that was an eyeful, kaustuv....it may be a little hard to digest, all at once...

Thank You Pansy. Yes. 'An eyeful' indeed.
As for the 'hard to digest' part, well, it reminds me of 'Wendell Berry's quote:
"What can't be helped must be endured."

Article - "Reflections on Expectations" [by Stewart Blackburn]


One of the greatest challenges on the path to greater pleasure, joy, and happiness is mastering expectations. There is a great deal of confusion about what expectations really are, how to use them, and above all how not to be hurt by them. As the two quotes below demonstrate, very thoughtful people can have quite contrary views on this everyday experience.

High expectations are the key to everything. - Sam Walton

Expectation is the root of all heartache. - William Shakespeare


Expectations are very curious creatures. We create them all the time but once created they take on a life of their own. We expect that when we are driving the road will continue over the hill, we expect that the food in the supermarket won't make us sick, we expect our parents to tell us the truth. And most of the time we get what we expect. But every now and again something very different happens from what we expect and it shocks us. How could he/she/they/it do this to me? This isn't what I expected at all!!! It's as though there has been a breach of contract, an unspoken deal has been broken. We get upset as though we have been personally attacked.


Expectations are not future reality. They are not contracts with the Universe. They are not something outside of us that is a part of nature. They are simply beliefs we have accepted about the future. Very often our expectations are based on what we think are probable outcomes, on the projection of patterns we see, or simply on the basis of hope. Sometimes we base our expectations on what other people have said or what we thought they said. Or our expectations are based on meanings we have created to make sense of our immediate world. But, however they come to be, we are the ones who create them. Whether consciously or not we choose these beliefs and they are our creation. And like Frankenstein's monster they can lead to unpredictable, and perhaps, disastrous results when we are not fully conscious of our creations. For instance, perhaps I love my son so much that I want him to do well in school so that he can go on to a good college. As I envision his great success in life, I create an expectation that he will study hard and get good grades. However, if he should find that what he really wants to do is spend his time surfing and hanging with his friends, I may well be very disappointed. I might be so disappointed that I withhold love to a large degree to show my disappointment and in so doing poison my relationship with the son I love so.


With this in mind it's easy to see that we often make expectations simply based on how we think the world works. And most of the time the world works the way we think it should. This leads to a very powerful understanding that if we want to change our experience, then we need to change our expectations. That is to say that conscious expectations can be used to great effect, especially when we choose to expect good things, situations and experiences that help us to feel very, very good.


But when we make our expectations unconsciously and are not aware of having done so, then the expectations are like rogue thought-forms. They have a way of creating a "reality" that may be in alignment with how we think things work but may be a far cry from how we want them to be. For instance, suppose in spite of all efforts to eradicate these notions I believe deep down that women are inferior (I don't, but follow this with me if you will). I am very likely to make assumptions that the women I work with won't be able to keep up with me in thought and action. I will expect them to be less competent. This may not be a conscious expectation, in fact, it may be contrary to my current belief system. Just the same it is a function of the beliefs that I still carry and will produce harmful expectations as long as it remains in my system.


What happens when our expectations, conscious or not, are unfulfilled? This is the source of the disappointment that expectations are famous for. What we do with that disappointment determines how much pleasure we can have in the ensuing moments. If I created my expectation as a kind of unspoken pact with another person or the universe then I'm likely to feel cheated, angry and/or hurt. Things didn't work out the way I thought they would, so someone is to blame. What's important here is not to find out why things didn't go the way they "should" have and who is responsible for that. The real question is who decided that things should go a certain way and that any other way was unacceptable. And I think we all know the answer to that one.


Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian. - Dennis Wholey


Once I have recognized that I am responsible for my expectations and that they are only beliefs, not some form of reality, then I am then in the position to process those feelings (and perhaps feelings from the memory of similar situations). If I created my expectation based on my understanding of how the universe works, then my disappointment may well leave me confused. The most and useful common response is to search for a deeper understanding of the ways of the world so that my new experience can be integrated into my world-view. If my disappointment is in the actions, or non-actions, of other people then we have to recognize that there is another factor involved here as well. While expectation is very powerful, it is not as powerful as free will. We can't get people to do what we want with simple expectation. We might be able to manipulate them with shame, guilt, or bribes. But their free will always override any notions of expecting them to do something. The sanest way to deal with this is to give people permission to be who they are and to do what they do, just as we give ourselves permission to be who we are and to do what we do.


Another way to deal with unmet expectations is to re-frame the experience. Suppose I expected to see a movie tonight but when I got to the theater I discovered that the movie had moved on. Besides feeling disappointed or angry, I could immediately look around for another pleasure. I could take this as a gift and look to see what else is playing or what other interesting, cool things might be around. Or I could just decide that being with myself would be the most pleasurable use of my time.


From an adventurer's standpoint letting go of most expectations is very helpful. Certainly, letting go of the expectations of how anything specifically will be experienced. If I am hiking in new territory, I'm there to experience what there is there. I may have some specifics that I desire, sights I want to see, particular experiences that are appealing, questions answered. But I am most likely to enjoy my adventure by limiting my expectations to those general ones in the nature of having fun and learning more about something. In this frame of mind disappointment easily melts away as learning always leaves room for surprises.


