December, 2012
Many prayers from many people have filled the Internet in the aftermath of the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Three of these, in particular, caught my attention.
The first is from my spiritual colleague Marianne Williamson, who posted:
For those who bear tonight the unbearable burden
of unimaginable grief,
who in their agony yell at the forces of fate…
For those who moan and those who faint,
for those who rage and those who pray,
we moan and pray along with you.
For tonight, those were our children too.
Dear God, May a legion of angels come upon these parents.
Bring to them an otherworldly touch,
an otherworldly comfort,
an otherworldly sense that their children are well —
that they are safe with God
and shall be with them always.
Give to those who grieve what no mortal can give…
the touch of Your Hand upon their heart.
May all touched by this darkness
be Lit by Your grace.
Please wipe away all tears, dear God.
as only You can do.
Amen
— Marianne Williamson – www.marianne.com
And this, from Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, Congregation Beth Israel, North Adams, Mass.:
God, let me cry on Your shoulder.
Rock me like a colicky baby.
Promise me You won’t forget
each of Your perfect reflections
killed today. Promise me
You won’t let me forget, either.
I’m hollow, stricken like a bell.
Make of my emptiness a channel
for Your boundless compassion.
Soothe the children who witnessed
things no child should see,
the teachers who tried to protect them
but couldn’t, the parents
who are torn apart with grief,
who will never kiss their beloveds again.
Strengthen the hands and hearts
of Your servants tasked with caring
for those wounded in body and spirit.
Help us to find meaning
in the tiny lights we kindle tonight.
Help us to trust
that our reserves of hope
and healing are enough
to carry us through.
We are Your hands: put us to work.
Ignite in us the unquenchable yearning
to reshape our world
so that violence against children
never happens again, anywhere.
We are Your grieving heart.
And finaly, this from spiritual teacher Matt Kahn…
May the tragedies faced today invite us deeper into a space of vulnerability, where we are able to help all of those affected by today’s events know how deeply they are loved in the wake of such an unimaginable series of losses. May we courageously pick up the pieces of shattered innocence and transform together as never before. There is no justification for what has occurred, and yet, it leaves us no other option but to step forward in our own evolution and dare to be as loving, considerate, and compassionate with others as we’d dare to be in the final moments of this precious lifetime.
May we hold our children and loved ones close and invite all members in our cosmic family to join together and allow such a day to reignite a fire of eternal grace that illuminates the power of unity consciousness in every cell of our being. While there is no conceptual explanation for today, it cannot overshadow the insurmountable fact that love is the only answer to carry us through any unimaginable breakdown into every miraculous breakthrough.
May we celebrate the lives of those who have passed, and find it within our hearts to cherish their soul’s journey that has abruptly reminded us to embrace every gift in our lives. As we continue to live, not knowing when the time will come to say goodbye, we offer ourselves the opportunity to allow our greatness to shine and to embrace each breath as if it’s our last. For those who have survived the unfolding of today, may we express the power of our absolute potential, and celebrate the fact that nothing from the past had the ability to destroy us. Meanwhile, every moment has somehow led us here to assist in the healing of those who are still finding their way home.
Through our words, actions, prayers, and choices, may we surrender into full alignment with the light of love, and open our hearts for the well-being of all. May we embrace our highest values and offer them in service for the transformation of our planet. As the world looks on, may our choices from this moment forward inspire humanity to give generously and love without limits. Many of us have been preparing for a global shift and as it stands, it is the suppressed shadow within the human condition that has come to unite every heart and deliver this species into the bittersweet redemption of our long-awaited destiny. It is now time for a planet of intentional minds, fearless hearts, and conscious communities to emerge and deliver Earth into a Golden Age of higher consciousness that no amount of unresolved pain can ever prevent.
No matter where our journey leads us from this moment forward, let us always remember what a day like this inspires us to be. May all souls be blessed.”
– Matt Kahn — www.TrueDivineNature.com
To which I say: Amen, and amen.
I feel that I would like to spend some time discussing Conversations with God within the context of the sad events in Newtown, Connecticut. Everything that I feel the impulse to share with you will cover a great deal of ground, and so, with your permission, I will place this material in several entries here, across a number of days.
Before getting into, in the days ahead, what CWG has to say about these kinds of events in our world, I want to share with you today some of the views of my friend Rabbi Michael Lerner. Michael, in his just-released newsletter, feels that we definitely need much more restrictive gun control laws in our world — but he says that will never be sufficient to put an end to the kinds of horrible things we witnessed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday.
We will never see that kind of behavior disappear, Michael says, unless our entire global society undergoes “a fundamental transformation of consciousness.” I agree with him completely. And what could create such a shift of consciousness?
“We must create a track of education in every school and every grade level that teaches non-violence — both as a philosophy of life and as a practical way to live one’s life,” Michael says. Again, I could not agree more.
