March, 2014
In early recovery, the old-timers will tell you, “Take the cotton out of your ears and stick it in your mouth.“ This is not bad advice for the newly sober person, as listening is a lost art for people in general, not solely for the newcomer in sobriety. But I had ideas and desires, along with enthusiasm, yet not very much patience.
You see, I wanted to start a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in my town. Oh, we had plenty of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and on some nights there were more than two happening at the same time. I had plenty of support in getting sober with the AA people, yet I desired something different. I had been to NA meetings while I was in rehab and really resonated with the people and message being offered there. For me, it was just something that I wanted to do and I set out to do so.
When I began asking around as to how I should go about starting a meeting, I was told by everyone that I needed to wait until I had more clean time under my belt before taking on such a project. I didn’t understand, but I did accept what I was being told. I gave the old-timers the respect they had earned and did not want to endanger my sobriety. So I set a goal. At 90 days clean, I was going to start the first NA meeting in my home town!
Little did I know at the time that what I was experiencing life in a new way. I had set a goal and now needed to wait for a time set in the future to have it materialize. During the next few weeks, which at the time must have seemed like an eternity, I gathered information and the contacts who would help to make my dream a reality. On or around my 90-day mark in recovery, myself and two others started the Tuesday night “Just For Today“ NA meeting in Port Jervis, New York.
Setting goals and then watching them materialize is foundational work in our spiritual growth. We may begin with small goals and then work up to bigger plans. As more and more of our dreams and desires materialize, we begin to believe that the universe is a friendly place willing to support us. Remembering to give thanks to those who help us along, along with being grateful to life for supporting us, brings about a state of being that is positive and uplifting.
Setting goals is pure creation. Tell the universe what it is you wish to do and watch it line up just the perfect people and circumstances for you to experience just that. It happens all the time to everybody. If you are not experiencing this, there can only be two reasons:
1. You are not finished yet. Never give up, never quit. Many times we cave in to defeat moments before victory is at our hands.
2. You have set the goals but there is some thought or action that is sending out a message that is either negating the original message or delaying the manifestation.
So dream big, and small. Don’t be afraid to fail, because you simply cannot fail. Failure is quitting before the miracle. Do something each day to move yourself and the universe in the direction you wish it to go. If you find yourself thinking in a negative way about your goal, remember that thought is energy and the universe responds in kind. Believe in yourself, believe in others, and ultimately be thankful in advance for the successful completion to your ideas.
(Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, recovery coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery. Kevin has a passion for holistic living, personal awareness training, and physical meditation. You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)
It may not be widely known that a way has been created to connect with Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch personally every day, to discuss with him any aspect of the nine CWG books that have been placed into the world. For more information on how anyone may do this, simply go to www.CWGConnect.com.
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Last week, Abby Huntsman, MSNBC news anchor and daughter of millionaire former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, went on MSNBC’s “The Cycle” to spout anti-Social Security rhetoric.
Her talking points ranged from flawed life expectancy data to claiming that there would be “nothing left” in Social Security for her generation. The two solutions Huntsman offered were to either cut Social Security benefits by 20% or to raise the retirement age to 75.
These are the same talking points dreamed up by right-wing think tanks and used time and time again by politicians and Wall Street billionaires who are trying to create a phony generational war, pitting young against old.
When Huntsman says that our options are to either cut benefits or raise the retirement age (which is simply another form of a benefit cut), she ignores that today Social Security can pay out 100% of benefits through 2033 and 75% of benefits through 2087.
The simplest solution to the problem that Huntsman overstates is to ask millionaires and billionaires to start paying into Social Security at the same rate as the rest of us.This would not only allow Social Security to pay out 100% of benefits owed for the next 75 years, but could also result in a benefit increase by as much as $800 per year for the average recipient.
We won’t stand by and allow right-wing talking points to serve as legitimate evidence for the need to cut our earned benefits. Stand with Social Security Works today, as we fight to expand, not cut Social Security!
Thank you for all that you do.
