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

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Between “Here” and “There”

I once knew a guy who believed that he would “make it” one day. Okay, confession time: that guy was “me.” I hoped that if I worked hard enough, pushed hard enough, and strived hard enough that I would finally arrive; I would be “there.” It was, as the previous sentence indicates, a hard way to live. Any success that I did achieve was very brittle; meaning easily broken. Why? Because it was dependent on the reflection of circumstances and the fact that there was always an abundance of more goals that had not, yet, been achieved. I was an onward-marching soldier, in a war I could never win.

Perhaps, I reasoned (with insufficient awareness), I would finally arrive “there” if I could just accomplish this, that, or the other thing; I might reach that blissful point at which I might feel confident, secure, and loved. Yes, that was it–over there, and after that, I might give myself permission to rest. Until then, it was work and more work; a daily grind that taxed my waning energy and blinded me to the inherent beauty of the unencumbered now.

In hindsight, I realize that no one ever “arrives,” at least in the way that we usually conceive. ” Such implies an external place that is static, in an ever-changing Universe. It’s also like trying to claim the beer to which the sign “Free Beer Tomorrow” refers. That beer and that day DO NOT EXIST; therefore, getting “there” is impossible. We must–first–be it “here.” To get the security and sense of accomplishment that I deeply desired, I had to stop and realize that HERE, where I Am NOW, is the only non-place that I will ever discover the peace for which I yearned.

***

Do you know anyone that might be going through a similar situation, a person who yearns to experience the best that LIFE has to offer? If so, perhaps that person would be willing to sit down and listen, while you assure him or her that he/she is deeply loved; and that NOW–free of the mind’s machinations–all is fine, just…as…it…is. The peace that we’ve been seeking lies waiting within.

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 through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🧡

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Invictus Spiritus

Vibrantly resonant within each and every one of “us” is a brave and courageous heart that is formidable beyond compare. When human legs are spent, wobbling, and their aching muscles cry, “we can run no more,” it is Invictus Spiritus that says, “Run on.” When human lungs are taxed, wheezing, and their tired tissues gasp, “air, more air,” it is Invictus Spiritus that says, “Breathe on.” When the human heart is weary, failing, and its slowing rhythm threatens, “I can beat no more,” it is Invictus Spiritus that says, “Beat on.” This Invincible Power is the Substance of our BEing!

This silent, invisible, and eternal power, That, is the Greatest of All. It is the heart of all that ever was, is, and will be. To those who are lost in innocent human confusion and foibles, who claim that we are merely flesh and bones and can bear no more, Invictus Spiritus, calmly guiding, is capable of rallying strengths in us that were previously unknown. When we, in our human hours, claim exhaustion, and our mind seems a time bomb ticking with fear, it is Invictus Spiritus that whispers, “peace, my child, trust.” True Self, I Am That I Am, is indomitable.

To those who seek to recognize a deeper dimension of Self, please deeply contemplate the following two questions: If everything and everyone descend from Oneness, what distance can there be between you–whether knowing or unknowing–and the God of your BEing? Can you, thus, recognize your inherent Holiness here and now?

***

I dedicate this article to That in all of us; I salute IT in you, my spiritual brothers and sisters. May we strengthen one another in TRUTH.

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; and my Linkedin profile via this link. May the content 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

Sparks Divine

By the rumour mill, I once heard that Earth and its inhabitants went through a period of gross ignorance that was referred to as The Abysmal Years. Greed was rampant; governments–contrary to their public mask of “serve the people”–were rife with corruption and censorship; and every war that ended, inevitably led to the beginning of the next. So-called democracy–at the price of millions of human lives lost, to death or wounds–proclaimed that it would save our world, while hiding its real agenda behind a waving flag.

In personal interactions, the people gorged themselves upon the daily staples of theft, duplicity, and selfishness–these were the groceries of the day. At night, the people prayed for greater skill in their ability to deceive and defraud their neighbours. The majority of persons felt separate from one another; and, thus, they bargained in bad faith to ensure the upper hand. The marketplace and life, itself, were labelled competitive. By popular opinion, it was agreed that only fools would believe that everyone could live creatively and cooperatively; and, thereby, enjoy a more peaceful coexistence.

So accustomed to this way of existing, the majority of the people questioned neither the rightness of it, nor the cost. Before embarking on their daily routines, everyone donned their fake smiles and rehearsed their glad-handing patter. Unaware that there was a better way to live, the people, therefore, taught their children the same through their proud example. Strangely, the people did not consider themselves brutes; by the standard of the times, they, indeed, considered themselves quite civilized. “This” was the way of being during The Abysmal Years.

But then…

In small enlightened gatherings throughout the world, sparks of deeper understanding began to light up. “Must we be this way?” the sparks asked. “Must we cheat and double deal, or could there be another way, a better, Holy way of living? Could we, in knowing ourselves as children of The Divine, honour one another–each no greater, and each no less–and put an end to The Abysmal Years?”