And just what would that look like? Well, says Michael, it would include non-violent communication, and it would teach children and teenagers and college students about…
A. How to value and care for everyone else on the planet including their parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, and future lovers or partners
B. How to deal with depression, anger, feelings of alienation, powerlessness, stress, and isolation.
C. How to give support to those who are not functioning or are psychologically or spiritually impaired and how to find the correct help for people who need professional help
D. How to recognize and appreciate all the beauty and miraculous wonder of life itself, of the universe, and of human beings
E. How to appreciate and protect the planet from all those forces that are inadvertently destroying it
F. How to end poverty and share the resources of this planet with everyone equally in a planet-sustaining way
G. How to develop one’s own capacities as a spiritual, ethical, aesthetically and emotionally developed, mature and loving human being
We are working right now to create just such a curriculum at The School for the New Spirituality, with its CWG for Parents and its CWG for Kids programs (see www.cwgforparents.com)
But why can’t we get these kinds of common sense programs into our regular schools? Why does it require the creation of special educational programs such as the one mentioned above? Should not all schools everywhere be teaching this stuff?
Well, as Rabbi Lerner says, “The Conservatives are right (in saying) that human beings and not just guns are the problem, but then they never develop or support an educational system that will teach people the skills we all need.”
And, he says, “Liberals fear introducing ‘values’ into public education for fear that they’d be the ‘wrong’ values.”
Well, the rabbi goes on, “It’s time to stop that.” He declares that the moment has arrived for us to “fight for a values-oriented education, based on the values of love, caring, kindness, generosity, and protection of the earth.”
This is exactly what Conversations with God-Book 2 said 12 years ago when it called for an entirely new kind of education program, in which we teach our children concepts, not merely facts about our world. Concepts such as fairness, kindness, equality, and our oneness with all of life, and with God.
As Michael Lerner says: “Until that happens, Conservatives will always have a good case for devaluing public education, and for saying that only religion teaches values…and liberals will prove their case by not creating an educational system that teaches any value other than “making it” — or, in polite Obama talk, an ‘education that prepares our children to compete effectively in the global marketplace’ (which de facto means, learning how to advance oneself at the expense of everyone else, so that ‘you can be number one and make America number one’).”
The outspoken rabbi adds: “Well, guess what helps make you or others number one: violence and power over others. And that message gets reinforced over and over and over again by television shows about crime and the police, about wars and violence, but also by the society valuing and rewarding soldiers who go off to kill innocent people in foreign wars to protect imperial interests.
“So, it takes a whole society to create pathological killers out of human beings who are not born that way, and it will take a societal effort — plus individual efforts — to get these pathological messages out of our consciousness and replace them with loving and caring messages and worldviews.”
Rabbi Lerner concludes: “But we can do it, and that is precisely what our Network of Spiritual Progressives is all about (read our Spiritual Covenant with America at www.spiritualprogressives.org). Without this kind of change of consciousness, step one (banning guns) will be ineffective, and possibly dangerous.”
At the end of his newsletter Michael included a prayer from Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, Congregation Beth Israel, North Adams, Mass. One line of this prayer, in particular, struck me…
“We are Your hands: put us to work.
Ignite in us the unquenchable yearning
to reshape our world.”
What a wonderful combination of words, Rachel…
“The unquenchable yearning to reshape our world.”
Yes.
Yes, yes, and yes again. Ignite that in us, Dear God.
I believe I am one with all life. I do try to preserve life. I do not kill anything I can help killing. I have even taken flies outside (Once there were a bunch trapped inside a window, and easy to catch). But I have often been perplexed by the fact that I still eat meat. Is eating plant life any different?… Janey
Dear Janey… To me, that’s the predicament we have with the way we are separated from our food sources in modern-day society. It’s so much easier to eat an animal that has already been slaughtered, prepared, and packaged for our convenience. If I were totally true to myself, I would never eat any meat at all. I haven’t consumed any land animals in over 20 years, but still do eat some seafood. But I can tell you, if I had to catch it myself, I wouldn’t do it. When I see a fisherman catch a fish and put it in his bucket, it’s all I can do to not go over and toss it back into the water!
As for eating whole plants that we call “vegetables,” that’s not ideal for the spiritually aware person either, as they are also living, breathing individuations of God/Life. I personally feel a little guilty when pulling weeds out of the yard and find myself wanting to give them a “heads up” and apologize!
If you haven’t read Conversations With God Book 3, you may want to see what it has to say about how Highly Evolved Beings deal with this question.
CWG says, “Every act is an act of self-definition.” If we want to stop eating plants and animals, we can instead choose to eat only their by-products (seeds, fruits, nuts, grains, eggs and cheese) and probably do our bodies, minds and spirits a world of good!
If you’re interested in experimenting with a vegetarian diet, I can most highly recommend Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison. It’s the cooking “Bible” in our house, and if I could only own one cookbook, this would be it. It takes you by the hand and teaches you everything you ever wanted to know about veggies but were afraid to ask. Bon appetit!
(Annie Sims is the Global Director of CWG Advanced Programs, is a Conversations With God Coach and author/instructor of the CWG Online School. To connect with Annie, please email her at Annie@TheGlobalConversation.com.
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: Advice@TheGlobalConversation.com where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
This one-word question is surfacing in the minds for so many today, December 14, 2012, as the news of the school shooting in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut, quickly spread around the world.
Why?
A question which may never be fully answered.
