The Better Way

If you’re searching (as was I) for a better way to live and, thus, to experience an improvement in the circumstances of your life, I offer you the following examples to consider. When the principle behind them (which is Divine Love by All for All) is applied until it becomes our habitual way of Being, we will definitely notice positive changes occurring. The world of effects is a mirror to our innermost beliefs and assumptions; therefore, it’s in our best interest to maintain our highest ideals. By practicing this way of Being in the easy times, we develop a strong mental muscle that proves of great service during the most challenging situations. So, onward…to the good life!

***

  • For that irate driver who swerves suddenly and almost causes an accident, LOVE him/her.
  • For your children who, unaware of the burden that you are carrying, take you for granted, LOVE them.
  • For your boss, who piles an increasing work load upon you and rarely, if ever, expresses praise, LOVE him/her.
  • For your friends, who at times may seem to be only fair-weather friends, LOVE them.
  • For your spouse who, in the midst of a challenging day, uncharacteristically snaps at you, LOVE him/her.
  • For your co-worker, who takes credit for your creative ideas, LOVE him/her.
  • For persons who, in dealing with their own fears, intolerantly demand your behaviour to mirror theirs, LOVE them.
  • For strangers who, in dealing with their own stressful lives, express anger toward you, LOVE them.
  • And last, but definitely not least: For you, when you make a mistake regarding best behaviour or the wisest choice, LOVE yourself.

The purpose of these examples is not to turn us into holier-than-thou persons willing to subjugate our needs at the expense of poor behaviour. The principle of expressing Divine Love is to free us from the negative repercussions that we attract when/if we retaliate with negative thoughts and behaviour. Like truly does attract like. Please realize, also, that although I’ve written that we are wise to express LOVE, such doesn’t mean that we should suppress our true feelings and tolerate abuse, of any nature. If it’s time to exit a situation that’s harmful or demeaning, we must realize this and ensure that we protect ourselves and our best interests. It’s true that we teach others how to treat us; therefore, what we tolerate out of fear, we appear to condone.

The positive effects of this way of Being in the world will not happen overnight–but they will “occur” when we change within. As we apply the principle of Divine Love for all, our world will begin to change without. As ye sow, so shall ye reap is not a trite saying intended to appease the masses; it’s spiritual law. What we sincerely feel in our heart is reflected back. The world (which is created via, and known by, Consciousness) is a reflection of our innermost way of Being; and when we exercise our inner authority in a positive way, circumstances MUST change for the better. Of course, the way to prove this for yourself is to put it into practice.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

“Spelling” Success

In the following fictional account, I share real tips that I hope will help you experience more success in your life, both personally and professionally. As the title suggests, it relates to casting “spells:”

***

Kate and Sloane, who are now forty-three and forty-five respectively, first met when they were young children. They liked each other immediately and soon became best friends. During the long hot days of summer, they enjoyed spending time together as often as possible. They took great joy in sharing their secret dreams; of countries they desired to visit, businesses to start, and possessions to acquire. Excitedly, they would high-five each other and exclaim, “Yes, we can do this!

When they were in college, the difference in their approaches to life became evident. Although they both faced challenges, Kate somehow managed to surmount them fairly easily. Sloane’s life was filled with struggle–with his grades, part-time jobs, and relationships. Undaunted, he vowed to work harder to achieve the success he deserved. Over time, their friendship slowly drifted apart. Their lives diverged in other ways, too. Kate did, indeed, achieve the success she envisioned; but Sloane did not.

From a law of attraction perspective, the difference in their level of achievement resulted from the ways that they were spelling success. Whether we realize it or not, everyone is casting “spells” via our habitual thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Kate happily performed her work “from” the perspective of already being successful. She was living her passion, which made it natural to feel successful. This was the paradigm (pattern, or example) that she carried within her wherever she went. Sloane, on the other hand, performed his work with the dream “of” one day being successful. He reasoned that if he worked hard enough, he would finally achieve his dreams. The subconscious paradigm that he mentally carried was of his self-proclaimed past failures. He talked about them frequently. In contrast, Kate mentally claimed her success before it manifest. Sloane was mentally chasing success; but Kate was embodying it.

