The Brain Is Not A Muscle

“We have ceased fighting everything and everyone, we have to” unlike physical exercise, where working harder typically produces greater results, the converse is true mentally. The reason for this is that God does the work, not our mental “muscle.” No amount of will power has ever added a single ounce of lasting spiritual weight to anyone. We don’t “work” on our problems or difficulties for we have turned our will and our lives completely over to the care of God. Having chosen to live on the Spiritual Basis we know today that God is the doer, not us. So we pray when prayer is indicated, meditate regularly and serve where and when possible. We turn to Him who has all knowledge and power when filled with fear and doubt, a demonstration in faith and we relax for “all mental working should be relaxed, gentle, and unhurried for effort defeats itself.”

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven, Sayeh Beheshti,

Outlining

Difficult problems seem to have a life of their own. Hard as we try, we work through them but the next thing we know they are back in the forefront of our consciousness, dominating our thoughts. 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. It starts 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, assuage our fears, on our terms of course. It doesn’t work, does it. It only succeeds in building up expectations and as a wise man said “the level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations.”

Living on the Spiritual Basis we place our expectations in God’s hands, the burden on His shoulders, so when you find yourself outlining stop as soon as you become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. Quiet the mind by repeating 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” are some of mine.

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.”

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven, Sayeh Beheshti,

 

Bike Riding, Watched Pots And Oranges

Has someone said to you or perhaps you have said to someone “don’t think like that?” Not possible is it. It is one of those silly things we say to one another without having thought it through. Like “a watched pot never boils”, yes it does, every single time and without the origin understood for context it is just nonsense. As soon as we are told not to think about something the first thing we do is think about it. No? OK, don’t think about oranges.... How did you do? We are powerless over the thoughts that float through our minds eye; however we choose the action upon becoming aware of these thoughts. Oranges are not much of a problem, but there exists in all of us a voice of discord and negativity embedded in the subconscious that is constantly looking for a reason to be upset or outraged. The origin of the voice is secondary, the action we choose to take paramount. Having embarked on Living on the Spiritual Basis the action is to turn from the lower to the higher by way of prayer and meditation.

If a negative thought is persistent engage in some distracting activity such as a phone call to a friend inquiring about them (do not speak of the negative thought), an engrossing book, exercise, meeting with like minded people over coffee, etc. If possible find a way to be of service. Nothing relieves us of the bondage of self, and all negative thinking binds us in self, as intensive work with others. The key is to substitute positive thinking and action for the negative thoughts. Simple but not easy, when we begin this way of living it will feel clunky and somewhat uncomfortable, remember the first few times you rode a bike? But as long as we are diligent in time it will become second nature.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven, Sayeh Beheshti,