Negative Thoughts

January 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Much has been written, said and published about the Law of Attraction recently.  The movie, “The Secret”, was a run-away best seller despite its non-Hollywood origins. The Law of Attraction states that what you think about and focus on becomes reality through the energy of thoughts.  In my last post, I remarked that I’ve read Lynne Mc Taggert’s book called The Intention Experiment: Using your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World and find it fascinating. 

One of the topics McTaggert broaches in the book is the power of negative thoughts.  She calls this the gremlin effect, and relates several stories from her own life that illustrate the potential power of negative thoughts.  In the adult Sunday school class that I teach at Pathways Church (www.pathwaysuu.org), we discussed the gremlin effect and what negative implications our thoughts may have.  Participants (including me) shamefacedly shared gremlin effect stories – ranging from pregnancy miscarriages to premonitions about sex offenders to deaths.  In all these stories, we wonder if it really was our vengeful or hateful thoughts towards another or ourselves that caused ill effect.  In many cases, it appears to be a correlation between thoughts and negative effects.

If vengeful thoughts have negative consequences, must we feel completely responsible and therefore guilty for what happens?  I have some strong opinions about that.  I believe that our thoughts are only one variable in the equation.  The other variables include the other person’s thoughts, the society’s thoughts and the sacred contract of all souls involved in the situation.  Carolyn Myss, in her book Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential, describes how each soul agrees to take on several lifetime challenges or archetypal situations before birth.  Michael Newton, in his book Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life between Lives, also describes this pre-birth process.  With its consent, the soul is pre-destined, if you will, to encounter situations in that lifetime that will challenge it to respond in ways that could help the soul evolve and mature.  We all are born having made these agreements in heaven.  I call these contracts lifetime pillars – the big learning opportunities we have in a lifetime.  As an example, a lifetime pillar for me is learning to take negative criticism without using it against myself, without self-recrimination.

The concept is similar to karma, except that we agree to and accept the challenge before birth.  A soul might acknowledge its need to learn compassion due to a demonstrated lack of it in a previous lifetime, so it agrees to encounter life situations in which it could feel the lack of compassion from another.

When something “bad” happens to ourselves or others, I believe we need to consider what pillar in that life is being evoked or challenged. Of course, it is only speculation on our part as to what the other person’s challenge is, but nevertheless, we must acknowledge the possibility of a pillar.  So, it is not just our negative thoughts that may have caused a “bad” effect, but the intersection of at least four elements: our thoughts, our sacred contract, the thoughts of the other person and the sacred contract that person made before birth. 

What are your thoughts?

Prayer:

Holy One, help us take responsibility for our thoughts without taking blame.  Amen.


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Posted by krisrob02 | Filed Under Intentions, Newest Posts, Prayers 

Intention and Prayer

January 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Recently, I read the book called “The Intention Experiment” by Lynne McTaggert.  It’s a fascinating, if dense, review of current research (a lot of which is controversial) into the nature of thought, healing, intention and prayer.  Although McTaggert has a different view of prayer than I do (I’ll comment on that later), I agree with her statement that “We can no longer view our… thoughts as the private, self-contained workings of an individual brain. Dozens of scientists have produced thousands of papers… offering sound evidence that thoughts are capable of profoundly affecting all aspects of our lives.” (p.194)

What a profound statement – our thoughts, negative or positive, are not at all private because they create energy.  She suggests that our thoughts are communicated through what quantum physicists call the Zero Point Field or the vacuum.  The Zero Point Field is that which remains when a container is emptied of all matter and is brought to a temperature of absolute zero, an extremely frigid temperature at which no energy should be perceptible.  Yet, there is a huge amount of minute oscillations that scientists are beginning to measure and study.  The Zero Point Field appears to be an active communication medium even in situations in which no electromagnetic energy can penetrate – it is all pervasive and ever present.  Kinda like God.  Indeed, the Zero Point Field may be the communication medium of the spirit world (my words).

Where I disagree with McTaggert is in her definition of the difference between intention and prayer.  She says, “With intention, the agent of change is human; with prayer it is God.”  I believe that God is immanent, meaning God is the spark of divinity that resides within each of us; God is the essence of our best self, our highest or true self.  Therefore, if we make intentions from our true self, intentions are of God and the line between prayer and intention cannot be drawn.  I do concede that human intentions may not originate from our highest self; they may arise from the less-than-altruistic thoughts we may have.  Those are not prayers, but curses – against ourselves and against others.

