The United States of America will select it's next President in two days. Despite the fact that I am not voting for him, it would be a wonder of all wonders if Obama does not win the election.
And there is only one reason why.
Because he is getting most all of the press. Good or bad. Even Fox News channel talks more about Obama than about McCain, much of it negative.
But it does not matter, because even with the negative, the energy still goes to Obama. I have even heard them say on Fox that it is his election to win or lose. They follow by saying that people are going to the polls to either vote for Obama or not vote for Obama.
Well they left me out of that completely, because I went to the polls to vote for McCain.
There are many who might think this press coverage is not fair; but there are some really interesting dynamics in this election.
The "Republican" Candidate is about as far left as you can go and still be allowed in the convention.
The "Democratic" Candidate is trying to convince everyone that he will lower your taxes if you make less than $200,000.00 a year as an individual or $250,000.00 a year as a couple (if I understand his plan correctly). When was the last time you heard a democratic candidate promising to lower taxes for anyone? Better question . . . Can anyone name a democratic president that actually did lower taxes while in office? . . . . . . . I did not think so.
So the democratic candidate talks like a moderate republican, and the republican candidate is considered too democratic by most conservatives.
Makes it an intersting decision to vote for, and for those who are not voting on strictly idealogical grounds, I would have to believe that the increased energy going in his direction will point most of them to Obama.
But we will know for sure by late Tuesday night; hopefully (fingers crossed).
OK, so now let's move forward to after the election. I believe the country is still pretty evenly divided 50 % each conservative and liberal. No matter who wins, a large block of people are going to be disappointed. Will your quality of life go down, if the *other* guy wins?
Of course we know that this would be about as smart as basing your well being on you favorite sports team doing well. When you base your own well being in the hands of anyone or anything other than yourself (and your God), you are on the undeviating road to oblivion.
You see, despite what the press may tell you, it matters very little who is in any of the three branches of government. I believe in voting your conscience for honest folks who will do their best to serve their country; but once you have done that (and watched the results), move on.
As the Reverend Beckwith has said: "It does not matter who is in the White House! Who is in your house ???"
Meaning WHO ARE YOU. . . .
And if you do not have a clear answer to that question in your mind right now, then I suggest you have some work to do.
And do not let the press distract you. You do not want them defining what your would is like.
"Bhudda beheld a world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it" (As A Man Thinketh -- James Allen).
Good thing he was not listening to the press.
Take control of your own world view, so that you can enter into it.
Joseph
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Can You *Really* Control What Happens to You?
This question is at the heart of all the material presented in The Secret. The thought that we could come to the point where we could control everything that happens to us is totally new and unique for most of us. Certainly to have any chance of this, we would have to be a master of the concepts presented in the movie, and a master of the Law of Attraction.
If we *were* a master of these concepts, could we do it?
Not completely.
And I will explain why.
To understand my explanation, I must share with you a couple of concepts that are important for you to understand. Prior to our living here on Earth, we lived! Not only did we live, but we were awesome! It had to do with our parentage in that realm.
As we left that realm and came here, there were two distinct things that happened to us:
1. A "veil of forgetfulness" was drawn that made it so that we had no memory of our previous existence or how cool we were. And we do not remember it at all.
2. The link between our conscious mind (the place of decision) and our sub-conscious mind (the place of power) was abstracted. As a result, our decisions are not immediately followed by the power to do it.
Especially with number 2 above, you might see how this would make things confusing. One other point to understand: The power of your attraction is the power of your sub-conscious mind.
And you cannot directly control it.
So here is why everyone is confused (if they are) about the concepts in the movie, because they feel that perhaps the attraction is done in the conscious mind. So the child that contracts cancer was not consciously thinking about doing so (I will guess), but who knows what was happening in the sub-conscious mind? The answer is no one, perhaps not even the child themself.
So back to my original point, the only possibility to fully control everything that happened to you would depend on you having mastery and a clear connection between the conscious and the sub-conscious minds.
And I do not know anyone who has that.
People can tell you why they attracted something to them that has already happened.
No one can tell you exactly what they will attract to themself tomorrow.
So if you are beating yourself up because you think that you should be able to do that . . . .
Please stop.
I invite comment on the next section here, because it is somewhat an opinion on my part as to the relationship between the conscious and the sub-conscious mind.
I believe that there is a "valve" between the two that opens every once in a while.
Under normal circumstances, your sub-conscious mind is running all sorts of programs that are keeping you alive and which are attracting certain things to you. Every once in a while, the valve opens and the sub-conscious mind will rewrite some of those programs that are running based on information it reads out of the conscious mind.
But do you know when that will happen, so that you can make sure you have only positive thoughts at that moment?
You do not, generally.
Or can you just keep positive thoughts 100% of the time so it does not matter when it happens?
Do not even try it. Will not work. NO ONE has positive thoughts 100% of the time.
So what is a better option? You can try any of the following that might work for you.
