{"id":111073,"date":"2022-07-06T17:37:51","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T00:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/?p=111073"},"modified":"2022-07-07T19:52:15","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T02:52:15","slug":"lets-dance-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/archives\/111073-lets-dance-2","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you assign to yourself that you\u2019re going to be happy and joyful, then in some way you need to take advantage of the moments that say, \u201cLet\u2019s dance.\u201d<\/em> – John Morton<\/p>\n

This article was originally published in the New Day Herald on May 20, 2009 and seems quite appropriate for us today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we look at being of service, let\u2019s also look at the idea of contraction, which some call \u201ctaking,\u201d versus the idea of expansion, which some call \u201cgiving.\u201d There are certain things that involve both expanding and contracting, such as breathing and heart beats. Those two things are pretty essential, but sometimes we put a negative interpretation on the idea of contracting\/taking, instead of seeing that it\u2019s a natural part of life to contract.<\/p>\n

If we really understand this, we have the opportunity to cooperate and to find out how we work with it so that when we\u2019ve got to contract, we really do that. Those of you who have been through childbirth know all about another way we do it. It\u2019s like, \u201cYou\u2019ve got to contract,\u201d and even if it hurts, there\u2019s a purpose in the contraction, and in some way, it\u2019s going to hurt anyway, so you might as well cooperate with the process.<\/p>\n

When we cooperate, we may still experience hurt because it just kind of goes with the territory of this world. There are also a lot of ways you can manage yourself while you\u2019re here so you can spare yourself hurt, but I wouldn\u2019t count on never being hurt again. In fact, I embrace hurt as an idea, and it\u2019s similar to contraction, where something about it doesn\u2019t feel good. This is where we learn things like patience and endurance while we go through a painful contraction.<\/p>\n

To avoid hurt, some people move into a default position: \u201cWell, then, I\u2019ll just do nothing, or I\u2019ll avoid it. I won\u2019t participate. I\u2019ll take my marbles and sit at home.\u201d But the reality is that life moves, and we really don\u2019t have an option of not being involved in the movement of life. So, since you will participate, how are you going to participate? If you want to do it kicking and screaming, fighting, cussing, moaning, groaning\u2014those are options. And sometimes I find I can\u2019t help it. It\u2019s just like there\u2019s a moan in there I didn\u2019t consciously know I had until something came along that I didn\u2019t like\u2014and there\u2019s the moan. So, there\u2019s something to be cleared or cleansed.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0could spend all day, every day, cleaning house, but what\u2019s the house for? Certainly, more than that, like having people over to the house, or enjoying the view out to the front yard. Maybe there\u2019s a wall ten feet away that you don\u2019t like looking at. But what about the light that\u2019s between the wall and you? Can you enjoy that? If you wish you didn\u2019t have to look out on a wall, maybe you are disrespecting the wall. It\u2019s a beautiful wall. But maybe you don\u2019t like the bricks it\u2019s made of. Can you see how bricks are different, and have you ever appreciated their differences?<\/p>\n

So, there is a way to find usefulness, if nothing else, in the way you respond.\u00a0One\u00a0of the good games is how to come into an enjoyment with what everything is, even a concentration camp. Why is it called a concentration camp? There\u2019s a whole lot of concentrating going on, which looks like pain and suffering. Did you know that\u2019s a version of concentrated? It\u2019s just to get things more dense and harder and maybe more difficult. And at some point, if someone deems you not serving the purpose any longer, then it\u2019s time for you to go. We can interpret that as unfair and reject it, and there you go all over again. How are you processing this? There were a few\u2014and it only takes one\u2014who demonstrated you can actually thrive in a concentration camp and come out of it with an amazing life. There are quite a few of those stories, as well as stories about people who suffered and never, in a sense, recovered fully. We can observe both of them.<\/p>\n

