A life free of regret

The Teacher said:

There are three things needed for a life free of regret.

One is to be mindful of your thoughts and actions and do only good to the best of your ability.

The second is to focus on the good in every course of action.

The third is to forgive yourself continuously and completely.

A student asked,

Where does this leave my enemies, or in other words, people that our out ONLY to harm me?

The Teacher replied:

First of all, this is guidance on living a life free of regret, not on all aspects of life, though it comes pretty close to the latter.

I can't improve on the advice Jesus gave, which is to love your enemies. If unconditional love is the center of your being, that is something no one can harm or touch.

I believe that our purpose in life is to be happy and to teach others by example how to be happy. When someone tries to harm you and discovers that your happiness is unassailable, he may cease hating you and try to emulate you. People who set out to harm others are very unhappy people themselves. They live in a state of unconsciousness toward Spirit. The unhappiness that dominates their minds seeks to perpetuate itself by spreading unhappiness to others. It is a universal law that what a person sends into the world will come back to him or her. The unhappy mind knows this and seeks to bolster its own unhappiness by making those around it unhappy also.

If a person seems to be actively seeking to spread unhappiness, it is possible that the Spirit within that person is trying to break through the shell of unconsciousness in which it is confined. This drives the unhappy mind to greater efforts to contain Spirit, because it fears that Spirit will destroy it. Yet it is not necessary to destroy it, because it does not exist; it is mere darkness that will ultimately be dispelled by the emrgence of Light. This process may take more than one lifetime. However, you can help by shining the Light of your own unconditional love upon that person. Even if the effect on him or her is not perceptible, you may cause the shell that binds that person's Spirit to begin to dissolve; and in the meantime, you will have done no harm to yourself.

The Teacher said, "You were not sent here to make others happy, but to show them that happiness is possible, and to offer guidance to those who seek the Way. Therefore make your joy a beacon fire, that those who are able to see will come to you and be warmed. But do not take the chill or the darkness upon yourself, for in the Source there is comfort for all who seek it."

I gave my life to God

I gave my life to God
And God entrusted it back,
Saying this is precious to me;
Use it for the good of all my children.
Shine its light in dark corners
And let my love be manifest through it.
You are my steward,
All my power is at your command.
Take my Word into the world
And spread the Truth of my abundant Love
Forever.

How to know

"If you feel God within you, then the important question is settled; the rest is details."

--Newsweek, Aug. 29/Sept. 5, 2005, p. 50

Cherish Every Person

Every event is an opportunity.  Every person I meet, even those I pass on the street, has something to teach me. I cherish each one as an angel, so that I may be receptive to the message God is sending me through him or her.

It follows also that I am God's messenger to everyone I meet. I try to be mindful of this mission and to act accordingly.

Wisdom and Need

I am given wisdom in accordance with my need. As long as I am a Teacher, my need is great. If I were a hermit, I would have no great need of wisdom, and little would be given to me. I am grateful for the calling that keeps me among people and allows me to drink so deeply of the well of wisdom that is Spirit.

A Christmas Grace

Bless this food, and all the living energy that brings it to this table for our nourishment and joy.

Bless this celebration of the God that is manifest in us.

And bless us all, in the knowledge that we are one with Spirit, with each other, and with all the vibrant energy of the perpetual Now.

Happiness

The sole purpose of life is to create happiness. Your ego tells you that you will be happy if you possess many things - if you have the things that others have. However, possessions and privileges are not the way to happiness. True happiness comes from finding contentment in the present moment.

Thankfulness

I am thankful for Spirit that gives life, love, and purpose.

I am thankful for the love of those who are close to me, whether they are physically near or far away, and whether they are in this life or the next.

I am thankful for the prosperity that Spirit gives, and the secure knowledge that all my needs are provided for.

I am thankful for personal liberty, and the way freedom is manifest in this time and place. I am mindful of the sacrifices others have made to preserve and protect it.

I am thankful for the awareness of my connection through Spirit with all beings, and for the feeling of love that unites all souls.

I reach out in compassion to those of my brothers and sisters who are lost in separation, in pain, or in grief; who are beset by sorrow, anger, or fear. I pray that their connection with Spirit may be restored, and that they may rediscover that peace, love, and joy are all that exist.

And so it is.

Sadness

Sadness is what I feel when I am separated from Spirit.

Sadness is a sign that I need to reconnect with the God within.

Sadness is what I feel when the perfect unfolding of the Universe is hidden from my sight for a time.

Sadness comes when I forget that all souls are one, throughout eternity, and that physical separation does not diminish that Unity.

Sadness affects me when I passively observe the suffering and separation of others, rather than offering them my joy.

Sadness is what I feel when I forget the power of prayer.

I Forgive the Past

I forgive the past.
I release the past.
I am nothing but what I am;
Everything has happened as it should.
I love my life.
I live in the Now, and not in the past.
Everything I have done,
And everything I have created around me,
Has been for the purpose of bringing me here and now.
This is the best place I can be,
This is the only place I can be.
I love this world and everything in it.
I am satisfied with myself.
I am growing stronger, happier and closer to God every day.
Bathed in the warmth of Spirit, I am blissful and at peace.
God gives me everything I need, and everything I truly want.
Prosperity is now my intention.
Abundance is now my intention.
I am God's perfect, unique child.
I am loved.
I am appreciated.
I fill my space with love.
And so it is.

Thoughts After the Election

Did you, like me, support a losing candidate? Look out the window. Is the sun shining? Whether or not it is shining where you are at this moment, do you believe it would shine with more or less intensity if the outcome of the election had been different? If you cannot see the sunlight, is that because the Source has been extinguished, or because something is blocking its way to you?

Like the sun, the pristine brilliance of Spirit shines in your soul with the same glow of love and compassion as it did at this time yesterday, and last year, and as it will throughout all time. You are still an incorruptible manifestation of the fundamental Universal energy -- and so is every candidate, every voter, and every other being on the planet.

It is easy to fall into the belief that a particular result external to myself will make me happy, will make everything all right; or conversely, that an undesired result will ruin my life or at least make it less enjoyable. The fact is that the quest for happiness begins and ends within myself. I am responsible for my own state of mind. My task is to find the opportunity concealed within the event, to increase my learning, my understanding of Spirit, and to bring myself closer to God.

No Limitations

First, accept that there is a presence vastly greater than yourself.
Then, accept that this greater presence is also yourself, and that the only limitations on you are those that you allow.

Resistance and Surrender

I must give up resistance in order to be able to see what is needed, and to take whatever steps are necessary.

Resistance blinds me to values and priorities.

Resistance sometimes takes the form of being distracted by trivial things or even by other worthwhile activities.

Surrender is necessary in order to see clearly. When I see clearly, proactivity happens. My natural inclination is to do right things.