Place Your Reservation

Place Your Reservation

Imagine with me, if you will, that you walk into a fast food restaurant and approach the woman behind the counter. You look her in the eye and innocently say, “Yes, my last name is Smith and I have a reservation for two, at seven thirty. My friend and I would like a table with a view.”  What type of response do you think you would receive? Imagine with me, also, that you visit the beautiful state of Utah. However, instead of appreciating the beauty of it’s amazing vistas and rock formations, that you’re disappointed because you can’t reserve a hotel room with a view of the Pacific! And–you’re probably asking yourself–the point of this?

The point relates to an axiom of the Principle of Correspondence in the Kybalion, a book of ancient wisdom. It states: As Above, so Below; As Below, so Above. Meaning? It means that there is correspondence–or correlation–among the planes of being and life. The three planes– The Physical, Mental, and Spiritual–are not actual planes but arbitrary divisions or degrees in the scale of life. Such divisions are not hard and fast but shade in and out of one another. The Principle of Correspondence is important to understand, for with it, we can–and will–manifest more effectively.

What does this mean, practically? It means that to manifest more effectively we must align ourselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. In the spiritual: We must habitually be whatever we desire. In the mental: we must habitually think of what we desire. In the physical, we must habitually act in ways that reflect what we desire. The three states must align–or correspond–before we’ll experience the manifestation.

Using the analogy of the reservations from the first paragraph, that means that we cannot manifest prosperity by being, thinking, and acting poor. That means that we cannot enjoy health by being, thinking, and acting sick. That means that we cannot enjoy success by being, thinking, and acting failure. To be, think, and act in ways that contradict what we desire–does not make sense; in the same way that seeking a view of the Pacific from Utah does not make sense. You just can’t get that from there.

So, what do we desire? Is it great health, increased wealth, wonderful relationships, or more success? If so, it’s time to place our reservations. How to you do this? Through the powers of our imagination–first. Be it, think it, act it! We must imagine what we desire, and concentrate with patient and detached persistence. By doing so, we’re placing our reservation with the Universe. After that, we have only to remain strong in our faith, and then act upon our intuitive nudges. Law will bring what we desire.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

Preemptive Strikes

Preemptive Strike

Most of us, unfortunately, will be familiar with the term preemptive strike, which is usually used in the context of war. From Wikipedia, its basic definition is as follows: A surprise attack launched with the stated intention of countering an anticipated enemy offensive. In theory, the first to strike will gain an advantage, likely by catching the enemy off guard or unprepared.

As this relates to the Law of Attraction, a preemptive strike is not against an enemy but against ourselves and our goals! In many cases, the action reveals hidden fears or subconscious beliefs of unworthiness, rather than any real reason why our goals can’t be achieved! This covert operation is often habitual, a mechanism related to memories of past goals attempted without success. It works thus: Instead of allowing our goal to manifest, through intuitive guidance toward action required, we unconsciously defeat it with our negative thinking. Once again, this type of mentality offers proof that we bring about what we think about! It is destructive in nature, not constructive. This is the strike; the attack against our own aspirations.

Why, though, would our mind attack a goal that could potentially enrich our life? Because a new goal requires us to shift out of our comfort zone, and that can be a terrifying experience! In fact, many motivational speakers claim that if a goal doesn’t scare us a little that it’s probably not big enough! When the mind strikes down a goal, we may temporarily feel some relief, just to have the matter settled. However, in the quiet hours of the soul we realize what’s being sacrificed.

Regarding preemptive strikes in war, who would know the best action to be taken? This, however, is certain regarding the achievement of our goals: Unless we remain open to possibilities, we doom our dreams. The mind that’s launching preemptive strikes would have us believe that it’s being of benefit; that it’s protecting us from painful future experiences. But such a mentality negates the value of lessons learned from attempting in the first place! It’s actually sabotaging our dreams before they’ve been given a chance.

How do we counter such attacks? By recognizing them for the enemy they are! By questioning their validity and, if appropriate, refusing to accept that our goal can’t be achieved just because we don’t know the way now! Such requires patience, persistence, insight, faith, and action! The subconscious will undoubtedly attempt to convince us to be realistic; to accept that some people are lucky and some not. The truth, however, is that luck has nothing to do with it.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 Way of Trust

the-way-of-trust

All of us bring attitudes to the situations of our life. Some situations we may label as good; some we may label as bad; some perhaps a mixture of both. Whatever the case, it’s unavoidable that we will bring our habitual thoughts and feelings with us. However, for the sake of manifesting the best of life, let’s share a perspective that may help us greatly.

