Year: 2016

Week 20 — Crushing

I’m experiencing a crushing feeling, and not in the sense of “I’m crushing it.” More in the sense of “it’s crushing me.” First, I’m going to hit the good stuff, and maybe the “crushing” stuff will go away.

Week 20 expands upon the Week 1, paragraph 24 statement, “All agree that there is but one Principle or Consciousness pervading the entire Universe, occupying all space, and being essentially the same in kind at every point of its presence. It is all powerful, all wisdom and always present. All thoughts and things are within Itself. It is all in all.” I wrote in the margin beside this paragraph, “God is in me.”

Back in Week 20, let’s look at Paragraph 8. “When you begin to perceive that the essence of the Universal is within yourself — is you — you begin to do things; you begin to feel your power; it is the fuel which fires the imagination; which lights the torch of inspiration; which gives vitality to thought; which enables you to connect with all the invisible forces of the Universe. It is this power which will enable you to plan fearlessly, to execute masterfully.”

Paragraph 9 goes on to say, “But perception will come only in the Silence; this seems to be the condition required for all great purposes. You are a visualizing entity. Imagination is your workshop. It is here that your ideal is to be visualized.”

Paragraph 28 advises us of the power of thought. “Every time you think you start a train of causation which will create a condition in strict accordance with the quality of the thought which originated it. Thought which is in harmony with the Universal Mind will result in corresponding conditions. Thought which is destructive or discordant will produce corresponding results. You may use thought constructively or destructively, but the immutable law will not allow you to plant a thought of one kind and reap the fruit of another. You are free to use this marvelous creative power as you will, but you must take the consequences.”

And there’s the rub. I repeat the thought I want to grow, yet half the time I say the thought, even managing enthusiasm sometimes, the opposite of that thought pushes it’s way back into my mind. I keep trying to push it out, but it keeps coming back. I’d hoped to eradicate it by now.

Which brings us to Paragraph 29. “This is the danger from what is called Will Power…the fundamental principle of creative power is in the Universal, and therefore the idea of forcing a compliance with our wishes by the power of the individual will is an inverted conception which may appear to succeed for a while but is eventually doomed to failure, because it antagonizes the very power which it is seeking to use.”

Hmm. This could be a problem.

Paragraph 31. “For your exercise this week, go into the Silence and concentrate on the fact that “In him we live and move and have our being” is literally and scientifically exact! That you ARE because He IS, that if He is Omnipresent He must be in you. That if He is all in all you must be in Him! That He is Spirit and you are made in “His image and likeness” and that the only difference between His spirit and your spirit is one of degree, that a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole. When you can realize this clearly you will have found the secret of the creative power of thought, you will have found the origin of both good and evil, you will have found the secret of the wonderful power of concentration, you will have found the key to the solution of every problem whether physical, financial, or environmental.”

I should draw some conclusions here. I still draw the conclusion “God is in me.” That’s distinctly different from me saying “I am God.” No. “God is in me.” is a very uplifting concept, because if God is in me, He is always with me. It also gives credence to the “your body is a temple” idea, which plays to my True Health personal pivotal need (PPN). If my body is a vessel for The Lord, that’s all the more reason to take care of it, so that supports my need for physical health (besides the fact that physical health just makes life a whole lot easier to participate in). The emotional health aspect is what’s causing me challenges. While I’m expressing that “crushing” feeling from addressing this challenge, I welcome it, because when I find my way through this challenge, life will be better.

My recent concern has been whether I need to abandon my PPN of “Recognition for Creative Expression” for another PPN of “Helping Others.” I don’t want to do this, but I’m being required to devote more time to this to achieve my emotional health. Sorting this out is contributing to the “crushing” sensation, so multiple Sits are in order. It’s not a good place to be in right now, but it will be a good place to HAVE BEEN in, if you know what I mean.

Week 20 – Table is Full

My table feels full this week. I’d like to write something deep, witty, and inspiring. But this week, I feel like I have a couple dozen rubber balls on a tilty table, and only my arms to keep them from dropping off into the abyss. It’s not quite that bad. Not really.

