Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Bring the Soul to Work Day


I was going to entitle this article Being Spiritual At Work. However, I decided against it as it rather impossible to “be spiritual.” You always are spiritual! Trying to be spiritual would be like trying to fall asleep, or trying to meditate, it just happens – the harder you “try” the more elusive it will be. However, that being said, we can prepare our minds and allow the awareness of our spirit to guide us through the day, even a hectic workday.

If all of us lived on a mountaintop with nothing to do but meditate all day we would not need to remind ourselves of these principles. However, if you’re like me, you go to work, have a job, sit in traffic, and interact with a great variety of people. These interactions can tend to draw us away from reality into a sort of hypnotic state we mistake for reality. The following are three tips on how you can live from the level of the soul (even in bumper to bumper traffic).


The Principle of 10. Imagine a very stressful problem comes up at work. I am sure many of you have encountered situations in which the parties involved feel that the world is coming to an end because of this ordeal. Some people live their lives believing the most trivial of matters are the very end of their well being. When these situations occur remember the principle of 10.

10 minutes: The temporary problem may get worse – and stress level may begin to climax

10 hours: The issue will most likely start to dissolve- unless it’s a very big temporary problem

10 days: Most issues with the exception of major life events will have diminished in the mind

10 Month: Ten months in our society is ancient history. Scientists state we actually regenerate the majority of the cells in our body in about eleven months time.

10 Years: How much is this problem going to affect you in ten years?

100 Years: Your life is full of good decisions and bad ones, most people think back and say I shouldn’t have worried so much.

10,000 Years: At this level our current problems seem very small. Yet if we were traveling to the other side of the universe at the speed of light we would not have left our solar system.


Star in Your Own Movie. The human being is the only creature that is able to be aware of his or her own presence. This awareness keeps us in touch with the Infinite. Imagine a camera in the corner of your office or workspace. Watch yourself as you are watching a movie. Observe the way you act, communicate, carry yourself, and even how you think about situations. This exercise will enable you to recognize your conditioned thinking and empower you to live your ideals.

Break for Breath. The benefits of taking a deep breath periodically throughout the day are countless. Taking a deep breath has been shown to reduce stress, tension, assist communication, and increase performance. Most of all it will help you become aware of the soul that exists that is all that truly exists. The temporal lives we conduct and problems we encounter in them are not nearly as significant as the truth of your Being.

Special thanks to wallyg for that fine image

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

To be God, or not to be?


When dealing with the concept I call Living Infinitely and the principles set forth, there arises an important distinction that must be made and is of critical importance. In “The Connection to the Infinite” I wrote, “The True Self is of pure spiritual nature.” The true self spoken of is connected with all others in the universe through the Spirit or the Universal Mind. The idea of separateness does not exist and the omnipresence of Spirit blankets the universe. We find that by living from this level of the soul we find peace and harmony in our lives. Having the capacity to be connected to the infinite, the question arises are we essentially gods?

Being connected to the realm of spirit, living from the level of the soul, or what some may call conscious living has proven to derive purpose in our lives. The coincidences that shape our lives, our best ideas, and the web that connects us with others are originated in this realm of Spirit. Our true identity can be found in this realm. The essence of every living being has been originated in this eternal realm that exists far beyond our very thoughts. This idea of true consciousness goes beyond even our names and the labels we place on objects in our lives.

This train of thought has lead many people astray as they begin to find the Truth about life. Many have come to the conclusion that they are GOD. Take the following statement:

I Am God.

There exists a fundamental error in the verbiage of the preceding statement. If one were to state I am God, this implies two things. One that I am God and you may not be implying superiority. Two, it limits God by using the word “God” and I in the same sentence. True Omnipotence cannot be limited to I. In the Old Testament, God says it correctly when stating simply, “I Am.”

While the preceding statement does not make sense from a fundamental point of view it does not have practical application either. The very act of someone stating, “I Am God”, nearly always implies ego is at work. Anything originating as a result of our own ego can only end in suffering if it is prioritized in our life. The habit of seeing yourself as God then is a destructive ideal to hold in your mind.

There comes great power in knowing that you are subject to the realm of Spirit not in control of it. It is a subtle difference but an all-important one. How then are we to think ourselves in relation to all that precedes existence? To think of oneself as a Child of God would be a more accurate description, although possibly misleading. I believe the poet and spiritual master Rumi said it best.

“I am a hole in the flute that the Christ’s breath blows through. Listen to this music.”

Special thanks to zombizi for that frightening image.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Stop Wanting and Start Believing


Living in Los Angeles one often encounters individuals who want to be FAMOUS! Dreams of being a hero on the cinema populate their thoughts. Wanting to attend lavish parties, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, and being interviewed by “Entertainment Tonight” are long on the mind. Unfortunately, the goal always seems to be just out of reach and you are left with one thing: WANTING. This is the case for not only for the Hollywood crowd, but a reality of the state of the world.

This is often why many see great rock stars turn to drugs. Why do these musical legends that seem to have it all turn to destructive habits? Most of us won’t experience the excitement of performing in front of thousands of people. Isn’t that enough? Unfortunately, sometimes its not and that new high is never reached.

Wanting can only and will only lead to more wanting.

You may say, “I want good things!” There are essentially three good ideals we can identify as “good” things: Health, Wealth, and Love. Most other ideals can fall under one of these labels. For example we may want friendship, which would fall under the essential ideal of love. Some may argue that wealth is not an essential ideal but at least an adequate amount is necessary for sustenance can be agreed upon. Many have tried their entire lives to find these three ideals in the world of matter to no avail, only discovery more wanting. Fortunately, these ideals cannot be found in the world around us, but rather in the world inside of us. With a basic understanding of this we can stop wanting and start BELIEVING.

The DESIRE for these ideals to become manifest in our realities must be so strong that it actually becomes a belief! When we believe something on the inside it not only eliminates want, but also creates the actual outward manifestation of the desired outcome. The very chemicals of our body and electrical connections in our brain begin to take form to structure and accommodate our belief. Henry Ford was very wise to say “whether you believe you can or can’t either way you are right.”

If you want wealth and abundance, look out into nature and notice the wealth and abundance lavishly decorating the earth. All of the gold in the entire world will never equal the amount of gold you can accumulate in your own mind. As Jesus said, “To him who was, more will be given, and him who has not, that much will be taken away.” Wealth is an inner state. Let inner state shine through into this world of matter and it will begin to manifest itself as sure as the sun will continue to emanate rays of light.

If you want love, give love to other and you will receive equal in return. Celebrities who give selflessly themselves to their art and devote love to the world experience a beautiful reciprocity of love and respect from fans. Someone wanting a partner is truly only looking for self-gratification in some form, yet someone letting go of the ego and truly loving another will receive that love.
If you desire health, understand that health can ultimately only come from within. Everything in this world of matter will pass, but the peace that comes from within and breathes health and calmness from the realm of Spirit cannot wither. Additionally, the health you may enjoy on this earth will only come to you in abundance if you recognize that our bodies is simply a temple for our Spirit.

Photo credit to Vineus