What is your attitude towards your spiritual progress? Maybe there\u2019s an opportunity here to improve it. If something is working for you regardless of what that applies to, unless it stops working, it\u2019s a good idea to keep that up. So look at what are you doing. Do you need assistance of some sort? Sometimes that involves others. Sometimes it involves what you are doing and also what you are not doing. That could work both ways.<\/p>\n
We all know pain and suffering. Suffering is an experience that\u2019s more of \u201cIn the eye of the beholder.\u201d Pain is more or less universal. We all know what pain is because it hurts. I relate to pain as a messenger. So in a way, pain is innocent. It\u2019s just doing its job. Pain lets you know that something is bothering you.<\/p>\n
One of the ways I like to think of who we are in the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness is we are those who check it out. So when you have something bothering you, it\u2019s important to check it out. That\u2019s one of the ways that you\u2019ll liberate the messenger.<\/p>\n
If the message is delivered such that you receive the message in full, then the messenger can be dismissed. That\u2019s another way of saying the pain can go because it\u2019s done its job. Often it\u2019s related to something that needs your attention. So part of checking it out is following it inside to the message that is there for your learning, growth and upliftment.<\/p>\n
Sometimes we can do something that helps take away pain, like analgesics or pain-relievers. There are also other ways where you can distract yourself so that what you\u2019re looking at and focusing upon is not the pain. Sometimes that\u2019s really what\u2019s up for you \u2013 to do something to change your focus.<\/p>\n
My mom often said, \u201cIt\u2019s always something.\u201d For a long time, I wondered what she was saying. Early on, I figured that usually when she was saying that, it was something about me personally. Like I was not quite satisfied or I was not quite right. Later on I realized it wasn\u2019t so much just about me. It was more a statement of reality, at least in this world.<\/p>\n
There is always something we\u2019re going to be carrying because that\u2019s the price of admission into this world. We carry a karmic load until we don\u2019t have one, and then we\u2019re out of here. Even if we do still have one, sometimes we\u2019ll be out of here and with that we\u2019ll be back, because that\u2019s the nature of how this world serves. It serves by giving us the opportunity to work through and complete whatever is the karma.<\/p>\n
Sometimes we lose sight that the law of karma, the law of cause and effect, is actually in our favor. It can be a balancing action, but it can also be an opportunity to learn and grow. So it\u2019s a progressing action. You can do it laughing, crying, or in pain or suffering. Maybe you can do it relatively pain-free. How would that work, to get free of pain? By choosing to be free with the pain.<\/p>\n
Everybody has that option because we have a consciousness that\u2019s not attached to the pain. Tuning in to that consciousness may take some ability and practice. We can learn how to deal with the pain in such a way that it\u2019s not in our way of perceiving it as painful because we change in how we relate to the pain. Does that work in terms of if the messenger (the pain) is still standing by? What if we\u2019ve done all kinds of things to distract or numb our self from the pain? Can we increase our ability to withstand the pain?<\/p>\n
If the messenger is still there, then I would say that\u2019s a hint. You haven\u2019t really translated the message such that you are free of the messenger. Consider whether there is something you\u2019re not attending to that is calling to your attention for upliftment, learning and growth. So when pain becomes chronic or intensifies, those are hints there is more for you to attend to for awareness. Awareness reveals responsibility. Looking into the causes of pain can be curative.<\/p>\n
Make good choices with your awareness. Sometimes people use awareness to avoid or deny. That doesn\u2019t work very well. That\u2019s when the pain may tend to increase or intensify its message. The pain may be saying, \u201cYou need to pay attention to this. If you don\u2019t, then I\u2019ll persist and I\u2019ll tend to increase.\u201d So there would be more and more responsibility to attend to what you need to do.<\/p>\n
The reality of the world is that there\u2019s going to be something in the negative. Pain is one of those things that just kind of lets us know we\u2019re in the world. This world has some pain in it. We\u2019ve all run into pain in some way.<\/p>\n
Pain is an ordinary part of being in the world. You may not register pain up to certain point. If you have difficulty enjoying or appreciating your life, then it has become something that is calling for you to pay attention. Clearing the pain is important for your health and well-being.<\/p>\n
