RECOVERY: How I was able to recapture my life.

Edition 2 Issue #24

Today we’ll talk on recovery, and what this means to me.  I came into recovery broken, a broken man with an empty soul.  A hole in my soul, or hole in my heart, which I, for several years - call it a lifetime, I tried to fill the hole in my soul with substance; I had to fill this hole in my heart with substance, any substance.  I abused of alcohol, this not being enough I completed the numbing with drugs of all sort, prescription, non-prescription, narcotic, amphetamines, methamphetamines, psilocybin and LSD to achieve Enlightenment and communicate with higher beings, uppers, downers, sideways whichever I could get my hands on to change the way I felt, to alter my skewed perception of life.  I didn’t want to be ME! So I altered reality any way I could.

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Having been exposed to all types of mind-altering substance from pre-teenage, it was just natural to maintain this altered state of reality, and to continually escape the pains of an abusive family.  My father being very violent, not only did I experience the harsh reality of his forefathers’ behavior, but then my older brother took out his inability to fight back the parents by using me as an outlet for his anger and frustration, I, down the chain it went when I did the same to by little brother.  Our good friend in AA; Scotty S. used to repeat in the room: “We do the things we do because we know the things we know!”  And when I entered recovery he so often repeated: “If there is no change, there is no change!”  And from that moment, when Scotty said these words the first time I heard this statement I made up my mind I would change, I would not allow the damage of my past affects my future. I would no longer allow the pain of my ancestors, the behavior of the ‘family of origin’ to follow anymore: The change would start here!  No longer will a (family last name) male from my lineage beat and abuse his children and his family.  The buck stops here! And so it is!

We Do RECOVER!

In Alcoholic Anonymous, the big book, in the program of recovery tells us: “we do recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.”  So why a “seemingly hopeless state”?  Because so many of us actually felt the situation hopeless, we were sure there was no hope for us, that life had dealt us a fate beyond comprehension and we would surely die of overdose, cirrhosis of the liver, or some other substance abuse linked fate.  We just couldn’t stop!  For normal people this seems impossible, implausible, or at least improbable, but indeed it is true.
So for those who don’t understand addiction, alcoholism is indeed dis-ease. Medically it is described in the ‘Doctor’s Opinion’ as having 3 characteristics, the allergy, the phenomenon of craving and the Spiritual malady which precedes the 1st drink.

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SPIRITUAL MALADY

So let's start with the Spiritual malady which precedes the first drink, or substance: A sense of discomfort an pitting in the stomach, the discontent person seeks solace in an altered state, some crave food, others sex, and some of us drugs and alcohol, yet other companionship and reassuring, read co-dependency.  Oh so many different means to the same end, which one afflicts you? 

Father Placidus, a Benedictine Monk, says it is a sense of separation.  So if we are suffering from a sense of separation from the ONE, separation from the Source of ALL there is, then we are Spiritually unfit and so the discomfort and discontent is our doing. Where do we find solace from the first phase of the illness?  In accepting we are powerless and the one who has all power is God! Now you may chose, in alcoholic anonymous, a God of your understanding and not have to follow a religious doctrine, which is just fine by most of us who entered the fellowship of AA with sadness and the belief either God of our upbringing harmed us, was punishing us for sin, or just plain abandoned us to our fate because we aren’t good enough.  We felt unworthy of Love, we let down our parents, we let down our teachers, and/or our relationships with friends. We were unworthy of God’s Love so we felt abandoned by everyone, by society. We felt abandoned, so empty inside; so angry, and hurt that we couldn’t function as normal people. This is separation (read up on SEPARATION in the April 25, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox), the separation we feel from Source is the most drastic and dramatic feeling, yet God does not forsake any of us, we distance ourselves from Source through this (false) feeling of unworthiness.  Every human is a Divine Being, make in the likeness of God and is worthy no matter what has happened or how badly we may have strayed.

PHENOMENON OF CRAVING

What the good doctor Silkworth, a renowned addictions doctor of the time, referred to as the phenomenon of craving is like this:  Have you ever tried to stop; have you said to yourself, or a companion at a party of a club: “This is the last one” only to have another, and then maybe another?  This is the phenomenon of craving the good doctor refers to.  The inability to stop once started. You say this is absurd! Who, in their right mind,  says they shouldn’t have another and then takes it anyway?   Exactly, we alcoholics are no longer in ‘our right mind’ this is the insanity of alcoholism, and thus addiction. And I say it happens to the best of us, sometimes to the point where we feel we are the worst, and hold onto this feeling and ruin not only our lives, but the lives of others as well.

THE ALLERGY

This allergy makes us different form normal people.  We cannot resist even when we know harm has resulted time, and time again.  We continue to do the same over, and over, and over, expecting different results from convincing ourselves: “This time it will be different!” “I’ll not get into trouble like last time, I will control my drink and stop after 2, or 3.”  “I won't misbehave like last time, I will control the amount I take!” Always to get into fights, or blackout drunk to wake the next day dreading to hear whet went on and what trouble I may have caused. How I harmed others when in this state of stupor.  And it happens to so many of us think we do not have a problem, it was a one-off event and will not happen again.  Until the next time when it happens again.

Look for next week’s edition on “POSSIBILITY”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

©Copyright 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com      All rights reserved

CHALLENGES: Living Life on Life's terms.

 

Edition 2 Issue #23

We spoke last week on humility, this was but one of the many challenges we face in the game of life.  Moving into a place where we feel comfortable being humble. Not subservient of the type: “I will obey because you put the handcuffs on me” but humble in the way; I will listen to you. I will genuinely care about you and want to listen and lend an ear. I will hang on most every word and allow you your space.  I will be empathetic to your plight, and be of service where I can.

Every problem or difficulty in my life today I call “Challenges” and as a challenge, it means I have an immediate job to do, to conquer the challenge, to deal with this difficulty as a challenge I can overcome, with the aid of a power greater than myself. I turn all problems into challenges, and I am now in a position to be a problem solver. How do we overcome the challenge? This is the real question, because every challenge has a simple solution, whereas problems hang, sometimes forever. 

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So if we look at every problem as a challenge, we immediately turn our sights on a solution. When it’s a difficulty, or worse a problem; I tend to wallow in the shit, I blame others.  I have to blame because there’s no way it could ever be my fault!  Ha! ME, be the cause of a problem? NO WAY!  This was my mentality, always someone else’s fault! So, from a blamer, I become the solution.  I have adopted solution based thinking into my habit form.  What a wonderful difference from the old person wo was reactive and violent at all conflict and confrontation, busting out in horrific rants on how it is not my fault, how this is the wrong way, and I know how to set it right, my way! The ranting and raving of how life is cruel and I am a victim, developing into full blown arguments and even fisticuffs.

Photo "MONKEY MIND" BY AUTHOR  ©Copyright 2015   www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

PROBLEM SOLVER

 Not only am I now a problem solver by allowing the problem to become a challenge, allowing the challenge to have a simple solution; I immediately implement the solution: No problem.  Easy, just like having the ‘easy button, like on that commercial from the stationary store.  The solution based thinker doesn’t react to everything in outrage, the solutions based thinker pauses, takes a deep breath and analyses, discusses, takes the ‘time-out’ needed to carefully, and calmly form a place of love and harmony.  From this calmness answers become generated from inside, not necessarily form our confused and troubled mind, but from the heart centre. Remember; God lives in a place within us that is indeed miraculous.

ACCOUNTABILITY

So if I make every problem a challenge I remain accountable.  Challenges means there is a solution and I’m challenged to find the solution.  This keeps me accountable for my transgressions, for my difficulties; basically accountable for my shit!  I can no longer shift the blame for my stuff! Holding myself accountable to me; doesn’t mean I have to be hard on myself, God knows I’m already tough enough on myself. Historically I was never able to live up to certain, mind you false, expectations which were driven primarily from family of origin (more on family of origin in a later bog. be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox, that way you won’t miss anything.) You know: “you’ll never amount to nothing!”, “You good for nothing _____!”, “Can’t you do anything right!” and so on so forth these things stay in our minds until we let go absolutely. (read our blog on “LETTING GO” in January 7, 2015 edition of our newsletter, subscribe today to receive it directly to your email, you won't miss a beat)  Letting go is a process and the Twelve Step work facilitates this process.  It’s not the only way mind you, but it worked for me and countless others, so I recommend it.  Contact me directly at the link on he contact page for more on this, or alternatives for those who do not suffer from alcoholism or addiction and just wish release and eventual Enlightenment.

CHANGE

When I think on challenges, I remember the way I used to be a control freak and this thought from Wayne Dwyer comes to mind.

 “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.”

So it’s all about change in the way we look at the problem; from a problem and difficulty, it becomes a challenge, hence a game.  Not only does it become a game, it becomes a game we can win with the tools we have from a program of recovery in the 12 Steps.  Get the tools today in the form you need them.  I embraced anew design for living in a twelve step program, there are countless ones out there and most all of us fit into at least one of them, be it overeating, drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex addiction, shopping, co-dependency… The list goes on and on.  The good part here is there is a twelve step program for each of these and countless others I haven’t even dreamed of.  My problem was in alcohol and drugs, and sex, and food, and controlling and… need I go on any longer?

I found a solution in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and next month the big 80 year celebration of the wonderful movement will be hosted in Atlantic City.

Now here’s a gambling mecca.  How many alcoholics, even the recovered kind, do you think may have, still have, a gambling problem.  I’ll see you there and we can look into the casinos and see if we find any of our friends needing an ear.  Or worse, a shoulder to cry on…

Look for next week’s edition on “RECOVERY”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat. 

©Copyright 2015   www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

HUMILITY: The ability to better interact with others.

Edition 2 Issue #22

What is HUMILITY? And why do I need to embrace this like my life depends on it?

Well clearly if you’re reading this blog, there is a 90% chance you feel a need to embrace a more humble life, or you have commenced already to do the work on character defects, and are continuing on a journey to Enlightenment.  Either way, you are at the right place, and if you happen to be in the 10% who may come across this blog, who has a good grasp on humility, please read on and provide your commentary and critique to us at the bottom comment section.

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IT’S NOT HUMILIATION

When I first embraced the idea I needed to change, and do the 12 Step Program, I heard the word humility and didn’t know what it was.  My thoughts would revert to humiliation and how I felt this emotion on so many occasions as an alcoholic and drug addict.  As a person who had fallen by the wayside, and was unable to properly function in society, a person who had failed at the game of life!  I recalled lowering my standards to accommodate my habits of addiction: the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous refers to the difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic as the non-alcoholic with change his habits and behaviors to fit his goals, whereas an alcoholic will change his goals to fit the drinking and using or otherwise ‘addictive’ behavior, having no care or compulsion for others.  I was driven by the need to fulfil the malady of want; with whatever substance, at whatever cost, no matter the consequence of my actions in the grips of this horrible dis-ease.  I had lowered the bar on so many occasions, changing my circumstances to be able to consume more.  The all-important “more”, I needed more, it was beyond human capabilities to stop me from having more, at the cost of spouse, relationships with family and friends, God forbid you should suggest I had a problem, I would lower my standards and drink, and/or use drugs with a crowd who had a lower class, a lower standard, and of course jobs would be lost.  In every occasion, in every instance of loss, I would brush it off as circumstance, regroup and start all over again. New jobs, new city, new girl, new circle of friends…   Off to the races and I could ‘fit in’, so to speak.

EMPATHY

I have learned being humble means to remain teachable. Being humble is a manifestation of the highest energy form; and the Universe, the Source, understands this energy form and rewards it.  In keeping with our previous teachings on EMPATHY (read up on EMPATHY in the MAY 6, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox).  From the Latin humilitās: humble., humus, from the earth, or grounded would be the preferred definition, a well grounded being is one who manifest true humility, not one who is necessarily subservient and lowly as our modern day understanding of this dictionary descriptives….

