A Sensational Soul Journey

We each made a Soul Agreement before coming into embodiment to carry unique groupings of "stuff/habits" that dictate how we are in this world, how we cope with life. We can choose to allow these addictions to run us. Or we can choose to Wake Up. We use this "stuff/habits" as part of our Awakening. The choice is ours.

An addict is one who is habitually and obsessively drawn to a certain behavior which gives him or her a "payoff."  As long as this payoff fills a need, the addict will continue the pattern. It is no small wonder that a person finds it easy to keep an addiction. It is equally clear that most deny the depth, or even the existence of, a habit/addiction that continually sabotages his or her life. The payoff must be sufficiently enticing for a person to keep a negative behavior, especially when that activity causes harm to another or him/herself.

Our egos will downplay, deny, or glamorize the negative behavior rather than allow for change. Many pieces on these web sites speak of how to change a negative pattern. I offer yet another "take" on this.

We, humanity, often decide not to change. We stay addicted. We use these addictions to "exit". We use these addictions to go to sleep, even when a part of us wishes to Awaken. Our egos, being facile teachers, will use all four of our lower bodies, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, to exit, to go to sleep.

Ego is invested in being in control, being in charge. Ego wants what it wants when it wants it. Ego pushes for keeping things its way. Ego goads us to hold on to our old addictive patterns. Ego motivates us to excel in our addictions.

If, or when, we move to change these patterns/addictions, we must first name what we want to change. Then we decide, or not, if we wish to change that which does not serve us, that which sabotages us. If the answer is "yes", then we can begin the Process of Change.

Understand that there is no requirement to give up our addictions. Ego is a master at lulling us to sleep. We use free will to stay asleep. Soul gives us every opportunity to begin the Awakening process. Say to free will, "I don't need you anymore". "I need God Will." "I am willing to surrender to God Will." "I am willing to do whatever it takes to Awaken." "Free will no longer serves me." "Only when I surrender free will to God Will shall I gain the freedom to move from my addictions."

What a paradox. We have always thought, "When I am able to choose (free will) I experience freedom". However, true freedom comes when God Will speaks through us: enlightening us, enriching us, guiding us.

My primary personal addiction has been one of perfection. I know this has been labeled psychologically as being obsessive/compulsive. Either way, it has limited my choices. Mom, and especially Dad, expected only perfection. I never lived up to their expectations, so I found myself going to any lengths to improve on "good". But good was not good enough. Therefore, I was not good enough. I was not enough. But my addiction to trying to get every thing "just so" kept me stuck.

As a boss, I was a relentless taskmaster, expecting of others what I myself was unable to achieve. As a mother, my three children were relentlessly expected to be perfect. As a friend, I was unyielding and no fun to be around. I was not a joyful person. The sub-heading of this perfection addiction could also be labeled "control freak".

Steps to Changing a Negative Feeling to Love

1.	Name the feeling (worthless).
2.	Decide if I want to keep the feeling (worthless). The answer was "no".
3.	Feel the feeling (worthless).
4.	Visualize the feeling (worthless) moving up into my heart from my emotional body.
5.	Embrace the feeling (worthless) in my Heart.
6.	Watch the feeling (worthless) go from contraction (the present vibration) to expansion (a higher vibration) in an upward spiraling pattern until I see worthless become Light/Love.
7.	Changing the feeling of worthless to worthy occurs when I move from contraction to expansion (the present vibration to a higher vibration) in an upward spiraling pattern.
8.	Have the patience and persistence to practice my new truth of worthiness.

 

I now experience joy. I know this is a process. I will be given future opportunities to determine how my practice of worthiness is going. Now I have the tools to keep on the Awakening pathless path. Thank you, Soul.  Thank you, ego. You are both my teachers.

Peace is a most familiar word. Each seeker knows what peace is according to his receptivity's capacity. I am a seeker. I wish to share with you the peace that I have experienced. By offering my experience, I wish to become totally one, inseparably one, with your life of aspiration and dedication.

What is peace?

Peace is our liberation from bondage. What is liberation? Liberation is our universal oneness with God the Unity and God the Multiplicity. What is bondage? Bondage is the dance of our unlit ego. What is ego? Ego is the unreal in us. And what is the real in us? The real in us is Truth; the real in us is God. God and Truth are inseparable, the obverse and reverse of the same coin.

What is peace?

Peace is our satisfaction. What is satisfaction? Satisfaction is our conscious and constant oneness with the Will of the Supreme Pilot.

Where does this satisfaction lie? It lies in our self giving and in our God becoming.