The challenge is to be aware of our thoughts as much as possible.  It is a call to mindfulness, a call to vigilance in thinking thoughts that are worthy of being heard by everyone around you.  After all, on an energetic level, your thoughts are shared and have impact on both you and others, whether you like it or not.

We’ll talk in later posts about how to cancel negative thoughts and how to substitute positive ones. 

Prayer:

Pervasive and Immanent One, help us to be aware of our thoughts moment by moment, everyday.  Amen.


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Posted by krisrob02 | Filed Under Mindfulness, Newest Posts, Prayers 

Mothering Ourselves

January 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

“I want my mommy!” is a common cry among young children in distress.  I confess, there have been times in my adult life when I silently but fervently made that same cry. Many of us as adults no longer have our earthly mothers to run to for comfort; many of us never had a mother who could provide all the emotional comfort that we deeply desired.  As adults, we try to find others who can provide us with emotional support; these might be spouses, partners, friends or therapists.  We can also try to provide ourselves with the mother-like support that we need. Self-mothering is the most dependable of all comfort – only self mothering can provide, with pinpoint accuracy, the kind of moment-by-moment support that we need to feel strong and resilient.

Mothering myself has been a goal for me for many years.  If you believe that you are a part of the Divine, then to mother ourselves is to tap into our divine essence and comfort ourselves from that holy point within our souls.


Meditation can help us with that, as well as journaling.  It is important that we find a sense of peace with our earthly mothers, whether they are still alive or not.  It is important that we learn to mother ourselves.  Lastly, we need to recognize that mothering ourselves is a way of activating our connection to Mother/Father God.  The following meditation is meant to guide us to that realization.

Meditation:

Sit comfortably, with back straight and feet on the ground, or on a meditation cushion or bench. Gently close your eyes. Take several deep breaths to relax your body. Quiet your mind by focusing on the breath for several moments. Let go of any tension in the body – relax your stomach, shoulders, leg muscles, even your face.

When you feel centered and relaxed, imagine your earthly mother.  Imagine that she is facing you and you are gazing into each other’s eyes.  From your heart, imagine saying to her, “Mother, I know that you love/loved me the best you can/could. I know that your Divine essence loves me dearly. I love you back the best I can right now.”  Sit with that thought for a moment, sending her the best love you can.  Then, ask her for the support, comfort or understanding that you need right now.  Imagine her providing you exactly what you desire, in words, deeds or energy.  Perhaps you hear her talking to you, or you imagine her embracing or kissing you.  Or you may simply feel her presence.

Now imagine a cloned image of yourself is facing you.  Gaze into your own eyes.  From your heart, say to your cloned image, “I love you dearly.”  Sit with that thought for a moment, sending your cloned imaged the best love you can.  Then, ask yourself for the support, comfort or understanding you need right now.  Imagine yourself providing exactly what you desire.

Now imagine that you are sitting in the lap of the Divine, the Great Mother/Father, who embraces you completely and envelopes you in powerful love.  Snuggle in and stay with this image for a moment.  Then ask the Divine for the support, comfort or understanding you need right now.  Imagine the Divine providing you exactly what you desire, in words, deeds or energy.  Hear, see, feel or sense the abundant love that the Divine so freely gives you. Luxuriate in this moment.

When you have had enough, take a deep breath, open your eyes and smile.  


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Posted by krisrob02 | Filed Under Meditation, Newest Posts 

Prayers for a Busy Day

January 9, 2008 | 2 Comments

I had an upsetting phone call with a doctor’s office this morning, and am trying to find ways to calm myself and trust that all is well.  Isn’t amazing how something comes across our path or into our perception just when we need it?  That’s what just happened to me. I opened an old email by chance, and found in it the following prayer by St. Theresa.  I couldn’t believe how 1) it was exactly what I needed in this moment and 2) how much calmer I felt after letting the prayer sink into my soul. I offer it to all of us who are having a busy, perhaps stressful day:

St Theresa’s Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and everyone of us.Amen.


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Forgiveness Redux

January 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

For me, the act of forgiving is like peeling an onion – there are many layers to uncover.  In my last post to the Brio Leadership blog, I shared a spontaneous meditation that shifted the tectonic plates of my soul and allowed me to go deeper in forgiving the past. It’s been wonderful to walk with a lighter load the past few days – I highly recommend forgiveness work to you!

In today’s post, I’d like to share a forgiveness prayer and meditation that I’ve used for years.  It was given to me by my friend Susan R., and I do not know the originator of the prayer.  If you do, please let me know.  I would like to attribute it to its rightful owner.

