PRESSURE

 

Edition 2 Issue #38

What pressures do you feel in your life?  Are the pressures of everyday life overwhelming to you?  We, who have felt the need, and completed the 12 Step program of recovery, have a new design for living based on Spiritual principle; these Spiritual principles, which govern the Universe, Universal Laws if you will.  These Laws are unchangeable and constant; we need to learn to live in accordance with these Spiritual Laws and then, and only then, will we feel the pressure subside.  When living in accordance with the Universal laws, which dominate the Universe, we will find inner peace and serenity.  Until we are aware of these laws and endeavor to abide by them, we are going to feel the pressures and constant pain and challenges of trying to bend the laws.

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LAW of GRAVITY

Take the Law of Gravity for an example.  You cannot bend this law, you cannot drop a ball of the Empire State building and not expect it to fall straight down and eventually land on the ground, or have the wind blow it to an adjacent building.  This is a constant law, and there are many others.  Like electricity:  I don’t know how electricity works; yet I know it can burn me if I place my hand on the stove.  I know it will cook my dinner and I know it can electrocute me, yet I don’t know how they work, yet they do work, they rule over all and have lasting repercussions when broken, or countermanded.  There are many Spiritual Laws which guide the Universe that I don’t know how they work, or their reason for being, their “raison d’être” if you will, yet I know if I pray for guidance to follow these laws, to do onto others as I would have them do onto me… This is one; one of the many Laws which govern us, and we must learn and abide by the Universal Laws which have dominion over all.

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REAP WHAT WE SOW

The laws of the Universe, which guarantees we shall reap what we sow; this is one of the Laws to which there is huge benefit if we properly understand it, and treat it as the law that it is.  Sow seeds of hope, and Love, and sharing, and compassion, these and other principles, which are Laws that the Universe is based on, are unchanging from time immemorial to the end of time this will remain constant.  You don’t have to believe in religion to study the great teacher Jesus and what is laid down as the way to be, the way to act and the way to treat others.  We only have to look closely at those sharing these traits; like Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Now I’m not saying that everyone, or anyone for that matter, can replicate the extent of the compassion of Mother Teresa, but if you look at what she did, what she stands for, and the life she embraced, we see that same teachings of Jesus, to treat others with compassion and to love others, and to love the ones who seem least deserving of love.  In return we are blessed with Divine Love as expressed by the Universal Mind.

 MEDITATION

Where do I get the wherewithal to abide by these Laws?  We can find solace and guidance through meditation.  Better men that I have embraced meditation for ages.  The benefits of meditation are infinite; meditation connects us with Universal Mind and our inner being, meditation allows EGO-MIND to take the back seat is you will (see our January 22, 2015 blog post on “EGO-MIND” here these is a partial list of great men who embrace(d) meditation. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat)

Meditation further connects us with our intuitive self which pretty much guarantees the real self will feel some discomfort, some “gut feeling” when something is wrong, when we are in danger; and ultimately will guide us, if we allow our intuition to, in the right direction, the right course of action, the next right thing. 

Be well and be at peace.

Look for next week’s edition on “RELEASE”.  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

HURT: THE PAIN WE HOLD DEEP INSIDE

Edition 2 Issue #37

What hurt am I holding onto?  I ask what I’m holding onto because there is only pain if we actually hold onto the hurt.  Eckhart Tolle called it the “pain body”. If we resist the pain, the hurt, if we hold it in that special place; where the secret hiding place of the “unwilling to divulge” is hidden away, you know that special place we keep the things we pretend to forget about?  Some call the place a ‘closet’, others will refer to it as a ‘box’… Until we are willing to release all the pain and suffering the special place comes back to haunt and hurt us when we least expect, and when we are the most vulnerable.  You know exactly the place I mean.

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 LETTING GO

Unless I am completely willing, (see our April 29, 2015 blog post on “WILLINGNESS” by clicking on the link. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat) and I do mean completely willing, to let go (see our January 7, 2015 blog post on “LETTING GO” by clicking on the link. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat), until I am willing in the depths of my heart to let go of the things of the past which I keep in that special, secret, place. The secret place that only I know about, the secret place where my secrets will not ever, and I mean ever, be let out. The hiding place of the most secret and closed-in, the secret place where the ‘pain body’ resides, and unbeknownst to us where this infestation (yes I called it and infestation because until you let it out, until we become willing to let go of the past, it will fester and continue to traumatize us for the rest of our live like a vile dis-ease that it is!).  This place has to become open and transparent.  We have to come to terms with this hidden and so evil damaging holdout.  The place of the pain body where those un-reveal-able things are held, some things could be so long forgotten, so well hidden that nothing short of a complete and in-depth moral inventory (read audit) of ourselves will reveal.  In the Big Book of AA the first hundred men and women state: “We beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start?” some pretty strong wording here; begging the reader to be fearless and thorough in a in-depth moral inventory to uncover the unimaginable? Who would dare to be so bold, and for a hundred people to come to consensus on such strong wording? Think about that for just a brief moment? And believe me I know we do not want this change; and we, for some of us at least, have to go through life altering trauma to be able to initiate change, this is the selfish, self-centered life of the alcoholic/addict type.  We hold on for dear life to the things that are killing us.  We do this not out of spite, or out of a death wish, (I say we don’t do it out of a death wish, but this is in the beginning, some of us are so gripped with pain “pain body” and delusions of persecution, or despair, or not measuring up, or any of a number of reason/causes to slip into such depression which turns into suicidal thoughts, and for the few, suicide attempts. If you’re of this type, if you’re in this place; do it NOW, reach out for help, call your local suicide prevention line, walk over to the nearest community center, the nearest hospital, recovery detox… the resources are there, be sure to use them, to get someone to talk to.  So many of us have gone through the pain and suffering (see our November 12, 2014 blog post on “SUFFERING” by clicking on the link. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly so you won’t miss a beat) that we genuinely care and are there to help you. Reach out to a qualified therapist and should they refer you to a support group, know that we are there for you because we understand.) We do it, hold on for dear life to the things that are killing us, unknowingly, mostly, until we have caused so much tragic pain and loss in our lives, in the lives of those who love us, such disastrous behavior behavior in inherent to the alcoholic type, yet is certainly not limited to us. 

RECOVERY

If you are suffering, especially if you are suffering in silence, you need to reach out now, do it now; you would be surprised at how many people feel your pain.  You are not alone, and therefore there are so many of us willing to help, who understand the “pain body” and will help you release this terrible affliction.  From dis-ease to a life of ease and joy of a seamless journey to Enloightenment.  We are all seekers of peace-of-mind, or joy and serenity.  Start your journey today, do it now; know the solution is there, whether it be in the 12 steps like some of us, or in other therapy or recovery systems, we wish you full and speedy recovery.

Look for next week’s edition on “PRESSURE”.  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

DELUSION: or Illusion, is it ALL False Experience Appearing Real(FEAR)?

