Get Your Motor Running

When I was a young boy between the ages of four and six, I used to drive my car in the basement of our home. Yup, you read that correctly, my “car.” My car was nothing fancy–no power windows, no heated seats, no surround-sound stereo. My car was actually a cardboard box, with a slot into which I could insert one of the dozen keys that I kept on a ring in my pocket; and it had a steering wheel of some sort (most likely a plastic disc with a nail in the center), and a gear shift. It was a pretty basic daily driver (🙂) for a child with an active imagination. At that time, if any adult mind had attempted to tell me that I wasn’t really driving my car, I would probably have gotten into my car and left them behind in the dust.

For persons who are eager to manifest more of what they desire in life (not “want,” because to want literally means “to lack”), it’s vitally important that we get our motor running by visualizing the life that you truly desire. Do you desire improved health, greater wealth, loving relationships? If that’s the case, then I suggest committing a few minutes each day (preferably right after waking, and just before drifting off to sleep) to visualization. Experience your desire in as much sensory fullness as possible; as though you–already–have it. The important point it to feel your desire as being true now. To be most effective, it’s important to visualize a scene from the first-person perspective that implies the successful achievement of your goal Now. Why should we visualize our goals as achieved Now? Because when other than now can anything occur? If you visualize your goal as being achieved next week, its achievement will ALWAYS be one week away.

To add some more credibility to the content of this article, let’s draw on a quote from Andrew Carnegie, who was no lightweight when it came to manifesting great wealth and success. Many of you realize that he was the man who commissioned Napoleon Hill to write Think and Grow Rich; which some readers still consider to be the granddaddy of all law of attraction books:

“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered,

will begin at once to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.“

Let’s add more weight to the importance of visualization and the power of our words (whether you think you CAN (✓), or you think you can’t (X), by reading the following passage from Job 22:28:

“Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee;

and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”

Perhaps the following quote from The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D. Wattles will resonate more strongly with you:

“No thought of form can be impressed upon original substance [consciousness]without causing the creation of that form. A human being is a thinking center and can originate thought.”

You might find even more reason to believe in the power of visualization through the following short article that relates a well-known study performed by Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago in 1996. Press here if you’d like to read it. You “know” the manifestation of your desire is inevitable when (as Neville Goddard, the Barbadian mystic, proclaimed) you feel the “naturalness” of the wish fulfilled. The feeling is as certain as driving my “car” was to me as a young boy.

Of course, you realize that this article is not just about a child who once pretended that he was driving a car in his basement. My intention is to offer information that can help you manifest improved health and a greater degree of success (however you define success). Isn’t it time to head out on the highway?

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–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🤍

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Bow Not To “The Megaphone”

Aanan, who was ten years of age, stopped dead in his tracks and watched in horror as his little brother Nathan, who was five, ran straight into the town square where “The Megaphone” was positioned atop a black marble base. Around its perimeter was a macabre decorative pattern that was identical to signs that were placed conspicuously throughout their little town, each with a singular camera-eye in the middle. Although not stated overtly, the meaning of the signs was absolutely clear: “Beware, we are watching.” Everyone knew that proper behaviour decreed that all citizens must halt at the perimeter of the circular pattern, bow, and then kneel before continuing on their way.

Two loud “Pssst, Psssssst’s!” from Aanan, followed by a piercing whistle soon caught Nathan’s attention. Aanan was frightened that the sirens positioned atop The Megaphone would blare at any moment.

“What?” Nathan called as he turned nonchalantly to look at his brother.

“Come here!” snapped Aanan, with a wave of his arm.

“Uh, uh,” said Nathan, “I gotta do somethin’ first.”

Aanan rolled his eyes as his little brother disappeared from sight on the far side of The Megaphone. Nervously, he waited…and waited. Less than a minute later, his little brother strolled into sight on the other side of The Megaphone.