Michael Phelan
Social Security Works
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Editor’s Note: The stated mission of Social Security Works, as found on its website, is to…
- Protect and improve the economic security of disadvantaged and at-risk populations
- Safeguard the economic security of those dependent, now or in the future, on Social Security
- Maintain Social Security as a vehicle of social justice
Funding for Social Security Works comes from donations from the public and through a grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies. Social Security Works is guided by our Co-founders Eric Kingson and Nancy Altman (bios).
Alex Lawson– Executive Director
Michael Phelan– Deputy Director
Ben Veghte– Research Director (bio)
Molly Checksfield– Legislative Director
Lacy Crawford– Communications Director
Linda Benesch– Legislative and Policy Associate
Stephanie Connolly– Legislative and Policy Associate
More information about its work may be had by visiting the coalition website at www.strengthensocialsecurity.org.
Today, Tuesday, March 25th, is my husband’s birthday. When I asked him a few days ago what he wanted for his birthday, he answered, “World peace.” So, being the loving wife that I am, I am going to see what I can do to fulfill his request.
I have been thinking lately about how the premise of this site is that the root cause of the problems of the world is our separation theology, and thinking about how that manifests, not in the obvious things, like war, violent crime, etc., but in things that touch our lives every day. And that word, “touch” seems to me to be a key.
We have made touch, the most basic and fundamental human connection possible, suspect, and all but impossible too often. In Korea it is getting a little less strict I am told, but when I lived there in the mid 1990’s, a woman didn’t even hold hands with a man until he was her fiance. In order to receive the human touch craved, men held hands with men, and women with women…I witnessed soldiers lined up in pairs as security for a Michael Jackson concert holding hands.
I had a Japanese foreign exchange student shyly tell us that she had a very traditional father who never touched her, and after having my husband include her in the cuddles with our daughters, she realized how much she not only missed her father’s touch, but needed it.
My own father, (and many fathers of daughters of his generation onward), upon the noticing that my body was transforming from girl to woman, stopped touching and hugging me, lest he be labeled as a perverted father.
My mother observed that hers was a “proper” British family where displays of affection, public or otherwise, were simply not expected.
I think that it is little wonder that the sex trade is burgeoning with touch being so regulated, and women and men now constantly on the lookout for inappropriate touch…so much so that we now do not touch one another with any affection for fear of being charged with harassment.
Do not for one moment get me wrong, though, women, and men have been subjected to genuine harassment and this was truly an issue that was rightfully dealt with. I have very intimate knowledge of “inappropriate” touch. But there has been equally genuine, in my view, collateral damage caused by the “fix”. Touch became off limits entirely, in any workplace or casual setting. One often deems it too dangerous to figure out where the line between okay and not okay is, and we perpetuate our physical isolation out of fear of litigation.
Because of this lack of, but, none the less requirement for, touch, massage, an acceptable way of being touched, has burgeoned as well, thank goodness, but it is not enough. It is still only the touch of a stranger.
I’m moving closer to my gift to my husband, I promise you!
I am a hugger. Oh, how I like to hug! I didn’t know I liked to hug until, at age 19, when I was in a church folk group, the group visited a Charismatic church of another denomination, and everyone hugged! I returned home and began hugging everyone! This was not in the comfort zone, to be sure, and 40 years later there is still one brother whom I hug, but much more formally, because it remains uncomfortable for him. BUT…one day, a while after I began hugging, my mother thanked me for bringing hugging back into the family. She had missed it.
A friend recently posted something on Facebook that indicated hugs longer than 20 seconds do wonderful things to our bodies, akin to falling in love! I understand that completely, and I think most of us innately do. I have had this demonstrated to me on more than one occasion. I was once, for instance, at a gathering with old friends in Taiwan, and, with the wait staff formally lined up outside in the hall, I hugged every old friend as I said goodbye to them. When the last of my friends was properly hugged, I looked over at the wait staff, and one of them put out her hands in a gesture that said, “Me, too?” No English involved, only the power of touch…and each and every staff person stepped into my arms for their hug of appreciation, and connection!
Two days ago was also my 41st wedding anniversary, and talking about touch reminds me of when, after I had been married just over a year, my husband asked me if I still loved him. I was stunned! I asked him what would make him ask such a thing, and his response was, “You hardly ever touch me any more.” That was the moment that I recognized that the way I was raised, with touch being minimal, was being passed on through me. I consciously changed that. In fact, just last week an old friend of mine commented that she liked being around us because we still laugh…and we still touch one another affectionately!
