Today my spirituality is taking me down a political road. A Human Bill of Rights and Responsibilities has been rolling around in my mind the past few days – a spiritually-based statement that acknowledges the importance of basic human needs and our personal role in ensuring their availability for everyone. But before we get to that list of rights and responsibilities below, let’s consider other attempts to outline our “rights”….. Read the rest of this entry »
Evolution to Oneness
Archives for category: Change Agent
I am excited to be heading to New Orleans this weekend as part of the annual Spiritual Living Conference. It’s an exciting time and an historic moment as the two organizations that teach the Ernest Holmes’ Science of Mind and Spirit philosophy take the next major step in their integration. Last year they voted to reunite after over 50 years of being apart. When do you ever hear about groups splitting apart and then coming back together?
This week, the two groups become one. During the past year much has been done to create the structure of the organization—pulling from each of the current groups the best ideas, the best processes, to create a new way of being together. I have been honored to have been involved with a lot of this. When we leave Louisiana, we will have Read the rest of this entry »
What good news are you bringing to your life and to the world in 2012? Have you set your vision for the upcoming year? Are you going to live your life purpose more fully and with passion as we move into this final year of the Mayan calendar?
The world really is full of good news if you set your intentions on seeing it—-here are some life affirming stories that came into my awareness recently: Read the rest of this entry »
Why do you do the things you do each day? Have you ever stopped to consider it? Why is one thing more important to you than another? Why do the things that matter to you seem to change from moment to moment in some cases, while other motivators seem to change more slowly.
I didn’t really think about any of this much back in the day when I was young. Those bigger questions just weren’t on my mind. Oh yeah, I recall Read the rest of this entry »
Here we are going to look at the fact that we are all teachers and we are all learners. Now, that probably seems fairly self evident to many of you. If you slice and dice your life up into its various components, then you can easily see situations where you play the teacher to others and where others play the teacher to you.
If you’re ever in a classroom setting, then it’s easy to see which role you are in (although one may be your official role, unofficially you’re also in the other simultaneously). But beyond formal instructional settings, we may also play the role of “teacher” when we guide our children, mentor coworkers or simply make choices in life that are observed by others. Similarly, those around us are our teachers – either formally, informally or by our observation of their actions and choices.
When we move into the arena of “student” and “teacher” in the spiritual areas of our lives, there are a couple of interesting things that happen, especially when one begins looking around for their “teacher”. The first thing I’ve noticed is that when many of us look at others as our possible spiritual teacher, we tend to forget that others may be looking at us as theirs. My second observation is that when we find someone whom we revere as our spiritual teacher, we tend to put them on a pedestal setting them apart from ourselves. Because we see them as having some esoteric knowledge that we want so deeply to obtain, we begin projecting things upon them – both good and bad.
Let’s be clear – It’s okay to want to honor those who are assisting us along our path. Those who have been instrumental in my growth, I have either acknowledged this fact to them personally or stated it to others. But, I’ve had to be careful that in my paying tribute to the role they’ve played in my expansion that I’ve not created separation between us.
Personally, I’ve always had a little trouble when people refer to their “guru” and even more trouble when people refer to themselves in that manner. Yes, some of the spiritual teachers who have taught me by way of their writings have attributed their wisdom to some Eastern guru. I think there was a time in our collective spiritual growth when maybe this was necessary. Someone from the West going off to India and then coming back and trying to teach some new spiritual philosophy probably needed to point at “their guru” to gain credibility – much like how we tend to value more the message of someone because they have a PhD. Hopefully, were moving beyond this need. Up to now unfortunately, self taught learners have not been given as much credence in our society as someone who has the “right credentials”.
Yet beyond this issue of establishing credibility, I do see how the acknowledgment of someone being one’s guru is also part of that natural honoring of our teacher. That’s okay to a degree so long as we’re not setting up an unnatural separation between ourselves and this individual. Yes, we may have learned from the one we call a guru, but if everyone’s honest – the guru probably learned from us as well.