As we try to make some small amount of sense out of a situation that simply makes no sense, I join Neale in his invitation to feel, to talk, to share, to explore the way you feel around today’s events and to support those around you who could benefit from a mutual exchange of loving energy and a compassionate presence.
So at this point, let’s set aside the “Why?” for now and give ourselves permission to feel what we feel…and feel it deeply; to allow ourselves to grieve fully and without conditions or limitations; and to experience the highest level of Love as it expresses through our sadness.
Let us join together to connect with our brothers and sisters in Connecticut within the space of our hearts, drawing upon the essence of who we really are, and be a source of comfort and hope and unconditional love. If ever there was a moment to decide, to declare, and to demonstrate who you choose to be, I can’t think of a better time than now.
I will close with a reflection from Fred Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
(Lisa McCormack is the Managing Editor & Administrator of The Global Conversation. She is also a member of the Spiritual Helper team at www.ChangingChange.net, a website offering emotional and spiritual support. To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at Lisa@TheGlobalConversation.com.)
NEALE: This idea of using death as a tool is brand new to me. A tool is something that one uses on purpose, it seems to me. It’s something that one wants to use. But I don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die.
GOD: Everybody wants to die.
NEALE: Everybody wants to die?
GOD: Of course, or nobody would. Do you think that dying is something that occurs against your will?
NEALE: It sure seems that way to plenty of people.
GOD: Nothing occurs against your will. That is impossible. So here is…The Third Remembrance: You cannot die against your will.
NEALE: That is so comforting. That is so wonderfully healing for me to know. Yet how can I embrace this as my truth if it is my experience that lots of things happen that I do not want to have happen?
GOD: Nothing happens that you do not want to have happen.
NEALE: Nothing?
GOD: Nothing.
You can IMAGINE that things happen that you do not want to have happen, but this is not what is so, and merely allows you to think of yourself as a victim.
Nothing holds you back in your evolution more than this single thought. The idea of victimization is a certain sign of limited perception. True victimization cannot exist.
NEALE: It’s pretty darn hard to tell someone whose daughter has been raped, or whose entire village has been wiped out in a vicious act of “ethnic cleansing,” that no one has been victimized.
GOD: It would be non-beneficial to speak in this way to people while they are in the midst of their suffering. During those moments simply be with them with deep compassion, true caring, and healing love. Do not offer spiritual platitudes or intellectual excursions as a remedy for their pain. Heal the pain first, then heal the thought that created the pain.
Of course it is true that, in the ordinary human sense, there are those who have been the “victim” of terrible occurrences and circumstances in life. Yet this experience of victimization can only be real within the context of normal—and therefore extremely limited—human awareness.
When I say that true victimization does not exist, I am speaking from an entirely different level of awareness. Yet this is a level of awareness that human beings can achieve, once their pain has been healed.
NEALE: Thank you, dear God, for such clarity and such wisdom. Yet your statement that true victimization cannot exist will, I know, still be difficult for many people to embrace, whether they are in emotional pain or not.
GOD: Yet what I am saying here is nothing more than what nearly all of the world’s traditional religions have said for many centuries. “Mysterious are the ways of the Lord,” they have proclaimed.
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GOD: You will choose to “die” when your life on earth is complete. Your life on earth will be complete when you have experienced all that you came here to experience.
NEALE: Or when I realize that I have not experienced all of it and that there is no other way to experience all of it along the path I have taken.
GOD: No. Emphatically, no. That cannot happen. No one dies having failed to experience all that they came to the physical world to experience.
NEALE: What?
GOD: I said that no one dies having failed to experience all that they came to the physical world to experience.
There is no such thing as being “incomplete”. That is what is meant by…The Eleventh Remembrance:
The timing and the circumstances of death are always perfect.
NEALE: I believe that. But how does the parent of a child who has been raped, mutilated and murdered call the circumstances of such a death “perfect”? How do people who saw their loved one perish on 9/11 accept such a death as “perfect”?
You are asking an awful lot here. This is stretching credibility of most people to the absolute limit.
GOD: I have already said that the elegance of life’s design is like that of a snowflake. It seems almost too perfect to be believed, too good to be true. Yet I tell you this: Comfort for the bereaved will be found in the sure knowledge of the certain perfection of God.
God is perfect, always and eternally. Now there is only one thing left for you to understand: who and what “God” is.
I have told you over and over again in our conversations, and I will tell you here and now, once more, and finally:
GOD and LIFE are one and the same.
Therefore when I say that “God is perfect,” I am saying that Life is perfect. And it is. The “system” rests in perfect balance with itself.
All things happen in their perfect timing and in their perfect way. It is not always possible to see this, to perceive this, from the extremely narrow perspective of human experience. That is a limitation of the physical world. It is a limitation that can, however, be overcome.
Many “prophets” and “sages” have overcome this limitation of perception by choosing a different perspective, by looking at life a new way. Alas, their messages are often ignored. Their insights are frequently belittled. Often, they themselves are condemned. And so the blind continue to lead the blind, because you will not listen to those who can see.
Therefore, let those who have ears to hear, listen:
Imperfection is impossible in the Kingdom of God.
