Change our Suffering to Joy

We manage our suffering rather than coming to terms with it and moving through it.  Instead we manage our suffering.

There will always be suffering. We suffer when we don’t fully live through the present moment, feel the pain of it (if there is pain) and embrace it.  The East is teaching us that we, in the West, are experts at suffering management.  We stuff our suffering, go to therapy, eat, drink, complain, get mad at our families, run away, watch TV, shop more, or look for love in the wrong places. We don’t face our suffering head on and allow it to fill us.  We don’t want to feel it and stay with that pain.  Even old emotional charges, which are the residue of old suffering, need to be faced head on until they pass.  Westerners think the way to deal with suffering is to contain it and manage it.  That is not the key to living in joy and the way to fully experiencing life.

In the West, our minds are running our lives. Rather than being a work-servant to our lives, our minds are obsessed with the past and the future. We chose to allow old conditioning, and ‘autopilot living’ dominate our experience, rather than fully immersing ourselves in the present.  Also, we carry too many emotional charges and traumas. These charges become stuck in our koshas, the energy layers which cause us physical distress. To fix all this, we identify with our old stories, as well as our physical bodies instead of our spiritual selves, and wind up as seekers seeking everything from happiness to more pleasure, instead of seeking ‘essence.’

Also, we don’t know our own divinity and don’t feel connected. All suffering originates in the belief in separation. Sin is our belief in separation from God, the Good, in consciousness. Our salvation is now—not something that occurs after death. It happens whenever we turn our thoughts from fear, anxiety, worry and doubt to thoughts of love, harmony, joy and peace. The ‘fall’ that religion has frightened us with simply takes place in consciousness whenever we fall into negative habits of thinking. Heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not geographical locations. We make our own heaven or hell here and now by our thoughts, words and deeds. It would be great if we could release all these fears.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on being with ease with yourself. I’d love to hear from you, so please do share your comments and personal stories below.

And, please stay in touch with me by subscribing to this blog using the form on the right-hand side of your screen. That way, I can send you more stories and insight from The Oneness Gospel.

Every Blessing,

© Charlene M Proctor and The Goddess Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For more affirmations, read The Women’s Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations that Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential. Click Here to buy.

Affirmations that help you develop resiliency and strength

Grief From Loss

My Heartache fills my entire body today, but I know the love I have for this person who has crossed over is far greater than my heartache. From this day forward, each time I feel my heart ache from the absence of this person, I will focus on the love they brought into my life. I am so very thankful to have been blessed by their presence. No one is ever lost or gone forever, because love lasts forever. Every time I feel a heartache coming on, I send out a greater amount of love to the outer reaches of the universe and beyond. I am comfortable knowing this person will receive my love every day and through every loving thought.

Facing Divorce

I leave this relationship with grace and dignity. I know my own soul must grow in an area outside the perimeter of this relationship. No matter how painful the past, I am thankful that this venture has been part of my learning journey because it helps me to further define myself. My ability to give and receive love remains intact. My heart is healing. I have tremendous capacity to love others, no matter what the circumstances.

Addiction

I no longer run from life. I now fully engage in what life has to offer. I rise above any physical need that does not contribute to my overall health and well-being. I do not need any substance to hide from life because I love what I have to offer. I am the parent and my body is the child. I take care of my child-body with love because I love my beautiful self.

Anticipating Unemployment

Finding a new work situation requires transition and changing my old mental habits. I view this period as an opportunity to be clearer about what I want to do with my life. My hurt and uncertainty about the future leave my body before I get out of bed. Each morning I arise with an attitude of success. I believe this change is a learning experience, and I step up to this challenge with strength and conviction in what I have to offer the world.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on affirmations that help you develop resiliency and strength.

I’d love to hear from you, so please do share your comments and personal stories below.

And, please stay in touch with me by subscribing to this blog using the form on the right-hand side of your screen. That way, I can send you more stories and insight from The Oneness Gospel.

Every Blessing,

© Charlene M Proctor and The Goddess Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For more affirmations, read The Women’s Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations that Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential. Click Here to buy.