Another thing to look at is being grateful that you are not in a concentration camp. Some people are in one, in a way, when they feel imprisoned in their life and controlled by outside forces that don\u2019t really have their best interests in mind. If you feel like this, what are you going to do? It comes down to real, practical, basic things, like, \u201cHow am I going to get my next meal? Where am I going to lay my head tonight? How do I get from here to there if I need to do that?\u201d These are all part of the adventure. You can set the tone inside of yourself about what your intention and willingness are. You can make quite a difference for yourself.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Larson cartoon that\u2019s one of my all-time favorites. The scene is hell, and there are guys with pitchforks, tails with arrows on the end of them, and horns, and they are looking down at the people with wheelbarrows going every which way, heavy-laden, burdensome wheelbarrows. Everybody\u2019s got a dour look except one guy, who is\u00a0happily\u00a0whistling to himself. So, one devil says to the other devil, \u201cThat guy\u2019s just not getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the basic decisions to make in your life\u00a0is,\u00a0\u201cWhat is your life about? What is its purpose? What are you serving?\u201d Do you answer positively, or do you answer negatively? I see\u00a0the answers as\u00a0free choice\u00a0which I can answer\u00a0positively\u2014because it\u2019s my clear preference.<\/p>\n

You may say, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know what the truth is. I just know what my preference is. I\u2019d like my life to be happy and healthy and wealthy and thriving.\u201d Then what are you going to do about that? Part of it would be not to let anything out there take that away from you. And now you\u2019re going to find out what kind of strength and dedication and loyalty you have to your intention. Every day is a new opportunity to find out how it works:\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0your dedication today?\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0your intention today?\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0your willingness today?<\/p>\n

What if you have lost your enthusiasm and can\u2019t \u201cwhistle in hell\u201d? I learned a method from\u00a0my wife who I sometimes refer to as\u00a0Miss Leigh. When she runs into something like this, she\u2019ll say to herself in a\u00a0childish,\u00a0sad, pathetic tone, \u201cPoor Leigh, poor Leigh,\u201d and something just happens. Sometimes just that acknowledgment sets it free. I\u2019m kind of amazed that acknowledgment can really work, even when it\u2019s towards the negative.\u00a0\u00a0By\u00a0acknowledging\u00a0the negativity, even in an extreme way,\u00a0maybe there is something that turns it around. It\u2019s in the MSIA teachings that acknowledgment is our friend, so don\u2019t avoid it or move into denial or\u00a0should like: \u201cI shouldn\u2019t be feeling like this.\u201d But you are.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re saying, \u201cI feel so lousy, and I feel like it\u2019s no use. And that\u2019s not helping.\u201d So, you might look at what would help. When a\u00a0sailboat needs to sail to a certain place and the wind is blowing from that place, the sailors need to tack. That means that in order for the sails to catch the wind, they go in a zigzag course to the left and right of the destination, always staying focused on the direction of the destination, but not straight towards it. That\u2019s how they keep making progress towards where they want to go.<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t have much enthusiasm, you are in the doldrums, a condition that may not allow you to go straight towards your goal. So maybe this is the time to get out and row. The doldrums are a place on a body of water where there is no wind, so the sailors have to row to move at all. Ship captains and navigators over the years would track seas, winds, weather, seasons, and so forth in the ship\u2019s log. Just knowing the prevailing conditions can help the ship move\u2014and these are the kinds of things that can help you keep your intention. It can be as simple as saying, \u201cWell, I\u2019m going to have a good day,\u201d and you have a good day.<\/p>\n

You might be lacking enthusiasm and feel sad and sorry for yourself\u00a0like: \u201cI had all these expectations that at this stage in my life, I\u2019d be coasting, I\u2019d be ordering my mint juleps.\u201d In this case, I\u2019d ask, \u201cHow\u2019s your family today\u2014your multidimensional consciousness?\u201d Are you scattered, confused, clear? What are your conditions? Knowing what those conditions are, you can take advantage of your situation.<\/p>\n

