Many times we don’t know how to handle negativity after we enter into it. Since it is important that we learn this, God in His infinite wisdom has given us what I refer to as the ‘loyal forces of the opposition’. Their job is to make sure we do our job. – John-Roger
This article by John-Roger was first published in the Movement Newspaper, August 1985.
Many times we don’t know how to handle negativity after we enter into it. Since it is important that we learn this, God in His infinite wisdom has given us what I refer to as the “loyal forces of the opposition.” Their job is to make sure we do our job. They are on the job 24 hours a day, eight days a week. This means that while you are awake, it is valuable to be present and aware. Rather than simply moving your body from place to place (an amoeba can do that), consciously give yourself direction. Too often you restrict yourselves because you are concerned about failure. . .
“What if I fail?”
It’s okay to fail. That doesn’t mean you are a failure. Thomas Edison made almost a thousand attempts at the light bulb before he had one success. He would have been able to tell you many more ways that the light bulb wouldn’t work than it did, and many people considered him a failure. Often we will say to ourselves, “I’m a failure,” and have no idea what that represents.
Let’s take a look at the word failure in the dichotomy of what the letters mean. Usually when we are experiencing failure, one of the first things that takes place is fear. Something deep inside of us locks onto an illusion that cannot be discerned clearly, and we give it part of our creative strength. Then we stand back and become concerned about our ability to handle it. Fear, by definition, is worrying about the unknown. When we have knowledge of what is facing us, we may not like it, but we can handle it.
Look back over the times in your life when you thought, “Oh my God, how will I ever get through this? I’ll never make it.” Your being here now answers that in one of a number of ways: Either you lied to yourself, or you thought you knew what was going on and you didn’t, or some other reason which you can add. If an unknown quality is present and fear is tied in with it, it is rather conceited to say that you know the reasons that fear and failure are coming your way when you don’t. If you don’t know what is there, it’s much wiser to say, “I don’t know what’s there, but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle it when I get there.”
The second letter in the word failure, a, represents alienation. This is when we feel separated from that thing we’re going toward. We feel we’re not going to get it and inside we say, “I’m not sure, I’m uncertain.” When we become alienated deep within ourselves, we shut ourselves off from our own inner guidance. This guidance is the Divine Light, the state of beingness that stops the alienation and lets us become one with our own Beloved, and thus walk in self-realization.
After we have become alienated, we often create an illusion to justify it; then we become involved in the illusion. Part of the illusion is to say, “It was their fault, they did it to me.” Then we live the illusion of getting even with them. At this point we’re on our way toward failure.
About the time the illusion doesn’t seem to be holding, we come to the l part of the word and that’s the lie. You lie to yourself or you lie to other people, and that dishonesty forfeits divine aid. The most difficult thing about lying is that you’re not sure if the other person believes it or not.
Then comes the u for uncertainty, and you’re not sure if you can work in the level of that lie and illusion. Part of you says, “Which way do I turn?” The lie comes home to roost; in that illusion, you are separated and it produces fear.
After the uncertainty comes the r for resisting and rebelling. “No one is going to show me how to do it. I don’t care if you have the right way. I would just as soon fail.” Even in the eleventh hour, there is a chance for every person to change their direction and go from the resistance to the rebound where you say, “My God, I’ve been wrong, I’ve made a mistake.” At this point, you turn from resistance and embrace acceptance and just let it flow.
By the time you come to the end of the word failure, usually you know within you that you’ve already reached it and you feel empty. Within you say, “There is nothing here. I could have changed direction so many times, but I resisted.” There’s a funny thing about failure, even in the twelfth hour you have a chance. The final e becomes eternity and you get infinite opportunities throughout eternity. Many people call it reincarnation, but from a high enough level of consciousness you can see another perspective. You begin to use your failures as negative feedback, which is a very positive way to live. Then you no longer struggle with this idea of fear. You can’t be alienated, because you’re walking within a oneness. You will come to know the illusion and realize that there is nothing terrible about an illusion. It’s when you don’t know it that you’re caught short, and you try to protect it.
Do you know that every time failure comes and sits on your doorstep, success comes right along behind it because we are success motivated organisms. We are goal seekers and goal strivers, and this means that we are going to get there. If it were easy, you would have already done it. It’s a challenge. One of the biggest challenges that you’re going to meet will be to live your life – regardless. I suggest you do what it takes to transcend fear, because the truth is that God never gives you something you can’t handle – in loving.
Baruch Bashan
Practical and inspiring wisdom, thank you J-R!