Holy Busyness

[Our] mind should swing from inspiration to action, from contemplation to accomplishment, from prayer to performance.
SOM pp. 477

He who acts out of the pure love of God, not only does he not perform his action to be seen by men, but does not do them even that God may know them. Such a one, if he thought it possible that his good works might escape the eye of God, would still perform them with some joy, and in the same pureness of love.
Saint John of the Cross


Today’s world seems to be hurried, busy with much to do, many actions to perform and choices to make. So much so, that when we most need to take action, we often cannot. Paralyzed by lists of tasks, reponsibilities, decisions and difficult and weighty challenges, we are sometimes unable to do what is before us.

Perhaps at such times, inaction is the appropriate response. Perhaps at times of difficulty, stress and confusion, the very best choice is to pause, wait and become recentered.

To return to the world with a sense of joy and commitment that transcends the challenges of ordinary everyday life, we must surely set aside time daily to make known our choices and desires to the Spirit within. This, followed by a time of quite meditation and a willingness to be the instrument through which the Mind of God expresses, transforms our every action into a celebration of God as us.

Indeed, regular time spent in silence prepares us to stand firm and confident in such times when the weight of the world seems to bare down.


Today I enter into each activity with the quiet confidence that Spirit is expressing as me by means of my thoughts, words and deeds. I choose wisely, therefore, because I know that nothing can hinder the pure activity of Life through me. I give thanks for my life and all that is in it.

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February 8, 2009 Touch and be Touched Part Three

Scroll down for parts one and two

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To Touch and Be Touched Part Two

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February 8, 2009 Touch and Be Touched part one

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Meditation

In that inner sanctuary of our own nature, hidden perhaps from objective gaze, nestles the seed, perfection.
SOM pp. 36

O give me Grace to see Thy face, and be
A constant Mirror of Eternitie
Thomas Traherne


No matter the conditions in which we find ourselves, there remains something within each one of us which is in its original state. This place inside is reached in silence, in contemplation and quiet listening. Within this place is the recognition of harmony health and beauty. Entry into this personal sanctuary is denied to no one. However, such a communion must be approached with an open heart and a full intention to receive something greater than the immediate circumstance of life: Reality.

Like any method, meditation must be practiced to reveal its subtleties and depth. Regular time, at the same time each day, in the same location each time, is a wonderful approach to rapidly deepening the experience meditation has to offer. During the time set aside to meditate we strive not so much to think, but to observe; not so much to visualize, but to receive; not so much to direct, but to deepen our awareness of the Invisible Presence of God in and through all life.



Today I pause frequently to silently observe Spirit in the world around me. Today I pause frequently to silently observe Spirit in the world inside me. Today I pause frequently to silently observe Spirit reflected back to me. I give thanks for my life and all that is in it.

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The Judds

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Thank you to Rosie for the video referal

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Paula "Jamie" Kuhle - Congregant

Family, community grieving
Freestone woman killed by oak was avowed nature lover who wouldn't be deterred from daily walk by storm

By DEREK J. MOORE - THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:05 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:05 a.m.

FREESTONE -- The forest where Paula "Jamie" Kuhle walked alone and ultimately died is considered sacred by Freestone locals because of the old-growth redwoods rising majestically into the sky. The 49-year-old woman had often walked the one-lane gravel road, off Freestone Flat Road east of Bohemian Highway, about a quarter-mile from her home.

Sunday's winter storm could not prevent the massage therapist and avowed nature lover from her daily devotional. After calling a friend for advice with her 6-year-old son's cold, Kuhle donned rain gear and grabbed an umbrella before heading out for what was supposed to be a short walk. She was planning to attend services at Santa Rosa's Center for Spiritual Living later that morning. 

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Simple and Direct

I will give thanks to my Inner life for all It’s marvelous wonders, and for all its wonderful works.
SOM pp. 526

Prayer is friendship with God. Friendship is not merely generalized in mood: every event is its occasion.
George Arthur Buttrick


“Prayer is to be simple, direct and receiving”. Prayer is to consciously enter into communion with the Divine in an inner language which is sincere, to the point and completely devoid of any desire to persuade, impress or control.

Spirit within knows us completely. Spirit within is unmoved by beautiful words which do not carry the weight of our conviction. Spirit within responds immediately when the words of our mouth reflect the truth of our being.

Why would we expect our prayers to bring forth joy, unless we entered into prayer with joy. Why would we expect our prayers to bring forth harmony, peace and power, unless we entered into prayer with harmony, peace and power.