I know I’m a teacher to others in many areas of life – including spiritual, but I’m no guru. And, I’m also a learner in many areas as well – including and especially in my spiritual life, but I don’t have a guru. As I present these writings, they come from a place of humbleness in my heart where I recognize I still have so much to learn. Yet they also come with a recognition that I have gained a degree of wisdom which I am called to share with others. I don’t see myself as separate – either better or worse, wiser or more ignorant than anyone else. Rather, I see myself as connected to everyone else – and with that wisdom comes a desire to want to teach you as well as learn from you.
Beyond the role we all play as models for others, many people intentionally take on the role to become a “teacher”. In my opinion, the best teachers have a clear vision of the information they wish to impart. The best teachers desire to assist others – to show them something specifically, to bring them wisdom and knowledge. The best teachers don’t see themselves as separate and apart from their students. The best teachers see that we are all teachers and learners, that we are all in this world together to learn and grow. A truly wise teacher would never call themselves a “guru”.
I’ve encountered a few people in my time who call themselves a guru. I was always amazed by the people who laid themselves at these peoples feet in order to gain their “wisdom”. I have to admit that I have felt the pull myself a time or two.
What is it about these people that calls others to them? From my experience there are generally two factors at play here.
First, these individuals frequently exude a high level of charisma. That is, there is something about them that just naturally draws us to them. Their behavior exhibits a confidence that we would like. There words indicate they possess some kind of knowledge that we don’t have.
Which brings me to the second point previously mentioned– we desire something that we believe these people have. Life is complex. There is something in us that wants to “make sense of it all”. We believe these “gurus” have the key to our understanding. We “follow” these individuals to gain the wisdom we believe they have.
It is natural that we have this pull within us where we want to learn and grow. One of the essential aspects of life is that we are here to grow and evolve, so all of this is appropriate. It’s also natural that we will encounter teachers at the right moment in our lives who can offer us guidance on our next step. Yet, we need to grow beyond that place where we put our teacher on a pedestal. Doing that sets up a faults sense of separation with someone who is only playing that role temporarily.
Which brings us back to our key point – let’s don’t lose sight of the fact that we are all teachers and learners. We are playing both roles simultaneously in different parts of our life and playing both roles with the same person at different times or areas in our life. It’s like we’re conga dancers who keep changing partners and directions – sometimes I’m following you, sometimes you’re following me and other times we’re off in teacher-student relationships with someone totally different. When you’re the student, you need to keep this perspective in mind!
Likewise, when we encounter a teacher who labels himself as a “guru”, we need to be cautious. Their self proclamation is setting themselves up as separate and apart from us. By the very aspect of their doing this shows the limitations in their wisdom. They are forgetting that at sometimes and in some ways they will be playing the role of learner.
Yet even if presented with these facts – watch out! Some so-called “gurus” will deny their vulnerability or ignorance using their talent at talking or displaying their charming charisma. If we try to point out that their actions are separating them from us, they will often use and manipulate us by way of their understanding very well our internal need to comprehend life. This inner need of ours to understand the meaning of life can be used by others to become their followers. No matter how much they tell us that they are “enlightened”, by the very nature that they divide themselves from us – they show that they are not enlightened and most likely have some shadow work to do.
So may we all be humble! We are all ignorant in our own way. Acknowledging this opens us to learning and growth. We may need a teacher but we don’t need a guru to evolve towards the higher possibilities of our life.
Yet may we also feel our power! We are all teachers in our own way. Acknowledging this opens us to sharing our wisdom with those around us who may need it. We may be their teacher but we’re not trapped in the divisive role of guru.
Always keep in mind that the evolution of humanity requires that we be receptive learners and gracious teachers.
We all know change is hard sometimes. Change is especially hard when were going against a long-held ingrained habit. We try to make a change and in a few days, we’re right back where we were. Such is the destiny of many a New Year’s resolutions!
Of course, there is a technique which we all know about which can assist us if we are truly serious about making modifications in our life. The aid is simply to look at the end result of where we want to go, to break it down into small manageable goals, then to work on the first goal over and over until we master it. In other words, we create a small “chunk” that moves us in the direction of our ultimate intention and we make a habit out of that chunk.
I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know! Yet there are two major obstacles for putting this plan in place. The first – our goal seems so big and intimidating that we don’t have a clue about how to “chunk it up” into smaller pieces. Related to this is the fact that even if we can create intermediate milestones, they don’t seem to give us the emotional satisfaction we seek from the end game and therefore don’t really motivate us. The second obstacle – acting on that first task repeatedly until it becomes a part of what we do. The best intentions frequently fade away after a few days.