Start by sitting comfortably, erect and relaxed, feet on the ground.  Start with a mindfulness meditation, such as following the breath or intently observing a lighted candle.  When you feel you’ve reached a state of quiet attentiveness, imagine that the person that you wish to forgive is sitting across from you.  You look into each other eyes.  Stay with the image until you can see the person clearly in your mind’s eye.  Then work through the following prayer. Slowly say each line to yourself, letting the sentence’s meaning permeate your being.  Take several breaths before advancing to the next line.

Forgiveness Prayer:

May I be at peace.

May my heart remain open.

May I awaken to the light of my own true nature.

May I be healed.

May I be a source of healing for all beings.

May you be at peace.

May your heart remain open.

May you awaken to the light of your own true nature.

May you be healed.

May you be a source of healing to all beings.

May we be at peace.

May our hearts remain open.

May we awaken to the light of our own true natures.

May we be healed.

May we be a source of healing to all beings.

Amen.


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Forgiveness

January 4, 2008 | 4 Comments

Last night I saw an online video of a woman who described the wondrous things that manifested in her life once she forgave the man who killed her daughter.  She said she worked hard to forgive – it took her several days.  I start screaming at the screen, “Several days!  Honey, you think that’s bad?  It’s taken me years to forgive several people in my life, and months to forgive others! And none of these people killed anyone! How can you say you worked hard and it took only several days?” 

I calmed down and realized that we each have different time tables for forgiveness and we each have varying spiritual paths to forgiveness.  I emphasize the need for forgiveness in my life – and in your life – because I know that holding grudges is a burden that I carry, not anyone else.  Lack of forgiveness imprisons my heart. I recently read that Nelson Mandela, after being held captive in South Africa for 27 years, forgave his captors.  His words: “We especially should learn to forgive each other because when you intend to forgive, you heal part of the pain, but when you forgive you heal completely.” (Mandela’s Speech on February 11,1990).
I believe that timing is everything in forgiveness.  You can try all the forgiveness prayers, you can meditate until your knees bleed, you can journal your heart out – all of these help you peel away the layers of anger and resentment. However, sometimes total forgiveness is elusive, at least for me.  I find I’m still carrying a thread of attachment to that anger, even after all my worthy pursuits. I realized I was in that situation last night when I heard that remarkable story of forgiving a daughter’s killer in a few days.
So, I decided it was time to let go and forgive several people toward whom I’ve been carrying around resentment.  If that woman who lost her daughter could forgive the killer, surely I could forgive someone whose transgressions were merely my interpretation of events.  I was giving myself tough love and eating humble pie!
I’ve been studying the concepts of Nonviolent Communication this week.  This approach to conflict resolution and communication teaches you to identify and acknowledge the emotions and needs of both parties.  I used some of those concepts in my meditation.

So, in the hopes that this might help you someday, I share my meditation:
I lit a candle and sat on my mediation bench.  I practiced mindful breathing for several minutes, observing the in-breath and the out-breath, becoming aware of my heartbeat, straightening my back, loosening my stomach muscles.  When I finally remembered to smile, I knew I was ready to do my visualization.  I asked my higher power and spirit guides to help me, and I started.
First, I imagined all the needs of the other person.  I mentally spoke to that person and acknowledged each imagined need individually, saying that I understood how it was important.  I then thought of all my needs in the situation. Because I was totally honest with myself, the list of my needs surprised me, and I had a revelation. I acknowledged each one, saying that I understood how it was important.  I said to the other person, “I let you go. I forgive you. My heart is now open to you.”

Then I did some mental deep cleaning of my heart. I opened the door to my heart and invited all the dark feelings to come out.  In a whoosh, some feelings flew out as if liberated for the first time, but others dribbled over the threshold and dripped down my chest. Yuck! I took a broom and start sweeping out my heart.  The un-forgiveness in my heart had turned to black sticky gunk that was affixed to the walls and corners of my heart! The sweeping only got the loose stuff out.  I then took a powerful vacuum to my heart, and I vacuumed all the walls and corners of my heart.  Standing back to inspect, I still saw brown goo ingrained in the wood of the walls, so I took a spiritual power washer that sprayed hot, pressurized soapy water, and I sprayed the heck out of the whole mess inside my heart.  After the steam evaporated, I couldn’t believe what I saw – the walls of my heart were marble, not wood, and they were radiating a pure white light!
I knew I’d done good work.  I checked with my spirit guide and asked her to bless the people I’d forgiven.  I asked her to deliver a message to the other persons’ spirit guides that all is OK.  She blessed me and told me she was proud of me.  I opened my eyes, blew out the candle and went to bed.


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Posted by krisrob02 | Filed Under Forgiveness