Peace, the world needs. We all need peace. But when we think of peace we try to discover it in our mind. We use the term 'peace of mind.' We feel that peace can be found only in the mind, and if once we can discover peace in the mind, then our problems will be solved for good. But at this point I wish to say that the mind we are referring to is the physical mind. This mind is the doubting mind, and in the doubting mind we can never feel the presence of peace. We can feel the presence of peace only in the loving heart. The doubting mind leads us to total frustration. The loving heart leads us to complete satisfaction. We doubt, and then we feel a barren desert within us. We love, and then we feel a sea of Reality and Divinity within us.

Peace is not to be found in external knowledge. Most of our external knowledge is founded on information, and information cannot give us any abiding satisfaction. Peace is not to be found in outer efficiency. Peace is found in self mastery.

If we want to achieve peace in our inner and outer life, then we must know the necessity of reciprocal inclusiveness and not mutual exclusiveness. Earth and Heaven must be united. Heaven has the silence of the soul. Earth has the sound of life. The silence of the soul leads us to our Source, the highest Reality; and the sound of life allows us to manifest what is within that highest Reality. In the inclusiveness of earth and Heaven we can achieve peace.

Peace is the only authority in our life of ascent and descent. When we ascend, we learn the song of unity in multiplicity. When we descend, we learn the song of multiplicity in unity.

All of us here are seekers. We are all children of God. We are progressing according to our inner intensity and our soul's necessity. Each individual member of the world family has a special way of achieving peace. A child feels that he can achieve peace only by making noise. Inside noise, what looms large for him is peace. An adolescent finds peace only in constant activity. A youth finds peace only by creating a new world or by destroying the old world. An old man finds peace in unlearning most of the things he has learned from the ignorant world. When he unlearns, he feels considerable peace. He also achieves peace by placing himself at the Feet of the Supreme Pilot.

Peace is our inner wealth. This inner wealth we can bring to the fore only when we expect nothing from the outer world and everything from the Supreme Pilot within us, at God's Choice Hour. Often, when we work for the world and serve the world we feel that it is the world's bounden duty to offer us gratitude or to acknowledge our service. When we expect something from the world, we are bound to meet with frustration. But when we expect from the Inner Pilot, He fulfils us beyond the flight of our imagination. But one thing we must know, and that is that God has an Hour of His own.

Our duty is to pray for peace, meditate on peace, concentrate on peace and contemplate on peace. God's duty is to inundate us with His Peace. When we know the art of surrender, the kingdom of peace within us cannot separate itself from our living reality. It is our conscious inner surrender, our unconditional surrender to the Inner Pilot that expedites our journey toward the discovery of the all illumining and all fulfilling Peace.

Now we are in the state of Ohio. The state motto is most significant for all seekers: "With God, all things are possible." The moment we enter into the spiritual life, we feel there can be no better, more encouraging and more illumining message than this. A beginner seeker believes in it. An advanced seeker goes one step further and feels that God is the Doer, God is the Action and God is the Fruit thereof. So, our first lesson in the spiritual life is that everything is possible with God. Then later we come to feel that we do nothing, that it is God who does everything in and through us. This is the great lesson, the ultimate lesson, that we learn from our inner school.

The capital of the state of Ohio is Columbus. In the state of spirituality, there is only one capital, and that is aspiration. On the strength of aspiration we can achieve our Goal. On the strength of aspiration we transcend constantly our earthly reality and existence. No matter in which field we apply aspiration, the mounting flame within us, we are bound to achieve success. The state of Ohio offers us a shining example. From Ohio, seven American Presidents came, and offered their loftiest height and light to the whole country. Not only in the field of politics, but in every walk of life, when we aspire, our aspiration leads us to the destined goal.

Every day the Almighty Father, the ever Compassionate Father, gives us ample opportunity to discover something new. The thing that we are discovering is love, love divine. Love divine is at once eternally ancient and eternally new. When we discover love divine within us, we grow into the very image of God the eternal Lover and God the eternal Beloved, who ever abides within us.

Man is a three-strata being, instead of a two-strata one as Thomson J. Hudson theorizes. The obvious stratum is commonly called conscious or objective mind. This is the surface mind, the everyday mind, the mind we use in our waking hours.

Then there is the sub-conscious mind. The sub-conscious or subjective mind is the stratum of mind which receives the knowledge and wisdom which has passed through the conscious mind. The sub-conscious stratum of mind holds the habits and instincts formed at some time and place in and by the conscious mind. “Sub” means under; the sub-conscious mind lies under the conscious mind, as the depths of the lake lie under the surface.

But there is a third layer of mind which lies within and beyond both conscious and sub-conscious mind, and whose workings Hudson confounds with those of the sub-conscious mind. This may be called, for the lack of a better name, the super-conscious mind—the mind above conscious mind—the mind above consciousness.

This super-conscious mind is what we call God, out of which comes all wisdom.