Of course, this was only a rumour.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

We Are The Solution

There’s an old story told that goes as follows:

***

A town lies in the pathway of an oncoming flood. The residents are warned that they must evacuate because the water level is rising very quickly. Most people heed the warning and flee, using whatever means available to find dry land. One man, however, remains alone in his home. The water rises to the level of his front porch. Soon after, people in a rubber dinghy paddle up to his house. “Get in,” they call, “we’ll save you!” “No,” says the man, “I’m waiting on God to save me!” The people in the dinghy reluctantly leave, and the waters continue to rise.

A few hours later, the man is forced to climb to the second floor of his home. He is standing on the balcony when people come by in a power boat. “Get in,” they call, “we’ll save you!” “No,” calls the man, “I’m waiting on God to save me!” The people reluctantly leave, unable to believe their eyes.

The flood waters rise with even greater intensity, and the man is forced to climb onto the roof of his home. He’s clinging to the chimney when a helicopter flies overhead. A rope ladder is flung out of the helicopter, and a rescuer descends. “Grab hold,” calls the rescuer, “we’ll save you!” “No,” shouts the man, “I’m waiting on God to save me!” The helicopter is forced to fly away. The house finally tumbles over in the raging waters, and the man drowns. When the man arrives in Heaven, he’s very angry with God. “I believed in You!” he cries. “Why didn’t you save me?” To this, God replies: “What did you want? I sent you a dinghy, a power boat, and a helicopter!”

***

There was a time when I thought the story was just a mildly humorous joke–which reveals that I, too, missed the boat! The story is actually intended to relate great wisdom. God/Source/The Universe works through us. Until we understand this, we’re missing a tremendously important point. All of us possess gifts that are intended to be shared for the benefit of everyone; and fortunately our gifts are unique. To enable ourselves to give from the heart, we must do some soul searching and discover our true passion. When we live our purpose–there’s the joy!

The next time that you’re seeking divine assistance for a problem, keep your eyes open and your intuition attuned. The solution might arrive through a person sitting next to you on the bus or subway; or through a friend who knows of a friend. More important, you might realize that Divinity Incarnate–in the form of you and the “other” person–is present.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Mission I AM Possible

Note: To cue my original no-expenses-spared rendition of the theme music from “Mission I Am Possible, please press here. In this performance, I’ll be whipping up some “music” with spoons–😎. Tickets are selling out fast, but there are still a few seats available. Now, let’s begin:

***

Just prior to entering this incarnation, “each” of us might imagine that we were standing on a high diving board, preparing to take another plunge into the realm that’s referred to as Earth. Why would we do this time and time again? As a method of refinement. In a manner analogous to rubber automobile tires that pick up bits of gravel, grit, and even nails, human beings pick up the energy of certain tendencies–some that serve ourselves and “others” well; and some that make suffering very likely. The trip, in which we actually never go anywhere, allows us to learn what serves a higher ideal, and what belongs to the “person” in the lowlands of Earth.

From my own experience and knowledge gained from books about spirituality, I believe that the soul (and sole) purpose of our journey, at least from a human perspective, is to find our way back HOME; in other words, to recognize our essential nature. We Are of God; therefore, our essential nature must be God-like. The main challenge related to this purpose involves dropping, or at least questioning, our murky human assumptions long enough to allow the Light of Truth to shine through. As long as we cling to a false ‘i’-dentity related to name and form, the likelihood of realizing our true nature is slim. Suffering “as” the human is the one natural solution that provides opportunity for expansion out of the prison in which we have figuratively been placed. This isn’t literally true; but it certainly feels that way.

How will we know if we’ve recognized true Self. Trust me, if you will, the realization is unmistakable; but don’t expect to see signs of It as an object. The Bible states this clearly in Luke 17:21: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Another way of verifying if we have arrived is that most, if not all, of the fear, pride, and arrogance related to performance (for example, of a rendition of Mission I Am Possible) has been jettisoned along with our belief in the illusory person. This is the meaning behind the well-known but, perhaps, puzzling expression: “to find yourself, you must lose yourself.” When we lay down our false assumption that we can–ever–possibly be the “person,” we open ourselves to recognition of our Oneness. Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to find That.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Douglas Turns Homeward

Although the glow from a streetlight shone through Douglas Hepburn’s bedroom window, his inner night felt very dark, indeed. Within minutes of retiring to bed, he realized that sleep would not be forthcoming anytime soon. Despite his deep yearning for the balm of forgetfulness, his mind had decreed that he had tasks to which he must attend: He must focus on his ex wife, and the life they had once enjoyed together; he must concentrate on the pain of estrangement from his children; he must lie upon the torture rack and be stretched by the “why” yet another relationship had fallen by the wayside. And last, but not least, he must wonder why “he” had been fated a failure.

After arising several times to pace aimlessly through vacant rooms of his small house, Douglas found himself–as he had been taught to do as a child–kneeling at the foot of his bed and clasping his hands together. “Dear God,” he prayed, “please…please help me. I’m so lost, and I don’t know what to do.” Tears flowed down his cheeks as he continued: “I’ve tried so hard, I really have. Why…why must my life be so challenging?” A few minutes later, he rose upon shaky knees and, exhausted, crawled beneath the bed covers and fell into a fitful sleep.

