Thought and Character

The aphorism, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,” not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.

As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called “spontaneous” and “unpremeditated” as to those which are deliberately executed.

Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.

Thought in the mind hath made us.
What we are By thought we wrought and built.
If a man’s mind Hath evil thought,
pain comes on him as comes the wheel the ox behind.
If one endure in purity of thought,
Joy follows him as his own shadow – sure.

Man is a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of ong-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.

Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength And peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse wrong application of thought, scends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master.

Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.

As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative which he may make himself what he wills.

Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state; in his weakness and degradation he is the foolish master who misgoverns his “household.” When he begins to reflect upon his condition, and to search diligently for the Law upon which his being is established, he then becomes the wise aster, directing his energies with intelligence, and fashioning his thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master, and man can only thus become by discovering within himself the laws of thought; which discovery is totally a matter of application, self-analysis, and experience.

Only by much searching and mining are gold an diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul. And that he is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove: if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances; if he will link cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself. In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that “He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”; for only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge.

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

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The Law Of Exposure

The statement, “you become what you think about”, reminds us that our thoughts affect who we are, and it points out the connection between what we think and what we become.

This understanding is both enhanced and magnified once combined with the Law of Exposure.

The Law of Exposure tells us that our minds think about what it is most exposed too.

This performance law is fueled by the following understandings:

1. What enters your mind repeatedly, first occupies your mind, and then eventually shapes both your perception and reality.

2. Your mind will absorb and then ultimately reflect whatever it gets repeatedly exposed too.

3. The events you attend, the materials you read, the music you listen too, the images you watch, the conversations you hold, the friends you hangout with, the daydreams you entertain — all of these are right now shaping your mind, then your character, and eventually your future.

4. You expose people to your behavior everyday, and as a result you either make deposits or withdrawals into their psychological bank account.

I’d like you to consider the following the questions as it relates to the Law of Exposure;

. What am I currently exposing my mind to on a daily basis?

. What impact is that exposure having on my performance?

. What should I be exposing my mind to on a daily basis?

. What am I exposing other people to when they look at my behavior?

. What steps should I take to ensure that I am exposed to better, people, places, behaviors and results?

. What indecencies should I no longer be exposing my mind too?

INDECENT EXPOSURE

Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure by a person of a portion of his or her own body that is likely to be seen as vulgar, offensive, and contrary to accepted standards of decency.

As it relates to your personal and professional performance, indecent exposure consists of anything that pollutes your mind, body or soul, such as the following:

. Excuses
. Junk food
. Self-Pity
. Violence
. Lack of Integrity
. Inconsistency
. Apathy
. Lying
. Sarcasm
. Gossip
. Procrastination
. Anger
. Jealousy
. Mediocrity
. Fear
. Worry
. Prejudice
. Vulgar language or behavior

Far too many people are over-exposed to these behavioral indecencies which negatively impacts their results.

It amazes me to see how many people think they can live as they want and that they can avoid this law. They think they can read anything they want and it won’t affect them. They think they can watch bad images or listen to nasty music and it won’t affect them.

The Right Kind of Exposure

You must never forget that your mind thinks about what it is exposed too. So consciously give serious exposure to whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-expose yourself accordingly.

Your task for today is twofold:

Expose yourself to new ideas, to stimulating conversation, to positivity, to all that is good and virtuous about humanity,

AND

Expose other people to your good character, sound judgment, and to your helpful nature. You must expose people to the example you want emulated in society.

Seven Steps From Visions To Reality

Fear is my best friend.
It shows me a path to nowhere;

I choose another way.
they say that a true hero is not one that harbors no fear but rather one that dares to overcome their fear.

fear is there behind you; don’t let it follow you.
if you do, you will spend your life running.

turn around and walk towards your fear; see it shocked with disbelief.
keep walking despite fear’s attempts to scare you; keep walking steadily.

walk through it – a miracle happened!
fear disappeared as if there was nothing there but thin air.
this is the substance fear is made of – thin air.

STEP ONE – BE A FOOL FOR VISION

I tend to say that only the naïve can achieve. The naïve is a fool, don’t be confused by the term and mistake fool for foolish. What is meant by fool is the innocent child quality that lives in an adult. This faculty is the most essential in acquiring vision, for as adults we tend to be cynical, skeptical, insecure, calculated and afraid of failure, while a child looks at the world awe inspired and imagines that everything is still possible. As adults we need to discern how to use different aspects of ourselves properly; when it’s time to garner vision, be the fool, awaken the child and reach for the stars.

STEP TWO – SEE IT HAPPEN and IT WILL

The conscious mind is where we spend most of our life; it seems that there is nothing else but it; it’s where we live and naturally it is that same conscious mind that we use when we try to create things in the world. Here’s a great secret; the conscious mind is very limited faculty of manifestation, it is not efficient at all for that purpose.

The subconscious mind on the other hand is the mind that can communicate your vision to the outside world and merge it there for its manifestation.