Conscious mind is the point of contact between what we have already learned in this and previous states of existence, and the limitless reservoir of truth yet to be learned. Conscious mind is like unto the surface of a lake; sub-conscious mind is like the depths of the lake, every drop of which has at some time been on the surface, and is liable at any time to be recalled there; but super-conscious mind is like the rains of heaven and the streams from snow clad heights, whence the lake is perpetually replenished.

That which we already know, which we do by instinct, rests in the sub-conscious mind, ever ready to be recalled to the conscious mind. The conscious mind has to do with that which we are now learning. Super- conscious mind contains all wisdom, knowledge and power. In it we live and move and have our being and from it we are able to call, by aspiration and inspiration whatsoever we would know.

The visible universe as it is, is the sub-conscious and conscious mind of God; it represents what has been thought out of the universal reservoir of truth. But it is only a taste of the wonderful supplies still awaiting our aspiration and inspiration.

Think of all the wonderful discoveries and inventions of the last sixty years—all thought out of that great universal reservoir; and eye hath not seen nor ear heard the glories that yet await us in the great superconscious realm.

Mrs. Boehme illustrates individuality and solidarity by a star-shaped diagram. Each point of the star represents a person, a formed character; in other words, it represents the sub-conscious or habit self, the "nature" of the person. The center of the star represents God, the universal mind, with which every person is one on the unseen side. Looking at the points alone there is diversity, separateness; but looking from the center outward toward the points we see that points and center are all one, with no separating lines.

Now imagine a line cutting each point off from the center—an imaginary line, not a real one—and you will have a fair illustration of the conscious mind. The conscious mind lies between the personality and the universality of each of us; between the human and the divine of each; between what has been realized, and that limitless reservoir of beauties waiting to be realized.

Look at the star from the center and you will see that each point is simply a little bay projecting outward from the center; so each individuality is an inlet of God, each individual mind an inlet of divine mind.

And conscious mind is the imaginary line where personal mind and divine mind meet. You can readily see that one’s conscious mind, then, would be filled with personality or divinity according as he looks down and is occupied with the “physical” being, or looks up and aspires toward the universal part of himself, the God part.

Now imagine the center of the star as being fluid, ever living and always free; and think of the points as being nearly solid, partially fixed. Imagine the points as containing water of life so muddy with false beliefs that it continually deposits along its edges layers of mud, ever hardening; with the water growing thicker and the beaches ever widening. Thus will you perceive the difference between personality and universality.

Now imagine the conscious mind endowed with will; note that when it turns toward the point of the star, toward the “material” part of itself, it becomes tense with anxiety and thus shuts off the point from the center, preventing a free play of the currents of life through the star-point, the personality. So the personality dries up, literally. This is the process by which we grow old.

Then imagine the conscious mind turned in faith and love toward the center of life—think, with this broader vision and knowledge of life, how lightly it would hold the things of personality, of that little point of personality; knowing that the personality is only a little inlet of divinity, and that the broad opening between the two is always open, that personality exists as a result of ever-flowing currents of divinity, and. that only his own grasping and straining can hinder the currents;—knowing all this, conscious mind turns away from the already realized personality and throws wide the opening into the great center of all life.

Thus conscious mind looks up, not down; and comes into his kingdom of love, wisdom, power. This is inspiration and aspiration. Yes, you may receive what you will, provided you call upon the super-conscious mind, the One mind over all. Whatsoever you can ask this mind believing you receive, you shall have.

When you can’t ask in faith it is usually because you have not dwelt enough with the thought of God, the divine self of all creation. When we dwell much in the thought of personality, things, “materiality,” then God seems faint and far away and impotent, and we can’t believe we shall receive what we ask.

We need daily periods for withdrawing from the physical life and dwelling upon the thought of our oneness with omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and our oneness with each other. Thus does faith grow, aspiration and inspiration become our mental habit, and the waters of life flow freely through us.

The One Spirit will guide you in all the affairs of life, and you are “safe” only when following its promptings.

If you would know the spirit’s leadings, measure your impulses by the Golden Rule; for the spirit is Love to All.

The advice "Know thy Self" tells us what we should do if we want to know God. For, in knowing the higher Self, or soul, one realizes God - the Infinite Love, Light, Peace, and Joy that includes everything in Its oneness. God-realization and Self-realization amount to the same thing, because the experience of the infinite aspects of God, which some have had, is the same as the experience of the Self. In experiencing the Self, the Self and God are one. In fact, enlightened masters describe this experience as one in which the apparent separation between the Self and God disappears - the Self melts into the infinite bliss of God, and all is merged as one.