I did almost forget about the Tools for Expanding requirement in the Alliances this week. I logged in to download primary ballots to print so we can plan our primary voting strategy and checked the Alliances while I was in (we’re mobile in San Antonio this week, so I don’t have an always on internet connection). Whew. Caught that rolly ball.

It will all come together. I may even get a more coherent post after we get back to Central Texas on Friday, but until then, this will cover me.

Week 19 – Fodder for a Sit

I recommended the class to a friend earlier this week. He responded he’d looked into the class but didn’t think it was right for him. No problem. I can accept that. It isn’t right for everybody. (Well, I think it is, but I can understand why someone else might not think so.) He went on to say he was interested in the results for me, adding he did think it was only making internal changes for me, because he hadn’t seen anything external yet, and he was looking forward to the external impact.

Hmm. Okay. Part of my DMP should be externally represented as it’s manifested, and, as written, I agree there should be external results at this point. Those are the areas I’m rethinking now, because that has not happened yet. The most important part is manifesting, and it’s mostly internal work, and it’s been, to put it indelicately, hard as hell for me.

I devoted my Sit to that subject on the day I read the comment (we don’t live near one another, and like most of my friends, our interaction is largely electronic). I believe my other DMP manifestations have been delayed because I’m placing so much energy on this most important aspect of my DMP. The other aspects are important, but this first one is critical to me. Since the Sit, I’ve given it additional consideration, and the fact that internal work has not been visible is a positive sign in and of itself, because, as you know, Law of Growth.

The Recognition for Creative Expression personal pivotal need (PPN), which would be most outwardly visible, will manifest, or maybe I’ll realize it isn’t as important as I once thought and re-evaluate for the correct PPN, rewriting my DMP to reflect that. For now, I’m sticking with this one. The physical aspect of my True Health has not manifested either, and I’m devoting time to finding better baby steps to help with that manifestation. Meanwhile, the top half of my DMP is manifesting, albeit slowly, I know it’s happening. And, yes, for 99.99% of the world, that’s an internal manifestation with outward implications for only one other person. Upon reflection, I’m good with that, so, thank you, my friend, for helping me achieve that clarity in my own mind.

Week 18 – Captain, May I?

Captain, May I take three baby steps?* As I was reading Keri’s stunning blog post this week about breaking glass ceilings with her new HULK persona (so in tune with this week’s class video, by the way), I was reminded of the childhood game, Captain, May I. In this game, one person is the captain. The other players stand across the yard and call out, in turn, to the captain, “Captain, May I take one giant step?” (or some certain combination of steps and numbers) The captain responds with “Yes, you may” or “No, you may not.” (Or something like that. It’s been nearly fifty years since I’ve played or even thought about playing, so the rules are bit fuzzy.) But if you’re not worrying about the competition of the game, baby steps, giant steps, and even scissor steps will all get you to the other side of the yard. Give yourself permission, and celebrate along the way.

Are you despairing on your journey, because you think you aren’t getting there fast enough? Maybe, like Arielle, you should remember it’s your last day on earth and stop to play with the Lincoln Logs (because that’s really fun!). Or take a few minutes to converse with a family member even if it isn’t earth-shatteringly important. It’s the little things that make a difference in people’s lives. Those baby steps. They turn out to be the most important steps of all.

  • Upon further reflection, I think this game was called “Mother, May I?” I suppose you can use any authority figure you want. The concept is similar. As one might expect, Wikipedia has an entry.

Week 18 – I Am

I plan to watch both recommended videos, but I was able to rent I AM, so I’m able to pull together some thoughts for this week. I have been fascinated by the quantum aspects of this course, and the quantum aspects discussed in this video also fascinate me. I found the discussion about aboriginal cultures valuing cooperation at the highest value and holding competition as a very low value enlightening. Especially that competition beyond certain boundaries is considered mental illness. Decades ago, I lost most interest in intense competition. I always thought that meant something was wrong with me. The revelation that that intense competition might be considered mental illness amuses me. I believe too much of any one thing is considered mental illness, with a balanced approach being considered the healthier approach to most things in life.