***

The reason for the varying degrees of success experienced by Kate and Sloane is related in the following passage from Matthew 13:12:

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance;

but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Whoever has” refers to those who have claimed their success and prosperity in consciousness (in health, wealth, and relationships) and, thus, carry it with them in the core of their Being. “Whoever does not have” refers to those who carry subconscious paradigms of failure and poverty.

This message is echoed in the following passage from Proverbs 23:7:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

If you’re seeking success (as you, yourself, define it), you might consider asking yourself this question: Do I already possess my success at the core of my being, or do I hope to experience it in the future? Just for the record, no one has ever experienced the future. In other words, “you can’t get there from here.” All there is, is Now.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Deliberate Creation 5:5

Persons who’ve heard about the law of attraction will most likely have polarized views. There will be a large camp of people who believe that it’s absolutely ludicrous; and there will be those in my camp, who’ve investigated it deeply, and believe in its validity. With the hope of helping you make an informed decision, I’m going to list five books about the law of attraction that I’ve read during a period of forty years. I also share five quotations that relate great insights; for those who are ready to receive them. Let’s begin:

Number 1: My overall favourite book about the law of attraction is entitled The Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel. The book may seem a challenging read (it was for me the first few times); but I believe that its difficulty is offset by the amazing depth of content. Mr. Haanel was a heavyweight when it came to his level of understanding about our essential nature and manifestation. Here’s an important quote from Part Eight:

It is the few who know that the things which they see are only effects, and understand the causes by which these effects were brought into existence.”

Number 2: Another book that holds a valued place in my small library of carefully chosen books is entitled The Power of Awareness, by Neville Goddard. He possessed a wealth of knowledge and expressed a great deal of it within this small book. I highly recommend this as an introductory book for anyone who desires to gain a deeper understanding. Here, I offer a quote from Chapter Thirteen, Acceptance:

However much you seem to be living in a material world, ‘you are actually living in a world of imagination.’ The outer, physical events of life are the fruit of forgotten blossom-times–the results of previous and usually forgotton states of consciousness.”

Number 3: The next book on our list, entitled The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, is undoubtedly the most well-known book about the law of attraction; but I believe that Ms. Byrne may not always receive the credit that she deserves. She’s still very passionate about helping people improve the quality of their life; and even more importantly, she’s also shares rich information about our essential nature. Here, I offer a quote from Dr. John Hagelin, found in the chapter entitled The Secret to You:

Quantum mechanics confirms it. Quantum cosmology confirms it. That the Universe essentially emerges from thought and all of this matter around us is just precipitated thought. Ultimately we are the source of the Universe, and when we understand that power directly by experience, we can start to exercise our authority and begin to achieve more and more.”

Number 4: Neville Goddard’s depth of understanding about the law of attraction was so great that I’m going to include another one of his books, entitled Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture. I highly recommend it for persons with at least a moderate degree of knowledge about the teachings. Here, I offer a quote from page fifteen:

Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”

Number 5: Last, but definitely not least, on my list of books with incredible value related to the teachings of the law of attraction is entitled A Happy Pocket Full of Money, by David Cameron Gikandi. He relates a wealth of knowledge about quantum physics, our essential nature, and techniques for manifesting. His book also contains a great affirmation that is repeated throughout the book. Here, I offer a quote from Chapter 4, Images of the Mind, The Blueprints of Life:

The world is an illusion, as we will see much more clearly as we move on. See it as an illusion; believe it to be an illusion, an illusion designed to help you know and experience your Self. Once you do so, you will always remember to create the next version of the illusion that you wish to have. You literally create the next version of the world by painting your mind’s images with certainty.”

***

As you can see from the above quotes, to fully understand the law of attraction requires a paradigm shift toward so-called reality. Initially, this will undoubtedly seem strange; but if you allow your mind to open, you will discover the amazing benefits. A couple of questions may help: “Is not a world created within the dream state every night? Then, why is it not conceivable–in fact, quite probable–that Infinite living Mind is also creating this world of reality right now? To shift towards this perspective requires that we surrender our ingrained belief of being a body-mind. It is an appearance in Consciousness. The degree to which you might find this unbelievable signifies the strength of the egoic grip.

