Journey of Abundance

“Anchoring”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 40

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

The Divine Presence of Love is the most natural energy in the world and beyond. Through the wisdom of Love, I understand Love as True wealth as an expression of my Divine nature, to be cultivated in my consciousness, expressed, and shared. My love is infinite. My wealth is infinite. I realize this as my reality and circulate wealth with joy and gratitude.

 

Sharing

I get it. It all comes together today. This Guiding Thought really is a capstone. I’ve never “seen it” before, but I see it now, thanks to the past several days. Welcome to day 40! You made it. How are you “seeing things” today, or lately?

I’m going to save “what I see” today for my summary in a few days. There is too much hearkening back to the past 40 days, which would take too long now if I tried to explain it.

But, I do have two thoughts to share.

First, last night, as I’ve been doing recently, I had the words, “ALL in All is Love is ALL in All is Love is ALL…” going through my head. They made no sense to me.

It was as though each word was completely isolated and without context. As I repeated the phrase silently in my head, I had no clue what I had seen or heard in these words recently. Everything seemed lost—all of the depth, dimension, connections, feeling, etc., gone.

I told myself, “This happens sometimes, you know that. It happens that the brain, emotions, or ego regresses, rebelling against your learning”. I knew that was true, so I was not too, terribly upset (but I was pretty frustrated about it).

I also knew that I had seen/understood the meaning and connection of the phrase very deeply, and with strong feeling. I cannot lose it. It is part of me now. I’m not saying I don’t have to continue to work at cultivating it (“True wealth as an expression of my Divine nature, to be cultivated in my consciousness…”), but I have definitely moved into a new (natural, effortless) understanding (and therefore expression) of Love and wealth.

My encouragement to you from this is: Stay encouraged! Sometimes it feels like two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes it feels like you’ve gotten nowhere, like you’ve forgotten or lost something you had just a day or two before. Trust that when you get something, that you have gotten it; that it is part of you now. Trust what you feel. Trust that there is a new depth now from which you are growing and expanding. You’ll never be the same again…and that’s a good thing.

Second: When you get something (that is: have a new, expanded understanding), acknowledge it, and even pat yourself on the back. Because, here’s why: each little growth anchors you for the next one. When you feel yourself learning something in a new way, in a deeper way, in a more-expansive way, then that is what is becoming your new platform, the new solid place which is yours unquestionably, without thinking about it, without effort. As each growth-experience becomes integrated into your consciousness, into your Self-identity, the next growth starts from there. If you don’t acknowledge it, accept it, and anchor it, it is easy for it to float away—the brain will step in and fill your head with thoughts that counter it, make it seem unreal, make you question yourself…you must trust yourself and your growth enough to claim your Self and your growth.  Accept what you are becoming as what you are.

I’ll be posting my summary-reflection in the next week or so. Then Journey of Fulfillment begins September 18!!! I am so excited! (I’m such a dork.)

Also—something new is coming! During these short breaks between Journeys, there will be guest articles! In the Spirit of the With Pearls Foundation (501c3), which supports and encourages journeys of self-discovery, there will be new voices, new experiences, and new perspectives from others who are consciously taking steps on the path! If you’re interested in writing a guest-article, see this page.

“A New Way of Seeing”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 39

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

Divine Abundance expresses infinitely through my own Divine Presence. When I identify with my Divine Presence, I open the floodgates and Divine Abundance flows naturally, easily, and effortlessly through me, materializing all good in my life and affairs.

 

Sharing

Om, Purnamadah Purnamidam; Purnat Purnamudachyate Purnasya Purnamadaya; Purnameva Vashishyate. This is Full; that is Full. From Fullness comes Fullness.  Take Fullness from Fullness, Fullness remains.

ALL is All. All is ALL. From ALL comes All. Take from ALL, ALL remains.

Love is ALL. All is LOVE. From Love comes All. Take from Love, Love remains.

In a state of Fullness (or the Fullness of Love), there is complete abundance. There is nothing lacking, nothing wanting, nothing to desire, and nothing to need. This is Divine Abundance.