Expectations are a form of focus, just as intentions are. However, they are a kind of focus that disallows doubt and that is their great usefulness. Once we have become clear about what our desire is and we have chosen to have that desire met, then we put some effort towards meeting that desire and expect to have the desired result. This puts our whole being behind bringing our desire into reality and the expectation is the strongest expression of our will. It is much stronger than hope or optimism. It is a visceral kind of faith that involves the body as well as the heart and mind because it removes room for doubt. We often sabotage the creation of what we want by letting our doubts sap our energy. When we allow our focus to be dispersed by questions that start with, "What if" then some of our energy is dealing with the very opposite of what it is that we desire. Consciously expecting something to come to pass channels our energy and will like a laser beam.


But what happens when even our conscious expectation doesn't come to pass? The first thing to do is to look at what did happen. Very often what we find is that we have brought into being "the nearest equivalent" of what we had desired. Restaurants often give us an opportunity to discover new dishes when they are out of the one we initially wanted. By paying attention to the nature of our desire, the feelings that we were looking for, it usually happens that what we're seeking is right there.


If I have chosen an expectation intentionally as a way of influencing my experience and what I expected did not occur then I'm left with valuable information. I do not necessarily have an emotional response, simply that what I expected did not occur. It may well be that the nearest possible circumstance was created instead. Or it may be that a part of me felt that what I was expecting would not be in my best interest. All this leads to the point that we choose what assumptions and meanings we make about any results and that determines the experience we have at that point.


Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations. - Ralph Charrell

There are four basic elements of successful (and sane) expecting.

The first is to remember that expectations are related to reality only as tools we can use to influence reality. Don't mistake them for reality itself.


Secondly, make expectations a conscious choice. If you encounter disappointment that gets under your skin, then you know it was an unconscious choice of expectation and you didn't take responsibility for it from the beginning.


Thirdly, you can expect anything you want. There are no limits to what you can imagine, what you can desire, and what you can expect to come to you. You are energizing your desire by your expectation in a very powerful way. There is no reason to hold back on influencing the world to fulfill your desires.


And finally, even with no doubt that your expectation will be fulfilled, it may not happen. Something will happen, though, and by looking at what did happen as the closest thing possible given the current circumstances, you can stay balanced, grateful, and happy.


Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.
- Brian Tracy

What about the expectations of others? Most of us know how difficult it can be to encounter the disappointment of other people when we don't meet their expectations. As children most of us were taught that we were not supposed to disappoint other people, particularly our elders. Guilt and shame at the very least were the consequences of this disappointment. This, of course, has left many of us very aware of the expectations of others to the degree that we are afraid to disappoint anyone, even to the point of sacrificing our own happiness.


Expectations used in this way are a form of control, with the threat implicit or implied. They are intended to override our free will. As we grow into maturity we learn to assert our free will more and more but the habits of yielding to the expectations of others can be hard to break.


I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful. If not, it can't be helped. - The Gestalt Prayer - Fritz Perls

It is a major claiming of our freedom when we are willing to disappoint others if their expectations conflict with our own sense of well-being. Just as we need to take responsibility for our own expectations, we need to let others take responsibility for theirs. If we don't, if we take responsibility for them, then we are diminishing their ability to choose for themselves. That is to say, we are both inhibiting their free will and we are stifling their own inner guidance system, the one that lets them feel for themselves the value and virtue of any particular act or thought. In essence, we are dis-empowering them by taking responsibility for them. However, when we take responsibility for our own expectations but refuse to take responsibility for living up to another's, we are supporting everyone's self-empowerment.





[PS: I sincerely thank you, 'Lu Rosemary' for having shared this beautiful piece...]

http://youtu.be/FHO6a2H-pqY~billy joel

"And So It Goes"

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows


-------We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness. (David Weatherford)

--don't make your heart like a road so that everybody walks in it.....
but let it be like the sky which everybody wishes to touch but only stars stay.

"In The Light Of Truth" - "The Grail Message" - "AWAKE"!

(Following material is a translation from the original 'German' Text: 'Im Lichte Der Wahrheit' Written By: 'Gralsbotschaft')



AWAKE, YE MEN, out of your leaden slumber! Recognize the ignoble burden you bear, that weighs upon millions with enormous pressure. Throw it off! Is it worth bearing? Not for a single second!


Of what does it consist? Empty husks which the breath of Truth will scatter in the wind. You have wasted time and energy for nothing. Therefore burst the fetters that hold you down, and free yourself at last!
The man who remains inwardly bound will always be a slave, even if he were a king.


You bind yourselves with all that you aspire to learn. Reflect: In acquiring knowledge you force yourselves into alien forms thought out by others; you willingly adopt an alien conviction, making your own only what others have experienced within, for themselves.