·         The dictionary describes humility as:  Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful…..

And further goes on to describe as a state where we are submissive, I beg to differ with this descriptive as humility does not mean to kowtow, or stoop to a lower level, it is actually the raising of consciousness to a level where we can remain equal to, and on the same level as anyone who we interact with, who we exchange with, and embrace Oneness with others. 

Photo by author taken in Conacry, Guinea  ©Copyright 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com All rights reserved

If “HUMILITY” is the quality and state of being humble, what is humble?  Where do I learn it?  Right here, right now!  “…Now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of Salvation.”  2 Corinthians 6:2

A dear friend who passed a few years ago, who I considered to be a humble man, filled with Spiritual Humility, Malcolm S., was continually repeating “I would rather be happy than be right!” and by being agreeable and compromising in his principles, by carefully listening to others, no matter whether his opinions may have differed, he always listened intently and gave of his time in a loving, open, and respectful manner. At a glance, some could say this was being meek, or even condescending and arrogant, but on the contrary it is manifestation of compassion and empathy in its highest form.  It is manifestation of Highly Evolved Beings (HEB’s)

It is what Jesus would have done. It is what God wants. One of our modern Spiritual leaders Neale Donald Walsch speaks to us on “What GOD wants” in the book “GOD’S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD: You’ve got me all wrong” and in the trilogy “Conversation with GOD”

As our Spiritual Leaders, past and present, have been telling us for so long: embrace a Christ Consciousness, or otherwise the teachings of Buddha, or the Tao, and so many more teach of the need for a more humble life, a life based in compassion and understanding, without judgement.  Could they all be wrong?  I think not!  They all have the same message in different form, we are troubled by Separation form Source, from the mistaken belief that we are not ‘a part of’ the great Universal Mind.  Yet this is a false belief as we are part and parcel, we have the GOD Spark and are an image of God in it’s highest form: join us in the Sunlight of the Spirit where we are rocketed into the fourth dimension of being, Oneness with Source.

OPEN TO POSSIBILITY

Great gifts are available to those who are open to possibility and aware.  Wake up, lift up you hearts, learn, and live by, the principle of Universal Law.

Being humble for me means; to remain teachable and open to possibility.  The Universe understands this and will reward efforts by opening doors to inconceivable riches.

Embrace humility, learn to be more humble and use the tools we provide.  Do a “Twelve Step Program” in a community near you.  Walk with others who are like minded and walk the path of a life based on Spiritual Principle of the Universe and have released the idea of separation (read up on SEPARATION in the April 25, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox). 

The rewards are innumerable, and immeasurable. May you find IT The Source, or He, or She, of as in “The Shack” by William P. Young who calls GOD: “Papa”) Now!

-          “…Now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of Salvation.”  2 Corinthians 6:2

Humility - Embrace it NOW! You live may very well depend on it. Surely others depend on you being therefor them.

Look for next week’s edition on “CHALLENGES”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

©Copyright 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com All rights reserved

EMOTIONS: Developing Self-Restraint and Self-Consciousness

 

Edition 2 Issue #21 

The purpose of speaking on EMOTION today is to talk about Emotional Intelligence (EQ).  Our level of EQ is very important in our personal development, and our journey to Enlightenment.  In developing an understanding of our emotions, and the ability to just feel, and move through these feelings without fear, will endear us with a great understanding and amiability as one who is patient and controlled.  This will further assist us in business and professional development, as employers look for those who have a steady head on their shoulders.  The person who is prone to emotional outbreaks, especially rage and anger, are considered a safety risk in the work environment. 

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Those of high Spiritual development have a good grasp of the emotional side.  Highly evolved beings maintain a very higher EQ, this trait is developed especially well in diplomats and world leaders.  Imagine Obama, or better yet one of the Bush’s, or Regan for that matter having an argument with the Russian leader Putin in public, and launching into a tirade of how the Russian is atrocious and neglectful to his people and the barbarian that he is? Can you imagine the argument leading to a third world war?  I can; I can also see this in hot-headed French and Italian, and other nationalities prone to high emotional and reactive tendencies.  If their leaders didn’t have a very high level of EQ, there would be fights and wars all over the world for the smallest of affairs.  Of which there sometimes are, still in these ‘evolved’ times.

SELF-RESTRAINT

 Having the ability to identify emotions before they get to the surface is the sign of high EQ.  Bringing the emotion under control, refraining from demonstrating the anger, from allowing it to bubble over the surface; and attack through reaction to the external environment.  Let me explain with this: I had a high level Spiritual Teacher from East Asian who instructed us in a meditation on thoughts and emotions hence:  “When you sit quietly in meditation you cannot stop the thoughts from coming in, the ideal goal of meditation is to quiet the mind.  The best and most practiced in meditation can only quiet the mind for short moments at a time.  The thoughts will come, you must allow them to come to the surface, and then, without thinking at length on them you must allow the thought to evaporate as a bubble over your head.  Feel the thought for what it is, understand it is without substance, it is just a thought.  Do not allow thoughts to join in a string and attach to one another, then you are creating a story line, and chances are your story if false anyway.  Do not allow thoughts to join one another, you must identify the though and allow it to dissipate, to dissolve in the bubble.”   This is also a way, when disturbed by some emotion, to deal with it. This is a great meditation practice, and practice means we need to repeat often, hence the word ‘practice’. 

CONTROLLING ANGER

 As we practice this method in meditation, we can transfer this to emotional outbursts, which are about to happen.  Firstly you must identify the feeling before you explode (or react in your fashion – fight or flight!).  Feel the feeling of the emotion; analyse it, identify how you are just before you usually have an outburst.  Is it fear, anger, jealousy…?   I will use anger, because I used to be prone to angry outbursts and fighting.  I would usually, when I felt agitated, find a bar or a pool room where I could release my negative energy in fighting.  I know today I do not have to be violent and physical to release emotions and emotional outburst.  I can deal with it using higher EQ behaviors and one of my preferred ways of dealing is this:  Identify the emotions which set you off the fastest, the emotions which you find most uncomfortable. Now sit in this feeing, in this emotion, allow thoughts to hover over your head as in a bubble and then dissipate into the universe.  Identify the way you feel just before you usually have an outburst, a reactive moment or an angry uncontrolled moment(s).  We all have them; the idea is to limit them, and especially to limit the damage they do to our loved ones.  Remember the blackout, the way you lose total control when you are in the emotion?  The damage we cause, not always physical, but especially emotional when we lash out at our partner, friends and/or especially children in angry outbursts?  Let’s limit, and remove these by raising our EQ a notch by allowing the lesson here to bring us to a higher level of understanding in self-awareness (read our blog on “SELF-AWARENESS” in the April 2, 2015 blog post. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to receive our newsletter directly to your inbox each week.) by allowing us to remain calm and in control of ourselves and this guide the situation the best way we can.  I learned a number of years ago that when I get really agitated and feel the anger welling up inside me to ask my partner for a time out, not run away from the situation, this will usually make things worse, but to speak directly at the anger and do something like this “honey I am mad (read dictionary def: INSANE) and I feel the emotion welling up, I need to go for a walk and release this pressure before I say or do something will be hurtful to both of us. Will you allow me a time out here?” And then I would go for a walk and think things over and calm down.  Then, I would remember the lessons of another friend who would often repeat; “I would rather be happy than be right.” This doesn’t mean I need to compromise my principles to tell someone that is wrong that they are right just to end an argument.  It means looking at thing from a different perspective, from a different angle and coming to compromises in a grown-up intelligent fashion using a higher level of learning and a higher level EQ.

The growth we find through meditation practices and development of self through understanding, and feeling, emotions will define who we really are. You are a child of the Universe, a free soul in a human experience.  Grow and quiet the monkey mind and understand emotional outbursts are at a lower level.  Lift up your hearts to the Source. Raise your consciousness a notch and you will feel movement I to self-consciousness.

Look for next week’s edition on “HUMILITY”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

RECONCILIATION: Removing the Shadow of the Past

 

Edition 2 Issue #19

What is RECONCILIATION and why, and what, or with whom do I need to reconcile with?  I need to reconcile my Faith.  So what this means is I have separation (read up on SEPARATION in the April 25, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox).  I felt the separation; I felt the emptiness in my gut, the longing for something which had, at one time, been present and now is missing.  What is the emptiness I’m feeling?

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This emptiness, the longing, the little whisper, which with time, turns into a scream, a yelling from my intuitive; ringing in my ears until I finally ask the question: What is it? What am I missing? Why do I feel so alone?  Why do I feel an emptiness in the pit of my stomach. This is the first sign of self-consciousness, or self-awareness (read up on Self-Awareness in the April 2, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox). Where is salvation?  GOD has forsaken me!  And now, I must accept a loving GOD which could never forsake me, a GOD which was always present.  Yet I, through the self-centeredness of original sin, have pushed away. This omnipotent, omnipresent entity of pure energy, Universal Mind if you will, is always here.  The Source of all there is, waiting patiently for my return. The benefits are immense, the openings huge, when we completely give ourselves to a program and reconcile.

GUILT AND SHAME

I felt all the above feelings and emptiness, but worst of all I felt GUILT and SHAME (read up on GUILT and SHAME in the December 17, 2014 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox).  This pain in the pit of my stomach that I feel not worthy, I feel I haven’t lived up to the expectations of; my parents, my family, my employer, my co-workers, my friends…. The feeling I am so alone and without hope, or without substance, without true direction.  Have you had these feelings?  Maybe not, or maybe in a small way, and if it starts to get worse you must pick this reading up again and then follow direction to where we wish to direct you. 

A NEW DESIGN FOR LIVING

In the program of recovery of Alcoholics Anonymous® and let us be clear on this; you do not need to identify as an alcoholic to benefit from the program of recovery in AA.  There are presently hundreds of 12 Step programs based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous®, yes some are alcohol and drug related, like NA and CA, but most are not.  Although all deal with addictions of some sort, there are those who have benefited from the 12 Steps to alleviate eating disorders, gambling, spending, and a large number are co-dependents…  Bottom line is there is hope for all who feel a certain emptiness, a separation, or loneliness. We benefited greatly from the 12 Steps and found in it a new design for living centered in unchanging laws of the universe.  Returning to Source, yes the Source of all there is.  Some would call this energy GOD.  Others will use Creator of the Universe, Universal Mind, and by any other name is the same.  We cannot put firm hand on this energy I will call GOD, or Source, yet as with electricity: I don’t know how electricity works, yet it will light a bulb in my home to allow me to read at night and see where I am going in the darkness.  Electricity will warm my home, will cook my food and yet I have no idea how it works and from where it came from.  I have the same certainty in a Power Greater than myself will love me and guide me in time of difficulty if I have faith.

PRAYER

I pray, I meditate, I quiet my monkey mind whenever I feel troubled.  Whether I am feeling sad, troubled, or happy I pray regularly for peace and guidance.  I pray more often now than I have even in the past. I have learned this action of prayer changes the thought patterns from self-centered egocentric to self-less and ego removing.  I recall a few years ago at a hospital physical rehabilitation unit, this is where the devastating injuries, near death, like brain injury and spinal cord where the patient is reduced to a fraction of the physical being they used to be.  Where the patient has had a life altering injury, be it a car accident, a stabbing, falling from heights, purposely (attempted suicide) or thrown off.  I have seen this type and more where someone’s child, spouse, father of mother has been reduced to cripple by the ravages of drugs and alcohol.  Let me just be clear here: the patients in this hospital are not necessarily alcoholics or addicts, but when a patient comes to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous® in this hospital unit, it is usually as a result of being drunk or stoned, somehow under the influence of a substance where their faculties had been reduced by the devastation of addiction.  They have suffered greatly and we need to be there for them.

