ALWAYS THE WISER

 …you are one with the Creative Genius back of this vast array of ceaseless motion, this original flow of life. You are as much a part of it as the sun, the earth and the air. There is something in you telling you this -- like a voice echoing from some mountain top of inward vision, like a light whose origin no man has seen, like an impulse welling up from an invisible source. ~Ernest Holmes, This Thing Called You

The theme for 2021 is AWAKENING. After working on our perception of how life works, it is time to awaken to these perceptions...solidifying them in all we think, feel, and do.

Each month we will explore the path to our awakening. Themes like:

Loving It
Observing It and Decluttering It
Connecting, Expanding, and Authenticating It

                                                                                              …and much more

January is titled Believe It. Believing the wisdom of The Thing Itself, call It God, the Universe, Spirit, Divine Love, Divine Intelligence, Source...This Thing Called YOU

Our fundamental principles are an ageless amalgamation of many spiritual traditions and mystics that have tapped into the Infinite Eternal Gnosis of Universal Love. We believe in a Divine Intelligence, call It what you will, the Living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause that manifests Itself in and through all creation.

We believe in the incarnation of that Intelligence in everyone and that all people are incarnations of the One Spirit.

We believe in the eternality, the immortality, and the continuity of the individual soul, forever and ever expanding, empowered by this loving Intelligence within.  Following these principles is a full body experience. It takes the logical mind, the open heart, a faith, an enlightenment through alignment, a willingness to transform and transcend, and an eager awakening to the Truth of how the Universe works. Ernest Holmes said in his 1959 Sermon by the Sea:

Others will arise who will know more than we do; they won’t be better or worse, they will be different and know more than we do. Evolution is forward. ... [a] most direct impartation of Divine Wisdom that ... incorporates the precepts of Jesus and Emerson and Buddha and all the rest of the wise.

It's not just about attending Sunday celebrations, classes and workshops, or reading about the teaching. It's about showing up for and with yourself; using personal responsibility traits like:

Honor and Purpose

We honor the ancestry of our teaching by acknowledging the alchemy of the universal wisdoms to embody and use them in our lives. We are not talking about some dogmatism or any kind of authority generated from some alleged revelations or special information delivered only to the mystics or metaphysicians...there is no secret product or special dispensation of Providence or wisdom. It is wisdom dispensed and available to all who reach out to receive and honor It; to those who welcome the wise, awaken the intuition, and willingly evolve the mind and heart.

Do you have a special quote or text, a “timeless” wisdom you keep near you at most or all times? If not, I ask you to find one that resonates with you. One that causes you to vibrate at the speed of the Divine and honor this powerful Word by awakening to it and using its gnosis (its knowledge) in revealing the Divinity in you.

Openness Is Our Mission

Grounding, centering, and communing with Mother Earth and the energies of the Cosmos opens us up to the Divine impulses and urges of wisdom that is always calling us inward to the deeper part of ourselves. We prepare ourselves by cultivating the consciousness of humility, letting go of our spiritual arrogance and bloated nothingness out of the path, and perceive beyond our current perspective. And to be open to the “new thing” God is doing in, as, and through us and all beings. In this openness, we bust through, soar and zoom out of the old perceptions and perspectives that held us back and leave it burned in a ceremonial bowl of release and renewal. 

Visioning a Vision to Envision and Live A Great Life

Here's a different take on the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis and its relation to inner wisdom, transformation and transcending. From Norie Huddle's book, “Butterfly” she writes:

The caterpillar’s new cells are called "imaginal cells". They resonate at a different frequency. They are so totally different from the caterpillar cells that his immune system thinks they are enemies . . . and gobbles them up - Chomp! Gulp! But these new imaginal cells continue to appear. More and more of them! Pretty soon, the caterpillar's immune system cannot destroy them fast enough. More and more of the imaginal cells survive. And then an amazing thing happens! The little, tiny, lonely imaginal cells start to clump together, into friendly little groups. They all resonate together at the same frequency, passing information from one to another. Then, after a while, another amazing thing happens! The clumps of imaginal cells start to cluster together! . . . A long string of clumping and clustering imaginal cells, all resonating at the same frequency, all passing information from one to another there inside the chrysalis.

A wave of Good News travels throughout the system - Lurches and heaves . . . but not yet a butterfly.

Then at some point, the entire long string of imaginal cells suddenly realizes all together that it is Something Different from the caterpillar. Something New! Something Wonderful!! . . . And in that realization is the shout of the birth of the butterfly!

Since the butterfly now "knows" that it is a butterfly, the little tiny imaginal cells no longer have to do all those things individual cells have to do. Now they are part of a multi-celled organism - A FAMILY who can share the work. Each new butterfly cell can take on a different job. There is something for everyone to do. And everyone is important. And each cell begins to do just that very thing it is most drawn to do. And every other cell encourages it to do just that.