I remember years ago one of my spiritual teachers advising my class that we need to spend some time each day in inner reflection or meditation. If we truly want to turn our attention away from the outer world and move into an awareness of an inner world, then we have to spend some time each day actually in that inner world! Of course the Catch-22 was that we are so busy in the outer world, we all wondered where we were going to find time to meditate. The advice of our teacher – take 5 minutes each day to meditate. Surely we could carve that much time out of each day. His suggestion – find a consistent time, then do it until it becomes a habit. Then expand from that beginning to more and more time each day. I can assure you this works as it helps me become a habitual meditator.
I read recently where an individual who helps people reduce their clutter and clean their houses teaches people a technique to overcome their paralysis when they are faced with overwhelming messes. The trick – identify some area of your house that needs cleaning, commit to doing it for 5 minutes, and after that amount of time you can decide whether to quit or continue. After all, it’s just 5 minutes! It tricks you into starting and typically you continue on beyond that time. And – even if you don’t – you have five minutes worth of progress to feel good about.
The point is to find some early success to build upon. This is the law of attraction in action. If in our minds we are overwhelmed by a goal in front of us, then all we can attract is more of an unmet goal. If we see a small success, then our attention is focused upon our progress and we get more of the same.
So here’s your task – where’s the change in your life that you just can’t seem to get started on? Where are you called to do or be something different and all you seem to notice is that you are not making any progress in that direction? Once you identify it – break it into chunks and get started working on that first chunk. Make a commitment to act on that chunk each day until you master it. Here’s some examples to get you thinking:
You want to eat better? Set a goal to eat one additional servings of vegetables per day. Take one unhealthy food you’re eating currently and either eliminate it from your diet or reduce how much you eat.
You want to exercise? Create a routine you can do in 5 minutes and do it each day as part of getting ready. Get a pedometer and wear it – try to increase your steps each day.
You want to write a book? Set a goal to write at least something for certain amount time each day, even if it’s just a paragraph or two. Create a blog site and write a short blog each day. If that’s too much, write something once a week.
You want to learn a foreign language? Find five minutes and practice each day with a foreign language computer program. Put foreign language CDs in your car and listen to them.
You want more friends in your life? Set a goal to take a few moments each day to appreciate your own company. Reach out and connect with someone everyday.
You get the idea. Chunk it up and make the change!
Peace and blessings!
Mark Gilbert
I screwed up the other day. I misquoted my wife. A word to the wise – men, if you ever do that, correct yourself ASAP.
In my last article (“Change Is a-Foot“) I indicated that my wife, Mary, who used to be a therapist, had told me that when you dream about water it represents change. Mary gets Conscious Bridge in her e-mail like many of you and reads it after it’s been posted in the blogosphere. Upon reading that article, she immediately advised me that she never told me that water represents change as dreaming of it generally relates to our emotions and spirituality. I stand corrected.
Now I don’t want to give the wrong impression – Mary didn’t make a big deal of this mistake nor express concerns about being misrepresented. She was more concerned about my accuracy. I share that concern. I’ve seen way too many false statements issued in e-mails that get virally transmitted around the Internet that are assumed to be true by their recipients who forward the note on perpetuating the inaccuracy. Reminds me of a comedian I heard the other day, he said, “it must be true, I read it on the Internet.” A second word to the wise – before you forward on one of those chain e-mails you receive from friends, stop and check its accuracy first…www.snopes.com is a good resource.
Now even though water may represent emotions or things such as our intuition or subconscious (consider that things below water may be below our level of awareness), Mary assisted me in seeing that the point of my prior article was still valid. I was attempting to show that I was getting clues that change was coming – especially as it relates to Conscious Bridge. In my dream, there was concern that the room I was in was about to be flooded. Flowing water such as a river does often point to change. The submergence into water such as in our religious ceremony of baptism frequently represents a threshold of change.
Mary’s assistance in helping me to make my point got me to thinking – what if this was the norm in all of our affairs?
One of my all-time favorite books is Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. One of those habits is “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” In other words, from his analysis of the habits of successful people, Covey found that one trait they all shared was the desire to truly hear and understand those around them before ever trying to make their opinion heard. I believe we all have an opportunity for growth in this area.
