#27 (18:41 – 19:30)

“Accept this seeming contradiction; the fact that your body will die and that you are also eternal. Surrender to this fact that when someone dies, and stop telling yourself that his or her death should not have happened the way that it did. You can surrender and you can grieve. You do not die; that which was never born, never dies. You are an eternal spirit, formless. You are transforming your life with this. Going beyond form means you, the real you, the observer within is ageless and timeless. That which it is observing, noticing is bound by the need for things to begin and end.”

This is the most difficult idea to accept, especially if you have lost someone very close to you. Believing that we are eternal beings and knowing that to be true are two totally different things. However, if you believe in the perfection of the Universe and that no accidents can happen, then you can understand everything happens the way it should and it becomes easier to surrender. Once you surrender to the will of God, surrender everything to God, then your experience of the world becomes easier to handle because you develop an inner knowingness that all that happens is of God’s will and you do not have the capacity to understand why. Therefore, do not be in conflict with the way things are. Accept it even if it is difficult to understand that we are eternal beings, we are spiritual beings that have temporary bodies. The Law of Conservation of Energy says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can change form. Life is energy, and therefore, cannot be destroyed and was never created. We only change form. Science has proven this time and time again.

#26 (17:54 – 18:40)

“Practice releasing the emotions of fear and guilt; replace them with love, forgiveness and kindness. If you are feeling guilty about your past conduct, remind yourself that you are inviting turmoil into your life. Release the guilt by forgiving yourself and vowing to avoid this sort of conduct in the future. Guilt is a waste of your mental energy. Everything that you have done is over, it all had a lesson for you. Using up your present moments feeling bad about it is only one more way of keeping yourself from being fully and spiritually alive in the present. Send guilt out of your life beginning now; it is just a thought away.”

Guilt is a very low energy to express. Dr. David Hawkins said this in Power versus Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, “Guilt-domination results in a preoccupation with ‘sin,’ an unforgiving emotional attitude frequently exploited by religious demagogues, who use it for coercion and control. Such ‘sin-and-salvation’ merchants, obsessed with punishment, are likely either acting out their own guilt, or projecting it unto others.” I see why guilt is one of the emotions that is most difficult to let go of. Not only is it used by many for coercion and manipulation, but the ego also feeds off of it to maintain its domination over our conscious evolution. Dr. Wayne Dyer says to release guilt by replacing them with love, forgiveness and kindness. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools; both forgiveness of oneself and others can have a profound effect on one’s spiritual evolution. It allows us to see that we are all humans and are prone to mistakes. Once you truly understand that human consciousness is innately innocent and that it cannot tell the difference between what is truth from what is not, then it cannot help but make mistakes. So you are instantly able to forgive. Your perception and experience of the world then changes. Consequently, there is no need to dwell on any given occurrence of the past because of this. Forgive yourself and move on. Learn from it and work on becoming a better person if you feel that how you reacted or what you did was not aligned with your true nature.

The experiences of life are all lessons for us, so we must release all guilt that resides in us because of mistakes of the past. These had to happen otherwise they wouldn’t have. So learn from them and vow not to make the same mistakes again. Great things will then happen in our lives. We all have to power within us to remove this guilt. We have the choice to do so; it is just a thought away.

Be kind and loving to all of life, in all of its expressions.

#25 (17:12 – 17:53)

“If you are engaging in addictive behavior of any kind, the most effective way to rid yourself of the addiction is to go directly to your higher Self and turn this problem over to God. That’s right, just turn it over, surrender knowing that the highest force in the Universe is within you. Simply say, ‘God, I am turning this addiction over to you. I have tried everything else, now I am trying you’. And allow the higher part of yourself and allow God in to help remove those temptations of the senses that you think you can’t live without.”

In listening to this lesson this morning, the twelve step program game to mind and I understand why the 12 step program has been so successful. It allows us to understand a fundamental principle, that there is a higher power greater than ourselves, that could restore us to sanity [STEP 2]. It is no coincidence that this step comes after admitting that one was powerless over one’s addiction [STEP 1], and before making a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God as we understand God [STEP 3]. Isn’t this great? There is so much power in the 12 step program, power I am yet to fully comprehend, but it was designed in such a way that it brings forth a healing power that is at a very high level. I believe the key to it is the belief in a power higher than one’s own will, and when one admits that, through humility, then the blockages of the ego are removed somewhat, allowing the healing or recovery process to occur spontaneously.