What is the Self that seekers seek to know? One might say it is neither the physical, the astral, nor the causal body, because these vehicles are usually abandoned as one becomes more and more enlightened. Yet, the Self is one with everything - and that includes its bodies, as well as all of creation. The Self is the soul, in the highest sense of the word "soul". It is infinite, and lives forever in the eternal present beyond time. Still, it is one with everything existing in time and space, and is, therefore, omnipresent. The Self cannot be adequately described in human language because words can only hint at its glory. Nevertheless, enlightened masters have spoken of or written about the Self - using terms such as "unconditional love", "the light of God" and "divine bliss" - knowing that some people would understand what they meant. In fact, to the extent that we comprehend our oneness with everything, and the divine peace, love, light and joy within us, we do understand the Self.

What keeps us from knowing the Self in the fullness of its glory? The ego. "Ego" is a term that represents the mental processes that make us think we are separate from God. It is the ego that judges, compares, and keeps us in a state of fear, entranced with illusions of duality. It causes us to think we are a body and to be attached to possessions. It causes us to be angry when others do not agree with us. The ego has been with us for a very long time, but it does not exist forever. It can be removed from one's mind by spiritual practices, such as meditating on God, serving others unselfishly, contemplating the teachings of enlightened masters, and loving others unconditionally.

As one becomes less and less influenced by ego-consciousness, one becomes more and more filled with love and light. Wisdom increases, fear decreases, and one indulges less in defensive mental mechanisms, such as projecting one's own faults on others. By binding us to illusions, the ego keeps us ignorant of spiritual reality, but it cannot withstand the power of truth. By constant effort to live in truth and love and by following the inner, intuitive guidance of Spirit, its influence over us is weakened and eventually we are freed from its grip. The ego is the last thing to go before one is able to fully realize the Self. After it is gone, it is seen as an illusion, but until it is finally overcome, it keeps us from seeing everything as one, unified in God.

Enlightened masters, while on earth, experience the Self in ecstatic trances or in the nirbikalpa samadhi state. This is the state of consciousness of one who has advanced beyond the need to be immobile and in a trance in order to realize the Self as blissful, omnipresent consciousness, one with all that is, or God. The teachings about the Self, presented here, are based on what enlightened beings have said about it. Keep in mind that we are made in the "image and likeness" of God, and the attributes of the Self realized by these beings are also their experience of the nature of God.

The Self is divine love - unconditional, pure, and holy. In its ultimate grandeur and glory, this love is incomprehensible to the ordinary human being, for it is the power that runs the universe. But many of us know something about it because it is what we, in essence, are, and we glimpse its nature when our ego defenses are down and our hearts open up. Divine love is felt in the sacred heart, or heart chakra, located in the center of the chest. Through deep meditation, holiness and purity, one can enter the silent sanctuary of the sacred heart. There, in the pristine "Garden of Eden" of Spirit consciousness, undisturbed by human desires and body consciousness, a sincere seeker can realize the infinite nature of the Self.

Divine love is given without any strings attached, from one's very being. It is, by far, the greatest power we possess, although this truth seems strange to those who think of power only as a physical agency. Divine love creates things, changes situations, promotes harmony, engenders forgiveness, elevates consciousness, heals emotional wounds, energizes the body, resolves disputes, attracts people to each other, reveals God, and brings peace, contentment, better health, and joy into our lives.

The love that a soul expresses during its incarnation in a particular body attracts light to that soul. This light remains with the soul, energizes its body, and stays with the soul after the body dies. If one lives an unloving life, this light dims, but that soul can shine brightly again by living in love. The light of the soul heals, strengthens, and sustains the body. It is life force.

Each soul is unique, and its individuality may be experienced as the quality of divine love coming from a person. Just think: There are billions of human beings on earth alone, not to speak of the rest of the universe, and each soul is a unique expression of love, just as each of the countless snowflakes falling to earth from above is a unique expression of beauty! Those who are attuned to oneness experience God's individual expressions of love and beauty, not in a dualistic way, as sharply contrasted with each other, but as unified in oneness, as part of the One. In Messages from Jesus by Mary Ann Johnston, Jesus says, "The majority of mankind defines their selves as separate, instead of unified in reality in the eternal now. As individuals become more attuned to all as one, they will attract more and more individuals to this realization"

The ultimate experience of wholeness is oneness, or unity, with all that is. We can feel oneness with something - the sky, a rose, a friend - but, ultimately, wholeness means oneness with everything, with all that is. Such wholeness is the nature of God as the One. The Hindu scriptures speak of the One without a second. This is a way of speaking of God - such wholeness that nothing exists beyond it. In experiencing oneness with all that is, there is great peace and harmony. Everything is seen with eyes of love and in the light of the One. Even things we usually regard as evil or destructive are seen from this perspective. Good and evil are just opposites in the ongoing drama of duality, and opposites exist only in relation to each other. When the soul is liberated from the illusion of duality, opposites vanish. Although one is then free of this illusion, one is able to participate in duality, as a liberated soul, to awaken others.

