Recently I made one of the dumbest mistakes on the road that you can believe! I had stopped at a traffic light, while it was green. For whatever reason I needed to find my phone that fell and had perceived the light as red (i guess) so that I would have the opportunity to find my phone. In retrospect I recall that the light was green but I was not paying attention, I was only paying attention that it was a light and a place to stop. This immediately stopped traffic that morning while everyone was hurried into work, making the 30 seconds or so seem like a lifetime to those behind me. I was waiting for the inevitable dirty look and speed passes as soon as I had gotten my head from under the passenger seat and back on the road. Oddly, those that I had slowed down that morning had any gestures or looks to give. They all went about their business. "Wow," I thought. Is this world becoming tolerant of dork drivers during morning rush hour? =]
For the past 4-5 years I've made it a point not to get angry at anyone
for their driving mistakes because I know that even as good a track
record that I may have, someday I may make a mistake. The mistake I see in others' driving is simply "that day" for them. I choose not to attack every time.
If you could understand that by making an attack on someone, you forget love, and by forgetting love you make him a stranger. By making someone a stranger you separate yourself from him and then do not truly know what love is, nor know yourself. To know thyself is to know that we are all intimately related and bound inseparable. Thus, to make an attack on someone is to make an attack on yourself.
Anyway, there seems to be some sort of karma working here as well. I felt pretty good that morning after I was not attacked for my mistake.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thought of the Day October 19 - On the Verge!
I woke up this morning as positive as ever. Each day seems to get better and better... yet I keep feeling like I'm on the verge of something big. This would be ideal, except for the fact that I've been feeling like this for about 7 months now. I know the secret is to be happy in now and not expend all of your energy waiting and hoping for the future, but now recently things seem to even be pushing back at me for some reason. There are things around me that compound my urgency to "take off" already.
So I'm sitting here checking my emails in my workout clothes a little after 5am before I have to pick up my friend for our morning workout... and I run across this old email I sent to myself with a quote from Henry Ford; It reads: "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that
the airplane takes off against the wind and not with it." Perfect! I can see how the new "things" around me can be perceived as the final lifts that are pushing me to "take off!" Thanks for the words of advice Henry.
See you in the clouds! =]
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Thought of the Day - Oct 18 - Do Unto Yourself
If everyone truly has equal rights in God,
you can only claim yours by being just to your brother and your neighbor and
your co-workers and your spouse and your children. Hate and you will be
hated. Disrespect and you will be disrespected. Look upon as ignorant and
you will be looked upon as such. Seek to deny, and you will feel denied.
Seek to deprive, and you have been deprived. …goes back to love thy
neighbor as thyself, otherwise the opposite is turned back upon oneself.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Fifth Essene Mirror
One really interesting idea that has captured my attention
lately is the Fifth Mirror out of the Seven Mirrors in the ancient Essene
culture. It says that your consciousness
reflects back to you Father/Mother. It
often reflects the same relationship we have with our Godly Mother and
Father. Mother being the earth and
Father in Heaven.
Take that idea and think- would it be possible that I chose
or I gravitated towards my Mother based on the resemblance to that of a
preferred mother figure in my consciousness before I was born?
Did I play any role in choosing whom I was born to? Does my earthly father resemble that of my
heavenly father? If so, this is a tool
that can be used to learn, release and heal to grow further.
Will we continue to be reborn in the same situations in life
until we learn, let go, forgive, love and heal?
So now to come back to less abstract ideas and directly to a specific question that was asked of me- I think we might have chosen our childhood as best as we could
in a shared consciousness environment.
And then we continue to build that environment into our adulthood until
we learn from it and grow into something more positive. The alternate to growth is to die knowing
nothing else but the current level of consciousness in your life and try again relive
it again in the next life. …so one may continue to build similar environments
because they know somewhere deep inside that overcoming that consciousness is the next level of growth before moving on to the next.
For those that believe faith is somehow related to guiltful sin and suffering, instead maybe faith is knowing there is happiness out there and no matter
how much your ego wants death and separation from God to protect itself, faith
and love can unfold your inner self that is full of God.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Thought of the Day - Change Best from Within
Out of a plethora of mangled dreams last night I somehow ended up on a serene, single thought hours before sunrise. I thought "change is better from within." This seems a simple enough truth.
You've heard people say "...this person changed me" or "...they made me a better person," but was it not a change within themselves first that brought them to that person and brought them to the fork in the road that opened them to change based on an external force? I do not believe a woman can change a man for better without him first changing in himself. He would need to be ready for and willing to change before the woman even enters the picture. Then he is open to the inspiration he finds in her.