Back to the story on prayer; at this hospital meeting, a man I had known from other meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous® began to share with the group the fact he was atheist. As the group discussion had been centered on prayer he continued and said his AA sponsor had told him to pray. He explained he had become so willing to let go (read up on “Letting Go” in the January 7, 2015 blog post.  SUBSCRIBE  today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox) and surrender he did whet his sponsor said. He explained his actions were out of desperation, he no longer wanted what he was doing, yet he could not stop drinking and drugging.  He was at a turning point, the point of no return where he knew he needed change yet did not know how. Until, out of sheer desperation,  he found Alcoholics Anonymous® and the 12 Step program of recovery.  He explained, as an atheist, how he did not know what he was praying to, but he did it because his sponsor told him to.  He went on to say, “I don’t know what I’m praying to, but my life has changes so I continue to do it (prayer).  My life has changed and is constantly changing from doing the things suggested to me by the 12 Step program and my sponsor who has suffered and subsequently recovered through this process and he has suffered before me and understands what I face.  It is with the help of sponsorship and prayer I sober today.”

Step 5

 In closing I will speak of the Ceremony of Reconciliation. In Catholism and Christianity we have confession; this is called the Ceremony of Reconciliation.  In step 5 of the 12 Step program of recovery of Alcoholics Anonymous®: “We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”   Having made a complete inventory of our shortcomings, we are at a point where we must release this to the Universe. To do this some of us chose our sponsor in AA or an affiliated program; others will like the privacy and intimacy of the confessional.  This is a service a priest or clergy will offer for anyone, no matter what your religion, or lack of, speaks to clergy and they will be of service.  Remember you do not need to be religious to benefit from speaking to a person of the cloth, no matter what denomination they belong to, they are compassionate and understanding.  And most important to a great many of us, a person of the cloth is bound to everlasting confidentiality, and because of this there is nothing they have not heard, no shame they would be outraged by, not words they have not heard which would shock them. This is my personal preferred method.

It is through this release, through this complete letting go of past, that we are able to move freely forward in life.  Remember the Universe understands symbolism and ritual as its preferred languages.  This sharing of all our shortcomings, through this process of “admitting to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs,”  is how the Universe best understands and accepts our release from the bondage of self, or from karma if you will. Karma is not a law, is not binding and Edgar Cayce tells us:  “No longer is the entity then under the law of cause and effect — or karma, but rather in grace it may go on to the higher calling as set in Him." (2800-2) www.edgarcayce.org

“Look for next week’s edition on “SELF-ACCEPTANCE”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

EMPATHY

 

Edition 2 Issue #18

So excited to bring forth some of my perspective on EMPATHY, empathic listening skills, and how developing this principle has allowed me to be a better person.  To not only better understand myself, but to better understand patience and an ability to hear the words others are sharing.  Empathy has taught me so much about myself and also in meditation has helped me with concentration, especially concentration without effort.

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Here is how I move forward using principles of Universal Law, as laid out to me in the 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous®.  You do not necessarily need to embrace this 12 Step work to understand my topics here, it may help you, but these words and this site (www.beyondthe12th.com) in particular are beneficial to anyone and everyone who is a seeker. Or who needs help with depression, co-dependence, and just all around better understanding of self through knowledge.  It is here through the use of 12 Step work; where I first became aware of the benefits of truly listening to the other person: To better focus, to being empathetic and attentive to others’ needs.  I learned to truly listen, to embrace my fellow’s perspective on things, and to know I need not be right.  I have learned to embrace being happy rather than being right.  I have learned through empathy, of which my perspective, although right in my mind, is different and therefore not necessarily right in the other person’s mind.  Imagine that!  A world where I am not completely understood and appreciated for being the knower of all there is to know!  (seems exaggerated? not at all, my perspective used to be the only one that counts, the only right thinker was me and if you happened to disagree the fighting broke out. I was right and that was it. Period!)

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LOVE

It’s through Empathy, empathic listening, and other listening skills such as Appreciative Inquiry (AI) that I have developed my ability to Love. (see our February 11, 2015 blog on LOVE for a better understanding. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to receive our newsletter directly to your inbox each week.) To love myself truly, and to project unconditional love throughout my world and wherever I go, these are the lasting benefits of embracing the principle of empathy.  This is the key to happiness and to bringing joy to others. Unconditional love manifested without effort, without even trying.  This is what Mother Teresa was all about. And no, I am certainly not trying to compare myself to Mother (SAINT) Teresa of Calcutta. My point here is to state I have grown somewhat, and in my daily activities strive to project love and kindness throughout.  I will never achieve the extent to which great Saints such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta have achieved, but I can use her, and other’s examples as to how I wish to define my life by today.  I strive to achieve an infinitesimal portion of the Enlightenment and empathy she showed, every day, and every moment of every day by denying herself to serve others.  We state progress rather than perfection in the 12 Step program, and I can attest to being in slight progress in, and far from perfect. I continue to learn, I continue to be humble (see our blog on HUMILITY in the June 3rd, 2015 edition.  Subscribe today to be sure to get it delivered every week to your inbox)​

So what does it take to develop empathy and listening skills?  What’s so special about this?  Well I’ll tell you: everyone has a desire to be acknowledged, to be valued and to be heard.  Just think about the last time someone really listened to you; was it today, yesterday, or maybe a week or several weeks. No matter how long ago, you will remember how it makes you feel when you are appreciated, when you are heard. It’s memorable! When someone you know, or even when it’s a stranger, when you feel heard and valued you feel significant: You remember, the experience is unforgettable. If we acknowledge people, they feel we are true and authentic.  So why not develop these skills today?  

Today I will do one thing which may make me feel uncomfortable for a moment, something that challenges me to be a better person, to be a better listener, to be out of my comfort zone and go the extra mile to help, or listen to someone, I mean really listen with intensity.

Look for next week’s edition on “RECONCILIATION ”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

WILLINGNESS

 

Edition 2 Issue #17

If willingness is a ‘cheerful readiness to do something’ then this is the willingness we need use, to bring about change. (read our blog on CHANGE in the January, 14, 2015 edition of our newsletter be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox)  In bringing about the required shift in mindset to relieve addiction, alcoholism, co-dependency, or whatever other destructive behavior we are hanging onto, we must first embrace willingness: Willingness to do something differently.   

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Becoming truly willing to let go, willingness to allow the Spirit of the Universe to enter, and the healing to commence, is the great shift we need to embrace. I will, as I do in so many of my blog posts, refer to Albert Einstein and one of his great quotes: “No problem can ever be solved at the level of awareness at which it was created.”  Therefore having willingness to change is elemental to developing the new life we see so many free spirits embrace as a result of a program of recovery, or a set of goals which will allow the change to occur.   Raise you consciousness.

Now you may ask “how do I set the right goals to allow myself to bring about this change you speak of?”  So many of us want to change, we thing we have the will to change, we attempt to use our free will to remove dangerous, harmful and/or hurtful behaviors.  Yet it doesn’t work for a great many of us.  The use of free will alone is not enough, we need to set goals and have the discipline to follow through.  This is very difficult for most people, unless you spent most of your life in the military learning drills over and over until you have the disciple and habit of true focus; the chances of success on your own are slim.  I have people who have asked me: “How do I change, I’ve tried everything?”  And my answer is the solution which worked for me: the twelve step of Alcoholics Anonymous!  (I recently came across a blog at the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) on fifteen Positive-Thinking books, at number 12 (kinda fitting since it describes the 12 Step program in the first 164 pages.) is the book ‘ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS’;  you may want to read them all.)     And all who say to me: “But I’m not an alcoholic!”  - I say to you, read it anyway!   Just do it!   Read it, and if you think it may be helpful to set these goals as a new way for approaching life through the set of Spiritual Principles which are clearly laid down, and the instructions to change are there.  Then read it again! Get someone who has done this course of instruction to help you.  Do it NOW!  Your life may very well depend on it.  These are set goals for change, once you have clearly embraces the willingness to do so.  And again, for those who are not alcoholics, are not drug addicts, you can still embrace change through the 12 step program with the help of this, and other books.  The world services offices of AA in New York has identified there have been over 300 spin-offs of the AA program throughout the world since its inception about 80 years ago.  Go figure, if there have been so many who use the 12 Steps for other than alcoholism, there must be something to it.                                                                                                      

GOD

How can we become totally willing and surrender to the Greater Good, or a Power Greater than ourselves, whom I chose to call GOD, or the GOD of my understanding:  An all loving God.  This may be the Universal God as a mixture of the doctrine pantheism (monistic belief in Nature as Universal Mind), with the duality of body and Spirit being separate entities (comment below on your thoughts…). Whatever or whichever your concept of GOD may be, it is OK. We all have different perspectives.  And Free Will has promised this.  I have heard so many different personal belief systems.  One of my all-time favorites is in the book: THE SHACK , by William P Young.  The author here sues a vison, or analogy of GOD as a black woman whom he calls “PAPA”.  I found this so useful and recommend it for those who are atheist, and those who have been negatively influenced by organized religions.  Gives a whole new perspective to the entity some of us chose to call GOD.

 Red Road: image by author © Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

SURRENDER

 To completely become willing to surrender, (read our blog on “SURRENDER” March 25, 2015; be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox) becoming willing, having willingness is the first step to moving forward in hope and wellness.  When I became willing to let go of my set of beliefs, because you know before this I knew everything.  Being an all knowing being was the root of my problem.  I was unteachable, was unable to be helped because I could not understand the willingness required to embrace humility. I didn’t even know what humility was!  I was familiar with humiliation, first as a gang member causing fear, pain and humiliation to others. As I went through life as a bully, causing havoc and harm to all those in my oath, humiliating people was part of my life.  I didn’t know any better, this was all I know and thought it was ok, and this was my normal, when I first started my AA meetings, my dear friend Scotty used to say: “You do what you do, because you know what you know! If there is no change; there is no change!”   I get it today, unless I embrace the willingness to change, become teachable, and listen and learn, there is no hope for me.  Hence Einstein’s quote from above: “No problem can ever be solved at the level of awareness at which it was created.”  So unless I embrace the willingness, unless I am completely willing to release and let go of the things I desperately hold onto, which are killing me.  Another quote of Scotty: “For years I held on, for dear life, to the things that were killing me!”  So here, I also, was holding onto false beliefs, false world views, a paradigm based on use and abuse of the people around me; because this is all I knew. 

BECOMING TEACHABLE

So it is here, as I embrace a willingness to change, as I finally identified the problem was the way I was thinking.  My paradigm was faulty: The way I learned to deal with life, the way I learned to deal with other human beings was faulty, I had to become teachable.  And it is with this, becoming teachable, that I learned humility, for the first me in my life I understood humility (look for our future edition on “HUMILITY”, June 3, 2015; be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox.)  I learned humility was not a weakness, but strength.  Humility is one of the many strength of great men, all great leaders are humble, are good listeners and this is a condition which makes us want to be led by them.  As I became teachable I learned humility.  Now I spend my life’s work to learn to listen, to engage and embrace my fellow human beings, rather than using and abusing relationships to my personal gain. 

EMBRACE CHANGE

So in closing today I wish we can all embrace change:  By becoming willing to change.  To be open to opportunity, to hold positive outlooks on life and embrace change while understanding the human condition inherently resists change, not matter how badly it is needed.  From my experience; my life was a total downhill spiral for the last few years of my drunken life.  I am an alcoholic and an addict of the ‘seemingly hopeless variety’.  I could not change my drunken behavior and lowered the bar and my circle of friends for many years to be able to continue my behavior with others “interfering” with my choices.  I knew I couldn’t go on any longer, yet I couldn’t stay ‘stopped’ no matter how much I promised, how much I needed to for the job, or the girlfriend, or the important. I just wasn’t able to do it on my own, of my own free will.

