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You Can Lead a Horse to Water…

Posted on by cmryan

A couple of recent experiences brought this saying to my mind: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

According to information found on websites, this adage is said to have originated in the 12th Century, having first been found in Old English Homilies, a volume dated 1175 A.D. The claim is that this is the only English saying to be in continuous use for this long a period. The original proverb was written as Who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord?

So what does this have to do with spirituality? Why am I bringing it up here? I’m truly impressed by how many times this idea can be applied to situations in life and have no doubt that this versatility is the primary reason this saying has survived so long. It’s not just for horses and ranchers.

You can send a child to school, but you can’t make him/her learn. You can do an excellent job at work, but your employer doesn’t have to keep you employed or give you a raise. You can plan meetings and events of the highest quality or the most engaging, but attendance can still be low. You can offer classes that will change lives, but some people just aren’t ready consciously or spiritually for that journey.

But you can still lead. You can still do your best. You can still offer the highest quality products and services that you know how to do. You can be available to teach those who are willing…and that is where your focus needs to be – on the gifts you’re willing to share and with those who are open to receiving the experience.

If your focus and concern is only for the ones who are missing out or not in attendance, then you do not serve those right in front of you or yourself. Not everyone moves through life or their spiritual path at the same pace or with the same interest or intensity. Not everyone wants what you have to offer. That’s just how it is. Offering your gifts is what’s important. Doing the best you know how to do is what brings satisfaction. Gratitude for what is already in your life keeps you in the now moment and satisfies the soul.

You can complain to God all you want, but you are loved anyway!

Aware of Being Aware

Posted on by cmryan

A co-worker once told me, “Once you become aware (spiritually), you can never go back to being UNaware.” It didn’t take long to realize the truth of that statement. As consciousness grows and the mind expands, old ideas can no longer fit into that previous mental mold. The mind has been altered. You can never think the same way again. Expansive thinking at its finest! So what do you do when you just want a break from all that expanded consciousness thinking?

The short answer: not much, too bad, get over it. Truly, your thinking will never be the same again. No more blame or playing the victim…at least, not for very long. No more wishing things would change without you having to get involved or take responsibility – either by personal participation or positive prayer. Once you realize the impact of the Universal Law of Cause and Effect and the power of your thoughts – and have increasing experience using them effectively – it’s nearly impossible to wallow in self-pity with the negative results in your life. This realization can be empowering or intimidating or both!

For you know you have the power within you – always did, always will – to change those situations you would rather not experience any longer. All you need do is “change your thinking…” so you can change the situations over time…Spirit’s time, that is. It can be instant or it can take years. How much energy are you putting into the old paradigm versus the new consciousness? It falls back to you…your thoughts…and being willing to turn over to God what you cannot control.

Is there something you keep experiencing over and over again? Are you getting the same emotional and insane results? The same effects and conditions of the world? Or is the experience slightly different, better than before? What changed…or not?

I’ve had to ask myself these questions several times a day in recent weeks when considering what next direction I want to take for my work. Recent layoffs and the redistribution of workloads has me questioning how much I can continue to take on, if I even want to, and what my options might be if I don’t. Some things I can easily turn over; they’re not in my human realm of control. Other options bring up so much analysis or fear, that I feel paralyzed to make a sane decision. My prayer work is frequent and calming. I’m cautious about which small voice I heed for direction. I take conscious steps in these situations, so I’m making progress…just not as fast as my ego-self prefers. And there’s the challenge… staying securely connected to Spirit so I don’t slip back into old habits.

My consciousness has indeed expanded. My soul-self is evolving. This spiritual life is richer, more supportive, and growing with each challenge. I no longer make decisions or respond in ways as I did in previous decades. I remain vigilant with my spiritual practices. Some days, the emotional turmoil is tearfully painful. I tell myself that the only way to get past the pain is to go through it…to truly resolve this situation so I won’t need to experience it again. That truth gives me hope and a new awareness into the person I’ve become. I will never be the same again.