Too often, people think of abundance, prosperity, magnetizing, the Law of Attraction as getting what you want, or as achieving a new level of material wealth, or having something you didn’t have a month ago.

Recognizing anything but Divine Presence is what (mis-)creates the perception or experience of lack, or of needing something. Wanting to become abundant implies that you are not already abundant.  I know—I do it too.

Divine Abundance is where you are; Divine Abundance is what you are, because you are already your own Divine Presence. You are already Love. You are already Full.

I am learning. Now I see in a new way; I understand with new resources and different neural connections. I must live in a state of mind that sees and feels the Fullness, the Love, the ALL that I am, every moment.  This is “opening the floodgates”.  And it’s as easy as simply being what I already am.

“Blind and Empty: Service without Love”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 36

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

Increasing my thoughts of Love and my attitude of service dispels all fear of lack and limitation. As I serve more people with Love, money and wealth flow abundantly to me. I use money and wealth with love and wisdom to create a life I love through my highest vision.

Sharing

Do you think that an “attitude of service” increases naturally when thoughts of Love are increased? The way the Guiding Thought is written is as though they are separate—that thoughts and attitude must be increased each on their own. I have thoughts; I increase my thoughts of Love. I have an attitude; I focus my attitude more on service.

But is increasing them separately the only way to go about it? If I increase my thoughts of Love, will a “side effect” of that not be having a greater attitude of service?

I can see Love increasing service, but not service increasing Love. It does not follow that increased service increases Love– think of all the people/businesses that increase service for money, without Love, who often act in distinctly unloving ways toward both customers and employees. Think of all the people who serve many with Love, without a thought for money (Amma, Mother Theresa).

The kind of service Love increases can be both the kind of service that you would find in a consumer-capitalist culture, and the kind of service that is more intangible, metaphysical, or mystical—the kind of service provided when people pray, and especially when they pray together; when a healer “loves away” an illness; when a holy-leader (not a charlatan or false profit!) leads a congregation to lift their minds and hearts; when anyone inspires another through kindness, gentleness, or compassion.

When people experience Love, isn’t it a natural outcome to want to share it, to extend it, to be kind to someone? Isn’t sharing Love the greatest service one can give? Isn’t this how we can really know love—when It inspires us to give something of It to the world? And can’t we bring that to the work we do, the actual tangible service we provide through business?

Service without Love is empty; service without Love is blind.

Service with Love is Filled-fullness!

“Love…ad infinitum”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 35

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

My Inner Divine-Love Presence Knows what I need or desire before I do. It is constantly providing me with ideas, material goods, situations, and interactions to fulfill all my needs and desires. I relax and allow the Presence Within to supply me with everything I need.

 

Sharing

The Presence within me is the Presence within you, is the Presence within everything. This Presence is the Substance of the Universe: Love.

The above statements are summed up in the thoughts that I’ve mentioned recently that I have been intentionally looping in my head:

ALL in All in ALL in All in ALL in All….ad infinitum

And

All is Love is All is Love is All is Love…ad infinitum

If you allow yourself (or perhaps, more accurately, make yourself!) loop these thoughts, look around you as you do so, look within you as you do so, then you begin to notice how ALL is in All, and how ALL is Love.  Maybe…try it for yourself and see.

Because this Presence of Love is ALL, and is within everything, It is omnipresent.

Because It knows Itself as everything, and everything as Itself, It is omniscient.

Because It is Love…It is omnipotent.

But, you may ask…why is Love omnipotent?

Here is why, explained through A Course in Miracles:

If perfect love casts out fear, if fear exists

Then there is not perfect love.

But, only perfect love really exists.

If there is fear, it creates a state which does not exist.

The reason that Love is omnipotent is because in Truth that is all that really exists. All is Love. Our reality is Love. Perfect Love casts out anything unlike Itself, anything that is not-Love. What more power is there?

Love is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. It knows exactly how ideas, material goods, situations, and interaction must come together for It to be what It IS in my experience. It’s up to me to let It.

“My Self Has My Back, Now if It Would Scratch…”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 33

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

I fill my mind and heart with Love, aligning with the Light of Truth. Steadfast and focused on my own Loving Presence, I live in the peace of fulfillment of my own Divine Identity.

