the first move!

And let's get this fabulous, succulent, opulent, love-filled game going!




Affirmation
I recognize the Infinite that lives and expresses Its Divine nature in me, as me and through me.
I see Its Power, feel Its Love, hear Its Wisdom and am consistently guided by Its Light.
My way is through the heart-flow of Divine Intelligence and schooled by the Universal source and substance of all life.
I step joyously into my most prosperous adventure as I walk this talk, herd my Word and attract all that I now claim as mine today.

Ending The War

There is a Power for Good in the Universe and you get to use it.

     Who believes this? Say I.

There is One Mind, One Power, One Divine Intelligence; call it God, Spirit, Source, Presence, Phil. 

                                                                                             Who believes this? Say I.

Each of us is an individualization of an unlimited, unconditional loving Power – infused with and revealing as a part of that One Mind?
Who believes this? Say I.

Good.   That is the Truth.

The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why.  ~Mark Twain

The Truth... is why you are here. Now, you might say, “Yeah, we get it…what’s new?”

Last week we declared our independence from all kinds of things that get in the way of our prosperity, health, peace of mind, creativity, fun. We signed our Declaration of Independence. This week:

I AM HERE TO DECLARE THAT THE WAR IS OVER.

I have let people and objects and activities come toward me and impinge upon me till I have been over-piled and mountain-covered with thoughts. But now I know that I AM at my own Center, authority over and through my universe …. [here] to spread my Original Nature abroad till, from me to the utmost stretches, all is [through] my Divine EGO.  ~Emma Curtis Hopkins, The Radiant I Am

It's time to end the fighting, the hardship, the hunger, the beatings, killings, disease, famine, theft and anger. I want everyone to put down your weapons of outrage, and your ammo of anger and hate. They have done you no good, have not advanced you one iota of peace or serenity; only an abundance of conflict, aggression, fear and pain.

Who understands what I am saying?  Say I.

So I repeat:  

I AM HERE TO DECLARE THAT THE WAR IS OVER.

That war I am referring to is the war between yourself and yourself and also that with everyone else.

If man takes his images of thought only from his previous experiences, then he continues in the bondage which those previous experiences create.  If we talk about discord, we shall become more discordant. The more the world arms for war, the more certain it is that there will be war.    ~Ernest Holmes “Science of Mind” 

What arms are you bearing? wars have you been fighting? Is it your family history? some future illness because of your DNA? the not good enough’s? Are you stuck in the must do’s or must be’s? is it something somebody said?

Or maybe it is about your judgments, biases, prejudices. Someone with tattoos or extreme left or right wingers, LGBTQ+ folk or phobias of origin, race, creed or spiritual philosophy?

Anybody recognizing any of this? Say I.

I know we like this stuff to stay hidden, but hidden, the war continues with guilt, shame, illness, anger, disharmony, dysfunction, disappointment, hate and especially the disintegration of spirit. And who really wants that?

We must stop warring with our upbringing, parents, the one who did us wrong, society, history, etc. This is your kick in the pants .... to take off the blinders.

I’m not saying this this world doesn’t have work to do for the climate, the disadvantaged or the mistreated, but when we focus on the wrong or wronging of it, we invite more of it. And I'm not saying to stop protesting, changing laws and changing minds either. I am saying our minds must change, so the anger must end.

I mean no disrespect or judgment to people and organizations fighting for justice, equality and rights, however I say it’s time to take the next step. With so much hate and anger, even on the good side people, we have incarcerated our Love of peace and justice and equality and rights. To shift the paradigms and beliefs of the ignorant and misinformed, we must shift ours first. To shift other’s consciousness, we must shift ours first. We cannot impact individuals who are currently incarcerated by their ignorance and prejudice until we know ours and rid ourselves of them.

How do we bring this to those who experience PTSD and feel trapped by their trauma?  ...by releasing our traps and traumas.

How do we turn hate and anger into love, calm, peace? ...by turning ours.

What happens to one part of God in some way happens to all of Its parts - all of us.

All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force... We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.  ~Max Planck, Physicist, founder of the quantum theory – 1940’s

This force is Love. It is an energy that is palpable and has proven efficacious.

Stop the War and Come Home

If one guy with a bullet could change the world in the school depository in Dallas or a hotel in Los Angeles or Memphis;  how much more could one person with an idea, the right idea change the world. Today, this day, the world will change forever, not because of the clash of armies, not in the currency of bomb blasts or body counts, but through the proper application of the only force that matters, the only power that even God respects - the Truth.  ~J. Michael Stracynski, “Jeremiah” 

Love is that Truth. When we be at what we love, not what we hate, it’s a powerful mindset of progression vs. digression. 

When the law of circulation is retarded, stagnation results. ~Ernest Holmes

The Law of circulation mandates that we get what we give, so let’s give love, not hate; and peace instead of anger.