Use your conscious mind to plant the vision in your unconscious mind. To do that imagine your vision, see it happen and imagine how it feels – see it, feel it; do that with conviction and you will witness miracles.

STEP THREE – MAKE IT YOUR PURPOSE

Once you’ve summoned a vision and envisioned it happen, saw it and felt it, make it your purpose. You will need purpose when discomfort and pain appear on the scene and sacrifice is needed, for not much is achieved in life without sacrifice.

If you don’t make your vision one with your purpose, you will uphold another purpose, an underlying purpose you may not even be aware of. The most prevalent purpose is to avoid pain and gain pleasure – the mother of mediocrity and the archenemy of greatness. The only way to escape this purpose is to consciously choose another.

STEP FOUR – MAKE THE NOW YOUR HOME

Don’t dwell in the past, don’t allow it to be chains around your ankles, acknowledge it and move forward for this is the only movement there is. The present moment is the only asset you own, elusive as it is, it is home. What is now cannot be changed but it is where the work is done. Take your judgment away from the equation: hone the faculty of clarity; it is not good or bad it is what it is. If you think that circumstances are not in your favor, imagine instead that you’ve invited them yourself to create an appropriate challenge to optimize your growth. Do not harbor aversion to what is. Remember, the present moment is what it is and from here the future is shaped. (Repeat step two the more the better).

STEP FIVE – INITIATE IT

Your vision is in place, a sense of purpose kicks in, the present is acknowledged for what it is; you have used your imagination to plant the vision into the subconscious mind; now it is time to take action. It is amazing how many people expect things to just happen for them. You must initiate, do something to actually take the vision from the realm of your mind and anchor it in the reality of the world. Jot down your mission statement, write an action plan, arrange the priorities, take initial action, do something to set things in motion. This point seems simple and obvious but most visionaries stop here, they just dream and stick to their comfort zone. Remember; action is where manifestation begins: initiate – take action towards your vision, once you do that, you will know you are on track, it’s not a dream any more.

STEP SIX – RESISTANCE IS PART OF IT

Initiation generates resistance – it’s the law for nothing works without resistance, nothing at all. Understanding that resistance is a fundamental and essential part of the process is the most important point of all. Don’t confuse resistance with trouble; don’t let your judgment interfere. Expect resistance, the so called obstacles along the way, they will come don’t doubt that for they are needed and no process will occur without them. Resistance is an organic part of the process itself be ready for it.

Harness the adult to the process as the child tends to crumble when the seas turn rough. Don’t blame anyone or anything, don’t curse your luck; rather, claim responsibility and maintain your power at all times. Don’t say ‘it happened to me’, say instead ‘it happened for me’ and everything will change and make sense, the entire universe will conspire to help you, no force will be able to stop you if you learn the final move in this magical dance.

STEP SEVEN– FLOW WITH THE FORCE

Keep your pace. Maintain your vision, spur yourself, if your sense of purpose is intact any sacrifice along the way will only feel natural. You may need to explore the uncharted, to walk toward your fear. In the process you may discover your power; endurance, persistence, perseverance – this is the stuff winners are made of. Yet remember you are not in control; the force of life is greater than you. Walk with it, not against it, or it will crush you.

When you arrive at your destination, it may not be exactly the place you have envisioned, things have changed in the process; they always do. You are not the same person that took the first step, you’ve interacted with living forces and they’ve left their imprint, respect that and remember the only destination is the journey itself.

(A hint: While all steps are important step number two is the key.)

Holding On To Illusions

A couple of weeks ago I was performing one of my daily exercises swimming laps when I observed a women, in her early seventies, enter the pool and securely grasp hold of the side. She slowly made her way round the pool to the deep end by holding on to the side of the pool and moving her hands to guide her way to the deep end. She then let go and swam on her back all the way to the shallow end.

I watched her repeat this routine over and over. Of course, I could not let an opportunity like this pass-by without asking her what she was doing by holding on to the side of the pool to get to the deep end. I asked her why she did not swim to the deep end.

She explained that since she was a child, a fear of putting her face into the water had stopped her from swimming on her front. Her fear of drowning by swallowing water was so strong that for most of her life she could only swim on her back and feel secure. Swimming on her back towards the shallow end was acceptable to her mid-set, however if she reversed the routine and tried to swim on her back towards the deep end, fear overtook her and she could not release her hold from the side of the pool.

Well, me being me, I explained to her how fear is an illusion of the mind, even though it be a persistent one. I gave her a few practical tips on how to overcome her trepidation of swimming on her front. I spent about half an hour showing her how to move a few steps from the shallow end, kick off the bottom of the pool, and float to the shallow side. She tried it a few times without success and told me she will work on her mind-set thoughts and keep trying this new technique of floating a few feet to the shallow side.

I did not encounter her again in the pool for a few days. Well, a few days later what do you think happened to the seventy-year-old fear of not being able to swim on her front. The answer was … nothing I could say or do could help her change her fearful mind-set.