 

Sharing

There are days when I like to dissect the Guiding Thoughts, breaking them down word by word to see what they are made of (so to speak). There are days when I like to read them somewhat superficially, repeating them without much thought. There are days when the Guiding Thoughts feel confusing and I feel like it takes a lot of effort to understand even the most basic phrasing. There are days when the Guiding Thought acts like a guided visualization and I see/experience the words. There are days when reading the Guiding Thought seems to open a channel within me and I can feel energy within me moving in a new or different way.

I am thankful that today the Guiding Thought felt like a guided visualization and helped me to shift my energy. Guided visualizations can be very effective, even if they are not done perfectly. I was not in any state to think about the Light of Truth, my own Loving Presence, or my Divine Identity perfectly today. It’s been a day of (I hate to admit) worry and anxiety—and I did not even realize it, until I did the Guiding Thought/Visualization.

After about 5 minutes of the visualization, I “saw” the state that I was in. I understood how unproductive, ineffective, and self-indulgent worry and anxiety are. There is nothing to do, there is nothing to think, there is nothing to want; there is nothing that my own Divine Identity can allow through me when I am not open to allowing Its Presence.

Interestingly: I just wrote about this process two days ago (though I did not talk about it as a process, nor did I put it in this order). 1) I was spinning. Boy was I spinning! And the thing is, I knew it, but didn’t really recognize it. I knew it, but I was not aware. 2) I became aware. Doing the Guiding thought gave me a contrast: it showed me what I was doing and gave me an alternative. The alternative gave me a choice: what kind of thoughts do I want?  3) I changed my thoughts with the help of the Guiding Thought. I did not have to. I could have become aware of what my mind was doing, without changing my thoughts. But, when the contrast is that clear, I see no reason to stay in an anxious spinning state of mind.

“This Ain’t no SECRET”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 32

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

 

Guiding Thought

I choose to expand my consciousness and open my heart to Divine Love’s flow within me. Realizing my own Divine Presence, I know God as the Source and Fulfillment of all my good.

Sharing

The big question is: Who or what is God? The Guiding Thought says God is the Source and Fulfillment of all my good…but what is that? What does it mean that this something called “God” is both Source and Fulfillment? What’s more, this something called “God” is the Source and Fulfillment of not just my good, but of your good, her good, his good, ALL good. What is “GOD”?

I know. This is not a new question. So many people have asked this question for soooo long! I said yesterday that everyone must find their own path to enlightenment; similarly everyone must find their own answers to the what is God question.

How do I do that, in my own way? Obviously, these Journeys. I also repeat different names of God (primarily Om Namah Shivaya);  I also ask God how I can Know him/her/it; I pray the Lord’s prayer of the Christian tradition; I think about the question , “what is God” (because if I am asking, I will receive an answer); I think about what I know of God: the trinity, the various names/aspects of God, symbols of God, etc.,  from many different traditions; I read from traditional texts (Bible, Shiva Purana, Sutras)  for clues; I read from modern texts (A Course in Miracles, Christian Science, Divine Revelations of Julian of Norwich, etc); I read about people and their experiences with God (mystics, saints, avatars, etc.) from all different traditions. In case you haven’t noticed, I am an equal-opportunity God-seeker.

No, I don’t do all of these things all of the time. That would be too much, even for me. But I would say I am always doing at least two of these daily. Yesterday, I also said that I love thinking, and I am happy to be the heavy-lifting thinker for you. I would say that I am willing to do the heavy lifting God-seeker for you too, except that I also think everyone must find their own answer(s). I’ll just share my insights as best I can, and intend only good will.

Recently, my thoughts on God have been about the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from the Christian tradition, and the Shiva/Shakti relationship from the Hindu/Vedic tradition. Here is what I have been thinking, please note two things: a) I am not saying this is right, this is just my process b) this has to do with abundance because I am thinking about how we bring God into our lives, how we bring the abundance of God into our lives.

The basic idea is that God exists in both manifest and unmanifest forms. The Guiding Thoughts often hint at this, as in yesterday’s Guiding Thought, “This Source is always seeking expression through me.” The Source is the unmanifest; expression brings the Source into manifestation.