SEEK WAYS TO CIRCULATE YOUR LIGHT.  

Maya Angelou suffered a life of torment and darkness, enduring intense physical and emotional abuse by a family member that nearly stole her voice forever, becoming mute for nearly five years. But with the help of a family friend, Angelou found her own voice again. Introduced to Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe and others they influenced her personal and professional philosophies, propelling her to become a conduit of love – because one person raised her up. 

SEE BEYOND CONDITIONS AND APPEARANCES

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit who has worked to counter gang activity for more than 30 years. His Homeboy Industries, has directed hundreds away from gangs and into productive lives by providing employment, tattoo removal, counseling and love to at-risk youth in L. A.  Often, individuals bearing full-facial tattoos come to him, and while it would be easy for Father Boyle to assess them based upon appearances, he sees only God and works to successfully restore their dignity, inspiring many to do the same for their peers. 

And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.  ~Qur’an 5:32

Too many people are consumed by suffering. In prisons and detention centers; as soldiers and single moms, black, brown, sad, angry or overwhelmed, we can only truly enjoy our freedom by spreading it around.

There is no freedom in anger, only bondage. Focusing on love, is what is needed. Volunteer. Teach. Lead by example, smile at strangers, hold a door open, deliver food, carry a sign, put a sign in the window, and write a law, but speak your loving word and insist on equality, education, justice. Not because you hate what’s going on, but because you love what’s right, what’s just and what’s equal.

Thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself.  ~Leviticus 19:18

Our first step will be the ho’oponopono.

I’m sorry

 please forgive me

Thank you

I love you

Forgiveness to self and others is the first and most powerful step in ending the war. It's also important to remember that ending the war is not about fault - it's about movement. It is not about who’s right or wrong - it’s about loving what is True and living that Truth.

If you knew the secret of Life you too would choose no other companion, but Love.  ~Rumi

Let's say the ho'oponono again:

This powerful Hawaiian healing practice is one of reconciliation and forgiveness for both ourselves and the world around us. To harbor resentment against others pretty much only hurts the person who refuses to forgive. By using this practice, you are purifying one's soul by releasing bad memories or feelings, it frees the mind from the negative whirlwind trap of hate, anger, resentment, disappointment...even fear. Being pono = being in perfect balance with all of life.

Let us be the way-showers and sign a peace treaty between ourselves and ourselves and all the rest of those around us. Here's the prayer again:

Congratulations….it is Victory Day. Witness the rebuilding of the society we prayed for and see us all thriving in peace, blessed in Love....now and forever!

Affirmation

My connection and communion with Spirit is powerfully inspiring, loving and liberating. 
I am joyously receptive to the next step on my spiritual pathway. 
Right now, today and forevermore, I activate, actuate, consecrate, celebrate, demonstrate, elevate, instigate, percolate, radiate, saturate and continually validate my life by using this connection to bust through, soar and zoom into my greatest adventures.

Let's Get It Started

In June we talked about getting clear and present certainty in our thinking and thus our consciousness and life. 

We learned what a maverick is and how to have maverick intentions. To be bold, brave, independent, and inclusive; knowing the abundance of the Universe is at hand. To be open at the top and out of the box in your imagery of the demonstration

We reminded ourselves that our power comes from knowing who's talking, and that's the divine creative power within...It effects everything we experience.

We filled our tank with the fuel of imagination, knowing that:

• Being in quarantine does not stop our minds from working.
• Being out of work does not stop our wisdom from working.
• Being stuck indoors does not stop our connection with the Divine. 
• Envisioning equals experiencing.

Now its time to take Mindful Action

When you truly have an insight or spiritual awakening, the next step is always action. ~Michael Bernard Beckwith

We are always in a state of action: breathing, processing, sleeping, eating, thinking. Yet we're not always doing it on purpose with purpose. What could our lives look like if we aligned with our intentions? We plant seeds with spiritual practice and now we must tend to them. We must water and nourish them like a garden. We must be in a state of mind and body with them, tell the story of them and strategize about them.

It's time for a breakthrough. It's time for that moment in time when the impossible becomes possible. It is usually triggered by inspiration or the power of decision, when you are shifted into action mentally, spiritually and physically.

Success or failure cannot be explained by anything other that the use and misuse of mental processes. The subconscious mind produces what we place in it. It is a creative process. It is a law of action. ~Raymond Charles Barker

Here are three keys to a breakthrough. They are listed from least important to most important, inspired by the work of Tony Robbins:

3) Strategy – the plan. We may make plans of action, do our part – what we can control, that is. The ins and outs of how are the Universe's purview.

2) Story – the vision, the beliefs. This is the what and why of our idea - what are we telling ourselves about why we are desiring this. When you change your story, you change your life.