God is infinite love, light and bliss - ever existing, creative and free - the uncaused cause of the universe. The Self is an individual expression of this love, light, bliss, immortality, creativity and freedom - an endowment that it becomes aware of when it awakens to its wholeness. And, as part of God, the Self shares in God's omnipresence and omniscience. Each of us is a magnificent creation of God, one with God and every other soul. However, under the influence of ego, we identify with our physical body and our role here on earth, suffer from the pains, fears and limitations of this world, and are oblivious of our blissful omnipresence and perfection. No wonder enlightened beings advise us to know the Self!

Many people believe that heaven is actually a place somewhere out there in the great expanse of the universe.  People also sometimes refer to heaven as "going home."  If we continue these theories, does it mean that "home" is another planet we came from, and that we were sent to Earth to learn lessons and maybe even humble ourselves?

Some people suggest that Earth is a type of school for the soul.  We learn, we die, and we go back to our original planet and live in a beautiful existence.  Graduation isn't easy but well worth it.

If we accept the notion of heaven as a planet, the next logical question is, "Where is it?"  There could be one planet or many that could serve as paradise.  But since it's most likely located on an entirely different plane, we don't have a very good chance of finding this planet, or cluster of planets, even if we sent our best space-exploring telescopes in search of it.

So, if heaven is a planet or if there are several heavens out there, does the departed soul just jet over to it at the speed of light?

Maybe heaven isn't necessarily "up."  Maybe it's just out... way out!  Out in a different realm; a different plane... a different level of existence. 

Question to God: God I see so many people in life who have seemingly given up on life and checked out. Why?

Scott, what do you mean they have “checked out” on life? Well, I see so many especially those who seem to be in their middle age just kind of check out on life…why? Because they have lost hope my child and they have forgotten who they are. Some are those who had very hard contracts to fulfill before they got here and in the midst of crisis upon crisis (their words) have realized that to them it is a losing battle, and they have decided not to play anymore.

God, could you please qualify what you mean by the statement… “They have decided not to play anymore” for me? Yes, all of you had a soul assignment so to speak when you decided to come to this earth. This assignment was primarily structured around your deepest soul’s prayer and desire for you Scott. Okay. Well, many of you had huge assignments when you chose to come here to this earthly plane. We all discussed these assignments with your guides and angels and it was all offered up to me. I gave you free—will and choice but you were also instructed very well on the perils and challenges of your assignment.

After much forethought you decided to “go for it” as you would say. We prepared you for it with instruction and schooling and with tender love and care. You chose your friends and soul group who would also help you accomplish your task. It became sort of a game for you, and you with great anticipation chose it, with your eyes “wide open”, you see.

Once, here you found the challenges that you faced were harder than anticipated and, things for the most part, went “south” on you, as you would say. Because of the thick veil between the heavenlies and the earthly plane you just could not seem to see the daylight of what you came here for. You lost purpose, became discouraged and decided to “throw in the towel”, again, as you would say. You mentally checked out on life and either decided to end it all either by way of self—inflicted wounds to your body, or by disease, or by other outlets like schizophrenia or the splitting, and fragmentation of the brain—mind.

For those who checked out it is still okay since they will have other chances to fulfill their hearts and souls desires. It is not the only time you can play. Next time around you might decide after careful consideration to take on a task that is less arduous and not as difficult. You see, you choose it all. That is part of the free—will that I enable all of you with and it is a great gift. No one actually loses at the game of life. Eventually with time and eternity on your side you all make it to your utmost soul’s purpose and journey.

What happens then God? Well, again you will have multiple choices to choose from. It will all boil down to what you really desire to accomplish. Some desire to stay in the heavenlies and help those on earth. Many become spiritual guides and even angels. There are all kinds of ways to facilitate your desires with God. It will be the most fun-- work you have ever done when you finally come to a place where your earthly experience is culminated, and complete. There are worlds and universes to yet conquer and explore.

You will be totally fulfilled for every endeavor that you undertake once your earthly experience has matured and culminated. God, itself being endless and eternal, makes you the same my beloved. There are no “clouds and harps” to play as illustrated in your religious culture. Let me just say that you will never be bored doing heavens activities. There is something for everyone. There is an eternal evolution of your soul that will never actually culminate. Once, you are fully satisfied with one existence, or one reality, you may go on to others. Again, it will be soul-fulfilling and there will never be a dull moment for my beloveds.

Sometimes in life, we take a chance on someone.  That decision makes the stomach tilt and our hands a little shaky.  We don't have to do it, no one will know if we don't, and our lives would continue the same as always.  But when we start to love, not only as a tentative experiment, but also lavishly, our lives are changed forever.