A few weeks ago, I was giving a talk at a spiritual center where one of my points was that our spiritual evolution would be served by our consciously seeking to take on the perspective of others. The more we could understand where others were coming from, the more we would grow in our sense of care and concern for them. The more we can care and love for others, the more we see we are all interrelated. The more we sensed our interrelatedness, the more we evolved towards oneness.
In that talk I shared a personal frustration I had experienced in watching a television program whereby individuals were talking over one another in an attempt to have their voice and opinion heard. It was as if they all realized that they had the limited time of the broadcast to sway us to their way of thinking on the issue. I shared my fantasy that wouldn’t it be wonderful if the folks on these shows had as their goal to ensure that the other person’s position was made clearly? In other words, I would make your point and you would make mine. Although there was some laughter when I made the statement, I had several people tell me later that such a practice would really be great.
Although I frequently and proudly wear the badge of being a Pollyanna, I’m not expecting us to move towards everyone making everyone else’s points heard on a consistent basis. But maybe, just maybe we could start with one day? We could make it like the Sadie Hawkins Day is to dating. One day a year we all practice Covey’s habit. I call it National “Let Me Help You Make Your Point “Day.
What do you think? Is that a good idea or what?
Mark Gilbert
Right now. This is it. Wait no longer. This is your moment, this is my moment, this is our moment.
What the heck am I talking about? Well, on the one hand, right now is the moment for all of us to show up and “do” whatever it is we were called to this planet to do – to truly express our gifts and talents. On the other hand, right now is the moment that is calling us to “be” fully present and aware of all that is going on around us – to immerse ourselves in this holy present moment. These are not mutually exclusive.
Our Outer Calling
Our planet sure is undergoing massive change right now. It’s as if we were leisurely peddling along on a bicycle and came to a downhill stretch where we picked up speed and we’re going faster and faster. Life is whizzing by, stuff is coming at us in a furious pace, response time has shrunk, potholes and obstacles are coming at us left and right.
Technology seems to be changing on a daily basis. The Earth is facing challenges with global warming, overpopulation, water shortages, uneven distribution of resources and power, and political and social unrest. There is the appearance of more polarization among people and their beliefs – more vocal extremes arguing at one another over their differences – political, racial, religious, socioeconomic, and more. Violence, both physical and verbal, permeates our media and our entertainment.
These could be the times that try our souls…or it could be the moment that our souls are being called to express at their highest levels – their Dharma, their purpose, their reason for being on the planet at this time. The choice is up to each of us as to how we respond.
It’s interesting. I’ve been in a lot of conversations recently regarding a greater sense of the call to be more visible on the planet so as to assist everyone in this vast moment of change. In working with people as a part of the spiritual organization of which I am a minister (Centers for Spiritual Living), there has been an awareness that this is the moment that our teachings of oneness and unity are called to be more widely visible at both the global and local level. There is a realization that we can evolve through the current planet challenges and move towards a positive future, and that our teachings of Science of Mind and Spirit can assist in that growth. This is the moment that is calling us forward.
Interestingly, I also sense this in my own life. Something about the current times seems to be saying that I can no longer “play it small”. Whatever I am called to do in this lifetime (which I have long discovered relates to teaching–both verbally and in print), now is the moment to move forward, to claim my life purpose, to live large. The challenges the planet faces needs everyone to show up and do and be “all that they can be”. Everyone means me and it means you.
So what are you called to do? What do you sense your life purpose to be? How are you called to serve humanity by living fully that purpose? Now is the moment to “just do it”. Don’t wait on others to step up and live their purpose and solve all of the Earth’s problems, this is the moment calling you to make a difference in your corner of the world.
Our Inner Calling
What a gift it is to be alive. Sometimes we get so busy doing – living in our heads, completing our “to do” lists, thinking about the past, contemplating the future – that we forget to just “be”.
Yesterday I had a beautiful experience. I was cutting the grass and decided to take a short break. I sat in the shade of our home’s breezeway drinking a glass of ice cold water. A few feet away my beautiful chocolate lab, Harmony, was laying in the freshly cut grass and basking in the sunlight. Harmony’s nose was lifted up in the air sniffing smells far beyond my sensory perception. She was obviously enjoying the moment. My heart began to overflow with a sense of love for her. I wished somehow I could grab hold of this moment and bottle it for later consumption.