1) State – feelings and emotions your in your life. This is about your perceptions and attitudes about the idea you want to manifest. If you are a billionaire, but pissed off and frustrated, you probably have lots of toys and comfort, but everything is tainted by your state of mind and state of being. Money can't buy you love or true happiness, though there's nothing wrong in being rich. Be rich, however remember to have a spiritual connection in your life; you may not be happy all the time but you can know joy all the time. State is also about the physiology of body - the stance you take, the sounds you surround yourself with, and the exercise you strengthen yourself with.

When you focus on what you want, focus meaning the feelings you have for something, that's action. When you visualize and envision your ideas, experience them in all your senses, no matter how ridiculous the smell of your bills being paid may seem, your taking action. State inspires story - the why do we want it, the purpose. Language, what are you saying to yourself everyday and all the time is also key. All this is taking action and will clear your mind to inspire you to do what needs to be done physically to manifest your idea.

Work without vision is drudgery, but vision without work is self-deception. The well-balanced person can walk with his head in the clouds and still keep his feet solidly planted on the ground. Faith and work are ineffective when separated. ~Ernest Holmes, Journey Into Life

Meditating is good, praying is good, a vision board is fun, however now it's time for getting up off our meditative prayerful faithful asses and take action. Jesus, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Dr. King didn’t just pray, they took action both on and in their faith. And too, while simultaneously being afraid and having the courage to walk the talk. A courage with clear and present certainty to be mavericks and get the party started.

The proof that one believes is in action.  ~Bayard Rustin, organizer and strategist for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mavericks take their minutes of prayer and meditation, the time to disconnect from the facts into the Truth, breaking the bind of the 3D world to step into the 5D Universe by imagining their next now with feeling and experiencing it in mind and thus body. Remember, your body doesn't know the difference between experience and thought. You can change your biology, chemistry, hormones and genes by having an inner event.

In The Black Eyed Peas song, "Let's Get It Started," it says:

Obstacles are inefficient, follow your intuition... free your inner soul and break away from tradition...Get stupid

Be a maverick by going back to square one, kindergarten - who the heck you are! Later, they tell us.

Burn it till it's burned out, Turn it till it's turned out, Act up from north, west, east, south

Repetition is the mother of skills...

• So say it till you spray it.
• See it till you be it. 
• And act it till you crack it, fact it and unpack it.

Movement is key, in mind, body and language. Use the wonder woman stance in your physiology, “shut-up” the b.s. in your mind and talk yourself blue with the focused language of manifesting your dream now. The Universe expands all the time and we expand with it to continue happiness, in service to the Highest Good.

Conclusion and Call to Action: 

Through faith tie your mind back to the Mind of God, and in action live as though you were guided by a supreme Intelligence. ~E. H., Philosophy of Jesus

The Mindful Maverick prays to set their intention, meditates for Divine discernment, and then takes action. Repeating this cycle again and again till you get it and it shows up. Affirmations are great, but we need to use them not just as affirming statements, but as incantations with magical and scientific effect.

More of the song:

Lose control of body and soul
Don't move too fast, people, just take it slow
Don't get ahead, just jump into it

Let's jump into it by...

• Create a compelling future with language, physiology and focus.
• Stay true-hearted and authentic.
• Believe in who you are, your vision and your power.
• Challenge the status quo in mind, body and spirit with strong imaginative convictions.
• Be courageous, even when afraid
• Use [EQ] emotional quotient over [IQ] intelligent quotient
• Use your Superpowers: intuition, talents, spiritual tools, imagination, and identity to compel your future every day...then walk the talk!

Your always creating....be creative

Let's get it started and thrive!

Affirmation

Every action I take emerges from knowing that it serves my Highest Good. I take pride in the I am that I am. 

I free myself to be happy. I free myself to be healthy. I free myself to be surrounded by love and peace. 

It is with clear and present certainty, I speak my word with maverick intention; solid in my beliefs, vision, purpose, and intention. I feel successful, smell successful, sound successful and have full  faith in my Power to create and manifest my best life.

A Maverick of Intention

Be A Lion Not A Dog
A small boy was wandering in the woods and saw a monk sitting on a rock. He went up to the monk and asked him to impart a bit of wisdom.

The monk looked at the small boy and said, “My child, be a Lion, not a dog.”
Puzzled, the boy asked, “What does that mean, be a lion, not a dog?”
“When you throw a ball at a dog,” asked the monk, “what does he do?”
“The dog chases the ball,” the boy replied.

“Yes,” said the monk, “but if you threw it at the Lion, it wouldn't care at all about the ball. Its attention would be on you who threw the ball, not on the object....you. Now think about it:  if someone is throwing balls at a lion, what happens next when the lion turns to look?”
“The person throwing the ball better run away before he gets eaten,” the small boy said.

“Correct, my boy. The Lion stays put, focused on you, waiting to grab hold of you.
Confused, the small boy asked the monk, “that's a scary story, teacher, what am I supposed to learn from that other than don't throw a ball at a lion?”

