What do I believe?

I think this was the last time
I asked some of these questions.

Darin and I are taking a class at the center. Every Tuesday night we join the 104 class for discussion and light refreshments. It's our first time in class. I'm really enjoying the experience.

Last Tuesday our assignment was to write out our beliefs. The questions didn't seem outrageously difficult, after all we all know what we believe, right?

There shouldn't be any research, reading or googling involved. I sat down to do my homework. We were even given some guiding questions.

1. What do you believe about God and your relationship to God? 
2. What is your function within the Universe? 
3. How do you see yourself connected with others? 
4. What is there in life that you find beautiful? 
5. How do you share that beauty with others? 

Curious things started to happen with the challenge of putting my beliefs onto the page. Memories, disconnected thoughts, observations during the week supporting my answers. It was a remarkable, even joyful experience.

My beliefs about God ...

I believe that we are all one. That all of creation including myself is included in God, or Universal Intelligence, Spirit, what ever you call it, and this Consciousness creates all things and is all things.

Its kind of a mouthful. And I have heard this kind of thing before, generally stated in a breathy kind of "spiritual" way that I never really connected to. But when I had to say it for myself it rang true, it felt true. We are all connected and if you do believe that we are all one you find that you can't give Spirit a quality and not give that quality to yourself or someone or something else. During the week I was looking up some information on Native American spirituality and found their beliefs summarized as, "The Native American people believe that we all communicate through one creative force or Great Spirit that lives within the Great Mystery."

And my function within this Universe?

To raise my consciousness by expanding my knowledge of the truth, to be the creator of my experience and to create a most beautiful experience, to make it my unique creation and therefore my unique contribution.

My real revelation with this question was the call for my own creative contribution, my opportunity to "be the decider." Consciously living out of your imagination is your gift. It reminded me of a quote I read. "God's gift to you is more talent and ability than you could possibly use in your lifetime. Your gift to God is to develop as much of that talent and ability as you can in this lifetime." -- Steve Bow. And that talent is simply the call to creative expression and that we wouldn't have that call if we didn't have the means to fulfill it. After all we are all one with Creative Consciousness.

How do I find myself connected with others?

We are all connected but the illusions of the three dimensional world or this incarnation veil that truth unless we choose to inquire or open our minds to it. I do experience this unity in fleeting moments.

I was watching 60 Minutes interview Meryl Streep and discuss the wide range of characters she has played in her career. She stated how it always perturbed her that people found it so remarkable she could play characters so different from herself. She shared her belief that every germ of every person is in us all. I thought it was a great example of this Unity we all experience.

Our consciousness is our greatest contribution. It's the brainstorms you get after going to a conference, the inspiration you get after talking with close friends, it's the love you feel when surrounded by your family. We are all leaking into each others heads all the time. I found myself vowing to leak better stuff.

What is there in life that I find beautiful?

All of it. The happy and the sad of it. It’s those times where you feel like you are living in a movie. Those “movie moments” come with the recognition that your life is beautiful. Your life is an artistic expression much like a movie.

Yes, even the sad. The times when you are brimming with emotions. The times you might be tempted to label it "bad." The deaths, the divorces, the losses, it all brings you to a new shaky place. I take time to reflect on those moments in my life and can point to the times when tragedy, endings, were new beginnings, new periods of understanding and of experiencing this oneness. I think of all those art-house movies I cried though. And it was beauty that I was experiencing.

How do I share that beauty with others?

Sometimes I write. Sometimes I paint. I tell stories. I put things on the internet. I also cook. I also believe I should be doing this a lot more.

Sharing. That has also been a great revelation from this class. It started at the retreat I think. I have had a false belief that sharing is self indulgent. That my contribution is just added clutter and that if I don't have something really mind bending to share I should probably just be quiet. But I recognize so much truth in what others share that I have learned this isn't so. Don't ever discount your contribution. You may have the piece that someone else needs and only you can share it in the unique what in which you do.

Don't hold back your good.

And so it is.

My Spiritual Philosophy by Vidette Vanderweide

My Spiritual philosophy can best be described as freedom.  I believe that every person has the ability to create freedom in their life…whatever that means to them.  Freedom can mean any of the following:

·      Financial Freedom

·      Circumstantial freedom

·      Freedom from disease

·      Freedom from abuse

·      Freedom of choice

·      Freedom of speech

·      Freedom to create beauty in mind, body and soul

There is a plethora of ‘freedoms’ that can be created and I choose to have it all.  Freedom starts with a choice, a decision, and once that is done, anything is possible. 

I believe this freedom is the greatest gift that Spirit is willing to give when we raise our consciousness to learn the tools and strategies to create it.  It is a gift that is within us at any time…waiting to be unleashed in our greatest good and the pivotal time of our individual choice.

I see beauty in this freedom all around me.  In the small moments…the subtle scent of the honeysuckle as I walk my dog, to the more pivotal moments of life…i.e. seeing my kids run and laugh on the beach.   My Spiritual philosophy is one of great thanks and gratitude.  Giving a small, “thank you” to whomever is listening in the smallest of miracles each day, to the larger ones.

Mostly, my Spiritual philosophy is the knowing that I am never alone.  I have a partnership with the Universe in my creation of my ideal, free, and epic life.  I choose to have it now, therefore, I know it is created now. 

This knowing allows me to bring joy and peace to others on any given day, at any given moment.  I spread my Spiritual philosophy without condemnation, nor through conversion.  I simply lead by example and live life with my highest good in mind…

…I choose to live richly in life, and by putting myself first, I automatically make the world better…how amazing is that?

5 Steps of Prayer Treatment

1. Recognize: Use the words you speak to acknowledge the One Creative Intelligence, Express your conviction that Spirit is all and permeates the Universe.
2. Unify: Declare that you are one with the Universe and everything that is true of the Universe is true of you because you are made of the same stuff.
3. Declare: Define your intention. Speak of the special good that you know is already yours being manifested as right action, here and now.
4. Thank: Express your thankfulness for the truth of your circumstances and for the good that is taking form in your experience.
5. Release: Confidently release your word into the action of Law, knowing it is so.

You can your own bracelet to remind you of these steps via http://FiveStepPrayerTreatment.com

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

----from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.