I finally asked for help and embraced a program of recovery which included the 12 Step work in AA, a sponsor, a home group, service in AA and in my community.  These are the things which helped me to embrace the much needed help.  I couldn’t do it on my own, and I read in the big book, ‘we are an undisciplined lot’ referring to alcoholics and addicts having issues with discipline to keep to the program, unless we keep close ties to the whole of the program, and especially a sponsor who will help us get through the challenging step work.. So simple, yet a deep resolve is need to do the soul searching required to complete give yourselves to this simple program.

Look for next week’s edition on “EMPATHY”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

SEPARATION

Edition 2 Issue #16 

This is a big one; many of us feel SEPARATION and therefore loneliness.  Identifying is the first step to moving beyond this feeling of separation and loneliness; to a place of Oneness and freedom from the fear we feel in the thoughts of loneliness.  The idea is clear: it is separation from the ‘Source’, period.  Any and all thoughts and feelings of loneliness and separation are as direct result of false thoughts of being separate from Source (or F.E.A.R: False Experience Appearing Real!)  So what is this great ‘Source’?  This great power has dominion over all.  Some call this GOD! Or the Great Energy, Universal Mind… 

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SOURCE of ALL THERE IS!

The “SOURCE of ALL THERE IS” is the divine substance from where all comes from, and to where all returns.  The divine energy of substance which can be interpreted as the Oneness we feel when we embrace this sentiment.  We hear people say “God has forsaken me!” and this is one way of expressing separation.  The sorrow, loneliness guilt, shame, pitiful incomprehensible demoralization felt through ‘separation’ is not real. Then we hear of being twice born, or Reborn, of salvation and atonement; so many other terms and explanation for the re-Union with the Oneness, or re-Union with the Source.  Come closer to God.  Do not allow your, or a religion some of us became alienated to, misinterpretation of God distance you from the real thing. Create your own perception of this Higher Power has dominion over all.  This is divine energy of Love (read our blog on LOVE in the February 11, 2015 edition. SUBSCRIBE today to get it delivered weekly directly to your inbox.)

Rejoice and be grateful for the joy in knowing your conception of God.  Feel Oneness with the Universe and things will become more and more clear as to the meaning of life.  Clarity comes with stilling the mind in meditation.  In union with this God of your understanding and know God is Love.  Whatever conception of God you have, understand it as all loving and all knowing.  God is LOVE!  Let us recall the Beatles great “All you need is LOVE!” They had a point there.  The Beatles, and John Lennon understood the need for close connection to Source.  John Lennon was know to meditate frequently as are innumerable business leaders, past and present; including but not limited to: Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Slomowitz, Russell Simmons, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Ray Dalio, Robert Stiller, Bill Ford, Marnie Abramson, Tony Schwartz… Need I go on?  Very successful people connect to Source through meditation.  So the question is: Why are you not doing it NOW?  Let’s all get on the bandwagon and accept connection to Source as one of, if not the, most important thing for us to do in this world to connect with Source.  To embrace Oneness, to be free from fear and loneliness, we must all embrace Source and become One with the Universal Mind has dominion over all.  Our collective is, and will always be, stronger than the single, lonesome stranger.

Come join us in this journey.  It’s, like, AMAZING!

Look for next week’s edition on “WILLINGNESS”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

ERROR

Edition 2 Issue #15

I will write today on ERROR.  I believe the Catholicism and Christian religions, and anyone else speaks of “sin” have gotten the translation of fact and word wrong.  I truly believe our present day interpretation of “sin” is faulty and there is, in Universal Mind’s view, or GOD (as what I understand this Divine Energy substance to be), does appreciate we can err, yet there is no such thing as “sin” as the writings tell us of.  The punishing God of religious belief where we will be punished for sin is fiction.  I do not believe I will “rot in hell damnation”, I do not believe this is true.  I believe there has been error. I truly believe this is an error of translation; that “sin” in itself is fiction and human can err: “To err is human, to forgive divine”.  

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FORGIVENESS

So if we go on the premise there is no sin, only human error, and we can forgive others for the errors they make towards us, we forgive ourselves for error, whether real or perceived, they can cause and create the same damage, the same pain, until we realize there is nothing in the past which can affect us.  There is nothing but the Present.  We can forgive ourselves errors.  And more importantly we can forgive others for being human and harming us, for they may be acting under faulty learning’s, under faulty understandings of their interpretation or ‘right’.  What is ‘right’ for one may be harmful and/or incorrect for another?

So if we use the premise, the Truth, that we only have the Present moment, we need to let go of the attachment, and hurt, of the past.  “Yesterday’s gone, there’s nothing you can do about yesterday!” So we must live for today, we must live in the present moment and let got of the things we so desperately attach to.  I know; easier said than done!  We need to completely and totally forgive ourselves for our perceived hurt, because it holds no substance unless we allow it to!  The errors, the pain, the suffering, the resentments; all of these and whatever other baggage we are carrying must be let go of.  Release and let go.  “Let go and let GOD!”  This is one of the slogans of AA, we must embrace this and allow the divine Presence of the Universe, of Universal mind to flow through us.  We achieve this by releasing the pain body of past deeds; deeds and hurt done to us, done by us, done around us. These events of yesterday are but an illusion, they only hold substance for the thoughts held.  What great relief we feel when we understand thoughts and feelings are fleeting. 

ALLOWING THOUGHTS TO ‘EVEPORATE’!

I was in the Presence of a great Eastern Spiritual Leader one time in Vancouver, Canada a few years ago when I attended a day with Enlightened Master, H.H.Paramahamsa Nithyananda. The master was visiting our Western world and I recall clearly when there was talk of beginner meditation: How we must let thoughts, which appear, in our head evaporate; do not allow these to connect.  As a though enters the headspace, allow it to evaporate and dissipate in its time, hold it! Feel it! And allow it to dissipate and evaporate.  This is true as we tend to connect thoughts and create pain through the congestion of thoughts and feelings.  I soon fund I needed to identify my emotions and feel them. 

So as I learned to meditate and also as I learn top deal with emotions.  (There will be a whole blog on emotions in May 2015.  SUBSCRIBE today to receive all our weekly blogs directly to your inbox) As I learn to identify my emotions.  And let me explain here I found out I was underdeveloped as those of us who used alcohol and drugs on a daily basis, or anything else to numb ourselves.  I learned there are cognitive years during pre-teen and the teenage years where we learn to identify and deal with emotions.  I learned that I, as I started alcohol and drugs at an early age of 12, and consumed almost ion a daily basis for so many years, had never developed cognitive and emotional wellness.  When I sobered up at the age of 47 (and you don’t have to wait so long and be so old.  When you make up your mind, when you self-diagnose as an alcoholic and/or an addict and decide you have had enough, you will find help immediately.  This is how the Universe works, as and it shall be delivered unto you.  Seek and you shall find!) When I finally sobered up I found myself with inability to identify the emotion I felt.  I had never learned what they were because I was numbed top them for so long.  It was very difficult to stay sober when I was feeling things I didn’t know how to deal with.  I cried a lot, I went through the worst detox because things came up to the surface I didn’t know how to deal with.  I needed to learn how to live; sober!

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LIVING SOBER

So I learned to live sober and when the Master P. Nithyananda spoke of allowing the thoughts to just flow through, the thoughts to be felt and evaporate.  This I was in my second or third year of sobriety and my Emotional Intelligence (EI), on a scale from 1 to 10 was, like, ZERO!  I listened intently and commenced to do this practice.  The practice of identifying my thoughts, associating them with a certain emotion, then allowing them to dissipate without affect me an longer: “Yesterday’s GONE: There’s nothing you can do about yesterday!”

Ands so healing began; the healing had begun with the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, for me, and the Spiritual Awakening promised in the 12th Step: And now this was the beginning of the Journey to Enlightenment for me.  This was the beginning of a new beginning of self-discovery; of discovery of the real world and of Spirit of the Universe.  And as I continue on this Journey of learning the master spoke these words it struck me I needn’t feel the pain body and I could move through every thought and emotion easily if I didn’t resist.  I needed to embrace the fact I couldn’t safely hold any of this, I needed to learn this: “Letting go, and letting GOD!” 

When I do not allow the thoughts to join in a series of vents which IO create, when I allow all thoughts to bubble to the surface, feel them, analyze them, then let them go.  This is true living free.  May you find this now.

Look for next week’s edition on “SEPARATION”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

SENSITIVITY

 

Edition 2 Issue #14

This sensitivity you feel, as the consciousness rises to higher levels, is increased the more we release, the more we let go and slow our minds.  As we increase our Spiritual growth, our ability to slow the mind, our ability to look inside, this increases our sensitivity to all events surrounding us.  If we break Universal Laws which rule over all, the consequences are slightly more pronounced, we feel a discomfort, a pang in the gut. This is sometimes called intuition, as we increase our sensitivity to external, and internal, things around us.  We are all the more affected and susceptible.  This holds twofold consequences, as we are subject to the law of attraction, the things we feel, say, and do are amplified as our sensitivity grows.

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Sensitives and intuitives are a fairly rare occurrence, yet are among us.  Intuitives and highly sensitive beings are usually women (sorry guys) the species is created to have the female as the caregiver, birthers, the mother; as in Creation.  This reminds me of when my present wife (yes! There have been more than 1…), one day as I spoke of GOD in the masculine gender form as we usually do, as I was taught all my life,  Nicole (not here birth name as she id Asian) kindly pointed out to me the fact: “If GOD is Creator, If GOD has Borned(sic) (as in gave birth to:) Creation, or the Universe, then GOD must be Lady; only Lady can born something, someone!”  And how correct this statement is: in its broken English came out as a revelation. Only Lady can give birth therefore GOD must be a women (sorry guys! L and I’m a man too so take it as it is given: Truth!)

LAW OF ATTRACTION

Accordingly, the Law of Attraction is a Universal Law, and is as complex as the law of gravity, as definite, and mysterious, as electricity.  This Law is binding and is unmovable.  The Law of Attraction states plainly what the great teacher ‘Jesus’ (even those who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah need to look at the teachings and assess for themselves what has been written and what scholars have said for millennia about the greatest Teaches ever lived) was teaching when he spoke of the parable of the seed: “Ye reap what ye sow” or something to this effect.  In other words this Law states plainly the things we say and do reflect what we get back.  Even in the things we feel; when you go to bed at night upset, the Universe sees what you are feeling and this is reflected in your attitude, in the things come to you the following day, days, months, years.  Yet when you are happy, when you go into this attitude of Gratitude I speak of in several other blogs , when you do the utmost to be pleasant, when you chose to be lively and not allow the negativity of others, the negativity of externals affect your composure and the ways you remain upbeat; this is reflected through you.  And, again, when you raise your level of consciousness, your level of sensitivity rises in consequence; this is the path to Enlightenment.  Cause and effect: Cause and manifest good, and good will be returned to you; cause pain and negativity, and anger, and fear, and these will be returned to you tenfold.  This is the Law!