Consider: What applies to one does not apply to all! What helps one person may harm the other. Each individual must make his own way to perfection. The abilities he carries within him are his equipment for this. He must adjust himself to them and build upon them! Otherwise he will remain a stranger to his real self, will always stand beside what he has learned, which can never come to life in him. Thus he is barred from any gain. He will vegetate, all progress being impossible.


Listen, you who seriously aspire to Light and to Truth:
Each individual must inwardly experience the way to the Light, he must discover it himself if he wishes to be sure of the way. Only what a man experiences inwardly, what he perceives intuitively in all its variations, has he fully grasped!


Both sorrow and joy are constantly rapping at the door to encourage and arouse man to awaken spiritually. He is then very often freed for a few seconds from the trivialities of everyday life, and in happiness or grief vaguely senses his affinity with the spirit pulsating through all that lives.


And everything is life, nothing is dead! Happy is he who seizes and holds on to such moments of affinity, using them to soar upwards. In so doing he must not keep to rigid forms, but everyone must develop himself, from within.
Ignore the scoffers, who are still strangers to spiritual life. They stand before the great Work of Creation, which offers us so much, like drunkards, like sick people. Like blind men who grope their way through life on earth without seeing all the splendor around them!


They are confused, they sleep; for how can anyone still affirm, for instance, that only what he can see exists? That where his eyes perceive nothing there is no life? That with his physical death he himself also ceases to exist, all because in his blindness he could not, up till now, convince himself to the contrary through his eyes? Does he not already know from many things how very limited is the capacity of the eye? Does he not yet know that it is related to the capacity of his brain, which is bound to time and space? That because of this he cannot recognize with his eyes anything rising above time and space? Has this logical, intellectual reasoning not yet become clear to any of these scoffers? Spiritual life, let us also call it the beyond, is after all merely something that stands completely above the earthly division of time and space, and therefore requires a similar nature in order to be recognized.


Yet our eyes do not even see all that can be classified within time and space. Think of a drop of water, which appears immaculately pure to every eye; and which on examination under the microscope is shown to contain millions of living organisms mercilessly fighting and destroying each other. Are there not sometimes bacteria in both water and air that have the power to destroy human bodies, and that are imperceptible to the human eye? But they become visible by means of powerful instruments.


Who then will still dare to maintain that there is nothing new and as yet unknown to be seen when the power of these instruments is further increased? Increase their power a thousand-fold, a million-fold, and there will be no end to what may be seen, but ever new worlds which previously you could neither see nor feel, yet which nevertheless existed, will unfold before you.


Logical thinking also leads to the same conclusions about everything the sciences have hitherto been able to collect. There is a prospect of continuous progress and development, but never of an end.


What, then, is the beyond? The word confuses many. The beyond is simply all that cannot be perceived by earthly means. And earthly means are the eyes, the brain and all other parts of the body, also the instruments that help them to do their work still more accurately and precisely, and to extend its scope.
Therefore one could say: the beyond embraces all that is beyond the perceptive capacity of our physical eyes. But there is no division between this world and the beyond! Nor any gulf! All is united, as is the whole of Creation. One power streams through this world and the beyond, everything lives and works from this one life stream, and is thus quite inseparably linked. Thus the following becomes clear:


If one part of it sickens the effect must be felt in the other part, as with a physical body. Through the attraction of homogeneous species, diseased matter from this other part will then flow across to the sick part, thus further aggravating the illness. But should such a disorder become incurable, it will absolutely be necessary forcibly to sever the ailing member, if the whole is not to suffer permanently.


For this reason change your attitude. There is no such thing as this world and the beyond, but only one united existence! The idea of a division has been invented solely by man, because he is unable to see everything, and imagines himself to be the center and focal point of the surroundings visible to him. Yet his sphere of action is greater. With the erroneous idea of a division, however, he forcibly limits himself, hinders his progress, and allows his imagination to run riot and conjure up grotesque pictures.


Is it surprising then, if as a consequence many only smile incredulously, while others adopt an unwholesome form of worship that becomes servile or degenerates into fanaticism? Who can then still be astonished if some people develop a nervous fear, even terror and consternation?


Away with all this! Why these torments? Break down this barrier which human error sought to erect, but which never existed! Your past wrong attitude also gives you a false foundation, on which you vainly endeavor continually to build up the true belief, that is, inner conviction. You consequently encounter points, obstacles, which must make you waver and doubt, or compel you to tear down the whole structure, perhaps abandoning everything out of despair or resentment.


The loss is then yours alone, because this is not progress for you, but standstill or retrogression. The road which in any case you must follow one day will only be lengthened thereby.


When you have at last perceived Creation as a complete whole, as it is, and do not separate this world from the beyond, then you have found the direct path, the true goal draws nearer and the ascent gives you joy and satisfaction. You are then much better able to feel and understand the reciprocal actions pulsating warmly through this uniform whole, since all activity is driven and sustained by the one power. Then the Light of Truth will dawn upon you!


You will soon realize that many who scoff only do so out of indifference and indolence, just because it would require a certain effort to throw over existing ideas and learning and erect something new. Others would find it interferes with their customary mode of living and thus becomes uncomfortable for them.