The message our culture sends that to be happy we must buy stuff is flawed. The truth is, we need a certain amount of stuff to survive, and that makes us happy. The lie is that more stuff equals more happy. But how many of us engage in “retail therapy?”  George Carlin’s “A Place for my Stuff” piece is always a great way to call attention to this tendency to relate to our “stuff.”

I liked the discussion about democracy in nature and how that’s coded into our DNA. But the part that really got me thinking was Marc Ian Barasch and Rollin McCraty say, in essence, “The heart is the boss of us.” Love, care, gratitude are healthy and renew our physiology. Our heart sends a stressful or emotional pattern, it literally inhibits our brain. The heart’s electromagnetic field is huge and can be felt outside the body. It can be measured and have a physiological effect. The discussions in this area are stunning. They hypothesize that the heart is the access point to the spirit. Thoughts and emotions affect more than we think. The discussion about the effect of emotions on random number generators in cities around the world and the effect of 9-11 on those numbers was astounding, lending support to the theory that what we do on an individual level does affect the world. Dean Radin admits it sounds way too close to the New Age concepts that so many people poo-poo, yet it has a basis in quantum physics.

Thom Hartmann’s analogy about disassembling a car and reassembling it, and disassembling our dog and reassembling it (not a good idea, by the way) proving there is something fundamentally different between machines and life. Note: Your doctor generally gets you are not a machine. Your insurance company? You’re a machine to them.

I am adjusting to the idea of connectedness. I think I can accept that. I’m not certain their approach is the most correct one for that; however, the discussion is valuable. Changing of perceptions. True. That can make all the difference.

Tom Shady’s questions he sought to answer in this documentary, and the answers he came up with (spoiler):

What is wrong with the world? I am.

What is right with the world? I am.

Week 17HJ – Dominating Thoughts

Second. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality.

When I read this at the beginning of the course, I mentally gasped in horror. No wonder I was always snapping at my husband. Over the years, my thoughts had become focused on his more annoying traits and not his more endearing ones. I was witnessing the outward manifestation of those inward thoughts far too often. And so was he.

At the beginning of the course, he thought it sounded like brainwashing. I couldn’t disagree, except that the techniques were being used for good — in my case, to improve our relationship (among other things). I’ve resenting having to “brainwash” myself to love my husband; however, the Blueprint Builder drove home in agonizing clarity that I’d slowly done that to myself through the years by focusing on the traits that annoyed me instead of those that endeared me. The principles taught in this course have enabled me to reverse that awful trend.

He hasn’t said if he’s noticed any improvement in me or not. At Week 6, in an unsolicited conversation, he said he hadn’t. He’s been pretty neutral about the course requirements since then, which may be as close as I get to an acknowledgement that I’m improving. I know I have a ways to go, but I’m employing the Laws of the Mind as appropriate when those negative thoughts intrude.

I have so much more I’m working on in this course, but this is my top priority. Other things are fitting in as I am able.

Why did I gasp in horror? My husband was very ill at the time. We later learned he had bilateral pneumonia, and we suspect he had it from October until he was diagnosed and treated in early January. He is improving, but my mind spent a lot of time dwelling on what my old blueprint may have been manifesting, and that wasn’t a pleasant thought.

Week 17HJ – Crypto Change Time?

I expect 99.9% of you to be baffled by crypto change time. I know you associate HJ with The Hero’s Journey. For me, it means a different kind of Hero’s Journey. Early in my military career, I was a secure communications technician. This was back in the days when we had to perform manual crypto key changes. Well, I didn’t. I was the technician not the operator. But the widely-used acronym for the process of changing the cryptographic key was HJ. As in, “It’s HJ time” I think I heard what the term meant, but I don’t remember it, and with modern digital cryptographic gear and over-the-air keying, the need to manually change a card or a paper tape or punch blocks is ancient history. If you want to learn more about that kind of stuff, go to the National Cryptologic Museum site or visit the museum if you’re in the Baltimore-Washington area of the US.