We dream of the way we’d like life to be. We want this, that, or the other thing. We want a relationship to be just so; our career to happen this way but not that; travel to unfold according to our expectations; and solutions to arrive on our schedule. Alas, this is often not the case. Life surprises us, shocks us, knocks us, confuses us, and downright rebels against our most valiant efforts. However…

What if we adjusted ourselves–and our beliefs–to life; rather than expecting life to adjust to us. Would there be a benefit? Could we actually find ourselves flowing with the tide of life, rather than against it? The undeniable and unequivocal answer is yes! Could we arrive at a state of Being–deep within ourselves–in which we accept every moment as it is? And could we adopt the belief that life is always working in our favour, even if at first glance it appears otherwise?

Think: As life is always changing, is it safe to say that we never truly arrive? Is not every moment merely a stepping stone to the next? Can a supposed arrival ever truly be static? And with this knowledge, may we conclude that the outcome we have desired–which has not yet appeared–doesn’t have to be labelled as disappointment? Could the fulfillment of our desire still be on its way? Or could that which didn’t occur, still turn out to be for the best? And could we, thus, learn invaluable lessons?

To live in this manner is to live by the way of trust. We may believe that whatever happens in life–the loss of a recent relationship; the end of a business venture; an unexpected displacement from the workplace–is in our best interest. From our limited and small perspective, we so often assume that we know best. The truth, however, is that life’s detours often yield the best results…and the greatest joy!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

To Think Deliberately

to-think-deliberately

Eckhart Tolle is one of the most influential spiritual teachers of our time. In the last several years, he has risen to prominence not only for his books, which include The Power of Now and A New Earth, but also for his television spiritual retreats. Although he has great wisdom to share about our essential nature, he’s also skilled at teaching us the art of deliberate thinking.

Many persons may wonder if deliberate thinking is, indeed, possible; but that’s likely because they’ve never attempted it. For most people, thoughts just occur; most often in a random and repetitive manner. As a consequence, their lives often that lack of deliberate intention.

Some experts believe that it’s impossible to know what our next thoughts will bewe cannot possibly know what our next thoughts will be; that we are not, in fact, capable of producing them. This may or may not be true; but through deliberate effort, we can at least attune ourselves to the nature of thoughts we receive. In one presentation, Eckhart likened the process to the following:

Imagine that you’re sitting on a park bench, with no agenda in mind except to enjoy time in nature. A few minutes pass by, but then a dog runs into our field of vision. It sniffs the ground in one location; paws the earth at a second; stops to urinate at a third. The dog moves on and on. In this example, the dog, of course, is analogous to our thinking process. Must we follow that dog and focus on it exclusively, merely because it entered our awareness? If we answered “yes,” we’re training ourselves to be the slave–not the master–of every other dog (thought) that enters our mind. Negative “dogs” lead to more thoughts of a similar nature, as though connected by an invisible leash. Fortunately, the same is true of positive thoughts.

What does this mean in practical terms? That we can choose not to follow painful thoughts related to our ex spouse, business deals that failed, or financial worries. That we can choose not to focus on relationship thoughts that cause stress, worry, or concern. We’re not being negligent when we choose not to do so; we’re actually nurturing a better state of mind. And we may remind ourselves just who gives importance, relevance, and meaning to all of our thoughts and experiences. We hold the scepter of opinion–not the thoughts.

With practice, we may train ourselves to follow only thoughts that we wish to entertain. There are also times when we will choose not to think; to remain in the bliss of present awareness without engaging the thinking process. We may also liken thinking to our arms or legs: Just because we have them, must they always be in motion? No, they may be at rest; and the same is true of our mind. If we have nothing good to think, we may choose not to engage negative thinking just to fill time. Such, in fact, will benefit us greatly.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 🙏🏻🧡

Ride On

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I’ve just returned from a 13, 000-kilometer motorcycle trip in which I visited the west coast of Canada and also a few of the States of America. I was away for thirty-three incredible days. It was a great trip, and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to travel in a way that provides both excitement and joy.