We do not have the power within ourselves to bring forth this sort of energy, but once we surrender to the Source of All, we access the unlimited potentiality of the Universe. Therefore, if there is any addiction that you are suffering from, surrender to God as you understand God and repeat the mantra “God, I am turning this addiction over to you. I have tried everything else, now I am trying you” and watch the healing process occur. Amazing isn’t it?

#24 (16:45 – 17:11)

“Remember that you are not your country, you are not your race, you are not your religion. You are an eternal spirit.  Seeing yourself as a spiritual being without labels is a way to transform the world and reach a sacred place for all of humanity. Another way of saying that is that you are not what you notice; you are the noticer of what you notice.”

From the time we are born onto this planet, various belief systems are taught to us. We then attach ourselves to these belief systems, without fully understanding them or knowing what they mean. With this attachment, then comes identification. We identify ourselves with our country, race, religion, possessions, wealth, accomplishments, success and all these other labels, which ultimately take us further and further away from our Creator or the Source. This identification makes us focus more on the material world and our material possessions and not our true nature, the Self.

However, once we make that shift; the shift that brings forth the realization that we are spirit, our entire being transforms. As our perspective changes, so does the world we experience. You then take a step back and realize that you are not any of these things that you identify yourself with, you are merely the witness. Think about this, practice non-attachment from your belief systems and watch your world transform before your very eyes.

#23 (16:16 – 16:44)

“Make an attempt to tame your ego by catching yourself when you persistently use the pronoun I. You can make the decision to take the focus off of yourself. The more you cutback on I, the more personal freedom you will experience. See how many times today you can start your sentences with you, rather than I. Instead of making self references, just inquire about the other person.”

I just wrote another blog posting where I mentioned that in order to get something you really want, you have to learn to first give it away to others. This brings forth the realization that you never lacked it in the first place; you had what you wanted all along and this draws more of it to you. This could be love, wealth, abundance, divine relationship… anything really. It is really amazing how this Universe works. See article here.

This lesson is meant to bring our attention to the ego; the ego which is always focused on its own survival. What I have come to understand is that we should not attack the ego, because it is the ego that allowed us to survive for this long. As Dr. Dyer said carefully, we should make an attempt to tame the ego. Essentially, we need to understand it; understand that the way it behaves is its very nature and once we know that, we can gain control of it. The natural consequence of this is less focus on the I, and more focus on others because there would be the realization that we do not need to fight for our survival. There is no need to prove that you are right, or win, or get. It is usually best to be kind rather than to be right all the time. The ego believes that it will die if it does not have control, but that is false. It actually leads to freedom and the only way to find out is to practice. Practice this lesson today and this will be very clear.

#22 (15:53 – 16.13)

“Be conscious of your thoughts, of the makeup of your internal dialogue. Know that any thoughts you repeat that are contrary to your divine eternal essence are keeping you from experiencing the joyous and complete life you deserve.”

If you have been following this blog, you would have realized that so many of the ideas are concentrated around one’s thoughts. You come to understand that your thoughts are very powerful and create your reality; your perception of the world is framed by your own thoughts. By the Law of Attraction, the very thoughts you express initiate experiences that are aligned to those thoughts. It is true that ‘whether you can or you can’t, either way you are right’. If you think that you cannot do something, that’s going to be your experience. Also, W. Clement Stone said, ‘Whatever the mind of a man can conceive, it can achieve.’ He was right; he truly understands the power of the mind.

I recommend that we all take some time to reflect on the thoughts we are generating, because it is ultimately a reflection of how we feel about things. Once you are able to redirect your focus to the positives, your experience will be as such.

I can’t help but recall the Napoleon Hill affirmation.

“Oh Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches, but for more wisdom to use the power that I was given at birth in the form of the power to direct and control my mind to whatever ends I desire.” ~ Napoleon Hill on The Power of the Mind.

#21 (14:41 – 15:53)

“Put this affirmation in as many places as possible; write it down. ‘In my world, nothing ever goes wrong’. Look at it each day and let it remind you that everything that has happened to you is in divine order and comes with a lesson. If you can live your life in the spiritual world as a spiritual being having a human experience, you become the witness to your life. And as you witness it, you say, nothing is going wrong, these aren’t problems that I have to be absorbed with, these are not things I have to be neurotic over. I am the witness. I am going to watch them, learn from them and understand that they all are in order; even the ones that I don’t understand and I don’t like. In my world, as Nisargadatta Maharaj said in I Am That, nothing ever goes wrong meaning, if you live in the spiritual world, you are the observer, and you are not all the boundaries, and all of the forms and all of the things we call problems.”

