OUTLINING TRAP

Difficult problems seem to have a life of their own. Hard as we try, we treat them spiritually and the next thing we know they are back in the forefront of our consciousness, dominating our thoughts. Typically the thoughts creep in silently and we don’t become aware of them until they have gained purchase in our consciousness, then we have to go through the spiritual exercises again to gain relief. One of the most insidious ways this happens is through outlining. The world teaches that we should think things through, weigh pros and cons, talk it out, but just as “the grouch and the brainstorm are the dubious luxury of normal men” so is outlining. We start out innocently enough but in short order we begin outlining how a situation or trouble should work out, in essence telling the universe how to solve our problems, on our terms of course. It doesn’t work, does it. It builds up our expectations and as a wise man said “the level of my serenity is directly proportional to my expectations.” Living on the Spiritual Basis our expectations are placed in God’s hands and on His shoulders, so when we find ourselves outlining we stop as soon as we become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. To quiet the mind we repeat some simple set prayers like “Be still and know that I am God”, “There is no power greater than God” or simply “God is with me.” When I ran the world I outlined constantly, for it needed my help. Living on the new basis, I leave the running of the world, and my life, in God’s hands for He does a much better job of it than I ever did, for today I know in my heart of hearts that “God is with me.”