1. Take a walk in nature. As you relax (keyword) on that walk, make sure you are thinking of all the things that you want and that are positive. If the valve opens then your programs will improve, as will what you attract.
2. Do some meditation. Get into a relaxed state (there is that word again), and be thinking or visualizing along the lines of what you are wanting to create. If the valve opens while you are doing this, then you will improve your programs.
3. Play a musical instrument, or listen to some uplifting music. As you are doing so, be thinking in terms of what you want to attract. Perhaps you can open the valve that way.
4. Try Praying and being in the spirit of gratitude during prayer. If the valve opens while you are doing that you will certainly attracts many more things to be grateful for.
5. Otherwise, just relax a little bit. Stress is the preventer of everything that you are trying to do, and it is also the base cause of almost all diseases.
I cannot tell you which one (or if any of these) will work for you. I am not even set on which ones of those are the best for me, but I am working on learning that part.
But if you have an open mind towards such things, I invite you to try.
And let me know how it goes? Post a comment?
Joseph
If we *were* a master of these concepts, could we do it?
Not completely.
And I will explain why.
To understand my explanation, I must share with you a couple of concepts that are important for you to understand. Prior to our living here on Earth, we lived! Not only did we live, but we were awesome! It had to do with our parentage in that realm.
As we left that realm and came here, there were two distinct things that happened to us:
1. A "veil of forgetfulness" was drawn that made it so that we had no memory of our previous existence or how cool we were. And we do not remember it at all.
2. The link between our conscious mind (the place of decision) and our sub-conscious mind (the place of power) was abstracted. As a result, our decisions are not immediately followed by the power to do it.
Especially with number 2 above, you might see how this would make things confusing. One other point to understand: The power of your attraction is the power of your sub-conscious mind.
And you cannot directly control it.
So here is why everyone is confused (if they are) about the concepts in the movie, because they feel that perhaps the attraction is done in the conscious mind. So the child that contracts cancer was not consciously thinking about doing so (I will guess), but who knows what was happening in the sub-conscious mind? The answer is no one, perhaps not even the child themself.
So back to my original point, the only possibility to fully control everything that happened to you would depend on you having mastery and a clear connection between the conscious and the sub-conscious minds.
And I do not know anyone who has that.
People can tell you why they attracted something to them that has already happened.
No one can tell you exactly what they will attract to themself tomorrow.
So if you are beating yourself up because you think that you should be able to do that . . . .
Please stop.
I invite comment on the next section here, because it is somewhat an opinion on my part as to the relationship between the conscious and the sub-conscious mind.
I believe that there is a "valve" between the two that opens every once in a while.
Under normal circumstances, your sub-conscious mind is running all sorts of programs that are keeping you alive and which are attracting certain things to you. Every once in a while, the valve opens and the sub-conscious mind will rewrite some of those programs that are running based on information it reads out of the conscious mind.
But do you know when that will happen, so that you can make sure you have only positive thoughts at that moment?
You do not, generally.
Or can you just keep positive thoughts 100% of the time so it does not matter when it happens?
Do not even try it. Will not work. NO ONE has positive thoughts 100% of the time.
So what is a better option? You can try any of the following that might work for you.
1. Take a walk in nature. As you relax (keyword) on that walk, make sure you are thinking of all the things that you want and that are positive. If the valve opens then your programs will improve, as will what you attract.
2. Do some meditation. Get into a relaxed state (there is that word again), and be thinking or visualizing along the lines of what you are wanting to create. If the valve opens while you are doing this, then you will improve your programs.
3. Play a musical instrument, or listen to some uplifting music. As you are doing so, be thinking in terms of what you want to attract. Perhaps you can open the valve that way.
4. Try Praying and being in the spirit of gratitude during prayer. If the valve opens while you are doing that you will certainly attracts many more things to be grateful for.
5. Otherwise, just relax a little bit. Stress is the preventer of everything that you are trying to do, and it is also the base cause of almost all diseases.
I cannot tell you which one (or if any of these) will work for you. I am not even set on which ones of those are the best for me, but I am working on learning that part.
But if you have an open mind towards such things, I invite you to try.
And let me know how it goes? Post a comment?
Joseph
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Just Plain Water --- Or the Elixir of Life ??
Here is a variation of something that they are teaching in the movie The Secret. Picture a glass of water sitting on a table.
The experts tell us that some 90% of Americans are in some stage of dehydration because they do not drink enough water. In fact, if Americans would drink just 5 8 oz glasses of water a day, the occurrances of several diseases would decrease by double digits.
So why is it so hard for us to drink water? We know that we should.
Could it be that it is related to how we look at it? Glass of water on the table: Boring! We need Propel or Life Water or Vitamin Water or the scourge of the American population, the diet soft drink. (Read and Google the ingredients some time).
Or maybe it is because it is too easily accessible. You can turn on your fawcett, and you can drink the water without worry in many parts of the world. It is essentially free, so maybe we think that means that it is not worth anything. (I know there is a water bill, but it does not rise very big from us drinking water, mostly from showers, baths, toilets and lawn watering).