NEALE: Yes, but what about here on earth?
GOD: “Here on earth” IS the Kingdom of God. There is no place that exists that is not part of that kingdom.
NEALE: You see, we have this all “separated out” here on earth. We’ve got it that life on earth is the trial and the tribulation enabling us to get INTO the Kingdom of God. And it’s our idea that death is the way we get in.
GOD: There is no way to get into the Kingdom of God. It is not a place you get into or out of. It is a place where you always ARE. It is the only place that you can ever be.
NEALE: It sure doesn’t seem that way sometimes.
GOD: That is because you do not remember who you are, and you do not treat others as who they are. If you did, you would experience heaven on earth. You would be Home with God everywhere. And always.
NEALE: Is there any way that people will ever, can ever, “get” that?
GOD: Conversations such as this are one way. Do not keep this conversation to yourself. Make sure it gets into as many hands as possible. Share it with the world.
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Editor’s Note: If you would like to COMMENT on the above excerpt, please scroll down to the end of the blue, ancillary copy that appears just below, which has been placed here for First Time Readers…
If Conversations with God has touched your life in a positive way, you are one of millions of people around the world who have had such an experience. All of the readers of CWG have yearned to find a way to keep its healing messages alive in their life.
One of the best ways to do that is to read and re-read the material over and over again — and we have made it convenient and easy for you to do so. Come here often and enjoy selected excerpts from the Conversations with God cosmology, changed on a regular basis, so you can “dip in” to the 3,000 pages of material quickly and easily. We hope you have enjoyed the excerpt above, from HOME WITH GOD in a Life That Never Ends.
Now, may we tell you about a very easy way that you can share these wonderful messages with others? Please keep reading…
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About Book-On-A-Bench…
If you believe that the messages in Conversations with God could inspire humanity to change its basic beliefs about God, about Life, and about Human Beings and their relationship to each other, leave those messages lying around.
Simply “forget” or “misplace” a copy of Conversations with God on a bench somewhere. At a bus stop, or a train station, or an airport—or actually on the bus, train, or plane. At a hairstyling salon, a doctor’s office, a chiropractor’s office, a park bench, or even just a bench on the street. Just leave a book lying around.
If everybody did this, the message of Conversations with God could “go viral” in a very short period of time. So you are invited to participate in the Book-On-A-Bench program and spread ideas that could create a new cultural story far and wide.
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ABOUT the author of Conversations with God…
Neale Donald Walsch is a modern day spiritual messenger whose words continue to touch the world in profound ways. With an early interest in religion and a deeply felt connection to spirituality, Neale spent the majority of his life thriving professionally, yet searching for spiritual meaning before experiencing his now famous conversation with God. His Conversations with God series of books has been translated into 37 languages, touching millions and inspiring important changes in their day-to-day lives.
Neale was born in Milwaukee to a Roman Catholic family that encouraged his quest for spiritual truth. Serving as his first spiritual mentor, Neale’s mother taught him not to be afraid of God, as she believed in having a personal relationship with the divine — and she taught Neale to do the same.
A nontraditional believer, Neale’s mother hardly ever went to church, and when he asked her why, she told Neale: “I don’t have to go to church — God comes to me. He’s with me and around me wherever I am.” This notion of God at an early age would later move Neale to transcend traditional views of organized religion.
By his late teens Neale’s involvement with spiritually-based teachings led him to begin dipping into a variety of spiritual texts, including the Bible, the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and Divine revelation according to Sri Ramakrishna. He noticed that when people became involved in organized religion they sometimes seemed less joyful and more angry, occasionally exhibiting behaviors of prejudice and separateness. Neale concluded that humanity’s collective experience of theology was not as positive as it was meant to be. It seemed to him that there was something missing in standard theological teachings; that they might contain very good lessons, he concluded, but that they might not be complete.
After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, but academic life could not hold his interest and he dropped out of college after two years to follow an interest in radio broadcasting that eventually led to a full-time position at the age of 19 at a small radio station far from his Milwaukee home, in Annapolis, Maryland.
Restless by nature and always seeking to expand his opportunities for self-expression, Neale in the years that followed became a radio station program director, a newspaper managing editor, public information officer for one of the nation’s largest public school systems, and, after moving to the West Coast, creator and owner of his own public relations and marketing firm. Moving from one career field to another, he could not seem to find occupational satisfaction, his relationship life was in constant turmoil, and his health was going rapidly downhill.
He had relocated in Oregon as part of a change-of-scenery strategy to find his way, but Fate was to provide more than a change of location. It produced a change in his entire life. One day a car driven by an elderly gentleman made a left turn directly into his path. Neale emerged from the auto accident with a broken neck. He was lucky to escape with his life.
Over a year of rehab threw him out of work. A failed marriage had already removed him from his home, and soon he couldn’t keep even the small apartment he’d rented. Within months he found himself on the street, homeless. It took him two weeks shy of a year to pull himself together and get back under shelter. He found a modest part-time job, once again in broadcasting, then worked his way into full time broadcasting, eventual landing a spot as a nationally syndicated radio talk show host.