In another exampling instance, I gave my husband a hug in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I was simply happy to be with him after being on an extended trip away from him. A few minutes later a man tapped me on the shoulder and told me how wonderful it was that I did that, and in public, and actually thanked me!
So, here I am, after remembering all of these things, and thinking about what this site is all about, and what my husband’s birthday wish is…and I am going to ask all who read to look at their own lives and see where simple human touch is lacking. I am going to ask all to be open to falling in love with another person for twenty seconds and give a meaningful hug…to your child, to your parents, to your spouse, or even to a stranger that you can just sense needs a hug.
I am going to ask you to be open enough, to be vulnerable enough to ask someone for a hug when you need it. It could literally be the beginning of reaching out, knowing you are not alone, that saves your life.
I am going to ask you to stop some of the separateness in our world, by stopping, literally, some of the physical separation in your world. I have observed that when we feel physically connected, we feel an impulse to connect in even more profound ways.
I am asking you to transform the world through the power of touch…that I may give my husband World Peace for his birthday.
Happy Birthday, sweetie…I love you hugely!
(Therese Wilson is a published poet, and is the administrator of, and Spiritual Helper at, the global website at www.cwghelpingoutreach.com She may be contacted at: Therese@TheGlobalConversation.com.)
A question looms on the minds of billions of the world’s people these days: Can humanity find a way to save itself from itself?
What will it take for us, as a species, to see, to admit, and to do something about what we are doing to ourselves?
Is it even possible for us, as a global civilization, to even acknowledge our behaviors — much less concede that they may have anything at all to do with the State of the World today?
The question is not limited to the obviously and painfully inept way that we are handling our global political affairs (i.e., Crimea, Syria, Egypt, etc.). It gets down to how we are simply handling our planet itself.
For instance, we’re losing 95% of our sea scallop harvest, did you know that? I deliberately brought this up because it looks like a tiny and almost meaningless example of humanity’s careless disregard for its own future, as alluded to in the statements above. But is it?
The major problem is not the loss of scallops. That’s sad, but it’s not the planet’s major problem. The major problem is the cause of the scallop loss. The cause of the loss is the precipitous rise of acidity in the Pacific Ocean — and that portends a possibly greater challenge for the Earth.
“This is a bit of a red flag,” Chris Harley, a marine ecologist from the University of British Columbia, recently told CTV News. (CTV is a Canadian television network.) Mr. Harley’s remarks were reported recently in an article for the Common Dreams website by staff writer Jacob Chamberlain.
“The cause of this increase in acidity, scientists say, is the exponential burning of fossil fuels for energy and its subsequent pollution. Oceans naturally absorb carbon dioxide, a byproduct of fossil fuel emissions, which causes acidity to rise,” Mr. Chamberlain wrote. Then he quoted Mr. Harley as saying that “an overdose of carbon in the atmosphere subsequently causes too much acidity in the world’s oceans.”
“Oyster hatcheries along the West Coast are also experiencing a steep decline, CTV News reports,” Mr. Chamberlain wrote.
Why is even this a problem? “Whenever we see an impact at some level of the food chain, there is a cascading effect at other levels of the food chain,” Peter Ross, identified by Mr. Chamberlain as “an expert in ocean pollution science,” said in the Common Dreams story.
Mr. Chamberlain goes on to write that “A recent study warned that ocean acidification is accelerating at a rate unparalleled in the life of the oceans—perhaps the fastest rate in the planet’s existence—which is degrading marine ecosystems on a mass scale.”
So what…some might say. So the “marine ecosystem” is degrading. Even if on a “mass scale,” does this matter?
Yes. We depend heavily on the health of the oceans. And a recent study published in Nature (described by Wikipedia as a prominent interdisciplinary scientific journal first published in 1869) was put in perspective by German marine biologist Hans Poertner in the Chamberlain article.
“The current rate of change is likely to be more than 10 times faster than it has been in any of the evolutionary crises in the earth’s history,” Mr. Chamberlain quoted Mr. Poertner as saying.
