Amazing Grace

Many of us are familiar with a hymn entitled Amazing Grace. The poignant lyrics were inspired by an event in the life of John Newton, the hymn’s author. From online accounts, John Newton was a strong willed young man who was rebellious to authority. He was conscripted into the Royal Navy, but was soon discharged due to behavioral issues. As a result, he later served on various slave trade vessels.

During a severe storm off the coast of Ireland in 1748, John found himself crying out to God for mercy. A conversion occurred, which changed his life forever. Although he continued to work on slave ships for a few more years, he experienced a growing sense of sympathy for the slaves. After retiring from sailing, he studied Christian theology and became an abolitionist. Here is the first stanza of his transformative hymn, Amazing Grace:

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”

“Amazing Grace” ~ John Newton

The hymn relates the potent feelings that accompany the realization that we’re not who we think ourselves to be, but actually an aspect of the Creator. As long as we believe that we’re a person, we’re enslaved without realizing it. In I Am That, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj expressed the condition this way: “To be a person is to be asleep.” We’re asleep when we’re still caught within the net of Maya (illusion) and unaware that our true Self is Universal Consciousness. To awaken, we needn’t endure a perilous sea voyage. We need only to turn our attention within, to the silent stillness of meditation. Amazing Grace will determine if we’re set free.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡

A Frog By Any Name

Once upon a pond named Earth, there lived a male frog. If viewed by us, frog might have been described as big and green and slippery-skinned; but to the frog, he was only is-ness. Frog was quite oblivious to the world around him. He gave no thought to yesterday or tomorrow; for frog knew not the silliness of humankind. Every day was a new and daring adventure. When nature decreed, he would do leap-laps around the perimeter of the pond, lazily swim out to the submerged log on the other shore, or perch upon one of the big rocks that surrounded the pond and cribbet frog opera just for the sheer love of it. Frog didn’t know a lick of Italian, but he never judged the quality of his croak-singing against any other frogs’ musical efforts–such would never have occurred to him. Frog felt at home in the pond because is-ness allowed him to instinctively know he was an integral part of the world as a whole. But then…

***

One day, “thought” entered the still voidness of frog’s consciousness and whispered “you should give yourself a name.” At first, frog was befuddled, hearing that little voice within his head; but the more frog listened to thought, the more he liked the idea. “Yes,” he thought, “I shall name myself–a name befitting a frog of my grand status within the pond.” Initially, frog was tempted to use alliteration, thinking that names beginning with an F might be quite appealing. For one full day, he mulled over names such as Freddy, Franklin, and Fernando; but frog finally settled on naming himself Ralph Lauren–no relation to the designer. Once he had chosen the name, frog sensed pride rise within himself; he felt as though he was wearing a king’s crown as he stepped smartly around the pond. Now he was a “somebody.”

As life would have it, within a few days Ralph Lauren caught the protruding eye of one of the lovely lady frogs that inhabited the pond. When Ralph Lauren noticed, he played it cool, very cool. In response to the voice in his head (which said, “Damn it frog, stand up straight and look your best!”), he stood up on his hind legs, squared back his shoulders, and puffed up his chest. To top it off, he nonchalantly smiled his “I’m-the-frog” smile and snagged a fly in mid flight without even looking. Lady frog, who was quite impressed, smiled back; and Ralph felt his heartbeat quicken. The voice in his head was very happy, indeed.

Within a few days, Ralph and lady frog arranged to go out on a date. They would have dinner on one of the lily pads with a view. In preparation, Ralph paid a visit to a local apparel shop not far from the pond. After much deliberation, and a silent “yes” from the voice within his head, Ralph selected a tuxedo–basic black, notch lapels, french cuffs, and silk pant stripe. Oh, how Ralph smiled as he strode from the shop, the tuxedo within a clothing bag over his shoulder. He was feeling on top of the world, and he was going to look oh-so-fine on the date!

The date, unfortunately, did not go as planned. When Ralph Lauren rang the doorbell at lady frog’s pad, she opened the door, took one look at his finery, and laughed him off her front stoop. “You think I’m going to go out with you if you’re wearing that!” she exclaimed. “What kind of frog wears a tuxedo to dinner?!” Dejected, Ralph Lauren turned and plodded home. All night long, the voice in his head tortured him. “If only I’d chosen a white suit,” he thought, “everything would have turned out fine.” Life had once seemed so easy; but Ralph was now miserable due to the endless commentary by the voice in his head. How Ralph yearned for the days when he was a nobody singing opera on the big rock at the pond.