There have been times for me when I really want to make an impact on someone. If change is truly better from within then is there anything I can really do for someone? Yes and no is what I came up with. No, because that person cannot change by your flinging words of reform or inspiration at them; and Yes because it is the change within you that can create true inspiration and plant new ideas within something else. Change may be best from within a single person first, then see it expand outward to those around him or her. Before 1952, could you take a runner and say "You can break the 4 minute mile! Now Go!" Chances are, it would never materialize unless the person you tell believes it. Now Bannister believed it in himself and did it. After that, a handful of others made the same accomplishment because they actually believed it could be done. You can have a lot of people believe in you but if you don't believe in yourself, chances are it won't happen. Alternatively, if you believe in yourself and tons of people don't, chances are it will happen anyway.
The whole idea goes back to being the change you want to see in the world. Don't worry about "helping" someone if they don't ask or care for it, even if they seem or say they are miserable. The story about a little girl helping a butterfly out of its Chrysalis too soon, resulting in a lameness and soon death because it cannot fly, comes to mind her... Instead be that change you'd like to see and the world will change starting from within yourself. dac.
You've heard people say "...this person changed me" or "...they made me a better person," but was it not a change within themselves first that brought them to that person and brought them to the fork in the road that opened them to change based on an external force? I do not believe a woman can change a man for better without him first changing in himself. He would need to be ready for and willing to change before the woman even enters the picture. Then he is open to the inspiration he finds in her.
There have been times for me when I really want to make an impact on someone. If change is truly better from within then is there anything I can really do for someone? Yes and no is what I came up with. No, because that person cannot change by your flinging words of reform or inspiration at them; and Yes because it is the change within you that can create true inspiration and plant new ideas within something else. Change may be best from within a single person first, then see it expand outward to those around him or her. Before 1952, could you take a runner and say "You can break the 4 minute mile! Now Go!" Chances are, it would never materialize unless the person you tell believes it. Now Bannister believed it in himself and did it. After that, a handful of others made the same accomplishment because they actually believed it could be done. You can have a lot of people believe in you but if you don't believe in yourself, chances are it won't happen. Alternatively, if you believe in yourself and tons of people don't, chances are it will happen anyway.
The whole idea goes back to being the change you want to see in the world. Don't worry about "helping" someone if they don't ask or care for it, even if they seem or say they are miserable. The story about a little girl helping a butterfly out of its Chrysalis too soon, resulting in a lameness and soon death because it cannot fly, comes to mind her... Instead be that change you'd like to see and the world will change starting from within yourself. dac.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Thought of the Day - Thoughts Impact Health
Just as the body can get sick and infected with viruses, the mind can be infected also with thought that creates a sickness of life. Take care of your body AND your thoughts. Just as you give the body plenty of sleep and good food to eat, take plenty of time in silence and watch what you feed your mind through your own thoughts, society's, and the media's.
I also believe the body is fed by the mind so if you are sick in the body chances are the mind has been and/or is actively being infected. The usual steady doses of daily fear, stress and egoism can do the trick all by itself, so be careful to remember to find your rest in God.
I also believe the body is fed by the mind so if you are sick in the body chances are the mind has been and/or is actively being infected. The usual steady doses of daily fear, stress and egoism can do the trick all by itself, so be careful to remember to find your rest in God.
Friday, October 12, 2012
A Course of Miracles - Workbook Lesson 2 - I have given everything I see all the meaning that it has for me
I wrote the first lesson and then went on vacation the day after... i was so intrigued by this "workbook" that I slowly read it throughout the week. I had grand plans to come back and write all about the subsequent lessons one by one however I really lost interest around lesson 200. Yes, yes, I jumped way ahead but I wanted so badly to see where it was going. The path was one I did not recognize through the first 4 or 5 lessons however it became very clear that I had been in this thinking for a while.
My hopes were still high as I came home and sat down ready to re-explore this workbook in attempts to disect it. I thought I'd hone in and find that deep insightful place again over the first lessons like one would an intricate painting. The only problem is I found the "original" Urtext that reads so much more interesting. So here's to stumbling onto new things to read and new ideas. I'll be back in my next blog post with somethin' new (maybe even completely new...again).
dac
My hopes were still high as I came home and sat down ready to re-explore this workbook in attempts to disect it. I thought I'd hone in and find that deep insightful place again over the first lessons like one would an intricate painting. The only problem is I found the "original" Urtext that reads so much more interesting. So here's to stumbling onto new things to read and new ideas. I'll be back in my next blog post with somethin' new (maybe even completely new...again).
dac
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
A Course of Miracles - Workbook Lesson 1 - Nothing I See Means Anything
The Lesson Reads:
Nothing I see in this room means anything. Now look slowly around you, and practice applying this idea very specifically to whatever you see:
This table does not mean anything.
