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Day 45: March 15
The thought for today is MASTERY.
“I’m a jack-of-all-trades, master of none!”
Have you ever said that or heard someone else say that? Who has time to master anything, right? We’ve got too much going on in our lives – work, kids, school, church, volunteer time, housework, errands, and on and on and on – to become masters.
Tired just thinking about it, aren’t you?
What about the spiritual life? I know a lot of people who play at spiritual practice. They have their hands in this meditation style and that healing modality and they follow this guru – this week. Next week, it’s a whole different game. Then they come to me wondering why they aren’t growing and why their spirituality doesn’t seem to be working for them. They’re agitated, frustrated, angry, tired, and ready to give up.
My answer to them is usually the same: stop dabbling. Pick something and stick to it until you master it. I usually recommend meditation and breathwork because you can practice them anywhere, at any time. Take a few minutes in the morning, at lunch time, while you’re sitting in a waiting room somewhere, or when you go to bed at night to center yourself in the Presence and focus on your breathing. Do it for five minutes or an hour; it doesn’t matter. Do it once a day or several times a day. Just do it every day. Be consistent.
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you and in that you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. – Brian Tracy
Consistency in your practice will help you to master your thoughts and emotions. This will provide you with strength and flexibility in dealing with the world around you. When you become a master, you will not be shaken by the events and circumstances of life. You will have the presence of mind to make the right choices, especially in times of conflict.
We make time for the really important things in our lives and there is no more important activity than a spiritual practice that provides a foundation for everything else we do. Pick a spiritual practice today that really works for you. Make a commitment to practice it daily so that you become a master of self-control. If you fall along the way and miss a day or two, don’t become discouraged. Just start again.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 44: March 14
The thought for today is COOPERATION.
A couple of days ago while at work, I attempted to move something by myself. It was very large and awkward and quite heavy. As is usually the case with me, I didn’t want to bother anyone else, so I struggled to get the thing out of the box and tried to figure out a way to carry it. I could feel the frustration growing. One of my coworkers who saw this rushed over and gave me a hand. He needed to get this thing out of his way so that he could do his job better and I needed to move this thing to the other side of the building. His assistance not only provided relief for my frustration, but made me feel good about the kindness I was shown.
It was a small demonstration of the value of cooperation. It also prompted me to remember to be humble enough to ask for help when I need it and gracious enough to receive it when offered. When someone assists us and shares the load, not only does it make the task easier, but we build and strengthen relationships with one another, too.
Every kind of mutual cooperation among men is based primarily on mutual trust… – Albert Einstein
Cooperation only works if we let go of control and place trust in the other. It means we act in harmony with each other for the achievement of a common goal and it requires good communication. We each bring to the task those unique gifts that we reflected on in yesterday’s post. What one of us is lacking, the other can fill in.
Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. – Alexander Graham Bell
Competition creates adversaries of us by pitting us against one another. It robs us of the benefit of our combined mental and physical activity. When we move together in a spirit of cooperation, however, there is no limit to what we can do. We create a synergistic effect where the result of our joint effort is greater than the sum of what each of us does alone.
How can we work together today to reveal Peace in a larger way? Are we able to make ourselves vulnerable enough to trust each other to achieve our shared goals? Are we willing to share our ideas that we might continue to build on what the other has created?
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 43: March 13
The thought for today is UNIQUENESS.
No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning. – Barbara De Angelis
Nobody else has lived the life you’ve lived. Nobody has been to the places you’ve been or done the things you’ve done and observed and participated in them the way you have. Nobody has met the people you’ve met and had the conversations with them that you’ve had. Nobody else grew up in your family the way you did, not even your siblings who were in a different place in the birth order and encountered a different family dynamic than you did. Nobody uses your talents and abilities like you use them.
Your whole life is a unique combination of experiences.
So is everyone else’s.
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. – Margaret Mead
As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others. – Robert Schuller
If you are not grounded in the Sacred Presence as you grow in awareness of your unique status, you have to be vigilant about the ego’s tendency to twist it. If you’re feeling pretty good about yourself to begin with, you may at times experience feelings of superiority or arrogance. If you’re in an unhealthy state, you may feel alone and isolated, as though no one else could possibly understand what you’re going through.
As we stay centered in Spirit, however, we develop a proper understanding. We have all had common or similar experiences that allow us to relate to one another, but how we experienced them was different as they were interpreted through the lens of our whole life. That is what makes us unique. But it doesn’t make us right.
Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You’re able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment. – Ralph Marston
We must respect the unique points of view of others, too. We have a tendency to judge others’ experiences as wrong if they don’t resonate with our own. But neither is necessarily right or wrong, they’re just ours. As we listen and learn, we are able to look at our own positions and reinterpret them in the light of the experiences of others and maybe come to some kind of common understanding.
What unique talents, abilities, and observations can you share with others today to further reveal Peace in your world? Have your own points of view been reshaped by the experiences of others and, if so, in what ways? Did taking the time to understand the life experience of another strengthen your relationship?