At the center of successful prayer is a quiet sense of gratitude for the magnificence of life. Try it for one day. Simply say an inner thank you to everything and everyone. Let this be your prayer for just one day.



Today I let my thoughts be simple, direct and receiving. I express my relationship to Life in my innermost thought and I allow myself to remain open throughout this day to Spirit’s loving embrace. I affirm frequently that Spirit within me knows the way. I give thanks for my life and all that is in it.

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Activating Love

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How to Treat (Pray) about Relationship

God is Love. God is the Self-givingness of Creation to Itself through Itself. God is complete acceptance. God is completely available to Itself - It can know no other. It's embrace is infinite and neverending. It is 'Home'.

I am at home in the heart of God. I am at peace in the all sufficiency of God.

Lacking nothing and needing nothing, I feel the safety and freedom to embrace relationship in the form of mutual love and mutual attraction. I trust the love that God is...to appropriately fill in all other details. I abandon attachment to controlling anything that has anything to do with my experience of loving, mutual relationship. I declare my willingness to enter into mutual love, mutual attraction. I abandon any belief in hard work to accomplish love. I abandon any belief in required changes or improvements to allow love to flourish and I remember the creative flow of Gods unrestricted Self-givingness to Itself through itself (in this case to me and through me). I am invoking in my mind as best as I am able the idea of mutual love and mutual attraction - while at the same time I remember to remain open to a larger experience beyond anything I have ever known. Mutual love and mutual attraction I see as the effortless foundation of trust and respect; joy and collaboration without losing self, without impinging on anyone's freedom, without attempt to control or diminish, without any requirementd because everything is filled in through the formula 'mutual love and mutual attraction'.

I affirm this feeling of completeness in God again and I say YES to my life just as it is right now - for surely if it is God made it is good for me. I say YES to my openness to love - for surely if it is God made it is good for me.

This feeling of openness and completeness at the same time let's me rest in peace, neither reaching for an outcome nor searching out signs of progress for I am alive and well in the all-sufficiency of God's embrace - all is well. My being vibrates with appreciation for this moment of realization. My appreciation deepens as I remember the way Creation unfolds ... Without my control. So I soften and relax to further enjoy being. Peace peace peace.


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Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your questions on the post of Rev. Richard's words. Your first question is:

"So this means that when you say "change your thinking, change your life." it is not misleading when changing conditions is not the goal of Science of Mind. You are not going to get more money or cure cancer, you are simply going to know peace and acceptance with whatever conditions exist and surrender all of it into the divine mind so that any changes in conditions comes from a higher power and not from the little ego self, yes? "

I was watching Forrest Gump in Southern California while resting between sessions of the conference and remembering how much I enjoyed it. While Gump is on his long run, many folk have epiphanies such as the man with the bumper sticker business who gets the inspiration for "Sh** Happens". I see that both teachers acknowledge that suffering exists and that stuff happens all the time. I think Rev. Richard is saying that living in the idea that one day stuff will not happen is not a good plan for life. I don't think he is suggesting that things cannot improve or change. Ernest Holmes on the other hand had a personal philosophy saying that we can use our spiritual practices to address "discord of every nature" and taught his students to expect to be emancipated from the troubles that beset humankind. On the most basic level, yes you can expect to get better, you can expect to have a better job, yes you can expect to rearrange the structures of life by applying yourself through spiritual practices. On a deeper level, if your inner life and hidden beliefs remain unexamined, you may discover things don't change that easily. On a deeper level still, you may discover there are something that are not yours to change.

The serenity prayer is helpful to me in this: "God grant me the serenity to except the things I cannot change courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the differnece..."

Your second questions is:

When Ernest Holmes says, "There is a power in the universe and you can use it." his words are not misleading you into thinking that you can change or create anything?" To say we are co- creators is to say that there are two of us when I understand there is only One. How do you teach the youth in this movement this concept when their entire developmental process is to create an ego identity, and empowered sense of little self?

I think that Ernest Holmes taught that we can use the spiritual power within us to change and to create. Not everything can be changed or created (I cannot currently change the rotation of the earth, but i can change the degree of order in my household, I cannot create life but I can create a resume or the willingness to work out in a gym -- the limitations I mentioned may be a function of my level of consciousness - grin ).