Have a conversation with the wisdom you hear, read, and learn. Cultivate this Field of Consciousness into your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs and let these wisdoms impress and inform, inspire, and evolve your life. When we know that we know what we know and put it in our lives as a practice, setting our previous ideas aside and becoming aware and conscious of the impress of Universal Spirit and Infinite Possibilities, our access to infinite wisdom and intelligence turns into a readiness for It to flow through us, as us, and with us.

One who comprehends truth is wise, one who loves it - good, one who orders his life in accordance with it - happy. ~John of Salisbury

When I want to learn something, I use the mental powers in my brain-mind. When I want to embody something or heal myself, I use the spiritual and emotional powers in my heart-mind. All are guided by the enteric-mind (the intuitive). The gut is where wisdom enters, the brain is where wisdom computes, and the heart is where wisdom lives and expresses.

The spiral of life is upward. Evolution carries us forward, not backward. Eternal and progressive expansion is its law and there are no breaks in its continuity. It seems to me that our evolution is the result of the unfolding consciousness of that which already is, and need but to be realized to become a fact of everyday life.  ~Ernest Holmes, Words That Heal Today

Let us not use 2020 as a headwind, holding us back. Let us use it as a tailwind, pushing us forward. 

When our purpose is strong and meaningful, 

we will be always the wiser.

 

When we have a mission that is bold and brave, 

we will be always the wiser. 

And when our vision is clear and forward moving, 

we will be ever the wiser.

Affirmative Incantation

Steeped in the wisdom of the ages, I humbly awaken to the inspiration. The greatest ideas of my life are now downloading into me:

When ancient mystics tell me I Am One with the Divine, I believe it.

When the modern mystics lay out the tools and practices to rise up to my best, I believe it.

When the Universe lets me know Its power lies within me ready to be used to manifest health, freedom, love, prosperity, peace, and tranquility, I believe It.

In this new year, I hereby resolve to evolve! I hereby provoke to become woke. I hereby breakthrough into the new.

Roused, revived, enlivened, and energized, I awaken to the wisdom of the ages and shape my world and my experiences with power and grace

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.

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.”

PENETRATING INTELLIGENCE

A Buddhist monk strode into a Zen pizza parlor and said, "Make me a slice with everything." When he got his order, he gave the proprietor a $20 bill, which the guy thanked him for, pocketed and started to walk away. "Hey," asked the monk, "where's my change?" The owner turned back and said, "Change, my friend...must come from within." 

Can We Talk to God?

Neale Donald Walsch made a career out of his conversations and Ernest Holmes wrote a book with that title based on a 1934 lecture, where he teaches the Law of Cause and Effect and affirmative prayer, what he coined as Spiritual Mind Treatment. I talk about it all the time...affirmative prayer and other spiritual practices.

Does It (God or whatever you like to call It) Talk Back?

Better yet, does It start the conversation?

Lately, I've been starting our Sunday celebration with a version of this affirmation:

I am an irresistible magnet, with the power to attract unto myself everything that I divinely desire, according to the thoughts, feelings and mental pictures I constantly entertain and radiate.  I am the center of my Universe.  I have the power to create whatever I mentally choose and accept.  I begin choosing and mentally accepting the highest and best in life.  I now choose lavish abundance for myself and for all mankind.  This is a rich friendly Universe and I accept its riches and hospitality now!!!  ~Vetura Papke

We're not only attracting experiences into our lives through the Law of Cause and Effect and other spiritual laws, we are also attracting wisdom that penetrates our mind and consciousness with ideas, tactics, answers and, sometimes, additional questions that take us deeper into solutions. 

How do we penetrate our own mind? We do it every day with our thoughts and feelings. We can do it so well, we are so smart that many times we talk ourselves out of our success and other times heal ourselves of dis-ease.

The human mind is really more of a process. It is not a completed thing, like an arm or leg, but a relationship and a process.   ~Jane Roberts, The Nature of Personal Reality 

Part of that process is the relationship and conversation that exists between the solar plexus -the gut- and the third eye -the brain. Now I understand that the head brain reigns supreme, but the gut is the older. Before you had a neo-cortex or the frontal lobes, you only had the gut and instincts to guide you. The "gut" or enteric nervous system consists of sheaths of neurons embedded in the walls of the long tube of our alimentary canal, which measures from the esophagus to the anus. It contains some 100 million neurons, more than in the spinal cord or peripheral nervous system, and uses more than 30 neurotransmitters, just like the brain. In addition, 95 percent of serotonin, the hormone and neurotransmitter that regulates mood and social behavior, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire and function, is found in the bowels. The primary visceral nerve, the vagus, carries information from the gut to the brain and not the other way around; electrical stimulation of which has been used as a treatment for depression.