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 42: March 12
The thought for today is ACCOUNTABILITY.
There is always more than one perspective in any conflict.
This was pointed out to me on many occasions by my mother as I was growing up. Whenever I went to her with a problem I had with someone else, she would ask me what role I played in the conflict and how my words or actions contributed to the problem at hand. At the time her questions seemed unsupportive, but they stayed with me into adulthood. She had given me a valuable gift.
Our words, actions, and demonstration of emotions may directly or indirectly cause conflict and we need to own up to that when it happens. Likewise, when faced with conflict, we are responsible for our words, actions, and emotions in dealing with it. We can choose to participate in it and risk prolonging and escalating it, thus causing yet more damage; or we can take to heart the teaching of Jesus who told us over and over to overcome through Love.
Accountability begins with me and you. It requires honest reflection daily on Who We Are, what we stand for, and whether or not we are living with integrity to the values and principles by which we claim to live. Look over some of the words we have focused on so far during this Season for Nonviolence. How has not paying heed to them played a part in causing conflict in your life? How can they help resolve your disputes?
Healing, contemplation, reverence, integrity, humility, self-forgiveness, acceptance, respect, listening, making amends, patience, acknowledgment, love, understanding, mindfulness, graciousness, kindness, dialogue, openness
When we discover our part and take ownership of it, we can start the process of healing by forgiving ourselves. We can then ask forgiveness from the others involved and move on to finding solutions to our problems and rebuilding relationships.
Be accountable. Live with integrity. Move the world in the direction of Peace.
Oh, and by the way…thanks, Mom.
Reflect on your words, actions, and the emotions you display. Are they creating conflict or revealing Peace? Are they consistent with Who You Are? Do they represent the values and principles by which you say you live? If not, then what can you do to change it?
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 41: March 11
The thought for today is OPENNESS.
I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. – Gerry Spence
In the early 1900’s Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore outlined some of his beliefs in a book he wrote. His students came to him and asked him to write out a statement of faith – a creed – that they could use. He resisted for awhile, finally relenting and giving them one line: there is only One Presence and One Power active in the universe and in my life – God, the Good, Omnipotent. When he gave it to them, he made them understand that it was subject to change at any time.
The openness to growth and change displayed by Fillmore is characteristic of the New Thought movement. In fact, it’s one of the things I love most about New Thought. We in the movement are not and I pray will never be bound by rigid dogma. By maintaining a sense of openness, we allow our intuitive sense to guide us and the flow of Divine Wisdom to come through us. We allow ourselves to expand as our knowledge and experience of the Divine expands.
We are at times too ready to believe that the present is the only possible state of things. – Terry Pratchett
I wonder about people who close themselves off to new ideas and new perspectives. What holds them back? Maybe the status quo works for them and they don’t want to give it up. That’s great if it works for them, but it doesn’t work for everyone and if it doesn’t work for everyone, then it doesn’t work at all. We cannot live our lives at the expense of others. That is not Love.
Perhaps they are afraid of change. God knows, and I’m sure God does know, that fear is the single biggest reason we are not further along in our spiritual development than we are right now. If we are caught up in fear, we are not in tune with Spirit. Perfect Love casts out fear. Understand that concept – fear cannot exist in the Presence of Love. That’s powerful.
The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. – Henri Bergson
The only other reason I can see that may keep people closed off is that they simply don’t yet have the consciousness to envision anything other than what has been. They can only see in the material world what their mind tells them is true. If their understanding of the world is that it’s a scary place and they have to protect themselves against it, then talking to them of Oneness is for naught. It’s not a concept they can comprehend at the moment. In this case, we can only be patient and continue modeling in our behavior what we know to be Truth – that Love conquers all and Peace is our reality.
I open heart and mind and soul to the movement of Spirit, allowing myself to be led down roads I have not yet traveled. I am open to new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of doing so that we find solutions that work for all. And as for those who are not yet ready to walk the path of change with me, I let Love prevail over all.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 40: March 10
The thought for today is UNITY.
Though there is only One Presence, it is Its Nature to take many forms. Rabindranath Tagore said, “Love must be one and two at the same time.” Love is active and requires the Lover and an object Its Love: the Beloved.
God’s creativity is boundless and the diversity we encounter in the world is all from the Divine Mind. The differences we come acrooss in how we live and express ourselves are too numerous to name. But this diversity is what makes the tapestry of life beautiful. It gives life its color and flavor. Can you imagine how bland life would be if we all looked the same, believed the same, dressed the same, and did the same things?
It is through an attainment of Oneness consciousness that we will find lasting unity. Duality thinking regards our differences as things that separate us from one another. When we see separateness, we inevitably begin to make judgments about each other and conflict arises.
Of course, ‘my’ way of being is always better than yours, right? Yeah…I think not.
Our common identity is where we build our foundation for Peace. That’s our unity. What we build from there is only as limited as our imagination. Our variety is what provides our energy and fresh perspectives.