The paradox of being many in the one is one of the key concepts of Ernest Holmes teachings. He teaches that we are individual points of activity within the One - in that way the term co-creator is not intended to refer to separateness but to individuality. When talking to the youth I use the example of the endless variety of human individuals, probably never ever duplicated exactly as an example of how creation is not exhausted in this regard, and continues to produce endless variety, and yet all this diversity of individuality remains part of the one. The question the youth respond to most well is "Although we are all different, what makes us the same?"

Your last statement is:

I have met a woman who was raised in Science of Mind and she was the scariest person I have ever met. She was programmed to believe she could have anything she wanted and she had no regard for the consequences that affected the people around her. A total and complete immersion in a power trip that freaked me out! Food for thought...

Dear Anonymous, I don't know exactly how to address this last statement other than to say Science of Mind does not have a goal that I am aware of to program people to believe they can have anything they want. In the chapter on successful living Ernest Holmes makes very clear that this is not a get rich quick scheme or a you can have anything at the expense of anyone else philosophy. So I can only imagine that your aquaintance may not have had complete access to the text addressing this matter.

Thank you for your stimulating questions.

Edward

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Inspired by 51 Things

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I'm Not Nervous am I?

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Finances

Part of healing work is the courage to look at the world
And discover what it really is when I drop my definitions
"Is it flat or is it round?"
Is the world in the shape I am being told it is
Is the world in the shape I am telling myself it is
Is my body, my life in a shape that matches my language…

Another way of expressing it:
You have a belief system that describes how everything works and is.
This belief system causes you to do things in a certain way
To see things in a certain way
To interact with your world in a certain way.

Some people express it as
“Your belief system creates and attracts your experiences in life” –
it means the same thing.

And your belief system is a work in progress
Built every day by the things you tell yourself
Whether those things are true or not.
The bottom line is that if you believe they are true
They might as well be true.

How about when it comes to Finances
And what a time in the world to be talking about
A healthy relationship to finances
When everywhere a person looks
There is bad news
Frightening news
And whether or not the experts are correct
Is not my business in this moment
My business is – what are you and I telling ourselves....
When we hear what the experts say?

What is the atmosphere like inside your awareness.

What it means to be a practicing metaphysician (Religious Scientist)
In a world like ours is today.

Do you want to know what it says in the Science of Mind Text Book regarding this matter?
Page 161 – you can read it for yourself to verify

“One cannot be a good student of the Science of Mind, who is filled with fear and confusion…. She must keep herself in a state of equilibrium, in a state of spiritual understanding – and by spiritual understanding I don’t mean anything strange or unnatural, but merely that the belief in goodness bust be greater than any apparent manifestation of its opposite.”

Then he goes on to define a Religious Scientist:

“He has relieved his mind of the morbid idea that that will of God can be that of suffering.”

Now at this point I’m the first person to say
I’m probably going to be disqualified.
As soon as they take an inventory of how much fear and confusion I have.

However, what I think is even more accurate about most people…
We’re all probably doing better than we think

Here’s what I mean?
The key word is “Filled”
Nothing else there….No room for anything else…
Just fear poured on in…relentlessly and nada mas.

That would make it difficult for anyone to be a good student of anything.
Fortunately we’re capable of multi tasking
And when it seems like there is only fear going on
There usually many other things going on at the same time

We’re hoping, we’re trusting, we’re risking, we’re growing…..
At the same time as wear fearing…

It’s just the nature of fear that it likes CENTER STAGE
In fact it doesn’t want to share the stage with anything else.

It’s sensational
It grasps around for blame and explanation
Even when it is correct, and when it is being paid attention to…
It’s never enough….it wants more..

It’s not that you and I never feel fear,
or never encounter fearful thoughts or never think a fearful idea…
It’s just that to be a Religious Scientist
we try not to get married to that kind of thinking.
We try to remember that simultaneously
there is something else going on in us too.

The miracle of being human is you can be
fearful and faithfilled all at the same time.

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Onion Rings

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Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith and Rev. Mary Murray Shelton

Leaving the minister's reception on the way to Key Note Presentation
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Rev. Jim Lockhard

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Rev. Rainbow Johnson and Edward

2009 Annual Community Gathering
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Reverend Richard R. Davis

excerpt from a sermon by Rev. Davis

I cannot tell you how often I have fallen into this particular trap, but I can assure you, the number is embarrassingly high. I am speaking of the trap I call “when everything will be OK.” It goes like this: I will get a bit anxious or worried about something in my life, and I think to myself, “When this thing gets cleared up, when this matter is settled, when I get past this ordeal or clear this hurdle or save this amount of money do this or do that – when that is over and done with, then everything will be OK.”