If you had been stuck in the desert for a couple of days without water, you would have a completely different view on what that glass of water is, namely life itself. We would really appreciate it then.
But can we learn to appreciate it for what it is without The Universe having to throw us into the desert first? If we could, then there would be no purpose for The Universe to throw us into the desert. Like the mobility I describe in my last post, can we appreciate something without it being taken us away from us first? If we could, we would be doing so much better appreciating our world.
So back to the glass of water on the table . . .
Is it the "plain old glass of water that does not interest me" ??
Or is it "The Elixir of Life, Health and Hydration".
You get to decide which one it is.
And if you decide it is the second one, I do not think you would have any delay in drinking it.
And being healthier as a result.
So decide already.
Joseph
The experts tell us that some 90% of Americans are in some stage of dehydration because they do not drink enough water. In fact, if Americans would drink just 5 8 oz glasses of water a day, the occurrances of several diseases would decrease by double digits.
So why is it so hard for us to drink water? We know that we should.
Could it be that it is related to how we look at it? Glass of water on the table: Boring! We need Propel or Life Water or Vitamin Water or the scourge of the American population, the diet soft drink. (Read and Google the ingredients some time).
Or maybe it is because it is too easily accessible. You can turn on your fawcett, and you can drink the water without worry in many parts of the world. It is essentially free, so maybe we think that means that it is not worth anything. (I know there is a water bill, but it does not rise very big from us drinking water, mostly from showers, baths, toilets and lawn watering).
If you had been stuck in the desert for a couple of days without water, you would have a completely different view on what that glass of water is, namely life itself. We would really appreciate it then.
But can we learn to appreciate it for what it is without The Universe having to throw us into the desert first? If we could, then there would be no purpose for The Universe to throw us into the desert. Like the mobility I describe in my last post, can we appreciate something without it being taken us away from us first? If we could, we would be doing so much better appreciating our world.
So back to the glass of water on the table . . .
Is it the "plain old glass of water that does not interest me" ??
Or is it "The Elixir of Life, Health and Hydration".
You get to decide which one it is.
And if you decide it is the second one, I do not think you would have any delay in drinking it.
And being healthier as a result.
So decide already.
Joseph
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mobility for Granted
I had a unique experience about two weeks ago while playing a game of volleyball. I like to play volleyball when I can. Even though I am over 40 and over 250, I thought nothing of jumping up for blocks or spikes, and I have been doing it for several years. I was not even wearing high top shoes, and I do have some.
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
Sunday, May 18, 2008
From Whence Cometh Adversity? Again?
This blog is generally about topics covered in The Secret. While the word "adversity" is not used in the book or movie, I believe that the movie is trying to tell us that we have more control over adversity in our lives than we may think. I want to investigate that thought in this posting.
So adversity (or you could call it things that we do not want), can seem to come at us from all directions; but as I have pondered this, I now believe that these directions can be cataloged.
Source Number One: Our own sins and mistakes.
This is the classic source for most all of us. When we sin, there are consequences in so doing. Those consequences can come to us in the form of adversity. Our mistakes can cause us further adversity. The good news here is that at least on the sin part, we are really in full control. We can decide not to sin. While no one of us is perfect, the tears and anguish as a result of consequences of sin can be greatly mitigated by some proactive action on our part. For instance, we can think of a situation we could find ourself in one day, and make the decision now what we would do. Having decided it, it makes it much easier to actually do that later.
Adversity as a result of mistakes can come from many sources. We can mitigate many of these as well. As an example, we can be careful and defensive drivers. We can keep a safety mindset. We can plan ahead for some things and think them through before actually doing them. The good news here is that we can greatly minimize the effects of mistakes with some small effort on our part.
What we should never do, however, is to allow a fear of mistakes to stop us from taking positive actions, such as starting a new business. WE have to make those mistakes in order to believe and learn. If we start the business as a side thing to our primary income source, we can afford to make some mistakes without causing undue financial hardship.
Source Number Two: When we forget the Lord
Am I saying that adversity can come to us because we do not remember the Lord? Consider the following words from an ancient American prophet:
Yea, and we may see at the very time when He (The Lord) doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One -- yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions, yea, except He doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.
And you know that these words are true, despite the fact that we would really like to think that we are better than that. Here is the real question: Can we continue to remember the Lord in our prosperity? Above all other things that happen, this seems to be the greatest test of modern times for some people. Of course there are others who will not even call upon the Lord in their poverty.
Source Number Three: Our own power of attraction
The message of The Secret is all about this one; but it is not such a popular thought because we always want to blame someone else for adversity that comes our way. There are very few of us who can say to themselves in that situation: NICE Creation!
Men attract that which they love, and also that which they fear (James Allen: As A Man Thinketh). This tends to make life really interesting as what we love and what we fear keep getting drawn to us.