“Don’t you ever–EVER–do that to us again!” snapped Aanan. “You could have gotten us into BIG trouble!” He grabbed his little brother’s shoulder and yanked so forcefully that Nathan momentarily lost his balance.

At home that night, when Nathan was lying in his bed, tears flowed down his soft cheeks as he hugged his teddy bear and thought of his mom and dad. They were both “gone” now; but his thoughts flowed to a night when his mother had hugged him close in their cozy living room and told him the following:

“You’re a dear child of God,” his mother had whispered as she stroked his hair, “the same as all of us. You’re not owned by any human. In this household, your father and I live respectfully; we express loving compassion to everyone to the best of our ability. When we look at others, we see ourselves because we know that we come from the same Creator. We give thanks to God for our very life.”

His mother’s words, which intuitively felt right, were directly opposite to those of his older brother. “No!” Aanan would exclaim repeatedly, “we belong to The Megaphone. We must do what The Megaphone tells us to do!” Aanan had heard stories about what could happen to those unfortunate beings who refused to submit. In his heart, he even wondered if that’s what had happened to his parents.

Nathan hugged his teddy bear more closely, and his tears ran in such abundance that his teddy’s face soon became damp. Nathan was afraid, so very afraid. What if the rumor was true, that The Megaphone really did know if we went number one or number two when we went to the bathroom? Unbeknownst to Aanan, when Nathan was on the far side of The Megaphone he had peed against its base. It had felt so good, so very good. A few minutes later, Nathan rolled onto his side and snuggled under the covers; but even with his head covered, he could hear the heavy sounds of the tall-booted Megaphone Soldiers marching past his window.

***

Dear FamilyOfOne,

Regarding the darkness that is represented in this fictional story, perhaps we might ask ourselves what type of “world” we are building this moment, this day, this week. What potential consequences might arise from our thoughts, beliefs, and actions–or inactions? Are we expressing compassion, consideration, and respect for everyone, or are we part of The Megaphone Society that hopes to win–what?!–by domination of our brothers and sisters? The choice (perhaps forgotten) is ours. HERE and NOW we may exercise awareness and put the POWER of LOVE toward shared good intentions.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Manifest: A Key Piece of Information

During my study of the teachings related to the Law of Attraction, I’ve read many wonderful books. Among them, I would highly recommend The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel; Creative Mind by Ernest Holmes; A Happy Pocket Full Of Money by David Cameron Gikandi, and several books by Neville Goddard, including The Power of Awareness, Your Faith Is Your Fortune, and Consciousness Is The Only Reality. My understanding has also increased by reading books that are purely spiritual in nature, such as I Am That, talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj; The Final Truth by Ramesh S. Balsekar; and several of Rupert Spira’s books, including The Nature of Consciousness, and The Intimacy of All Experience. In today’s article, however, I’m not going to focus on one specific book, but upon the following two sentences from a book entitled Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture:

“Things have no reality other than in consciousness.

Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”

Please re-read those lines slowly, giving yourself time to absorb their import. To assimilate the content of these sentences, we’re going to have to unlearn most–if not all–of what we’ve been told about the very nature of “reality.” This doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a process, during which we realize that the materialist paradigm of reality is false. As Paramahansa Yogananda shared in The Law of Success: “Mind is the creator of everything.” The only non-thing that’s required to have an apparent experience is CONSCIOUSNESS. That is, in fact, our essential nature.

The True “YOU” is not made of flesh and bones. Your “person” is created by the mind. Due to confusion and conditioning, the vast majority of beings believe they’re the “person” that awakens to reality when they rise in the morning. What actually occurs is that we enter the waking-state dream. Our essential nature is consciousness, (aka Spirit); we are dreaming our human experience right now. This means that we must BE whatever we desire first before it can manifest in our apparent “reality.” I’ll add a little weight to this article by sharing the following quote from Plutarch, who was a Greek Platonist, philosopher, biographer, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi:

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”

Our society has conditioned us to believe that we are the “person.” It has also programmed us to believe that hard work and sacrifice is the secret to the generation of wealth. That is a fallacy; we “are” wealth, itself, due to our divine heritage. To truly know this changes everything. Perhaps now you can understand why Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill includes the following quote:

“If you are one of those people who believe that hard work and honesty alone will bring riches–perish the thought; because it’s not true. Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of hard work.”