Once upon a time in my life, I had something referred to as weekends. But when you\u2019re working all the time, you don\u2019t have weekends, you don\u2019t have time off. So, I worked it out, so I play all the time, and somehow that works. You may think that\u2019s just something I\u2019m telling myself, that\u00a0is\u00a0not reality.\u00a0\u00a0I can make it my reality by claiming what I want to create.\u00a0What I declare can become\u00a0how I construct my life. So,\u00a0then\u00a0I\u2019m working all the time and playing all the time. I don\u2019t have weekends. I don\u2019t need them. Every day is a day off, vacation. I don\u2019t look for relief\u2014\u201cThank God, it\u2019s Friday\u201d\u2014and I don\u2019t get down when Monday comes.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0really have to look in terms of\u00a0our\u00a0own temperament, what works\u00a0individually.\u00a0We can\u00a0look\u00a0at what we want to create for ourself\u00a0rather than try to adopt what somebody else does that works for them.\u00a0In reality, we are constructed differently\u00a0so what makes us happy may be different.<\/p>\n

We all have our strengths and weaknesses.\u00a0It\u2019s wise to go after the weaknesses and clear them. The way that will clear them every time is if we love them. And with loving comes a responsibility to care about what\u00a0we\u00a0love.\u00a0Loving naturally makes things better. Loving can increase to all people and things.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to know if something is loving is to really look at the highest good of all concerned. \u201cWell,\u201d you might say, \u201cthis person is bothering me. This couldn\u2019t possibly be love.\u201d But maybe you need to be bothered because you\u2019re stuck in a position and holding to your weakness and denying and betraying your strength.<\/p>\n

It’s\u00a0helpful to remember that if God permits it, it\u2019s in the field of perfection. On some level, we have a God that allows only perfection, and part of that includes that\u00a0we\u00a0sometimes may not consciously \u201cget it.\u201d Like the guys standing up there with the horns and tails, looking at the guy\u00a0happily\u00a0whistling\u2014they don\u2019t consciously get it, so they think there\u2019s something wrong with the guy whistling. So, if something is bothering you, take a look at it. Maybe it\u2019s just an attitude shift that \u201coh, poor me\u201d can help move, so there\u2019s a release.<\/p>\n

Negativity\u00a0has a finite existence. You could have a revelation that \u201cI don\u2019t want to do this anymore,\u201d and sometimes that\u2019s it. And sometimes you have to\u00a0row\u00a0the oars for a while\u00a0to get through to where you want to go in a positive way.\u00a0You might ask yourself who you are doing that for and why you are doing it. Take a careful look, as the god of opinion often masquerades as an authority that represents that you are not good enough. Is it coming from the false self? The negative power can shoot things through the thoughts and the emotions, and you can be influenced by the negative power as it tests you. It tests us all in our weaknesses\u00a0when\u00a0we are not standing up in our true nature, and it does a magnificent job. Sometimes we\u2019re tested in our pain and suffering.\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps we could have passed on\u00a0the pain and suffering\u00a0and said, \u201cNo thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

A major key in the process of moving to the true self is in caring for our self and caring for others. Conversely, we stop judging and, in any way, hurting our self or others. This is sourcing the true self for influence and direction that becomes intentions that become better choices and better results.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s really where Soul Transcendence is playing: Where are your origins? Where are you sourcing? Where is your true self? And when you find it, you have this great, giant opportunity to let\u00a0negativity\u00a0go. When it goes, it\u2019s not worth even thinking about for one more minute. In the Spirit it\u2019s gone, like the past is gone. You then might wonder why you keep remembering\u00a0negativity. It\u2019s because you keep looking at it. So let it go and forgive yourself for judging yourself or anyone else. The forgiveness is there all the time. And when you let go of the judgment, then the Soul takes its place by registering into your conscious field more fully, more completely, so you\u2019re brighter\u00a0and\u00a0clearer.\u00a0The soul\u00a0has this energy of the Light and the love.<\/p>\n