 

Edition 2 Issue #36

I’m a victim of delusional thinking.  One moment I’m a low life loser and the next moment I think I’m the cat’s ass; delusions of grandeur followed by deep depression. God’s gift to women, the most intelligent and spiritual being on the planet and I’m, like, better than all of you combined. The next moments I’m depressed, suicidal, and looking to jump of the Brooklyn Bridge. For years I was caught in the grips of alcoholism and addiction.  My inner thought was such as I truly thought I was a piece of shit, I was a good-for-nothing… I was being punished by an all-powerful deity (I was brought up Roman Catholic and was made to believe such falsehoods) sitting on his throne; because I was a sinner! Deep inside I felt lesser than.  I was in good shape. I was successful; I had many friends, or at least a good entourage.  I was at the top of my game, yet deep inside I was harboring the awful secret I wasn’t measuring up to: my boss, my parents, my peers, my friends, society as a whole, and mostly wasn’t measuring up to myself… Oh the HORROR I FELT!

Read more…

Pit of me Stomach

 The feeling was so deep down that even when things were at their best, there was this little feeling deep in the inner gut, in the pit of my stomach.  The hurt (look for next week’s post on HURT, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat) and shame.  The guilt and shame (Read our past blog on “GUILT and SHAME” December 17th, 2015 edition. SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox) of the past was sticking to me like crazy glue.  I needed to find a way to convert this to Teflon from the crazy glue, which kept this deep inner feeling.

CHANGE

It’s all about Change; Transformational Change (read our blog on “CHANGE” from January 14th, 2015 edition. SUBSCRIBE today to be sure to receive the blogs directly to your inbox)

The change that comes about, for me it was through the 12 Step work.  I had to do a total and complete inventory of myself, my past, and the damage I created or the harm of what was done to me, what I did to others in return; retaliation for the pain I suffered. I found out recently this is all gone, with the release through forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, and reconciliation; the damage of the past is exactly that: the past! Any and all bad thoughts, thoughts of how bad I am, how much I suffer, how horrible I am, how horrible my life was… all these thoughts are not real, they are past and gone, which was all an illusion.  In the big book of AA, it read: “We do recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and …”

Well if I look closer at this quote, what it’s telling me with the word ‘seemingly’ is that it’s all an illusion.  The wreckage of the past is just that: PAST! It’s gone: YESTERDAY’S GONE; there’s nothing you can do about yesterday.  We need to let go, release and let go of the past, no matter what horrors are there.  This is done with help, professional help, a sponsor, doing a complete and in depth moral inventory of ourselves; I did mine with the 12 Step work, and remember I share this in almost every post; you do not need to be an alcoholic to benefit from the 12 Step Program.  Find a 12 Step support group near you, get a recommendation from your local community center, whether Sex- Anonymous, Gambling-A, Debtors-Anonymous, Co-dependents Anonymous …. There is a spot for you.  YOU must take the first baby steps and reach out for help.  YOU must reach out and then the Devine will guide you to the right place.  Sit quietly and if you can’t Pray on it, just slow down your mind and ask for guidance.  Ask your inner-self for wisdom and the strength to reach out for help.

REACHING OUT FOR HELP

It seems so easy to write this, but I know how difficult, how humiliating, how low one feels when you realize you are not able to do it all yourself.  I, for one, thought I was so smart, know-it-all. I could quit drinking on sheer will power.  Yet my addiction to alcohol was not a question of will and inability to get control my drinking (and/or drugging) It was created by a need to run from life, as I know it.  I was hiding from myself in a bottle.  I could no longer face the thoughts that where killing me, my head was exploding with shitty shitty thoughts and the desire to end it all. I needed the drink, or drug, or whatever to escape.  This was not something which will power alone could help me stop. I needed outside help.  I needed to reach out for help and I finally found the solution to all my problems in AA and the 12 Step Program of Recovery. Augmented with psychiatrists, drug and alcohol counsellors, an AA sponsor, the desire to completely and fully let go and do the work.  This not only saved my life it gave me a new design for living of which I have to share with others.

MIRACLE OF RECOVERY

I have experienced such a miracle in my life that I am bound to share the experience with others. My life experience will be shared for as long as there is someone out there who is still suffering, who I may be able to assist, to help, who will be touched by my words on paper.  Anyone and everyone who reads this I ask you to leave a comment.  I ask of you to share it with your connections and Tweet, RT and help me get the message out there that there is a solution.  There is a way out of depression and living a sub-standard life.  It’s freely available to all who ask for help.

Look for next week’s edition on “HURT”.  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

TRAUMATIZED: How I was forced to recover, and seek Enlightenment

 

Edition 2 Issue #35

The TRAUMATIZED person will be in the best position to recover, and strive for Enlightenment.  It’s through pain and suffering that we are most open to change and beneficial transformation, the gift of grace happens through the pain of transformational change.  Is it because the human being is so fundamentally resistant to change? That our ‘default’ settings are so set in stone?  I, for one, was so set in my ways that no matter how bad things would get, I chose my comfort zone, I chose what I knew and returned to it over and over again. As what Einstein told us is so true: “You can’t change something with the same way of thinking which created the problem” Or something to that effect. Until the pain grows enough that the hurt of change is overpowered by the hurt of remaining in our “comfort zone” are we going to become willing and open to transformational change.  So how have you been traumatized? And what treatment are you submitting to? Remember the traumatized individual will go from fear to anger to depression then to anger again. It is in this anger we need to channel change.

CHANNELING CHANGE

To channel change and turn the traumatizing experience(s) into rage and anger, being sure we don’t misunderstand each other here and channel this rage in a violent and physical manner.  Channeling the anger and rage in a positive and productive way is very specific, we need to understand here: control is of utmost importance, and you can get this control, even in anger, through meditation.  Calm the mind and channel the rage and anger productively relieves the depression and gives us the ability, the wanting to change, change into something better, to strive for a better life, to become completely willing to move from a place of desperation, and despondence, to embrace peace and serenity. This is no easy feat; the control and values needed can, and will come from the principles, which rule the Universe.  Let us now learn the Laws, which rule our Universe, Universal Laws if you will.  Not easy, but there is simple program in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous®, (or NA, CA, DA, and number of these programs based on the original AA twelve-step program.  Look in your area for the one you best fit into, or that you feel most comfortable with, if nothing else you we probably find you may fit into co-dependency; look for a program in your area and give it a try. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain by it!)  There may be other solutions to the difficulties and challenges you suffer, my story evolves from recovery in the Twelve Steps, and BEYOND, therefore I write about what works for me, and countless others who have completely given themselves to the simple program of recovery outlines in the book Alcoholics Anonymous®, mostly referred to as the “Big Book” by members and followers of the AA Twelve Step program.  We do recover form a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body; so if you feel hopeless, if you feel lesser than, if you feel depressed and use any substance or even dependence or co-dependence to feel better, to temporarily relieve the pain, to run away from life (as I did for so many years; I needed more, alcohol, drugs, stuff, to get out of my feelings) if you are running and hiding inside there is a way to recover, and then we move beyond recovery to a road blessed with Light and moving towards Enlightenment. 