In the following weeks, Ralph Lauren visited a local frog psychiatrist, who, after numerous sessions, diagnosed Ralph as displaying human-like behaviour, proclaimed him neurotic, and prescribed anti-anxiety medication, which he still takes to this day. The psychiatrist also advised Ralph to continue their appointments indefinitely. In an effort to alleviate his suffering, Ralph is currently seeking a guru to help guide him back to recognition of his true Nature–That–and the blissful life he knew before “thought-in-the-head” convinced him to believe that he could ever be anything other than what he is already. As of last report, frog had dropped the moniker of Ralph Lauren, preferring to simplify his life as much as possible. Be forewarned, folks. Could it happen to “you?” Special note: “Lady frog” soonafter shacked up with an old toad with a criminal background, and she’s put on a lot of weight. “Thought-in-the-head” would be happy.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Master Key

A “master key,” as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is as follows: “a key designed to open several different locks.” In the ordinary sense of the word, we might imagine someone–perhaps a landlord–who, in an emergency, might need to gain access to various apartments. In this article, however, we’re interested in the extraordinary–the meaning that can help us recognize true Self and, thus, unlock esoteric powers to co-create that are not in the domain of those who still assume they are the persons they’ve been conditioned to believe themselves to be. Accompany me, if you will, as we journey toward a deeper understanding of master key:

***

The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel (who was a successful businessman and new thought author and teacher) is a foundational book for anyone with a keen interest in the Law of Attraction. To the uninitiated, it may not seem an easy read; but it is definitely a worthwhile read, for the teachings contained within its pages are unparalleled. Originally published in 1912 as a correspondence course for those interested in the study of new thought, it was first published as a book in 1916. It begins as follows: “It is my privilege to enclose herewith Part One of the Master Key System. Would you bring into your life more power? Get the power consciousness. More health? Get the health consciousness. More happiness? Get the happiness consciousness. Live the spirit of these things until they become yours by right. It will then become impossible to keep them from you. The things of the world are fluid to a power within man by which he rules them.”

Those of you who–believing yourself to the sum total of body-mind–may now be tempted to throw up your hands in frustration and shout “lunacy”–or worse! But if you’re keenly interested in manifesting a more successful life, you may be curious enough to keep reading. What Haanel was stating is the same truth that all successful motivational speakers still inform us of today: If we desire to change what “appears” without (the phenomenal world), we absolutely must–FIRST– change our paradigms within. A paradigm (again, courtesy of Merriam-Webster Dictionary) is defined as follows: “example, pattern; an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype.” With regard to deliberate manifestation, we might consider our paradigms to be a set of closely-held subconscious beliefs related to every aspect of our apparent life.

Key to understanding this subject matter on a deeper level is this: We can only manifest that with which we are in harmony. Meaning: We’ve got to be it (our desire) before we can see it. If we’re telling ourselves that we’re financially rich but still embracing a poverty mindset (as evidenced by our shopping patterns and the words that we speak–“I can’t afford that!”), we have more work to do with regard to changing our paradigms. There are various ways to change our paradigms, but repetition of new beliefs (stated in the affirmative, present tense: “I Am rich,”–not “I Am not poor.”) is the most powerful. In conjunction with putting the mind to work, we must also put our Awareness to work; for Awareness is the guardian at the gate of our mind. Through Awareness, we govern what we permit access into our mind and that which we don’t. Please remember this: What is habitually impressed upon the mind will be expressed as our “reality.”

From the time that we were young children, all of us mentally absorbed the habitual beliefs of our parents, neighbours, and persons in positions of authority. We had little choice to do otherwise; for our persona (which would become more apparent later) had not fully developed its right to govern what information to believe or disbelieve with regard to the world. Thus, if our parents believed that money was hard to come by, such also became our belief. If they habitually spoke of apparent lack, limitation, and disease, we naturally assimilated their negative paradigms unless those beliefs were challenged as “untrue” by persons with greater influence and more positive worldviews.

I offer now a couple passages from the Bible, which I believe have the power to help you manifest that which you desire. The first is from Mark 11:24: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We must claim that our desires have already been fulfilled NOW–not that they will be in the future (which is non-existent). The second is from Job 22:28: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.” It’s important to understand that the apparent “reality” we sense is rendered by the mind–only. As Paramahansa Yogananda stated in The Law of Success, “Mind is the creator of everything.” We’ve all been programmed to believe that we are the body-mind (aka person) and that we must work–very hard, indeed–to achieve what we desire. However, we are not now, nor were we ever, the doer. Mind is the doer. We are living Spirit, witnessing an apparently human experience in the Waking State.

