Living In Spirit

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Poking A Tiger In The Eye

In the second act of my life I made my living swinging a hammer. The man who sponsored me to become a contractor taught “When the workday is over stop working.” Seemed pretty simple if not downright painfully obvious then. Kinda like never poke a tiger in the eye. In time, however, I began to understand what he was really talking about. Working in construction there is always some little task that needs doing. I learned, through painful experience, that once I stopped working for the day, having removed my tool belt and bags, not to put them back on. On more than one occasion, unfortunately, I spied a crooked nail, loose board or some other small task that could have easily waited until the next day, choosing to address it before going home. Right after the hammer slipped and smacked me on the shin or I hit the nail and heard the unmistakable sound of water rushing from a pierced pipe or missed the nail on the wall but hit the one on my thumb instead, I would then remember, belatedly, what he had said. But most importantly I became aware that most days long after I had physically left the job site I was still there in my mind, needlessly rehashing the days events or worrying about things that were God’s business, not mine. Emmet Fox refers to this as “taking the train” mentally. Living on the Spiritual Basis leads to effective mental activity and relaxation. As Dr Fox teaches, “don’t take the train mentally-let the engine (God) take it.” So “when the workday is over stop working” oh, and never poke a tiger in the eye. Just sayin.

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Friday, May 15, 2015

A Spiritual Facelift

What we concentrate on manifests in our lives. When we focus on fear, loss, anger, resentment, worry, envy or any of the whole host of negative thinking that morbid reflection engenders, our physical appearance alters. Worry lines on the face, bags under the eyes from lack of or restless sleep, twisted visage from a sour stomach, tight jaw from focusing in our minds eye on the seeming unfairness of the world, well you get the picture. When you look in the mirror what do you see? Anything less than the radiance that emanates from a soul at peace demonstrates that we have strayed from the Spiritual Basis.

Take heart, the good news is when we see it in our face or feel it in our heart we have a clear set of directions on what to do next. We gently turn to God in prayer and thank Him for knowing Him better, asking to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love in all areas of life but particularly in the area that is causing us concern. Ask to be shown what action (patience probably the hardest) should be taken and finish with a statement of willingness to be of service in any capacity that He would have you be. Close with “Thy will be done." This is only a suggested path, change or alter the prayer as it best fits you. The key is in the recognition and speed in which we turn to God and choose to trust in infinite wisdom and love instead of our finite selves.

As we embrace this way of living, we become more aware of the pain in the faces of those around us. When we see others in pain, we quietly pray for them as we would for ourselves for in so doing not only are they uplifted; the whole world is uplifted as well. All humankind will be raised to the Heavens if each of us adds our inch.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Camels And Stinking Thinking

If a camel sticks its nose under a tent flap its nose must be struck immediately if it is to stay out of the tent since a camel has no reverse. If it gets its head in, it is coming in all the way and quite frankly, camels stink, trust me. Such is also the case with our consciousness as negative thinking and morbid reflection (stinking thinking if you will) try to wheedle their way in. Though Living on the Spiritual Basis raises our consciousness, we must stay vigilant for that metaphorical camel nose, but no one catches every one. They will sneak in from time to time disguised as something else since morbid reflection and negative thinking wear a variety of masks. What truly matters is what we do when they reveal themselves. So when you discover a camel in your tent consider the following: “When trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s omnipotence.” We do this by directed prayer and meditation, bathing the trouble in Divine Light and Presence, turning the camel out quickly and peacefully.

Shhhh…Just between you, me and the fence post I still don’t have the cheerfully part down pat yet, but by Living on the Spiritual Basis we do become well practiced in camel eviction procedures.

When we know, who walks beside us, on this path we have chosen, our fears fall from us.