The law of attraction applies to every aspect of our life–health, wealth, and success. For readers who are earnestly eager to learn more about our essential nature and how to manifest more easily, I suggest that you click here to watch my five-minute video, and also read more of my previous articles. The information has been inspired from my personal experience and the study of more than one hundred books.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

I Am ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )

With regard to the rather strange title of this article, I’m going to pose an odd question: “Do you dare?” That’s it, at least in part. Now here’s the question in full: “Do you dare fill in the blanks with the desire–most dear and important–that you hold in your heart?” At one time, I was too afraid to claim what I most desired. As a result, it couldn’t manifest. That was then. This is now.

Neville Goddard is one of the teachers that can help us learn how to manifest our deepest desires. Born in the Barbados, Goddard later moved to the United States. There, he met an Ethiopian rabbai named Abdullah, who taught him many of the mysteries of the Kabbalah. In following years, Neville wrote several books and held lectures about spirituality and the law of assumption. The following quote is borrowed from one of his books entitled Feeling is The Secret:

The dominant of two feelings is the one expressed. I am healthy is a stronger feeling than I will be healthy. To feel I will be is to confess I am not; I am is stronger than I am not.

To understand this more deeply, it will helpful if we examine the subject of time. Please become still with me now, and ask yourself the following question: “When but now could you experience any event?” Last night’s dinner was eaten now. Tomorrow’s breakfast will be eaten now. When you get married, or graduate, or move into your new house, you will do so now. How can this be? Because time is conceptual only; the past and the future don’t exist.

This is why we must claim what we desire Now.

By gently and repeatedly claiming our desire as though achieved (through feeling-imbued affirmations and visualizations), we impress a clear paradigm (mould or example) upon the subconscious mind. Let’s go deeper via a quote from Proverbs 23:7:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

The heart is the real YOU beyond the “person” of name and form that you’ve assumed yourself to be. To manifest our dreams, we must claim–here and now–what we desire. To believe that our desire can be achieved in a conceptual future (that doesn’t exist) is to doom it to remain a dream unfulfilled.

So, I lovingly dare you: Please fill in the blanks (written in a few concise words) with the desire–already achieved–that you hold most dear in your heart. In private, quietly affirm it to yourself repeatedly, in a calm and relaxed manner. Write your goal on a card and place it in your wallet, pocket, or purse, and refer to it often. In your mind’s eye, from a first person perspective, see your desire fulfilled in every detail. Engage as many of your senses in the imaginal scene as possible. As doors swing open that lead to your desire, fearlessly step forward. You deserve all the goodness that you imagine.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

“The Heavenly Life”

James Allen was a New-Thought author of several books; his most famous one entitled As A Man Thinketh. For more than thirty years, a framed quote from it has held a place of honour in my bedroom. It begins as follows: “Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” In this article, I’m going to focus upon another of his works, a little masterpiece entitled The Heavenly Life. He originally published the work without copyright, so that its rich content could be enjoyed by as many readers as possible. The following are some of the quotations that leapt to my attention:

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“The toil of life ceases when the heart is pure.”

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Heaven is in the heart. They will look for it in vain who look elsewhere. In no outward place will the soul find Heaven until it finds it within itself; for, wherever the soul goes, its thoughts and desires will go with it.

***

“Heaven is here. It is also everywhere. It is wherever there is a pure heart. The whole universe is abounding with joy, but the sin-bound heart can neither see, hear, nor partake of it. No one is, or can be, arbitrarily shut out from Heaven; each shuts himself out.”

***

If you have a trouble it is in your own mind, and nowhere else; you make it, it is not made for you; it is not in your task; it is not in the outward thing. You are its creator; and it derives its life from you only.”

***

“Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly, and your every need shall be supplied.”

***

“Purify your thought-world until no stain is left, and you will ascend into Heaven, while living in the body.

***

“Herein lies the peace and patience and beauty of Love–it sees no evil.”

***

To help you mine the rich content of these quotations, I offer the following quote from The Law of Success, by Paramahansa Yogananda: “The mind is the creator of everything.” As challenging as this may be to accept, this includes our body-minds, all objects, and the “world.” None of them have existence independent of the mind that perceives them. The degree to which this seems impossible is represented by the density of the apparent veil of egoic identity. All body-minds are only representational forms of various perspectives of the ONE, Consciousness. The quality of our life depends on the beliefs that we hold in our heart, true Self. It is from these deeply held paradigms (models, or patterns) that our apparent “reality” is formed. When better than NOW to ask ourselves what we’ve habitually been imagining?