My passion for motorcycling struck me when I was a teenager, and despite a period of over twenty years in which I didn’t ride, my passion returned several years ago. How glad I am that it did! Several friends I know also ride, but we have strikingly dissimilar belief systems when the subject of continued riding in future years comes up. Two people I know have even planned the exact age when they will quit riding–stating reasons such as, “Well, you know that your reflexes get slower as you age,” or “you have to be very sharp when you’re riding on two wheels.” I don’t deny that these statements are true; but both negate that safe riding can still be possible, in part due to benefits that we’ve acquired as we age. We’ll look at the subject from a Law of Attraction viewpoint:

The Law of Attraction basically states that what we think about, we bring about. When we apply this to the subject of safe motorcycling, it, thus, means that if we focus upon the day when we will quit, to be safe, we will actually manifest that as a consequence of our thinking. Our mind, when directed in such a manner, will offer ample evidence as proof of why this should be so. My approach is much different.

Yes, the day will undoubtedly come when I will stop riding, but until that day appears I’m going to focus all of my efforts on staying in the saddle. Why not? I’m going to tell myself that such is possible for as long as possible. The point? It’s definitely not solely about riding a motorcycle! It’s about indulging in and enjoying all of our interests! Golfing, skiing, running? Travel, adventure, passion? I’m saying “Yes!” to all of my interests. Isn’t it wiser to let life determine when the time is right to forgo an interest, and trade that one for yet another? The details will look after themselves. We need not plan for the day when we figuratively park our motorcycle for the last time, or shelve our helmet. In fact doing so, only makes such occur that much sooner!

Why was my trip only 13,000 kilometers long? Simple: Because I started to entertain thoughts (which brought about corresponding actions) that it was time to turn eastward and return to life in Ontario. If I had continued to think about riding in other States–perhaps heading further south–it would have been much longer. This little example applies to so many of our other interests? Why are we not travelling anymore? Because we stopped entertaining the idea that we could or should? Why have we given up on driving, maintaining our own home, or hiking the surrounding parks? Quite often it’s because we stopped thinking that such was possible; long before any physical reason presented that actually inhibited our ability to do so.

In a book entitled In The Flow of Life, the author, Eric Butterworth, tells the account of a businessman named Joseph McDonald, who, despite being eighty years of age, was vibrant, energetic, and doing the same amount of work of employees many years younger. At lunch one day, a young employee politely asked Mr. McDonald his age. Without missing a beat, Joseph replied, “My son, my age is none of my business!” What he was so wisely saying was that his age need not ever be his focus. Must we squeeze ourselves into the stereotypical definitions of someone who is sixty, seventy, eighty and beyond? No! We can let age take care of itself. It will. In the meantime, isn’t it time to be planning our next trip?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 🙏🏻🧡

Awakening To The “Now”

Awakening to the Now4

There’s a paradox related to the Law of Attraction: From the beginning of our study, we’re told that we must govern our thinking; to choose our thoughts wisely; to concentrate on what we desire to experience, not on what we don’t! The importance of being the watchful guardian of our mind is stressed repeatedly. We’re taught that positive thoughts create positive outcomes; negative thoughts, negative. Intuitively, we realize this is true, for our instincts inform us nothing good can come from entertaining negative thoughts. So, what’s the paradox?

That thinking, the very tool we use to attract the good we seek, can become a hindrance. When used correctly, thinking is undoubtedly one of our greatest gifts. Used incorrectly, however, it can be more a curse than a blessing. Not only is it important to know how to direct our thinking, but also how to get out of it! Contrary to popular belief, we needn’t have endless thoughts and opinions about every aspect of life; nor in our best interests to do so. But how do we enter the transcendent beauty of the present moment?

By directing our attention out of the mind and into a dimension apart from thinking. Eckhart Tolle, a renowned spiritual teacher and author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, advises us to leave the mind’s incessant chatter by focusing our attention into the body. A deep breath may help us enter–then anchor in–the present moment; for the breath is a potent reminder of life that’s happening right now, moment to moment. To exist in a conceptualized realm is not to live. An overactive mind, subject to thoughts that hijack our attention, may render us incapable of truly enjoying the fruits of our labours. What sense in that?

With practice, we may regain our sense of innocence and wonder, as though reborn into the world as a child. We may surrender to life as it is. By doing so, we discover that the good we sought is naturally present, closer than we previously thought. Awakened, we realize that our experiences come vibrantly alive. The difference is not related to the activities themselves, but to the degree of presence we bring to them! That sense of aliveness has been shining there all along, obscured by conceptualization.