***

Dear readers: If Douglas’s life situation feels familiar, please know that help is available. The help isn’t related to a specific type of counselling, religion, addiction center, or rehabilitation program; although all or some of those avenues may be worthy of attention. The help to which I refer is a solution that’s found within yourself; in that placeless place where we recognize our essential nature. We are not now, nor have we ever been, the person. The Truth of this may be recognized directly. Suffering arises due to erroneous identifcation with the body-mind. We are so much more than name and form. The key to liberation from suffering is to investigate the nature of the “person” that’s apparently suffering.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Sassafras’s Wisdom

Chase, Chuck, Charlie, and Sassafras were tromping through the wooded areas of their local park on a hot summer day. They were as alive as alive can get; with good wriggley energy pulsing through their young bodies. Unofficially, they were known as The Three Muskeeters–at least that’s what the crooked plywood sign read above the entrance to their tree fort. Sassafras had recently joined their merry gang, but they had yet to get around to changing the sign to “four.” The three boys, the “C’s,” had been friends since meeting at grade school a couple of years earlier.

The goodies–of licorice, chips, and pop–had long ago been devoured. Now it was time for serious talk, the get-down-to-business part of their outing.

“Let’s take turns sharing what we want to be when we’re grownups!” exclaimed Chase.

“Sounds good,” said Charlie, “but we gotta vote on it.”

With that, the children’s hands spiked upward, signalling that the proposal had carried.

“I wanna be a tax collector,” said Chuck. “It’s government, don’t you know; so at least there’s security. I also hear that the benefit package is quite attractive, with an indexed pension.” The other two boys nodded seriously and gave their thumbs up.

“I wanna be a mortician,” said Chase. “People are always dying–you hear of it on the TV almost every day; so business should be steady. If I salt away some savings on a regular basis and make some savvy investments in a diversided stock portfolio, I think I could do quite nicely.”

“Makes sense,” said the boys in serious agreement.

Next was Charlie. “I’m gonna be the owner of a tech startup. I’ll make sure that I get a ton of options in our initial public offering of stock and make a financial killing when I sell at the peak. That’s a flagpole formation on a trading chart, in case you didn’t know. I’ll make sure to set up an offshore business to evade any unnecessary tax burden, and I’ll probably be a billionaire before I’m thirty, if I play my cards right.”

“What about you, newbie,” chimed the boys to Sassafras. “What do you want to be?

“True to her deeper nature, Sassafras paused and allowed herself a few moments of contemplation before answering: “I think that being born a human being is very special,” she said, “so I want to make the most of it. “I just want to be happy, and I figure that the best way for that to happen is to follow my heart.”

“Nahhhh,” exclaimed the boys! “Seriously, what to you really want to be?!”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

A Tear From The Divine

Bruno did not cry, ever. For as long as he could remember, he had believed that crying was a sign of weakness; and he, Bruno Steinbeck, was a strong man. The narrative that played in Bruno’s mind was, “I am a man with whom to be reckoned. If you mess with me, you will find yourself in a big mess.” A body builder, Bruno trained at the gym five days a week, lifting ever-increasing weight. When his body had refused to comply with his demand of “more, bigger muscles,” he had forced it to submit to his will through the use of steroids. He would show the world his strength, or die in the attempt.

Outside of the gym, Bruno was also a force with which to be reckoned. The notion of conquest that he applied to weights in the gym also applied to his relationships and the women he dated. How good it felt to have attractive women hanging on his arms. In business, he also applied a motto of beat or be beaten. Earth was a competitive arena, with no room for losers; it was survival of the fittest. On a superficial level, life felt very good; but there was a yet-to-be recognized level of suffering lurking beneath the surface.

As part of his training, Bruno often posed in front of full-length mirrors to study the shape and size of his muscles. It was during one such posing session, that Bruno noticed one lone tear suddenly run down his right cheek. He was holding weights at the time, so there was nothing he could do to hide it. Would other body builders see it?! There was the tear…trickling downward, until it reached his upper lip. As quickly as he could, Bruno set down the dumbbells he had been holding and wiped the tear aside with his palm. Unnerved by the bizarre occurrence, he left the gym early that day.

***

That night, just before Bruno drifted off to sleep, “That” which sent the tear to him at the gym, spoke to him softly but clearly. It seemed as though he was feeling the words emanate from the pillow beneath his head: “Dear child, “It said, “you’re carrying too much burden. Put down your weight and awaken to That which you really ‘are.’ You’ve been dreaming your so-called life; of apparently being a muscular man named Bruno, who is six-feet tall. Please listen to me now; you’ve ignored Presence far too long. Give rest to your innocent ignorance and awaken to Truth. You cannot possibly be who you ‘think’ you are; that is delusion related to your egoic self. To know the lasting peace that ‘passes all understanding,’ you must know thyself.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Life Enrichment

Think and “Glow” Rich

Between “Here” and “There”

Invictus Spiritus

Sneaking Past God

Sparks Divine

We Are The Solution

Mission I AM Possible

Douglas Turns Homeward

Sassafras’s Wisdom

A Tear From The Divine

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