***

This, my dear friends, is the key to deeper understanding; a key that will help you manifest more of your goals with greater ease and effectiveness. Your way toward manifesting your dream life will also go more smoothly when you select a goal that not only serves your best interests but also the betterment of humanity.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Whispers of “I Am”

Joe Burton’s awakening to true Self came suddenly, as did Eckhart Tolle’s at the age of twenty-nine. One day, while he was sitting upon a bench at a local park, he heard The Voice silently state the following words:

***

“Come back,” whispered The Voice, “you’ve strayed too far. Given the programming that bombards you in the earthly realm, your ignorance of true Self is understandable; but when you remain asleep to your essential nature, you suffer such a steep price. When you’re searching for Truth, trust neither the appearance of things nor the egoic voice that blares its bombastic messages of self interest. Neither are YOU. Turn back; come home. I Am patiently awaiting your return.

“You see, dear child, you have been dreaming; but you’ve been unaware that such is the case. Contrary to what you’ve been conditioned to believe, it is impossible to actually be the body-mind. Although you and My world appear physical, they are purely mental. You and your circumstances are a projection of mind. When you arise in the morning, you assume that you walk, talk, and perform actions autonomously; but this is due to the power of Maya (illusion). In Truth, it is only through I that you live and move and have your being.

“That which is your true Self is changeless and eternal. The same cannot be stated of your body or mind, for they are ever changeful. If you contemplate the subject even briefly, you will understand that you cannot possibly be the same person you believed yourself to be at five, twenty-five, or fifty? Has not your personality and body changed dramatically through time? It is only here, as the gloriously abundant Here and Now of I Am That I Am, that you are stable; all else is a fleeting and unstable fabrication of the mind.

“When you are knowingly unaware of your true nature, you believe yourself to be the name and form that appears before you, as you. When you awaken to true Self, you realize you are I Am and, thus, knowingly become the Christ. You realize, as did Jesus, that the Father and I are One. Expressed in your modern-day language, you realize that everything, including your body-mind, is created via, and known by, Consciousness. You might also call It the Unified Field of Being. Be not caught up in the meaning of the words. What is important is this: In the begining there was only One; logically, therefore, all that descends from One must be of Oneness. How could it ever be other? In Truth, there is no other. My nature is your nature; your nature is mine. We are One, and we are eternal. As I am the Alpha and Omega of all that ever was, is, and will be, so, therefore, are you.”

***

Have you, dear readers, had enough of existing in the shadow land of your true nature? Do you have an intuitive feeling that there is so much more to YOU? If so, you might begin earnest investigation by asking “Who Am I–really?”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

The Good We Seek

To live is to experience a wide range of circumstances. No one is excluded or given a “Free Pass.” There will be ups and downs; triumph and tribulation; exaltation and despair. In any given moment, on any given day, we may feel as though what we seek is beyond our reach, or worse–an illusion. The world can seem against us; our life filled with struggle. The achievement of our desires may seem an impossible dream. If such seems the case, it may help to know that the good we seek is closer than we think. It is, in fact, our very nature. To experience more of it, it’s important to know the following: When we change the way we think, we literally change our world.

How may we find the goodness we desire? Through a shift in consciousness directed by True Self, which is That beyond name and form. Of all of our wonderful abilities, one of our greatest is our power of attention. Contrary to popular misconception, we don’t have to let our mind gallop like a wild horse. With practice, we may figuratively grab the reins and ease the mind to the left, to the right, or slow it down to a trot. By taking a few slow breaths, we can calm our mind and redirect our attention; which, thereby, shifts our experience. To deliberately shift us to a favourable point of attraction (which, according to the Law of Attraction must attract more goodness), please join me on a journey of gratitude. The following are a few suggestions about how to feel better…NOW:

Put on a T-shirt, fresh from the dryer. Feel the warm embrace of the fabric against your skin.