A Spiritual Practice of Release

Posted on by cmryan

I was recently introduced to a spiritual practice that was somewhat familiar, but came with a new name…new to me. This practice has now become a mental obsession! I think about it all the time. I want to implement it, follow through with it, succeed with it. It’s called…clearing.

Clearing can take the form of a variety of release methods. I started by applying this practice to my dining area. For weeks I had been gradually accumulating stuff on or around my dining table. Nothing major and certainly no item that I couldn’t just push aside or lay on the floor if we wanted to use the table for a meal. However, the stuff was building up; it was looking cluttered. I made a commitment to myself that on a certain day I would finally take all that stuff and put it where it belonged and reclaim my dining area.

That day came…and went. The shopping bags containing recent fabric purchases remained in view. The piles of papers were still neatly stacked by subject matter on the table’s surface for quick retrieval, later. Every time I came into the kitchen and looked in the direction of this beautiful but buried table and hutch, my energy diminished. I had broken a commitment with myself and I was reminded of that each day. I couldn’t take it any longer! I prayed for time.

Unexpectedly, but happily, a two-hour block of time and no one around to distract me finally came into my schedule. I quickly moved the fabric purchases in their store bags to where they needed to be. The piles of papers found their way to my office. Knick knacks were put back into position. Art projects and supplies got returned to the hobby storage area. The hutch was dusted. The table was honored with a new centerpiece and decorative runner that replaced the piles of stuff. The entire room was transformed. Not only did I regain use of this inviting space, but my energy returned and I was calm being here. My commitment to myself – to my soul’s need – was fulfilled.

I started using this clearing and release method in other areas of my life. To improve my health and stamina, I’ve managed to release several pounds of weight from my body. My computer files are being reviewed and consolidated; I can find data faster. By gathering similar household items together, I’ve discovered how abundant our life is. We are blessed with numerous and duplicate items, such as cleaning supplies, bath soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. And how many packs of batteries do we really need for two small flashlights? I’m amazed by our CD music library and DVD movie collection.

I see this clearing practice as a way to let go of what no longer serves me. You can call it downsizing, cleaning or releasing. Once you find, sort or group together possessions in your home, office, garage, basement or car, you will feel gratitude for your material life and/or gain a sense of calm, even abundance, as you sell or give away the excess. The Law of Circulation must occur. The Universe loves a void. The sooner you clear away what no longer serves you, greater Good can come into your life. Get going, start clearing, and be ready to receive!

Tea Leaf Wisdom

Posted on by cmryan

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom. (Hugo De Groot, 1583-1645)

Anything too stupid to be said is sung. (Voltaire, 1694-1778)

If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. (Moshe Dayan, 1915-1981)

The palest ink is better than the best memory. (Wise saying from the Orient)

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness, rather than in its value. (Charles Dudley Warner, 1829-1900)

Why should I buy expensive art when I can make my own. (Piero Milani, 1964 –    )

In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man to whom the idea first occurs. (Sir Francis Darwin, 1848-1925)

Memory and Forgiveness…Tools of Inspiration

Posted on by cmryan

During the past few weeks, significant events from my past have resurfaced as memories worth noting. What has been so different about the remembering process, however, is that I’ve taken the time to appreciate the dominant ‘feeling’ experienced during each remembered event. Whether it was sad, empowering, scary, motivating or something else, I allow myself to feel what made that particular memory stand out, protected by my stronger and present Observer Self. I question why it is showing up now. Does something still need to be healed?

Gratefully, I’m often able to verbally express to my husband, family member or close friend what happened ‘back then’ and how it impacted my life up to the present moment. I give myself permission to track the behavior patterns that came from a particular experience. Then, upon deeper reflection, to determine if those behavior patterns still serve me as the person I am today. If not, what can I do to fully heal and release the past? What else do I need to do to re-pattern my behavior so I can move forward in a more uplifting manner? What Good came from that experience? There is Good in everything that happens; sometimes it just takes a long time to see what it is/was. 