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Understanding The Law of Attraction

The key point regarding a deeper understanding of the law of attraction involves an apparent shift in our identity. I added the word “apparent” for good reason. Although we can only be what we actually are, it’s possible, however, to hold erroneous beliefs regarding our essential nature. This, in fact, is the predominant situation for the majority of persons in the story of humanity. Until we directly recognize true Self beyond name and form, we’ll probably believe that the law of attraction is merely nonsense at best; and, perhaps, detrimental at worst.

A closely related point that’s connected to deeper understanding is found as the first principle in The Kybalion, a book of esoteric teachings. The principle reads as follows:

THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.”

If your initial reaction is to exclaim that such is absurd, please know that you’re not alone. My first reaction was one of incredulity–“this” just couldn’t be true! The reason for my doubt, and that of many other persons, is simple: We’ve been so strongly conditioned to believe that we’re the physical person that to even contemplate being otherwise seems ludicrous! Most would probably agree that their mind is at least involved in observing their body as it interacts with the apparent “world;” but only a relative few know that Infinite Living Mind is actually creating their body-mind and the world. In fact, the thought of such a possibility has most likely never crossed their mind.

If we maintain that our body-mind and all other objects have “existence” independent of the mind that perceives them, we will be forced to remain at the level in which we believe that we (as physical body-minds) must be the doers/performers of all tasks and goals. True to this belief, such will seem to be the case. If, on the other hand, we can open our mind to the possibility that Consciousness is fundamental (independent of the person), we will realize that Infinite Living Mind is the creator of all, including our body-mind.

Please at least contemplate some of the nighttime dreams that “you” have experienced. Were there not persons, places, and objects in them? Did they seem real? If so, could this not also be the case for our apparent reality now? What I’m asserting is that the so-called “matter” in this world is fashioned from the same “stuff” that apparently occupied our dream state–namely, Consciousness. It is upon this vantage point of understanding that the law of attraction becomes credible. To create from it, we habitually hold a feeling-imbued idea of our desire already achieved and watch (as the witness) as actions are performed via our body-mind. There’s a detached and stress-free feeling associated with this form of creation; for we know that our essential nature is beyond name and form.

Let’s end this article with a photo-passage from The Secret Door to Success, by Florence Scovell Shinn:

As we can readily understand from the message, Florence Scovel Shinn is relating that it’s our habitual heart-felt focus, empowered via Infinite Living Mind, that makes the difference in what manifests in our apparent life. I, and many other authors and teachers, agree. This seems possible when we understand more about our essential nature. Do you really believe that you’re the body-mind that “YOU” witness?

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Three-B And The Mysterious Man

Bartholomew Bentley Beckham (better known as Three-B, since he was a child) was bothered–a lot. He grew into that way of living and unconsciously clutched it, the way that a four-year-old child clutches an ice cream cone. He was bothered when projects didn’t turn out right; he was bothered by weather that didn’t behave; he was bothered when siblings, friends, colleagues, and strangers made remarks that irked him. He once ranted for a full day about an increase in the price of stamps. To Three-B, this was not odd in the least; it was his habitual way of being. That life could possibly change for the better never occurred to him…until.

One day, at the age of forty-two, Three-B was sitting on a park bench for his lunch break. As he examined the sandwich he had purchased from a local fast-food restaurant (the order was incorrect again!), his facial muscles assumed the trademark grimace that friends and family knew all too well. At that instant, a mysterious man with white hair and a cane approached him and asked if he could sit on the other end of the bench.

“Certainly,” said Three-B, feigning politeness with a nod. In truth, he would have been happier to be left alone with his misery.

“Thanks,” said the man, who sat down, propped his cane against the bench, and began to sip his cup of coffee.

Again, another nod came from Three-B as he took a mouthful of food.

“Something bothering you?” asked the man.