One of the ways to be triumphant in this world is to survive and to endure. That is a sign that you\u2019re handling the world. The longer you\u2019re here, the more experiences you acquire that are valuable to your learning and growth. In other words, you can be thankful, which is a key for well-being. It lightens things up to be grateful and express your gratitude.<\/p>\n
In MSIA, we are not a regressive movement. We\u2019re not trying to get you in touch with your past. Our approach is more that the past is gone. It is done. We are done with it, so let\u2019s go. Let\u2019s get up. Let\u2019s move. Let\u2019s use where we are and what we are and take advantage of all of whatever is present. So we really don\u2019t spend much time looking into the past because it\u2019s not necessary. But we can use the understanding of it.<\/p>\n
You can change the way you regard your past and your upbringing. You can look at it and consider that you must have had those experiences in some way because they are serving you.<\/p>\n
Is it okay if we go through winter to get to spring? Sometimes that\u2019s how it works. It\u2019s working in cycles. So you can go through difficult times and ask, \u201cWhy do I have to go through it again?\u201d Just consider, it will be spring again. If you understand that life has cycles, and cycles bring about things that happen in timing or a pattern, then it\u2019s not a judgment or an indictment that you\u2019re not living correctly. It\u2019s just that\u2019s how cycles work and then understanding, \u201cHere it comes again.\u201d If you understand how that works, you\u2019ll be prepared ideally for when it does come.<\/p>\n
We all have some version of these cycles. There are those who study these cycles, like biorhythms, numerology, astrology, etcetera. There\u2019s a variety of those in play that we\u2019re all subject to. Being in awareness of these cycles is valuable.<\/p>\n
You can look at you what are you aware of regarding your past, even your past existence or past life, to see if something showed up that\u2019s valuable for your learning. It could show up in a nightmare or where you have a dream and you\u2019re in another time and then you realize something about that experience. It may be that what you realized is that you missed an experience and wished it had occurred, or not occurred, in that way. You may judge, \u201cOh, the good days are gone.\u201d Or maybe you realize, \u201cI\u2019m really glad I\u2019m not in that now, but I\u2019m still affected by it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consider that once is enough. Even if you say, \u201cIt\u2019s so fresh in my awareness,\u201d even though the repository is still here, you can use it as a sort of tabula rasa where you start over with a new memory field. Some of that comes into what you were born into, such as family karma. Some of that can be about holding on to the judgment, the bitterness, including self-judgment.<\/p>\n
Consider that a referee comes in and says, \u201cThat\u2019s enough. No more. You don\u2019t need to figure it out.\u201d That\u2019s good. Some things are past understanding, because there\u2019s an understanding that surpasses understanding. You can just go to that understanding because you don\u2019t personally need to understand. It works because it\u2019s a spiritual law. There\u2019s understanding that somehow God has good in it all the time, every time. It\u2019s hard to get our consciousness around that when we consider something on the order of a murder, mayhem, torturing, etcetera. So how would we get over that?<\/p>\n
In this world, we have some things to heal, the causes of those things, which are still in process. There\u2019s still something like a misunderstanding. You can look at the facts or try to study those times psychologically, and then try to find out how could people who seemed rather ordinary do such things. It\u2019s not about that, and it\u2019s not about understanding it. It\u2019s about understanding that something came through in a very negative disturbing way, and now we bless it. Blessing whatever has happened is a way to respond with understanding.<\/p>\n
It may not be easy with whatever you\u2019re dealing with personally. Maybe you have the toughest case. Maybe not. It doesn\u2019t matter. You have what you have. It\u2019s still important to stay open so you are choosing to be a vessel for blessing.<\/p>\n
Once you declare the blessing, there\u2019s also responsibility. So stay open. There\u2019s no moment in anyone\u2019s existence where there\u2019s not an opening to see the blessing, the greater good, because that\u2019s how light and life gets in. It comes through an opening. It comes through a dynamic that you\u2019re chosen. Not because you\u2019re something wretched or despicable, but because you\u2019re something good and your life is already blessed. So to be able to breathe, to have another breath, is confirmation that your life is good. You are adored of God. You might say, \u201cThen why am I having such challenging circumstances to realize that I\u2019m adored of God?\u201d<\/p>\n