Can we do something about it? You bet. Dump the False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).
"Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet; and they are continually killing thousands just as surely though less rapidly. Those who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it; anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and leaves it open to the entrance of disease."
How do we get rid of fear in our minds? The same way we get rid of any other thought that we do not want ---- Replace it with something better! You have 17 seconds to do so.
While no one is generally worried about the things that they love being attracted to them, we should pay some attention. What do we love? If we love something that is a sin, then we are hard-wiring a disconnect. We will continually attract the adversity of that sin into our lives.
Mythical Source Number Four: Someone, God, or The Universe is out to get you.
Utter falsehood.
But I know that few will truly believe those words. Worlds without end, they are true. Any affliction in your life is not as a result of this, but of items 1-3 or 4-5 instead. If you take a moment to think about it, you will see.
Source Number Four: Blocked Blessings
Stay with me on this one. The Universe is a place of order, and blessings come to us as a result of our doing things in the service of others. These blessings are coming from "on high" whether that means "God" or "The Universe" to you does not matter because the end effect is the same.
We know through statistics that those who are able to serve others are happier. Married folks are generally happier than single ones. Those who are involved in churches or service organizations are happier than those who are not. Please understand that we cannot stop the resultant blessings from coming our way because of these activities. Why would we even try to stop them?
Because we think our life is GOOD ENOUGH.
And so with those thoughts, we attempt to block new blessings, because we do not perceive the need for them.
And yet we cannot block them. They build up over time, and failing to find a way in through normal channels; they will use a different transport mechanism, and we have a name for it.
WE call it an Affliction.
Yes, you heard that right. And it is easy to tell if you got this one. If you were more blessed after the affliction than you were before it, then you got an affliction that was transporting your new blessing(s).
Can we stop this type of adversity from coming our way?
Sure thing.
But it means being open minded and never thinking that God or the Universe is done with us. Always there are new blessings coming our way. Let us be receiving. The greatest human tragedy of all could be when we come to understand that adversity we caused ourselves by being closed to new blessings.
Once other small thing to remember: New Blessings = Change. Embrace it, do not fear it.
Source Number Five: We must be taught
Of all sources listed, this is got to be the most annoying source of adversity. God or the Universe knows that for us to learn certain things, we have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. If the current adversity does not fit the other options, and it is not clear that any new blessings will come from it, then it is likely here to teach us something.
Something we could not learn in any other way.
So when the problem comes, ask it what it is trying to teach you.
And listen for the answer.
For when you have been taught that which it came to teach --- it will move on.
Can we avoid this one?
Maybe.
But we have to have an open mind so that we can be taught, and we have to make some effort to seek some learning. I think of this type of adversity as the last resort option from on high. If the normal learning channels are not being used, or the mind is not open to be taught, then the affliction/problem is sent. Last resort, not first.
There is another version of this one that is because we do not understand something. The bset example of this I have seen in media was presented in the Disney movie "The Kid". Through an interesting plot device, an 8 year old version and a 40 year old version of the same man come to an experience that is happening in the eight year old's life. He (the 8 yr old) does not understand why his father is mean to him/yells at him; but the 40 year old version knows exactly why! His dad is scared.
How much affliction comes into our lives because we simply do no really understand what is going on? Can we stop this kind?
To do so we must seek understanding. With all our getting, we must get understanding!
Mythical Source Number Five: Agency of others
This is the pretend category for those who do not get catagory three or the law of attraction.
Men were granted agency; and there will be some who abuse it to the harm of others. As soon as someone decides to do this foul deed, there must be at least one other person to be the victim. There could be several others. In some cases the victim is themself only.
Many think that this is an entirely random process, but the police know that the great majority of the time there is history that is the lead to the horrible event.
And for those minority cases that appear totally random; they are not. Someone attracted that to themself based on their fear, or even possibly what they love. I know it's hard to understand, and I am not a "blame the victim" person. The perpetrator of the crime is fully responsible for it and will bear the full consequence in the eternities. The victim is hurt physically, but undamaged spiritually. In time the wounds can heal, unless they were killed, in which case their time here was meant to be at an end, and they move on, as ALL of us will at some point in the future.
Fear of being a random victim of a crime is not advisible. Get to work creating something so that your mind can move on to bigger and better things.
OK, so those are the categories. I am hoping that through all of this, you have been able to see that you have more power than you think in all of this process.
So ponder that one for a while.
And then see your life with new eyes.
Eyes of understanding.
Joseph
So adversity (or you could call it things that we do not want), can seem to come at us from all directions; but as I have pondered this, I now believe that these directions can be cataloged.
Source Number One: Our own sins and mistakes.
This is the classic source for most all of us. When we sin, there are consequences in so doing. Those consequences can come to us in the form of adversity. Our mistakes can cause us further adversity. The good news here is that at least on the sin part, we are really in full control. We can decide not to sin. While no one of us is perfect, the tears and anguish as a result of consequences of sin can be greatly mitigated by some proactive action on our part. For instance, we can think of a situation we could find ourself in one day, and make the decision now what we would do. Having decided it, it makes it much easier to actually do that later.