Feeling Supported

Last weekend at Maryland Dancesport Championships, it occurred to me that most of the time we need to rely on faith to know we are supported and guided by the Divine. Lately, I’ve been doing my fair share of risky death drops, backbends, nosedives and dips at competitions. I plunge to the dancefloor without knowing if I will have a hard landing or wind up in a beautiful position in front of the audience or judges. Will Blake catch me? In two years he hasn’t dropped me once so we’ve had time to build trust.  I know if I do my job right, he will too, and all will be well. He will be there because I trust that on The Floor, he leads the way and is my means of support. This dance lesson has a spiritual dimension.  How many times in your life did you feel you were without support or guidance?  Were you in a situation that forced you to trust the Universe for a positive outcome? Did you learn to release the need to know every result and just let go?

The Divine is always our resource for support. Once we trust that the Higher Power works in us and through us always, we can relax, whether we are on the top of the world or going through tough times. All our experiences are for our benefit, and when we know we are supported, we can turn over the outcomes to God and let the learning unfold.  Often, it seems that missed opportunities or even painful challenges do not seem worthwhile but when we know we are truly supported in our journey, we can rest easier and wait for the results.

The Higher Power is your rock, your resource for love and support, your professional helper and partner in all things.  When you resonate with this wisdom, you will be more open to receiving the support you need to guide you toward the best and most productive outcome imaginable. You are never without guidance, no matter if opportunities are flourishing or if it seems they are passing by you.

Next time you are ready for your own version of a tango trick at work, home, or in any other area of your personal life, remember to trust God first and all else will follow perfectly.

Dance Blessings,

Buy The Oneness Gospel, Charlene’s new award winning book Click here

Enlightenment is a Process

Although “enlightenment” means awakening to our God-self within, it is a word with a lot of nuances. It suggests that spirituality is a destination we reach after we achieve a state of spiritual wonder, or a reward for having trekked a specific number of times to Tibet, India, or Rome. It’s a term Bhagavan likes to avoid, probably because he is lovingly correcting the Western scorecard mentality. Many overachieving Westerners consider oneness with God to be either a state granted by a guru or some sort of grand finale to life. Although a guru (translation: “one who dispels darkness”) might give you a particular energy transmission to jumpstart the process of awakening, enlightenment is a dynamic process, not a one-time-only event. Attaining a state of enlightenment does not mean we are excused from attending to everyday life. When a person achieves an awakening (enlightenment), he or she grasps that God is present in everything and everyone, but there will always be more to learn. Many highly evolved individuals who have attained very high levels of consciousness on this planet are fully awakened to the Divine within, but they keep on going to reach even higher levels of conscious awareness. They help raise the planet’s collective consciousness through their own individual self-development. By the way, awakened people maintain their personalities (they need to function as human beings), but they’ve learned to let life flow through them without their ego getting involved. They find unique ways to contribute to humanity. Enlightenment is thus not about reaching a state of illumination and posting a new sign on your door, then becoming complacent and spending the rest of life in front of the television.

Everyone on a spiritual path wants to grow, find and express love, and make a contribution. Even if you are instantly awakened by receiving a master’s mukthi deeksha (an energy transmission that helps change a person’s brain cells by a current of grace flowing through a blessing giver), transformation is a conscious exercise; it won’t happen automatically. You still have to receive the deeksha from a person who can send the energy into your brain cells. You also must meditate regularly, take care of your body, eat right, be aware of when you fall into sense consciousness, and practice selfless love. You can take a variety of actions to maintain a connection with the higher states. A master can summon Spirit to envelop a person with grace, but awakening happens more easily when the person is aligned to this expansive state and ready to receive such a transmission.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on being with ease with yourself. I’d love to hear from you, so please do share your comments and personal stories below.

And, please stay in touch with me by subscribing to this blog using the form on the right-hand side of your screen. That way, I can send you more stories and insight from The Oneness Gospel.

Every Blessing,

© Charlene M Proctor and The Goddess Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For more affirmations, read The Women’s Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations that Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential. Click Here to buy.