“Poertner says that if humanity’s industrial carbon emissions continue with a ‘business as usual’ attitude, levels of acidity in the world’s oceans will be catastrophic,” Mr. Chamberlain’s article for Common Dreams concludes.
The authors of the study conclude that the diversity of responses of sea life to acidification could lead to profoundly altered ocean ecosystems in the future. Yet, with all that said, the biggest thing about ocean acidification is that it is a sure and certain warning sign that global warming is not — as many humans continue to insist — a figment of our imagination, and/or unimportant to the planet’s future.
Next month the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will issue its most recent report, according to environmental journalist Fiona Harvey.
“The IPCC report, the first since 2007, will provide a comprehensive picture of our knowledge of climate change,” Ms. Harvey explains in a previous Common Dreams article.
“It is expected to show that scientists are at least 95% certain that global warming is happening and caused by human activity,” Ms. Harvey reports.
There seems very little remaining doubt among scientists about this. What will it take for the largest number of humans outside of scientific circles to believe it? That becomes one of the crucial questions of our age. And if human beings in large numbers ever do believe it, what will it take for all of us to actually do something about it?
For that matter, what, if anything, can be done?
These are the questions being placed now before the members of the Evolution Revolution. For more information on this, see the blue box in the right-hand column of the Front Page of this online newspaper.
I do not believe that nothing can be done. Every major change that has ever occurred on this planet began with a conversation. You are invited to join in that conversation here, in the Comments Section immediately below, as well as in the Evolution Revolution Discussion Groups worldwide.
In recent years, measles was virtually eradicated through the use of vaccines. The same can be said for illnesses such as polio and whooping cough. So why is it that within the past year we’ve seen diseases like measles suddenly reemerge – an illness which has been proven to be deadly in some children?
In recent reports, it is being suggested that the resurgence of these diseases is partially as a result of parents electing not to immunize their children. It is suspected by some that vaccines may be the root cause of other life-affecting conditions, most notably autism. And in an effort to prevent or minimize their children’s chances of experiencing a life with autism, some parents are saying no to vaccines altogether.
The debate is a heated one, and profound arguments are made on both sides of the fence. Do we want to live in a world where our ability to choose is taken away or restricted? How does the choice to not vaccinate your child affect the lives of those around them? Whose choice does it become when the consequences, which can be deadly, are shared unknowingly by others?
Perhaps the ground-level consideration here for everyone to think about and talk about is what is our responsibility when it comes to the illnesses and diseases we are finding ourselves faced with. There are some who believe that God intends for us to be subjected to painful life-threatening diseases and conditions, depending on how “good” or “bad” we are. There are some who believe that the diseases we are experiencing are as a result of the way we interact with our environment with harmful chemicals and pollutants and the processed foods we place into our bodies.
So how did we get to this juncture? Are the immunizations hurting us or helping us? Is the way we are polluting our air and water contributing to the ailments we are facing? Are the foods we are ingesting clean and natural, or are they laden with chemicals and preservatives? Are we moving our bodies and exercising our hearts or are we allowing our muscles to atrophy and our bodies to become overweight?
I don’t know who or what is “at fault” for polio or measles or autism. I don’t know how the medicines we are injecting into our bodies are affecting us at other levels. Right now, a mammogram is the best tool we have for detecting breast cancer; yet there are many who are convinced that mammograms are actually causing breast cancer. Which is it? How are we to know? How are we to choose?
The messages of Conversations with God tell us that our bodies were designed to live “a great deal longer” than the 50 to 80 years we typically see….”infinitely longer.” And when I think about the vastness and intricate perfection of the universe in which we live, I am convinced that this is so.
My son is a young adult now, and, yes, he is vaccinated. And, I, too, am vaccinated. But I am wondering if I were faced with the choice today, with a young child, might I choose differently? What about you? How does your spirituality interplay with modern medicine? How does modern medicine interplay with your spirituality? When it comes to making important life decisions like this, what do you draw upon for your wisdom? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this.
(Lisa McCormack is a Feature Editor at The Global Conversation and lives in Orlando, Florida. To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at Lisa@TheGlobalConversation.com.)