Adversity as a result of mistakes can come from many sources. We can mitigate many of these as well. As an example, we can be careful and defensive drivers. We can keep a safety mindset. We can plan ahead for some things and think them through before actually doing them. The good news here is that we can greatly minimize the effects of mistakes with some small effort on our part.
What we should never do, however, is to allow a fear of mistakes to stop us from taking positive actions, such as starting a new business. WE have to make those mistakes in order to believe and learn. If we start the business as a side thing to our primary income source, we can afford to make some mistakes without causing undue financial hardship.
Source Number Two: When we forget the Lord
Am I saying that adversity can come to us because we do not remember the Lord? Consider the following words from an ancient American prophet:
Yea, and we may see at the very time when He (The Lord) doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One -- yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions, yea, except He doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.
And you know that these words are true, despite the fact that we would really like to think that we are better than that. Here is the real question: Can we continue to remember the Lord in our prosperity? Above all other things that happen, this seems to be the greatest test of modern times for some people. Of course there are others who will not even call upon the Lord in their poverty.
Source Number Three: Our own power of attraction
The message of The Secret is all about this one; but it is not such a popular thought because we always want to blame someone else for adversity that comes our way. There are very few of us who can say to themselves in that situation: NICE Creation!
Men attract that which they love, and also that which they fear (James Allen: As A Man Thinketh). This tends to make life really interesting as what we love and what we fear keep getting drawn to us.
Can we do something about it? You bet. Dump the False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).
"Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet; and they are continually killing thousands just as surely though less rapidly. Those who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it; anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and leaves it open to the entrance of disease."
How do we get rid of fear in our minds? The same way we get rid of any other thought that we do not want ---- Replace it with something better! You have 17 seconds to do so.
While no one is generally worried about the things that they love being attracted to them, we should pay some attention. What do we love? If we love something that is a sin, then we are hard-wiring a disconnect. We will continually attract the adversity of that sin into our lives.
Mythical Source Number Four: Someone, God, or The Universe is out to get you.
Utter falsehood.
But I know that few will truly believe those words. Worlds without end, they are true. Any affliction in your life is not as a result of this, but of items 1-3 or 4-5 instead. If you take a moment to think about it, you will see.
Source Number Four: Blocked Blessings
Stay with me on this one. The Universe is a place of order, and blessings come to us as a result of our doing things in the service of others. These blessings are coming from "on high" whether that means "God" or "The Universe" to you does not matter because the end effect is the same.
We know through statistics that those who are able to serve others are happier. Married folks are generally happier than single ones. Those who are involved in churches or service organizations are happier than those who are not. Please understand that we cannot stop the resultant blessings from coming our way because of these activities. Why would we even try to stop them?
Because we think our life is GOOD ENOUGH.
And so with those thoughts, we attempt to block new blessings, because we do not perceive the need for them.
And yet we cannot block them. They build up over time, and failing to find a way in through normal channels; they will use a different transport mechanism, and we have a name for it.
WE call it an Affliction.
Yes, you heard that right. And it is easy to tell if you got this one. If you were more blessed after the affliction than you were before it, then you got an affliction that was transporting your new blessing(s).
Can we stop this type of adversity from coming our way?
Sure thing.
But it means being open minded and never thinking that God or the Universe is done with us. Always there are new blessings coming our way. Let us be receiving. The greatest human tragedy of all could be when we come to understand that adversity we caused ourselves by being closed to new blessings.
Once other small thing to remember: New Blessings = Change. Embrace it, do not fear it.
Source Number Five: We must be taught
Of all sources listed, this is got to be the most annoying source of adversity. God or the Universe knows that for us to learn certain things, we have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. If the current adversity does not fit the other options, and it is not clear that any new blessings will come from it, then it is likely here to teach us something.
Something we could not learn in any other way.
So when the problem comes, ask it what it is trying to teach you.
And listen for the answer.
For when you have been taught that which it came to teach --- it will move on.
Can we avoid this one?
Maybe.
But we have to have an open mind so that we can be taught, and we have to make some effort to seek some learning. I think of this type of adversity as the last resort option from on high. If the normal learning channels are not being used, or the mind is not open to be taught, then the affliction/problem is sent. Last resort, not first.
There is another version of this one that is because we do not understand something. The bset example of this I have seen in media was presented in the Disney movie "The Kid". Through an interesting plot device, an 8 year old version and a 40 year old version of the same man come to an experience that is happening in the eight year old's life. He (the 8 yr old) does not understand why his father is mean to him/yells at him; but the 40 year old version knows exactly why! His dad is scared.
How much affliction comes into our lives because we simply do no really understand what is going on? Can we stop this kind?
To do so we must seek understanding. With all our getting, we must get understanding!