This is a very important message. It really talks about surrendering and faith. If you truly believe in a superior being, then you are able to see that the world and all occurrences are divine. What can go wrong if the world is divine and perfect just the way it is? The events that occur in the world around us are given the respective meanings by us. They do not mean anything in and of themselves; our minds project a meaning unto them, sometimes collectively, sometimes individually. Why do you think two different people can observe and event and experience two different things? The meanings of the events are merely self-projected.

However, surrendering your thoughts to the will of the Infinite Source allows you to see the perfection in the Universe. Everything is exactly where it is by virtue of what it is. Everything expresses its own divine nature. Therefore, nothing can go wrong. Everything will just express its divinity under given conditions. It can be no other way. Once you understand this, you see and experience the world in a totally different way. The great thing is that being the observer, you have total control over your perception. Therefore, create the Universe that you want to experience. You have an innate power to do so.

I conclude with an affirmation provided by Napoleon Hill:
”Oh Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches, but for more wisdom to use wisely the power I was given at birth in the form of the power to control and direct my mind to whatever ends I desire.”

God bless.
Frank

#20 (14:15 – 14:40)

“Learn to allow others to work out their difficulties without feeling that you are the only one who can fix things. Your ego pushes you to fix things, while your higher Self wants you to experience peace and harmony. Choose the latter, allow your higher self to rule. Let other people work out some of the things and don’t have to be right all the time.”

This is a challenging one for many of us. We feel the need to intervene in other people’s lives all the time believing that we are ‘helping’ them. As Dr. Dyer says, this is just the ego allowing you to think that you can fix every situation. However, sometimes people are best left alone to overcome the situation themselves. How else would they learn and grow from the experience? Why else are we here on this planet? Friendly advice is one thing, but believing you know the solution to other people’s problems is another. Next time you feel the need to ‘fix’ a situation, choose to allow the other person to grow; see it as if you are robbing them of their own karmic evolution. Every moment of difficulty we experience is an opportunity for us to grow; so allow others to grow.

Think about all the difficult moments you had to go through in your life up until this point. In hindsight, you are able to see how those experiences changed you. These are the important life experiences that we all must go through that usually integrates into our consciousness and change our behavior. Yes, the journey is sometimes difficult, but the destination is usually worth every effort.

Many wonder why we are here on this planet; why the soul came into the body. This is a great explanation provided by Neale Donald Walsch. “The soul came into physicality in order that it might experience itself, express itself in the physical world as who it really is, thus to know itself in its own experience.” I thought this explained it so well, although it may seem confusing. There is really not much more to it. We think there is really a profound meaning to life, but it is amazing how simple an explanation there is to life. The challenge is knowledge of Self. Think about this a moment.

#19 (13:33 - 14:15)

[Image Credit: http://www.hickerphoto.com/relaxation-theraphy-4634-pictures.htm]

"Relax about the future and let it go. Instead make an active commitment to enjoy this day a little bit more. It is very difficult to accomplish anything when you are stressed out over the outcome. When you relax and get peaceful, you become inspired and efficient; and inspired comes from 'in spirit'. When you are 'in spirit', you are inspired and the future is not something you have to be worried about. You are totally consumed with now which is all there is, all there ever have been and all there ever will be; now.”

First of all, I must mention that I love the image above; reading, nature and wine; a few things I enjoy greatly. I really appreciated this lesson #19, live in the now. It gets really challenging at times when we are almost always forced to think about the future, think long-term. We live in a society that praises those that are visionaries, that are able to anticipate what comes next. However, I recall a great line in Star Wars: Episode 1. Obi Wan asked his Jedi master about thinking ahead and always being prepared for the future. His master responded by agreeing, but stating that it should not be done at the expense of the present.

Therefore, it is wise to be wary of the future, but to really spend your time focused on the now. The future is nothing but a projection of a present moment. It is therefore more important to focus on the current present, the now, as the now is all that we have. I firmly believe that it is true that the only time is the present.

Once you are able to focus on the present, you develop an ability to connect with Divinity; with your true Source; Spirit. And, as Dr. Wayne Dyer says, once you are connected to spirit, you become inspired. You then become aligned with this energy of inspiration, and your experience of life is transformed. You become a witness to all that is happening. It is a great place to be in. You do not resist what is and therefore worry or stress becomes less and less a part of your perception.