So always remember to keep you spirits up; when you feel more and more the challenges, you are on the right path.  The Universe is translating your higher level of consciousness into higher sensitivity. Do not be discouraged and use this to heighten your level of consciousness even more.  Learn to journal, and especially write a gratitude list daily.  Read up on the best ways to journal: I found Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” very helpful and here is a link to her ‘Morning Pages’” This may help you start journaling, or there are other authors you may find on the subject…

MEDITATION

We spoke of meditation; this is the true way of releasing our difficulties.  Meditation, or true yoga, according to Patañjali: “Yogas citta vrtti nirodha” translated is “yoga is the cessation of the pulsations of the mind” or “Yoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of mind-stuff,” (1914 translation of original Sanskrit: “YOGA-SYSTEM OF PATANJALI” or the ancient Hindu Doctrine of Concentration of Mind: by James Haughton Woods)

  Therefore if true yoga is created to divert our attention away from thinking, yoga sutras were created to slow down the brain; to slow down the ‘monkey mind’ referred to by Vedic masters as the process that meditation will slow down this incessant chattering; as I had read a translation directly referring to ‘monkey mind’ written thousands of years ago.  This is the process we need to get through to become a sensitive, to become more aware, more self-aware (click on the link to read last week’s blog on “Self-Awareness” and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our weekly newsletter to get these directly to your inbox).  The awareness and self-awareness leads to sensitivity and therefore as we ascend to higher levels of consciousness (and Neale Donald Walsh in April 10, 2015 daily message tells us:…  ....that thinking the highest thought is the safest mental exercise.

GROWTH

We spoke in the first paragraph of ‘Growth’ (Look for our blog on “GROWTH” in a June issue of our weekly newsletter, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get it delivered directly to your inbox)

As we grow in Spirit, we attain higher levels of consciousness and move closer towards Enlightenment.  Everyone is searching for Enlightenment; and we wish you to achieve this through Spiritual Growth.  As we meditate, and slow down the thinking process, the process of compulsion, anxiety and inattention increase and we remain too deep in thought to actually pay attention: Too deep in our self-serving attitude; in our self-seeking, and selfishness to be able to connect with Universal Mind, with Creation.  This is the connection we need and our sobriety, for those of us with the dis-ease of addiction, depends on the “daily reprieve contingent on the connection to a Higher Power.

Therefore: Raise your consciousness today!  Find exercises such as Gratitude lists, daily journaling exercise, morning pages meditation… You will know when you have found the path best suits you as your Soul will adhere to this and a Peace will engulf you. You will become more self-aware and therefore be sensitized to the important things in life, you will be closer to the Angels surround us and the intuitive will be more pronounced: Listen to it!

Look for next week’s edition on “ERROR”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

© Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com

SELF-AWARENESS

 

Edition 2 Issue #13

April fool’s edition 2015, as the fool I am not, I differed  publishing from Wednesday the 1st April, 2015 and changed to today April 2nd, 2015 for this formidable posting, you would think I could come up with a funny anecdote, something hilariously trivial, or a trick of some kind as it is also the 13th issue of the year. 

But alas no!  Addiction and dependency (be it chemical, or other such as food, sex, exercise…) are serious issues and I am writing to help those in pain and suffering, or for those maintaining, and wanting to know more on the desperation of addiction and how to move from lower levels of consciousness to freedom in Higher level consciousness, communing with the Universe or ‘SOURCE’ of all there is on a continual basis.  I am writing for the explicit purpose to help those reading these words to achieve Enlightenment, and to lift up their consciousness to be, not only meaningful beings, but to live a purpose driven life where we can all be of immense service to mankind and the evolution of the human condition. The power is within each and every one of us to enable the Divine Spirit to live through us.

Remembering we have a “daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our Spiritual condition”. These are words taken form the book ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ and relate to the need for constant Prayer and Meditation, or conscious contact with a Power Greater than ourselves (however we perceive this power, Universal Mind, Source, Energy…). 

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TRANSFORMATION

Happiness will follow the transformative action of complete surrender to ‘a Power Greater than ourselves’. This transformation is the start and the first step to the road of Enlightenment; the Red Road if you will.  The freedom to let go of the things we hold onto which stand in the path of our journey to the “Sunlight of the Spirit”.  The things we live through and through and manifest in our daily lives, the bad habits we have acquired from our parents, caregivers, circle of friends, gangs and whomever inspires and influences us.  The path to self-awareness is to first discover there are some bad habits we are holding on to.  There are destructive thoughts and behaviors, which we are expressing, or thinking that stand in our way of the “Sunshine of the Spirit”.  Or stand in the way of manifesting the life we want, the life we deserve. We know there is enough abundance in this world for everyone, yet we limit ourselves by our false beliefs, by our false limitations created by the conditioning or our childhood and adolescence.

It is through self-searching, and complete release, where we will achieve a level of self-awareness will release us from the conditioning we have accepted as real.  We need to completely give ourselves to a new way of life, a new way of thinking where we accept the limitless abundance of the Universe, and know this is free for the taking for those who have released the limitations consciousness created though self-doubt, through the habit of belief in limitation. We need to re-program the database, which is our mind, to re-program the default settings to the truth. The opportunity is now, to manifest the higher purpose in Universal consciousness.

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Becoming self-aware is a process; we can begin meditation and carefully look inside. In the 12 Step process we engage in inner-work which releases the bondage and damage of past beliefs through a process, including but not limited to, making amends to those we have harmed, making amends to our inner selves for the conditions of the past of which we had no control, forgiving ourselves, and others for the things happened in the past.  Completely accepting the things and events of the past have no control on our present and on our future, completely releasing these past events and actions and releasing the pain body.  This complete release, or inner-work, allows us the opening to be self-aware and as we develop and evolve we, in the 12 Step programme, retain a ‘Sponsor’ or mentor who will tell us honestly what we need to hear to develop a better self-awareness and hence come closer to Enlightenment and being a meaningful, purpose driven member of the human race, of society, if this is what we are searching for, or just being able to properly relate to others, without jugging and constantly evaluating others.  When we are in judgement we are limiting our ability to listen, to properly relate to others.

RELEASE

In the above paragraph I spoke of forgiveness and releasing from the past beliefs: we achieve this release through self-awareness. “Yesterday’s gone! There is nothing you can do about yesterday!”  I recall hearing this so often from my dear deceased friend Scott Swan. And how right he was, is: yesterday can only affect us if we live in it. LET GO OF YESTERDAY! Yesterday’s GONE! There is nothing we can do to change the facts, but there is so much we can do to change our awareness, become self-aware and be careful of our thoughts. When I am self-aware I can better pay attention on the way I feel, now, the way I think now, the way I compose myself in the present moment.  In self-awareness I can control my emotions, I can understand to not take anything personally (read The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom By Don Miguel Ruiz)

Developing positive mental attitude through self-awareness is like accepting, and receiving, freedom.  It is building emotional intelligence, something on a scale of 1 to 10, I personally scored probably a big ‘0’ when I finally sobered up at the age of 47.  Totally lacking social and behavioural skills, I was emotionally dead, emotional empty from almost 35 years of intense substance abuse and deprecating, demoralizing (mostly self-deprecating especially at the end of my using, as I constantly put myself down and believed I was useless, I was a piece of shit, I was to amount to nothing!!!) behavior.  This type of behavior was a conditioning, first from m family of origin, then from gang affiliations as I lived by a code.  Within this ‘Code’ of behavior and thinking, everyone who entered into my life was there to serve my purposes. I know today this is the first premise of abuse. Although I prided myself on treating my ladies well and never abusing them, I now know that words are dangerous and I was emotionally as well as mentally abusive to every single person who was in my life, because I used then. I used every relationship, whether I just met you informally, or you were a close friend: you entered my life to serve my purposes. And that was it!

Look for next week’s edition on “SENSITIVITY”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

SURRENDER

Edition 2 Issue #12

Why I must give up the things, and thinking, which has lead me, in my past, to destructive thinking and destructive behavior.  In the book Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a passage we read, where the alcoholic (replace this word with the ‘wrong thinker’ or ‘misinformed person’) is in the grips of “pitiful incomprehensible demoralization”: What exactly this feels like is known to most who will read these pages.  To get out of these feelings we must approach life from a different perspective, As Einstein told us so simply, you can’t change a problem with the same mind-set, or thinking, created it!

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So what this means for us is we have to change our ‘default’ settings and re-create the life we truly desire. Simple!  Let us look at how: Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” tells us how organizations have created exceptional growth to become the best.  He also, in the “level 5 leadership” model speaks of the great leaders, behind the huge successes he researched, as being humble.  The crux of the 12 Step work is to discover, and to live by, principle of Universal Law, which rule over all of mankind and all there is.  These Great Laws are as constant as gravity and as powerful and mysterious as electricity. And to achieve this transformation to abiding by the principle by which the Laws of the Universe will allow us to manifest everything we need to release and let go.  To become the humble intuitive person, which achieves greatness:  We need to SURRENDER. Become humble and accept humility as a part of the constant, which will determine our successful future.  Maybe not necessarily to the extent of these great leaders Jim Collins spoke of, but surely we can improve our lives when we live and accept a humble mindset.

The dictionary definitions of surrender include: going over to the winning side.  I personally prefer this to my idea, which was, like, I become slave to whatever I would surrender to.  This is not necessary, and in this case would be an untruth.  So as I grow I can change my perception of things.  I use a dictionary a lot and look for the meaning the authors actually mean when I read texts now, rather than what my mind will automatically gravitate to. Because I need to change my thinking from the Einstein’s quote above that I cannot fix the problem with the same thinking…. Accept humility as a constant.

SELF-ACCEPTANCE

In surrender lies the great secret to an amazing life: Self-Acceptance. (Read on “Self-Acceptance” in our May 20, 2015 edition of the weekly blog. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox.)  So in acceptance when we move over to the winning side, we stop beating ourselves up.  We stop hanging on for dear life to the things were killing us.  We take a proper personal inventory.  Discovering our shortcomings, and write the defects of character we wish to release to the Universe and the ones we need to replace them with.  Remembering that when you release something, a pain, a behavior, a character defect, the Laws of the Universe will see a void here.  When there is a void, if you do not write down and proclaim to the ‘Source’ a thing to fill this void, it will be filled for you with the nearest and closest thing to the thinking pattern, according to the Laws of Attraction, that we have at the time we want to remove this hurtful or harmful thought, behavior or habit.

LAW OF ATTRACTION

In the above paragraph I refer to the “Law of Attraction”.  This is a very powerful Law of the Universe which is as constant as the air we breath, as certain to manifest as gravity, and as fantastic an energy as electricity.  I, for one, do not understand how electricity works; yet I know it heats my house, cooks my food, and can kill me when I touch a high enough voltage power source. It is beneficial if used correctly and super dangerous if I am not aware of the dangers.  Guess what? Same with the “Law of Attraction”! (Read more about “Law of Attraction” later on this year, 2015, in an edition of the weekly blog. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox.)  And make no mistake! This is a Law of the Universe, as sure as you will go straight to the ground should you chose to jump of the Empire State building.

So if this “Law of Attraction” is so beneficial and so powerful why wasn't I properly instructed of this when I was a child?  Just like mommy told me not to put me hand on the stove, this would harm me, this is dangerous, then why am I not schooled in this? Is it new? Is it a great mystery?

Well I need to figure this out; I think it was kept a secret from the masses for the longest time.  I know Napoleon Hill spoke of it in his book “The Law of Success”.  I know many leaders, especially spiritual leaders and sages from times past, have all written about this amazing ‘Law’ as far back as Plato, and beyond.  Then why are we not schooled in it?  Why is it not part of our curriculum?  I this because the wealthy believe there is not enough for everyone to go around.  But this is a fallacy, this is an untruth and there is plenty of abundance and riches for all.  The mega rich want to keep this ‘secret’ from us. But now it’s out.  Take you stand now! Instruct yourself on this then instruct you children, and your neighbours children, let the word get out.  It’s all about LOVE!  When we clean house, we can be full of Self-Love, this will open the door to greatness.  We need to become like little children and love ourselves and thence be able to love one-another.  