Mythical Source Number Five: Agency of others
This is the pretend category for those who do not get catagory three or the law of attraction.
Men were granted agency; and there will be some who abuse it to the harm of others. As soon as someone decides to do this foul deed, there must be at least one other person to be the victim. There could be several others. In some cases the victim is themself only.
Many think that this is an entirely random process, but the police know that the great majority of the time there is history that is the lead to the horrible event.
And for those minority cases that appear totally random; they are not. Someone attracted that to themself based on their fear, or even possibly what they love. I know it's hard to understand, and I am not a "blame the victim" person. The perpetrator of the crime is fully responsible for it and will bear the full consequence in the eternities. The victim is hurt physically, but undamaged spiritually. In time the wounds can heal, unless they were killed, in which case their time here was meant to be at an end, and they move on, as ALL of us will at some point in the future.
Fear of being a random victim of a crime is not advisible. Get to work creating something so that your mind can move on to bigger and better things.
OK, so those are the categories. I am hoping that through all of this, you have been able to see that you have more power than you think in all of this process.
So ponder that one for a while.
And then see your life with new eyes.
Eyes of understanding.
Joseph
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Undisputed Power of Your Memory
I am not remembering right now that they say very much about your memories in the movie or the book The Secret. Yet they spend a good part of the movie talking about Gratitude and Visualization as powerful processes. I am hoping in this post to make a connection for you that perhaps has not been made yet, and my intent is that this will clear a mental block for you and free you to create something even bigger.
When you try to create something that you have not created before, or something bigger which you have tried before in a smaller version, your mind seeks natually a precendent for what you are trying to do, and it will look for that precedent in your memories.
And since there are really no neutral memories, when it finds that memory (and it will) it is going to find a good memory or a bad memory.
If it finds a bad memory, then your power to accomplish what you are trying to do will be all but zapped. After all, if the activity led to a bad memory last time, why would we want to do that again? We will find ourselves (our words are powerful) saying something like: "Oh I knew this would happen. This always happens to me. "
If it finds a good memory, something perhaps that we enjoyed in the past, then our power to accomplish has just increased by about 1000 percent. The mind, finding such a pleasant thing, will do everything possible to bring it back again. In this scenario, our mind will say something like "I knew I could do that!"
So if we have bad memories around previous events in our life that are in the direction that we want to go, does this now mean that we are doomed to not succeed in that direction?
Pretty much.
Until you do something about it.
And here's what you do . . . .
Make better memories to replace the bad ones.
Yes, I can hear your question. I thought you just said that trying to DO better based on those past memories was doomed to failure?
I did, and I am glad to see you are listening.
But I said nothing at all about DO.
Because you can THINK yourself a new memory.
Surely you jest!
I jest not; and don't call me Shirley.
"But it (a replacement memory) would be a LIE!"
Well, I understand that mentality, because up until very recently it was mine. If it is a lie, then who are we lying to? Ourselves of course, unless we are sharing our modified memory with others because speaking it gives it more power. But to me, this seems to be a letter versus the spirit of the law argument. What is the ultimate purpose of doing this? So that we can be of greater service to those around us. Our increased success will naturaly come on the heels of providing increased value to others. So I would say that the ends justify the means, but I understand that this idea of it being a lie could be the biggest stumbling block that some of us face.
If we continue in the idea that our new modified memories are a lie, then we will zap their power to help us. We have to find a way to get around that. Perhaps we should contact a new "disease" called bad memory-itis. We just cannot seem to retain any bad memories, they just fall right out of our head!
I will use public speaking as an example, because when someone moves towards the magic of life the chance to do public speaking seems to increase.
If you tried it once and had a bad experience then you will be afraid of it. We know that men attract that which they love, and that which they fear (now you know why your life is so interesting!). That bad memory will return your fear and it will be very unlikely that you improve on it much while the fear is present. You will leave unsatisfied and convinced that you did not reach anyone.
Of course, if it is something that you already enjoy doing (like me), then you have great memories about it, and it matters not if you find yourself before a bigger audience than ever before, because your history says you are good at it. I personally believe that I reach about 90% of the people that I speak to. If I put some mental effort into memory modification then I could get this number to 100%; but I have not done that because I generally felt that 90% was GOOD ENOUGH. Shame on me?
But take the case of someone who puts mental effort into memory modification.
Through visualization, this person can play a movie in their mind of them speaking before a large group and being well received. In the movie they are confident and speak without fear. They are funny and they obviously reach 100% of those they are speaking with. The more they play this movie in their mind, the stronger a memory it becomes. WHY?
Because the mind does NOT make the distinction as to whether it really happened, or you just visualized it. So as far as the mind is concerned, if you visualized it, you did it!
And so it is NOT a lie.