There is the goodness of life.

Phone a relative or long-time friend and let the sound of his or her voice elevate your spirit. Think of how truly rich you are for having such a person in your life.

There is the goodness of life.

Listen to a selection of music that never fails to raise your spirits. Let the rhythm and sounds transport you to a realm of reverie.

There is the goodness of life.

Take your parents out for a tea or coffee. If such cannot be the case, invite an alternate caregiver or teacher who gave of his/her time, energy, or heart and asked for nothing in return.

There is the goodness of life.

While walking down the street, guide your attention to a mother or father with a young child. Perhaps the child is holding the parent’s hand, or being pushed in a stroller. For just a few moments, let your mind sense the world through the child’s innocent perspective.

There is the goodness of life.

Look at your hands–truly look. Spread your fingers wide and feel the stretch of your palms pulling taut. If there are scars or digits missing, be grateful for the fingers you still have and what they enable you to do. Pick up a pen–as though for the first time–and feel the wonder of every cell, nerve, and fiber.

There is the goodness of life.

Place your attention upon nature, even if you are living in a large city. Sit upon a park bench–if only for a few minutes–and let your eyes find the birds, butterflies, squirrels, and insects that are having their day. Feel their aliveness, and imagine the journey that they, too, are having.

There is the goodness of life.

While eating your next meal–however humble or extravagant it may be–place your attention upon the food before you. With soup, salad, or sandwich, be with each mouthful. Be mindful of the taste and texture of the food. Be grateful for the innate wisdom of your body, and how it performs the function of digestion without a word of instruction.

There is the goodness of life.

Go for a walk, even if only in the halls of your apartment. Marvel at the wonder of your feet and legs and hips that allow you to do so. Feel the aliveness that is stirring within them. If this cannot may be the case, use walker, cane, or wheelchair to move; the distance matters not. Be present, mindful, alive.

There is the goodness of life.

Perform at least one good deed daily for someone else–be that person a friend, relative, or complete stranger. From the depths of your heart, ask nothing in return, not even acknowledgement of your kind deed. Know that giving–sincerely–is your reward. Tell no one; in doing so you’ll begin to disengage from the conceptualized self (ego), which is the root of all suffering.

There is the goodness of life.

Through the deliberate practice of seeking goodness, we reap yet another–even greater–benefit: We attune ourselves to our deeper nature, which is God within. It is here that we will find the Source of all Goodness, for that is God’s nature. It is also ours. When we realise this, we may go through life with strength, courage, confidence, and poise. Such goodness of life is that close.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Appearances Deceiving

Samuel Seeger had been seeking true Self for more than twenty years. Faithfully, he had meditated for a minimum of twenty minutes every day. Intuitively, he realized that there something to him–not a thing–that was beyond his name and form. “I mean, really,” he thought, “it’s impossible to actually be a name; for a name is merely a term for that to which it refers.” The word for a glass of water is not the same as holding an apparent glass of water; he reasoned that the same logic must, therefore, apply to Samuel Seeger. Of his body, he also realized that its cells were changing moment to moment. Despite the appearance thereof, there was nothing solid about either. He was seeking the eternal changeless, not the finite changeful. One day he read the following passage in a book (Who Am I?) by Sri Ramana Maharshi:

“At last,” he cried joyously, “I’ve finally recognized Truth! Tears of joy ran down his face as he realized that his so-called reality was actually occurring in a dream. For the next few days, everything he experienced through his senses took on a dream-like feeling. He erroneously assumed that he was now awake. All of his years of seeking had paid off. Yes, it only made sense: Why couldn’t it be that his life was occurring in a dream? Didn’t his nighttime dreams feel real? In a dream could he not imagine that he was flying a plane, riding a motorcycle, or eating a meal? All was well…until Samuel happened upon the following passage in a book entitled The Law of Success by Paramahansa Yogananda:

Initially, Samuel didn’t realize the importance of the words; but as he contemplated the passage more deeply, he focused upon the first line (Mind is the creator of everything) and felt an emotional shock run through his body. “But that,” he thought with nervous puzzlement, “would mean that mind must also be the creator of my body-mind. How, then, can my body-mind be real in the way that I’ve previously assumed? Less than a week later, he came across the following two passages:

“That which is seen, only appears, it does not exist.”

( Amrut Laya, The Stateless State by Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj)

***

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

(Hebrews 11:3)

During the coming weeks, Samuel’s understanding stabilized. The realization occurred that what was occurring was the surrender described in so many holy books. On some days, a feeling of tremendous sadness arose; but gradually, there came the understanding that it was only the illusory loss of being Samuel Seeger that was being mourned. Nothing real was ever lost, for he had never been Samuel. Only innocent confusion had made it appear so. What was gained was the knowing recognition that he was an aspect of That, the Divine Creator, the All in All.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Price

What price we pay for our apparent ignorance. Because we’re unaware that we’re unaware of our essential nature, we take ourselves and life–and its barrel of tumbling circumstances–as real as real. How could we not? Our conditioning has dictated, via the stinging lashes of reality, that we accept what our senses report without question. Until we knowingly recognize Truth, we are thus ruled by ignorance-based beliefs related to everything we think, say, or do. Our family was certainly not immune to this. The month was May; the year, 1974:

***

“We think your father has had a heart attack,” came the anxious call from my mother, who was upstairs with my dad. It was about 4:00 pm; and I, sixteen, had just returned from school. My two older sisters came home as soon as possible.

Shock and a depth of fear previously unknown gripped our family, but we clung to our brave facades. “This” could not be happening. By the following day, it was obvious that my father knew what was coming; he talked with mom about being conservative with decision making; of remaining in the house for at least a year. Our anxiousness and intermingled hope gave way to despair when my father died three days later.

My mother, sisters, and I sat on a front pew in the United Church. Below and in front of the pulpit was the casket and my father. To me (and, I assumed, the majority of persons in attendance), it was not just his body-mind lying in that casket; it was him in his entirety. Due to my ignorance of my essential nature, it was impossible for me to know his. Handshakes, hymns, prayers, tears, and the minister’s eulogy blended into a nightmare that refused to end; even at the cemetery where we laid my father’s body to rest.

***

Enough of this pitiful display! Let grief be reserved, and tears shed, only for our own ignorance! I share this account in the hope that it will help alleviate at least a small degree of suffering. Our relationships mean so very much. We like, love, and become infatuated with one another one day; and we often fall out of like, love, or infatuation the next. Upon these shifting sands of the mind we foolishly attempt to build our so-called stable realities. Not realizing that it is only through Him that we live and move and have our being, we assume that each of us is a discrete autonomous person. This is Maya, my friends, ILLUSION.

Awareness is the only Reality. Not now, or ever, have we actually been these persons of flesh and bones. Only in appearance has such seemed to be so. Everything–from fairy tales to Ferris wheels–exists only within the illusion. Here, in this relative realm that we’ve assumed to be real, we perform surgeries, land on the moon, wheel and deal, climb mountains, and conduct autopsies on body-minds newly departed. Having forgotten That which we are, we mourn the death of our avatars. What term do you prefer for this movie of the mind, dream or simulation?

Upon which foundation, the Real of Spirit or the unreal of matter, have you built the foundation of your life? To not know–“this” is the price we pay! Contrary to what the masses believe, Consciousness isn’t rendered via our body-mind.