How do we allow Divine Intelligence to penetrate our conscious and subconscious mind? By being open and aware of what Steve Jobs has called that which is "more powerful than intellect." It is a sacred gift from the Universe.

My brain is only a receiver. In the universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration.    ~Nikola Tesla

Inspiration comes from the Latin, tueri, meaning to guard or to protect. The Hindus refer to as the Akashic River of Knowledge as inspiration. Biologist Rupert Sheldrake refers to inspiration as the morphic fields where all information floats and Malcom Glaldwell, in his book, "Blink," talks about “the power of thinking without thinking.”

Cracking The Intuition Code

I define intuition as the subtle knowing without ever having any idea why you know it. It's different from thinking, it's different from logic or analysis ... It's a knowing without knowing. ~Sophy Burnham, The Art of Intuition

It's a flooding of the brain with Divine penetrating intelligence, a “direct messenger of the soul” per Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of "Women Who Run With the Wolves."

We all have hunches, sudden insights, that gut feeling or butterflies in the stomach. It is something which is not to be feared that you will become Doctor Faustus and make a deal with the Devil by listening and adhering to them. Those would be negative energy thoughts and easy to differentiate. O that you somehow are heeding the call of the mythological Sirens, luring you to crash and burn with their enchanting songs like sailors getting shipwrecked on the rocky coast of their island. Those will be destructive voices and ideas coming from your scared ego, lack and limitation self-talk or judgments masquerading as intuition. . We also do not need to buy into the judgment, prejudices or biases that rear their ugly head masking as intuition. In her book, "The Art of Intuition," Sophy Burnham tells a story about two women waiting in a doctor's office. Joanne, a brilliant journalist (an observer of fact) saw that the other waiting patient seemed to be an unkempt, disreputable-looking woman, the more off-putting for having the shadow of a dark mustache. She shuddered at the idea of talking to this woman. But time passed and boredom was setting in and they fell into a conversation. Joanne was surprised to find out the woman was a nuclear physicist and a captivating conversationalist. She mistook intuition for her judgments, prejudices and biases.

When any of those show up, evaluate their integrity - is it destructive? judgmental? bias-ridden? fear-induced? prejudicial? If so, ignore them or over-ride them with Truth, and tell them to take a hike. Take over and allow your intellect to discount them as the fear or judgment-centered voice they are.

You get your intuition back when you make space for it, when you stop the chattering of the rational mind. The rational mind doesn’t nourish you. You assume that it gives you the truth, because the rational mind is the golden calf that this culture worships, but this is not true. Rationality squeezes out much that is rich and juicy and fascinating.   ~Anne Lamott

Intuition is usually subtle and many times makes no sense. The key is of course, to stop and listen to that inner voice and the sensations of your body. What do you perceive is going on, being said, letting you know?

If courage is the penetration of mind through the fear which seems to overwhelm us then we can think of calmness as the penetration of mind through the anxieties which confront us, even including anger. …. Our mind need not be always passive; always like a sponge. …. If we don’t often use our mind this way we gain no strength with it—we get flabby.  ~The Zennist

How To Cultivate Our Intuition

1) Tune in and raise your vibration and take time for solitude. Solitude is a practice that does not equate to being alone, but to being at One with the energy and Light of the Divine.

If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.  ~Nikola Tesla

This energy, frequency and vibration is the universal power, as First Cause (initiator of  creation), is the original broadcasting station, extending Its wisdom out into all of Its creation.

2) Listen, allow, recognize and act. Allow your Spidey-sense to emerge as you pay attention to the goosebumps, the tingling in the scalp, the shudders, icky feelings or words you hear inform you.

3) Observe, be in the moment and not in a life drowned in rote.

4) Connect deeply to your feelings and emotions and those of others. This is not to indulge, soak or become the victim, but to listen to the messages, work through them and then let them go.

5) Visioning – directly or indirectly. Go inward, ask, journal your thoughts. Talk to your higher self on purpose. Here's an exercise:  focus on an event and pay attention to the thoughts that emerge while in contemplation. Write down in a 'stream of consciousness' mode what came to you. 

6) Pay attention to your dreams. Your subconscious mind is talking to you. Learn what that might be. 