He had seen the bottom of life living outside, gathering beer and soft drink cans in a park to collect the return deposit, but now his life seemed to be on the mend. Yet, once more, Neale felt an emptiness inside that he could not define, and the daily difficulties that everyone faces continued.
In 1992, following a period of deep despair, Neale awoke in the middle of a February night and wrote an anguished letter to God. “What does it take to make life work?” he angrily scratched across a yellow legal pad. “And what have I done to deserve a life of such continuing struggle?”
What followed has been well chronicled and widely discussed around the world. Neale says his questioning letter received a Divine answer. He tells us that he heard a voice just over his right shoulder—soft and warm, kind and loving, as he describes it—that offered a reply. Awestruck and inspired, he quickly scribbled the response onto a yellow legal pad he’d found on a coffee table before him.
More questions came, and as fast as they occurred to him, answers were given in the same gentle voice, which now seemed to have moved inside his head, but also seemed clearly beyond his normal thinking. Before he knew it, Neale found himself engaged in a two-way on-paper dialogue.
He continued this first “conversation” for hours, and had many more in the weeks that followed, always awakening in the middle of the night and being drawn back to his legal pad. Neale’s handwritten notes would later become the best-selling Conversations with God books. He says the process was “exactly like taking dictation,” and that the dialogue that was created in this way was published without alteration or editing. He also says that God is talking to all of us, all the time, and that he has come to understand that this experience is not unusual, nor does it make him in any way a special person or a unique messenger.
In addition to producing the With God series of books, Neale has published 18 other works, as well as many video and audio programs. Available throughout the world, seven of the Conversations with God books made the New York Times bestseller list, with Conversations with God: Book 1 occupying a place on that list for more than two-and-half years. Walsch’s books have sold more than 7.5 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 37 languages. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CWG is one of the most widely distributed hand-to-hand books ever published, with estimates that, on average, at least two people have read every copy purchased — meaning that something more than 15 million people worldwide have read the CWG messages.
The With God series has redefined God and shifted spiritual paradigms around the globe. In order to deal with the enormous response to his writings, Neale has created several global outreach projects dedicated to inspiring the world to help itself move from violence to peace, from confusion to clarity, and from anger to love revolving around their core messages.
The projects include: (1) the Conversations with God Foundation, an adult education outreach; (2) Humanity’s Team, a global spiritual activist outreach; (3) CWG for Parents, an outreach providing resources to those who wish to bring their children the messages of CWG; (4) the Changing Change Network, a CWG helping outreach to persons facing major life challenges; (5) The Global Conversation, an internet newspaper outreach relating the spiritual messages of CWG to the news of the day; and (6) CWG Connect, a multi-media communications outreach creating a worldwide CWG community featuring Video and Audio On-Demand services, together with ongoing personal interaction with the author of CWG. Access to all of these programs will be found at the gateway internet site: www.CWGPortal.com
Neale’s work has taken him from the steps of Machu Picchu in Peru to the steps of the Shinto shrines of Japan, from Red Square in Moscow to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City to Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Everywhere he has gone—from South Africa to Norway, Croatia to The Netherlands, the streets of Zurich to the streets of Seoul—Neale has found a hunger among the people to find a new way to live; a way to co-exist, at last, in peace and harmony, with a reverence for Life Itself in all its forms, and for each other. And he has sought to help them develop a new, expanded understanding of God, of life, and of themselves that allows them to create and experience this.
Neale’s latest book, The Only Thing That Matters, was published in October, 2012. He lives in Ashland, Oregon and is married to the American poet Em Claire (www.emclairepoet.com).
How can we best respond, if in any way at all beyond a shaking of the head in sadness and dismay, to the Newton, Connecticut tragedy?
There is nothing useful or substantive to be said right now. Not right now. There will be time later for words of analysis. Now is a time for feelings. And for inner pleadings.
We plead with the God of our understanding, each of us. We ask our God — if we believe in a God at all — please God, tell us: What do we need to know, what do we not understand? Is there anything, anything, that could change all of this?
They will say, of course, that we are making something of it that is not there. They will say that, sad as it is, this is just another one of those cases of a deranged man (Why is it always a man? Do women ever pick up a slew of guns and head out the door to commit mass murder?) acting out his derangement. Yet I feel a nagging sensation. Do you? I have this vague sense that there is something more to it than just one more guy with guns, shooting his anger or madness out. Or at least there’s more to the conditions that create and produce such insane acting out.
But this is not a time for analytical words or distant observations. This is a time for feelings. So go ahead. Go within. Feel what you are feeling. And, if it helps, share those feelings here. This may not be a time for analytical words, but this is a time to share feelings.
The Twelve Steps were originally written by Dr. Bob and Bill W. in 1939. They are to this day considered the foundation of recovery for all types of addictions and compulsive disorders. And without question, the application of the Twelve Steps into one’s life gives the best chances of long-term sobriety. It has long been my belief that there is no human condition the Twelve Steps could not improve. They are simply a guide to living life in an honest, open-minded, humble, intentional, and responsible manner. What I cannot believe is that there has not been anyone who dares to expand on them, until now.