As for my father, and more recently my mother, I grieve no more; for in recognizing my true Self, I now recognize them. They never were their body-minds. To you, my spiritual brothers and sisters, I hope you’ll find your trail to Truth. We are Spirit, aka Consciousness.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Johnny’s Mean-Looking Truck

Johnny Duggan had lived a coloured life–at least so he thought. He had been married thrice; filed for bankruptcy twice; and done a stint in jail once. The story of “him” was always uppermost on his mind; it was the mean-looking truck that he drove everywhere he went. At the gym, out on a date, dining at a restaurant–there it was: Johnny’s mean-looking truck. It continuously spewed fumes about itself; and it was so full that Johnny had to beef up the suspension and build up the rear racks to contain all of the dark mental stuff from his past.

One day, Johnny was talking to a guy who claimed to know a little about meditation and the powers of the mind. Johnny told him that he had tried to meditate during his stint in jail (he had certainly had time enough for it) but that it hadn’t done him a lick of good.

“When you meditated,” asked the guy, “did you take your mean-looking truck with you?”

“I sure did,” spat Johnny. “My mind was piled high with all of the junk in my truck. Couldn’t concentrate on nothing else!”

“Uh, huh,” said the guy, as he scratched his chin. “No wonder you’re still having such a hard time.”

“What do you mean?” asked Johnny.

“I mean,” said the guy, “that you’d be wise to check the load that you’re carrying. If you want your life to improve, you gotta offload all of that yuck from your truck!”

“What difference is that gonna make?” asked Johnny.

“Seriously?” said the man. “You really don’t know?”

“Know what?” asked Johnny.

“You don’t know that what’s impressed into the your mind on a habitual basis is going to be expressed as the circumstances of your life? By concentrating on everything that’s bad, you’re actually impregnating your future with more of what’s bad!”

“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s Chihauhau!” exclaimed Johnny.

“If the shoe fits,” said the man. “You have to find the good within before you’ll experience it without. By continuing to rehash the negative events of your life, you’re creating more of it. You’d be wise to focus on what’s good for a change. Andrew Carnegie, who commissioned the book entitled Think and Grow Rich, summed up the principle this way:”

“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered,

will begin to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

The last we heard, Johnny was at the local dumpsite for toxic waste. He was shovelling off a big load of yuck from his truck before settling into his regular meditation session–hint, hint; nudge, nudge. By offloading the “bad stuff,” he made room for all of the “good stuff” that had previously gone unnoticed. Oh, and Johnny has also improved the quality of his life by practicing gratitude on a daily basis. He discovered that the more grateful he is, the more he attracts circumstances for which to be grateful. Probably just a coincidence–not!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Willing To Change

Every–and I mean every–motivational speaker who knows what he/she is talking about stresses the necessity of changing within if we desire to improve the apparent conditions and circumstances without. Bob Proctor, who has been studying and teaching the Law of Attraction for almost sixty years, informs persons that they must change their paradigms (a collection of subconscious thoughts and beliefs about every aspect of our life) before they can expect to see what they desire. Why? Because apparently outer circumstances are actually a reflection of our inner beliefs. In short, the results that we achieve are directly connected to our self image. As noted speaker and author Dr. Joe Dispenza states: “To change our personal reality, we must change our personality.” In support of this, I offer the following quote from William Blake for you to contemplate:

“In your own bosom you bear your heaven and earth,
And all you behold, though it appears without,
It is within, in your imagination,
Of which this world of mortality is but a shadow.“

Perception “is” the world. Period. Without knowing it, the majority of persons are steering around in a subjective world, which they erroneously assume to be objective. This is quite understandable because the illusion of time, space, and causality seems incredibly real. I’m not saying that it doesn’t exist; I’m just stating that “reality” is not what it appears to be. It’s made of Consciousness–the only reality that is. This explains why the Bible has an abundance of passages intended to guide us toward better life experiences. I offer you the following passage from Philippians 4:8, which clearly advises us to focus positively:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

***

A short quote that supports this is found in The Kybalion, a book of esoteric teaching related to the Law of Attraction:

“As within, so without.”