It’s a classic parenting situation. You visit a quaint little coffee shop for story time. Another mom or dad walks in and sits next to you while his or her child begins to play with yours. One of you, it doesn’t matter who, strikes up a conversation and after a few moments of small talk you begin to find many commonalities. By the end of the story, phone numbers are exchanged and play-dates arranged. We all know the thrill of finding a new friend on the desert island of parenting, especially if you are a stay-at-home parent who doesn’t get much adult interaction.
I have heard from numerous readers that frequently on a second or third play-date, a seemingly innocuous question is asked, “Where do you go to church?” Do you have a comfortable answer at the ready or do you share the experience of others, with unconventional spiritual beliefs, of awkward silence followed by a stumbling explanation of your world view? Do you live in an area where your New Age Spiritual Beliefs are readily accepted by people with more Traditional Religious Beliefs or do become flush with worry that you might be alienated and lose the potential future play-dates for your child?
Hopefully, this hasn’t been your experience and, instead, the people around you are accepting, full of love and tolerance – adept at embracing differences. But if you have been in this situation and you were met with trepidation, misunderstanding, or even fear that you might try to convert them “to the occult” – you are not alone. (This illustration, of course, should not be construed to indicate that you necessarily believe in anything that can be attributed to the occult, nor that there is anything wrong with it if you do; but only to show that sometimes beliefs outside of the mainstream are viewed as scary by traditionalists).
Here are some questions to ponder: Does it make you hesitate to be completely honest the next time you are asked about your beliefs in a new situation? Have you tried to find “work-arounds” that aren’t necessarily lies, but aren’t really true either? An example might be, “Well, we don’t really go to church” – without divulging that you don’t ascribe to traditional religion. Have you devised an answer that equates your beliefs to something more relatable for others? One such answer might be, “We believe something very similar to Buddhism,” although you aren’t exactly in line with it.
Do you just avoid the topic? Do you lie to avoid confrontation, or tell the whole truth knowing that if they choose to end a budding friendship over this they were not meant to be your friends anyway? Does it make a difference, even if you believe in living a “Christ-like” existence, if you admit that do not consider yourself to be a Christian (if that is the case)? Do you worry about the negative consequences others’ condemnation will have on your child? Are you careful not to judge others for their beliefs?
How do you balance teaching your child to be true to himself with the risk that if he talks about his spirituality the other child’s parents might discontinue outings, and what if the majority of people around you feel this way and it could directly impact his opportunity for friends? (A very real proposition in some parts of the world.)
I hope and believe when you show people Who You Really Are, most will appreciate and love you, regardless of your perceived differences. Really, there is no right or wrong way to handle this situation and I think it might be helpful to remember that Separation from other human beings, especially when it comes to beliefs, is a myth. Conversations with God stands to remind that We Are All One and all beliefs are just parallel pathways to love, peace and connectedness.
Spirituality is a very personal decision. You can be private about it and avoid outward confrontation, but that might cause an internal struggle. On the other hand, you can choose to be open, honest, and live without fear of other’s reactions. I can tell you from my own experiences in the Midwest (of the US) that this can be hard, although pure authenticity is what I desire.
Even readers of this online community have varied interpretations of the words God, Love, The Universe, The All, and/or The Source so there is obviously not going to be a single answer with which every person in the New Spirituality can answer these questions. In fact, many CwG readers use the other words in place of God.
My call to action, here and now, is for us to support each other with advice and recommendations in the comment section below. How would you handle this type of situation? What would you do if you were faced with someone from the traditional religions showing fear that you will corrupt them? How do you protect your child from being hurt as a result? How do you coach your child to know what parts of her beliefs and ideas to share and what parts to keep on reserve? Let’s have a brainstorming conversation!
As always, I send peace and love to your family!
(Emily A. Filmore is the Creative Co-Director of www.cwgforparents.com. She is also the author/illustrator of the “With My Child” Series of books about bonding with your child through everyday activities. Her books are available at www.withmychildseries.com. To contact Emily, please email her at Emily@cwgforparents.com.)
