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

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

Good Reason To Hate

(Note: It is highly likely that this will be my shortest article). With reference to the title of this article, I offer the following:

***

None.

***

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Are You Watching?

The great Lao Tzu (ancient Chinese philosopher, founder of Taoism, and author of the Tao Te Ching) is attributed with having written the following famous quote:

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

For anyone who is seeking a logical understanding of the way to achieve better results, I know of no better method than to examine this quote in greater detail–and apply it! In a few words, simply and beautifully expressed, we are given a formula by which we can achieve our goals. The formula is concise, powerful, and effective. Please contemplate it with me for a few moments.

Lao Tzu is basically advising us to pay attention. We are to watch. We are to assume our rightful place above, or somewhat remote to, whatever is occurring. In our thinking, actions, and habits, we are to remain in the place of the witness. By doing so, we are practicing deliberate awareness. Conversely, if we are unaware, we may unintentionally create negative and troubling consequences.

To live in this manner enables us to realize the difference between reacting and responding. When we react, we allow old neural pathways to automatically govern our actions; but when we respond, we create space for choice, which gives rise to inspired ways of being. This difference can vastly change the results that we experience. So, what do you desire? Do you desire better health? Watch. Do you desire greater wealth? Watch. Do you desire more success? Watch—from the perspective of the true YOU.

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. My YouTube videos may be found via this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🤍

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

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”

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

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”

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: Law of Attraction

Shooting Rapids

Sneaking Past God

Good Reason To Hate

Are You Watching?

Get Your Motor Running

Manifest: A Key Piece of Information

The Good We Seek

Johnny’s Mean-Looking Truck

Willing To Change

Behind The Eight Ball

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