Wednesday, December 17, 2008

#11 (9:04 - 9:47)

glass-half-full_medium.jpg "Lighten your material load, starting today. As you do so, less energy is spent hoarding, and insuring, and moving, and polishing and so on. The less attracted you are to your possessions, and the more you are able to share them with others unconditionally, the more peaceful your life will be. See how many things you can give away that you no longer use and don't ask anything for it in return; and don't tell anyone else that you did it. Just give not to get, but just for the beautiful soulful notion of unburdening your soul with all of that material stuff that you no longer need."

"It is the space within the glass that makes it useful."

This has been a very challenging practice for me since I am one to hang on to things. I always think that I will have use for it at a later date; books, old electronic parts, old computers, boxes, clothing, shoes and so on. In a matter of time, I have realized that I accumulated so many things, that it has crowded up a lot of the free space in my rooms.

Now, it has become a lot easier for me. I give away clothing that I do not use, I sell books that, if necessary, could be purchased at a later date if I really needed them. I throw away old boxes and other unnecessary items. I do still have some old computers that are taking up free space that I want to get rid of as well. I actually have them there set aside to be thrown away right now.

Why? I feel much better when there is space around me. The 11th verse of the Tao describes this beautifully:

Though thirty spokes may form the wheel,
it is the hole within the hub
which gives the wheel utility.

It is not the clay the potter throws,
which gives the pot its usefulness,
but the space within the shape,
from which the pot is made.

Without a door, the room cannot be entered,
and without windows it is dark.

Such is the utility of non-existence.

It is the emptiness of the room that gives the room its usefulness. This is exactly how I feel. When there is space, there is clarity of thought and with clarity of thought, there is usefulness. I do intend to reduce the amount of 'things' that I hang on to. We have a way of attaching meanings to all these material things, when in reality, they really have no meaning. It does take a bit of thought changing, but I know it gets easier once you make it a habit of not clinging to possessions.

An important message from this lesson as well is the notion of giving. Most of the time, we expect something in return, but once we start giving and release all expectations, then our lives will change significantly. Not only will we feel great because we give out of joy or love, but also receive the same joy and love from others because it is one of the many laws of the Universe. We will start receiving all that we want in our lives because our givingness is being reciprocated. An amazing place this world is.

God bless.

Frank

Monday, December 8, 2008

#10 (8:11 - 9:03)

people talking 2 "Keep in mind that grievances bring turmoil and communication brings peace. If you are angry at someone in your life, work at communicating those grieved feelings with that person, no matter how difficult it may be. One of the things that really destroys relationships is the unwillingness to talk or be open about the things that are difficult for us to talk about. So even if it is something that you feel inside you can't do, just push aside that impossibility and say to yourself "I'm gonna talk to my spouse, or my lover, or my daughter, or my mother about these things, and the talking is a way of releasing the energy that is built up that creates all the turmoil that we live with that destroys relationships"

This lesson, to me, reflects a message of honesty and being true to yourself. I think it becomes very difficult for us to reflect the highest truth on a day to day basis, especially if we are attached to the positionalities of our egos. I truly believe that once we learn to detach from these positionalities, the spirit of our true self will prevail. All these attachments to ideas, beliefs, accolades, striving, all this stuff, make it difficult for that condition to reveal itself. Therefore, when I think about my nature and day-to-day life, I do my very best to be who I am and not be attached to other people's opinions or expectations of me. Ultimately, you will feel happy with who you are and what you have evolved into because everything that occurred, you know you made the choice based on how you feel and what you believed to be true at that moment in time. Trust in God and trust in your very nature, and you will experience a life that is simply amazing.

God bless.

Love, Frank

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

#9 (7:42 - 8:10)

meditate_550x413shkl "Release anything you have been told is impossible or unrealistic, and allow yourself to make your own contract with God about what is possible for you. Examine all the doubts you have about miracles and miracle workers and replace the doubt with openness. Be open and release everything that you hate."

Surrender your positionalities and belief systems. Many things we hold to be true today were merely belief systems that were passed on through generations. Sometimes when I think about some of these thoughts or ideas, many do not make any sense. However, given how powerful the mind is, once you believe something to be true, it can actually become part of your experience and manifest. That's the way the Universe works, "whatever you hold in mind, tends to manifest"; even if the thoughts are false. We can believe ourselves to have certain illnesses and actually experience that physically, even though that is not the case.

Now, I understand how important it is to pay attention to the thoughts I hold to be true. This message of openness basically allows us to release ourselves from age old belief systems and hold true what we feel to be so. If we believe something, and when we go within, it does not bring us happiness or love, then we are free to release that idea and listen to what our inner voice tells us. It is this inner voice that is the true expression of the Self.

I posted a great video on Great Talks about the power of the mind. It relates to this post in a sense. Check it out.

Napoleon Hill | The power of the mind

God bless.

Love Frank.