This chair does not mean anything.
This hand does not mean anything.
This foot does not mean anything.
This pen does not mean anything.
Then look farther away from your immediate area, and apply the idea to a wider range:
That door does not mean anything.
That body does not mean anything.
That lamp does not mean anything.
That sign does not mean anything.
That shadow does not mean anything.
Notice that these statements are not arranged in any order, and make no allowance for differences in the kinds of things to which they are applied. That is the purpose of the exercise. The statement should merely be applied to anything you see. As you practice the idea for the day, use it totally indiscriminately. Do not attempt to apply it to everything you see, for these exercises should not become ritualistic. Only be sure that nothing you see is specifically excluded. One thing is like another as far as the application of the idea is concerned.
Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day each, preferably morning and evening. Nor should they be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless that entails a sense of hurry. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
What is my first reaction to this lesson?
Based on what I've heard before about everything being energy, I am immediately drawn to that conclusion as the reasoning behind this lesson. It fits does it not? Well, not really. The statements would say something like "Do not try and bend the spoon, that's impossible; instead only try to realize the truth... there is no spoon." But they don't... so instead I am forced to rethink this lesson very quickly. I try and keep a completely open mind to it but I resort to the assumption that this is a basis for the rest of the lessons and that it sets the stage in that meaning is not real. The "meaning" we place on things, everything, in our life is void. if there is no meaning to anything then why Is there anything? Well, this first lesson seems to be a mindscrambler but if it wasn't it wouldn't be any fun.
After using it throughout the day
After practicing this throughout the day I noticed that I had a sense of nothingness... a sense of well if nothing has any meaning than why am I even here.. If my title at work doesn't mean anything why am I emotionally attached to moving up. If my computer screens or the internet meant nothing why was I starring at them all day and using them to find, compile, sort, manage and distribute information. I started asking myself that if these things were to have no meaning than was "meaning" real or was I living some sort of delusion? Then I even started calling out my paperclips and coffee in my cup. It was funny how a meaningless paperclip found some sort of meaning in my head when I was determined to denounce it. And my coffee had tons of meaning to me before today, I mean it was the most comforting, warm, revitalizing, awakening ritual in the mornings.
I kept teeter-tottering between a letting go of meaning where I felt a sense of freedom and then a sense of but questioning why there is no meaning in things that I interact with on a daily basis. It was interesting to feel the feelings stirring inside questioning all that I knew. I found myself in a comfortable neutral state at the end of the day, almost as if someone unplugged me from a lively wall socket and set me down softly in a meadow next to a babbling creek in the middle of nowhere.
What are others saying?
Now that I've experienced I would like to now reveal what some of the teachers of The Course of Miracles have to say about this lesson.
Marianne Williamson who appeared on the Oprah show said that in A Course of Miracles, Lesson 1 is about shifting your physical perceptions about what is real, and that if you think what you see, smell, touch and hear are all that is real, then you will be dictated by the limitations of your senses. Then she goes on to talk about what your heart knows to be true but I'm not sure that really fits in here for me yet at this early stage so I'll leave that for you to read yourself if your interested- Lesson 1 by Marianne Williamson. Gary Renard says that this lesson is about accepting that everything is an illusion. He then goes on to say that it is very important not to stop there because you could just become very depressed. Those two sentences really hit home for me because I felt both of those feelings and at first thought, "why would I be depressed if this is really the teachings of Jesus channeled?" So I will be sure to continue on this trek. Anyway, Renard goes on to say that this is really the beginning of an experience versus questions and answers.
On the other side of the coin you have people like Sharon Lee Giganti, and Judith Wentzel who believe the workbook is written by a false prophet and should not denounce Jesus Christ as God as it goes on to say that through him is not the only way to God. It then further goes on to say that Jesus is a teacher and through him you can find God. I don't want to get too much into this... but I took a trip back to the bible and could not really find anything that goes directly against this lesson ... I did find Ecclesiastes that went on and on about meaningless in everything. Let's move on and take these lessons for face value and note the feelings and underlying principles that come to the surface.
Who really knows at this point, however I am not afraid because I have only courage and will not succumb to fear of the unknown. I say that because those against A Course of Miracles talk a lot of "scary talk." Lesson 1 ends in saying that the first three lessons should be contemplated twice a day... so I'm looking forward to the next two to see if there is any "meaning" behind it all. (get it?)