Life happens now. Plain. Simple. Real. True. The present moment is all there is. When we think about the past, we do that now. When we think about the future, we do that now. There’s definitely a time to visualize, to dream and mentally reach beyond our current circumstance. However, there’s also a time to enjoy–fully engaged in the aliveness of experience. As always, balance is key.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

Be “That” Friend

Frienship3

The study and deliberate application of the Law of Attraction can take us a long way–from that faint vision of our heart’s desire to its achievement in the here and now. What was once only an intangible dream can be made real through faith and action. A definite method exists; one practiced by wise men and women through the ages. Through this process, we may not only achieve our goals but also awaken to our essential nature.

However, anyone who has reached for a goal will likely tell us this: Along the path of achievement, there will be many unexpected twists and turns. There will be hills to climb and valleys to forge; there will be days that seem darker than the night; there will be times when our doubt is strong and our faith is weak; when we wonder Why did I even start? It’s at times such as these–when the world seems braced against us, and our dreams beyond our reach–that we may consider ourselves very rich, indeed, if we can call on that friend.

Who is that friend? A soul that wishes us only good health, happiness, and fortune; an individual who wishes to take nothing, but eagerly offers meaningful encouragement, honest opinion, and good wishes; a person who goes that extra mile in kindness, and generosity. Most of us realize the importance of having a mentor–someone who has bravely led the way and achieved what we desire to achieve; but to have a friend who believes in us and our dreams is equally invaluable. What, though, if we don’t have such a friend?

All is not lost. There’s still something of great importance that we may do. We can be that person for an acquaintance, colleague, or so-called stranger. What goals do they desire? And how can we help them achieve them? What trials are they going through? And how can we help them surmount them? As ye sow, so shall ye reap. We may be that friend. It’s in everyone’s best interest to do so.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 🙏🏻🧡

Exchanging Paradigms

Changing Paradigms5

Paradigms are a collection of beliefs in the subconscious mind that serve as a mould or blueprint for our life experiences. Many of our paradigms are positive and serve us beneficially; but some are negative and detrimentally affect the quality of our life. It’s easy to understand the importance of exchanging paradigms that aren’t working in our best interests.

How can this be accomplished? The first course of action is to realize they exist. Although it’s true that we cannot directly witness paradigms, we can definitely notice their effects. A useful analogy would be to think of paradigms as the wind–made knowable through a weather vane. We can notice our paradigms by observing how we navigate through life. When we pay attention, we’ll notice that we perform most activities in a predictable and habitual manner. For instance: After a shower, we begin to dry ourselves in a definite pattern–arms, chest, and then lower body? When brushing our teeth, we begin from right to left or top to bottom? When driving our car, we buckle our seat belt immediately or just prior to pulling away? Believe that there’s no such thing as paradigms? Then watch next time as your habits drive you to the same parking space, in the same lot, at your local grocery! These actions are due to the function of paradigms.

In this article, I describe a technique that I borrowed from a hypnotist’s internet presentation. In it, the hypnotist shared that we could conceptualize the subconscious mind as a glass container, perhaps in the shape of a carafe or flask. The flask is full of our subconscious paradigms–both good and bad. Fluid symbolically represents the paradigms contained within the flask.

For the purpose of learning this technique, we may imagine that the flask contains a belief system (paradigm) that’s producing a negative effect regarding a goal we desire to achieve. Perhaps we have a habit of procrastination that’s hindering us from completing our goals in a timely fashion. Next, we may imagine dropping a new and positive belief (conceptualized as a pebble) into the flask every time we perform our tasks on time. Initially this may not appear to make any difference to the amount of volume in the flask. But, when we drop pebble after pebble–day in and day out–our limiting beliefs will be displaced. They’ll simply spill away to darkness where they belong. The key with this method is mindful repetition. When we’re present, we’ll see that it’s actually possible to choose our habits.