SELF-LOVE

It is in Self-Love I will be able to project loving kindness in the world.  Through the eyes of an infant, in wonderment and Love that I will be able to manifest the Higher Self the Universe will understand as a FREE SOUL.  It is through this understanding people like Mother Teresa of Calcutta was able to be so compassionate and love those who are the most unlovable.  I am not suggesting you need to be like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, she is an exception, I am saying she properly understood the Laws of Attraction such that she would not go to an anti war rally, she would however be open to a walk for Peace.  Such subtle change in the wording makes us understand how this Law of Attraction works.  If I use negative words, recreate the condition I most think of. negative thought patterns, and dangerous thinking, I will attract negative and dangerous energy.  If I am careful and attentive to my thought energy and express love and compassion in every aspect of my life, I will project loving-kindness through the world.

YES! 

Look for next week’s edition on “SELF-AWARENESS”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

ONENESS

Edition 2 Issue #11

It’s springtime on my side of the planet. How the blossoms will soon turn to flower.  The little buds on the tips of the tree branches remind us of the Divine Power of the Universe, which, even after an extremely difficult and long winter, there is life again in these marvelous flora…  How Central Park will soon be filled with flowers, and trees will return to full bloom, not the sticks that look dead all the winter long.  How the parks will fill with joggers, and children playing and their songs of laughter and screams intermingled with the song of birds and other creatures who return after this cold, dry, infertile winter we have experienced.  How can this not demonstrate for us the Power of something which permeates throughout everything, a Power which is Divine, and Omnipotent, and its energy flows through everything everywhere all at once. This energy is the Divine Power of Universal Mind, may you find this NOW!

As I become One with the Universe, and so I wish this for you, to feel the Oneness, to remove any thought of separation and loneliness from your mind, from your being, from your higher self.  Through meditation and alignment with this Great Power you will no longer feel separation, you must embrace this Gift from above.

Read more…

SEPARATION

 

Why do we have such difficulty embracing and being in Oneness with Universal Mind?  I, for one, lived most of my life, maybe over 35 years, in SEPARATION (read on “SEPARATION” in our April 2, 2015 edition. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox.), feeling alone, feeling vulnerable and different form others.  From my childhood being bullied because of my weight and inability to perform and engage in sports with other kids.  To becoming a gang member where I was taught it was correct to turn the tables and become the bully and the tough guy.  Through the bravery and renewed courage drugs and alcohol gave me I became a martial artist, was lifting more weight than anyone in my category, worked in the logging industry in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. At the end of 3 years as a “Chaser” in high-lead logging, I was able to physically tear a telephone book in half with my bare hands. An incredible feat of strength, especially for someone who refused to attend gym class in junior high school of fear of the bullies; because I was overweight. I lived a life of gang mentality, which everyone who entered my life was there to serve my purposes.  This being the first premise of abuse, I was a verbal and emotional abuser of everyone who entered my life.  I did not know, nor did I understand the damage I was inflicting on others.  I went from a childhood of neglect, abuse, bullying as victim and suffering: to a young adulthood of bullying others and being completely heartless and insensitive.  I stifled my feelings and hurt in drugs and alcohol and turned the tables on my abusive childhood to play the tough guy role, and I was tough, for a good portion of my life.  I ruled through a strong arm and was on the wrong side of the law.  I believed I was above the law, that we, gang members, made our own laws, our own “codes” which we lived and abided by.  Punishment for breaking these sacred laws was banishment and usually death, therefore they were the sacred unwritten laws by which we lived and we abided without question.  Up until the day the drugs and alcohol no longer worked.  Until the pain and suffering and fear became so great there was no quashing the little voice inside, the voice that, for so many years, was soft and gentle and quietly urging me to let go.  This little voice soon became a scream, a cry for release; I attempted the release through suicide, through separation, through isolation and solitude.  These solutions only made the feelings worse, the scream louder and louder until a spark deep inside brought me to the room of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Where I found what I was missing, through identifying the fact I was caught in separation and needed to return to Source, the Source of All there is, or Universal Mind.  This was the only solution for me: I had achieved separation from the One Source, I had worked my way to aloneness, to oblivion and isolation from the one Divine Source of ALL there is and I needed to reconcile. I needed to regain my roots and reconvene with the Universe, with the God of my understanding, an all Loving God who permeates through all there is.

This was separation for me and how I, through Alcoholics Anonymous, found myself and returned to sanity.  Not only did I find myself in Oneness, returning me to sanity and ability to live a productive life with passion and purpose, I am able to project Love in the world because I once again Love myself.  Somewhere in my addiction/alcoholism I had ceased to love, I was unable to love myself because of the things had been done to me, because of the beliefs had been instilled in me that I was lesser than. That I was a sinner! That I was no good! That I was a loser! That I was a fat little boy wouldn’t amount to anything. The bullying, both at the family home and in public schools systems and around and about devastated this little boy and on and on…  These harmful words and feelings pushed me to a life of alcohol and drug abuse to hide form my feelings, to hide from myself. 

picture by author  ® 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

 

 

RELIEF

And then there was complete relief when I was whole again. And I became whole through Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 Step Program of recovery. I regained my life and myself by becoming once again One with the Universe. The Oneness of Universal Mind, or the Source of ALL there is. It is in returning to ONENESS that I found my true being and myself. Returning to Source is the purpose of our life on this planet. I lived and I learned through pain and suffering.  The human is resilient and for some of us it is through pain and suffering that we best learn life’s lessons.  It doesn’t have to be this way for all of us. Some of you learn from others’ mistakes, and I wish for you to continue reading and maybe you can take home some great lessons form my writings. May you be Love and may you find Love now.

Look for next week’s edition on “SURRENDER”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

REGENERATION

Edition 2 Issue #10

REGENERATION: What is this talk of REGENERATION?  Let us start by breaking the word down and looking at re-Generate. If we can re-Energize, or re-Generate our Soul, our ‘raison d’être’ if you will, re-build the power energies the Creator of the Universe allowed us access to when we arrived on the planet through the miracle of birth. At birth we were not only created as a mammal, a human animal, we were also given the Divine Spark of which the Infinite Creator of the Universe has endowed all of us with. 

Somewhere in our journey we find separation, which leads us into differing levels of shame and guilt, and loneliness. (There will be more on “SEPARATION” in our April 2, 2015 edition. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox.)

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DIVINE SPARK

Right now I want to talk of the Divine Spark: This Divine Spark, which we are endowed with, which allows children to look at everything with a kind of wonderment and curiosity, with love and sharing.  Until we condition them with the same conditioning our parents, or caregivers, learned from their caregivers, their forefathers, and their conditioned belief.  This is where we err; the bibles call it original sin, where we chose to do against the Divine Laws which rule the Universe.  The Divine Laws; which are as constant as gravity is a physical law.  We are not properly instructed in these laws that define the Universe and therefore we err, we are given the power of choice without proper instruction on the Spiritual Laws rule the Universe. Therefore how can we properly conduct our business in the world?  Well we must re-learn, or as southern Baptists would call: be Re-Born.  When we are Re-Born, or through Re-generation, in the power of Divine Laws rule the Universe, we become free, free from separation, thus we cannot be lonely, we become free from hate, and therefore we can disagree with someone yet understand this is their way of looking at the situation.  We lose the malice in our hearts and replace these same with an understanding and a softness where we respond differently than previously when we see colour, when we look at the beauty of nature, the trees, the flowers, the flora and fauna are all more real and of a different texture and composition all of a sudden.  We feel things more than we ever had before. We are struck by beauty we never though possible.  We understand the constant chatter in our heads can be slowed down through meditation, and we work on this: We embrace the possibility of something Greater than ourselves and we gravitate towards meditation practices, or yoga.  We grasp the meaning of Ancient traditions, which assist the Enlightenment process.  This is the first step towards Enlightenment.

The Divine Spark of which I speak of is spoken of in Christian Bibles as in Luke 18:

 “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”

So what exactly does this mean?  Let us look at it as the parable it is: the writing are ancient, they have been translated so many times and there are errors.  So let us look at the modern, or today’s interpretation of the greatest teacher, Jesus: HE is telling us we must return our hearts as children:  simple, pure, curious and without fear.  As we achieve different levels of Enlightenment we begin to see things differently.  Ask anyone you know who has recovered, who has worked the steps to the best of their ability, or a friend or acquaintance you know who seems more peaceful than most: Ask them to describe how they look at the colors, how they look at the flowers, how they look at the things around them.  Ask them how they interpret their surroundings when they remain calm. You will find a common denominator here, people who are Awakening return to this curiosity, to this level of fearlessness of childlike understanding. Everything is exciting, everyone is beautiful, and sharing becomes a thing we want to do rather than an obligation.

Bill Wilson, the founding partner of Alcoholics Anonymous over 75 years ago, informed us the road to Regeneration is easily attained by those of us who suffered immensely:

"Years ago I used to commiserate with all people who suffered.

Now I commiserate only with those who suffer in ignorance, who do not understand the purpose and ultimate utility of pain."      ~Bill W., Letter, 1950

So Bill is telling us those who suffer more pain are closer to the truth, closer to the “power greater than ourselves” of which he professes we MUST find.  Yes we MUST find a “Power greater than ourselves” to relieve us of our insanity of thinking, of ‘monkey mind’ as the old Vedict text tells us the monks understood this millennia ago.  Beings on earth have been dealing with this forever.  Those of us who have suffered great pain may find it sooner and it is our duty to guide others.  We are not so different form anyone else.  For thousands of years humans have had this ‘chattering of the mind’, the incessant chatting and chattering also described as the hamster on a treadmill….  Over and over our head tells us so many erroneous things. Filled with lies! Lies! Lies! We go out in the world and must sift through this thinking it’s only me, yet you are not alone.

THE MORE WE SHARE, THE MORE WE RECEIVE.

When we re-Generate, when we begin the Enlightenment and refreshing of our Soul, we want to share what we have, we want to share the beauty and Oneness of all there is.  We want to bring everyone forth to feel this and we begin to understand the second of the Yoga Sutra of Pantajali:  "yoga chitta vritti nirodha." Or as popularly translated “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuation of the mind.”  Therefore it is through meditation and stopping of the constant chatter in our minds we can achieve Enlightenment, may you find this now.

As we grow in the learning of meditation and slowing of the mind.  And it is not a simple task; beings have been practicing stilling of the mind for many centuries, millennia, and very few are totally successful… Do not be discouraged by these words.  We don’t need to become the great GURU of the East, we need only have to accept who we are in the greater purpose, slow down the constant chatter to a low buzz, and the answers come to us from Infinite Mind, from Universal Mind, form the Creator, or Source of ALL there is!  Call this what you will, I will use the word GOD.

May you find GOD NOW!

Look for next week’s edition on “ONENESS”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

GRATITUDE

Edition 2 Issue #9

WOW! What an exciting year 2015 is getting to be.  The Enlightenment and Awakening of the planet is proceeding, and we would like you all to be an integral part of growing Awareness in One-ness. We are ONE, let’s share the message of LOVE!

With this in mind, we bring you this week’s offering on “GRATITUDE” and the metaphysical power in this word, and especially when it is used with heartfelt passion, the power is incredible.

Read more…

THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE

I’ve learned to be Grateful for all things in life, the little things like a hot coffee in the morning, and a chat with friends, a roof over my head, clean sheets and the ability to have a shower in the morning, or whenever and however long I want to shower! 

I have had ups and downs in my life, and as a person in recovery from a seemingly hopeless state of mind, and body (read ‘seemingly’ very closely, as a person in this state of mind believes in the hopelessness of the situation and some of us contemplate suicide, attempt suicide or just plain don’t want to live).  Today I have a lot to be Grateful for, so much so that I write Grateful with a capital ‘G’, not only because of it’s metaphysical and Spiritual power, but to emphasize, at least to me, the importance of remaining in an attitude of Gratitude.