Not by accident (for there truly are none), I selected a photo that has a heart-shaped lock within it to accompany this article. The heart represents an important ingredient toward successful manifestation. We must feel the truth of our affirmations (against all logical protests from the little “i”) if our desires are ever to manifest. Time spent in meditation is beneficial on two counts: It helps us become acquainted with true Self (the silent witness), and we can also use the quiet solitude to visualize the end results that we desire. If doing so, it’s important to visualize yourself from the perspective of your desire fulfilled. To do so sends a very clear paradigm to The Universe, which, according to spiritual law, must manifest.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Raping of The Sheep

“Don” is in this life for himself, and he makes no bones about it. He often says “You gotta look out for number one,” and the expression perfectly reflects his behaviour. Behind his customers’ backs, he calls them foul names and ridicules their mannerisms. In business deals, he’s proud of “raping the sheep,” which means getting the upper hand through sly manipulation. The love of money is his sole reason for being. After a deal concludes, he smiles and shakes hands with his customers; but behind closed doors, he mocks their gullibility. The memory of the sweet deal with Rosie, one his trusting elderly neighbours, always brings a smile to his face; it was so easy to defraud her of an extra ten thousand dollars. In his personal relationships, he’s no less ruthless; for his pleasure is what matters most. It is all about him. Although Don is six feet two inches tall, he is a small man; trouble is, he doesn’t know it.

***

What Don and innumerable persons like him don’t realize is that our body-minds are expressions of The One, aka Consciousness. Consciousness is the only reality. Due to this, absolutely nothing can be hidden from The One–how could it? If such were, indeed, possible, how could we ever accomplish this miracle of hiding our best or worst from the Loving Power–“That”—which is Omnipresent? In Luke 12:7, KJB, we may read the following: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. When we come to know Truth, we realize that there is only One Knower and One Doer masquerading as a multiplicity and diversity of apparent forms. Any act performed against an apparent other is actually an act against ourself. I make no pretense of being an authority on the Bible, but this truth is clearly revealed in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” It’s informing us that Consciousness knows whether you’ve been bad or good; so be good for goodness sake.

It’s important to realize that we are not punished for our sins (by some vengeful God in the sky); rather, we are punished by our sins (which is actually defined as to miss the mark). What we apparently do comes back to us. Fortunately, the same holds true as it relates to goodness. Thus, if we desire more love in the world, we must be more loving. If we desire to experience more compassion, generosity, and sincerity, we must be more compassionate, generous, and sincere. We can spare ourselves a lot of needless suffering by embracing high ideals on a regular basis. If we’re serving “we” on a regular basis, as opposed to the little “me,” we’re on the right track. Our human incarnation is of tremendous value; for it provides an opportunity to awaken to the Truth of our essential nature. We are so much more than name and form. We are divine Spirit having an apparent human incarnation.

***

Update: The majority of us are likely tempted to wish otherwise, but Don’s unethical business tactics went undetected while he remained in human form. However, nothing escapes the snares of karma. Subsequent to a major business deal in which he apparently raped all of the sheep involved, his body-mind passed from this world–not one soul attended the funeral. Don is currently serving time in Colorado, as an intestinal parasite in a sheep named Rosie. You might say, that’s he’s awaiting his extradition papers. With any luck and a little more grazing, he’ll be out in a day or so to continue his journey. Be kind; wish him well; embrace the love that flows through you–that is you–and be wise enough to turn the other cheek and seek not human revenge. Hold no evil wish against anyone. The wheels of this Universe roll along in unexpected and mysterious ways.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Entertaining “The Beast”

I thought I’d share the account of an incident which happened a couple of nights ago: I was feeling a little lonely, so I thought I’d call an old friend of mine, Satan. I asked if he was free and whether he would like to join me for dinner at my place. I suggested that we could have something hot and spicy, perhaps pizza loaded with dragon’s breath peppers. For dessert, I promised that we’d have baked alaska flambé. You’re probably getting the picture–it was to be a theme menu. A couple of hours later, the doorbell sizzled and guess who showed up? Art, it was Art!