She continued to hold on to the side of the pool for dear life until she made her way to the deep end and then let go and swam on her back to the shallow end. She told me that she had thought about what I had said to her, but she just could not get over her fear of swimming with her face in the water. I jokingly said to her that perhaps her body was not made to swim face down and only constructed to swim on her back. Not realizing the humor she relied, what about all the other people who can swim on their front … Why can they do it and I can’t. I replied, simple because they do not believe it is impossible to swim on their front.

Now before you start to think that this woman is somehow unusual let me ask you a question. Can you live in a joyful state of mind, every second you exist in the pool of life? What is that you answer! You declare it is impossible to live in a joyful state of mind every second you are on earth. Well, what mind-set leads you to believe it is impossible?

-What types of thoughts have hold on your mind that limits your happiness?
-What are you clutching on to that restricts that natural flow of serenity and contentment?
-Are your thoughts of limited joy any different from the woman who finds it impossible to swim with her face in the water?

By my observations of humanities habitual patterns and characteristics, I have determined that most people in this world hold on to thoughts throughout their lives that restrict them from living in a natural free flowing way.

Yes in – deed, most peoples brains have been influenced by perceptions, ideas, thoughts and suggestions from other people and are limiting the way they live their lives.

While getting a good education well-meaning teachers may have seeded your thoughts.

-The thoughts may have been planted by well-meaning religious viewpoints but if you still hold fears what good is the religious doctrine doing to your every lifestyle of happiness.

-Well-meaning scientific experts may have planted the thoughts and delivered new inventions and hi-tech gadget but how much lasting happiness does that contribute to your life of joy.

-Well-meaning family and friends may have planted the thoughts since you were a toddler however, how has that helped your well-being for long-term mental stability and permanent blissfulness.

With massive amounts of intellectual, educational books, texts, journals and expert advice, no person is immune from synthetic thought patterns that can restrict the natural free flowing truth, intrinsically gifted in all human beings. How many people do you know who are not restricted in some way or other and have no need to hold on to unwise teachings that are seeded in their minds by other people?

Maybe it really is impossible to teach old dogs new tricks. So why not just settle for getting-by with holding on to the sidelines of bliss and understand you are mentally constructed in that confined way. Just make do with the average joyless moments most people tell me is inevitable. What is the point in looking for what you deem to be unlivable blissful answers, no matter how truth-full they may be, but make no sense to your intellectual, thought-life possessor.

Well, there may be one alternative to holding on to all elemental fallacies contained in … intrinsic doctrines, inbred intellectual reasoning and logic, informative philosophical debates, ingrained religious teachings, entrained educational rules and regulations, entrenched spiritual habits and other deep rooted meaningful Perceptions, Ideas, Thoughts, Suggestions (PITS) … but I doubt you would believe me if I told you what it is.

So rather than disclose to you how to live your life in a manner that is unacceptable to your knowingness, maybe I’ll give you a little hint into the types of mind-sets that can un-anchor your brain and cast you adrift from a more realistic mode of authenticity.

- If a person has a strong intellectual mind-set it may smother them
- If a person has a weak intellectual mind-set it may drown them
- If a person has a medium intellectual mind-set, it may suffocate them.

However if a person can live with an objective detached mind-set, it will be a game, set and match … liberating a winner/winner.

So, if you feel it is impossible to live in a joy-filled mind-set all the time, just continue to endure sharing the unsatisfying holds on your mind, with others who also share your accustomed viewpoints. Keep away from all those other strange people, who are in the same mode, but with different slants on truth, but like you, holding on to the edge of the thought-life pool, without ever being in the free flowing blissful central moment.

Although, in the final analysis, everyone will swim in the same erroneous human pools of thought, that restricts joy they do not have to accept it as their reality. Even though many people will keep a stiff upper lip with differing viewpoints, that will cause conflicts of interest and unrest, a few simple minds will not buy into the illusions that surround them

… As an early warning sign perhaps we can give the erroneous mind-sets brigade an official title …

How about … Contriving Orientation Navigators … Thoughts that CON you out of a joyful-thought-life and navigate you into worrisome, depressive deliberations.

The good news is that when you learn to live joyfully, despite what your conditioned mind-set may determine is impossible to live, you have overcome your fear for the truthful wisdom you were born with … When your life ends, you will have no regrets of missed moments of joy. And that my friends, is the only proper definition of success… The merry moments of blissfulness lived.

Developing Soul Consciousness and Overcoming Challenges

In Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore says that the greatest illness of modern times is ‘loss of soul.’ I do not think that we have lost soul, but simply have not yet discovered it, and therefore live in a soulless way.

The new consciousness on the planet today demands that each of us no longer neglect this vital aspect of who we are. Ignoring this reality has dire consequences, as Moore points out: “When soul is neglected, it doesn’t just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning. Our temptation is to isolate these symptoms or to try to eradicate them one by one; but the root problem is that we have lost our wisdom about the soul, even our interest in it.”