PTSD

Are you a victim of post Traumatic Stress Disorder?  Has it been properly diagnosed? Are there skeletons of your past (commonly referred to as “skeletons in your closet”) that haunt you in your sleep? Haunt you in your waking hours? The trauma of past incidents and pain is not always so apparent as in maybe a soldier coming back from Afghanistan who is in total shock and needs immediate assistance to try to resume a semblance of normality after the horrors of war.  PTSD can manifest in traumatic experience from childhood incidents of bullying, abuse, whether physical, mental, or probably the worst is sexual.  These traumatic experiences can influence our everyday lives if gone undiagnosed and untreated.  We need to deal head-on with the trauma of the past, with the pain and suffering we may think is long gone, everyday lives, in our relationships with others; it manifests in our everyday lives, our relationships with our family, our friends, our partners and especially with our children.  If you’re a victim: get your head out of the sand and release this damage, you may, deep inside, feel like damaged goods: This is not a way to go through life, we need to get help; and help is available in countless ways, get some today. Call a help line and ask for help, ask where to go for counseling, for a meeting, for assessment.  These services range from free (as in AA et all) to extremely expensive (as in professional psychiatric evaluation, unless you have a good health plan, some of us don’t so revert back to your local community center and AA, NA…)  Help is a phone call, or search engine away, get it now!

Have you ever disciplined your child and then turned around and said to yourself: “I promised myself a long time ago I would never, ever exhibit this sort of behavior?”  Have you ever hit someone, especially your child, in a certain way, and had those thoughts: “I will not be my father (mother). I cannot repeat the same behavior.”  Said to yourself: “The buck stops here!” I have, and meant it, yet when I was in my addiction I forgot my promises, when I was in anger I forgot my promises…

"BUTTERFLY: Symbol of TRANSFORMATION"  ©Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com  All rights reserved

CHANGE

When there is no change, there is no change! (see our January 14, 2015 blog on “CHANGE” be sure to “subscribe” to our weekly newsletter so you never miss another blog!)  For me, and my experience, I promised myself the damage of the past stops here!  I made a solemn promise I would never abuse my children as I had been abused.  Then so many years ago I was disciplining a child when he turned to me and said: “you father must have been really mean!”

This shocked me; this reminded me of my solemn promise to myself that I would not be an abuser of my children, or of anyone.  I prided myself on some sort of physical control by leaving the house when I felt violence erupting inside me; I would go to the local bar and get into a fight.  Coming home at bar closing full of blood was my manly way of saying I will not hit my wife, I will not strike defenseless children and when I am in violence, since this is the way I grew up, in violence, I needed a release and found it in bar fights.

So when I sobered up, (March 10, 2007 is my date) when doing an in depth inventory of myself, my past, and my behaviors; I came to the conclusion the only way for change to occur is if I initiate it.  The buck stops here!  Any and all past behavior passed down from generation to generation, which is just pain wrong, will no longer go on in my family?  This includes, but is not limited to physical abuse, mental and verbal abuse, and any and all other of the family traits, which do not fit into societal norms, as I now understand them. If there is no change there is no change, and here, with me, with this generation the change begins:  Let me be clear on the transformation I went through to be able to see this.  On doing an inventory of my past I came to the forgiveness part we talk about in our program of recovery and I had challenges with forgiving what I though was unforgivable, until I learnt acceptance: “Acceptance is the solution to all our problems”.  Looking more closely at the damage of the past I saw parents who did the same as their parents, as their grandparents and their forefathers did.  I imagined the days, like in the movies, of wooden floors in houses and the outhouse in the back yard where the 16 hour days of plowing fields and fathers being mean spirited and abusive to get their children in line.  I imagined how this behavior was handed down form generation to generation and that maybe, just, maybe, my parents didn’t know any better: This opened up a whole new perspective for me, the possibility that my parents weren’t mean, they just didn’t know any better because this was the way they were brought up.  What a revelation!  “If there is no change, there is no change!”

Now let’s go back and look at how the amends and forgiveness process works in here.  I have to first come to terms with the people or person who has cause the damage to me, who was, or were the abuser(s).  Having looked at the damage of the past in a whole new light, I was now willing and able to forgive and work on bringing about change; the change needed to be sure this behavior no longer propagates throughout this family.

A whole new life opened up for me: Freedom from the wreckage of the past through forgiveness and acceptance. YES!  I commenced to understand the word serenity.

Look for next week’s edition on “DELUSION”.  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

TRAUMATIZED: How I moved from hurt to Transformational Change

 

Edition 2 Issue #35

The TRAUMATIZED person will be in the best position to recover, and strive for Enlightenment.  It’s through pain and suffering that we are most open to change and beneficial transformation.  Until the pain grows enough that the hurt of change is overpowered by the hurt of remaining in our “comfort zone” are we going to become willing and open to transformational change.  So how have you been traumatized? And what treatment are you submitting to? Remember the traumatized individual will go from fear to anger to depression then to anger again. It is in this anger we need to channel change.

Read more…

CHANNELING CHANGE

To channel change and turn the traumatizing experience(s) into rage and anger, being sure we don’t misunderstand each other here and channel this rage in a violent and physical manner.  Channeling the anger and rage in a positive and productive way is very specific, we need to understand here: control is of utmost importance, and you can get this control, even in anger, through meditation.  Calm the mind and channel the rage and anger productively relieves the depression and gives us the ability, the wanting to change, change into something better, to strive for a better life, to become completely willing to move from a place of desperation, and despondence, to embrace peace and serenity. This is no easy feat; the control and values needed can, and will come from the principles, which rule the Universe.  Let us now learn the Laws, which rule our Universe, Universal Laws if you will.  Not easy, but there is simple program in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous®, (or NA, CA, DA, and number of these programs based on the original AA twelve-step program.  Look in your area for the one you best fit into, or that you feel most comfortable with, if nothing else you we probably find you may fit into co-dependency; look for a program in your area and give it a try. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain by it!)  There may be other solutions to the difficulties and challenges you suffer, my story evolves from recovery in the Twelve Steps, and BEYOND, therefore I write about what works for me, and countless others who have completely given themselves to the simple program of recovery outlines in the book Alcoholics Anonymous®, mostly referred to as the “Big Book” by members and followers of the AA Twelve Step program.  We do recover form a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body; so if you feel hopeless, if you feel lesser than, if you feel depressed and use any substance or even dependence or co-dependence to feel better, to temporarily relieve the pain, to run away from life (as I did for so many years; I needed more, alcohol, drugs, stuff, to get out of my feelings) if you are running and hiding inside there is a way to recover, and then we move beyond recovery to a road blessed with Light and moving towards Enlightenment. 

PTSD

Are you a victim of post Traumatic Stress Disorder?  Has it been properly diagnosed? Are there skeletons of your past (commonly referred to as “skeletons in your closet”) that haunt you in your sleep? Haunt you in your waking hours? The trauma of past incidents and pain is not always so apparent as in maybe a soldier coming back from Afghanistan who is in total shock and needs immediate assistance to try to resume a semblance of normality after the horrors of war.  PTSD can manifest in traumatic experience from childhood incidents of bullying, abuse, whether physical, mental, or probably the worst is sexual.  These traumatic experiences can influence our everyday lives if gone undiagnosed and untreated.  We need to deal head-on with the trauma of the past, with the pain and suffering we may think is long gone, everyday lives, in our relationships with others; it manifests in our everyday lives, our relationships with our family, our friends, our partners and especially with our children.  If you’re a victim: get your head out of the sand and release this damage, you may, deep inside, feel like damaged goods: This is not a way to go through life, we need to get help; and help is available in countless ways, get some today. Call a help line and ask for help, ask where to go for counseling, for a meeting, for assessment.  These services range from free (as in AA et all) to extremely expensive (as in professional psychiatric evaluation, unless you have a good health plan, some of us don’t so revert back to your local community center and AA, NA…)  Help is a phone call, or search engine away, get it now!