In Christianity, the unmanifest is known as “the Father”, the manifest is known as “the Son”.  The Holy Spirit is that which brings the Father into manifestation. The Holy Spirit is like the catalyst, the element that is necessary to activate “the Father” so that the Father may express Itself into manifestation.

The principle of Shiva seems to me to be similar to the idea of the Father. Shiva is known as “Pure Consciousness”—no form, no materiality, simply the energy of ALL. It is also known as the masculine principle. Shakti, then, is the feminine principle. Like the Holy Spirit, Shakti is what brings forth consciousness into manifestation. The earth—All of Creation—is the expression of Shiva/Shakti.

Here’s how it “works” in theory: Tap into the unmanifest, or Pure Consciousness, get on the same page, be clear about what form you want It to take; then call on the Holy Spirit/Shakti, and say, “hey, would you mind helping a brother out, bring this into manifestation for me?” and then… that’s it. Nothing to it.

But if it were that easy, we’d all have exactly what we want (maybe we do and we don’t know it?). I keep going, and keep asking the Big Question.

On a side note, I’ve been playing with my mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”. I know. Hard core Hindus would be appalled, I apologize, and I mean no offense… I’m just working things out in my own way. I’ve changed it in two ways, which I have been playing with and seeing how they feel. Way 1) “Om Namah Shivaya-Shakti” This should be self-explanatory, from what I’ve said above. Way 2) Om Namah Shivaya Swaha. “Swaha” is a feminine word and is sometimes associated directly with the Shakti principle; it also has a more subtle meaning that can be understood as something like release, as when a person releases something into a fire, or surrenders something to God. I keep all of this in mind, as I do my mantra.

I hope this has perhaps given you some fuel for your own thoughts, your own seeking, your own answers about bringing God’s gifts of abundance into your life. Swaha!

“Willing to Cooperate”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 28

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

We focus our minds and hearts entirely on the Divine Presence within. We think, we speak, and we act in accordance with Divine Will, releasing Divine Substance into all our activity, ordering all our financial affairs.

 

Sharing

We don’t act in accordance with Divine Will in order to release Divine Substance. This would be trying to use Divine Will for our own advantage, trying to capture the power of Divine Will and putting it to use for ourselves.

If we did that, it would mean that we had some idea about what we want Divine Will to do for us, how we think it would best be used.

Do you see how that becomes self-negating? I can’t have an idea about what I want from Divine Will and use Divine Will toward my own ends. If I did that, I would not be following Divine Will; I would be following my own will, calling it Divine Will.

The activity of Divine Will—the releasing of Divine Substance—cannot be something I do, or try to do. Following Divine Will, and the subsequent release of Divine Substance, must come naturally, without any effort toward or attempt of control on my part. I am learning this, and it’s a balance: there is a subtle relationship and cooperation between me and Divine Will—I need to be involved enough, yet out of the way enough, to allow It to flow through me.

For example, if I focus on the Divine Presence within, with the intention of getting a promotion, with the intention of winning the lottery, or with the intention of getting my partner to finally do the thing that he or she never does which annoys me, then when I speak or act, even though I may be focusing on Divine Presence, I have still limited how I experience it. I have said, in effect, “I am going to be loving and kind, if it gets me >this<, and (btw) Divine Will, I want you to be open and flowing for me only if you do >this<. “

Divine Will wants to fulfill everything for you—what you can imagine and what you cannot imagine. In order to allow It to do this, one way of thinking about allowing Divine Will is to say, “I do not know what I am doing (I say this A LOT! “Forgive me Father, for I know not what I do.”), and I don’t know what is best for me, but I am going to move forward with >this< action. May my speech and actions be used by Divine Will for the highest, most expanded outcome of Love for all.” This is a much harder attitude to take, sometimes. It relies on trust, relies on surrender, relinquishes control; it asks you to accept that you do not always know what is best for you, and it asks you to listen to that higher part of yourself that DOES know what is best for you…

You do know. So does Divine Will. It’s a listening and cooperation thing.