Becoming soul-conscious or expanding consciousness is not a choice. It is a deep and natural urge within all of us that is being emphasized by the needs in the world today. The only choice is whether or not we will cooperate or resist the expansion of consciousness once it begins happening. And consciousness seeks to expand in all aspects of life where we have gained sufficient awareness and learning.

When we resist this movement of soul within, we become ill or accident prone or unhappy. We experience emotional pain or money problems or our relationships don’t work well. In general, our life sends us signals to which we must pay attention. Through developing soul consciousness, we learn what these signals are, how to interpret them, and then what to do about them.

The evidence of the drive for expanded consciousness, or soul, is found in everyone’s deep yearning for liberation. The liberation we want is the release from duality – the very stuff that the challenges of life are made of. But we cannot find this freedom unless we deal effectively with the challenges.

All challenges that we experience are initiated by the soul, even though it can appear that the challenges come from other people, the world around us, society, circumstances and situations. What is the nature of these challenges? What is their purpose? How can we master them?

As we master our challenges, we gain in wisdom and develop the power, love and intelligence that is characteristic of soul consciousness. When we incorporate the mastery into our identity, transformation ensues and greater liberation is experienced.

The Soul Journey

Blame – Who Did It To Me?

In the fall of 2008, while engaged in the kind of deep self-examination I love to hate, I discovered that when “bad” things happened to me, I reacted predictably. While my emotions might range from annoyance to downright martyrdom, my overall feeling was that life was against me. I was a victim.

Sometimes I was a victim fighting back, i.e., I was angry, resentful, argumentative, but when I found myself in these modes I felt even more victimized, because external events forced me to act in a way I didn’t like to behave.

Since I like to assume the identity of a someone who is in charge of her life, this victim discovery didn’t please me at all. Once I discovered it, though, evidence for for a pervasive victimhood began accumulating, and I decided that instead of resisting it I would explore it.

The Victim Identification Test

When something goes wrong in your life do you:

Blame others?
Feel as if the world (or someone) is against you?
Blame yourself?
Blame no one or take responsibility for what happened?

I am not suggesting you take responsibility for a hurricane which knocks down power lines, just that you not blame the weather, God, or mysterious forces which are out to get you. (I write more about responsibility further on in this article.)

However, if you forgot to pay an electric bill and your power gets shut off, do you blame anyone for not reminding you about the bill or blame the utility company for not allowing enough time to pay the bill? Do you say you can’t help it if you’re bad about paying bills, and those in charge should make allowances for the checkbook-challenged?

Regardless of your immediate answer to these questions, you may find it helpful to keep these questions in your mind as you go through your days. They can come up in these and other ways:

You’re at work, and your boss asks you to work overtime. You ask yourself, “Why me?” “Why me?” is very likely a victim’s question.

Your child brings home a report card which suggests he will be very fortunate to graduate from grade school, let alone any higher form of education. You ask yourself, “What did I do to deserve such a child?” This is a variant of “Why me?” You take bad weather, traffic jams, and long lines personally. You notice how often you say, “That’s not fair.” You decide you have been designated to experience a loveless life. You welcome a blow or disaster because now you don’t have to dread its occurrence.

The important thing is to notice how you respond to any situation which is a problem, crisis, or in any other way disturbs the flow of life as you expect it to flow.

How Victims Are Born

If you discover you have a tendency towards victimization the chances are very good that one or both of your parents were — not because there’s a gene for it, but because our earliest lessons about how to respond to life come from parents and other significant adults.

Our parents can teach us how to be victims in other ways.

Did either of your parents ever say to you, “I’m punishing you for your own good” or “I’m punishing you because I love you?”

Think of the hidden messages in these statements.

Love is punishment.
Love is painful.
Love is suffering.

Children who receive attention only in the form of punishment will seek it by “misbehaving.” This behavior can persist through adulthood: the person who constantly makes mistakes at work and is called in to his boss’s office on a regular basis, the person who forgets to perform expected household duties and is yelled at by a spouse or partner, the person who regularly gets into financial difficulties.

If we have this way of being, punishment can make us feel important. It may even make us feel like martyrs. If we come from strict Christian religious backgrounds, being martyrs can make us feel not only very important, but can reverse our thinking so that we see ourselves not as wrong, but as right and persecuted

The Victim-Guilt Seesaw

In the course of my exploration of my victim syndrome, I realized that I so readily adopted the victim identity because I didn’t want to blame myself, i.e., feel guilty. This is the opposite of victimization. I discovered how flexible I was in going back and forth between the two emotions.

In a victim state, we say, “Life isn’t perfect, and it’s someone else’s fault. I am innocent.” When we are in a guilty state, we say, “I am not perfect, and it’s my fault. I am guilty.”