Leave all such alone, do not argue, but offer your knowledge helpfully to those who are not satisfied with fleeting pleasures, to those who seek for something more in their earthly lives than merely to fill their stomachs like animals. Do not then bury your talent, impart to them the recognition you are granted; for in giving, your knowledge will in turn be enriched and strengthened.


An Eternal Law operates in the Universe: That only in giving can one receive where lasting values are concerned! Like a sacred legacy of its Creator, this Law deeply permeates the whole of Creation. To give unselfishly, to help where help is needed, and to understand both the suffering and the weaknesses of your fellow-men, means to receive, because it is the simple and true way to the Highest!


And to will this seriously brings you immediate help and strength! By one single, honest and ardent wish to do good, the wall which your thoughts have hitherto erected as a barrier is cleaved as with a flaming sword from the other side that is now still invisible to you; for you are indeed one with the beyond which you so fear, deny or long for, you are closely and inextricably linked with it.


Try it, for your thoughts are the messengers you send forth, which return heavily laden with similar thought-forms, good or evil as the case may be. This actually happens! Remember that your thoughts are realities that shape themselves spiritually, often becoming forms outliving the earth-life of your body, then much will become clear to you.


Thus it is quite rightly said: "For their works will pursue them!" Thought-creations are works which will one day await you! Which form light or dark rings around you, which you must traverse in order to enter the spiritual world. Neither protection nor intervention can help in this, because the decision lies with you. Therefore you yourself must take the first step in everything. This is not difficult; it lies solely in the volition, which expresses itself through thoughts. Thus you carry heaven or hell within you.


You are free to decide, but you are then irrevocably subject to the consequences of your thoughts, of your volition! You yourselves create these consequences, and that is why I exhort you:
Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure, by so doing you will bring peace and be happy!


Do not forget that every thought you produce and send out attracts all similar thoughts on its way, or attaches itself to others, thus continually increasing in strength and finally also reaching a goal, a human brain which is perhaps off its guard just for a moment, thereby offering such floating thought-forms the opportunity to penetrate and operate.


Just consider what responsibility will fall upon you if at some time or other the thought becomes a deed through some person whom it was able to influence! This responsibility already arises through the fact that every single thought keeps a constant link with you just as if by an unbreakable thread, so as to return with the strength gained on its way, either to burden you or to bring you joy, according to the kind you produced.


Thus you stand in the world of thoughts, and according to your way of thinking at the time make room for similar thought-forms. Do not therefore waste the power of thinking, but gather it for defense and for keen thinking, which goes forth like spears and affects everything. Thus create out of your thoughts the Holy Spear which fights for the good, heals wounds and furthers the whole of Creation!


Adjust your thinking, therefore, towards activity and progress! To do this you must shake many a pillar supporting traditional ideas. Often it is some concept wrongly understood that hinders man from finding the right way. He must return to the starting-point. One flash of light will destroy the whole structure so painfully erected over decades, and following a shorter or longer period of stunned inertia, he will make a fresh start! He must do so, for there is no standing still in the Universe. Let us take, for instance, the concept of time:
Time passes! Times change! We hear this said everywhere, and automatically a picture arises in the spirit: We see changing times marching past us!


This picture becomes so ingrained that for many it also forms a solid foundation on which they continue to build, adjusting their whole research and speculation to it. Before long, however, they encounter obstacles which contradict each other. However hard they try, not everything will fit in. They lose their way, leaving gaps that can no longer be filled in spite of all their pondering.


Many then believe that in such places faith must act as a substitute for the failure of logical reasoning. But this is wrong! Man should not believe in things he cannot grasp! He must try to understand them; for otherwise he opens wide the door to errors, and with errors the Truth is always debased.
To believe without understanding is just indolence, mental laziness! It does not lead the spirit upwards, but presses it down. Look upward, therefore, we are to test and investigate. Not for nothing does the urge to do so lie within us.


Time! Does it really pass? Why does one encounter obstacles when thinking more deeply about this axiom? Simply because the fundamental idea is wrong; for time stands still! We, however, hurry towards it! We rush into time, which is eternal, and seek the Truth in it.


Time stands still. It remains the same, today, yesterday and a thousand years hence! Only the forms change. We plunge into time, to cull from her records for the purpose of enriching our knowledge from what has been collected there! For time has lost nothing, it has recorded all things. It has not changed, because it is eternal.


You too, O man, are always just the same, whether you appear young or old! You remain what you are! Have you not already sensed this yourself? Do you not clearly notice a difference between the form and your "ego"? Between the body that is subject to change and yourself, the spirit, which is eternal?
You seek the Truth! What is Truth? What you still feel to be truth today you will recognize even tomorrow as error, in which, however, you will later again discover grains of truth! For the manifestations also change their forms. Thus your seeking continues, yet amid these changes you mature!


Truth, however, remains always the same, it does not change, for it is eternal! And being eternal it can never be clearly and truly grasped by the earthly senses, which are familiar only with the change of forms!


Therefore become spiritual! Free from all earthly thoughts, and then you will possess the Truth, will stand in the Truth, and will bathe in it, constantly surrounded by its pure Light, for it will envelop you completely. As soon as you become spiritual, you will swim in it.


