Recently, I came across this quote by Ernest Holmes, “All the Power of the Universe is with you. Feel it, know it, and then act as though it were true.” Sometimes it’s tough to “Feel it, know it and then act as though it were true,” when we are in the middle of crisis or fear or just having a bad day.
In her book, The Universe Has Your Back, Gabriella Bernstein suggests first recognizing when we have cut ourselves off from the Universal Presence and then say a little prayer. In our teaching, we are known for rather lengthy (but very effective) prayers, so I was intrigued by her simplicity. Bernstein suggests, “Thank you Spirit. I witness that I’m out of alignment with my power. I choose to see peace instead.”
She says that by shifting our perspective from fear or anxiety to truth we open ourselves up to Grace. “The shift in perception enables us to understand the world outside is a projection of the world we created in our mind; that the problem is not outside, but within. We’re reminded that there’s a loving spiritual presence that can restore us to sanity.”
Another way to bring ourselves in alignment is through meditation. A year or so ago, Dean Sluyter held an afternoon workshop at the Center. He taught a variety of ways to settle into the silence. One was simply to become aware of our surroundings. This method works well for me. When I stop, close my eyes and listen, I activate my awareness. I listen for ticking clocks, chirping birds, and the purr of my cat. When I do that, I become centered in the present, no longer distracted by thoughts of the past or the future. From that place of attention, I can hear inner wisdom.
In his affirmative prayer this month, Rev. Arpad reminds us that inner wisdom speaks in loving, life-affirming ways. If you hear, “You’ll never measure up or your life is a disaster,” I can guarantee that is not your inner wisdom. Intuition is subtle. It doesn’t argue.
Recently, as I was browsing at a thrift store, I came across a pair of shoes I had envisioned owning. They were perfect; the exact style, color, and size for me. After I picked them up and silently celebrated, my inner wisdom directed me to look on the other side of the store. I said, “I’ll go there after I look around here.” The little voice nudged me again. When I finally acted on the messages, there was another pair of similar shoes; same brand, black, and a slightly different style. I found one shoe and discovered it was in my size too! Unfortunately, I was about a second late, because another woman was standing there holding the other shoe. Ugh! I gave her the shoe thinking I might as well share the good.
The little voice didn’t say, “No! Not later…now!” It simply nudged me again. Spirit allows us to exercise free will in how we listen to, or in my case delay, it’s guidance.
What would life be like if we trained ourselves to stay focused on love and consistently listen to spirit’s nudging with faith? I’ve noticed that when I play Solitaire if I am very focused and recognize every move when it is presented, I often win. I suspect that’s what living from internal guidance might be like. We would appear lucky as if we are living a charmed life.
I think that’s exactly what Spirit wants for us; a life of ease. All month Dr. Heather will be sharing about our Inner Voice. We also have some amazing guests coming to share their stories and ideas on Inner Wisdom too. I hope to see you on Sunday!