I am going to offer an alternative to the original Twelve Steps. I want to be very clear here, these are not meant to replace the Twelve Steps, they are not intended to imply that there is something wrong with the Twelve Steps. There is, however, something that has troubled me — and from what I now know, this has been a huge stumbling block for others as well — and that is the idea that we are somehow powerless. For those who do not know, the current First Step states: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and our lives had become unmanageable.”
A great friend of mine laughingly says, “I don’t remember booze jumping down my throat on its own.” I am very clear that it was my thought to go to the bar, it was my words that asked for the drink, and it was my hand that lifted the poison to my lips. I see no powerlessness there; I see the deliberate, albeit insane, act of doing the same thing over and over, all the while expecting different results. I will grant you that after the first one, I was compelled to continue drinking by the mind-numbing action of the alcohol, coupled with its amazing ability to make me feel like I fit in. This is the point where I felt the most powerless. And even then, I was able to regulate my intake enough to not overdose or get sick; that is, most of the time…. So was I truly powerless?
The other bone of contention I have heard from people, and again I would agree with, is the labeling of oneself as an “alcoholic” or “addict.” Anyone who has spent any time in the spiritual community or with a life-coach or a counselor knows that the word directly following “I am” is an extremely powerful word. Taking on such a label for the rest of one’s life could, in fact, bring about a relapse or a repeat of the past. Many in the Twelve Step programs have chosen to alter that saying with statements such as “I am a grateful recovering addict.” This is a step in the right direction as far as I am concerned. A truthful and extremely powerful statement would look more like the following: “Hi. My name is Kevin. I am choosing sobriety.”
Maybe the original thought when writing the Steps was based on the knowledge of the terrible guilt, shame, and remorse most of us feel when we hit the bottom and seek help. Somehow the word “powerless” seems to take us off the hook for the horrible behavior and unthinkable selfishness that we continually expressed. Maybe the sheer thought of taking full responsibility right off the bat would send the genetically predisposed addicts right back to their drug of choice. Is that a good enough reason to use the word “powerless”? I will leave that up to you.
What I am going to do here is create a new First Step, one that allows us to acknowledge our own divinity and at the same time gives us the opportunity to admit that our choices up to this point were not in the best interest of ourselves, our loved ones, or anyone whom our behavior damaged in any way.
This new First Step will be the largest step, the most intensive step. And just like the original AA First Step, it will be the most difficult step. There will be no rushing through this or any of the new spirituality steps to recovery. The days of someone going over to their sponsor’s house for the weekend to do all Twelve Steps are over. This is a lifetime of work that we are about to undertake here. After all, the reason for getting sober is to live, right? The reason for making a drastic change to your way of life is to live a joyful and full life, right? So how can one do that by spending a weekend working on the erroneous thoughts they have spent their whole life tending to?
Reading words in a book and feeling them in your gut only makes them a concept with which you resonate; it does not bring about a knowing. Experiencing those words in your own actions is what will cause you to know them as real. There is a huge difference between thinking, believing, and knowing. Thoughts change all the time. New thoughts pop up by the thousands per second, not always our highest thoughts by the way! Beliefs are also subject to change based upon things we see and how we interpret them in our mind. Knowing is something different altogether. When you know something to be true, you will base your life around it.
So without further ado, I offer you the first in a series of new spirituality steps to use in the process of changing those lifelong behaviors, attitudes, addictions, compulsions, or obsessions that have alienated family, friends, and loved ones, harmed countless other people, and left your life lonely, empty, and dark.
Step 1. I see that the way in which I have chosen to live does not work. I am now ready to create myself anew as a sober, responsible, and accountable member of society.
This step will require much work be done, as it clearly states that everything we thought we knew about living life was faulty or no longer viable. We will need tremendous support and guidance in building a new foundation for our lives. As the original program states, “You need to change your people, places, and things.” Having those around us who are willing to tell us when we are not being who we now say we are and reeling us back in when we fall prey to old thoughts and behaviors will be vital to sustained change.
I once again will state that I am really clear that for 20 percent of the addicted population, the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Steps are working quite well. What I find incredibly disturbing is that leaves 80 percent of the group in the grip of this continuing and progressive illness without an option.
It is my belief that the soul brings us to the physical so that we may experience ourselves in ways never before experienced. In honoring that belief, I feel it is my duty to offer this new solution to one of life’s biggest problems. Stay tuned. This is only Part One in a series of blogs that will re-write the Twelve Steps to align with the new spirituality.
(Kevin McCormack is a Conversations with God Life Coach, a Spiritual helper on www.changingchange.net, Addictions recovery advisor. To connect with Kevin please email him at Kevin@theglobalconversation.com)
As I sought guidance to write my first article for Global Conversation, the answer came: Write about 2012.
Yes, 2012! Movies have been made, Prophecies written, YouTube videos recorded, and Facebook statuses consistently updated for 2012, a year that seems to have baffled, engaged, and intrigued most of the world in one way or the other.
Beside those who are on a conscious spiritual journey and are somehow sensitive to the energetic shifts that seem to be occurring almost in every part of the world in a subtle or not such a subtle manner, 2012 has grabbed attention of even those who are not on a spiritual journey per se, as if there was ever such a thing. And we know there isn’t, whether our egos allow us to admit this or not. We are all on a spiritual journey, living this dream, wanting to believe it is real, or make-believing it to be real, so that we are able to experience it as fully as possible and engage in it with all our resources and faculties.