I will speak a lot more on my story in the first book release later this year, 2015, stay tuned for the exact release date. (Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox and you won’t miss our weekly blog and our updates as to special events and book releases.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

The power of having Gratitude, and adopting an attitude of Gratitude for all happenings in life is sometimes difficult.  Can you recall a very difficult or stressful time in your life when you wanted to give up? Do you have a period, or maybe it’s right now, when you are so depressed and at whit’s end? Are there challenges and difficulties you believe cannot be overcome?  Has the bottom seemed to have fallen out of your life, out of your ability to cope with life?

I think we have all been in a place where we thought the end was here! Where we couldn’t face life anymore, when it was game over! I just don’t want to live anymore, and this is the time even atheists pray and say “God take me away form this world”, I just don’t want to live like this!  Have you ever felt this? Is it only me? Maybe not you, but you know someone who is going through, or has gone through, a terrible tough time, or times.  Can you relate here? 

If you have never experienced the depression and seeming finality of a really difficult situation, I hope and Pray you never do.  But for those of us who have, or are going through rough times, this is the most effective way to feel the Presence of a Power greater than you, which permeates through everything. Even if you don’t believe in God, you must feel this Power, which is energy, energy that permeates through everything, and omnipresent and omnipotent (meaning is everywhere and throughout everything and has at the same time all power over and throughout everything). This power, this I call GOD, or the Source for all there is. This is not religion, this is a community belief, and a mutual understanding of Spirit having dominion over all there is.  And to tap into this life saving, and life changing Power, one of the most powerful of all tools is an attitude of Gratitude.  Happy, joyful, Grateful people do not contemplate, let alone attempt, suicide. 

People who live in an attitude of Gratitude do not live with depression day in and day out.  People who live in an attitude of Gratitude get results from actions because they do not fear going out in the world and facing the day.  People with an attitude of Gratitude are always ready to provide a word of encouragement.  People with and attitude of Gratitude are always ready to lend an ear to your thoughts, to your ideas, to your pains and problems and do not judge you.

So this is why the importance of having, and maintaining, an attitude of Gratitude, no matter how bad this get.  I can hear you now telling me to go jump off the deep edge, that when times are tough no one want to think of the tough times and be Grateful for them.  But I tell you I have seen some really bad times, (look for the book later this year, you will be driven though turbulent emotions and life changing stories) and no matter how bad and hopeless a situation seems to be, I have learned to take a step back, assess the challenge of the day, of the hour, of the moment and tell myself to be grateful for the lesson of these challenge.  Through this practice, of remaining in Gratitude, I have learned to call even the most difficult of circumstances “challenges”, and I face every challenge in it’s own place, in it’s own time and flow through it and look at the lesson I need to learn.

Some of us are stubborn, some of us learn from the mistakes of others.  If you are in the latter group, good on you, please read my book when released, later this year, and you may, you just might, find many, many lessons of life you can take home with you and not have to live though such darkness.  The ones of you who are reading this who learn from other’s mistakes; good on you, I hope today I too can be like you.

So remember, have an attitude of Gratitude; remain in a place of Great Gratitude.  Be happy and understanding.  Look at others in a new light, from their perspective; and believe in your heart of hearts every sentient human being is fundamentally good, and we are all somewhat victim of circumstances.  Change the circumstances and you change the life!

Look for next week’s edition on “REGENERATION”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

ATONEMENT

 

Edition 2 Issue #8

 On this subject of Atonement; what does Atonement mean? What do I get from Atonement? This sounds so Catholic, so religious I won’t have any of it.  Really good questions when this is a word I feared because it feels like a religious statement, like something out of the bible or something.  But it is not out of the Bible, not the Old Testament, nor the New Testament, it wasn’t coined until 1526 (by William Tyndale), so well into the Christian era.  Even though adopted as a Christian Doctrine, we have much to gain by looking closely at Atonement:

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Well let’s start with an explanation of Atonement: Since Atonement is not a biblical term, has nothing to do with the Bible or religion even though its usage is often by religious writers. Let us look more closely at At-Onement, or Oneness, yes, and the words “at” combined with “Oneness”. (When saying the origins of the word has nothing to do with organized religion I do have to specify the word, and meaning, has been adopted as a Christian Doctrine.  Which, rather than turn us away from it in fear of being indoctrinated into something we do not want, should otherwise lead us to ask: “Why is it so defining and powerful a word the Christians adopted it as a Doctrine? What is so powerful about this word and its full meaning? We will attempt to answer these questions and more for you here and in coming blogs.).  In my Spiritual practice this is one of the things I have work very diligently towards; and these writings, and all our offerings, will direct you towards Oneness with the Source of ALL there is. This ‘at-Oneness’ can, and will be achieved through a 2 phase process of “FORGIVENESS” (See my blog on “FORGIVENESS” in the October 29, 2014 issue.) and “RECONCILIATION”  (look for our future writings on “RECONCILIATION” in 13 May, 2015 edition of our newsletter, subscribe today to receive it directly to your email, you won’t miss a beat!) 

Yes forgiveness and reconciliation are the two components of this wonderful outcome which is ATONEMENT. This is the purpose of Step 9, if you are in, or familiar with the 12 Step Program of recovery, whether through Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Co-Dependence Anonymous, Over-Eaters Anonymous or any number of other affiliated, or derided from, AA 12 Step programs.  Or you are here looking for Enlightenment, whichever the case may be, we have the Spiritual Path to assist you, and part of it lies in the At-Oneness of At-Onement.

FORGIVENESS

Now we have looked at “Forgiveness” (See my blog on “FORGIVENESS” in the October 29, 2014 issue) more closely and see where it fits in to ‘at-Oneness’ and feel comfortable with the process of releasing the blockages which are standing in the way of my being of Service to the Universe, blockages which are holding me back from the “Sunlight of the Spirit”.  Now I have understood the importance of Forgiveness, I must combine it with “RECONCILLIATION” and reconcile or re-connect with those whose lives I have interrupted, those whose lives I have damaged, those whose lives I have affected by pushing them away. Most unwittingly I am sure, but nevertheless I have caused separation.

RECONCILIATION

Having been estranged, and pushed away the people who had my best interests at heart, those who Loved me unconditionally.  I have to go through the process of reconnecting and this starts with identifying my part in all the hurt cause, ending the need to blame everyone and everything for the things happen to me, the bad things happen in my life. As you well know; at one time it was all someone else’s fault, I was either at the mercy of others, or the victim of circumstance.  This all end with a proper moral inventory of our past, and we well know the importance of this. Our lives, as any institution for business has to take regular inventory to identify the deficiencies in the system. Why would our lives be any different?

So having understood the need for a complete and in-depth inventory to seek out the shortcomings, I myself, have identified the necessity to stop blaming others and circumstances for the things happening in my life and look at my part. When I am wrong, as in all the past wrongs I have committed the right thing to do is amends, by forgiving and meeting the persons and institutions which have harmed me, and which I have harmed in their place and forgive. Make proper amends and restitution and this leads to reconcile.  So this amendment process in our Step 9 workings actually leads us to At-Oneness with All there is, At-One with the Source of ALL there Is. The Divine Creator of the Universe, Universal Mind… call it what you will, there is undisputable proof the Energy permeates throughout all there is, the Substance which is omnipresent and omnipotent is comprised of pure energy and has substance and intelligence.

SEPARATION

This separation I have created whether willfully (when we push away our loved ones during our addiction, we do it most often out of care and consideration. Not wishing to draw others into our misery. We believe, although falsely, if we just stay away, keep the family, friends, colleagues and such at the furthest distance form us they will be safe).  And especially we create this separation to make sure our loved ones do not interfere with our using, (drinking, binging…) and other addictive habits. Surely convinced it is for their own good.  In the grips of this ‘separation’ we distance ourselves from others, from the world and never consider the fact it causes so much pain.  Only when we commence the process of putting our lives back together do we identify the hurt we have caused and this is when we need to put these deep practices of forgiveness, reconciliation together: Leading us to release in AT-ONEMENT.  This, when you have gotten this

Look for next week’s edition on “GRATITUDE”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

SHARING

 

Edition 2 Issue #7

What is true “SHARING”? And how is this important in my life? These questions and more will be answered in this week’s newsletter.  Sharing is one of the most important aspects of clearing out the past burdens, and errors we hold onto for dear life.  In past blogs I wrote about how we hold on to things, which are damaging to us and our relationships with others, we need to commence our clearing out process, release from whatever is holding us back and preventing us from moving forward in our Spiritual development.

Read more…

We need to properly let go of past ideas which hamper our development and create dis-ease, (Read our past blog “LETTING GO” in our January 7, 2015 newsletter.  ( click on subscribe to be sure to receive all our writing directly to your inbox)  let go of the things which are holding us back from development.  We need to sit quietly in meditation and scan our thoughts, our past difficulties, and release through forgiveness, inner work, and letting go of past ideas and views thrust upon us when we were young, possibly things our parents have brought down from generation to generation as sacred beliefs which in fact are damaging, counter-productive and negative values in themselves.  Pain from the astral body, or pain from family of origin. For some of use it would be physical abuse, for others sexual abuse and yet for others mental and emotional abuse or all or a combination of these, and we carry this pain then repeat the process throughout our lifetime.

FORGIVENESS

To completely let go of our past we need a combination of forgiving (Read our past blog “FORGIVING” published   October 29, 2014 in our newsletter.  (subscribe to be sure you receive all our writing directly to your inbox) all who have hurt us, forgiving ourselves for the things we feel we have caused, and releasing and letting go. One of the hardest parts is just this, forgiving ourselves: think and scan deeply within and ask the question.  What is it I blame myself for when I was a child that I had no control over, where am I holding onto things which are eating away at my inner self, eating away at my self-esteem and holding me back without my being aware?  Completely letting go of these past errors is where we need to be right here, right now! 

CONFESSION

The Christian religions have a Ceremony of Reconciliation, or ‘Confession’ where we tell the Priest our ‘sins’ (I will blog on sin later this year, as I believe there is an discrepancy in translation, and we are human, to err is human though we cannot truly sin by nature).  This is a form of ritual letting go as the Universe understands ritual and symbolic.  In Alcoholics Anonymous and all other 12 step programs there is a 5th step where we are asked to share our defects of character with ourselves, GOD, and another human being.  This too is a ritual type of release.  All throughout history there are demonstrated ways of releasing past trauma and harm, whether to self or other, to erase the deeds of the past to be able to properly move forward.

YESTERDAY’S GONE

Once we have released yesterday:  “Yesterday’s gone; there is nothing I can go about yesterday.”  (Quote form the late Scott Swan, may he rest in peace.)  Yet I can do something today to heal the past and be released from the torment and pain.  When I sit quietly in Prayer, I scan closely my inner self for the answers, waiting in calmness through Meditation the answers will come of what exactly I am holding in this inside. Let the pain of the past fall away, write down everything coming into your mind as you sit quietly asking for guidance.  The answers will come to you, recollections you hadn't thought of in ages, recalling thoughts and ideas placed in your mind you did not understand.  Now is the time to release and let go.  Do this as a ritual, a ceremony if you will.  Write everything comes to your mind on a piece of paper.  Then say the words: “This thoughts and ides are not real, they have been falsely shown to me by damaged or errors of past lives and I release these to the Universe!” Now light the paper in a fireplace, over the toilet or in your back yard.  Be careful when you burn a piece of paper that you are doing this in a safe way, do not set your surroundings on fire, do this ritualistic ceremony for release.  Then share this with a close friend, mentor or sponsor, the Universe, or GOD as you understand Him.  Or if you are a Church member you can go to confession and complete the ceremony there. Spiritual writers and speakers tell us to live in the Present moment.  We cannot live in the present when we hold onto baggage from the past. Release NOW! Release and let go of all which is standing in the way or your usefulness to the Universe. Let go of the suffering and pain of yesterday which is standing in the way of the Sunlight of the Spirit.  