Have you ever disciplined your child and then turned around and said to yourself: “I promised myself a long time ago I would never, ever exhibit this sort of behavior?”  Have you ever hit someone, especially your child, in a certain way, and had those thoughts: “I will not be my father (mother). I cannot repeat the same behavior.”  Said to yourself: “The buck stops here!” I have, and meant it, yet when I was in my addiction I forgot my promises, when I was in anger I forgot my promises…

CHANGE

When there is no change, there is no change!(see our January 14, 2015 blog on “CHANGE” be sure to “subscribe” to our weekly newsletter so you never miss another blog!) For me, and my experience, I promised myself the damage of the past stops here!  I made a solemn promise I would never abuse my children as I had been abused.  Then so many years ago I was disciplining a child when he turned to me and said: “you father must have been really mean!”

This shocked me; this reminded me of my solemn promise to myself that I would not be an abuser of my children, or of anyone.  I prided myself on some sort of physical control by leaving the house when I felt violence erupting inside me; I would go to the local bar and get into a fight.  Coming home at bar closing full of blood was my manly way of saying I will not hit my wife, I will not strike defenseless children and when I am in violence, since this is the way I grew up, in violence, I needed a release and found it in bar fights.

So when I sobered up, (March 10, 2007 is my date) when doing an in depth inventory of myself, my past, and my behaviors; I came to the conclusion the only way for change to occur is if I initiate it.  The buck stops here!  Any and all past behavior passed down from generation to generation, which is just pain wrong, will no longer go on in my family?  This includes, but is not limited to physical abuse, mental and verbal abuse, and any and all other of the family traits, which do not fit into societal norms, as I now understand them. If there is no change there is no change, and here, with me, with this generation the change begins:  Let me be clear on the transformation I went through to be able to see this.  On doing an inventory of my past I came to the forgiveness part we talk about in our program of recovery and I had challenges with forgiving what I though was unforgivable, until I learnt acceptance: “Acceptance is the solution to all our problems”.  Looking more closely at the damage of the past I saw parents who did the same as their parents, as their grandparents and their forefathers did.  I imagined the days, like in the movies, of wooden floors in houses and the outhouse in the back yard where the 16 hour days of plowing fields and fathers being mean spirited and abusive to get their children in line.  I imagined how this behavior was handed down form generation to generation and that maybe, just, maybe, my parents didn’t know any better: This opened up a whole new perspective for me, the possibility that my parents weren’t mean, they just didn’t know any better because this was the way they were brought up.  What a revelation!  “If there is no change, there is no change!”

Now let’s go back and look at how the amends and forgiveness process works in here.  I have to first come to terms with the people or person who has cause the damage to me, who was, or were the abuser(s).  Having looked at the damage of the past in a whole new light, I was now willing and able to forgive and work on bringing about change; the change needed to be sure this behavior no longer propagates throughout this family.

A whole new life opened up for me: Freedom from the wreckage of the past through forgiveness and acceptance. YES!  I commenced to understand the word serenity.

Look for next week’s edition on “DELUSION”.  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

TRANSITION: Into a New Way of Thinking

 

Edition 2 Issue #34

YES, transition, or better yet: transitioning into a new life, a new way of thinking and therefore a fresh new world.  Is it at all possible?  Yes indeed it is.  We no longer have to assume to be victims of circumstance, to be directed in life by karma (see last week’s blog on: ”GRACE” for more on Karma and “subscribe“ to our newsletter to be sure not to miss any future posts.) of past blunders, past mistakes or past lives.  Yesterday’s gone!  There’s nothing you can do about yesterday.

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UNIVERSAL LAWS

Let’s talk about laws of the Universe; there are Laws such as Newton’s Law of gravity.  If I were to jump off a building at 10 stories I will head straight to the ground, whether I believe in God, whether I’m an atheist, a Muslim, Jew, Christian, Sufi, or whatever; the same Law applies to all and every circumstance and no one is above this law, so there are Natural Laws, there are also Universal Laws or Metaphysical Laws of the Universe which are constant and unchanging and for instance electricity, what’s up with electricity?  I don’t understand electricity, yet it’s a constant: of the guides and principles of Law governing our Universe, electricity, which in high enough intensity will kill me in an instant, in low intensity it will light up a dark room and brighten the darkest street with a lamppost.  It will cook my dinner and warm my house; yet I have no idea where and how it works.  It is a mystery to me; yet it’s constant and unchanging as Universal Laws are.  As are Natural Laws of the Universe as in the Law of Attraction: You reap what you sow.  Thoughts are everything so pay particular attention to though patterns. The Law of Cause and Effect, is similar; as when I constantly worry, worrisome things happen in my life.  If I am constantly reminding myself of happiness, abundance, Joy and fellowship as I commune in service (note here the biblical definition of Love in Action) and right thinking; good things are sure to happen to me, and those around me.

CHANGE

So what does transitioning and Metaphysical Laws have to do with change, and changing my way of being?  What does it have it do with the way my life unfolds and the circumstances I was born in?  So what do I have to change? (see the blog on :”CHANGE” published January 14, 2015; be sure to “subscribe“ to our newsletter not to miss any future posts.) In transitioning: I say everything!  Everything is change, and the only constant in life is change; the world changes continuously and if there are aspects of your life that are not working then you need to change things. 

GOALS

Chances are that if your life was perfect you wouldn’t be reading this blog post right now, right!  So what do you really need to change?  Change your circle of friends?  Changes your circumstances?  - Let’s pause here to give you the analogy of the differences between and alcoholic (read addict of any kind) and a normal person.  The normal person changes circumstances to accommodate their goals; whereas the alcoholic (addict) will change goals, lower their standards, and adapt to be able to continue in a destructive lifestyle without being hampered by outside influences; people, places, and things. Take the example of the alcoholic who loses a job to excessive drinking, or showing up to work drunk, or just smelling of booze from the night before.  Or worse doesn’t show up for shifts, or is constantly late.  A normal person, who had just got carried too far away by maybe tragedy like a break-up, or loss of a loved one, will reorganize and sober up, take stock of themselves and straighten out.  Whereas an alcoholic/addict will find a job, maybe in a bar or in the service industry where some consumption of alcohol, and even drugs, is common and allowed within the industry: changing our outlook and our goals to our circumstance, the opposite of a normal, ambitious, and centered individuals.  We, of the alcoholic type (read addictive tendencies), will do anything to keep our destructive lifestyles, and we will justify, at least to ourselves, by convincing ourselves we aren’t harming anyone but ourselves.   When we finally sober up and do the self-seeking and soul-searching work of the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous® we discover the friends and family we pushed away were actually very much damaged by our actions and re-actions to life as we tried to run it.  Actually running away from life is what I was doing for so many years.