Let’s look again at the examples I gave above. You forgot to pay an electric bill, and your electricity got shut off. In blaming anyone else for this, you may be resisting another way to react: blaming yourself for being stupid, careless, or whatever adjective you might be tempted to use.

In the case of the disastrous report card, the resisted thought might be, “I’m such a bad parent. Why didn’t I realize he had this problem?”

Power Failure

Whenever we feel either victimized or guilty, we rob ourselves of power. The loss of power became real for me when I sat down to think about certain things I wanted to create. I found myself unable to visualize any of these things without having thoughts such as, “Never happen.” In focusing on the negative thoughts, I eventually came up with, “Don’t deserve it,” and connected that thought to guilt.

I asked myself, “What would happen if these things I say I want came true?” The answer was clear: I couldn’t be a victim any more.

Victimization, like any way of being, becomes comfortable through its familiarity and firmly-set boundaries. A victim doesn’t have to take risks, doesn’t have to do unfamiliar things, doesn’t have to take responsibility for his/her life.

Think of a situation in which you feel victimized, or if you don’t like the “v” word, think of a situation you feel isn’t fair or think of something you haven’t been successful in manifesting. They may be the same. For example, you may want a promotion, but think your boss doesn’t appreciate all the hard work you do. You feel this is unfair.

Focus on a particular situation. Let yourself really feel the unfairness of it.

Now check into how you are feeling emotionally. What sensations are in your body? Are there areas which feel dense or heavy?

Now think of some project you want to create or fulfill. Do you feel empowered to work on it?

Do the same experiment with a situation about which you feel guilty.

A Third Way

The healthy alternative to both guilt and victimization is taking responsibility. Responsibility is NOT blaming yourself; it’s literally the ability to respond. A response is distinct from a reaction. Reactions are automatic and are stimulated by unconscious beliefs, usually acquired in childhood. Someone who unconsciously absorbed the belief that good parents have children who excel in school will automatically react negatively to a poor report card.

Guilt and feelings of victimization are reactions. We don’t deliberately choose to have these or other negative feelings.

When we respond, it’s a conscious act. We may feel the reaction, “My child has let me down” or “I have failed my child,” and let this reaction and the emotion it triggers to pass, then allow ourselves to be in the present and respond to the situation. We ask, “How can I help my child?” We have a conversation with him. We make it clear that we are available. We may speak to the teacher. We respond with the intention of solving the problem.

Being responsible also means acknowledging a mistake without guilt and learning from it. It means not blaming others for their mistakes.

I strongly believe that everything you do to help yourself to a state of unconditional self-love will release the Victim within. When we love ourselves, we don’t experience problems as punishment. When we love ourselves, we don’t experience punishment as love.

This is a two-way process. With every act of responsibility you restore power to your being. Empowerment is contagious. You set a powerful example for others. By not reacting with feelings of victimization or guilt you don’t trigger these reactions in others.

You also bring yourself closer to a state of unconditional love, and generously extend this state to others.

Each act of responsibility you take may feel small, but every time you choose responsibility, you help to make the world a happier, more loving place.

Responsible Crystals

The properties of sugilite indicate the connection between guilt and resentment (a common way in which people express their feelings of victimization). This crystal can help to dissolve both feelings. The general intention of sugilite is to assist us in releasing any feeling which is disempowering.

Azurite can give us a deeper understanding about what goes on beneath the surface of our conscious thinking. It also helps us to bring to the surface those beliefs which direct our reactions to people and situations.

Green Calcite is particularly useful in dissolving emotional and mental rigidities. Once these rigidities are released, we are able to think creatively and solve problems from a more open perspective.

Carnelian is the crystal which helps us to be focused in the present. When we are in a state in which our decisions aren’t based on the past, we are better able to make wise choices.

Flower and Other Essences

Willow (Bach) is the classic essence for resentment, which as I note in describing sugilite, is a common aspect of feeling victimized.

Wild Rose (Bach) addresses another common aspect of victimization: resignation. Everyone is against me, so there’s just no use in even trying any more. Wild Rose helps to get us back into the flow of life.

Pine (Bach) is the most useful essence for guilt and feelings that anything less than perfection in one’s being is personal failure.

Bear (Wild Earth Animal Essences), the animal who sleeps all winter, symbolizes the exploration of the unconscious mind.

Promises To Keep

Have you ever wondered why a resolution you made never got fulfilled or why something you longed for never happened?

Sometimes it’s because your heart wasn’t really in the dream. It may have been someone else’s (often a parent’s) idea of what would be best for you, but, because you either wanted to please that person or because the idea had been around for so long that you forgot it wasn’t yours, you adopted it. It may also have been a dream which had once been yours but which died a quiet death while you weren’t looking.

How are you going to accomplish this? A dream without a plan for fulfilling it will generally remain a dream forever.

A dream needs to be yours; it needs to be clear; and it needs to have a plan for fulfillment. Once you have these three elements you have the equivalent of a vehicle to carry you towards your goal. Then two more ingredients are needed: you, the driver, and motion.