“My lunch is wrong,” mumbled Three-B. “I told them to hold the mayo, mustard only. I also asked for pickles, but they added tomato instead.” To the man’s shock, Three-B then spent the next fifteen minutes recounting an unwanted summary of the other horrible aspects of his life.

“I see,” said the man. With great daring, he said, “Would you like my opinion?”

“Not really,” replied Three-B, with an automatic look of disdain.

Undaunted, the man said, “It appears to me that you’re unaware of a great secret, the ignorance of which is hindering your enjoyment of life.”

“Oh, yeah?” said Three-B, with a roll of his eyes.

“You’ve made the mistake that the majority of beings do in an incarnation; they identify completely with their dream character and assume that it has independent existence of its own. It does not. Nothing does. To quote The Tibetan Book of The Dead: Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.”

“Say what?” said Three-B.

“I said, basically, that your suffering occurs because you’ve identified with being the “person.” You are not. You are Consciousness, dreaming an apparently human existence. Consciousness is fundamental–it doesn’t arise from so-called matter. Go ahead, try to have an experience in the absence of Consciousness. It’s impossible. You’ve assumed that you are the person due to innocent ignorance of your Being. It’s why “Know Thyself” was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece. Change your personality, and your apparent reality will reflect that change. Galatians 6:7, expresses it clearly: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Be grateful in all of your daily interactions. Stop complaining, and think of ways to be of service. Monitor your thoughts, words, and actions as though the quality of your life depends on them—because it does! We are both dreaming this right now. Our human life is nothing but a psychological drama that occurs in what is termed the waking state; which is akin to the dream state, only sharper and more defined, with a continuing plotline. Infinite Living Mind is the creator of all of this. If you’d like a greater understanding about the nature of matter, you can go online and look up the Double-Slit Experiment and the Observer Effect.”

“That’s absurd,” said Three-B, “you must be raving mad!”

“Really?” said the man politely. “It seems to me that you’re the one who’s mad–at the world. I’m having a lovely day.”

A minute later, the mysterious man picked up his cane and said, “Anyway, I must be going. I’ve got a big date tonight, and I’m looking forward to it.” With a departing grin and a wave, he turned and soon disappeared beyond a knoll.

As for Three-B and the negative attitude that he had harbored for so long, people soon noticed subtle changes in his behavior. He seemed less angry at himself and others; and he was even occasionally overheard offering compliments. In a few days he actually did make the effort to research the hard problem of consciousness, which is a phrase coined by David Chalmers, and discovered that neurologists truly can’t explain the origin of consciousness. This was surprising—enough to spark his spiritual journey to know true Self.

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Think and “Glow” Rich

As a young man, I was naturally drawn to books about motivation and the powers of the mind. Although I didn’t fully understand them at the time, I read Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill; Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone; and The Power of The Subconscious Mind, by Joseph Murphy. The following quote, attributed to Henry Ford, held a strong appeal:

Whether you think we can or we think we can’t, we are right.”

In an effort to help you manifest more of what you desire and less of what you don’t, I’ll share one of my biggest misunderstandings. It still may be yours, without your being aware of it. Here it is: I thought I was the person, Art Russell, and, therefore, believed that “i” was the doer of my actions. Such is only understandable, for we’re conditioned to believe such is true from the day that we first appear. Spiritual Newsflash: I Am not my body-mind; nor are you. I Am Spirit, aka Consciousness.

The truth related to the New Thought movement is that any thought which is habitually impressed into the mind (with feeling) will inevitably lead to the apparent manifestation of that thought. Thinking of failure (by those who believe that life is happening outside of them, independent of their mind) leads to actions that fulfill that thought pattern. Conversely, thinking of success (by those who realize that we–as Spirit–are intended to be in control of the thoughts that emanate from us) leads to actions that fulfill our definition of success. We understand how this can possibly be the case when we realize that all of this–including this article, right now–is occurring in a dream. We, as humans, are not autonomous as flesh and bones. Rather, as the Bible clearly states in Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

In Three Magic Words, U.S. Anderson shares the principle through the following quote:

There are only two things you can do for yourself. One is conception, and the other is conviction. All the work of creation rests with another than you. For no man [or woman] is responsible for anything in his life except his thought and his belief.”