What do you think?

#18 (13:12 - 13:32)

"Make an attempt to think globally rather than locally. People who look different, speak a different language, have a different belief are all a part of us. We are all now here together. In the eyes of the loving presence, there are no favorites."

In thinking about this, I get a message about connectedness. There is no separation amongst us. Even if it seems so perceptually, in reality we are all connected. Therefore, there can be no favorites, no you and me, no this way better than that way. Everything just is the way it is as its true essence is revealed in the world. I remember a very profound saying of Dr. David Hawkins; "You are what you are by virtue of your very essence."

Once we understand that we are all connected, then we begin to perceive things and treat people differently. Our perception of the world changes and we are totally transformed. One of the previous lessons state that once we know we are connected to all others, we are not able to harm anyone. Ultimately, we are only harming ourselves. Dwell on this idea for some time today; you will see how true this is.

There is only the Self.

#17 (12:49 - 13:11)

"Adhere to the most important guideline ever passed on to us from the spiritual world; Love thy neighbor as thyself. Make this a daily affirmation in your life, beginning today; I will love my neighbor as I love myself."

This is said to be the most important teaching one should live by. Once this is adhered to, then we will be conscious of everyone else. Treat others as you would want to be treated; it is very simple message, yet very hard to practice. We do not see ourselves as connected to everyone else, therefore we lack the compassion we should have for others. Once we understand that human consciousness is intrinsically innocent, we view the world totally different. My goal today is to show and be compassionate to all within my presence. I would like you all to practice that as well. Life becomes a very beautiful experience once this valuable message is adhered to. Jesus Christ said it through his message of love, peace and forgiveness. Peace and love are states that prevail once we learn to forgive; they are always within us. They are merely being blocked by our egocentric positionalities.

Anytime you think negatively of someone, or find yourself saying something unkind about someone, think about it and contemplate whether or not you would like to be in that person’s position. Every time you think of saying something about someone, think whether or not it would be beneficial for the person, or if you are saying it to make fun of the person. If it is the latter, then practice refraining from saying it at all because it can only lead to someone getting hurt. There is never a need to judge. Those who judge only defines themselves as someone who needs to judge; it says nothing about the person they are judging.

Much Blessings.

Namaste.

#16 (12:16 -12:48)

"Today, shed your fault-finding tendencies. Know that you are the creator of your life and that a loving presence is always with you. Your ability to be self-reliant will overtake your habit of assigning blame. Another way of saying this is that 'your life is a product of all of the choices you have made up until now and no one else is to blame for anything that is going on in your life'. Circumstances don't make a man, they reveal him, as James Allen said."

This is a very important message to understand. We are indeed the creator of our lives; the world we experience is exactly that which we created for ourselves. Anytime things occur in our lives that we can't explain, or that we did not want, we find it easy to blame someone or something else. However, as soon as we realize that these occurrences can only be experienced through thought, we see that we have full control of how these impact our lives. This is very powerful. There is no one else to blame for anything.

Everything that happens to us, we attract. In other words, what we put out into the Universe, is precisely what is returned to us. For example, if we always express hatred, the world would seem to be a very hateful place. On the other hand, if we always express love and peace, that would be the image we have of the world and good things will be drawn to us. This concept is amazing once it is thought of at a profound level. I believe what's important is not what happens; because things will always happen. It is how we think about the things that happen. Perception is the key.

Thank you God.

Frank.

#15 (11:40 - 12:14)

"Try to get back to nature today in some way. Give yourself time in the woods, trekking in the mountains, walking in open meadows or walking barefoot on the beach. When you take the time to drink in the beauty of the natural world, you will release your belief that things and accumulations are needed for you to feel complete. There's a wonderful saying I used to tell all my clients, 'wilderness is therapy'. Even if you live in the city, if you could walk barefoot along the grass in a park someplace, you will find yourself feeling more blissful."

Connect with nature today

Today I did not reflect on the message in the morning; I am doing it after work. I actually took the time today to have lunch outdoors with a colleague and close friend of mine. It was great. The St. John's University campus is such a beautiful place. I have always loved the campus; even when I was there alone during my undergraduate days during the winter vacation. Stunningly beautiful at times. Each season brings a different sort of beauty.

It really felt great today having lunch outdoors. Rarely do we take this time to reconnect with nature and just be. We are always caught up with our day-to-day activities and lose ourselves in all the work we may have. I know I do that a lot as well. I told myself that I will spend more time out and in reflection. This blog has definitely allowed me to do so.