People (myself included) often hope that they won’t be required to do anything strenuous or unsettling in order to have that they want. They would prefer to simply visualize their dreams, say affirmations frequently, and hope for the best. This might work, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The Joy of Inertia

The importance of honoring one’s commitment and taking action was reinforced for me a while back. I have a particular dream: to write and have published both non-fictional and fictional books. Several months ago I was in the early stages of making plans; in fact, my only plan at that point was to make a plan, and I didn’t quite know where to begin.

A friend emailed me a notice about an upcoming meeting of a recently-formed local publishing group for authors, agents, illustrators, and others connected to or interesting in publishing. An author who wrote, co-wrote, and ghostwrote books on spiritual subjects was to speak. I thought that this would be a good place to meet and network with like-minded people, and decided to attend.

My intention to go was firm until about an hour before the event; then it began to wobble. I was really tired, and I didn’t feel like going out. I felt like staying home, reading, and eating ice cream. I didn’t like to drive at night.

I kept on telling myself these and other reasons for not going until I had myself hypnotized. By 6:15 p.m. (the meeting started at 7 p.m.) I had decided not to go.

I was at the point at which many people abandon their dreams. They don’t call it abandonment; they have simply come up with a variety of compelling reasons for not going forward. Sometime in the future when circumstances are more favorable they’ll act.

Beyond Inertia

At 6:20 p.m. I realized that I wasn’t happy with my decision not to go, and also realized that some kind of fear was fueling my reasons (which I now labeled as excuses) against motion. I imagined myself at the meeting, and the first thing I saw was my not knowing anyone there and feeling like a social misfit. That was a very unpleasant feeling.

I then looked to see if any other forms of fear were lurking, and saw that as much as I welcomed the possibilities of belonging to such a group I also feared those possibilities. If I went to the meeting I would be making a commitment to myself as a writer; moreover, I would be to some (as yet unknown) extent be making that commitment public.

At 6:25 p.m. I asked myself, “What are the worst things which could happen tonight?” They were that I would feel out of place and socially inept, and that people would know I had ambitions as a writer.

Then I changed my approach to ask myself what the best things that could happen would be. I imagined seeing people whom I knew and meeting people who would be interesting, that I might have a good time and learn something, as well as become part of a supportive network.

I thought about the commitment I’d made to myself, and decided that I’d rather face my fears than live with regret. At 6:30 p.m. I got into the car and went to the meeting.

I did see some people I knew, and met some new people who were interesting. I learned a lot about the book publishing business, and connected with some people who were committed to exchanging information about self-publishing. There were also some excellent home-baked desserts.

Oh, and I did have to stand up and describe my intentions as a writer. Anticipating this was dreadful, but it wasn’t so difficult, and left no lasting scars on my psyche.

Don’t Give Yourself a Break; Give Yourself an Opportunity

This experience reminded me that when I make a commitment all of the reasons why I don’t want to keep it will come to the surface, speaking in the voice of a part of myself I call the Inner Comforter. The Inner Comforter wants to keep me right where I am (reading a book and eating ice cream). It doesn’t want me to take risks, to feel afraid, to court rejection or failure. It poses as my friend. It is in fact a friend only of my fears, and my fears are no friends to my desire to fulfill my dreams.

Its voice isn’t always as clear cut as it was for me (I’ve learned to listen for it.) You can be suspicious that it’s guiding you into inertia when:

You look at last New Year’s list of resolutions and feel a deep sense of failure. Someone asks you about your plans to: get a new job, move, terminate your dead-end relationship, or whatever you’ve announced as a goal and you a) change the subject, b) come up with a dazzling array of reasons for changing your mind.

A great opportunity arises, and you don’t want to take advantage of it.

Despite all your good intentions your life isn’t happening the way you want it to.

Should any of the above occur you may want to consider using my simple plan for action. Notice that you are a) uncertain about what to do, b) don’t want to do anything out of the ordinary.

Listen to the excuses you’re making to yourself.
Ask yourself what you’re really afraid of.
Ask yourself the worst things that could happen.
Ask yourself the best things that could happen. You will probably not have much trouble thinking of the worst things, but may have to get creative when it comes to imagining the best things.
Get really excited about the best possibilities; imagine them in detail.
Take action.

Strength in Awakened Attention

Key Lesson: Whether it’s for joy or sorrow, whatever we wish for another person comes true for us in the same moment we make that wish!

Imagine for a moment a woman who inherits an antique jewelry box from a loving grandparent. She puts the cherished keepsake on her makeup bureau, next to her own collection of rings and pearls, but never really pays it much mind. And there it sits. But what she doesn’t know is that her grandmother hid a priceless diamond ring within it, in a secret compartment. It’s hers to have, if only she knew where to look for it. But will she?

In many ways this is a story not unlike our own: for “hidden” within each of us, and yet in plain sight, is a power unmatched in its brilliance. What is this potential diamond of the mind that awaits whoever will find it? It is our ability to attend to what we will. Coupled with awareness, attention empowers us to unite ourselves with whatever we wish to know and be. Let’s examine this largely unexplored gift of ours.