Not surprising to me anymore, forgiveness is a key component for releasing the past and honoring it as an integral part of who you’ve become, and starting anew toward a vision of expanded living and higher consciousness. Forgiveness – of self, of others, or of patterns of behavior – does not mean we have to forget what happened. We can learn from all of it! Forgiveness does not mean we want to hang out with someone who abused us or that we approve of their behavior. Forgiveness does not create relationship with them. Perhaps we could have participated in a different way or wished we would have been stronger or kinder in some long-ago moment.

Forgiveness does open our heart and mind to connect with Divine Love. Forgiveness is an inside job. It’s to heal that which is in you that needs release so you can focus on the vision of your future self. If we try to totally block out a certain memory, we block out a piece of ourselves, our personal past. I know there are experiences I would never have chosen for myself. Yet, as difficult as they may have been…those experiences created the me I am today. And I like this NOW person.

I see memories and the forgiveness process as valuable Tools of Inspiration. Whether it was 50 years or 5 minutes ago, each memory provides a gift that supports me toward the vision of who I want to become. With this loving mindset, I look forward to witnessing what comes up from the past to teach me something about my today self. I now live life more fully, immersed in the present experience, knowing it will someday be a memory that inspires and supports a version of me not yet created, but a perfect me that  already exists in the mind of God.

Vision Work: Mental Activity or Real Thinking?

Posted on by cmryan

In the Science of Mind philosophy, great emphasis is placed on thought and creating through your word. Since I’m currently doing a lot of “visioning” for my next stage of life, creating through my word has become very important. Thus, when I heard the following statement recently, it gave me pause about how I think: “Just because you’re having mental activity, doesn’t mean you’re thinking. Thinking is creative.” (Mary Morrissey)

Ernest Holmes, recognized as the founder of Religious Science, writes volumes about our thinking processes, whether consciously or sub(un)consciously. He encourages us to “learn how to think abundantly” and “instead of thinking of the problem, think of the answer…principles never have problems.” When we’re faced with a challenge and get all out of balance by it, it’s simply the Universe showing us an opportunity to resolve, a way to grow and to gain more knowledge, perhaps wisdom, too. In his book “The Science of Getting Rich,” Wallace D. Wattles claims that “…sustained and consecutive thought…is the hardest work in the world.” I agree with him.

It can be very easy to get thrown off-track. The power of the unconscious mind (ego), race consciousness, daily media updates about the negative state of the world, and even concerned friends can plant seeds of doubt, even fear, in our thinking about what needs to be done in certain situations – yours, theirs or a common goal. However, if we continue to think about the current circumstance, rather than raise our thinking vibration to the resolution level, our problems cannot be solved. We’ll just keep going around in circles, creating more of the same form. Albert Einstein taught us this when he said, “The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.”

What I’ve noticed by being in the world is that, generally, those who are most tapped into Divine Mind are the most difficult to disturb by any problem or uncertainty. And that is as it should be. The more we study and become immersed in living according to these Truth Principles, the more aware we become of our thinking habits, and the more we incorporate the belief that what we think about with regularity becomes our reality … then the more careful we are about who we hang out with, what we watch or listen to in the media, and WHAT we think, say and do. We hold our precious and sacred life vision before us and move accordingly in the world; not be of the world.

To solve any challenge or create your next vision, you must raise your thoughts, your thinking and words; lift them up to and come from First Cause. Be open to possibilities from ANY direction so you can recognize them in consciousness, active or otherwise, and use a Spiritual filter to decide what’s for your highest and best expression. (It’s important to differentiate between inspiration from Divine Source or advice from ego.) You may have to modify your habits, change your use of certain phrases, or take risks. If your vision is one based on Love and Good – for yourself and others – make that the focus of your thinking. “Life is a mirror reflecting your images of thought.” (Ernest Holmes)

So… if your vision is at least possible, what one thing would you do today to support it? Think about it.

My Community, My Family

Posted on by cmryan

“Community” has been at the forefront of my consciousness lately. Whether it’s recovering from the recent layoffs at my office or attracting new people to our church. Community can be defined and experienced in many ways.

