“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.“

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“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.”

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“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.”

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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“Mental actions are the real actions.”

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“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

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.

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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:

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None.

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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.” The following quote from Plutarch, who was a Greek Platonist, philosopher, biographer, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, supports what I’m sharing:

“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.”

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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

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Law of Attraction

“The Heavenly Life”

Understanding The Law of Attraction

Three-B And The Mysterious Man

Think and “Glow” Rich

Shooting Rapids

Sneaking Past God

Good Reason To Hate

Are You Watching?

Get Your Motor Running

Manifest: A Key Piece of Information

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