Now, obviously, if you still believe that you are the “person” named John or Jane Doe, this is going to seem ludicrous. A deeper understanding of our co-creative abilities comes when we realize that we are not the body-mind, despite appearances. We are Spirit eternal, dreaming an apparently human life. As such, we\re intended to rule the body-mind apparatus. To experience more success in your life, please deeply contemplate the following:

We can only attract that with which we are in harmonious vibration.

What does this mean? It means that we must first claim the spirit of what we desire–greater health, wealth, and success–in consciousness, and habitually BELIEVE that we have it, before it can apparently show up in the dream called “our life.” Isn’t that reason enough to practice right government of the mind? Put Awareness to work–you’ll be glad that you did.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Shooting Rapids

When Daniel began kayak racing at the age of thirty-one, he trained incredibly hard. His strategy was to win by might; to force the rivers and obstacles to yield to his skill and will. Due to this, he spent countless hours in the gym and most of his free time on weekends shooting rapids. He assumed that this was the way to win races and outperform his competitors.

Daniel loved the sport of kayak racing because it allowed him to focus his powers of intention and attention in an ongoing, dynamic manner. He preferred individual timed runs, over mass starts. If he lost focus for a split second, a race that had been going smoothly could suddenly go awry; the patches on his kayak attested to this.

Despite his best efforts, Daniel didn’t manifest first-place finishes until he read a book entitled Thought Power, by Swami Sivananda. The information from the following four quotes inspired him to make changes from within:

Thought creates the world. Thoughts bring things into existence.”

***

Whatever you see outside has its counterpart in the mind.”

***

Mental actions are the real actions.”

***

You can determine your fate by force of thought.”

Daniel, of course, has also realized the importance of applying the practice of envisioning to other aspects of his life–to his health, wealth, and relationships. His strategy is to apply sight-power, instead of might. To accomplish this, he habitually imagines his goals as NOW–already—achieved, until he can feel the desired reality. What about you? Do you dare to shoot through the rapids of life by deliberately focusing on your vision of success?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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 🙏🏻🧡

Sneaking Past God

When Troy Hooliman was six, his parents told him that God was always watching and that he should, therefore, always try to do his best. They assured him that if he did, his life would flow more smoothly. After hearing this news, Troy had initially been so frightened that he strictly toed the line. About two years later, however, he accidentally pocketed a toy from a department store–and guess what? Nothing happened. A wrathful God didn’t appear in the sky and wag a finger at him; nor was he suddenly zapped by a bolt of lightning. Troy, thus, concluded that God didn’t really exist or that he had been able to sneak one past Him/Her. This lone incident led to a few more “found” toys being stashed for safe keeping under his bed.

In the case of Troy’s life, it definitely seemed true that one action leads to another. When he entered the dating arena in his late teens, he gave little or no thought about lying to Angie, the first girl that he knew physically. She innocently believed that she loved him; and he, in an effort to get what he desired, simply lied. He rationalized that no real harm was being done. This again proved to him that he had sneaked one past God without getting caught. Therefore, it didn’t seem to matter when he also lied to the second, third, and fourth girlfriends he dated.

Years later, in business, Troy repeatedly proved that his parents didn’t have a clue, at least when it came to knowing how the “real” world operated. In his business, which was oriented to sales, sneaking past God was the order of the day. Lies abounded; and ethics proved empty of any real meaning. He rationalized that everyone realized this and secretly played by the rules of deceit. The world in which he functioned was competitive by nature; you were either a big dog who got the treat, or the small dog who got eaten.

All apparently went well for Troy…until it didn’t. In his mid forties, hard times came in his personal and professional life, accompanied by grief and a steep learning curve that left him desperate for answers.

***

What Troy didn’t realize was that the true Knower of “his” experience isn’t a little “self” that’s buried somewhere behind his forehead or deep within his chest. The awareness with which he’s aware of his experience is actually God, aka Universal Consciousness. It turns out that there’s a good reason why Source is described as being omnipresent–because It is! Troy is now practicing more ethical ways of being in the world. He’s filled with positive energy and wishes only to do good. The wonderful lesson he’s learning is that the more goodness he shares with the world, the more goodness he receives. Hmm, someone should write that down somewhere (Galatians 6:7 ring a bell?).

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell

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