Rev. Michael Beckwith has his definition of community – communicate in unity. That can be talking things out, no matter how difficult the subject, or working together on a special project. Community is spending time at a business gathering or church service, just getting to know the people who are there and letting them get to know you. Isn’t that why we come together? To support each other for as long as we can?

Some of our members have been part of the PCCRS church community for a long time; others have joined in just the last year or two. What keeps us coming together? 

I used to think it was the minister and his/her style of delivering the Sunday message, and for some that may be the draw initially. Or maybe it was the music that filled the cracks of consciousness and made the Sunday experience one of rich harmony. Perhaps it’s the opportunity to serve and overcome challenges. But ministers come and go, presentation styles vary, problems get resolved, and even musicians move on to greater compositions.

The folks that are dedicated to a particular community don’t really come for those reasons. They’re here for each other. The minister, the message, the music, the challenges, even the treats and coffee…those are all just details. These can be important details because that’s what we’ve become accustomed to. But it doesn’t take much of a change or a shake-up to find out what’s really important in a community – it’s the people.

When a company lets go of several employees at the same time, those still holding jobs also hold onto each other and cherish the time they had with the ones saying ‘good-bye.’ When people come and go from a congregation, we miss them, welcome them back when they visit, and release them again, holding them in friendship inside our cherished memories. It doesn’t take a deep meditation practice to recognize the cycles of life apply to the coming and going in a community, too.

Community is what brings us back to the church in which we’ve grown as spiritual individuals. Community is an intangible, unseen bond that helps us recognize who we are within certain human circles. Community is what causes us to wear name badges that identify us with a particular group. Community is where we find love and support when life seems unusually challenging. Community helps us find strength to get up, dust ourselves off, and even laugh at our mistakes and trials as we move forward with greater awareness in a new and better direction. Community is our family of choice.

We don’t always have a say as to who will be part of our family, our community. All we can do is love the ones who are here.

Tea Leaf Wisdom

Posted on by cmryan

You’re never too old to become younger. (Mae West, 1892-1980)

Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word. (Charles De Gaulle, 1890-1970)

A witty saying proves nothing. (Voltaire, 1694-1778)

The first and great commandment is: Don’t let them scare you. (Elmer Davis, 1890-1958)

Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people. (Randy Pausch, 1960-2008)

Inspired by Integrity

Posted on by cmryan

I finally find myself in a work environment – corporate-based but within the educational realm – where I am inspired by the integrity and passion for service of the people, the leaders, within the organization for the customers (students) they serve.

There is an atmosphere of truly wanting to do the right thing, even if that means putting on hold all the other active projects so this immediate issue – be it a student in need or a policy that needs urgent support – can have full attention. No excuses. There is the expectation that everything can be better; a striving for higher quality, open and direct communication with one another, full disclosure and performing at your highest capability. This is my work heaven. This is where I thrive.

I drive to work each day excited to be going there and anxious to contribute to the greater good in any way I’m able. I know I’m appreciated for what I do, because no one is afraid or embarrassed to say “thank you” or “that was really helpful.” I expect a cooperative environment because that is what I’m putting forth in my work efforts. My tasks are interlaced with many others and yet everything I need to complete a project shows up, on time, and in the best way possible. It opens the door for equal reciprocation and cooperation…and so the cycle continues spiraling upward toward a greater respect for one another and one another’s talents.

My intent is to continue recognizing the good that surrounds me so I can reflect that back to others in my life…at work and elsewhere. I am so blessed to be surrounded by integrity, respectfully appreciated, and given the opportunity to express my talents for the greater good of those we serve. I am truly blessed.

Tea Leaf Wisdom

Posted on by cmryan

Time as he grows old teaches all things. (Aeschylus 525-456 BC)

I make the most of all that comes, And the least of all that goes. (Sara Teasdale, 1884-1933)

Strong reasons make strong actions. (William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself. (Mark Twain, 1835-1910)

The cure for boredom is curiousity. There is no cure for curiosity. (Dorothy Parker, 1893-1967)

The first duty of love is to listen. (Paul Tillich, 1886-1965)

Let each man exercise the art he knows. (Aristophanes, 450-388 BC)