“Like the lion, my friend, always focus on the source.... not the incidents, not the effects....go to the source.”

POINTING THIS WAY OR THAT

Upaya the Maya – Your Bending Reality Tools

What have we learned this month in Bending Reality?

Perception (use stress to motivate, not aggravate)

Spiritual Practice and Healing go hand-in-hand

Your brain, thus your body, thus your life works better with Spirit purposely at hand

Focus on what you want, always keeping your headlights on (inner / outer eyes open)

Today I want to discuss two Hindu concepts. The first tells us that reality is an illusion, it is called Maya. 'Ma' means the source, the cause, and 'ya' means that which proceeds, goes, walks or spreads out. Literally it translates to 'that which issues forth, expands or arises from the source - universal mother.' Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:

Illusion works impenetrable,
Weaving webs innumerable,
Her gay pictures never fail,
Crowds each on other, veil on veil,
Charmer who will be believed
By Man who thirsts to be deceived.

It's not that life is not there or does not exist; it's that it is constantly changing, but our connection with creation does not change. You see, we are the thinker, not the thought. We create the thought that is thunk into reality and our attitudes and perspectives are from our intention and the degree of connection we have with the Divine. "Reality" relies on our perspective of it. We are the artist making the art piece, which is our lives, using beliefs and spiritual practice to, you might say, bend reality by molding our reactions to it; beating the odds or attaching a name to the experience that fits our belief about it. That's why reality is an illusion, it is bendable, because it shows up and is experienced by each of us based on our point of view of the experience ("reality"). It is a vibration / frequency to which we attach ourselves. It may not change the fact, but it changes our thought about it and thus our experience of it. This is why to understand others, we must see things from their perspective, we all bend reality based on our perception of it. Maya teaches us that one person's illusion, is another's reality.

The other concept is Upaya - the art of knowing how to flow through the world's illusions by skillful means or expedient means. It is any activity that helps one or another realize enlightenment. It is illustrated in the following parable from the Lotus Sutra.


The Parable of the Burning House

A man comes home to find his house in flames, while his children play happily inside. The father tells the children to leave the house, but they ignore him, because they are having too much fun with their toys. The father finally promises them something even better waiting outside. “I have brought you pretty carts drawn by deer, goats, and oxen, full of toys,” he said. “Just come outside and see.” The children, eager to play with these new toys rushed out of the burning house just in time. But, instead of the carts that he had promised, the father gave them a cart, though draped with precious stones and pulled by white bullocks, with no toys.

Is the father guilty of lying? According to the Upaya, no, because the father used expedient means to save his children. He told them what they needed to know in the moment to achieve enlightenment!
So too when you are using the  Entertaining God Only ego or have your brain on God - you hear what you need to know now. So too, when you listen for and to Spirit and, so too, when we focus on what we want - we get informed to expedite the enlightenment required now.

The other aspect of Upaya is by skillful means. That is when we use our own specific methods or techniques that fit the situation in order to gain enlightenment. There's a story about rivers in India that have quite fierce rapids. The fisherman learned to navigate around them instead of forcing thru them. They understood that life has infinite possibilities in navigating it.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430), in his Confessions, reminds us that God cannot be found “out there” until God is first found “in here,” within ourselves. So too, the experiences we require!

Only when we are eager to love can we see love and goodness in the world around us. We must ourselves remain in peace, and then we will find peace over there. Remain in beauty, and we will honor beauty everywhere.  ~Richard Rohr

Why does one see a problem and another an opportunity, when witnessing or experiencing the same situation? Because, they are bending reality to their belief, their perspective, their attitude about the situation or condition.

When we believe in unlimited possibilities, no matter what the experience

We Upaya the Maya - Bend Reality

When we meditate to open up to know what we know what we know

We Upaya the Maya - Bend Reality

When we use affirmative prayer, simultaneously revealing and declaring the best information, ideas and requirements in our life

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

When we see opportunity in the face of adversity or tragedy

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

When we generally live a wow is me life instead of a woe is me life

We Upaya the Maya...Bend Reality

All God's children got stuff and stuff happens to us all, but so too does shift happen! Shift into who you really are – the Spirit in you - and...

Allow your hands do Its work

Allow your lips speak Its Truth

Allow your life be the image of Spirit's love

Hear your voice sing It's song

Feel your heart at peace

And allow your soul be the laughter of a child

And as you shift into doing all that, watch yourself bend reality to your greatest good!

Affirmation
I Bend Reality!
The I AM within me is ignited at all times, all days...all year. I am friends with all experiences in my life, loving the lessons and transcending through them all.  I live life fully conscious, focused, aware, and steeped in love, peace, humor and wisdom for every situation and decision.
My Brain, My Mind, My Gut and My Heart is Lit with Divine Fire!