Yes I know that the bad memory is still there somewhere and it's kind of pesky. You look at that memory with feelings of gratitude. You were granted an opportunity to speak before and as such you will be offered the opportunity again. You are grateful for that. You may have learned that there is something that you should not do when public speaking, and you are grateful for that as well. Swallow up any remaining bad memory in gratitude, and it will go where it belongs.
And then let me know where you will be speaking, because once you do all of this you will be a master speaker, and if there is a possible way I would love to come and hear you speak!
Let me know!
Joseph
When you try to create something that you have not created before, or something bigger which you have tried before in a smaller version, your mind seeks natually a precendent for what you are trying to do, and it will look for that precedent in your memories.
And since there are really no neutral memories, when it finds that memory (and it will) it is going to find a good memory or a bad memory.
If it finds a bad memory, then your power to accomplish what you are trying to do will be all but zapped. After all, if the activity led to a bad memory last time, why would we want to do that again? We will find ourselves (our words are powerful) saying something like: "Oh I knew this would happen. This always happens to me. "
If it finds a good memory, something perhaps that we enjoyed in the past, then our power to accomplish has just increased by about 1000 percent. The mind, finding such a pleasant thing, will do everything possible to bring it back again. In this scenario, our mind will say something like "I knew I could do that!"
So if we have bad memories around previous events in our life that are in the direction that we want to go, does this now mean that we are doomed to not succeed in that direction?
Pretty much.
Until you do something about it.
And here's what you do . . . .
Make better memories to replace the bad ones.
Yes, I can hear your question. I thought you just said that trying to DO better based on those past memories was doomed to failure?
I did, and I am glad to see you are listening.
But I said nothing at all about DO.
Because you can THINK yourself a new memory.
Surely you jest!
I jest not; and don't call me Shirley.
"But it (a replacement memory) would be a LIE!"
Well, I understand that mentality, because up until very recently it was mine. If it is a lie, then who are we lying to? Ourselves of course, unless we are sharing our modified memory with others because speaking it gives it more power. But to me, this seems to be a letter versus the spirit of the law argument. What is the ultimate purpose of doing this? So that we can be of greater service to those around us. Our increased success will naturaly come on the heels of providing increased value to others. So I would say that the ends justify the means, but I understand that this idea of it being a lie could be the biggest stumbling block that some of us face.
If we continue in the idea that our new modified memories are a lie, then we will zap their power to help us. We have to find a way to get around that. Perhaps we should contact a new "disease" called bad memory-itis. We just cannot seem to retain any bad memories, they just fall right out of our head!
I will use public speaking as an example, because when someone moves towards the magic of life the chance to do public speaking seems to increase.
If you tried it once and had a bad experience then you will be afraid of it. We know that men attract that which they love, and that which they fear (now you know why your life is so interesting!). That bad memory will return your fear and it will be very unlikely that you improve on it much while the fear is present. You will leave unsatisfied and convinced that you did not reach anyone.
Of course, if it is something that you already enjoy doing (like me), then you have great memories about it, and it matters not if you find yourself before a bigger audience than ever before, because your history says you are good at it. I personally believe that I reach about 90% of the people that I speak to. If I put some mental effort into memory modification then I could get this number to 100%; but I have not done that because I generally felt that 90% was GOOD ENOUGH. Shame on me?
But take the case of someone who puts mental effort into memory modification.
Through visualization, this person can play a movie in their mind of them speaking before a large group and being well received. In the movie they are confident and speak without fear. They are funny and they obviously reach 100% of those they are speaking with. The more they play this movie in their mind, the stronger a memory it becomes. WHY?
Because the mind does NOT make the distinction as to whether it really happened, or you just visualized it. So as far as the mind is concerned, if you visualized it, you did it!
And so it is NOT a lie.
Yes I know that the bad memory is still there somewhere and it's kind of pesky. You look at that memory with feelings of gratitude. You were granted an opportunity to speak before and as such you will be offered the opportunity again. You are grateful for that. You may have learned that there is something that you should not do when public speaking, and you are grateful for that as well. Swallow up any remaining bad memory in gratitude, and it will go where it belongs.
And then let me know where you will be speaking, because once you do all of this you will be a master speaker, and if there is a possible way I would love to come and hear you speak!
Let me know!
Joseph
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How did they live more than 900 years?
This subject may seem a little off topic for a blog that is generally about The Secret, but there is actually a subliminal bit in the movie that sheds some light on this subject.
There is a two frame flash of the title and author of a book early in the movie. The book is "Life Power and How to Live It" by Elizabeth Towne. Chapter One of this book is entitled "Methuselah and The Sun", and it begins with these words:
“There are people who declare that time was when a great canopy of vapor hung over the Earth and revolved with it, as Jupiter’s vapory canopies now do; and that this vapory canopy kept off almost completely the actinic (death-dealing) rays, while it admitted light and heat rays. Thus they account for Adam’s and Methuselah’s great ages. And they say that, unless this vapory canopy is again formed around our Earth, to ward off these death dealing rays, we shall never attain immortality in the flesh.”