This is interesting already and I hope others will start reading this and join in the conversation as we decode and unravel this controversial book called A Course of Miracles.
Nothing I see in this room means anything. Now look slowly around you, and practice applying this idea very specifically to whatever you see:
This table does not mean anything.
This chair does not mean anything.
This hand does not mean anything.
This foot does not mean anything.
This pen does not mean anything.
Then look farther away from your immediate area, and apply the idea to a wider range:
That door does not mean anything.
That body does not mean anything.
That lamp does not mean anything.
That sign does not mean anything.
That shadow does not mean anything.
Notice that these statements are not arranged in any order, and make no allowance for differences in the kinds of things to which they are applied. That is the purpose of the exercise. The statement should merely be applied to anything you see. As you practice the idea for the day, use it totally indiscriminately. Do not attempt to apply it to everything you see, for these exercises should not become ritualistic. Only be sure that nothing you see is specifically excluded. One thing is like another as far as the application of the idea is concerned.
Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day each, preferably morning and evening. Nor should they be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless that entails a sense of hurry. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
What is my first reaction to this lesson?
Based on what I've heard before about everything being energy, I am immediately drawn to that conclusion as the reasoning behind this lesson. It fits does it not? Well, not really. The statements would say something like "Do not try and bend the spoon, that's impossible; instead only try to realize the truth... there is no spoon." But they don't... so instead I am forced to rethink this lesson very quickly. I try and keep a completely open mind to it but I resort to the assumption that this is a basis for the rest of the lessons and that it sets the stage in that meaning is not real. The "meaning" we place on things, everything, in our life is void. if there is no meaning to anything then why Is there anything? Well, this first lesson seems to be a mindscrambler but if it wasn't it wouldn't be any fun.
After using it throughout the day
After practicing this throughout the day I noticed that I had a sense of nothingness... a sense of well if nothing has any meaning than why am I even here.. If my title at work doesn't mean anything why am I emotionally attached to moving up. If my computer screens or the internet meant nothing why was I starring at them all day and using them to find, compile, sort, manage and distribute information. I started asking myself that if these things were to have no meaning than was "meaning" real or was I living some sort of delusion? Then I even started calling out my paperclips and coffee in my cup. It was funny how a meaningless paperclip found some sort of meaning in my head when I was determined to denounce it. And my coffee had tons of meaning to me before today, I mean it was the most comforting, warm, revitalizing, awakening ritual in the mornings.
I kept teeter-tottering between a letting go of meaning where I felt a sense of freedom and then a sense of but questioning why there is no meaning in things that I interact with on a daily basis. It was interesting to feel the feelings stirring inside questioning all that I knew. I found myself in a comfortable neutral state at the end of the day, almost as if someone unplugged me from a lively wall socket and set me down softly in a meadow next to a babbling creek in the middle of nowhere.
What are others saying?
Now that I've experienced I would like to now reveal what some of the teachers of The Course of Miracles have to say about this lesson.
Marianne Williamson who appeared on the Oprah show said that in A Course of Miracles, Lesson 1 is about shifting your physical perceptions about what is real, and that if you think what you see, smell, touch and hear are all that is real, then you will be dictated by the limitations of your senses. Then she goes on to talk about what your heart knows to be true but I'm not sure that really fits in here for me yet at this early stage so I'll leave that for you to read yourself if your interested- Lesson 1 by Marianne Williamson. Gary Renard says that this lesson is about accepting that everything is an illusion. He then goes on to say that it is very important not to stop there because you could just become very depressed. Those two sentences really hit home for me because I felt both of those feelings and at first thought, "why would I be depressed if this is really the teachings of Jesus channeled?" So I will be sure to continue on this trek. Anyway, Renard goes on to say that this is really the beginning of an experience versus questions and answers.
On the other side of the coin you have people like Sharon Lee Giganti, and Judith Wentzel who believe the workbook is written by a false prophet and should not denounce Jesus Christ as God as it goes on to say that through him is not the only way to God. It then further goes on to say that Jesus is a teacher and through him you can find God. I don't want to get too much into this... but I took a trip back to the bible and could not really find anything that goes directly against this lesson ... I did find Ecclesiastes that went on and on about meaningless in everything. Let's move on and take these lessons for face value and note the feelings and underlying principles that come to the surface.
Who really knows at this point, however I am not afraid because I have only courage and will not succumb to fear of the unknown. I say that because those against A Course of Miracles talk a lot of "scary talk." Lesson 1 ends in saying that the first three lessons should be contemplated twice a day... so I'm looking forward to the next two to see if there is any "meaning" behind it all. (get it?)
