Saturday, January 24, 2015

Miracles

Venice Beach, California

There are many approaches to life.  For example, we can look back and try to figure out how we ended up where we are.  Or, we can imagine the future and have hopes and dreams that things will turn out beautifully for us.  And so on.

What is the best approach to life?  What approach will enhance our lives, make us happy and fulfilled and bring us peace?  Of course, we have to decide that for ourselves.  But let's examine a possible approach.

We are right now exactly where we are.  For the moment, let's forget about where we have been and what got us to where we are right now.  We are here, reading this post.  What should we do right this moment?  The future stretches before us with infinite possibilities.  We do not have any idea what is going to happen to us in the future (including the very next moment).  Are we going to receive a phone call or a visitor?  Are we going to read an email with sensational news or tragic news?  Are we going to be bored, elated, loving, connected, depressed, hopeful, angry, afraid or ecstatic?

So from where we are this moment, what is the best approach for the next moment?  Through trial and error, the best approach that I have found for the next moment is to be completely open and present to what the Infinite Life Energy has in store for me.  It is best for me not to plan, hope, desire, remember or figure things out.

When I am open to the "next" moment, I receive exactly what I need to receive to enhance my awakening.  It always exceeds anything I could have planned or hoped for myself.

The more open I am to what is, the more miracles I receive, and the more I experience peace, love and joy.  There is no plan that we could devise which would be better than the plan that our Greater Self has for us.  We only know a fraction of the information that is available.  Why would we act or react on such limited information?  By having faith that God knows vastly more than we do, We are led to our highest fulfillment.

Let's surrender to the Infinite.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Death


Whangamumu Beach, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The fear of death is perhaps our greatest fear.  It affects everything we do and say.  It follows us like a shadow.

We may die in the next five minutes or sixty years from now.  We have no idea when our death will occur.

How can we overcome the fear of death?

If we focus intensely on the idea that we could die in this very moment and keep our attention on that idea without judging it, it will lose its power.  We do not judge whether dying is good or bad, or what happens to us when we die.  We allow the "isness" of it. and surrender to it.

Let's say, for example, that we do not have food and are starving to death.  Will the fear and anxiety we experience help us find something to eat?  If we have terminal cancer, will our anxiety and terror about dying help us find a cure?

Since we have a choice, isn't it better to die with equanimity?

None of us know what happens to us when we die.  However, it is certain that we will find peace.  Let's look death squarely in the face and find the peace that we know will be there when we pass over.

Let's become comfortable with death.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Safety



Coromandel, New Zealand

A Course in Miracles says "In my defenselessness, my safety lies."  This means that our safety and security lie not in defending ourselves by arguing or attacking the other person, but by being defenseless.  This seems counter-intuitive.  I am speaking about verbal attacks, although I am certain that the Course is referring to physical attacks as well.

When we are being attacked by someone and we become angry and defend ourselves or attack the other person, we are confirming that what they are saying is true.  We are giving energy to the attack. When we feel that there is no need to defend ourselves, we are confirming that there is no merit to the attack.  The energy of the attack dissipates because we give it no credence.

When we do not defend ourselves, we are confirming to ourselves and the Universe that there is nothing to defend.  Why would we be angry at someone who criticizes us if on some level we did not believe there was some truth to it?  Our ego pushes us to react.  It is almost as if our lives depended on it.  This is because we believe we are who we think we are.

Of course, we are really far, far greater than we think we are.  We are infinite beings with unlimited power.  Once we recognize that, why would we ever have to defend ourselves?

Let's be defenseless.