Oneness in our identity; unity in our diversity.
I look about in wonder and awe at the diversity around me and humbly acknowledge my place in the web of life. I acknowledge our interdependence and so choose actions that respect the good of the whole. I remain grounded in the Presence, yet allow myself to be open to new ways of seeing and thinking. I honor our unity in the One Life that flows in and through us all.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
Day 39: March 9
The thought for today is DIALOGUE.
When we face problems or disagreements today, we have to arrive at solutions through dialogue. Dialogue is the only appropriate method… We must work to resolve conflict in a spirit of reconciliation and always keep in mind the interests of others. – Dalai Lama
Talking through our differences with each other is, as the Dalai Lama noted, the only appropriate method for finding resolution. We cannot continue to resort to violent means to force our will upon one another. We destroy ourselves in the process.
It takes courage and a real commitment to Peace to sit and have a conversation with your adversary. It takes self-control, mindfulness, and humility. It is also essential to have a keen awareness of Who You Are and Who your adversary Is.
A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. – Truman Capote
A dialogue is more than two monologues. – Max Kampelman
Dialogue is two-way communication; it requires both speaking your truth and listening to others as they speak their truth. When we do so, we must remember those qualities that are part of our True Nature – Love, kindness, Peace, patience, gentleness, and compassion. We need to keep in mind those things we have reflected on over the last few weeks – understanding, making amends, forgiveness, respect, integrity, and reverence. Through dialogue, we seek not some tenuous agreement, but genuine healing of the relationship.
In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity. – commonly attributed to Augustine; most scholars say this quote originated at least a millennium after Augustine.
Our goal should be finding solutions that are ‘win-win’ or beneficial to both parties. More than that, we should always serve the Highest Good, though sometimes what we want isn’t in alignment with the Highest Good. It’s important that we find common ground on those things that are important and essential, that we allow the freedom to disagree on those things that are not, and that we honor Love through it all.
In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change. – Thich Nhat Hanh
We cannot think that we have all the answers or that our way of doing things is always the right or only way. We must be willing to be open to change, so long as that change doesn’t compromise our integrity and harmony with our Source.
I choose dialogue as the course of action for resolving conflict in my life. I say what I need to say in a gentle, yet firm manner. I intently listen to my adversary and try to see the situation from her point of view. I am committed to finding solutions that are in the best interest of all parties involved. Above all, I serve Love in all my speech and actions.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
I once again urge you to purchase the book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D. and its companion workbook. These books will help you to learn skills that are necessary to good dialogue.
I am in no way connected to Marshall Rosenberg or the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CVC). I do not receive anything for promoting these books except the knowledge that I am doing my part to reveal Peace in my world.
Day 38: March 8
The thought for today is KINDNESS.
Be kind. It is hardly ever the wrong thing to do. – Unknown
Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts. – Unknown
Did you ever watch the series of insurance commercials where one person notices another performing an act of kindness, and then a few minutes later that person has an opportunity to perform one, too. And someone notices them, and then that person displays kindness to someone else, and it goes on and on until it comes back to the person who did the first act of kindness we saw.
I love those commercials.
It’s a perfect demonstration of metaphysical law: what you put out comes back to you. When you create an act of goodwill, the energy of that act ripples out like a pebble dropped into the water. As it spreads out, it grows and eventually finds its way back to you.
“Give and it will be given you, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing,” Jesus said. What you do to and for others gets returned to you, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing. What you do for others, you do for yourself. There is only One Presence.
Of course, we don’t do or give in order to get. We do so because it’s the right and good thing to do; it’s our nature as Children of Love. As we have been shown such tremendous kindnesses from our Source, we keep the flow of Good going by demonstrating Who We really Are. By performing acts of Love, we open the door for others and give them the opportunity to step into the flow of Good. What we get back is a by-product of being in harmony with that Presence.
Remember how ‘seeking first the kingdom’ would lead to all that other good stuff being ‘added unto you’?
According to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, showing kindness offers all sorts of physical and mental health benefits. It releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, into the system and causes what’s known as a “helper’s high.” It reduces stress (which contributes to a number of physical ailments) and feelings of hostility, reverses depression, and decreases feelings of isolation. It promotes joyfulness, vigor, and emotional well-being, feelings of self-worth, happiness, and optimism. The emotions you feel from doing good triggers processes in the body that can strengthen the immune system.
And that’s aside from the fact that you’ve made somebody’s day, perhaps brought a bit of joy and happiness into their lives. You may have opened a way for healing to enter. You may have reached out to someone who felt ‘invisible’ or that nobody cared. Who knows the depth to which you may have touched them and the extent to which it will ripple?
A simple act of kindness can change the world.
I commit myself to doing random acts of kindness today. I will do a good turn without looking for thanks or acknowledgement. I am grateful for all the benefits I receive in body, mind, and spirit in doing good and being in alignment with Source.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
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