Then you need no longer study so painstakingly what science has to offer, nor need you fear errors, but you will already have the answer to every question in the Truth itself. Moreover, you will no longer have any questions, because without thinking you will know all things, will embrace all things, because your spirit will live in the pure Light, in the Truth!


Therefore become spiritually free! Burst all the fetters that hold you down! If obstacles present themselves welcome them joyfully; for they show you the way to freedom and strength! Look upon them as gifts from which you will benefit, and you will overcome them with ease.


Either such obstacles are put in your way to teach and develop you, in which case you add to the means of your ascent, or they are the reaction to some debt you have incurred, which you can redeem in this way and thus free yourselves. In either case they help you to advance. Therefore set out to meet them with a bold heart, it is for your own good!


It is foolish to talk of reverses of fortune or of trials. Every conflict and every sorrow means progress. Men are thus offered the chance to dispel the shadows of former misdeeds; for not a single farthing can be remitted to the individual, because here also the cycle of the Eternal Laws in the Universe is inflexible. The Creative Father-Will reveals Himself in them, and thereby forgives us and dispels all Darkness.


So clearly and wisely is everything arranged that the minutest swerving from this would have to plunge the world into ruins. But what of the man who has very much to redeem from former times, must he not then despair, will he not tremble at the thought of the misdeeds he has to atone for?


As soon as he honestly wills he can hopefully and gladly begin with it, free from all worry! For a balance can be brought about by the counter-current of the power of good volition, which like other thought-forms takes life in the spiritual, forging a strong weapon capable of removing every dark burden, every weight, and leading the "ego" towards the Light!


Power of volition! A mighty force, unsuspected by so many! Attracting similar powers like a never-failing magnet, it grows like an avalanche. Uniting with similar spiritual forces, it works backwards, again reaching the starting-point, thus the origin, or rather, the producer, uplifting him high to the Light, or pressing him deeper into the mud and filth! Exactly in accordance with what the author himself originally willed.


He who is acquainted with this steady, never-failing reciprocal effect inherent in all Creation, which manifests and unfolds itself with absolute certainty, knows how to make use of it; he must love it and fear it! Gradually the invisible world around him becomes alive to him; for he feels its influence so distinctly that it silences all doubt.


If he only pays a little attention to it he must intuitively sense the strong waves of ceaseless activity that affect him from out of the great Universe. Finally he feels himself the focal point of strong currents, like a lens that absorbs the rays of the sun, concentrating them on one point and producing a combustive power which can burst forth to singe and destroy, but also to heal, animate and bring blessing; and likewise can start a blazing fire!


And you, too, are such lenses, capable through your volition of gathering these invisible power-currents that reach you, and sending them forth as a united force for good or evil, to bring blessing or indeed destruction to mankind. Through this you can and should light a blazing fire in the souls of men, a fire of enthusiasm for the good, for the noble and for perfection!
This only requires a strength of volition, which in a certain sense makes man lord of Creation and master of his own fate. It is man's own volition which brings him destruction or redemption, reward or retribution, with inexorable certainty!


Do not fear then, that this knowledge will alienate you from the Creator, or weaken your present faith. On the contrary! The knowledge of these Eternal Laws, which you can put to use, makes the entire work of Creation appear even more sublime to you. Its magnitude forces him who searches more deeply to his knees in veneration!


Man will then never wish for evil things. He will joyfully grasp at the best support that exists for him: Love! Love for the whole wonderful Creation, and love for his neighbor, that he too may be led to the glory of this enjoyment, of this consciousness of power.

especially for you...

'Beautiful'

'Thank You For Sharing'

"In The Light Of Truth" - "The Grail Message" - "SILENCE"!

(Following material is a translation from the original 'German' Text: 'Im Lichte Der Wahrheit' Written By: 'Gralsbotschaft')


WHEN A THOUGHT SUDDENLY STRIKES YOU, keep it back, do not utter it at once, but nourish it; for it will condense through being retained in silence, and gain strength like steam under counter-pressure.


Pressure and condensation produce the quality of a magnetic activity, in accordance with the Law that all that is stronger attracts what is weak. Similar thought-forms are thus attracted from all sides and retained, constantly reinforcing the power of your own, your original thought, yet working in such a way that through the joining of other forms the originally produced form is refined, changes, and takes on different shapes until it comes to maturity. Indeed you sense all this inwardly, but you always think it is entirely your own volition. But you never give purely your own volition in any matter, there are always other influences as well! What does this process tell you?


That only in the union of many elements can anything perfect be created! Created? Is that right? No, but formed! For there is really nothing new to be created; in everything it is merely a matter of producing new forms, since all the elements already exist in the vast Creation. But these elements are to be pressed into service for the way to perfection, which is brought about through union.


Union! Do not pass over this lightly, but try to become absorbed in the concept that maturity and perfection are achieved through union. The principle rests in all Creation as a treasure that needs to be unearthed! It is closely related to the Law that only in giving can there also be receiving! And what is required to grasp these principles aright? Thus to experience them? Love! And therefore love indeed stands as the highest power, as unlimited might, in the mysteries of the great Life!