I realized that no photograph could ever capture the fullness of this moment. Have you ever gotten back from a vacation and showed someone your photographs and felt compelled to tell them that the picture in no way fully captured what you experienced? I know I have.
Each moment has such a full richness to it if we pay attention. Not only is there the full visual sense of what is going on – vivid colors, full 360° perspective, true 3-D depth perspective – a visual texture which can currently never truly be captured in photographs, but there is also all of the other tastiness of the moment. My holy instant with Harmony included: my body’s objective change as it shifted from physical exertion to a state of rest, the cool breeze blowing across my skin, the deliciousness of the ice cold water running down my throat, the smell of fresh cut grass, the crisp demarcation between the shade and the sunlight, the perception of the flow of life within Harmony, the relaxed sense of love that I know always connects the two of us…and so much more than words can never capture. Every moment has that completeness.
This was a moment I had been waiting for, but there really wasn’t anything “special” about this moment. The only thing that was special was that I shifted my perception into fully experiencing the moment. Every moment can be such a moment if we allow it.
Sometimes I get nostalgic for the past. I fantasize about popping back into routine moments when my grown children were small so that I could fully experience them at that age again. I have my memories and my photographs, but neither bring the sumptuousness of detail that I long for. I would love to have just 5 minutes sitting with my young children in a room watching them play and sensing that moment in the same detail and fullness that I sensed in my experience with Harmony yesterday.
The irony, of course, is that when we are young and our kids are young, we are so into “doing” – working our jobs, growing our careers, cooking, feeding, cleaning and all the other “busy-ness” that seems so important at the time – that we don’t take much time just to “be in the moment”. Our children grow up so fast and all those special moments race by, fading into our memories. I often want to grab young parents by the collar and demand they pay loving attention to these all too brief moments with their children. I hope my children are reading and heeding this.
Of course, we can’t cling to any one moment. Our experience of time continues to move forward. Yet, that’s okay. The march of time brings an endless stream of these special moments – the trick is to pay attention to them. Right now, this is the moment we have been waiting for. This is the moment to experience life fully – to be in this holy instant.
Doing and Being
So right now is the moment that you are called to both express your full creative talents in service to the planet – “to do” what you were called here to do – and to live fully present in each moment – “to be” here in each moment and experience its richness and beauty. Can you both “do” and “be” in this present moment?
Some of you may say that we can either do or be but not both simultaneously. Somehow we have gotten it in our minds that our focusing on tasks takes us out of the present moment. This is the same mindset that says work and play are mutually exclusive. It doesn’t have to be this way.
It’s been my experience that when I truly lean into living my life’s passion, leaning into the call to be a teacher such as in writing these words, that it brings such a level of completeness to the moment – that it becomes in a sense a spiritual experience. I’ve heard the same from others. Work becomes play and then everything combines into just “being life”. Every moment is “to live for”.
So how are you called to serve? Are you being a force for good on the planet in your own special and unique way? Are you living your life purpose? Are you fully experiencing the vast beauty and love in each and every moment of your life?
The more you live your life purpose, the more you serve the greater good, and the more beauty and love you sense in every moment. What are you waiting for? Now is the moment.
Blessings.
Mark Gilbert
What in your life is truly “to live for”? Today, I’m going to teach you a simple game that my wife, Mary, and I have found useful in shifting how we look at life. We call this process simply…. ”to live for”.
Genesis
It all started when Mary and I would have these experiences that we would describe as “to die for”. This is a common phrase that many of us use to describe a moment that is so fantastically wonderful that we can hardly believe it. We started questioning using the phrase “to die for” in relation to these moments as it seemed somewhat negative. Why die for this experience? So for a while we began using the phrase “to come back for” implying that this experience was so uniquely filled with a combination of sensory pleasure that if we were to die, we would want to come back to earth to have this experience again. Eventually, we began using the phrase “to live for”.