When we love generously, we receive unforgettable rewards.  And sometimes, that caring touches not only the other person, but has a ripple effect, creating an "extended family" that becomes an experience of true community that we all long for.

Words are thoughts expressed which carry the message of our intentions with them. Our external speech can be thought of as a reflection or external manifestation of our inner programming. The words we use can tell us a lot about how or what we think. Words can be either charged with the positive energy of love, that helps us expand, or they are charged with the energy of fear, that causes us to shrink away from who we truly are.

Our words have power, and our speech has the power to set the energy or the directions we choose in our lives. If we say good and positive things, good and positive things (experiences) happen to us. These words give us the opportunity to experience life from a positive or optimistic point of view. If, on the other hand, we come from negativity and say negative things, accordingly, negative things happen to us or we end up seeing life as one big problem or disappointment.

While we are all familiar with our external speech or voice, we also have another voice that we work with and interact with daily. This is our "inner voice". While at first glance you may think: "what inner voice"? But when you come right down to it, we are all familiar with our inner voice. Our inner voice is that small utterance that comes from deep within us, whose job it is to provide us with guidance. This is a different kind of communication than what comes from our normal waking conscious, which I call our analyzer. When our analyzer is talking, the communication we receive tends to seem more like a nonstop conversation that goes on inside of our heads all day and sometimes well into the night.

It is through the mechanism of our inner voice that "spirit" communicates with us. It can be likened to the images portrayed on television of a little white angel standing on one side of our heads telling us the "right" thing to do, while our brain or analyzer stands on the other side (the little devil character), telling us what we "should" do, regardless of integrity or merit. Our inner voice can be thought of as our conscious, poking and prodding us into action or inaction as the case may be.

How many times has your inner voice told you to do something, you in turn choosing to ignore its promptings, only to find out it was a big mistake? I'll bet, in that moment, you say to yourself, "I should have listened to myself". Case and point, you were not paying attention to the guidance provided to you by your inner voice.

Your inner voice is there to help guide you along the path called life. Sometimes the promptings of our inner voice are subtle, reminding us to pay a bill or call a friend. Other times our inner voice can be more insistent, where it may seem as if it is nagging us, reminding us over and over of some unfinished business for perhaps days, weeks or even years.

Many people confuse thoughts or passing emotions for the information they receive from their inner voice. In fact, many of us confuse information provided by our brains, or analyzers for the inner promptings of spirit. But if you quiet your mind, you can easily tap into this information. This can be accomplished through meditation, quiet contemplation, exercise, art, dance and even music. Each of these activities helps to turn off our analyzer, allowing us to commune with our higher self, our spirit or the universe.

If these techniques aren't working for you, here is a good rule of thumb to follow. If your inner voice, those inner promptings that urge each of us into action lasts more than a week, i.e., you find the same thoughts and feelings coming back to you over and over again, then know that this is your inner voice looking for expression. Trust the information you are receiving, and use it to guide you into action

Our inner voice also works on another basic principal: if you ask yourself a question, you will always receive an answer. So if you ask, "What should I do now?" you will always be prompted as to your next step. At times you may receive a whole digression at to what you could or should be doing. Our inner self always provides us with information that is for our highest good, even if the tasks it requires of us are hard. It will always lead us on the right path, but it cannot compel us to follow. We were all provided with something called free will. It is our ability to choose what we want for ourselves. Bottom line, we can choose to follow spirit, or we can choose to take a different path.

When you listen to the prompting of spirit, life happens much smoother. Things that may have been a problem or issue, in the past, seem to be miraculously avoided and life is good. When you choose to not listen to spirit, it is as if you are taking your life into your own hands. Spirit will poke you and prod you, it will even nag at you with the things you should be doing.

The more you don't listen, or choose to not pay attention, the further and further you are moving from your center and your true path. Your inner self starts to become unbalanced. The more unbalanced you become, the stronger or louder the promptings become. Obstacles or tests are put in our path increase in intensity. Finally, the last straw is placed upon the camel's back. It is as if the universe smacks you up the side of the head with a 2 x 4, an index card pinned to the end of it, which reads "Are you ready to listen now?"

Listening to spirit, your higher self or the universe is all about trust…trusting that what you are being told or lead to do is what is best for you highest good. Trust is a challenge for many of us to master. Working with the promptings of our inner voice makes us acknowledge that we are not necessarily in control. I fact, it forces us to giving the steering wheel of our life over to someone else. It is hard for us to give up control of our lives. But once you choose to follow spirit by trusting and surrendering control, you will see miraculous changes happening in your life almost immediately.