This world is not your home but one part of it. It\u2019s not going to be over in this world. This world is not it. There is a passage. There\u2019s going to be a transformation. It\u2019s a glorious transformation. In preparation of that, it\u2019s good to stay open.<\/p>\n
Stay in trust and faith that your life is about overcoming. It\u2019s a triumph. It\u2019s a celebration. Why does it have to be a rough road to get there? It just seems like it is at times. Nobody is exempt. Everybody has moments where they feel down or off. At those times, we can reach out in compassion to one another. If there\u2019s nobody else around, then reach inside for the compassion always present in your heart of hearts.<\/p>\n
With initiation, we are moving toward liberation. Ambition is part of what works as an intention. Carry your intention into the day so the pictures you have, what you put the Light on, what you want more or less of, you hold that to yourself. When you\u2019re in the line at a checkout stand or you\u2019re at a traffic light or somebody cuts you off on the highway, carry your intention into these places and interactions. Carry what it is you want to experience for the day, what you want to share and put out as your contribution to living a blessed life.<\/p>\n
If you keep doing what you want in line with your intention, then your intention will become manifest. We often have too many rules about what makes us happy instead of really looking at what makes us happy. It\u2019s not about somebody else\u2019s idea but your own idea of what truly makes you happy, what makes you peaceful or joyful. Be conscious of whatever blessing is present and becoming more manifest.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in a lapse, those moments when you feel irritable or something is irritating to you, then pick up your attitude. Remember, you are human. Look at what\u2019s bothering you. It\u2019s either from the inside, where what you\u2019re doing or expressing is bothering you, or you are allowing something to come in from the outside. That\u2019s a moment to adjust, to move your awareness to the peace and joy within.<\/p>\n
Is it valuable to come together and envision or participate in activities where others are expressing peace or expressing joy? Of course, that\u2019s valuable. But I find it\u2019s even more of a contribution what we do on an individual basis. You can find this especially when you\u2019re by yourself. If there\u2019s a disturbance, like you don\u2019t like being by yourself because you don\u2019t like yourself, then there\u2019s your ministry. You can make greater blessing the focus for your intention. If you\u2019re having a hard time with yourself, then move your intention to finding the peace and joy that is always present inside regardless of what conditions are present. There is always blessing in the Traveler\u2019s presence with you.<\/p>\n
Lord, we come to You as Your children, and as Your children we adore You.<\/p>\n
We love the way You are. We love Your strength, Your wisdom, Your beauty,
\nYour fun-loving nature, Your compassion, Your ability to hold
\nwhen we need holding and to inspire when we need inspiration.<\/p>\n
Right now we ask and invite You to come powerfully, purposefully,
\ninto our heart and into our personal nature. If in any way we\u2019re attempting
\nto hide or deny, right now we give that up. We let it go.<\/p>\n
We call Your name. We welcome Your light, Your radiance, Your cleansing,
\nYour healing. We experience Your energy renewing us, vitalizing us.<\/p>\n
As we look through our vision there\u2019s clarity, that You give us greater
\nability to see and understand the compassionate heart of caring.<\/p>\n
We ask You to renew our relationship in this world, that once again
\nYou lift from us, You take what is not necessary, especially what we\u2019ve
\nbeen hanging onto unconsciously or through our past actions.<\/p>\n
We find You\u2019ve liberated us. You\u2019ve brought forward a new consciousness.<\/p>\n
We bless our basic selves, however many there are, so that we\u2019re also
\nrenewed in our appreciation for our life in this world.<\/p>\n
We forgive whenever we have misled ourselves and denied the opportunities
\nthat You\u2019ve brought forward because You are bringing new
\nopportunities forward, and this is who You are.<\/p>\n
We feel Your embrace, and we embrace You fully.<\/p>\n
We take a moment to close our eyes and experience pure joy, complete peace,
\nand that special kind of rest where we let go and we relax completely,
\nknowing we are safe in Your embrace for You are the one who has
\nthe whole world in Your arms.<\/p>\n