Prayer

Today I pray with the full, unseparated power of God within me. I am one with spirit. When I align myself with the God-force that is present and alive in all things, my prayer has meaning and strength. When I pray to the God-center of my being, I bring a troubled spirit in touch with the light of God. When I pray with full faith that this universe is meant for me and those in it, with a genuine awareness that God and I are one, that there is no separation, then I place my hand on the switch that has power and light behind it. Prayer is dynamic. It speaks to the benevolent force of love and creativity that brings life to this world. I will pray each day, knowing that my prayers are meant to be fulfilled.

Inner Quiet

I create a pool of inner quiet through meditation and contemplation. I create a place of peace within me that I can call on throughout my day. I give myself time to sense the meaning of my life. Unless my mind slows down, I will not be still enough to know through direct experience. I will not have the inner peace to come in touch with deeper and deeper layers of self. If I accumulate and accomplish all that I set out to but lose my ability to enjoy, then I have bought into a fool's paradise. Then I will simply be surrounded by riches that I am unable to appreciate. I will take good care of myself today. I recognize that an important part of taking good care of myself is to give myself the quiet time I need and deserve in order to be happy.

Change of scene has no effect upon unconscious conflicts.

There's no running away from the internal strife. Whatever haunts us must finally be confronted and resolved if we're ever to grow and thus contribute to our world. When we keep secrets locked away, the secrets begin to keep us locked away as well.
It is foolish, and yet entirely human, to think a new location, a new job, a new lover will cure whatever troubles us. The truth is, however, that whatever trips us up is at the same time trying to edge us forward to new awareness, and thus the next level of growth. Our troubles are tools for a strengthened foundation. Without them, we'd soon crumble.

When we consider the conflicts we encounter as opportunities for further development, they excite us rather than provoke anxiety. Changing our perspective can make the same scene appear quite new.

Your Destiny

Watch your thoughts,
they become your words.
Watch your words,
they become your actions.
Watch your actions,
they become your character.
Watch your character,
it becomes your destiny.

Evolution of Spirit

I am part of a larger plan, the evolution of the human mind. If evolution is natural to the species of plants and animals, then I must be evolving as well. The true student seeks to build on what has been developed. He or she continues to test and prove, to grow theories and then to pass them on in good order to the next generation . I will be a good student of life today, a competent researcher of the human soul. I will do my part to expand in the accumulated knowledge that I have access to, to experiment and add to a body of information and then to pass it lovingly on to all that follow.

Shame

 Everyone carries shame. It is a fundamental human feeling. When we carry shame in secret, it distorts our inner world, which creates a distorted, uncomfortable, undesirable outer world. It makes us feel as if we have something bad inside of us that we need to keep hidden, something that, if it were known, would make people run away from or reject us. When we build up resentment and fear, we become paranoid, imagining that people are saying and thinking things about us. Shame can make us lash out or act out; say and do things in an effort to get rid of the feeling. When we do this, we only deepen the shame because only in owning and experiencing the feeling for what it is, can we let it go.

What would you do differently?

Friedrich Nietzsce posed a wonderful thought: " What if a demon were to creep after you one night and say, "This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence..."

What would you do? Would you throw yourself before a moving vehicle and curse the demon who visited you? Or would you answer, "I have never been offered such a joyous blessing?"

How do spend your days now? Who have you not forgiven? Maybe yourself? Do you need to be awakened to the blessings you already have, or are you already in the place you call heaven?

Ask yourself, "What if?"

Daily Priorities

Priorities are not merely something we establish once a year, once a month, or even once a week. Our priorities are visible in the myriad decisions we make and actions we take each day.

Being closely in touch with our inner selves and our Higher Power helps assure that our priorities reflect our genuine needs and desires. When we are securely centered, we will not be unduly influenced by other people but will know what is truly important to us and necessary for our health and well being.

We set our priorities when we do our grocery shopping and plan our meals. We set them when we choose between playing tennis or reading a book or going to see a friend. We set them when we decide how to respond to a negative comment from a co-worker. Our daily priorities reflect who we are and determine what we are becoming. Let's set them with care.

Sharing

 I will share my joy with others. Simply living a happy life gives me much to pass around. Living well and happily is no small accomplishment. It means that I am doing something right, that I understand some basic truths about living and prospering in this world. Life is fundamentally simple, but recognizing this and actually simplifying my life requires a strong and mindful resolve, the strength of character to resist the complicated aspects of life that lead to self-destruction. What I have come to know through happy living are the profound lessons passed down through the ages. Appreciating joy in my life and sharing it with others enhances and increases its presence for me.

Today I will share my joy.

Just as the wave cannot exist for itself. but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me. It is uncomfortable doctrine which the true ethics whisper into my ear. You are happy, they say; therefore you are called upon to give much. ...Albert Schweitzer

Self Pity

"Poor little ol' me." The PLOMS. How often do we succumb to this temptation? Usually it's an excuse for not doing what we know we should do, but do not want to do. Or it's a way to manipulate someone else into doing something for us which we should be doing ourselves. If we spend our time moaning and groaning about how unfairly life is treating us, we do not have much chance of  creating a truly wonderful life experience.

Trite as it may sound, the cure for self-pity is to think about those who are less fortunate and start counting our blessings. Taking some action, doing some small thing for someone else, perhaps a phone call -- these are constructive steps to take us off the "pity pot."

When we begin to feel sorry for ourselves, let's remember the true blessings we already have and move out of the vibration of self-pity.