Any fool can criticize, and most fools do

The Harm We Do

Imagine stabbing a friend in a fit of anger. As the knife blade sinks into his chest, your friend gasps in astonishment. Bewildered, his face contorts in excruciating pain. Losing blood and succumbing to shock, he collapses. Fortunately, someone called an ambulance, which soon arrives and rushes your friend to the hospital. Although he recovers, his chest is marred for life by an ugly scar.

Hard to imagine you would do that, isn't it? And if you did, I am sure after realizing the harm you have done, you would never repeat such an act. Yet, many of us, almost daily, stab the ones we love. We use invisible knives that do not draw blood. The weapon of choice is CRITICISM. The harm we do is just as vile as that produced by a real knife.

Our criticism tears down their self-esteem. They feel unloved and experience self-doubt. Before their wounds have time to heal, we stab them again and again in the same place. How can we be so cruel? Perhaps we are deceived because our weapon and the victim's wounds are invisible. Why are we so vicious? Because of our own insecurities.

How can we improve? The next time you feel like butchering someone with caustic words, pause for a moment, and in your imagination, make your knife visible. Once you realize the harm you are about to do, I'm sure you will stop.

Sometimes the harm we inflict is so subtle, we are unaware of it. An example is combining praise with the word "but." For example, Johnny says, "Look, mom, I got an 'A' on my report card." Mom replies, "That's wonderful, Johnny, BUT you have a 'C' in math." The use of the word 'but' cancels the praise that preceded it. With this is mind, let's 'translate' the above conversation to see what we arrive at. Johnny: "Look, mom, I'm doing well at school." Mom: "No, you're not!"

Compare the possible outcomes of the conversation between Johnny and his mother. What would have happened if his mother had said, "That's wonderful, Johnny. I'm going to tell Daddy how clever you are. Keep up the good work." Wouldn't that have inspired Johnny to work harder on his math, earning more praise in the future? Instead, Johnny feels that his hard work is not appreciated because his mom said, ". . . BUT you have a 'C' in math." Not much incentive for Johnny to try harder, is there?

What to Do when Criticized

What should you do when you are the victim of criticism? Here are some tips.

1. Use the criticism as a learning experience. That is, REMEMBER THE PAIN you feel, and vow not to do the same to others.

2. REMEMBER THEY ARE USING INVISIBLE WEAPONS, so are unaware of the pain they are causing. Forgive them.

3. REMEMBER THEIR PAIN. What do I mean by that? Here's an explanation by someone who's used to receiving criticism, Boy George, "When folks is mean, it ain't that they hate you personal. It's more likely because they are miserable about something in their inside. You got to remember how most of the time when they yell at you or get after you, it ain't you they are yelling at but something inside themselves you never even heard tell of, like some other person has been mean to them, or something they hoped for didn't come true, or they done something they are shamed even to think of, so they get mad at you just to keep their minds off it."

4. REMEMBER NOT EVERYONE IS EQUALLY ENLIGHTENED, or as John Wanamaker said, "I learned 30 years ago that it is foolish to scold. I have enough trouble overcoming my own limitations without fretting over the fact that God has not seen fit to distribute evenly the gift of intelligence."

5. After being criticized, THANK THEM FOR THEIR ADVICE and promise to take it into consideration. By thanking them, you are disarming their antagonism and ending the conversation peacefully.

6. CONSIDER THE SOURCE. The person criticizing you may be incompetent, envious, or jealous. If so, after thanking them for their advice, just brush it off.

7. EVALUATE THE CRITICISM. Although the complaint is probably not objective, there still may be some truth to what they say. Try to use this as an opportunity to grow. Remember, you are imperfect and others may see your flaws more clearly. Learn from them whenever you can, but don't return the favor by criticizing others!

Final Thoughts

Here's a valuable point made by Judge Harold Medina, "Criticizing others is a dangerous thing, not so much because you may make mistakes about them, but because you may be revealing the truth about yourself." Also, Samuel Johnson said, "God Himself, sir, does not propose to judge a man until his life is over. Why should you and I?" Finally, be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

"I truly believe in a creator (whether we call him God or Allah, or any other name.) I serve people believing that serving them means serving God. I work as a volunteer, serving humanity, and I think this is the best prayer we can do.

"Now, I have some long cherished wishes. Do you think God will ever listen to me and fulfill my desires? I believe so. With this belief in my heart, I continue serving others more and more. I serve God. God will certainly reward me. Do you think I am on the right path?"

Amitabh, you say that God will reward you by granting your wishes, but if you believed that, you wouldn't have written. Rather than being filled with trust and faith in God, your heart is filled with doubt. As long as this condition remains, there is little likelihood that you will get your cherished desires.

Here is what is important to understand. God is not a Santa Claus dispensing gifts to all His children. Rather, God is the Creator. He has created all. His creation is held together by laws. His laws govern the universe and humanity. I'm not referring to religious laws, but to natural laws. An example of a physical law would be gravity and an example of a spiritual law would be "You reap what you sow."