Although I’m not positive as to the first exact moment we began using this practice, my earliest recollection was from around four years ago. We had just returned from a week in Kauai where we had been married on the beach at sunrise. Our trip had been filled with many magical moments that were to live for. Back at home, we sat down and reviewed together the journals we had kept on our trip. As we did this, we took turns describing in vivid detail exquisite moments from our vacation. Mary’s glorious descriptions of a particular experience would launch in my mind a sense of pleasure from that shared moment. My verbal recollections would ignite pleasure within her.
Eventually, this process grew into something we would do whenever we wished to truly sense how glorious life is. Sometimes, we would use it to get out of a feeling of negativity that had come over us. Other times, it was a way of vividly recalling a moment whose essence we hoped would never fade. No matter what the intent, it always shifted our thinking to realizing what a gift it is to be alive.
The Process
So the process is pretty simple — all you need to do is to recollect a moment in your life that was truly special and then verbalize it with great feeling and detail. It can be one of those big moments like the birth of a child or grandchild… or a seemingly “small moment” that opened you up somehow. The more emotion you can interject into your description, the more this process shifts your thinking.
We like to close our description off with words like “that was truly to live for”. The next person would then give their description of their “to live for” moment. Two people can go back and forth like Mary and I do… or you can go around a circle in a small group. And although you can do this on your own, I find it has great power in hearing the descriptions of other people. Their descriptions of their “to live for” moments jogs your memory of your own!
Some Examples
I can still remember the birth of my first child… although I was supposed to be in the delivery room, due to a nursing shift change at a moment that I had been asked to step out of the room, no one thought to bring me back in… in my mind I was waiting to return to the delivery room when the nurse came and told me that I had a little girl. There was this feeling of confusion and a moment of hurt at missing being in the room at her birth that immediately dissipated at the sight of my daughter. Disappointment shifted in an instant to overwhelming joy. Seeing that little face and those little hands and that new life entering into the world filled me with such love there are no words to describe the feeling. Tears rolled down my face and my heart opened to a level that I had never experienced before… that moment was truly to live for.
My chocolate lab, Harmony, lives to play ball. When I get up each morning, we go out back and play ball. When I leave home and come back, she insists that we maintain our routine and we go out back and play ball. Frequently we go to the local park and play ball. Always, I toss the tennis ball out and she brings it back and drops it at my feet. Eventually as we play more, her tongue begins to hang out… yet joy fills her face. If I hold the ball for a moment to allow her to catch her breath, she starts circling around in a sort of dance — each circle ending with her facing me excitedly. The front part of her body lowers as if in a bow. Behind, her tail wags fiercely in all directions reminding me of a helicopter propeller. Her joy brings me joy… those moments are truly to live for.
Mary and I went snowshoeing in the mountains. As we trekked further into the woods, we experienced a unique sense of calm and peacefulness. We stopped to soak up the moment. There was a strange quietness in the air. The cool crispness of the winter atmosphere connected us with our surroundings. It was magical. It was spiritual. The beauty of the snow gracing the trees and the ground, untouched by human hands, the perfect quiet — our senses were filled to overflowing by the beauty of the moment and our eyes met — it was a moment to live for.
Make It Your Own
Recently Mary and I co-facilitated a portion of a spiritual retreat in the Rockies of Colorado. The intention for our segment was to foster a sense of the love of Spirit in the participants. As we planned our processes, Mary suggested we use our “to live for” game. What better way to feel the love of Spirit in our lives she pointed out, than to open ourselves to the rich vividness of those “to live for” moments? She was right. After we modeled our process, we divided the attendees up into pairs and let them go. They didn’t want to stop sharing their “to live for” moments when we called time.
Since then, Mary and I have received wonderful feedback from the participants on how they are using this simple process in their lives. A couple of women who are in a knitting group are using the tool whenever others in the group start complaining about their lives. They told us it shifts the energy of the group from the negative to the positive. Another attendee told me he used the process with a large dinner group. Their vivid descriptions went around the circle for over two hours. (And, he tells me he’s going to use the idea in one chapter of his next book). Another attendee, who is a trainer, told us she is using the idea in one of her classes.
Mary and I are pleased that this simple game we used in our relationship has touched others. It is their stories of the power of this process that called me to share it more broadly here. Try it out. Change it to fit your life and your needs. Make it your own. And above all, have fun with it.
So what in your life is “to live for”?
Blessings!
Mark Gilbert
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