As with a single thought, union molds, refines and forms, so is it with man himself and with the whole of Creation, which in a never-ending fusion of existing, individual forms undergoes transformations through the power of volition, and thus becomes the way to perfection. A single individual cannot offer you perfection, but the whole of humanity, with all its varied characteristics, may do so! Each individual has something which is definitely part of the whole. And this is also why one so far advanced as no longer to know any earthly desires loves all mankind, not one individual, because only the whole of mankind can make the strings of his mature soul, laid bare through purification, sound the chord of heavenly harmony. He bears the harmony within himself, because all strings vibrate!


Let us return to the thought that attracted the other forms, and thereby became strong and ever stronger. It finally emerges beyond you in firmly united power-waves, breaks through your own personal aura, and exerts an influence upon your wider environment. Mankind call this personal magnetism. The uninitiated say: "You radiate something!" According to your nature, either unpleasant or pleasant. Attractive or repulsive. It is felt! But you do not radiate anything! The process which engenders the feeling in these others has its origin in the fact that like a magnet you draw to yourself all that is spiritually similar. And it is this drawing that is felt by those around you. Yet in this, too, lies the reciprocal effect. Through the connection the other person then clearly senses your strength, and thereby "sympathy" awakens.


Always bear in mind: Expressed according to our concepts, all that is spiritual is magnetic, and you also know that the stronger always overcomes what is weak through attraction, through absorption. In this way "from him that hath not (the weak one), even that which he hath shall be taken away". He becomes dependent. There is no injustice in this, but it takes place according to the Divine Laws. Man only needs to pull himself together and will aright, and he will be protected from it.


You will now probably ask: What happens when all want to be strong? When there is nothing left to be taken from anybody? Then, dear friend, there will be a voluntary interchange, based on the Law that only in giving can there also be receiving. There will be no standstill on that account, but all that is inferior is eliminated. Thus it happens that through indolence many become spiritually dependent, and sometimes, in the end, they hardly possess the ability to develop thoughts of their own.


It must be emphasized that only the homogeneous will be attracted. Hence the proverb: "Birds of a feather flock together." Thus drinkers will always find each other, smokers will have "fellow feelings", likewise gossips, gamblers, and so on; yet noble characters will also come together for a high aim.
But it goes further: Whatever is drawn to another spiritually will eventually also manifest physically, since everything spiritual penetrates into the gross material, whereby we must bear in mind the Law of Returns, because a thought always remains connected with its origin and radiates back to it through this link.


I am always speaking here only of real thoughts, which carry within them the vital power of the psychic intuition. Not of the power wasted by the brain-substance entrusted to you as a tool, which forms but fleeting thoughts that only manifest in a wild medley as shadowy phantoms, and fortunately very soon fade away. Such thoughts merely waste your time and energy, and thereby you fritter away a gift entrusted to you. If, for instance, you seriously ponder over something, this thought becomes strongly magnetic within you through the power of silence, attracting all that is similar and thus becoming fructified. It matures and rises above the commonplace, thereby even penetrating into other spheres, from which it receives an influx of higher thoughts … inspiration! Hence, in contrast to medium-ship, the basic thought in inspiration must proceed from yourself, must form a bridge to the beyond, to the spiritual world, in order to draw consciously from a spring there.


Inspiration has therefore nothing whatever to do with medium-ship. In this way the thought is brought to full maturity within you. You approach its realization, and bring into effect, condensed through your power, what already in countless elements was floating in the Universe before as thought-forms.
Through unification and condensation of what has long existed spiritually you thus produce a new form! So in the entire Creation it is always only the forms that change, because all else is eternal and indestructible.
Beware of confused thoughts, of all shallowness in thinking. Carelessness will exact a bitter revenge; for it will speedily debase you to the level of a playground for alien influences, through which you very easily become sullen, moody and unjust to your surroundings.


If you have a genuine thought and cling to it, then the gathered power must eventually also press towards realization; for the evolution of everything takes place entirely in the spiritual, since every power is purely spiritual! What then becomes visible to you are always only the final effects of a preceding spiritual-magnetic process, which takes place continually and uniformly according to a firmly established order.


Observation of your thoughts and feelings will soon prove to you that all real life can in truth only be spiritual life, in which alone the origin and also the development lie. You must come to the conviction that everything you see with your physical eyes is in reality only the manifestations of the eternally driving spirit. Every action, even the slightest movement of a human being, is indeed always first spiritually willed. The physical bodies merely act as spiritually animated instruments, which themselves only took shape through the power of the spirit. The same applies to trees, stones and the whole earth. Everything is animated, permeated and driven by the Creative Spirit.
However, since all matter, thus all that can be physically seen, is simply the outcome of spiritual life, it is not hard for you to comprehend that conditions on earth are also formed according to the nature of the spiritual life which immediately surrounds us. What logically follows from this is clear: Through the wise ordering of Creation man has been given the power to shape conditions for himself with the Power of the Creator. Happy is he who uses it only for good! But woe unto him who succumbs to the temptation to use it for evil!