SALVAGE

On doing the self-seeking, soul-searching inventory outlined in the twelve-step program of recovery we bridge the gaps we had created, the hurt we had caused, the pain and suffering we inflicted on loved ones; making amends and repairing old damage. Reconciling our shortcomings and defects into the qualities we can build on. Forgiving and being forgiven are key characteristics of mending the damage and hurt we created.  Bridging these gaps, repairing the errors of our past and fulfilling lost promises and commitments.  We come to terms with our shortcomings and build new bridges, new relationships with others and reconciling our own damage.

NEW LIFE

And here we create a new beginning, a new life where we can live life on life’s terms.  We create the life we, and our families, appreciate.  New beginnings and new friendships built on Truth and Love, rather than living in pain and regret will renew our spirit and refresh our sole. This is the ultimate goal of life: to me serene and content within our skin, to live a life one thought of as impossible, or at list improbable.  Once we achieve peace within our hearts, all good things will follow.  This is one of the promises of the new life build on Spiritual Principles.

Look for next week’s edition on “TRAUMATIZED”.  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

GRACE: the road to Serenity, and Peace.

 

Edition 2 Issue #33

As we move away from fear into Faith we accept a position of Grace.  GRACE is God’s Love manifested in the present Moment.  Grace is freely given to us by the omnipotent, omnipresent Creator; or SOURCE of ALL there IS.  There is nothing in particular we need to do, or have done to deserve the Gift of Grace, it is not something we have to strive for, nor work in any selective manner to deserve this Gift from GOD; the Creator and Source.  The Energy, which permeates throughout all of existence and throughout all human beings connecting us in Oneness is known as GOD, or Great Creator, or several other monikers, and I like to use ‘SOURCE of ALL there IS’. 

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GIFT

As the Gift is so freely available, how do I get it, oh lowly me!  Well firstly we need to realize we are all equally deserving of this Gift of Grace, we all can have it.  But like any other gift, we need to acknowledge it, we need to accept the Gift for what it is and fully and completely accept it.  Have you ever found a large denomination bill on the ground?  Let’s say there is a $100.00US bill on the sidewalk - now I know this seems extreme, but it is all but possible.  So I see this $100.00US bill and I look around, I don’t want to pick it up because it probably belongs to someone who just dropped it.  Couldn’t have just appeared there! Right?  So I looks around, nobody is searching their pockets in a frenzy; actually there is no one there at all.  No one around to claim it’s theirs.  So I look at it, I circle around it, seeing I’m the only person here; there is no one else to claim it at this present moment.  I still wait and think if I should pick it up; should I leave it there? What of the rightful owner comes back to get it?  But someone else will be sure to come by and claim it as theirs, I think, I think and I think it through again... But the $100.00US dollar bill, unlike the Gift of Grace, is a one shot deal.  The Gift of GRACE is for all and everyone, the trick is to identify it, to see it for what it is, to claim is as my own as this is the great Gift I have been promised in Salvation.  Not big special tricks and fancy séance and undercover brother stuff, no halleluiahs and fainting spells needed, no spells at all needed… IT’S THERE! Right there in front of me for the taking.  I finally pick it up, somewhat wearily, and place it in my pocket.  I have claimed it as my own.  I will probably wait a little while to be sure no one else claims it.  Then, and only then, if no one else claims it, I will be free to own it, spend it, enjoy it, and do with it what I please.

Now consider the Grace of GOD as the $100.00US bill on the ground.  Unless I recognize it, identify it, accept it, and pick it up to own and do with it as it should be used, I will never ever get it.  IT IS HERE FOR THE TAKING! TAKE IT NOW!

"TRUE JOY IN THE MOMENT"  pic by author ©Copyright 2015www.beyondthe12th.com   All rights reserved

KARMA

We must understand the Eastern mistake of Karma and Karmic fate.  The Eastern practices pre-dating the Christ Conscience speaks to Karma and Karmic fate as something which will follow us from lifetime to lifetime.  Karma will determine our fate, and if there is bad Karma so be it we are stuck in this.  But this is but a fable and an untruth as the Great Teacher properly instructed us that the Gift of Grace supersedes and overcomes any and all Karma and Karmic Fate.  This is a mistake and we need to get away from this idea as we understand and accept Truth!  The incessant chirping in the mind that we did something in our past to deserve punishment, to deserve a bad “karmic” fate.  (let it be known here this is countered by the Grace of a power greater than ourselves, call it what you like, Universal Mind, GOD, Creator, (see Edgar Cayce, and A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) “… 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 …”)

Edgar Cayce was a seer, and connected to the Universal Mind through the Gift of Grace and clear intention.

Look for next week’s edition on “TRANSITION”.  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

PAST: Letting Go of the Baggage of the Past

 

Edition 2 Issue #32

My past is behind me!

Yesterday’s gone; there’s nothing you can do about yesterday! So let it go!  Like the parable of the two Monks walking through the forest: As the two Monks approach a stream, they observe a woman on the far bank beautifully dresses in a lovely long gown, very colourful, ornaments and bejewelled, well made up, and obviously wealthy.  As they look down to her feet to observe her wearing delicate shoes and appeared hesitant, even resistant, to put her feet in the water, lest she would damage her beautiful, delicate, shoes and her long dress.  The elder of the Monks speaks out to her to wait; he crosses the stream and picks her up carries her across the stream and puts her down in proximity to the younger Monk who looks, jaw dropped, puzzled by this breach of protocol.  The lady bows shallowly, as royalty would, thanks the Monk and carries on her journey.  The two Monks cross the steam at their turn and continue on their journey to the neighbouring village in silence for a long moment, when suddenly the younger Monks speaks out and asks: “ How come you picked the lady up?  We are bound by the oath and are not permitted to touch women. You breached this oath!”  Now the elder Monk looks at the young man and replies: “I dropped her a long time ago, why are you still carrying her?”

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The moral of this story is we carry so many things from the past, be it from hours, days, years, and decades… We must learn to let go of the things which are holding us back from the “Sunlight of the Spirit”.  Anything we hold onto is a potential blockage, especially resentments and pain body.  The things we most dearly cling to are usually wrapped in pain body and we set them into protected “closet” spots within our heart of hearts and pretend to forget about them.  But in our most dire hours, these are the things the ego-mind clings to.

HAMSTER ON A TREADMILL

I hear the expression of the “gerbil (or hamster) on a treadmill” or the ancient meditation guru’s called it “monkey mind”, and this I can relate to; as I recall the Disney depiction of monkeys jumping haphazardly from tree limb to tree limb with no rhyme nor rhythm, no particular purpose… and this is my head.  My mind is constantly and continually lying to me; as my good, late, friend Milton Merle used to say: “my head’s got a contract out on my ass” and he was right, left to my own devises I am a train wreck looking for destructive forces within (ego-mind?) to take control and cause havoc, not only in my life, but in the lives those all around me, affecting the lives of the people I care for the most in a negative way.  The worst is I usually don’t realize the damage I cause, and create, until it’s too late.

It is a form of self-destruction, of which we don’t realize the extent of the damage until we become depressed and at the end of it, sometimes to the point of being suicidal. 

