Watch your Reflection

"Your life may be the only Bible some people read."  Unknown

That quote usually stops me in my tracks. Since I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment, I sometimes don't know what the "normal" thing to do.  

I know that Ernest Holmes talks about "A normal healthy mind reflects itself in a healthy body."  But what is normal and what is healthy?

Several times I have been up against what is the best thing I can do in this situation.  I have had to stop and think, "What would God do in this situation?"  

Arthur Schopenhauer once said, "Everyone takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world."  I keep having to remind myself to look beyond what I am seeing or what I am experiencing because there is always more.

Since I am of God or I am in God, I am constantly asking the question, "What is God up to here?"  Am I open to the surprise and delight?  I was created to flourish and am I doing that right now?  

Since I have the potential of God within me, I ask for the power to recognize it, accept it, and carry it out. 

What a difference just a few minutes of thinking can do.  I invite you to engage your mind to so the same. 

Fulfillment

Over the years, I have kept a journal for wonderful quotes and things I want to remember.  When I take the time to go back and re-read what I have written, I am impressed all over again.  

I don't know who or where I found the following, but I want to share some of the items with you.  (I now keep track of the source of the quotes or references of where I have received the information).

1. Get out of your own way.  Eavesdrop on God and see or hear or get the imagination working to find out what great dream God has for you.
2. Let it work through you.
3. Accumulate pages, not judgments.
4. Be grateful for all of what life brings to you.
5. Show up for life.
6. Watch for the surprise and delight.
7. Do what's in front of you with excellence.
8. With intention, ask for what you want.  With attention, walk the walk.
9. Every detail has been planned for your enjoyment.

Watching for the surprise and delight is something I forget about - probably because I wasn't raised with joy, or happiness, or anything close to delight.  All of these are now emotions that I have to create for myself in order to get how fulfilling life can be.  

I am sure that one or two of the above are something you need to work on in your life.  I am willing to work with mine while you are working with yours and together, we can get this done.  There is that unknown substance that when more people are working on the same thing, group consciousness allows for the increase exponentially.  It's that Biblical thing about "where two or more are gathered."  I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to the place of God consciousness in my life.  How about you?

Learning More Lessons

I am in a situation which is very uncomfortable and am in a position in which all I can do is accept what is.  It makes me angry because I cannot trust the person involved in this.  

Years ago, I read a book by Joe Vitale in which he gives a formula for forgiveness.  The steps are

I love you

I'm sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you.

May McCarthy uses one that is similar.  Her steps are

I bless you

I love you

I forgive you

I release you.

Several issues come up with me when I am using either one of the above processes for a forgiveness exercise.  When I am in the situation, I do not love the person.  When the transgression is against me, I am not the one to be sorry (except for me being in the situation).  And I realize that forgiving is for me to release and not for the other person.  Being grateful is the last feeling I have.

Blessing someone is equally as difficult when in the situation.  Loving them?  Forget it.  Forgiving, okay and releasing is fine, too, as long as they are released out of my life.  

In order for me to move on, I have revised the above steps into my own version of being able to best move on from the situation.  

I accept you

I forgive you

I bless you

I release you.

I accept that I got myself into this situation and I have to admit that I don't like it and have to ask myself, "What could I have been thinking?" in the beginning.  I accept that you are not the person I thought I could trust and depend upon for keeping your word.  I didn't know that you didn't know how to do that.

I forgive you for being the way you are and and I forgive me for even getting into this kind of situation.  I accept that I have to accept the situation for what it is and that nothing is ever going to change it.  As one of my students use to say, "It is time to suck it up and move on."  

I bless you into your higher good whatever and wherever that is for you. 

I release you out of my realm of existence.  I am more than ready to sever whatever strings are attached to us and I no longer want to have anything to do with you.  We are done!  It is over.  I am complete.

There is not a "formula" for anything in life that fits all of us.  Sometimes we need to take a better look at what we have accepted and realize that we need to come up with our own way of doing things.  All of us are individuals and we sometimes don't fit into the "cookie cutter" way of doing things.  

This whole exercise taught me that I have to think for myself.  I have to think about what I am getting into, how this is going to effect me, what are the long term aspects, and what if?  It has also taught me that I need to say "no" and not feel bad about it.  And to have compassion for myself for not knowing any better.  

The lessons in life are sometimes tougher than anything else.  I ask for help to remember what I now know and to act and be better in the future.  

Please learn from me so that you don't have to experience this in real life.

Abbondonza

This is a word from the Italian language meaning more than enough, plenty, abundance.  Abundance is having more than we need and want.

One of my teachers use to tell us that," we could have anything we wanted." Then he went on to add, "but where would you put it?"  There comes a huge responsibility with having everything.  

I love to fantasize about having a mansion.  What fun it would be to have all the space, having all of the closets, just having room to do whatever.  Then, I think about having to keep it clean and the fantasy just leaves.  

The truth is, I have all I need and want at this time.  Our home is very comfortable, easy to keep clean, and is very affordable.  Because I have "enough" I feel surrounded in abbondonza.  

Some of us need to be reminded that we have enough.  We are stimulated to "want" more than what we have when we watch the commercials on TV, or hear of wonderful sales, or when on social media, the ads show up with great deals.  I discipline myself with the "no more" stuff.  I am out of room to store it all.  I remember that I need to "go slow."  I no longer need to rush around "doing things, needing things, or having things."  I already live in abbondonza and all is well.  

Take the time to think about your life.  Think deeply.  Be grateful that you, too, live in abbondonza and that all is well.

Being Real

Have the courage to share your fears and flaws.  Flawed characters are the unforgettable ones.  Susan Shaughnessy

Being real goes along with the above quote.  As a spiritual leader, there are times when all I want to do is scream, yell and berate what is in front of me.  I remember my spiritual mentor and he let it all out - whatever he was feeling or experiencing, you didn't have to wonder - it was all there.  Because he was real, I loved him all the more for it.

It takes courage to be what you are.  And it takes courage to be authentic.  It takes more courage to shut up!  I love the quote that is in the July issue of the Science of Mind that says, "Just because you can fit into it doesn't mean you should wear it out of the house, by Timi Ruiz."  That applies to so many things.  

Since being out of "active" duty in the ministry, it takes all I have when I am in a social situation and hear people complaining, or talking about their latest illnesses, or can't find a solution to what is going on their lives, to just listen, smile and "shut up!"  I realize that I don't have to be the "know it all" and for some, they truly just need a friend to listen.  

When I think of the people in my life that I love the most, they are flawed in interesting ways.  I love the differences.  I realize that the differences are what makes life more interesting.  If we were all the same, it would certainly make life boring.

When I want to see the sky, I look to my feet.  When I am ready for a new inspiration for a dream, I open my mind.  New solutions come to me when I let go of the old ways of doing things.  I am so grateful for my experiences and my fabulous life.  What is wonderful in your life?