***

Truth is shared, yet again, through the following quote from the noted spiritual healer and teacher, Joel S. Goldsmith:

“No circumstance or condition can be experienced unless it first be found within our own consciousness.”

***

Still more is offered through some of the first lines in The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel:

“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.”

Our “world” functions according to spiritual laws. Despite appearances to the contrary, nothing happens by chance. Do you now see why it’s imperative to sustain the vision of your desire (through afffirmations and visualization) as though you–already–have it? Until you do, you will continue to be blown about like dust in the wind. Say no to that; and yes to your vision for a better life.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Behind The Eight Ball

The expression that serves as the title of this article implies that someone is at a disadvantage for a particular reason. We might be considered to be “behind the eight ball” if we’re in a Catch22 situation or faced with a puzzling life situation. Such is even more challenging when we don’t realize that we’re behind the eight ball. In other words, we’re unaware that we’re unaware. The majority of indivuals don’t realize that they–right now–are in such a position.

So, Mr. Russell, just what do you mean? The answer is simple, but not easy to comprehend. If you believe, as did I, that you’re a person–you’re behind the eight ball. Period. Have you settled down yet? Spilled your coffee? Called 911 and ordered me a straight jacket (medium, please)? Scrolled to someone else’s article? Pressed delete and cursed because it didn’t work? Stopped guffawing? The point, dear folks, is that I’m being one-hundred percent serious. No joke.

The majority of “persons” are unaware that they are Spirit having a “human” experience. They may have heard or read of such a “tale” (and most likely scoffed at it); but the Truth of that statement has probably escaped them–so strong is Maya (loosely defined as “illusion” in Sanskrit). Such is easy to understand. From the time of our apparent birth, we’re taught that we are name and form. That’s the way that we process this “world” because those who raised us had been conditioned to believe the same of themselves. In other words, they knew no better. They, too, had fallen deep into the illusion of “life on Earth.“

The Truth is that “reality” as persons know it, is occurring in the waking state. It’s akin to the nighttime dream state, only with a continuing plot set in high-definition 3-D. Everything is created by mind. To knowingly recognize Truth (and, thereby, step out from behind the eight ball), it’s necessary to meditate, and place your attention inward; to Universal Consciousness, or Awareness. Until you do, you’ll remain behind the eight ball and assume that the knower is within the “person.” This is usually imagined as a point of knowing either in the head or the chest. Modern science has been unable to find the seat of consciousness within the human body-mind, and for good reason. It’s not there! Our body-minds are placed in apparent motion through forces of Infinite Living Mind. As much as it seems to be the case, they don’t move by their own power; nor are they sentient. Consiousness definitely seems personal, but that’s just part of the illusion. Body-minds exist in Consciousness only–that wispy-like dream “stuff” in which space, time, and your life story occurs. (This is referred to in the following highlighted passages):

(Open Secret, by Wei Wu Wei)

(Who Am I?, Sri Ramana Maharshi)

(I Am That, talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

The good news is that you actually do exist–but not as a person. The definition of “You,” if you’re earnestly seeking it, would more appropriately be called Being + Knowing, which = Awareness. For the record, such is the same nature as our Creator, God (aka Consciousness). Consciousness dreams worlds and, we, the human contingent, are part of that creation. From the perspective of true Self, we have dominion over the illusion (because we can think and imagine); but such isn’t the case from the human perspective. This is why the following is stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Its purpose is to help us get out from behind the eight ball.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Empowerment

Get Your Motor Running

Bow Not To “The Megaphone”

Manifest: A Key Piece of Information

Whispers of “I Am”

The Good We Seek

Appearances Deceiving

The Price

Johnny’s Mean-Looking Truck

Willing To Change

Behind The Eight Ball

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