***

The point of this article harkens to the old story of each of us having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The angel refers to our higher Self, Awareness, which is Being and Knowing. It’s What we truly are. The devil refers to the lower self, the psychological “me,” which is frequently mistaken as our true identity. It’s not. It’s a fictional self-centered little “i” that comes in a wide variety of types. Some are nice, with a little bit of an edge; some are not so nice, but do their best to conceal that fact. At their core, all false selves are ultimately self-centered and, in varying degrees, selfish. The problem with the false self is that it often makes our life a living hell, in one way or another. For instance: With the promise of future happiness, the false self attempts to convince us to spend our life chasing persons, possessions, wealth, and achievement like a crazed donkey chasing a carrot! The false self, which expresses lower degrees of consciousness such as greed, shame, anger, hatred, and selfishness, is the antithesis of true Self.

Our true Self is timeless and eternal. It is not of this apparently physical world. It is Life without beginning or end; the alpha and omega of all that ever was, is, and shall be. The devil self arises and develops when the body-mind appears in the world. It is a conceptual self only, formed from repetitive thoughts and perceptions. Because it was born, it is subject to death; for all that comes into form must fall out of form. To believe it is conscious is an error. It is not. Only Consciousness is Conscious. The key is to recognize What we truly are before the body-mind makes its exit. Collectively, the false selves make up “the devil,” that scary figure often depicted in various doctrines. It’s not an entity unto itself; for there is no opposite to our true Self, which is Consciousness, aka God. So, back to Art, at the door:

***

“How have you been?” I asked, with a fake smile pasted on my face. “Oh, good,” said Art, extending his hand to shake mine. I feigned having greasy fingers from food preparation to avoid shaking his hand. Little Satan boy Art seemed to accept my lame excuse. Trust me, once you’ve given up the devil in you, you don’t want to invite him or her back into your life. A moment later, I told Art that I saw a ten dollar note lying on the floor behind him. As quick as you can say “Beelzebub is bonkers,” he spun around to pick it up, and I closed the door and bolted the lock. Amidst his incessant knocks, I whispered, “Nobody home.” I’m having the locks changed tomorrow.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Heart Bound

Today, a man on LinkedIn posted a short video of a happening that occurred within his family. I watched his presentation intently; and I’ll be honest, it moved me to tears. I literally wept. Why? Because what he shared resonated with the Truth of my Being. That “Being” is in me–pervading; and It is also in everyone else–pervading. It is the substance of That from which all of us are made. It’s Reality is undiluted Love in all its fullness. Here’s the account:

***

“My daughter did something wonderful this morning,” the man began. He then related that he had watched as his elder daughter placed some newspapers in the mailbox. He was puzzled, so he asked her why. She told him that her younger sister so enjoyed going to the mailbox and finding some mail. That’s why she did it–to be a source of joy for her little sister. The man then wondered to when the last time was that he had performed such a deed, purely for the sake of bringing joy to someone else. He also shared that when his younger daughter checked the mailbox, she was ecstatic!

***

As I’m writing this, the joy of that account is still ripe within me. No happiness of the ego can touch its transcendent authenticity. The account reminds me of what my dear mother, who experienced her fair share of suffering, often wisely told me. She told me that the easiest way to shake off the blues was to do something nice for someone else. There–in the heart of this timeless moment–is the secret to a very rich life; a life devoid of the self-centered “what’s-in-this-for-me?” perspective of the little “i.” If you can catch that thief in operation, you’re on your way to being liberated from it.

The false self, the character of Mister or Misses “me,” is not the real Self. As far as natures go, those two are galaxies apart. True Self is giving. It is the Source of love, comfort, peace, and joy. We feel our way to It; and we recognize and appreciate It just as It is. The false self is the psychological me; the fictional self that outwardly may appear giving; but who inwardly interested in self-preservation, appearance, and taking. It is the author of The Book of Sly.

Today–right now–we can take back our birthright and be heart bound. We’ll recognize the nature of true Self by the way we feel. No thinking is required. When we rediscover the Center of our Being, we are once again home in our sense of belonging. True Self is closer than our breath–not a heartbeat away. One of the best ways to rediscover It is to live from the perspective of that elder daughter. What can we give? A friendly smile or kind word? Some financial support? Time spent sharing a talent? A telephone call to someone who’s lonely? And what of that “beggar” on the street–the one who shares the same true Self? Isn’t it time to truly live from our heart?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

All “My” Ducks in a Row

Most of us have heard, or perhaps even used, the following expression: “All of my ducks are in a row.” It implies that everything is just fine; circumstances are under control; and that life is oh, so good. Although this may seem fine as an expression, it’s actually a horrendously unsatisfactory way to live. The problem with this life strategy is that it requires tremendous, unending effort. “Here, little Duckie, walk this way, now that,” while I juggle ten tasks that must be done–at the same time.