The spirit in men is only encompassed and darkened by earthly desire, which clings to it like dross, burdens it and drags it down. However, his thoughts are acts of will endowed with spiritual power. The decision to think in a good or evil way lies with man, and he can thus guide the Divine Power to good or evil purpose! Therein lies the responsibility that man bears, for reward or retribution will infallibly be his, as all the consequences of his thoughts return to the starting-point through the established reciprocal action, which never fails, and which is quite inflexible in this matter, thus inexorable. Thereby also incorruptible, stern and just! Do people not also say the same of God?


If today many opponents of religion reject the existence of a Godhead, this cannot in any way alter the facts I have cited. People need only omit the little word "God", and engross themselves deeply in science, and they will find exactly the same, only expressed in different words. Is it not absurd, therefore, still to argue about it? There is no getting round the Laws of Nature, no man can defy them. God is the Power that activates the Natural Laws; the Power that nobody has yet grasped or seen, but whose effects every one, daily, hourly, indeed in every fraction of a second, must see, intuitively sense and observe, if only he wants to do so – in himself, in every animal, every tree, every flower, in every fiber of a leaf swelling and bursting its sheath to come to the light.


Is it not blindness to oppose this so obstinately while everyone, including these stubborn repudiators themselves, confirms and acknowledges the existence of this Power? What is it that prevents them from calling this acknowledged Power God? Is it childlike obstinacy? Or is it a certain shame at being obliged to confess that they have been obstinately trying all the time to deny something, the existence of which has always been clear to them?
Probably nothing of all this. The cause may well lie in the caricatures of the great Godhead held up to mankind from so many sides, which on serious investigation they could not accept. Any attempt to press the all-embracing and all-pervading Power of the Godhead into a picture must certainly debase and dishonor It!


On serious reflection no picture can be brought into harmony with It! Just because every man bears within him the awareness of God, he rejects with misgiving the narrowing down of the great inconceivable Power that created and guides him. It is dogma that is to blame for a great number of those who, in their antagonism, seek to overstep the mark altogether, very often against the certainty living within them. The hour is not far distant, however, when spiritual awakening will come! When the words of the Redeemer will be rightly interpreted and His great Work of Redemption rightly grasped; for Christ brought redemption from the Darkness by pointing out the way to the Truth, by showing as a man the path to the Luminous Height! And with His blood shed on the cross He set the seal to His conviction!


Truth has never yet been different from what it was even then, and is today, and still will be tens of thousands of years hence; for it is eternal!
Therefore learn to know the Laws contained in the great Book of the entire Creation. To submit to them means: To love God! For then you will bring no discord into the harmony, but will help to bring the resounding chord to its full magnificence. Whether you say: I voluntarily submit to the existing Laws of Nature because it is for my own good, or: I submit to God's Will, Which manifests in the Laws of Nature, or to the unfathomable Power Which activates the Laws of Nature … would the effect be any different? The Power is there and you recognize it, you simply must acknowledge it, because as soon as you reflect a little there is nothing else you can do … and thereby you acknowledge your God, the Creator!


And this Power also operates within you when you are thinking! Therefore do not misuse it to evil purpose, but think good thoughts! Never forget: When you are producing thoughts you are using Divine Power, with which you can achieve the purest and highest! Try never to forget here that all the consequences of your thoughts always fall back upon you in proportion to the power, importance and extent of the effect of the thoughts for good or evil. Since thought is spiritual, however, the consequences will return spiritually. They will thus affect you no matter whether here on earth, or later in the spiritual after your departure. Being spiritual they are by no means bound to the material either. Thus it follows that the disintegration of the body does not prevent the consequences from taking effect! The requital in the reaction will surely come, sooner or later, here or hereafter, with all certainty.


The spiritual link with all your works remains firm; for indeed earthly, material works also have a spiritual origin through the creative thought, and will remain in existence even when everything earthly has passed away. It is therefore rightly said: "Your works await you, in so far as the effect has not yet reached you through the reaction". If you are still here on earth when a reaction is due, or if you are again here, the consequences coming from the spiritual will exert their force according to their nature either for good or for evil, through your circumstances and your environment, or directly on yourself, on your body.


Here it must once more be specially emphasized: The true real life takes place in the spiritual! And that knows neither time nor space, and therefore no separation either. It stands above earthly conceptions. For this reason the consequences will strike you, wherever you may be, at the time when, according to the Eternal Law, the effect returns to its starting-point. Nothing is lost in the process; it is bound to come. This now also answers the question so often asked: Why is it that obviously good people must sometimes suffer such bitter adversity in their earth-lives as to make it appear unjust? These are reciprocal effects, which must strike them!


Now you know the answer to this question; for your existing physical body plays no part in it. Your body is not you personally, it is not your entire "ego", but an instrument which you have chosen or which you were obliged to take according to the existing Laws of the spiritual life, which you may also call Cosmic Laws if that makes them easier to understand. The particular earth-life is but a short span of your real existence. A crushing thought if there were no escape, no protecting power to counteract it. On awakening to the spiritual many a person would then have to despair, and wish rather to go on sleeping in the same old way. For he has no idea what awaits him, what will still strike him in the shape of reaction from former times! Or as people say: "What he has to make good."


