Thank You, God!

My prayer today is: Thank You, God! Thank You, God! Thank You, God! I guess it’s an affirmation as well.

I’m grateful that I feel I made some progress in my daily practice of sitting in the Silence, of quieting the mind. I actually was able to focus mainly on my breath for a great portion of the ½ hour. And by focusing on the breath, one can only be in the present moment, in the Now. That is where Consciousness resides, that is where The Presence can be felt. When I did find myself back in the chatter of the little Me, I was inspired to chant Thank You, God! Thank You, God! Thank You, God! and get back to the breath, to the Now.

I’m grateful that I finally got back to my morning stretches. Ever since we moved to Sedona 7+ months ago, those had gone by the wayside. My morning schedule wasn’t so open any more, the floors are Saltillo tile (beautiful - and hard), and I don’t have my own private space where I can stretch to soothing music; challenges no doubt, but not roadblocks if I am willing and open to change. I finally became willing enough.

So this morning I am b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g deeply and I am feeling more conscious and more healthy in body, mind, and spirit. It feels great!

Thank You, God! Thank You, God! Thank You, God!

The Little Me

I’ve spent a good chunk of my life - like most other human beings born on this planet - living from the place of the separated, limited, little Me. Thinking that Me and the world of form would save me, placed me in prison. Suffering resides there.

All prisons come from thought forms. But I can choose freedom, I can choose to focus on The Presence. When I do, I renounce my separated, limited, little Me, I renounce suffering. With Spirit, I live through Its power and love.

When I’m awake, the world of form flows from grace, not from me trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Yet, by then, ironically, the world of form no longer holds great importance to me anyway.

What is always most important is focusing on God, The Source. There are no prisons in God’s kingdom, only in my egoic mind.

Today I renounce the separated, limited, little Me. Today I choose freedom as I wake up more fully to the grace, the love, the power of The Presence.

The Two "F's"

I have been offered a large work project which will stretch my knowledge a bit. It is a wonderful opportunity in many ways, yet I find myself in fear. One part of my mind knows I can accomplish it - that I have the skill, the talent, and access to learning resources if they are needed. But the other part of my mind is chattering away saying the opposite, being negative.

You know that other part of the mind - the ego, the ‘little me.’ It will always try to shoot me in the left foot, tell me I’m not good enough, and take me out of the Now, down the road to the future.

Fear lies in the future. Faith is here, now. Faith brings my consciousness back to the One Source from which all parts of me flow.

Today I will remember to stay in the Now, to stay in faith. God is with me always, blessing me in every situation. All is for my highest good.

Dear Spirit-
Bless me with staying in the moment and not projecting into the future. Replace any fear I may have with faith and keep me focused on Thee.

The Road

“God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” - Isaak Dinesen

I’ve no need to look far down the road because Now is the only time there is. The Presence is my focus and fills my vision. I am at peace; all is well.

Where's My Focus?

“If you intend to be of assistance, your eye is not upon the trouble but upon the assistance, and that is quite different. When you are looking for a solution, you are feeling positive emotion — but when you are looking at a problem, you are feeling negative emotion.” – Abraham, Excerpted from "The Law of Attraction, The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham" #366.

This of course is the concept that what we put our focus on becomes our reality.

And, this reminds me of the W.I.L.D. (Women In Love with the Divine) meeting I attended yesterday. Its focus was Emmet Fox’s concept of the Golden Key.

God is omnipotent, and we are God's image and likeness and have dominion over all things. Every individual has the ability to draw on this power.

Drawing on this power through scientific prayer will enable you to get out of any difficulty. In scientific prayer it is God who works, and not you, and so your particular limitations or weaknesses are of no account in the process. You are only the channel through which the divine action takes place, and your treatment will be just the getting of yourself out of the way.

It is very simple: Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead.

So once again, regardless of what is going on in my life - my business, my relationships, etc. - if I want to live in peace, joy, harmony, and love I must keep my eye focused on Thee.

The Breath

A client came into the office early yesterday morning already experiencing a rough day and acting a bit snarly. I suggested she take a deep breath. I’m not sure she did, but as I made the suggestion, I noticed I did! Instantly, I felt myself relax and feel more balanced.

When the ego is running around in the cage of my head, especially when I’m (meditating), focusing on my breath is a sure way for me to get centered. It sure feels great!

I take a deep, conscious breathe to relax, focus, stay in the Now, and thereby connect with Spirit. There is no limit to how often and how long I do this. The more, the better I’m sure my mental, emotional, spiritual, and even my physical body would agree.

A warm cup of chamomile tea: $2.49 - A deep breath: priceless!

Focus

“The less I focus on myself and my surroundings, the more at peace I am. “ – excerpt from Daily Word, July 15, 2009

Even though the aforementioned was written in reference to taking time away from activities to rest and get still, it resonates with me beyond that.

For it is true that when I am less absorbed in myself, putting the focus on others and being of service, I feel closer to God and thus more peaceful. And, again, when I limit or stay away from reading the news of our crazy times or focusing on material stuff (“surroundings”), the lines to Spirit are clearer and peace closer at hand.

In this world of more, more, more – things, activities, food, noise – whether I am sitting still in the silence or going about my day, “the less I focus on myself and my surroundings, the more at peace I am. “

Spirit, keep me focused in the moment and at peace in You.

Life Guidance

I’m glad to be out again studying philosophy and life with a group of people.

Last week I started a brief class on the Bhaghavad Gita and another one on Spiritual Economics: The Principles and Process of True Prosperity by Eric Butterworth.

The Gita presents, in seven-hundred verses revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism, a handbook for Self-realization and a guide to action. In it, Krishna, an incarnation of God, instructs on the nature of the soul and its relation to God, the levels of consciousness and reality, the makeup of the phenomenal world, etc. It points the way on how to achieve freedom and peace within.

In Spiritual Economics, Eric Butterworth reminds us in straightforward, non-theological language that we have the power and the means within us to live abundantly. We can work with the flow of life instead of against it, develop a prosperous attitude about money, health and love, and maintain our inner focus on affluence.

Hinduism and New Thought literature - each fascinating, providing insight into living life, and just the kind of works I enjoy reading.

I did not receive much guidance when I was growing up, but I’ve fared pretty well in many aspects of my life and known joy. And, always I can tap into a richness of knowledge to study, and interact with people who have the learning and the experience, and are willing to share it. I am not alone. I am grateful.