7) Rest, meditate, sit in nature. Can't say it enough. And when you do, say to yourself, affirmations such as these:

I Am Intuitive, I Am Knowing

I Am Alive In The Now and Connected To My True Path And Purpose

True To Myself, I Am Connected To My Own Inner Vision

My Insight Is Strong and Can Be Trusted

I Have Strong Instincts From My Intuitive Self and I Am Listening

I Am Clearly Connected And Step Firmly Into the Unlimited Possibilities, Bringing Them Into My Reality Right Now

It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea. I work with it and rely on it. It's my partner.   ~Jonas Salk

Connect with your “partner in enlightenment;” call it God, Source, Consciousness, Wise One, Tao, Gnosis, Qi, Source, Muse...whatever. Open your gut and allow its Penetrating Intelligence to call you to your best and...

Listen for the nuggets of wisdom to bust through soar and zoom.

Affirmation

I have a powerful, creative and constructive mental acuity with  the acumen to accurately activate and accentuate the source of Divine Light in my life. 

I keep my mind alert and sharp, listening to my inner self and downloading the answers I require. 

I am savvy with the details that manifest exciting, love-filled experiences and I allow them to joyously ring loud and clear in my every thought, feeling and belief. 

I have the wit to speak my word with bold, brave, sassy, succulent and enlightened clarity. 

Perceiving and retrieving the brilliance of Divine Intelligence, I  perfectly conceive the best ideas and achieve the deepest insight; receiving great peace, prosperity, joyous love and abundant health in my life.

Take A Dive

We see ourselves rightly only when we see the Self that is in all. No one can have a real or lasting joy and happiness stored up for oneself alone, everything is meant to be shared.    ~Ernest Holmes

Last year, Patte and I were out at sea...on a cruise. It was my first cruise and four themes came up:

1) Movement towards somewhere
The month of October's theme was falling forward. We are always at movement and falling forward is our natural movement.

2) Abundance of opportunities and being provided for
If you haven't been on a cruise before, the journey offers you all you can eat, gamble, swim, buy, dance, and be entertained. You just have to be present and willing to receive … you just have to show up. Now all is available but not all is given. There's a map and a timetable, but you have to get yourself there ... you must walk the talk of your desire.

It is impossible for you to receive that which your mind refuses to accept. If you desire to receive more you need to consciously develop the ability to mentally encompass it. You make your life mean, little, and limit its possibilities when you refuse to accept the whole gift of God. ~Ernest Holmes, Thoughts Are Things 

3) Life is an adventure
Went zip-lining – reminders: ...strap in and take the leap or hike ...options: rappel, take the ladder or climb wall

God is Life and Life gives Itself to us. It does not give some of Itself, It gives all of Itself. But the gift without a receiver cannot complete itself in individual life. ~ Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind 

And we went snorkeling ...you have to get in the water, with equipment, ...receiving the beauty that is within ...share the food (ourselves) and watch fish come

4) Receiving is as Important as Giving
Not taking....receiving

Until we can receive with an open heart, we're never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help. ~Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection Receiving is as Important as Giving  

For some it is hard to receive. They say or think, “You shouldn’t have” or “I don’t deserve this” or “This old thing, I’ve had it forever.” When you accept without qualifications, you honor the other person's flow of giving and abundance, as you receive abundance. Giving and receiving not just spiritual idea - survival ...photosynthesis: we exhale carbon dioxide which nourishes plants ...plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen -necessary for our life ...28% rainforests, 70% marine plants

Every breath is making a difference for all life by this giving and receiving ...is ultimate source of our continued abundance ...awareness shows the Universe we are living a prosperity consciousness Generosity and gratitude is living with arms wide open ….like photosynthesis - free to give and free to receive automatically ...is ultimate of embracing the gifts of life ...recognizes Something greater than we are, infinite and available, is the Source of all that we have, give and receive The magic word here, is living in gratitude.

Rudyard Kipling was a very famous writer late 1800's, early 1900's, and made a great deal of money at his trade. Wrote Jungle Book, Gunga Din, The Man Who Would Be King. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over $100 a word." Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, "Really, I certainly wasn't aware of that." The reporter cynically reached into his pocket and pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to Kipling and said, "Here's a $100 bill Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your $100 words." Rudyard Kipling looked at that $100 bill for a moment, took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks.” 

Everything in life works in circles, spiritually and materially. While there is more attention on how to give, the consciousness of receiving is just as important ...it is a mutual experience, reflecting our unity with each other and with Spirit. You don't have to be out at sea to notice all that is being offered to you and meet it with openness and gratitude. Meditate on what it means to receive; and, in that, the gift you give to others by receiving generously. It's one of the ways we keep on singing. 

Affirmation 

Today I know with all confidence... 

A glorious Divine abundance is active in my life. My prosperity comes through the source and substance of my supply...SPIRIT ...all Knowing, all Being, all Love, and all Giving. I dedicate my mind and heart to the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and actions that honor this glorious Divine abundance. Knowing it comes from an inexhaustible supply, I joyously receive my bounty right now. I live, breath and thrive in the flow of my bountiful Good.

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.