A note from CWG Connect: Next week we are going ‘LIVE’ with a four-day video series, streaming right from our Spiritual Renewal Retreat to your computer screen. We will be presenting a three-hour program each day covering different topics and explorations. Here is the schedule for this live-streamed event:
Day One – Exploring Fear: Mar. 27, 2014 — 9am-10:30am, 15 minute break, 10:45am-12:15pm PDT
Day Two – Producing Abundance: Mar. 28, 2014 — 9am-10:30am, 15 minute break,10:45am-12:15pm PDT
Day Three – Understanding Love: Mar. 29, 2014 — 2pm-3:30pm, 15 minute break, 3:45pm-5:15pm PDT
Day Four – Creating Purpose: Mar. 30, 2014 — 2pm-3:30pm, 15 minute break, 3:45pm-5:15pm PDT
All of these sessions will be available ‘On Demand’ after their original broadcast. This event is one of the many extras offered to CWG Connect members at no additional cost. The ticket price to this event for non-members is $99.
CWG Connect is the complete Video-Audio-Written Word service for CWG readers who wish to move more deeply into this life-changing material. More information on its live-steam of this event may be found here.
In life, we grow. We grow to learn things about the world, about each other, and about ourselves. Sometimes, most of the time, we don’t like to learn these things. But, for seeing them as what they were, what they are, and what they can be is what makes all the difference.
*Note: I know that everything is comparative in experience. I know that what may seem challenging now will be looked back on as the easiest thing I’ve ever had to get through in my life. But….I know that I’m not the only one going through this. I’m certainly not the first one to go through it. And I’m definitely not the last one.*
So what I have grown through in the past few months…
I’ve started that “all-too-real” reality of growing up. Through it all, I’ve begun to see people worked, hard and tirelessly, beyond their limits. People, who were kids, get beaten down by a system that doesn’t care and won’t care. And as a result of this system, I see people losing themselves. I see them being told to believe that they can’t be their greatest version of themselves, that because they have failed they don’t deserve to be the grandest vision of themselves.
And why? Because it’s not enough. And it will never be enough. No matter how much time, how much effort, how much energy we put into what we are doing. When we are feeding a system, we are NOT creating anything, we are NOT exerting our divine godness and goddessness into the core of our actions.
And so, many enter the survival stage. Because all their time and energy is consumed into this seemingly endless stream of work, many just go for maintaining what is. Their dreams seem too grand, too great for them to ever even dream of achieving. Like a candle being snuffed out, these dreams get suffocated by the darkness of inadequacy. Looking only forward to the next submission, they lose sight of the big picture, the great design, the grand illusion.
We lose sight of the universe within us, and the potential for us to be everything in that universe.
When focused in soo small, we lose ourselves to our physical form – the form bounded by the laws of time, space, pain, and fear. The physical body and the physical mind are linked in the fear of inadequacy, failure, and disappointment. Limited by the hours of the clock and the length of the path, our physical bodies can only do so much. And so, we feel as though we can only do so much.
But….we can be more. Because, we are way, way more than this form.
We are gods. We are infinite beings. We are pure light itself.
Stepping back, looking at the grand canvas of the universe, is what transcends us from the physical form to the spiritual form. We are the artists, we are the architects, we are the designers of WHAT, and HOW we experience life itself. Life transforms itself into so much we only can do. If we remember Who We Truly Are, then we are awakened out of the haze of quiet desperation felt by so many around us.
The nature of what we experience will NOT change. But, Who We Are experiencing it and How We Are experiencing it will. When seen in such a greater perspective, we remove our dis-ease : our worries, our anxieties, our fears. The journey is challenging – but it doesn’t need to be a struggle. Stepping back and stepping out of consument opens ourselves to greater success. This success could be in school, in relationships, in meditation, or whatever you may be aspiring or pursuing. Remember: no picture is small enough to not include your dream.
Inevitably, we will all grow as the days, months, and years roll past. But, the choice of growing down into the depths of our fears or growing up into the light of Oneness remains entirely up to us. We can join the masses in the continual cycle of work, fear, worry, work. Or, we can remember our higher selves, our deeper selves, to remind us of how life can be enjoyed instead overstressed. By becoming Who We Truly Are, there is no such thing as deserving or adequacy. There is life as a creative force, and as the creative dream. Step forward, and step up to your freedom from your mental suffocations. The time is now, the life is now, the choice is NOW.