We are all graced with an immense interior gift: the power to give our attention to what we will – to what enriches and serves us.

Continuing states of stress and sorrow are the result of having mistakenly placed our attention upon what punishes us, stealing from us our happiness as a result. Any time our attention is given to some thought or feeling, it animates that condition; our attention invests what it falls on with a certain kind of life energy. Another unknown phenomenon about attention is that when it is given to something – for instance, a timeless night sky – it facilitates within us a union with the qualities of that “world.” And this dynamic is in operation all the time: to consider something is to be connected to it. So, our attention connects, animates, and nourishes whatever we lend it to in life. And more than this, but as a part of its power, we have all witnessed the following:

You’re stopped at a red light, and you look out your car window at someone passing by. You follow him with your eyes – interested in something about his appearance or manner. As you remotely study this person, the power of attention moves through and across time and space and it “touches” him in some way. The next thing you know he turns around and looks at you!

This power can be used for good or bad. When we use it for practical work, or for honest self-observation, we use it to our own benefit. However, when this power operates on its own, within us, without our awareness of what it’s interacting with, it can cause many problems. Here is where the unattended mind becomes the breeding ground of self-defeat.

For instance, any time our attention is placed, without our knowing it, on some way to escape ourselves, here’s what happens: more often than not we find out – too late – we got hooked up with some self-harming idea that ultimately led us to compromise ourselves.

This new kind of self-knowledge places us on the threshold of a wholly different, brighter life. If by being inattentive to our own interior life, we see how much of our unhappiness is self-created, then, we can learn to redirect our attention, placing it within what is right and bright. But, there is only one way to realize this reversal: we must work to see how wrongly directed attention works against us.

Perhaps a thought pops into your mind about a problem that’s been bothering you. Appearing with it is some emotional disturbance. Now the thought starts rolling, growing in its demand for your attention. Almost instantly it has defined what needs to be done, or what you are powerless to do. And both states accomplish the same dark end: You’ve unknowingly animated that thought and given it a life – and the life you’ve given it is your own! Here’s an example of how this scene might unfold:

A man is walking through his office when his boss walks by and gives him a blank look. The thought pops into the man’s mind that his boss is criticizing him or doesn’t like him. Now, as he starts to fear this idea – a negative picture produced by his imagination – his mind focuses its attention on this disturbing image. And the more he attends to this dark dream, the further into its labyrinth he descends, strengthening its presence and power to further irritate him.

A heartbeat later, he has no doubt: the boss has it in for him! This thought grows in authority for him, tormenting him for the rest of the day and causing him to snap at his family when he gets home. And all of this suffering is born of what? The conjunction of a passing glance and a moment of misdirected attention!

Here’s the amazing thing about this illustration, and what we want to learn from it: this whole drama has been played out inside of the man – storyline, stage, cast, and leading characters. But he doesn’t see how this painful state is self-created; instead he believes it has been cast upon him by someone else – his heartless boss! So, what else can he do – being in the dark as he is to his true condition – but try to rid himself of his stressed feelings? How? By arguing with his boss, either outwardly or in his mind. The more he feels punished by the situation that he sees in his mind, the more he wants to fight with it. He’s sure his unwanted experience exists independent of his perception of it, but we can see he’s mistaken.

His pain is a product of how he sees the event and then all of the misery that comes with resisting his own mistaken perception. He is quite literally lashing himself, and the more he resists what he thinks is happening, the more it happens to him! This is a good description of what I call the “circle of self.” In it we can see how the pain of our own mistaken perception produces the enemies it needs to keep itself alive.

From our vantage point, we can see how the man’s unattended mind first animated a fearful thought, which leads to wrongly feeding it with his own life. We can also see that nothing can change for him until he sees the truth behind his trouble and withdraws his consent from it.

We suffer because we consort with painful thoughts and feelings, thinking somehow that not wanting them makes them go away. But our unconscious actions betray us: first, by animating what makes us ache, and then by binding us to that relationship through our resistance to it. Here’s a simple way of saying these last few ideas: Not wanting our negative states actually nourishes them! I can almost hear the question that comes next: “Wait a minute! You can’t be saying these dark thoughts and feelings are good, and that we should want what’s hurting us, are you?”

Of course not! Negative states have no right to exist in us as they presently do. And that’s just the point. We literally give them a place to live in our psychic system – feed them, as it were – by trying to rid ourselves of them in the usual ways. But there are other ways of dealing with pervasive dark states besides resisting them, suppressing them, or trying to change the conditions seen as being responsible for them.

Instead of these acts of willfulness, we choose in favor of watchfulness. Rather than struggling with dark states, learning to be quietly watchful of them does two things at once: first, it separates us from being wrongly identified with our own thoughts about that troublesome state. Second – by the light of our newly liberated attention – we catch a glimpse of a powerful insight whose light helps set us free:

If we mistakenly give any negative state its “life” – then the opposite must hold true: we can consciously withdraw that same life any time we so choose!