What if I jumped from a plane to commit suicide and then changed my mind as I fell to earth? No amount of praying will spare me! The natural outcome of such an act would be death. Death by the law of gravity. Now, what if I would like to become a great success, but lack faith in God, myself, and others? What if I would like to succeed, but expect to fail? If I expect to fail, I most likely will because of the spiritual law that we get what we expect.

Christ didn't say "All your prayers will be granted," but said, "All things, whatsoever you ask in prayer, BELIEVING (expecting), you shall receive (Mat 21:22). So, the first step to receiving your desires is to trust in God and believe in His love. He loves you and wants only what is best for you. So, start expecting to receive His blessings.

These spiritual laws are simple to understand once we take the time to think about them. For example, let's say I have an interview for a job I want. I am excited by this opportunity, thank God for it, and am confident and expect to land the job. This being so, what impression will I give to the interviewrs? Won't I be exuding confidence and enthusiasm? Even if I am not the most qualified, I may be chosen because of my great attitude. That's not surprising, is it?

But what if I don't get the job? No problem! For I know God will grant whatever I wish, OR SOMETHING BETTER. We want what is best for us, but the problem is we cannot know what that is. All we can do is set our goals and make the best decisions we can. Whenever things appear to be going wrong, it is just God telling us He has better plans for us. That's why it makes sense to submit to the will of God.

God always answers our prayers. He does this by giving us either what we prayed for or what we SHOULD HAVE prayed for. Plato (c. 428 ~ 348 BCE) realized this, for he prayed, "Grant us what is good whether we prayer for it or not, but keep evil from us even though we prayer for it." To this, Socrates (469 ~ 399 BCE) adds, "Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us." As long as we want only what our Creator gives us, we will be free from frustration and always fulfilled.

Muslims should have a good understanding of this idea since the name of their religion, Islam, means submit or surrender. We surrender to the will of God not to be enslaved, but to be set free from making bad decisions. Those who have mastered the art of surrender have only one request they ask of God; mainly, "God, grant that I only try to follow Your will." Such a prayer is a wise one because the only way we can guarantee that we will always get what is best for us is by following the will of God.

Besides believing that God will grant your wishes, or something better, you need to be patient, Amitabh. After all, it is written in the Koran (Qur'an), "And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones" (2.45). And again, even more clearly, it is written, "O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient." (2.153) More than 1,000 years before the Prophet Muhammad (570 ~ 632) said these words, Buddha (563 ~ 483 BCE) said something similar, "The greatest prayer is patience." We not only should be patient, Amitabh, but we should prayer persistently, for as William McGill wisely wrote in 1986, "The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will finally hear Him."

Thanking our parents five times a day can keep us focused on them and ever grateful for their support. But if we were not careful, our thanks would be reduced to a mere ritual, empty of any feeling. So it is with our prayers. So, heed the advice of the ancient Jewish sages who taught "Do not make prayer mechanical. Let it be a cry for grace and mercy, that love replace fear in the place in which you stand." (Pirke Avot, 11:17, c. 250 ~ 275 CE).

The 12th century Muslim mystic Hakim Sanai (Hakim Abu' L-Majd Majdud Sanai of Ghazna) reminds us also of how important sincerity is, "When you sincerely enter into prayer, you will come forth with all your prayers answered; but a hundred prayers that lack sincerity will leave you still the bungler that you are." Your requests do not become holy just because you ask God for His favor. But if you first make sure your requests are worthy and aligned with His will, they will surely be granted.

You also ask if you are on the right path. The answer depends on what you mean by "With this belief in my heart (that God will fulfill my wishes), I continue serving others more and more." If you mean by this that you serve others because God will reward you, you are on the wrong path. Those on the right path do not serve others because of obligations or rewards. No, they serve others because their help is needed and because it is the right thing to do. They wish to become more Godlike by serving others out of love. Their mission is to sow love and peace wherever they go. They look for no reward because their service is their reward. As long as it is done with a pure heart, and not with the hope of any reward, I agree with your statement that serving others is the same as serving God.

I'll end with a few suggestions. First, remember prayer is not a monologue; it is a conversation. Listen more than you speak. Second, don't prayer for your present situation to change. Instead, prayer for your thinking to change. Prayer to become trustful, hopeful, and positive. Third, give up self-centered prayers for other-centered prayers. For example, instead of praying to marry the woman you love, prayer to love the woman you marry. Fourth, heed the advice of St. Augustine (354 ~ 430), "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." Finally, we end with these words of the Persian poet Sa'di (c. 1184 ~ 1291), "To give pleasure to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head-bowings in prayer."

May you always be aware of God watching over you and walking by your side.