So, please take an honest introspective peek. What paradigm needs exchanging? Anger? Defensiveness? Excessive consumption of food or alcohol? Fearfulness? Irritability? Jealousy? Tardiness? Is there a belief that’s preventing you from experiencing a healthier and happier life, or hijacking your degree of success? If you’re aware of a limiting paradigm, now’s the time to symbolically drop that first pebble and take inspired action toward the change you desire.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 🙏🏻🧡

Journey to a Coffee Cup

Journey to a Coffee Cup3

The most powerful and consequential conditioning in our life is that of which we are unaware. Such conditioning is broad and deep and hidden; consisting of layer upon layer of belief. It not only determines the quality of results we experience, but also how we experience reality itself. When innocent and fresh upon this world of opposites, we were informed of so much. This is that; and that is this. We were handed name after name for all shape, form, thing, and experience. Our mind–which arrived empty–was written upon with information that we would continue to read for many years. However…

At some point, we may have become curious about the nature of reality itself. The subject of the Law of Attraction brings this strongly into focus; for its very nature relates to what’s deemed possible and impossible. On a personal level, we question whether our dreams truly can come true. Most often, our rational mind strongly rebels; for it appears as though there’s no correlation between thought and what we actually experience in our lives. Adding to our confusion, Biblical passages and mystical teachings make claims that appear either miraculous or ludicrous. Such seem bizarre for one reason only: At the heart of our knowledge, we unquestioningly assume reality to be as we have been conditioned to believe. Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) shared his view about this subject through the following quote: Reality is merely an illusion, albeit it a very persistent one.

What if we questioned how we know–or truly experience–anything? As the title of this article suggests, we’re going to examine how we know a coffee cup. How does the coffee cup–which appears out there in our hand–get into our mind, where it becomes real in the darkness of brain matter enclosed within a skull? Let’s examine the mechanics of sight: When we see, the cornea and lens of our eyes focus light onto the retina, where it’s converted into neuronal signals that are ultimately processed–as in our example–into a coffee cup. Our programming is so pervasive, that we view–with absolute certainty–the coffee cup as existing independent of the consciousness through which it’s experienced, and out of which it’s made! To absorb this understanding more deeply, we may pick up a coffee cup and contemplate if we can possibly know it (experience it directly) by any means other than the thoughts, sensations, and perceptions of it. We will discover that such is impossible.

This article is obviously not merely about a coffee cup. It’s a journey in which we peel away illusion and discover a new way of experiencing reality–intended as a pointer toward understanding how our greatest desires may manifest. In truth, the journey to a coffee cup occurs via the same process in which we journey to a rose; to a mountain; to the moon; to a pencil or a pen. All things–of which we’ve been informed by Buddha, great sages, and quantum physicists–have no intrinsic existence outside of consciousness itself. All of them are formed from perceptions…only. The way we experience the coffee cup is thus: Through the five senses–which inform us of the object through sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. We see the coffee cup–shape and colour. We feel the coffee cup–texture. We hear the coffee cup–clink of china. We taste its contents. We smell the aroma of the coffee. The coffee cup occurs in consciousness. We cannot prove it exists outside our direct experience; which is our consciousness of it. This way of experiencing the coffee cup is at 180 degrees from the way we assumed the world to be.

Does this imply that all we have to do to achieve our goals is believe? That out of no thing–from no where–what we imagine will come into being? No, far from it! However, our beliefs are intimately and directly connected with what we will experience. There are fixed natural laws to this game of reality we’re playing; perhaps the most important being this: Action is required! In fact, action is part of what makes life vibrantly alive! To not move–to not act–goes against one of the deepest truths of nature: That everything is vibrating and moving; even seemingly solid things.

What benefit is this knowledge? From the perspective of the Law of Attraction, this: to serve as a bridge of understanding via which we may achieve more of our important dreams. Perhaps we desire physical healing–to let go of the belief of disease and imagine our body whole, strong, perfect, restored, functioning in harmony. Perhaps we desire financial gain–to let go of the belief of lack, poverty, and meager earnings. Perhaps we desire success–to let go of the belief of failure, fated loss, and misery. Through greater understanding of the underlying nature of reality itself, we may more easily entertain new–more empowering–beliefs. From this vantage point, the following passage from the Bible (Mathew 17:20, English Standard Version) may potentially seem possible: For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Is the mountain–so seemingly real–not made of thoughts, sensations, and perceptions–which likewise made the coffee cup real? Now, what mountain–disease, poverty, failure–do we wish to move? A previously hidden system of beliefs may be the only obstacle in our way.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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

Thank You” & “Note to Publishers

The Awakening of Joshua

The Awakening of Joshua9

Joshua once lived in a house with many mirrors. They seemed everywhere he looked. There were mirrors in the bedrooms; mirrors in the bathrooms; mirrors in the halls; mirrors in the living room, dining room, and grand entrance. All about him, he saw reflections of whom he thought himself to be. The proof seemed inescapable, irrefutable, real. A glance in one of his many mirrors was all it took to reinforce his belief.