Here is a simple exercise to help you get started with this new kind of seeing that is the power behind freeing you. Several times each day, whenever you can remember to do it, deliberately disconnect yourself from your own thinking. Choose awareness of your thoughts over being absorbed in the sensations they produce as they carry you along to get what they want. The aim here is simple: reclaim your attention in order to be where you are, and then just quietly notice all that you can about yourself. The light of this new order of awareness empowers you to catch and release what your own unattended thoughts had been busy cooking up for you, using you as stock!

Each time you remember to reclaim your attention in this manner, with it you regain your life. And here is a bright bit of encouragement to help you get started. The words that follow are those of Simone Weil, a brilliant French writer, activist, and lover of the Light: “Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul.”

From Soul To You

The beginning of a new year is a traditional time for making new resolutions about one’s life. But today will do too! One of the most important resolutions we can make is to begin a journey of self-discovery. In order to do this we need to understand how we got detoured in the first place.

The soul is that aspect of our being which has never forgotten its purpose. It attempts to give travel directions to the personality, that aspect of ourselves which functions in physical reality–but the personality doesn’t always receive the message. We may have learned not to believe in the soul, and also learned either to tune out its messages or to interpret them as a sign of lunacy.

Thus, the first and most important step on a journey of self-discovery is to believe that there is a self to be discovered, that the map of possibilities we need is within ourselves, and accessible. It isn’t enough to plant this belief; it must be nurtured as well, because in the beginning we need to trust in our souls without having any actual evidence of their existence. Faith, however, goes hand in hand with good works, and there is much we can do to help restore the interrupted lines of communication.

Paths and Patterns

Often when we play detective and investigate our own lives we find valuable clues. When you were a child what activities made you happiest? With whom did you have your most rewarding relationships? (These questions may also be asked about your present life.)

By looking for patterns you can discover both the shape of possibilities in your life and the ways in which you’ve blocked them. For example, someone might discover that all her life people had told her that she would make a wonderful therapist, and that she, from lack of self-esteem, had never believed them. She might remember opportunities for doing counseling which she had refused. Someone else might remember a place he had always longed to visit, and how its name always seemed to come up–in conversation or in the books he reads.

In your search you will find your dreams valuable. Dreams are an important vehicle through which the soul communicates with the personality. In the dream state we’re free to experiment with various possibilities for our lives, finally choosing the ones most suitable for physical manifestation. Our dream images express our deepest feelings and wishes as well as the beliefs which may prevent their expression.

Pay close attention to your dreams, recording them, and re-reading them to discover messages and patterns. Receptivity to your dreams will enhance your ability to be receptive during your waking hours.

Be alert as well for the clues which may come up in day-to-day life. You may be intrigued by someone’s description of a Polynesian dance class; you may have a sudden urge to learn to play the oboe. Playing the oboe or dancing the hula may not be your life’s purpose, but following the impulse which pulls you most strongly can only lead you in the appropriate direction.

Getting Specific

You can also clarify your possibilities by asking these questions:

If I didn’t have to work for a living what would I love to do?
If I were given $1 million, tax-free, what would be the first thing I’d do with it?

In doing this exercise be careful not to censor yourself. Don’t worry if an idea which comes into your mind just seems to ridiculous or too impossible. These are the reactions which helped us to get off-course in the first place. What you write down isn’t your final life plan, but–as in the case of your impulses–various attractive possibilities.

Next, look at each possibility you’ve written down and ask yourself what value you will get from it. Do you want that boat because you love sailing and the sea? If so, what feeling does that give you? Do you want to sail around the world because you’d like to learn about other cultures? Why does that interest you?

Keep adding to the list. As you study it, in combination with the information you’ve received from dreams, etc., you will find that you’re clarifying both the nature of your gifts and interests, and the commitment you feel to contribute to others.

Another way to get to the latter is to ask yourself a third question, “How would I like to be remembered when I’m gone? Do I want people to say I was brilliant, considerate, generous?”

How you would like to be remembered is really how you would like to be right now. Translate this feeling of commitment into a statement of purpose. Remember that no one is grading it; there’s no deadline, and you can rewrite and refine it as many times as you want to. You’ll know when it’s right for you; you’ll have a feeling of resonance and attunement.

The next step is to align your life so that it’s an appropriate vehicle for your purpose. When Michelangelo was asked how he sculpted his works of art he said that he simply cut away everything which wasn’t the statue. This is good advice, but let’s go easy on the drastic, sweeping changes. Call on Turtle medicine and remember that slow and steady wins the race. The more surely you integrate your purpose into your being the easier change will be.

Remember too, that as you begin to nurture your purpose you will find it growing. You’ll discover that it’s not the end, but the beginning, not a traveling away from yourself, but your journey home.

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