You can always redirect yourself, no matter what is going on in your life. You might say, \u201cHey, I just got a raise. I\u2019m dancing.\u201d You could also say, \u201cHey, I just got fired. I\u2019m dancing.\u201d Why not? Why make a firing mean that you have to have a contraction and a conniption fit, that your life has to convulse and shut down, and that you mourn for the next six months? Who assigned that to you? If you assign to yourself that you\u2019re going to be happy and joyful, then in some way you need to take advantage of the moments that say, \u201cLet\u2019s dance.\u201d It might be, \u201cWell, the only place I\u2019m getting that is from inside myself. There\u2019s no music out here. People are sobbing and weeping. But my conductor is saying, \u2018Let\u2019s dance.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

You could even go to a memorial service and dance while everybody else is sobbing and weeping and sad and missing their dearly departed. Some part of\u00a0us\u00a0relates to this: Let\u2019s celebrate. Let\u2019s not be morbid. And just because some people think it\u2019s disrespectful, I\u2019m having my\u00a0own\u00a0relationship to my dearly departed, and what I\u2019m seeing with God is cause for celebration. So, ask yourself, \u201cWhat\u2019s on my dance card today?\u201d When you identify with the \u201cI Am\u201d, with God as your source, it comes out with jubilation and light.<\/p>\n

Baruch Bashan<\/p>\n

The following blessing was given by John at the completion of the two-day workshop \u201cThe Gifts and Blessings of Spirit\u201d at last month\u2019s Conference of Joy, Fun, and Laughter.<\/p>\n

\n

Blessing\u00a0This\u00a0Place for Joy, Fun, and Laughter<\/h4>\n

Dear Lord, we give thanks.<\/p>\n

We are thankful that You just got us here so we could play and act like silly kids who want to\u00a0have a good time.<\/p>\n

Thank you, John-Roger.<\/p>\n

Thank you, Jesus,<\/p>\n

And all those who are in this line for preparing the place,<\/p>\n

preparing us as the place for joy, fun, laughter.<\/p>\n

That it can be a way of life, and we can still do what we need to do.<\/p>\n

We openly ask for the clearing of what\u2019s going on in this world at this time.<\/p>\n

And that we ask for the powers in Spirit, through the whole Spirit,<\/p>\n

and the consciousness that is the Beloved that would come into manifestation because we hold open the place in each one of us.<\/p>\n

We hold it open as demonstration that we are willing to serve in this way.<\/p>\n

You tell us just be yourself.<\/p>\n

You are beloved of God.<\/p>\n

You are adored.<\/p>\n

Release whatever it is inside that is the containment that keeps us unnecessarily focused on the<\/p>\n

negative, on the disease, on the disturbance.<\/p>\n

That we ask that You come in and shake what needs shaking.<\/p>\n

We know You would do that in ways we can handle<\/p>\n

so that we are cleaning up what needs cleaning.<\/p>\n

It is time.<\/p>\n

We ask for the wisdom, whatever are the tools and the abilities.<\/p>\n

You show us that it is first inside, to see the world in a beautiful way, and then act accordingly.<\/p>\n

And every day renew, seeing the world in a beautiful way, and act accordingly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that simple.<\/p>\n

And we are in a place where we can take that out.<\/p>\n

We can do it together.<\/p>\n

It is this community who loves God, who loves one another.<\/p>\n

Those are the commandments.<\/p>\n

And all the rest, it\u2019s a beautiful life full of light and love and greater opportunities to flourish.<\/p>\n

If not in this world, in that place we call Home.<\/p>\n

Baruch Bashan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you assign to yourself that you\u2019re going to be happy and joyful, then in some way you need to take advantage of the moments that say, \u201cLet\u2019s dance.\u201d – John Morton This article was originally published in the New Day Herald on May 20, 2009 and seems quite appropriate for us today. As we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":111084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,261],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-john-mortons-current-story"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}