The inspiration for this article comes, yet again, from the book entitled Awareness, by Anthony De Mello. It was recommended to me by fellow blogger “AP2, Clear Air Turbulence,” right here on WordPress (I hope you’ll check out his fine posts). Here’s the line, which relates to what I’ve expressed in the paragraph above:

“You keep on insisting, ‘I feel good because the world is right.’

Wrong!

The world is right because I’m happy.”

The point at which the expression about ducks and the lines above intersect is called “me.” When we rise in awareness, we can understand that it is only “me” who is having a problem with life as it is here and now. Once the “me” is revealed for what it is (a conceptual self), we can experience more of the present-moment joy that life is freely offering. Nothing and no one can rob us of that joy if we don’t allow the little “i” to steal us blind. Ducks don’t need to be in a row; tasks don’t have to be juggled; and we don’t have to be tempted by a fictional point of perfection in a fictional future. Then, mysteriously, we discover the incredible paradox: By not trying to have our ducks in a row, we realize that life is just fine, regardless of the state of the ducks!

This is not to say that we should drop our goals, or set our heart upon accomplishing tasks. Doing still occurs; work gets done. The main difference is in our approach. With detached awareness, it’s possible to witness when the fictional person is operating. It’s in our best interest to discover the nature of the little ‘i.” When we do, through self-inquiry, we’re well on our way to freedom–from grief, strife, and suffering. In this way, we can still interact with others and perform our work; but actions will occur without the interference of the separate little “me” that’s never satisfied. Ironically, everything will seem “just duckie.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Hammer Named “Choice”

Once upon a time in a land very close there lived an evil hammer named Choice. Everyone knew that The Hammer was big, monstrous, and bad to the bone. How it loved to prey upon unsuspecting thumbs! All day long, it would hide in the bushes and await the opportunity to pounce. “Heh, heh, heh, ” the thumbs imagined Choice muttering as they walked by, “now, there’s a delicious-looking thumb to whack!”

The thumbs never knew when Choice would strike. On some days, a lot of thumbs were whacked hard; on other days, only a few thumbs were struck; and on rare days, most of the thumbs went merrily about their business. However, almost all of the thumbs lived with the pervading fear that at any moment The Hammer could fall. In secret, the thumbs held Town Hall Meetings with the window blinds drawn and the lights turned low. They spoke in whispers and discussed what could be done to improve the condition of their lives. During such meetings, a variation of the following was almost always heard: “Did you hear about Burt?” asked one thumb to another. A terror-stricken hush would fall upon the room, then: “Yup, got whacked today–real hard.”

One day, however, a startling revelation occurred to a bright little thumb. “Wait a second,” it thought, “I can’t, in fact, know if I will be whacked by the big bad hammer today; but I can definitely choose how I live. I get to choose how I think and feel about every circumstance that arises. Choice doesn’t have me—I have Choice!” Empowered by the epiphany, the bright little thumb felt joy rise from within. It inhaled a deep breath and squared back its shoulders; and from that day forward, it focused on the beauty to be enjoyed here and now.

Within a few days, other thumbs noticed the dramatic change in the brave little thumb. It seemed to be shining with hope, positivity, and fearless spirit. Often the brave little thumb would be seen marching around town wearing a T-Shirt emblazoned with “I Am Lion Thumb, Hear Me Roar.” In time, word of the change spread to other thumbs, who told two thumbs, and so on. The startling transformation spread far and wide. The thumbs all rejoiced, and there was dancing and singing as never before. They even held a Thumb Fest; with everyone chanting “We have power, here; we have choice, now!”

***

So, what’s the point of this little parable? Did all of the thumbs march off into the sunset and live happily ever after? Well, yes and no. Like us, the thumbs continued to be whacked by life; but the good news is that they evolved and grew stronger. Much of life is beyond our control, but we can definitely control our attitude toward it. We can cower, or we can express our courageous nature. The choice is ours.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

All Our Petty Differences

How fervently humans hold their petty grudges, the offences we’ve deemed so important. How proudly we recount them through spiteful speech, like badges of woes pinned sharply to our lapel. How tightly we clutch to our “he-did-this” or “she-did-that” stories against us. I, too, have been guilty as charged. With that in mind, we’ll begin this article with a line from a book that a fellow blogger suggested that I might enjoy:

“We differ from others

–from criminals, for example–

only in what we do or don’t do, not in what we are.”
Awareness. by Anthony De Mello

Do those words, and the power within them, not strike us in the breastbone of our Being? Is Mr. or Mrs. Ego staggering from the punch? This short line begs us to ask the following: “How am I seeing?” Am I seeing with understanding born of the heart–from Truth, or am I seeing through the eyes of the petty little ego; the guy or gal who’s often so quick to judge; or reluctant or, perhaps unwilling, to forgive?