(Lauren Rourk is a Feature Editor at The Global Conversation and attends Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She can be contacted at Lauren@TheGlobalConversation.com)
Did you know that there is a new book that identifies the 25 most important messages of the 9-installment Conversations with God series? It then offers practical suggestions on how to apply each message in every day life. Powerful and inspirational reading. To see the first seven chapters and hear a one chapter sample of the audio book, click here.
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(This is Part XI of an extended series on being part of the change, rather than simply observing the change, that is occurring on our planet right now.)
In the first ten installments here we have explored in depth the first step in becoming a spiritual helper. You can find those entries in the archives on the website. The second step in becoming a spiritual helper is to:
AGREE WITH OURSELVES ABOUT EACH OTHER
We began our exploration of Step Two in being Part of the Change in our last entry here. We said in that entry that so long as you imagine that you are separate from God, you will imagine that you are something other than what God is—which is Life Itself. You may think that you are that which lives , but you will not imagine yourself to be Life Itself.
Let us continue with that thought here.
This separation OF Itself FROM Itself is what you have called, in one of your mythologies, the casting out from the Garden of Eden. Suddenly, where once there was eternal life, now there is death. Suddenly, where once there was abundance, now there is “not enough.”
Suddenly, it seems that there are many Aspects of Life competing for Life Itself. This is impossible in Ultimate Reality, but not in your imagination.
You can even imagine that you are in competition. With the birds, with the bees, with every other living thing, and with all other human beings.
You can create a nightmare in which all that supports your life seems not to support your life at all, but to limit it. Thus, you will actually attempt to subdue that which supports you.
There is a way that we can get over this Illusion of Disunity and the idea of Separation. There is a way that we can agree with ourselves about each other—that we can see and experience ourselves and each other as Who We Really Are. The path to that experience is the path of comprehension and awareness.
When we really comprehend, when we deeply understand, not only the nature of life’s cosmology, but the reasons for it, we can make deep changes in our experiences of ourselves and of life.
If we created everything (and CwG, of course, says that we did, and do), then we created the Illusion of Disunity, the idea of separation. But why? Why would we do such a thing? The mind begs to know this, otherwise it cannot believe that the separation it sees all around itself is not real.
Again from Communion with God…
If everything is experienced as unified, then nothing can be experienced as unified, because “unity” does not exist as a discreet experience. It is not something that can be known.
Yet it is Our wish to know Ourselves as Who We Really Are. Thus, we must first create the experience of WhoWe Are Not. Since we cannot create this experience in Ultimate Reality (reality is what reality is), we must do so through Illusion.
In this way, we can rejoice in what is Really So, and know it. In this way we can experience Who We Really Are: The All of It. The One and Only.
We are The Collective, the Single Reality in Multiple Form — having taken Multiple Form that we might notice and experience the glory of our Single Reality.
This is a simple explanation of the purpose of relativity, that has been given you now many times in the CwG dialogue. It is repeated here, so that you may understand it thoroughly; so that you may awaken from your dream.
Until you awaken from your dream, the Illusion of separation from Life will create the perceived need to “survive.” Before separation, your survival was never questioned. You simply “were,” and it never occurred to you that you would not always “be.” Only when you stepped away from Life (God), and imagined yourself as separate from it, did Life itself become that of which there was “not enough.” You began to make decisions about what you felt you had to do to “survive” – to have more “Life.”
This became your primary goal, and your new basic instinct. You even began to think that the reason you coupled with others was to guarantee your survival as a species. You lost sight of the fact that you coupled in response to the only real instinct, which is love.
You have called your new basic instinct “The Survival Instinct,” out of your idea that you might not survive. This idea is false, for your survival is guaranteed, forever, and even forevermore. Yet you do not remember this, and so do not think there is “enough life,” given that there are so many aspects of life competing for it.
And, indeed, that is how you see it. You imagine that you are in competition with all the other “stuff of life” for Life Itself. You are competing with your very Self for more of your Self, but you do not know it.
Your belief in insufficiency has even led you to conclude that there is not enough God.
And we will explore more of this in our next entry here. You are invited to return.