Well this is certainly an interesting idea, and it is possible that it was postulated even before her book. If anyone knows an earlier source, please leave a comment.
But is there any support for this idea in the Scripture? Well there is this . . .
"But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."
That is Genesis 2:6 in the King James Version of the Bible.
OK, assuming that this is true for a second, does it fit in? Here is the computation.
Aligning with the Jewish calendar, it appears that the expulsion from Eden happened about 4000 BC. The timelines in the Bible seem to indicate about this time as well. We have record of the following people living with the following life spans:
Adam (4000-3070BC) 930 years.
Seth (3870-2958BC) 912 years.
Enos (3765-2860BC) 905 years.
Cainan (3675-2765BC) 910 years.
Mahalaleel (3605-2710BC) 895 years. (Hmmm, dies early :-) )
Jared (3540-2578BC) 962 years.
Enoch (3378-3013BC) 365 years. (Enoch was taken to Heaven and did not live his whole span).
Methuselah (3313-2344BC) 969 years. (Longest recorded lifespan that we know of).
Lamech (3126-2349BC) 777 years. (His father Methuselah outlived him).
(In the year 3070 Adam dies.)
Noah (2944-1994BC) 950 years. Flood came at 600 years, or about 2344BC.
(All the other patriarchs die except Methuselah and Lamech in this time frame)
Noah's Three sons are born in 2494-Japeth 2452-Shem and 2444-Ham.
Again the approximate date of the flood event is from 2-17-2344BC to 2-27-2343BC before they actually left the Ark. Noah still had the really long life span, half of it post-flood. But the days of men shortened gradually according to what we read in Genesis 10. The lifespans got to be around 500 years, then 400, then 300, 200 and finally just over 100.
So what happened? Well the Flood is what happened. But it appears that the mist was not all taken away at once, but the flood appears to have started the process where the mist slowly went away. The gradually shortening life spans seem to indicate that people at each new generation were exposed to more of the aging rays of the sun than the previous generation had been.
So can we ever live to be 900 years old in this mortal life?
Sure, if the mist comes back.
Otherwise, it's wait 'till the resurrection, and then of course we will live forever.
Rock on!
Joseph
There is a two frame flash of the title and author of a book early in the movie. The book is "Life Power and How to Live It" by Elizabeth Towne. Chapter One of this book is entitled "Methuselah and The Sun", and it begins with these words:
“There are people who declare that time was when a great canopy of vapor hung over the Earth and revolved with it, as Jupiter’s vapory canopies now do; and that this vapory canopy kept off almost completely the actinic (death-dealing) rays, while it admitted light and heat rays. Thus they account for Adam’s and Methuselah’s great ages. And they say that, unless this vapory canopy is again formed around our Earth, to ward off these death dealing rays, we shall never attain immortality in the flesh.”
Well this is certainly an interesting idea, and it is possible that it was postulated even before her book. If anyone knows an earlier source, please leave a comment.
But is there any support for this idea in the Scripture? Well there is this . . .
"But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."
That is Genesis 2:6 in the King James Version of the Bible.
OK, assuming that this is true for a second, does it fit in? Here is the computation.
Aligning with the Jewish calendar, it appears that the expulsion from Eden happened about 4000 BC. The timelines in the Bible seem to indicate about this time as well. We have record of the following people living with the following life spans:
Adam (4000-3070BC) 930 years.
Seth (3870-2958BC) 912 years.
Enos (3765-2860BC) 905 years.
Cainan (3675-2765BC) 910 years.
Mahalaleel (3605-2710BC) 895 years. (Hmmm, dies early :-) )
Jared (3540-2578BC) 962 years.
Enoch (3378-3013BC) 365 years. (Enoch was taken to Heaven and did not live his whole span).
Methuselah (3313-2344BC) 969 years. (Longest recorded lifespan that we know of).
Lamech (3126-2349BC) 777 years. (His father Methuselah outlived him).
(In the year 3070 Adam dies.)
Noah (2944-1994BC) 950 years. Flood came at 600 years, or about 2344BC.
(All the other patriarchs die except Methuselah and Lamech in this time frame)
Noah's Three sons are born in 2494-Japeth 2452-Shem and 2444-Ham.
Again the approximate date of the flood event is from 2-17-2344BC to 2-27-2343BC before they actually left the Ark. Noah still had the really long life span, half of it post-flood. But the days of men shortened gradually according to what we read in Genesis 10. The lifespans got to be around 500 years, then 400, then 300, 200 and finally just over 100.
So what happened? Well the Flood is what happened. But it appears that the mist was not all taken away at once, but the flood appears to have started the process where the mist slowly went away. The gradually shortening life spans seem to indicate that people at each new generation were exposed to more of the aging rays of the sun than the previous generation had been.
So can we ever live to be 900 years old in this mortal life?
Sure, if the mist comes back.
Otherwise, it's wait 'till the resurrection, and then of course we will live forever.
Rock on!
Joseph
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