This is SHARING for release, complete release and healing.  Fell the freedom and the ease of your next breath.  Feel the weight of the world removed from your shoulders as you accept a new lease on life through sharing, and letting go!  Take the deepest breath you have ever taken and feel the pleasure of having died another day.  How have a new lease on life today, in this very moment, this very day!  You have heard the words, "I have been reborn!"  Now you have personal experience of what this actually means as you are reborn, renewed right here on earth to restart and accomplish anything you want. You are now in the driver's seat to create your own life.

Make sure to comment and give us the feedback on your experience, so others who are holding back can know how this has changed your life. Comment below.  Follow us on twitter and DM me, like us on FB and communicate directly with me by email at: info@beyondthe12th.com 

Look for next week’s edition on “ATONEMENT”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly:; you won't miss a beat.

LOVE

Edition 2 Issue #6

 “What's LOVE got to do, got to do with it?”…  famous lyrics from the great Whitney Houston. What a lovely woman she was.  And let us not forget the Beatles’ John Lennon telling us “All you need is LOVE!”… and so many more Love songs, too many to list here, some actually telling us GOD is LOVE!

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There is so much more to life when we look at everything with the eyes of Love and empathy (look for our newsletter on “EMPATHY” in May, 2015; be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox) Love being the second sense, the sense which will allow us to overcome all fear when we allow ourselves to be embraced by it.  Be embraced by the Love and the Light today; allow it to become you, to fill you up now.  When I do go to a Church, and I do this fairly often to listen and learn, I often hear, from all Denominations, where we are asked to “Lift up your Hearts”; this is actually asking you, or the parishioners whichever the case may be, to elevate your consciousness, let us elevate our consciousness Now by embracing the second sense; LOVE, do it NOW!

ORGANIZED RELIGION

And so if GOD is LOVE, were do I get the idea that GOD is punishing, where did religion err in teaching us about the all-powerful, punishing deity on the throne who will send us to hell if we don’t obey and when we sin we will perish in hell and so on and so forth the misinformation and the lies.  This is not the GOD of my understanding, not the loving GOD the great teacher Jesus was leading us to.          The perversion and misleading of religions throughout history are for a reason, the masses needed to be tamed, or controlled.  All history has its purpose and its reasons.  I am not here to discuss these or to make any argument for, or against, organized religion.

The religions aren’t bad; they may have gotten the message a little confused as we progressed through the ages.  There is so much good in religions, mixed up in some bad, and misinformation, as to the true character of GOD, or the true Source of all there is can be easily overcome through Prayer and Meditation as this allows us to tap into the Source of All there is, or Universal Mind, informational part of Source sometimes referred to as the Akashic Records (I first hear of this Library many years ago studying EDGAR CAYCE), or the Great Library.  We all have access to this when we slow down our thinking process and meditate (we will soon have more on Meditation, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox, and to benefit from members only discounts on Beyond the 12th® merchandise).

BEING “IN LOVE”

I will talk about Love, and being “in Love” and the differences. As being “in Love” is usually a temporary state, even if it leads to marriage and long-term relationships, the part where we are “in Love” is usually brief.  Some refer this “in Love” time as the honeymoon. This is like a ‘high’ and I have personal experience as to it’s temporary condition; I have been in Love on many occasions, and then cut all ties, as the lifestyle I once lived did not allow me to hold onto the things important to most beings.  I lived a selfish, self-centered life where anyone or anything that got in the way of my lifestyle (gang lifestyle and substance abuse) I would immediately shun.  I pushed away anyone and everyone who showed any true love for me, and later found out it was principally because I had ceased to love myself… (more on my story in my upcoming book, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive my blog directly to your inbox, and soon to come, discounts on books, CD’s and other merchandise)

Photo courtesy Eric L.                         ® copyright  2015  www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

SELF-LOVE, OR LOVE OF ONESELF

Now how do we love others fully without the “in-Love” bit?  How do we differentiate being “in-Love” (the temporary condition, or ‘high’) with real Love for oneself and others (a permanent condition cultivated through right thinking and action)?  And especially how do we separate Love from sex?  Or for that matter how do we move from being “in-Love” in a sexual relationship and transferring the feelings to complete Love for one another, without losing the associated with being “in-Love”?  This is the key to long lasting relationships.  Traversing the boundaries from “in-Love” to Love and expressing Loving Kindness, not only in close intimate relationships, but throughout the world.

This condition of Love, being the second sense, is attained through right thinking, through Empathy and care and concern for others.  But the first part of the condition is self-love.  I cannot manifest something I do not first hold.  Therefore I need to forgive myself for all the harm and hurt of the past (see our past post on “FORGIVENESS” October 29, 2014 issue; be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox) before I can completely Love myself.  This is the first step to this process and a beautiful awareness flows over us when we attain this. 

Look to move towards the Light, to live in Love and Kindness or Loving-Kindness, to accept and share this tenderness with your fellows, with everyone.  The rewards are amazing.

LOVING KINDNESS

Expressing and manifesting Loving Kindness is only possible when we fully Love ourselves first.  Place yourself in this state of looking at the beauty of the world as it is; with its flaws and its imperfections and seeing all these as part and parcel of the beauty of it all.  And by no means am I perfect at this, I do slow myself down enough to be able to stand back from challenges, and especially when confronted with challenging people and/or situations and look at the good in everything, look at the positive side of every experience and accept the lessons in patience, in tolerance.  In Loving Kindness all lessons lead to seeing the beauty of it all, the complexity of life and how we are somewhat different from others, yet so very alike in Oneness.

Expressing Loving Kindness in the world is exactly this, looking on the bright side, slowing down the reactive and finding light where there seems to be darkness.  This is my goal, sometimes I am better at it then at other times, I know progress, not perfection in my efforts.

Everyone being fallible and accepting the imperfections of others, the world and especially myself, I can stand back in all situations and say: Where is the good in this?

What is my part in the difficulty, or challenge? What can I do, from a place of Loving Kindness, to remedy this situation, to react and restore with empathy the difficulties, which have arisen?

This is true Love, for myself, my fellow mankind expressed through action.

“All you need is LOVE!”… It’s All you really need!

Look for next week’s edition on “SHARING”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.

RESENTMENT

Edition 2 Issue #5

It’s already February of 2015; where does the time go? And now I must ask myself:  What can I do to progress? which practices will allow me to live a more fulfilling life in 2015 and beyond…(pun intended)?

Let’s look at how we can prepare for the exciting Valentines Day 2015, how can I best remove the things standing in the way of my progress, removing the walls blocking me from the “Sunlight of the Spirit”.  When I cleanse my Soul, my Aura will illuminate and I can best be of service to others, this will allow me to best be a partner, a lover, a parent, a son/daughter. 

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This is the greatest gift you can give to loved ones on Valentines Day 2015, and especially prepare for next week’s blog post on “LOVE”.  (Subscribe now to be sure to get this delivered directly to your inbox)  Learning to Love oneself is the first step in manifesting love, and projecting loving-kindness.  Let this be our ultimate goal: if God is Love then I must properly understand.  Look for next week’s blog post on “LOVE” right here!

Progress is what we are looking for.  In our last few posts we spoke of  “ego-mind”(click to link), “letting go”(click to link), “change”(click to link), and “awareness”(click to link), these are stepping stones to removal of “RESENTMENTS” and the pain and suffering which are associated with holding onto resentments.

We need to properly understand and feel the resentment we are holding, know the damage this is causing to our Spirit body, know the damage this does as it affects the aura around us, the ability to properly relate to others, our ability to properly interact and communicate rest on our inner peace.  The greater our self- awareness,(our blog post on “SELF-AWARENESS” in April 2015, subscribe today to have it delivered directly to your inbox, you don’t want to miss it!) our inner-peace, the better we will express our feelings and concerns with our loved ones, and our interactions with other will improve.  We speak a lot today about empathy, seeing the other person’s side of things, placing ourselves in their shoes, so to speak, and truly communicating from the heart; this comes much more easily and naturally when we remove the barriers: the biggest of which is resentments.  This is a deadly one, we must, at all costs remove this wall blocking us from the “Sunlight of the Spirit” and our effectiveness in this world.  Removal of resentment where it grows, as soon as it is identified is the quality of the great leader, quality of the best followers, and quality of the best parent, son/daughter, friend, counsellor, doctor, nurse, basically everyone benefits from our getting out of our misery of resentfulness.  

LETTING GO

How can I let go of “RESENTMENTS”?  Well the first step to this journey is willingness (look for our blog post on “WILLINGNESS” in April 2015, subscribe today to have it delivered directly to your inbox, you don’t want to miss it!)   I need to become completely willing to accept:

a)    I have a problem,

b)   I have been unable to solve it of my own will,

c)    The Universe (Source of ALL there is and ALL there ever will be) is welcoming and completely open to helping me do what I cannot do for myself.

Photo by author   ©  2015  www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

These three important steps lead us to a place of surrender; I must completely surrender (our blog post on “SURRENDER” on March 25, 2015, subscribe today to have it delivered directly to your inbox) to be endowed with the Grace to properly let go of the things blocking us from the “Sunlight of the Spirit”, and resentment is a huge blockage.  Melody Beattie brings a twentieth century twist to an age-old analogy, bringing her life experience to an enlightened view, so we don’t all have to go to China and climb mountains, we can look inside and see the Truth:

“…climbing thousands of steps. For the first three hours we climbed…

While I huffed and puffed, silently praying… …a man suddenly approached from behind. He was bent over, his head almost touching the ground from the weight of the wooden beams on his back.  The beams looked like they weighed as much as he did.  When he passed… … awe replaced my fatigue.

…Later the man explained in broken English that the wood he carried was special, sacred.  It was to help repair the temple... Carrying the beams was a privilege to him, not a burden. When we started climbing again, the man moved with extraordinary strength and speed. He beat us to the top.

When we surrender, we get the Grace and strength to carry any legitimate burdens we have. Carrying them is important for the temple, other people, and us. Often we don’t see the benefits until later, after we’re done climbing. We can endure almost any pain or problem, or carry any burden–if it’s for a good reason.  Purpose (Bold is Bill’s) transforms ordinary tasks into sacred mission…                             − Melody Beattie (Click the link to get more from Melody)

When am I actually in resentment?  How do I identify this feeling and set about letting them go, setting about freeing myself in surrender?  First we have to sit quietly and look for the true origin of the things we feel.  Usually resentment is something we feel towards someone who has done us wrong, who has so purposefully and willfully attacked or harmed us in some way.

When I set to writing this resentment down, to looking closely at my feelings in reference to this apparent hurt, I can write this in columns and define the process.  The closer I look at any resentment, properly writing down the chain of events I look for my part in the process, my part in the harm done and the origins of my feelings towards the hurt.  The closer I look, the more I define the process leading to the resentment I wrote down, the more I can identify there was a part could have been my fault, my wrong interpretation of an action or words leading to the bad ending.  Not properly taking the other persons past hurt and perspective: I find from personal experience that when I look deeply at any resentment I have, I find origins either in my perception of the event, the other person’s hurt becomes revealed. I don’t know their past, I don’t know what thinking leads them to do or say the things they say… I need to look at myself more closely, look at the empathy I have within, then from this place of empathy, look closely at the actions and reactions of the offensive party and ask myself: “Is this really worth me holding a resentment?”
Remembering the analogy of Buddha teaching:

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned”

If we substitute here resentment for anger, which in fact is the same, we see our solution is not in retaliation, or holding this pain and suffering because the one hurt the most is the one holding onto the resentment… Let go NOW! This very moment let go….

REPEAT THIS MANTRA:  "If we meditate and do this work for all the things are ailing us, I will achieve Enlightenment and Peace of Mind."  - BILL WILSONSFRIEND

Look for next week’s edition on “LOVE”.  And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly to your inbox, so you won't miss a beat.