Having enough

The pathway to "having enough" in my life - enough happiness, love, money, power, time, etc. - is not in the effort to secure them; it's in the "giving of myself" completely to each present moment. When I am struggling with a feeling of "not enough," I can ask myself these questions to get back on the path. How much happiness do I bring to the sadness I observe in the world? How much love do I give to those from whom I seek love? How much of my money and resources do I direct to what God would consider their "best and highest use"? How much of my personal power and influence do I apply to my purpose for being on the planet? How much quality time do I spend in areas that are truest to my heart's longing? "Enough" of everything is on the other side of these questions. My ability to ask them sincerely, answer them honestly, request God's guidance, and then get back in action, consistent with the guidance I receive, is in fact the truest pathway to "having enough" in my life.

Authentic harmony

"Happiness is when what you are thinking, what you are saying, and who you are being are in perfect harmony."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

"To be a warrior is to learn to be genuine in every moment of your life."

~ Chogyam Trungpa

These two quotes are powerfully complementary to me. Whenever I am feeling bad, it is becoming more and more clear to me that at that moment I am being inconsistent with my thoughts, words, and actions. Usually it's very visible to others around me or within range of my voice or words. A strange dissonance shows up in the space between us - a "weirdness" that signals that something's up. It takes a warrior mentality to focus on holding myself accountable for my own experience, and to be willing to go deep inside and sort it out. Sharing the process real-time with someone I love accelerates getting back into harmony and doubles the pleasure of it.

Do the impossible.

"The secret to experiencing a fulfilling, joyful, magical life is to have a compelling task, something you devote your entire life to . . . and the most important thing is -- it must be something you know you cannot possibly do!"

-- Henry Moore

Who was it who said that you cannot possibly have your dream life - that you must "tough it out" in a "dog-eat-dog" world? Yes, that's right, it's been you all along, disguised in the faces and voices of the "boogeymen" you made up when you were very young. Not that we didn't have real-world critics and judges who made our lives difficult growing up, but we processed our interactions with them with a child's mind. Then we grew up physically, while at the same time these childish thought patterns burned themselves into our adult brains, linking up with an even more powerful adult ego, all colluding to keep the "existence of boogeymen" alive in us. Now we notice that they wear business suits and they populate our neighborhoods, offices, highways, airports, and all kinds of other public places. And, oh my God, they even sometimes eat at our dinner tables and sleep in our beds with us. It's as if there are people everywhere saying, "You cannot possibly do that, it's just not allowed." But deep down you know it's really you who's saying that and projecting it onto others. Try devoting your life to whatever that thing is that has you say, "I just can't do that." Then watch what happens as you demonstrate to the world, "Yes, I can!"

Don't play small.

"Master," said the student, "where do you get your spiritual power?"
"From being connected to the source," said the Master.
"You are connected to the source of Zen?"
"Beyond that," said the Master, "I am Zen. The connection is complete."
"But isn't it arrogant to claim connection with the source?" asked the student.
"Far from it," said the Master. "It's arrogant not to claim connection with the source. Everything is connected. If you think you are not connected to the source you are thumbing your nose at the universe itself."

-- from The Corporate Mystic, A Guidebook for Visionaries with their Feet on the Ground, by Gay Hendricks and Kate Ludeman

I've read so many wonderful versions of this story, from Albert Einstein, to the Bible, to the Gita, to Nelson Mandela, and so on. Who are we to play small on this planet? How arrogant could we be to pretend we don't know why we're here and to hide out inside our petty grievances. We are here to glorify our Creator and make manifest His infinite vision, which we each are a part of and have access to every day when we wake up and look at the sunrise, or into our children's faces, or up at the mountains, or out to the sea, or upon the stars. Make this day count in doing your part, experiencing what you were promised, and knowing you can't get it wrong.

How strong is your desire?

"By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we begin the process of creating it. The non-existent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired."

-- Nikos Kazantzakis

I met and spoke with several people today who are claiming to desire a certain "new life" that is awakening in their consciousness. We spoke at length about the difficulties, fears, and risks of "getting to" that life. One thing that we didn't speak about is the strength of desire that is required to bring that life about. This quote reminded me of the importance of that powerful force. Many people have asked me how I ever found the courage to step out there to live this life I now lead. Some of them betrayed a fear that I might possess some trait or quality that they don't think they have. I don't believe that for a minute. We tend to admire in others those qualities that we possess but might not fully express. The simple answer for me was that I desired this life so much that I was willing to die for it. I don't mean physically die, although I was probably willing to do that as well. I really mean I was willing to give up all that I knew to create that which I dreamed of. How much do you desire your dream life? When it's clear to you that you will absolutely accept nothing less, then you have begun the process of creating it, and the world will eagerly line up to support you. You already have everything else you need to make it so.

Prayer

"With the help of my God, I shall leap over the wall."

-- The Book of Common Prayer

Dear God, please help me to leap over the wall of my own ego, fear, guilt, ignorance, and smallness, and to land solidly in a place of faith, strength, and trust, enabling me to serve You with all that I am and all that I have.