SUICIDAL

When we get into the rut of past pain, and we don’t know how to get rid of bad thought patterns, of incessant chirping in the mind that we did something in our past to deserve punishment, to deserve a bad “karmic” fate.  (let it be known here this is countered by the Grace of a power greater than ourselves, call it what you like, Universal Mind, GOD, Creator, (see Edgar Cayce, and A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) “… 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 …”) The religious beliefs I was brought up with that “God” is going to punish me for my sins, that I will go to hell for my thoughts and actions which weren’t aligned with someone else’s (read deity, or Religious entity) beliefs or ideals.  All this “made-up” stuff the Church uses to manipulate the populace.  We know this is false, in medieval times it may have worked on simple primitive minds.  Now we know this is absolutely false, yet those thoughts were so well implanted into our sub-conscious, into our psyche, that we hold onto these false beliefs.  For some of us these beliefs are killing us slowly, for others we are suicidal and alcoholic/addict.  We “hold on for dear life to the things that are killing us” because we are conditioned to resist change.  It is inherent behavior for humans to resist change, (see our post on “CHANGE” in our January 14, 2015 blog, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get all our blog posts delivered directly to your inbox) no matter how painful the ‘default’ is, we resist the deep, fearless, searching which will identify and bring forth the thoughts and feelings which we harbor inside.  These thoughts and feelings, which are FALSE, let it be known here there is no such thing as a fate that will keep me depressed, or poor, or self-conscious.  God loves us, each and every one of His children; we are LOVED! Karma also is not an issue as it is completely and fully countermanded by the Grace (see next week’s issue on “GRACE” dated August 19, 2015 issue; subscribe today to have our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.) of God, or whatever else you chose to call the Divine Creator or the Universe, the Substance which permeates throughout the whole of the Universe and beyond!.

"PAST" PIC by AUTHOR  ©Copyright 2015www.beyondthe12th.com   All rights reserved

FALSE BELIEFS

Why do we hang onto the false beliefs of the past? The thoughts, ideas and ideals we hold so deeply ingrained in our sub-conscious mind

We just want to end the pain, and we don’t know how. Until now: the 12 Step program will assist you in discovering; and doing a fearless searching moral inventory which will weed out these past thoughts and behaviors if we do this to the best of our ability and are thorough about the process.  Check it out, you probably have nothing to lose by trying it; yet everything to gain by completing a fearless, searching moral inventory. Remember, no successful business stays successful without auditing, and inventory taking; so why would a human being be any different.  To achieve success we need to take inventory, weed out the bad, and work diligently on the good, progressive traits.  We all have strengths and weaknesses; once we properly identify these we can better work at eliminating the weaknesses and improving on the strengths.

Look for next week’s edition on “GRACE”.  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

SALVATION: The Answer to My Emptiness

 

Edition 2 Issue #30

What a concept: Salvation.  I recall the only time I used to hear this word was in a Church, God forbid!  But let’s look a little closer at the word salvage; if we look at the dictionary meaning it means to: a rescue of a ship, or its cargo:  This to me brings thoughts of rescue, if my body is my “ship” my soul it’s “cargo”, and I wound up with a hole in my heart, a Spiritual emptiness from which I knew not how to recover.  I was in the grips of deep emotional, metal and Spiritual trauma, or emptiness; I had lost at the game of life!  The “pitiful, incomprehensible demoralization” I felt in the depts. Of my being seemed like the end of the road for me, thoughts of ending, or suicide to the point of attempting to kill myself!

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Did I truly try to end my life?  Or was it a desperate cry for help?  Probably the latter, yet if I would have succeeded in ending my physical life no one would have known the fact I was only reaching out in the only way that I knew, through sheer and utter desperation! Some of you understand this. The solution for me was in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous® and the complete moral inventory it entails.  How can we move forward in a progressive manner without a complete an in depth inventory?  

INVENTORY

Any and all successful business takes inventory, a business that wants to succeed does an in-depth assessment of what works, what is at stake, what isn’t working and analyses the data. Now why don’t we, as human beings, take a proper inventory of ourselves?  Why is this concept so foreign and where do I get a good template? A moral inventory was the start of a new life for me, and countless others who are successful in a program of recovery, be it from alcohol, drugs, gaming, sex, food, co-dependence… Again I will refer the reader to the AA word services website where the last time I checked they identify over 150 programs based on their original “Twelve Step Program of recovery”.  Isn’t that amazing? Over 150 derivative programs based on the systems developed over 80 years ago and still going strong.  There are naysayers who tell us these twelve steps don’t work, and will try and steer us to their way, yet the people who completely give in to the process, and the full program or recovery as outlined in the “Big Book”, without holding back, are successful and stay sober.  The idea is you have to completely commit for it to work.  Who really is completely committed to anything?  We so take everything in this world for granted, and I for one, lived on the fringes for a time, believing I could fake it, I could, like, do some of the work and feel better for a time, but it wasn’t until I completely, I mean completely, gave myself to the simple instructions and did a true in depth moral inventory to weed out the stale, the stuff which was standing in my way of progress, standing in my way of receiving the “Sunlight of the Spirit”, the things I was holding on to that were in fact killing me.  I held on for dear life to the things which were killing me.  Why? Because I resisted change, I was so caught up in my way, in my default settings, no matter how uncomfortable they were, no matter how much damage they created, my default was my comfort zone and it wasn’t until my comfort zone was so much more painful that the pain of change that I was willing to completely let go an move forward.  I hope you aren’t as stubborn as I am.  I sincerely hope, if you have identified a need to release bad vibrations from the past, that you will completely give yourself over to a proper moral inventory.

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

DELIVERANCE

So if salvation is the deliverance from suffering, is to salvage, or recover, the good in what is left-over and discard the broken, damaged pieces, this is the deliverance we are promised in the promises of the great teacher who was Jesus.  Put aside any reservations about religion, Catholicism or Christianity in particular and look instead at the Spiritual teachings of the great master of which Jesus was. There have been other great teachers, which include, but are not limited to Mohammad, Buddha, Krishna, Patangali, and more recently, Paramahansa Yogananda, Paramahamsa Nithyananda, and most recently Eckhart Tolle to name but a few…

Look for next week’s edition on “TRUTH”.  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

JOURNEY: COME WITH US ON THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE! WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!

 

Edition 2 Issue #29

We’re on a JOURNEY, come along for the ride as we guide you BEYOND your current state, Beyond recovery, Beyond ego-mind towards Enlightenment.  Hang on tight because the ride will be wild and sometimes painful, but the alternative is completely insane!  Your Journey is your own, so own it, cherish it and be grateful (see our blog post on “GRATITUDE” in the March 4th, 2015 issue; subscribe today to have our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.) in every moment.  The Moment is NOW! This Journey will show you how to be more present in the Moment

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Embrace your Journey; it’s yours alone, no one else can follow your exact path.  Whenever you doubt yourself we want you to reach out to us for guidance, read a past blog, follow twitter feeds, and join the conversation on Facebook.  We want you to feel ‘part of’ the Universal Energy of Creation, the Source of all there is permeates throughout everything and you will never be alone, so you should never feel lonely.

LONELINESS

Loneliness is a manifestation of the false sense of separation (we wrote on “SEPARATION” April 22, 2015 and we will write on “LONELINESS” in our August 12th, 2015issue; subscribe today to have our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.)