Thank you.

Love Frank

#14 (11:03 - 11:38)

"Let go of the concept that 'more is better'. This idea keeps us exclusively in the physical domain. You can replace the 'more is better' belief with an inner serenity that does not need more to be acceptable. Let me ask this rhetorical question as you consider this transforming thought, 'Where is the peace in 'more is better''? And of course you know the answer. There is no peace in 'more is better' and if it doesn't bring peace to your life then it is something you want to discard."

When I read this lesson, what comes to mind is 'wantingness'. To be in a state of wantingness', that is, always wanting more and more of anything, keeps you in that state indefinitely. It is important for us to realize that we are already whole and there is nothing to want. Once you fully understand this, all that you desire actually comes to you with relative ease because you know that you are complete and total, so everything just flows to you as a synchronous process. Is this an understanding that cannot be achieved in the world we currently live in? We always have to strive to be better, to improve, to outperform, to achieve high standards. One's success almost depends on it; how much better are you than the other guy.

I think even though this is the way things are, it all depends on us. We have the choice to define our own definition of success. We have the choice to be grateful for what we have now and not be attached to what we want in the future. If we achieve things, great. If not, well it's ok. The most important thing to realize is that we are complete and everything we desire is already on its way, therefore, you don't have to want anything, just be. Let's be grateful for what we have in this present moment. Let's always be in a state of gratitude.

Thank you.

God bless.

Frank

#13 (10:33 - 11:03)

"Remember that what you think about expands. Since you have the power to make the inner world work with you or against you, use it to create the image of bliss that you want to occur in your material world. Eventually that inner bliss will be the blueprint you will consult as the architect of your everyday life. Your thoughts create your reality. Once you know this you will be very careful about what you think about."

I really understood the power of thought when I listened to various Buddhist teachings and lectures from Dr. Dyer. This message is also expressed through Esther Hicks as well. Thoughts create our reality. Therefore, change your thoughts about the world, and the world you experience changes simultaneously. Amazing stuff when you think about it. No pun intended.

If we delve deeper into the meaning of this lesson, we will realize that we are in total control of our lives. Since we experience our lives through thought, then once we learn to control and be careful about what we think about, we can truly experience the bliss and harmony we desire in our everyday lives. Change the very thoughts we have and we change our world.  A very simple concept; however, we do find difficulty in its application to our daily lives. The Buddha said it correctly "All we are is a result of what we have thought." Also, everything we experience in life, we have attracted towards ourselves. Think about this deeply and the meaning will shine forth.

I recently posted a great video by Napoleon Hill on Great Talks; The Power of the Mind. He talks about the great gift we were all given by our Creator; the ability to take control of one's mind and direct it to whatever ends one desires. Check it out. I highly recommend this video.

God bless.

Frank.

#12 (9:48 - 10:32)

"Work at being content with who you are rather than pleasing others by being unauthentic. Say to yourself 'I am what I am' and it is ok as long as I am not hurting anyone else in the process. You have a right to be who you are and the only morality you have to be concerned with is if somebody else is being hurt with you being who you are. You don't have to apologize for anything or anyone. You don't have to apologize to anyone for anything that you are. It is a wonderful affirmation, 'I am what I am' from La Cage Aux Folles. I am what I am; say it over and over again today."

The importance of this message, as expressed in the song, is to be true to yourself. You should walk to the beat of your own drum and not anyone else's. This is the only way to live your life. You are free to express yourself any way you see fit because you are a manifestation of God. However, as Dr. Dyer said, the only consideration you must make is if you are in fact harming anyone by doing so.

Life is truly a blessing and our purpose here is to find our true nature. We can only do so by being ourselves. It is only through radical subjectivity can we really experience and come to know who we are. Most of the time, we find ourselves doing things to please others, even though, deep down, we don't agree with it. We have this fear of things turning out wrongly if we don't do so. However, it is most important for us to go within ourselves and do what we feel is best rather than looking for the answers or joy on the outside. It is an amazing practice to begin.

'I am what I am' and cannot be anything other than that. Can a dog be a cat? Can a duck be a cow? I am what I am. I am not what someone else thinks of me; I am not the name that someone calls me; I am not what my reputation is; I am not my grades or awards, I am not the job I do. All these are things outside of myself. To know who I truly am, I must go within. I believe I understand. I will reflect on this idea today; Everything is a perfect expression of its own essence.

Thank you.

God bless.

Frank