Recently, every time I’ve turned around, I’ve had another opportunity to consciously choose my focus and choose my thoughts as I noticed my focus and thoughts heading toward negativity and fear.
As I pondered what might be causing so many opportunities all at once, I realized I have gotten lax about my daily spiritual practice. Several months ago I had gotten the smallest iPod, the Shuffle, so that I could listen to Michael Beckwith talks and inspirational music as I walked in the park. I have found this double dose of spiritual practice – the talk and the walk – does wonders for keeping my focus in the right place. Yet, I’ve only done my double dose a few times – not even weekly, much less daily.
When my daily spiritual practice is daily, I exponentially increase my ability to choose to focus on positivity, possibilities and love.
How about you? What works for you to keep your focus where you’d like it?
I’ve included a new piece, “Love in Action” that is helping me keep my focus on love – enjoy!
Love in Action
Feeling afraid . . .
Feeling hopeless . . .
Feeling stuck . . .
Have I finally, truly gone insane?
Do I definitely need medication?
Is it time to admit defeat?
Or . . .
Are these the panicked cries of my ego?
Longing to once again be in charge?
As I step into the unknown,
I desperately desire something familiar . . .
Taking a deep breath,
I realize the comfort of my breathing.
Something familiar:
My breath, my breathing, my Spirit.
Something familiar:
As I breathe deeply,
feeling my Spirit,
I feel Love,
pure, radiant, shimmering Love.
Something familiar:
As I feel Love,
pure, radiant, shimmering Love,
I know Love in Action.
Something familiar:
As I know Love in Action,
I feel myself putting one foot in front of the other
as I step into Love in Action.
Courageously moving forward
into the unknown
as Love in Action . . .
Recently, I heard my spiritual mentor,
Michael Beckwith, say, “Supply is infinite and invisible. Money and things are not supply. They are evidence of supply. Just like an apple is evidence of supply from the apple tree. Picking an apple does not represent loss of supply, just as circulating money doesn’t represent loss of supply.”
I know that what he says is Truth. And yet, I sometimes find myself behaving contrary to what I know. Even though I absolutely know there is an infinite supply of apples or pears or cucumbers or whatever I need in this moment, I may hoard or ration or worry about eating the apple.
As I drove to the grocery store today – to get more apples, of course – I noticed the most exquisite, red and pink hollyhock flowers growing in a neighbor’s yard. As I enjoyed their abundance and beauty, I had to laugh to myself as I realized that those hollyhocks do not spend a minute hoarding, rationing or worrying. They simply grow into the very best version of themselves that they can with the resources they have in each moment. Ah, that our human lives could be so simple and grace-filled . . .
That is my desire for us today: that we allow ourselves to be “as the lilies of the field, toiling not . . . ,” that we allow ourselves to be as the hollyhocks of my neighbors yard and to receive the grace and bounty of infinite and invisible supply without hoarding, rationing or worrying . . .
While listening to my daily dose of Michael Beckwith earlier, I realized, once again, that my positive mental attitude is a choice. Maybe not always an easy choice, yet and still: a choice.
In this moment when I think I have too much to do, do I chose the presence or absence of a positive mental attitude?
Do I choose to be present with myself, these ideas I'm sharing with you, the sun streaming into my office and my fingers on the keyboard? Or, do I choose to be absent from this glorious moment, lost inside a swirl of habitual thoughts and familiar anxiety?
Do I choose the positive mental attitude that all is well when I am present or do I choose to be absent and feel lost?
What about you?
Are you willing to give yourself the precious gift of your positive mental attitude in this present moment?
You say you want to, but you can't right now because you don't have enough money? Or enough health? Or enough time?
Or, you'll have a positive mental attitude after you lose some weight? Or get a new client? Or a new lover?
Okay, I hear you.
And, in the meantime, would you be willing to give yourself one precious minute right now?
Would you be willing to take a great big, deep breath right into the full presence of your positive mental attitude? Would you be willing to be with you for this moment? Would you be willing to notice that, indeed, all is well right now? Would you be willing to feel the unseen support that holds you in this moment?
Excellent!
And guess what?! In that one minute, you achieved at least two of your goals - you lightened up and received the new lover that is you!
I'd love to hear about any other goals you achieved . . .
This morning as I was listening to a Michael Beckwith recording I noticed myself scanning his ideas for something to spark my blog post. Then, I read an ezine from my friend, Tama, with the same thought in the back of my head.
Finally I noticed the spot of anxiety inside me. Instead of taking in Michael and Tama as nourishment for my soul, I was busy looking for something amazing to share with you. As if that amazing thing had to come from outside of me. As if nourishing me isn't enough.
The anxiety has subsided as I realize offering you a slice of my process is way more than enough! Please enjoy this slice as you revel in YOU being way more than enough . . .
While listening to Michael Beckwith this morning, the concept of choosing my reality soaked into my bones a bit more. He said something like, "Circumstances don't create our reality, our attitude does."
This may be the thousandth or ten thousandth time I have heard or read this or some variation of it. Yet, today I got it that I want to choose my attitude even when it's more challenging for me.
I almost always have a fantastic attitude with my work - except if something technological malfunctions, or even hiccups. Then I am sure my world as I know it is coming to an end. I almost always have a superb attitude in my personal life - until my sister or my sweetheart says or does something I don't like, or worse, something I judge.
So, what if I took the opportunity with a technology hiccup to breathe, know that all is well and take a short walk? What if I focused on the opportunity to learn about that technology or the opportunity to connect with the techno genius helping me? What if I focused on the opportunity to love even when I don't like? What if I examined my judgment of another to see what is crying out for love in me?
What if I consistently and consciously make the choice for freedom, rather than bondage to situations that don't seem to be going "my way?"
Twenty-five years ago, when I read Victor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, I first came to understand the importance of choosing our focus and thoughts. If he kept himself alive in a Nazi concentration camp by focusing on hope for the future, surely I can hold a positive mental attitude when my email goes down for a few hours.
I'm now challenging myself to override my initial, knee-jerk reaction to consciously choose a positive mental attitude every time I start to fight something/someone.
Ah, that may keep me busy for awhile . . .
"They" say it takes 21 days to develop a habit.
So I've decided to combine keeping my commitment to two important Winter 2009 promises to myself:
- deepen my connection with my own spiritual foundation.
- begin blogging, after a couple years of thinking about it!
For the next 21 days, I'm going to listen each morning to a sermon from one of my favorite spiritual mentors, Michael Beckwith. And, I'm also going to engage in one other spiritual activity each day. Then, I'm going to share my experiences with you!
Today, my spontaneous spiritual activity involved reading and living my own darn affirmative prayer:
Through Me
Oh Great Spirit,
I affirm my ever-increasing awareness
of your omni-presence.
I appreciate you always at my side,
Working through my hands,
Speaking through my voice,
Loving through my heart.
I delight in you.
I delight through you.
I delight as you . . .
Okay, yes I am spiritually inspired!
Until tomorrow . . .