This is interesting already and I hope others will start reading this and join in the conversation as we decode and unravel this controversial book called A Course of Miracles.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I Did Whaaaat??
For some time now I've been keeping my thoughts to myself when it comes to God and life and the meaning of it all. Its been quite fun as a matter of fact and I feel I've been awakened. Now let me say here that I've never been and never thought I would say that about myself. I was very "asleep"; I was a guy that was out every single night and let's just say I was the kinda guy a girl would not want to bring home to their mother. "Those people" that talked about God all the time were weirdos to me and I felt they just gave up power in themselves to be lazy and dumb. My views have changed a bit even though there are still lazy and dumb people out there lol- but I still love them =]. Everyone is on their own path and that just happens to be there's at this time.
This new thinking really started when I was fed up with creating heartache in my life. I'll divulge more later but fast forward 3 years or so and I changed myself and then met my wife. She is not the type of woman that would have accepted me then but readily accepted me now. I noticed what good came into my life by changing myself, and that the vision of being happily married came true for me even though it was so far removed from the actual situation that was unfolding in front of my eyes, what with boos and parties flowing readily. I remember I asked for help (part of me really didn't want me to ask for help) but I was tired of being heartbroken and down. My prayers were answered!
Now that I was married I needed I started in on family-mode and the house was first on our minds. I was kind of a surprise to me because it was she that brought it up and I hadn't really thought about it until that point. I had always been carefree and didn't really care much about money. I felt that when I needed it, it would be there. The fact is that I was right- the only problem was that I never needed very much so there was an impossibility once again in front of me. I asked for help again from God and 9 months later my wife and I owned a beautiful two-story house with a view of the mountains that is really something. I was given a raise at just the right time that allowed this to happen and everything really just fell into place. We couldn't be more happy.
I'll say now that being a home owner with previous negative credit marks and everything else that said it wasn't possible, is pretty amazing again. I started to really bring forward the power of God, visualization and right thinking to examine how these things were possible. I had this thought every morning that said "I did whaaaat???" After realizing the amazing changes that occurred I had this insatiable urge to study books like "Think and grow rich" and the "Tao Te Ching" and "The Master Key." I feel I have made large strides towards further growth and I want to share it with others to get there opinions and guidance from those that have experienced more.
For my first blogs, I believe I'll start where I am at this moment- starting the book "The Course of Miracles." It's a book that was said to be channeled by a women who said the author was Jesus of Nazareth. At this point I've dropped all per-conceived notions and realized no matter what it is there would be something to learn from it. I have to say that so far I'm pleasantly surprised and I look forward to hashing out my thoughts here on a daily basis. Please feel free to jump and and comment on anything. dac
This new thinking really started when I was fed up with creating heartache in my life. I'll divulge more later but fast forward 3 years or so and I changed myself and then met my wife. She is not the type of woman that would have accepted me then but readily accepted me now. I noticed what good came into my life by changing myself, and that the vision of being happily married came true for me even though it was so far removed from the actual situation that was unfolding in front of my eyes, what with boos and parties flowing readily. I remember I asked for help (part of me really didn't want me to ask for help) but I was tired of being heartbroken and down. My prayers were answered!
Now that I was married I needed I started in on family-mode and the house was first on our minds. I was kind of a surprise to me because it was she that brought it up and I hadn't really thought about it until that point. I had always been carefree and didn't really care much about money. I felt that when I needed it, it would be there. The fact is that I was right- the only problem was that I never needed very much so there was an impossibility once again in front of me. I asked for help again from God and 9 months later my wife and I owned a beautiful two-story house with a view of the mountains that is really something. I was given a raise at just the right time that allowed this to happen and everything really just fell into place. We couldn't be more happy.
I'll say now that being a home owner with previous negative credit marks and everything else that said it wasn't possible, is pretty amazing again. I started to really bring forward the power of God, visualization and right thinking to examine how these things were possible. I had this thought every morning that said "I did whaaaat???" After realizing the amazing changes that occurred I had this insatiable urge to study books like "Think and grow rich" and the "Tao Te Ching" and "The Master Key." I feel I have made large strides towards further growth and I want to share it with others to get there opinions and guidance from those that have experienced more.
For my first blogs, I believe I'll start where I am at this moment- starting the book "The Course of Miracles." It's a book that was said to be channeled by a women who said the author was Jesus of Nazareth. At this point I've dropped all per-conceived notions and realized no matter what it is there would be something to learn from it. I have to say that so far I'm pleasantly surprised and I look forward to hashing out my thoughts here on a daily basis. Please feel free to jump and and comment on anything. dac
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