Thought for the Day: Never Hide Your Light

Many people feel it is humble or saintly to diminish their capabilities and talents, but there are passages in the Bible that tell us otherwise. Because we are all unique and beautiful creations of the Divine, we should never ‘hide our light under a bushel basket.’  As you know, little pieces of wisdom given by Jesus were conveyed in many parts of the New Testament but even though the four gospels are basically four accounts of his life, written by different people, they share similar ideas.  If you feel so moved, you can look them all up.  There are three in Luke:

No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. (Luke 8:16)

No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed.  Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. (Luke 11:33)

Therefore, if you whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you. (Luke 11:36)

You’ll also find reference to this thought in Matt 5:15 and Mark 4:21.  It seems if these ideas were included so many times, it must be an important message for us. What was Jesus saying? Talking about lamps or candles, and hiding your light under the lampstand (or bushel basket, depending upon the author) was his way of making it easy for people to put the concept to work in their lives.

In those days it was common to have lampstands and candles in every home – items considered essential for a Hebrew household. If you added in the consecrated bread, you had an altar – a place of worship – a Holy Place (See Hebrews 9:2). The Holy Place is the place we recognize who we are which is our authentic self, which is Spirit. Spirit knows no boundaries,and I like to think of it as full of grace and love. When we live life knowing that we must rise to this thought in all our interactions with others, our gifts are revealed. It becomes easier to offer our talents to humanity, whether it is dancing, teaching, writing, or raising a family.

Jesus suggested that to live ‘in the light’ you’ve got to quit hiding yourself, and be proud of all the things that make you uniquely you.  Offer yourself completely to those around you, with love and positivity.  Believe in yourself. Why would we volunteer to sit in the corner or under the lampstand, when we are so beautiful inside? We can shine like a star in the sky.’ (Philippians 2:15). It’s our natural state of being, to be immersed in this wonderful energy.

He also suggested staying away from people who ‘stand in your light’ or diminish your light (getting stuck in lower negative thoughts or being around people who are just plan rude, nasty or just don’t have your best interest at heart). Let’s begin at home first.  ‘Home’ is who we live with and who we invite into our personal world… those closest to us.  Your family. Your work colleagues, your dance partner, your friends. Unveil your light to those near you. Get some practice then take yourself out to the larger community. It is how we illuminate ourselves as human beings and change the world! We all have the ability to do this, so let’s shine on, and be bright, illuminated individuals!

And, please stay in touch with me by subscribing to this blog using the form on the right-hand side of your screen. That way, I can send you more stories and insight from The Oneness Gospel.

© Charlene M Proctor and The Goddess Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For more affirmations, read The Women’s Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations that Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential. Click Here to buy.

Charlene Proctor is the author of the new book “The Oneness Gospel” and the founder of The Goddess Network, an on-line educational resource for topics on spiritual growth, positive thinking, consciousness, and unity.

We belong to God and not a particular religion

Spiritual individuals who don’t identify with an institutional church tend to want to skip the religious labels. They might refer to themselves as “spiritual,” but not “religious,” because “spiritual” seems broader. As our concept of a global human community continues to expand economically and socially, many choose to opt out of the confines of religion, and choose a faith and a spirituality that works with their lifestyle. Church attendance across denominational lines has declined in the last ten years, partly due to declining fertility rates, but spiritual poverty has also been cited as the reason many are abandoning organized religion. Has the global youth culture become pluralistic? Or is our soon-to-be godless society degrading? I think it’s a reflection of our awakening as a species; our search for less confinement and more ways to connect with the boundless human spirit. More people want to be more firmly centered in God and less planted in the pews, so they are renouncing religious labels. We truly transform ourselves spiritually when we elevate our capacity to love and live authentically, then inspire others to do the same. Enough information is already out there, and it seems we don’t want more religion or gurus to do it for us. It’s time for us to practice what we’ve learned.