Loneliness is an illusion created out of the fear the ego-mind manipulates us with.  The longer the control of ego-mind holds you in fear the further we are to achieving Enlightenment.  You never, ever have to feel lonely again! Until you have complete Faith in a Spiritual Energy, Universal mind or Source of all there is, find a support group which can take you from fear to Faith.  I used, and still am a member who attends meetings weekly, sometimes several meetings weekly.  The fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous is a powerful, worldwide group of people who gather to share their experience strength and hope with each other in the common goal of solving the problems which lead to alcoholism and have accepted the life purpose of remaining sober and helping others achieve sobriety.  You ask: how can this help me if I don’t have a problem with alcohol? 

"Top o the World" PHOTO by AUTHOR ©Copyright 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com All rights reserved

And I tell you there are hundreds of groups branched off from this original and we, of Alcoholics Anonymous®,  have achieved sobriety by doing the work of the “program” and this work had uncovered root causes of alcoholism (read addictions of all sorts) which solved our common problem when we were “painstaking” about this process.

RECOVER FROM A SEEMINGLY HOPELESS STATE OF MIND AND BODY.

We discovered we had a fourfold illness which left untreated was eating up our insides.  We had a Spiritual malady, (also mind, body and emotional) described in the text Alcoholics Anonymous®, referred to as the “Big Book” in the doctor’s opinion.  If you don’t want to read the book, don’t think you’re an alcoholic or addict, at least go on line or to a library and read the doctor’s opinion in the forward.  Although dated, like 80 years ago, it has a valuable explanation, in in today’s world, about the root causes and how the progression is fatal if a complete personal inventory is not undertaken.

PERSONAL INVENTORY

Anyone who has any experience with business on any level knows a business must take regular inventory and audit its systems to remain successful and have complete knowledge of where the business stands vis-à-vis its competitors, its lenders, its market share, etc.…  Well if the person doesn’t do this we are at a loss to understand what our shortcomings are.  The business with identify weaknesses and adjust for them, the person must, by all means and purposes, do the same or the gig’s up.

In 12 Step Recovery, whether you chose AA, NA, SA, GA, DA, or any other of the multitude of programme’s which are derived from Alcoholics Anonymous®, you have a new design for living which we, the recovered members, embrace with wholeheartedness because it works.  There is a saying within the rooms of recovery used by those who are winning at the game of recovery “It works if you work it!”  And this holds true for me and countless others who were desperate enough to try this thing.

Look for next week’s edition on “SALVATION”.  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

TOLERANCE: Allowing Things Just Be As They Are

Edition 2 Issue #28

Oh boy! Tolerance.  If I had tolerance for people, places, and things that aren’t as I see they should be, I wouldn’t be so angry. I took a class in anger management last year, or the year before, not sure how long ago, but I do recall it was at the recommendation of friends who identified the anger lying dormant within me. I came out of the sessions with resentment (read: anger) at one of the facilitators for going off on a tangent about women taking the role of ‘victim’ in today’s society.  I thought she was full of s**t, and was about to say so when the leader of the group saw my outrage, and quickly changed the subject.  I failed to return for the last session. I failed at anger management class!  (F)       - Just kidding, I learned a lot and will share some at a later blog…

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Why do I have to fix everything? How do I get my tolerance level to where I can be accepting of things, as they should be, allowing the flow of the Universe to be?  This is tolerance of things, tolerance of others’ ideas and thoughts and acts.  I used to be so critical and judgemental of everything that wasn’t the way “I” thought it should be.  I was so intolerant, intolerant of your views, intolerant of your ideas, you concepts, and all your ways.

MY WAY! (OR THE HIGHWAY)

The way my ideas and ideals had created this little world where only “Bill’s” way was the right way.  And I was right! Always right, about everything.  When you entered my world it was “My way or the highway”.

No wonder most of my relationships where short lived.  I used to live by the ‘code’: anyone who entered into my life was there to serve my purposes.  Well, not only did this not work for very long, I found out in sobriety that this ‘code’ that we lived by is the first premise of abuse. 

ABUSER

Yes I was an abuser of my women, and anyone else who entered my ‘entourage’.  Emotional abuse was what that was all about. I was intolerant of others.  I was intolerant of any view which was different from my closed little image of life, and how this little world in which I lived revolved.  The way I rolled was “MY way”. Everything and everybody would be on board, or be left out; the train was leaving without you.  “My way or the highway!”

THE GO TO GUY!

I was a big shot in my own mind.  My motto was “Don’t you know who I think I am!” or something to that effect.  While things were going strong, while I was at the top of my game, this appeared to be great.  In all appearances I was the head honcho! I was The “Go To” guy, to get things done. And when the money, booze and drugs flowed, so did the women and the entourage.  So nobody would dare go against the unwritten “code” of MY way! As long as you wanted, or needed a piece of the pie, you just had to play by my rules, or else.

NARCISSIST

How would you feel if you were constantly being corrected, being told what to do and how to behave?  Everything you did was just not right, just needed to be some correction, some adjustment to make it right?  Is this ‘narcissistic”, or a step beyond it to abusive in an obsessive compulsive way?  I think the latter.  So how many are reading this who resemble this behavior?  How many know someone who resembles this behavior?  And of the latter group, will you share this and send it to the ‘narcissist’ in your life, have them take a closer look and see if they identify the abuser, or the obsessive compulsive and if they are ready to do something about it?  Or if they thing they are just the icing in the cake and you just want some more sweetness from this type….

At the end of the day I must act and speak from a place of Love and Tolerance. “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you” This is the number ONE Commandment of living.

Look for next week’s edition on “JOURNEY”.  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

AUTHENTICITY: Keeping Myself Real in this Tragic World of Fake.

Edition 2 Issue #27

Being authentic, it’s like a notch up from being honest.  So since becoming honest is one of the primary Spiritual Keys to a program of recovery, one of the great Spiritual Key to the Journey of Enlightenment, why not kick it up a notch, and strive for authenticity in all my doings, in all my affairs. This is what life is all about.  Open, transparent, and authentic should be primary principles in everyone’s toolkit, goals on the top of my list of everyday achievements.

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How does this fit into my quest for Enlightenment to become more authentic in all my actions and thoughts?  The principle of authenticity requires the ability to be true to oneself.

“To thine own self be True.” - William Shakespeare.

 It is true; the Natural Being must seek “Authenticity”, so why would this be difficult for us humans?  Well, because our ego-mind pushes us to be false, our conditioning is to place a façade, or false front, up in the face of possible judgement.  We are so conditioned to feel the need to impress, conditioned to think we must be someone different than who we really are.  We need to show different than who we really are because our conditioning, our ego-mind, tells us we are not good enough the way we are.  If we didn’t have the blockages which got in our way, the blockages of our ego-mind telling us we must be different than who we really are, that we must demonstrate a false façade to look belter, to appear worthy.  When the real Truth is that we are created in the image of GOD, and our authentic self is the highest order of Being!