But take comfort! In the wise provision of the great Creation, as you awaken a path is also shown to you through that power of good volition to which I have already called special attention, and which mitigates or entirely pushes aside the dangers of the karma that is taking effect. This, too, the Father's Spirit has given into your hands. The power of good volition forms a circle around you capable of disintegrating the evil pressing upon you, or at least of greatly modifying it, exactly as the atmosphere also protects the earth.
But the power of good volition, this strong protection, is fostered and nourished by the power of silence.


Therefore I once more urgently exhort you, seekers: "Keep the hearth of your thoughts pure and then, above all, exercise the great power of silence if you wish to ascend." The Father has already endowed you with the strength for everything! You have only to use it!

A mother's love is a wonderful love packaged from heaven with special care.
A mother's love is like no other love in which you can compare.

A mother's love is purified by Angels and flows directly from her soul.
A mother's love is justified by God and by his hands he created the mold.

This mold that was shaped and fashioned by God has endured the test of time.
This mold that was taped and recorded by women rang out like a heavenly chime.

A mother's love is unconditional, and from her heart this can be told.
A mother's love is nutritional; it is the fruit that feeds our soul.

A mother's love 'IS' true love, and from her heart she cannot lie.
A mother's love is eternal, the kind that wont' ever die.

A mother's love is the tie that binds, and her bond can never be broken.
A mother's love is branded in our hearts, even when her words aren't spoken!

[Leotha Brown]

Four Beautiful Thoughts Of Life:
(a) Look Back & Get Experience.
(b) Look Forward & See Hope.
(c) Look Around & Find Reality.
(d) Look Within & Find Your Self.


There comes a time in your life when you finally get it ... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out "ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on." And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective. [This is your awakening!]

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something or someone to change, or for happiness safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren't always fairy-tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.


So you begin making your way through the "reality of today" rather than holding out for the "promise of tomorrow." You realize that much of who you are and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you've received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about :

- how you should look and how much you should weigh,
- what you should wear and where you should shop,
- where you should live or what type of car you should drive,
- who you should sleep with and how you should behave,
- who you should marry and why you should stay,
- the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family,


Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and re-defining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.


You accept the fact that you are not perfect ,and that not everyone will love appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a "perfect 10".... Or a perfect human being for that matter... and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And, you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.


And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that it is truly in "giving" that we receive, and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of "creating" and "contributing" rather than "obtaining" and "accumulating."


And you give thanks for the simple things you've been blessed with, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about - a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, the freedom of choice and the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.


And you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors, including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you've learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.


Then you learn about love and relationships - how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally, and that not everyone will always come through... and interestingly enough, it's not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren't done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns - anger, jealousy and resentment.


You learn how to say "I was wrong" and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to Say NO. You learn that you don't know all the answers, it's not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.


Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships, and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it's wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet "your" standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that "alone" does not mean "lonely" and you begin to discover the joy of spending time "with yourself" and "on yourself." Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know - Self Love. And so it comes to pass that, through understanding, your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.


Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn't change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead, you set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.


You learn that life isn't always fair and you don't always get what you think you deserve, and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.


And you stop looking for guarantees, because you've learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you'll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time - FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears, because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.


Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.


Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you TAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.


A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed, not for the answers to my prayers or for material things, but for my "God" to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.


You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.

"My 'God' has never failed me..."!

[Sonny Carroll]

So many Gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind; While just the art of being kind, Is all this sad world needs...! [Ella Wheeler Wilcox]

Very Nice Chica. You can tell that your writing starts from your heart then completes in your mind.



___________________________________________

Hi Kaus! How you doing?

beautiful quote jhavez

You have a heart of gold

..and a mind, too sharp to go to waste

'Lovely'!

I'm good, Jhavez. Thank you. What about you?

Close your eyes and feel your heart.

A great way to start the day, realizing you are Alive.

Not dead, whether walking or in bed.

Thanks should resound next, loud from a voice or in your head.

Acknowledging you could have been dead but you were spared.

Now live as your heart dictates, gaining wisdom along the way.

For your heart will lead you to love; be honest, devote time to a passion; fly into what matters, yes to truly live.

For it is the heart, once it is trusted, that will lead a man or woman to love, care, help, sacrifice, and trust that their efforts will live long after their body has left this world.

Close your eyes and feel your heart.

It is a great way to start the day; to start your life.

[Janice Harris]

Let's Take a Moment to Be Thankful:

For every accident that never happened,
For every grave illness that was not caught,

For every tornado that never formed,
And every mean word withheld when we fought.


We can only see what's right in front of us,
And can be thankful for all we've got,


But to really, truly embrace gratitude,
We have to also remember

To be thankful
For every "never," "didn't," and "not".


[Doe Zantamata]

for my kababayans... keep lol-ing always