The more unity-minded we become, the less important it seems to be to declare a religion, because to love God is to own the universe. God, or divine energy, maintains us the same way he maintains the universe, giving us a wide berth to develop ourselves as we see fit within a big support system. We’re going to evolve as long as we love God and recognize our partnership. Does a lily make a conscious effort to grow its own petals? The Divine is our binding force and power system, and we are delusional when we think we’re doing all the work. We need to stop trying to grow our petals, so to speak, and let ourselves be maintained by the divine energy. As science has made abundantly clear, energy is pervasive and constitutes every atom in existence. We want to connect with the divine energy. Does it really matter how it is labeled? When asked what religion I belong to, I always answer, “I belong to God.” Like Rumi or Sri Aurobindo, I work on loving and honoring the Divine Presence within my own heart and mind. The more I do this, the more I easily see it in others, and then I feel Spirit expanding. Many who work with these ideas call themselves “spiritual”; it is hardly a godless label.

Underneath the spiritual and political face-off, there is the shared spiritual message of a global oneness community. This spiritual community is interested in maintaining harmony despite different sets of holy works, practices, and faiths. It loves and respects its diverse members, be they Christian or non-Christian, Muslim, New Age, Pagan, Jewish, or Buddhist, of blended faith, or nonreligious, and all of them love God with passion. What they want is the freedom of a true spirituality with accountability. They desire to encounter the sacred in normal, everyday experiences and lead a mystical life while fully engaged in the world. They want to know that anyone can be saved; that reincarnation is possible; that our Western traditions and culture are not evil, but may be enhanced by the knowledge that enlightenment is within everyone’s reach. They want the living truth to breathe through them. They want to enrich themselves with new spiritual practices that embrace the vibrancy of their own wisdom traditions, but at the same time, they don’t want to feel guilty about doing so.

Contemporary Christians within the oneness community generally regard the Bible as written by spiritually minded people who may or may not have had an agenda, and believe this collection of inspired writings reflects a wide variety of views that have been edited over the centuries. They recognize that writers and readers, influenced by their own economic, linguistic, cultural, and political issues, have shaped and reshaped Jesus through time. They read other sacred texts, consult a broad range of scriptures from both East and West, and often use psychology, brain science, and personal stories to look deeper within for solutions to life’s biggest challenges. They believe a loving God does not judge and has no labels. They enjoy learning about meditation and prayer and are just as likely to attend a kirtan[1] as a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. With an interspiritual approach to nurturing the inner presence of God in their lives, they are inclined to see the Divine gloriously present in every individual, in all families, workplaces, and communities.

When we adopt a unity point of view, advocating church attendance or a merger of wisdom traditions is not necessary, nor is diversity a problem. Only our inability to look within has prevented us from reaching a higher level of consciousness. People are beginning to understand the necessity of self-reflection, which leads to the still waters of inner peace. It is how the world will eventually improve. Sacred texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita (a classic Yogic scripture which scholars date back to around the fifth century BCE), the Upanishads (Hinduism’s New Testament), and the Christian Gospels give us clear, basic lessons on encouraging our egos to take a backseat, quieting our minds, and cultivating love, joy, forgiveness, faith, and compassion for all beings. They are being adopted by more people today outside of church, as are many daily practices of prayer, contemplation, and chanting. Communing with God from a higher level of conscious awareness is taking a front seat. Reaching Christ consciousness is no longer a secret guarded by saints and mystics, because anyone can reach the kingdom of heaven if they desire.

For centuries, mysticism has been cultivated behind the walls of ashrams and monasteries. It hasn’t been available to the public before, certainly not in mainline churches, but today, this vitally important information is being presented in various forms and digestible chunks by modern-day mystics, philosophers, and other spiritual leaders. We need to open our ears, revisit the basics, share some stories, and quit worrying about East versus West. We need to turn back to the texts we best resonate with and seek the truth of our oneness. If not, all the churchgoing and spiritual practice in the universe won’t bring us inner peace or the sense of communion with God we yearn for.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on being with ease with yourself. I’d love to hear from you, so please do share your comments and personal stories below.

And, please stay in touch with me by subscribing to this blog using the form on the right-hand side of your screen. That way, I can send you more stories and insight from The Oneness Gospel.

Every Blessing,