It’s been stated that individuals who hurt us personally, or collectively in society, are actually the ones most in need of love. This is perfectly logical. Why? Because such individuals are so far removed from their own knowing of love for themselves. For what other reason would they hate as much? How can we possibly give to another that which we, ourselves, don’t possess? We must also remember to extend the same loving forgiveness to our own “self;” for until we do, the healing is not complete.

All waves are identical in nature as the One Ocean in which they are immersed. How could they ever truly be different? Each wave undoubtedly expresses itself differently in form–peaking here, like a saint; or crashing there, like a sinner; but each and every one is made of Ocean. We are THAT. When we see with the love of One Heart, we will know how to truly look upon this world and, thereby, raise It.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With deep love,

Art

The Power of Attention

There’s a common misconception associated with the Law of Attraction, which may be expressed thus: When I get this or achieve that, I will be happy. Due to this ill-conceived belief, many individuals spend their entire life striving to reach goals which–if and when achieved–bring little more than momentary happiness. When such occurs, most dreamers automatically reach for an even grander goal, in the futile hope that it will yield the happiness they seek. The error is believing that an object, achievement, or even a person can be the source of true joy.

How, then, can we experience the joy we desire? If objects, achievement, and persons can’t yield the happiness we desire, what can? The true answer: Our essential nature, which is joy, itself. There, in the transcendent beauty of Self, we may know firsthand the joy that’s already ours. If it has eluded us thus far, it’s only because we’ve been searching in the wrong direction–outward instead of inward. Toward this truth, I offer a quote by Paulo Coelho for contemplation:

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.”

Attention is like a flashlight that we direct. Through it, we’re able to shine the light of consciousness in whatever direction we desire. We can shine it there–on war, famine, politics gone wrong, and crimes against humanity; or we can shine it here–on love, family, friends, food in our belly, and a roof over our head. What an amazing power we possess! In any given moment, we may direct our attention to whatever we choose. If we live consciously, the choice is ours.

Does this mean we must toss our dreams aside and leave them in the dust? Not at all. We may still proceed with our dreams–the new house or car, the great career, world travel, the loving relationship–but with a wise approach. The problem of dissatisfaction only arises when we mistake our dreams as the source of our happiness–not a complement to it! When we live the wiser way, we’re going to discover a mysterious paradox:

It’s when we’re most joyful within, that we manifest most successfully without.

Our joy is neither a million dollars away, nor the highest mountain climbed away. It’s neither a mansion away, nor a perfect lover away. It’s not a sports car away, a rich stock portfolio away, or a great travel destination away. Our joy is here, in this very moment–today! And the key that unlocks it to experience is gratitude. By centering our mind in the peace of the present moment, we will be surprised at what we discover. With the aim of discovering your inner joy, please contemplate the following list with a grateful heart:

A breath exhaled slowly, followed by the miracle of another breath inhaled.
The warmth of summer sun on our back.
A hug from–or given to–a loved one; or the memory of such.
The first sip of coffee in the morning.
A barefoot walk across carpet or a sandy beach.
Bread and butter, for what it signifies: we have food.
Eyes closed, and then opened to reveal the miracle of sight.
The smell of crisp clean air.
Beethoven’s glorious “Ode to Joy,” or even more sublime, the words “I love you.”
A drink of cool water…and thirst quenched.

The doorway to our transcendent state of joy cannot be found in the future; it cannot be entered tomorrow or next week or next year. The threshold to our joy is here, in the ever-present, eternal Now. The moments of our life come but once, bearing gifts both big and small. The question is, Will we receive the best this life can offer by using our attention wisely?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Behavior

Amazing Grace

A Frog By Any Name

The Master Key

The Raping of The Sheep

Entertaining “The Beast”

Heart Bound

All “My” Ducks in a Row

The Hammer Named “Choice”

All Our Petty Differences

The Power of Attention

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