But does it tie in with this course or the Hero’s Journey? I think so. We’re changing our key material as a result of this course. We came to the course with most of us looking without for the keys to life, and we’re finding this new-fangled technology that reveals the key is within. We had it all the time. We’re learning to do over-the-air rekeying and system resets. We all have our individual codes, but the common key is the Universal Mind.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be tapping into our newfound abilities. We’re learning to execute without an operator, and we’ll be testing our circuits. Have we completed them? Do we know how? You bet we do. Will we do so imperfectly? Of course. Practice and improvement is a lifelong process, but we won’t be stumbling as much as we were when we started the course.

Week 17 – Vibrations

Haanel’s mention of vibrations reminded me of an interesting juxtaposition within my life. I saw a chart posted about various frequencies of life.  See how well this chart fits in with this course?

vibrations
My husband is recovering from a three month bout with pneumonia (once we realized what it was and got treatment, he’s feeling much better). I’ve had pneumonia, so I understand what that frequency feels like. Had my husband not had another (still ongoing) health issue we’d attributed the pneumonia symptoms to, he would have been treated much earlier. He’s still at the 57-58 MHz level symptom-wise. I have symptoms that could put me at that level as well. But look at what can raise our body frequency to above normal? Positive thoughts and meditation. Isn’t that magnificent!

I can’t help but think of this chart everytime I read 17-2. “The vibrations of mental forces are the finest and consequently the most powerful in existence. To those who perceive the nature and transcendence of mental force, all physical power sinks to insignificance.”

It certainly gives new meaning to increasing your frequency.

Week 17 – Intuition

Haanel talks about intuition this week. What a powerful subject. I have a fictional character who uses intuition to seemingly work magic. This week, Haanel reveals all. In 17-23, we learn

Intuition arrives as conclusions without the aid of experience or memory. Intuition often solves problems that are beyond the grasp of reasoning power. Intuition often comes with a suddenness that is startling; it reveals the truth for which we are searching, so directly that it seems to come from a higher power. Intuition can be cultivated and developed; in order to do this it must be recognized and appreciated; if the intuitive visitor is given a royal welcome when he comes, he will come again; the more cordial the welcome the more frequent his visits will become; but if he is ignored or neglected he will make his visits few and far apart.

Goosebumps. I love this stuff.

Use the silence to coax intuition out. The subconscious is omnipotent. It knows no limits when given permission to act. Your degree of success is determined by the nature of your desire. If the nature of your desire is within Natural Law or the Universal Mind, it will gradually emancipate the mind and give you invincible courage. With each obstacle conquered, your faith grows. Then we get to paragraph 27.

By keeping the thought in mind, it will gradually take tangible form. A definite purpose sets causes in motion which go out in the invisible world and find the material necessary to serve your purpose.

Always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact. Some basic tips to ensure you get what you want:

  • If you wish to eliminate fear, concentrate on courage.
  • If you wish to eliminate lack, concentrate on abundance.
  • If you wish to eliminate disease, concentrate on health.

That’s it. Focus on the positive image opposite of what you don’t want to allow you to develop your intuition in those areas.

 

Week 17 – Twitter Tip

Here’s a Twitter Tip. I know everyone tells you to spend some time engaging on Twitter, but consider what you engagement looks like in the timeline of someone who follows you. Trust me, thirty-give or more individual @ somebody Thanks for following/retweeting/engaging emails in a row from the same person is a near guarantee I’m going to unfollow you. That’s not engagement, it’s follower abuse. This may sound unkind, but it’s not engagement. It’s filling a square for in a rote and repetitious manner.

I have a friend who schedules a repeating round of tweets advertising something she’s selling. No engagement, but the same tweets over and over and over. The only reason I still follow her is because she’s a friend. Were she anyone else, I’d have unfollowed years ago. Og says, “I place my uniqueness on display in the market place. I proclaim it, yea, I sell it. I begin now to accent my differences; hide my similarities. So too I apply this principle to the good I sell. Salesman and goods, different from all others, and proud of the difference.”

Spread your thank you’s out throughout the day or do them in a PM (possible to annoy there, too, so be careful). If you’re retweeting with a personalized comment relevant to the tweet your retweeting? Go for it. Be your unique you.