2012, however, for most of us has been a sudden waking up from that dream and almost rising above it a little to observe and witness the dream as one would a valley from a cliff top.
So what is this hype about?
What is happening here, right now?
What are we experiencing?
Why are we all feeling this strange-weird feeling that we are not in our bodies, as if we are walking a few inches above the ground?
Why is it that some people have managed to attain remarkable breakthroughs with their new ventures, and some other equally spiritually minded people (or more) with great intentions have stumbled upon roadblocks?
Why are we feeling fearful or angry as we have never felt before?
Why are we feeling this disdain for putting up with old systems and old mindsets?
Why do we, more than any other time, want people to hear us out, really hear us out?
Why do we really feel like expressing ourselves in ways we have never done before, and as truthfully as ever?
Why do some of us feel like leaving — for those who haven’t already done so — our old jobs and do something we never thought we could? For example, setting up a rainwater harvesting plant?
Why have some of us released old relationships, partnerships, or even switched friends to a whole new set?
Why are some of us suddenly being drawn towards spiritual texts and mentors?
Why are we suddenly feeling as if we know more than we would like to admit to others or ourselves?
Why have some of us begun having visions of spiritual figures or feel spiritual presence around us, even if we have never meditated before?
Why do some of us suddenly feel our life work has not even begun, even though we haven’t quite figured out what it is?
Why have some of us suddenly become conscious of human rights, animal rights, and even rights of nature as if it was a living, breathing entity — which it is — something we previously paid little attention to?
Why do some of us feel drawn towards contributing more and more towards betterment of environment and children?
Why are we becoming more aware of the futility of the goods money can buy?
Why are we suddenly moving away from traditional religious concepts as if it is not enough and there is more to it, as if some information has been withheld and as if we are the holders of the very information that has been withheld from us?
Why do some people have dreams of flying?
Why are we finding ourselves unable to put up with other people’s deceit or why are we able to see clearly through other people’s intentions and their thought process?
Why are some of us more sensitized to crowds or certain kinds of media or even a lifestyle that we previously enjoyed?
Why are we feeling this urge to change our diet or for some people to go fully vegetarian or vegan?
Why are some of us feeling as if we have some special powers, something indefinable that we can’t yet place a finger upon?
Why do some of us feel as if we want our rightful place under the sun?
Why do some of us have this urge to enter politics or be a social activist?
Why have some of us initiated our spiritual meeting groups without much formal training?
Why have some of us begun to see some colors at times, colors that are mostly invisible to the physical eye, but we are still able to see them?
Why do some of us have heightened extrasensory perceptions?
Why do some of us feel a sense of despair, a feeling of fatigue, back pain, fever, as if our whole emotional, energetic, and physical system is undergoing a long overdue renewal?
Why are some of us getting more emotional or are able to feel other people’s emotions?
Why are some of us going through relationship challenges, professional and personal challenges, and are being forced to make life changes we never imagined we would have to prior to this?
Why are some of us feeling an urge to reconnect with estranged family members or rekindle old forgotten friendships?
So many things seem to be happening all at once. For some it is releasing old wounds of pain and fear. For some it’s a walk of courage and realizing the power of love. But changes seem to be occurring. Almost everywhere we look, there appears to be a swift or a subtle change underway. This change is of the consciousness, of subtle knowingness inside of us, something deep within us is shifting right now, or already has, and it is reformulating our world at cellular and global structural level. Nature is making her voice heard, too.
And where this change is being resisted, there is a breakdown that will eventually forcefully usher in the change nevertheless, sooner or later. Despondency is in the air right now, but there is also a sense of excitement, exuberance, rejuvenation, warding off old and nihilism, even if it underscored by a sense of fear, chaos, and confusion.
Fear and struggle often precedes big change and BIG LOVE. Fear is always present when we are moving forward and upward. It is scary, far too scary, when we are trying to move and rise against the gravitational forces and inertia that is constantly striving to pull us down and backward, with our ego often whispering to us, we do not need to take the plunge as there is lot of hard work involved.
It is even scarier when the inertia is caused by old systems and prevalent ways of thinking – the comfort zone. And there comes a time when comfort zone is comfortable no more, and this is when we are forced to embrace the impending change.
However, the heart always knows. It knows that it is in the embracing of what it is fearful of will it ever only truly live. And this is what 2012 is all about: Big Change and Big Love.
2012 marks the beginning of a new era in the history of the world. It marks the beginning of a new consciousness to emerge on the planet. Old systems will slowly begin to give way to new systems. And old ideologies will be replaced with new and refreshing thought leadership, be it in politics, economics, society or philosophy. An age of ascension it is being called. And this would be an ascension of consciousness, of spiritual awareness, intentions, of actions, of ideas, of ways of living, and eventually creating a New World, a world that would be inclusive, kind, compassionate, loving and finally peaceful. But this would not occur overnight or in a blink of an eye. It will take some work. And most of this work is being done right now. A lot of spiritual energy is pouring into Earth right now.