Become as little children

So when, in the Bible, there is mention that the great Teacher: Jesus instructed us, His children; to “Become as little children”, what is this telling us?  If we look closely at these words, and capture the above explanation of “Authenticity”, it should become clear to us that there is much work need to be done to remove the ego-mind, the lying, false front, or ‘façade’ if you will; which stand in the way of the “Sunlight of the Spirit” or achievement of Enlightenment as is our Divine right as children of God, as we are created in His Image.

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses' opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."

~ Oscar Wilde

PRIMARY PURPOSE

 This is our primary purpose: To enable the Divine Purpose of the Universe to unfold.   So I, as a recovered alcoholic therefore have two primary purposes, as I am bound by the Principles of the Program of AA to remain sober (read: clean of any and all drugs) to help others to achieve sobriety, and to practice the Principles laid out in the twelve Step of Alcoholics Anonymous in all my affairs” and also to “Enable the Divine Purpose of the Universe to unfold.”  This is my Service to Humanity as was laid out to me by Divine Principles of the Laws of the Universe, or Source as I will refer to in much of my writing.

Photo by AUTHOR "AUTHENTIC HAPPY FATHER W/Children" ©Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com All rights reserved

AUTHENTICITY CHART

Authenticity-Chart     ©Copyright 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com      All rights reserved

EGO-MIND

So when we look clearly at the differences we see what we are driven by ego-mind, and what we should be striving, and continually working towards to achieve Peace through liberation from ego-mind.  The road to Enlightenment will be achieved through developing “AUTHENTICITY” of being. Come join us on this great Quest!

Look for next week’s edition on “TOLERANCE”.  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

POSSIBILITY: Remaining open to possibility is freedom from suffering

 

Edition 2 Issue #25

Opening yourself up to possibility allows the Universe to beckon in all goodness and abundance, and allows it to stay.  Now how do I become open to possibility?  An attitude of Gratitude is required.  The opening of my heart, the opening of my soul, where the pain body is released lies within these words: Nothing can harm you of which you don’t allow to affect you.  YES! You understood correctly, only those things of which you allow to harm you can actually harm you.  Release and let go NOW!  Feel the discomfort, feel through the pain and allow it to dissipate.  The more I am able to feel the pain and suffering, the faster it will dissipate and release.  Alternately, when I stifle the pain and suffering, pushing it deep into the recesses of my heart to keep from feeling bad, from being in the pain body; the longer and more pronounced will my pain be.  Go figure!

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We had a Spiritual teacher from the East guide us in a meditation on ‘letting Go’ (see our writings 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). He instructed us in this guided meditation, to feel all thoughts.  I must remind you here of the second sutra of Yoga by Patanjali: “Yoga chitta vritti nirodha”; the purpose of yoga is to quiet the mind and supress the thought waves. Or more directly translated: “Yoga is the suppression of the pulsation of the mental substance.”

Yet this Eastern Master reminded us this is all but impossible; that only the greatest of masters are able to achieve stillness of mind, and then only after many years of practice of deep yoga, as it was created, much more than just stretching exercises.  Originally Eastern yoga was a discipline not unlike martial arts where the disciple spent many long years of study to achieve balance and allow the light to enter.  So don’t expect Enlightenment overnight.  Actually don’t expect Enlightenment period.  You will achieve it if you just allow it to happen.  The transformation is subtle when the correct steps are taken.  Being, and remaining, open to possibility is a great key to this achievement.  Allow it to flow, let go and let the Universe, the Source of all there is, transform you in its time.

TRANSFORMATION

So Swami Nithyananda guided us through a process where we allow the thoughts to enter, without judgement, without allowing any thought to harm, without allowing the thoughts to string together and create a storyline.  As we sit in meditation we attempt to still the mind, we allow thoughts to enter, we feel the thoughts and then allow these same thoughts to exit and dissipate as a bubble over the head.  We don’t allow the thoughts to create a storyline and therefore they cannot harm us.  Practice this meditation daily, in a quiet place.  I like the early morning hours, Rumi tells us we must remain awake in the early hours, the doorway is open in the very early hours, remain awake and the gifts will be bestowed upon you.

"HUMMINGBIRD" painting by brother of AUTHOR  ©Copyright 2015  www.beyondthe12th.com      All rights reserved 

RELEIVING THE PAIN BODY

So when we allow the thoughts to just dissipate.  When we allow the things we used to perceive as harmful, to just flow through us, feel the discomfort, find the place in which it resides and feel it deeply; allowing this pain to be felt and released is the key to totally and completely remove the walls which block us from the ‘Sunlight of the Spirit’.   We must not allow thoughts, ideas, and especially prejudices to dwell inside; this is what creates the pain body, the place in the recesses of the heart where we store the unpleasantness, the distress and the suffering.  We so believe that when we just stuff it aside this will be the best.   Well it has been proven that this is what the ego, or pain body wants us to believe, this is how it remains powerful over us, by holding things inside.  The longer we hold a pin, or a discomfort, the harder it is to release, because we now own it.  No matter how bad it is for us, it’s our ‘comfort zone’ and no one, no way will take away my comfort zone! No WAY!  This is how the pain rules us, by allowing us to believe it is good, it is ok to hold onto.  This is false!  Let it go.  Do a thorough moral and intellectual inventory. Do it now and begin the release.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Now how can I possibly have an attitude of gratitude when there are always problems in my life, always things going wrong?  Whoever coined the phrase about the Murphy guy, must be Irish or something, that anything can go wrong, will go wrong, or something to this effect.  Everything goes wrong in my life, always someone or something, which pisses me off, which is intentionally harmful to me.  Like the guy who just cut me off in traffic, I’m so mad I want to take a baseball bat to him, and/or his car…  The older man looked at my daughter – doesn’t he know how old she is, she’s just a child, how could he look at her like that, what a pervert, he should be shot, or castrated, or locked up for the rest of his life… All these hateful and resentful thoughts come to us constantly; infringes on the thought patterns ingrained in us as “good and bad”, and the good and bad of it happens to be different for all, anyone or anything which is hurtful to my belief system, to my ‘family of origin’ concepts of good and bad.  We must understand that everyone’s perception may be different; everyone’s learning’s are somewhat different.  What if the guy looking at your daughter closely is a fashion designer, or a modeling scout?  Maybe he’s gay and is looking for his next modeling protégé?  What if the guy who just cut you off is a surgeon who just got an emergency call to the hospital and needs to get there in a great hurry, as this is a life or death situations.  Maybe unlikely scenarios? 

Maybe we perceive things differently and are always on the defensive?  And then this is the problem, when we remain in a defensive and critical thinking pattern, our defenses are up and we allow the little things in life to affect us.  Then we hold them in a sacred place in our heart, and these are our walls, these are the blockages keeping us from the ‘Sunlight of the Spirit’.   So we need to let these dissipate.  We need to adopt an attitude of gratitude for everything.  Looking at things for a different perspective, allowing the benefit of the doubt to everyone and everything that happens in the day.  This is very hard to do at first, but when we practice this, when we meditate on allowing everything to flow as it should, we free ourselves from our self-harm.  The pain we hold will be released through an attitude of Gratitude for all things.

I AM: Therefore I AM able to let go, and let GOD!  

- Paul E.

Look for next week’s edition on “OPEN-MINDEDNESS”.  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

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