It’s a seductive trap because it usually has a grain of truth in it. Sometimes things actually do get better – you get that degree, that job, that mate, you safely make it to retirement with health and finances intact or you raise your children or you survive that frightening medical operation. And it’s good to have positive anticipations, especially if life is dealing you a bad hand in the present. If you’re in the midst of hard times, I hope things do get better for you – and they can.

But it’s also true that everything in life is never going to be OK according to your personal needs and desires. There will never come a time when you do not face some rather daunting prospects in life. Even if you save lots of money, exercise and eat right, make friends with everybody and have no enemies, and you do everything you can to line up all your ducks in a row, there is no guarantee that some life crisis will not come along and knock them all down. In fact, life comes with a guarantee that this will happen. Sure, we’re better at protecting ourselves than any generation in history, and we’re healthier and live longer, thank goodness. But still, you can’t completely move beyond human limitations and enter into some godlike realm where you have complete control and absolute certainty and security.

Living with the hope that things will someday be perfectly “OK” in your life is not a meaningful journey to a promised land; it is clawing through the sand after a mirage. Things will never be OK, and hoping and waiting for the day when they will be OK means that you’re not living freely and fully today. This doesn’t mean that you should live without any hope for a better time if times are really bad right now, it just means that denying the present, trying to wait it out, won’t vault you into a better world. In fact, it may keep you trapped in a hard world because you’re not facing the root causes of the dis-ease you feel.

Waiting and wishing for better times when everything will be OK is not a good life plan – because that time will never come. After fifty six years on the planet I’m sort of beginning to figure that out. So what to do? Well, if you can’t change the world to be that place where everything is OK, then the only other option is to change or re-orient your perspective so that you are OK with things being as they are. If you can’t change reality to suit your needs, then change yourself.

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Practicing Truthfulness

The starting place for practicing truthfulness is watching the words that come from your mouth and maintaining a practice of speaking accurately, gently, honestly.

With the words you speak in good shape, the next step is to watch the thoughts you think. Rather than violently stopping or negating critical, gossipy thoughts, begin instead to question if they are accurate.

Do this silently and over time you will notice a pattern: Unkind thoughts are frequently based on inaccuracies, assumptions and impulses.


“I don't know. People always think that there has got to be a dark side to everyone, a closet with skeletons, demons under the bed. People think all kinds of things about one another. They feel compelled to make up fears and false assumptions.....”

Tom Hanks

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Truthfulness

Truthfulness is the practice of steadfastly speaking only that which, to the best of your knowledge, is true. It is a commitment to refrain from lying and breaking agreements.

But more than a blind adherence to facts, truthfulness goes hand in hand with a love of kindness, fairness, accuracy and humility.

Can you complete this quote? Do you know who quoted these words?

“There is a road to freedom. Its milestones are Obedience, Endeavor, Honesty, Order, Cleanliness, Sobriety, Truthfulness, Sacrifice, and ......"

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Gentleness

Gentleness is being conscious of your actions and the impact they have on others and your environment. Actions include your spoken word, your thoughts, opinions and aspirations.

At the center of the practice of gentleness is the idea that all of life is connected, and that every action is significant because of the effect it has on creation.

With gentleness as a guide comes the shedding of control, dominance and strategies that employ dread, fear or intimidation.

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”

Lao Tzu quotes

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From Steven Abbott

I'm singing in SF

Hi Friends, I am singing this Sunday Feb 15 at 2 p.m. in San Francisco.

This is a musical adaptation of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" co-written byBret Martin,John Shillington and Robin Eschner. To date this musical has enjoyed three productions - one at Sonoma County Repertory Theater, one at Spotlight Theatre in Bakersfield, and another at Theatre/Theater in Los Angeles.

"A Song For Vanya" was invited to participate in the Theater Composers' Concert Series. This is an on-going series in which the songs from musicals are presented isolated from the rest of the text . . in a sort of concert format. The other musicals being presented are "Morningstar" and "Smokehouse." "Vanya" will be presented first, and is just under an hour.