Transformation is underway. Churning has begun at individual and, more importantly, at a collective level. Some of it might be difficult and some of it will flow naturally and seamlessly. It will involve fear and chaos, and finally, it will require courage to mitigate that fear.
Chaos will eventually give way to clarity. It will take love, a LOT OF LOVE, and finally, it will take the POWER OF LOVE to conquer and pervade all.
And most importantly, it will take a tacit realization on part of humanity that at end of that day we are all but a miniscule part of the same divinity. The essence of the experience is the same, while its expression might be different. No one is more privileged than the other. Karma (of intention, action or inaction) is the only thing that matters. Destiny is a variable. Love is everything. Nothingness is the only truth.
2012 is the beginning of this new world.
Hold on to your seats and grab a seat belt. We might be passing through some areas of turbulence.
(Mani Goel is an author, healer, artist, teacher and filmmaker who resides in India and Hong Kong. Her first book is titled “Angel’s Wisdom For Your Life- Part 1.” A former flight attendant, Mani embarked on a conscious spiritual journey after a severe back injury and a chance and serendipitous encounter with a revered Buddhist Rinpoche. She went to set up two companies- Mani Healing and Maaya Productions, and published her first book, with many more works in progress, including the autobiography of her Buddhist Guru through his several reincarnations – to be published in Hindi. Mani Healing is a spiritual enterprise that aims to bring and present spiritual and healing wisdom to people in a non-dogmatic and non-ritualistic manner. She regularly teaches and holds workshops and talks. As a natural healer she specializes in intuitive readings and spiritual healings for serious ailments.)
I’m looking for practices that support my well-being and my staying connected to who I am, besides meditation (which I’ve tried and I just can’t seem to get the hang of!). Any good ones you know of that really work?
Ken, Ohio
Why yes, Ken, I do! This is one of my favorite topics to speak to, as I have found in my own experience as well as the experiences of my clients that engaging in a daily practice is the single most important thing you can do for yourself, and happens to be the key to sustaining your connection and well-being. When you show up for yourself in this way with such consistency, commitment and discipline, you are becoming aligned and present in life in such a way that positively and powerfully impacts every aspect of it. The reason for this is because engaging consistently in practices such as meditation allows you to stay in a high-vibrating, good-feeling place, and you are able to access more clarity, truth, intuition, wisdom, inspiration, motivation, etc. than when you are feeling disconnected, negative, and vibrating low. So I always encourage my clients (and myself) to make their daily practices as important and as high of a priority as eating, sleeping and breathing are, and I’m not exaggerating.
So I’ll get off my soapbox now and give you 3 of my favorites:
~ Daily Gratitudes: Each day spend a few quiet moments writing down at least 10 things that you are truly grateful for, and consciously choose to make your first and last thoughts of the day thoughts of gratitude. I have no doubt in my mind that if each and every one of us did this the world would be a much better place.
~ Incantations: Very similar to affirmations, yet waaaaayyyyyy more powerful because we are engaging your energy and physiology with the words to produce the “feeling” of what you are saying. Let me explain. You know how sometimes repeating an affirmation or a mantra can sometimes get frustrating because while you are saying it you are very aware that you are not feeling it? With an incantation, we choose our statement, and repeat it with feeling, much like an actor delivering a line. We also repeat it while engaging in a “power move” or stance, a movement or position that makes you feel powerful. The results are quite magical. For example, if you were to use the incantation, “I am confident and happy”, repeating it several times with emotion while moving your body powerfully (or even just standing in a yoga pose or something), you would find yourself feeling confident within minutes, sometimes seconds. You see, incantations help us immediately manifest the emotion, which is what we’re looking for anyway. It’s not the house, the car, the job, the relationship, etc. that we want, it’s how we think it’s going to make us feel. Imagine being able to feel however we wanted to without the things we think we need in order to feel it first – that would mean we literally do not need anything outside of ourselves in order to feel good (see: illusion of need from “Communion with God”)! And a lovely added benefit to this is that our very “feeling” or “being” draws those things to us (see: process of creation from “Happier Than God”)!
~ Meditation: Yeah, yeah, I get it – you’re not good at it. But I’m going to include it anyway because the benefits are endless, and I’d like to offer you a new approach/perspective on it: there is no wrong way to meditate. Whether it’s sitting in silence with your eyes closed focusing on your breath, doing a guided meditation, or just daydreaming, you are benefiting. Try a few different things on, without judging them, just notice which method you like best. And start small – even 3 minutes a day every day can work wonders.
Try these out, Ken, and see how they feel. But give it a good two weeks of committing to practice these every day no matter what so that you can really feel the impact. Because it doesn’t really matter what you do, it’s the fact that you take time to go within consistently that creates the experience of well-being and connection. Enjoy!
(Nova Wightman is a CWG Life Coach, as well as the owner and operator of Go Within Life Coaching, www.gowithincoaching.com, specializing in helping individuals blend their spirituality with their humanity in a way that makes life more enjoyable, easy, and fulfilling. She can be reached at Nova@theglobalconversation.com. )
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