There he was–the business man. There he was–the husband. There he was—the father. There he was–through the faculty of memory–the little boy, brimming with innocence, joy, and enthusiasm. And here he was now–the forty-six-year old man, with the personal history of trials and tribulations; the one who was twice divorced, deep in debt, out of shape, lonely, isolated, a workaholic and near alcoholic; a man who was running as fast as he could to keep pace with a world that was forever changing. His identity was also reflected–and reinforced–by and through his interactions with his family, friends, and acquaintances.

Joshua’s view of the world was this: Some people are fortunate enough to be born into a rich family, but most are not. Some individuals get all the lucky breaks, but for most–as in his case–this world is a dog-eat-dog experience. Some people will have healthy bodies most of their lives, but the majority will succumb to one of an infinite list of lurking diseases. On a good day, he could line up his ducks and–with unrelenting attention–keep them in a row. On a bad day, he couldn’t even find them. There was no sense trying to change this reality. It was just the way of the world.

Time passed, until a year came when Joshua–inspired by a deep longing for a more meaningful way of Being in the world–quit work, sold his home, and moved to a cabin that he purchased on a small island. The island, which he nicknamed No Man’s Land, had no other residents. He lived alone there; free to come and go as he pleased. He rose early and stayed up late. He ate, slept, and communed with nature. On the third day, he forgot to wear his watch and never wore it again. Life seemed simpler without time. Soon after, he began a meditation practice and faithfully gave himself to it every day. One morning when he was heading outside for a walk, he noticed a small inscription carved into the back of the cabin’s front door. He assumed it to be from the previous owner. It read: To find yourself, you must lose yourself. Its meaning was perplexing, yet raised a strange but comfortable feeling within him.

Although the cabin was very different from the grand house in which Joshua had once lived, he soon became accustomed to it. Of the noticeable differences was that it had no mirrors–not one. Nowhere in his humble home could Joshua see his reflection. That felt startling at first; for it almost seemed he wasn’t there. There was direct evidence, however, that he was! He was conscious; he was alive; he was living moment to moment on an island. As the days turned into months, Joshua realized he was happier than he had been in years. It felt as though he had shrugged off a heavy burden; for everything about himself and his experiences felt so much lighter–real but unreal. This way of Being felt natural to him, as though a birthright now remembered. The reason?

***

Simple, when we understand the mechanics of how this reality operates; and the nuts and bolts of how it’s constructed. When Joshua moved to the cabin with no mirrors–on an island on which he was the sole resident–there was nothing to reinforce the identity of the false self (the conceptual self, which exists only in the mind and is constructed from a multitude of beliefs and memories). In the light of a deeper reality, his real self–Spirit–had the space to rise up and make itself known. “Here I Am, it whispered, “the One for whom you’ve been longing.” What are the practical implications that relate to the Law of Attraction? First: That, as in Joshua’s case, the person experiencing the problematic life is conceptual…only; nothing more than a fabrication of the mind. Second: That we should continue to dream and create–as that is our nature–but from the wiser and detached perspective of our true self. By doing so, we gain access to an Infinite Well of power and knowledge.

Joshua’s awakening was a process of true recognition; not a single ah–ha moment. As his mind released its stranglehold on his identity, his true essence was free to shine forth. To Joshua, it felt as though he had shrugged off costume after costume after costume; all of which had been worn by a small fictional actor who had no true reality outside of the mind. As compulsive interpretations fell away, the awakened Joshua was left free to live and breathe and have his Being in this world; but with the intimate recognition that he was not–now or ever–of this world.

***

In time, as Joshua’s new way of living stabilized, he left the seclusion of the island and returned to the hustle and bustle of the world. Its hectic pace continued, changing from moment to moment; but he felt grounded in the Unchanging. He felt untouchable–safe, sound, secure. He started a new business and bought a new home. In fact, he fell in love and married again. Knowing what he knew, he chose to focus his attention positively and thereby create a better life. However, the most important change in Joshua’s life came through knowing his true identity. Thus: All painful longing and false belief of separation fell away.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – 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 🙏🏻🧡