Uncle Vanya Craig Jessup
Dr. Astrov Steven Abbott
Professor - Gene Wright
Telegin Ernie Shelton
Nanny Leira Satlof
Mother Carol MacRae
Yelena - Laura Pedersen-Schulz
Sonya Katie Phillips

For reservations please call -- (707) 795-3545, or email morningstarplay@gmail.com

thanks,

Steven Abbott

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Warmth - The Temperature of Happiness 1

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Warmth - The Temperature of Happiness 2

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Warmth - The Temperature of Happiness 3

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Filmed from the back of a tuk tuk, a three wheeled motor-cycle taxi. The ride is from the River near the Royal Orchid Sheraton to the Flower Market, passing through China Town.

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Radical Forgiveness for African Americans

Both in celebration of Black History Month and the Season for Nonviolence,
CSA is hosting a special workshop of Radical Forgiveness specifically
designed for African Americans. It is our desire to create a safe
atmosphere (meaning nobody has to worry about hurting feelings while sharing
stored up anger and disappointment) and introduce a modality to release pain
associated with racism, both in their lives and from what they're carrying
from ancestors.

If you know of folks in your congregations who might benefit from this
workshop and can make it up to Sacramento on a Saturday, please forward the
flyer.

In peace and blessings, Rev. Georgia Prescott, Sacramento

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Is Sunday and...

Service is about to start! Hurrrrry
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Namaste from Bal Ashram, 7 Feb 2009

SonoMa Ashram

News from Bal Ashram <http://sonomaashram.org/pdf/2009_08_Feb_Update.pdf>

Safe home for children in Varanasi, India

Namasté from Varanasi,

With the change in weather, there is new inspiration in the air. To learn
about a heart opening event at Bal Ashram, our safe home for children in
Varanasi, India, please click here:
http://sonomaashram.org/pdf/2009_08_Feb_Update.pdf

On January 23, 2009, we welcomed Indra (left) and Vidya (right) to Bal
Ashram

Click photo to see more ...

Bal Ashram is SonoMa Ashram's primary service project in the holy city of
Varanasi, India. Children without parents find a loving home, quality
education and nurturing for all aspects of their life. More information
about Bal Ashram can be found on our website at:
http://sonomaashram.org/bal_ashram.php

Namasté,

shivani

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The Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand; King Rama IX, however does not currently reside there but at the Chitralada Palace.

(wikipedia)

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How to Make a Nasal Straw for Colds and Flu

When it's the season to be merry, it is sometimes also the season to be runny!  And essential oils can be helpful.  Now be careful, of course, not all essential oils are suitable for this method and not all essential oils are equal.  And, not all skin is equal and essential oils can be drying to the delicate skin of some noses.

Nevertheless, I'm an avid fan of helping the runny nose get better with essential oils.  Don't hesitate to contact me with questions.  Hey, I'm no expert, but I can certainly share with you what I learned in essential oil school where I actually passed my aromathery training and received a certificate!  Ha!

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Court says private school can expel lesbians

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009



A private religious high school can expel students it believes are lesbians because the school isn't covered by California civil rights laws, a state appeals court has ruled.

Relying on a 1998 state Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Boy Scouts to exclude gays and atheists, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Bernardino said California Lutheran High School is a social organization entitled to follow its own principles, not a business subject to state anti-discrimination laws.

"The whole purpose of sending one's child to a religious school is to ensure that he or she learns even secular subjects within a religious framework," Justice Betty Richli said in the 3-0 ruling, issued Monday.

As with the Boy Scouts, she said, the primary function of the school is to instill its values in young people, who are told of its policies when they enroll.

Kirk Hanson, a lawyer for the two girls, said he was disappointed and would talk to them about a possible appeal to the state Supreme Court.

According to the court, he said, "if you're a religious school, you can discriminate on any basis you want."

He also noted that all children must attend school, either public or private, and said schools serve different purposes from a voluntary organization like the Boy Scouts.

John McKay, a lawyer for California Lutheran, said he was pleased the court recognized that "a religious school is not a business, and the purpose of a religious school is to teach Christian values."

Any state law that required the school to admit gays or lesbians would violate the school's freedom of expression and religion, McKay said.

The ruling is the first to consider a religious school's status under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which forbids discrimination by businesses and was amended in 2005 to include discrimination based on sexual orientation. State education law also forbids anti-gay bias, but that law applies only to public schools.

The girls were juniors at the high school in Wildomar (Riverside County) when the principal, Gregory Bork, summoned them to his office in September 2005 and questioned them separately about their sexual orientation and whether they loved each other. The principal acted after another student reported postings on the girls' MySpace pages.

Bork suspended the girls based on their answers, and the school's directors expelled them a month later.

The girls, who later graduated from another high school, have not been identified and have not discussed their sexual orientation, Hanson said. Their suit said the school had no right to dismiss them because of its perception that they were lesbians.

The court acknowledged that past rulings have interpreted the Unruh Act's definition of businesses broadly, to include a Boys' Club, the Rotary Club and a private golf club that let the public use its facilities.

But the school differs from those institutions, the court said, because the main reason for its existence is the religious message it seeks to instill in its students.


Read the ruling in Jane Doe vs. California Lutheran at:
links.sfgate.com/ZFZP

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Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, Thailand

Wat Pho is the one of the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok (with an area of 50 rai, 80,000 square metres), and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images: the Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas, Thai พระพุทธไสยาสน์). Made as part of Rama III's restoration, the Reclining Buddha is forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet. The latter display 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles.

The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east-west. The northern walled compound is where the reclining Buddha and massage school are found. The southern walled compound, Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school.

(wikipedia)

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Article about happy Thailanders

Thanks to Sherrie for forwarding this article.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.
– Buddha

Today is my birthday (51, but who’s counting?). I’m celebrating in a very special way—on a spiritual pilgrimage in Thailand with a group of 40 American tourists.

I’m so delighted by the people of Thailand, which is often called “The Land of 1,000 Smiles.” The minute I landed in Bangkok I noticed that everyone looked so joyful and at peace. The Thai truly seem to live up to their nickname, as everyone was smiling.

Today I asked Mam, our tour guide, why she thought the people here are happy, and she gave me three very wise answers.

First, Mam said, “We don’t worry about things, we let them go. There is a common expression in Thai, ‘Ma Phen Rai,’ which means ‘Don’t worry, never mind.’ So whenever something doesn’t go our way or makes us a bit irritated, we just say, Ma Phen Rai, and we let it go. If someone’s late, we just take it easy. If we forget to do something that can be done tomorrow, it’s fine.” (It sounds like their version of “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”)

Secondly, Mam said, “We are contented, which leads to happiness. We are satisfied with what we have, whether it is a little or a lot. We feel, ‘I have enough, and I am enough.’”

Finally, she added, “We don’t compare. We appreciate what we have without looking at what other people have or what they do.”

This explains the lightness of spirit in Mam and the other Thai people I’ve encountered on this journey. Their life is not easier or less stressful—quite the contrary—they just know how to let go, be at peace, and focus on the good.

I experienced a visible demonstration of this the other day. My taxi got caught in a rush-hour traffic jam in downtown Bangkok that made any LA traffic jam look like the Indy 500. Nobody was moving, and yet as I looked around I didn’t see anyone getting angry or impatient. People seemed to just accept the situation as it was and not react to it. It was a profound difference from what I’m used to seeing on the freeways in the States.

As I thought about how to bring this relaxed and healthy attitude back home with me, I remembered a daily process renowned cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien recommends. She says that according to ancient wisdom traditions, everyone should ask themselves three questions at the end of the day:

1. What made me happy today?
2. Where did I experience comfort and balance today?
3. Who or what inspired me today?

Ask yourself these questions before you go to sleep for the next few weeks, and notice how it helps you see more of the perfection around you. Then you too can join the ranks of smiling people who “laugh at the sky.”

Happily,
Marci Shimoff

Marci Shimoff is a celebrated transformational leader
and #1 New York Times best-selling author. To learn
more of her powerful techniques for establishing deep
and authentic happiness and well-being, visit
www.HappyForNoReason.com/

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Tara and Bella

 

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The Atmosphere of Our Thinking

We are all immersed in the atmosphere of our own thinking,
which is the direct result of all we have ever said, thought or done. This decides what is to take place in our lives. Thought attracts what is like itself and repels what is unlike. We are drawn toward those things which we mentally
image. Most of the inner processes of our thought have been unconscious, but when we understand the Law, we learn to consciously embody what we wish, and think of this only, and then we are drawn silently toward it.

Ernest Holmes

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Men in black

Photo by Ron Atchison

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Thailand New Year's Lantern

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Videos from Todays Service

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Heaven

There are different mental depths and heights from which we may look out upon life; from whatever level we look, that which we see comes back to us by an invariable law of attraction. That which we look upon is real while we look at it. We arrive at a consciousness of Unity only in such degree as we see that what we are looking FOR, we are looking WITH, and looking AT. Heaven is lost merely for the lack of a perception of harmony. Hell is the phantom abode of our morbid imaginations. Heaven and Hell are states of consciousness.

Ernest Holmes

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