“Hold on!”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 27

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

Our consciousness is the gateway through which Divine Love flows, materializing our infinite Supply. We are now conscious of our own Inner Divine Presence—Infinite Love—expressing through us, providing us with the means to be aware, to understand, and to know It as our Self– more and more!

 

Sharing

When I go to bed at night, I make sure that I have a thought of Love, or Oneness, or of God in my head as I fall asleep. As I drift through sleep stages, I do my best to maintain that thought, so that even in my unconsciousness, I can be conscious.

Here are some of the thoughts I use regularly:
I love you, God.
Thank you, God.
Om Namah Shivaya.
All is Love is All is Love is… (I’ve been using this one a lot recently, after I wrote about it a few days ago)
God is with me wherever I am.
I am beloved of God.

This is one way of keeping the gateway open and receiving Divine Love. Most of the time, I wake up very refreshed, and am able to begin my day in peace and harmony. Many times throughout the night, I can feel myself feeling the thought; I pull it into my heart, into my body, feel it with as much of me as I can, feel how the energy of thoughts of God affect me. It’s pretty cool.

Sometimes, I get flashes of realization…but of course, I am also pretty much asleep, so it’s like I get it, a part of me has this flash of awakening, even while the rest of me sleeps, and I have to really work at holding on to it when the rest of me wakes up! Sometimes I can’t hold onto it, sometimes I get one small phrase or word that I can remember, and it’s very powerful.

Of course, I’ve been working from an angle of abundance these past 26 days, so while I am asleep, the thoughts speak to me through the lens of abundance. As you know, abundance is more than money, more than material goods. Money and material goods are simply side effects to knowing True Inner Wealth: Love and Divine Love.

If I experience lack, the only thing I lack is a consciousness of my unity with God.

I forget that…a lot. I forget that God is really and truly all I need or want. That God wants me to remember Him/Her as much as I want to. My longing for God is God’s longing for me.

As I’ve been falling asleep the past couple of nights I’ve been thinking, “God, how can I KNOW you? How can I KNOW your Love? How can I KNOW my Oneness with you?”

Just yesterday, I was reading a sample of the Tony Robbins book MONEY: Master the Game, when I came across this, “The quality of my life [is] the quality of my questions”.  And I thought, “I think I have pretty high-quality questions!”  (Of course, my questions are not quite in the same vein as Tony Robbins’… but we have very different approaches so that’s no surprise.)

Last night, after asking my questions and falling asleep, at some point in the night, I thought this: EVERY situation is an opportunity to KNOW God, to KNOW Love, to KNOW Oneness with God. Corresponding with this, I saw/felt how every situation is an opportunity to KNOW God, to KNOW Love, to KNOW Oneness with God. That’s when I really get it—when I have a feeling/experience of a phrase or a word.

All of a sudden everything became an expression of Divine Love. I saw that if I can only recognize Divine Love in and through everything, that IS Knowing God, Knowing Love, Knowing Oneness. God is always providing us with the means to be aware, to understand, and to know It as our Self. Every person, every situation, every interaction is Love reaching out to you to know It through and as that person, situation, or interaction.

Then I drifted back into deeper sleep and woke up hours later, with a memory of a realization. At least I remembered it.  Hold on!

“Playing Pool with Newton”: Journey of Abundance 2.0 – Day 26

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Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Copyright Tam Black 2016
Designed for susanwithpearls.com

Guiding Thought

Increasing our thoughts of Love and our attitude of service dispels all fear of lack and limitation. As we serve more people with Love, money and wealth flow abundantly to us. We use money and wealth with love and wisdom to create lives we love through our highest vision.

 

Sharing

Yes. Yes. Yes. Every fiber of my being says YES to this.

The reason that every fiber of my being says YES to this is because it’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been increasing my thoughts of Love and my attitude of service. I’ve been working on serving more people. I’ve been arranging my life according to my highest vision.

Have I been doing it because I’ve been thinking it, or have I been thinking it because I’ve been doing it? Have I been doing these things because this is now my third round and my subconscious has been influencing my actions? Or, have my actions influenced my thinking?

I tend to believe my thoughts have influenced my actions. It starts with the thought, and the actions follow. To me, that’s how these 40-day Consciousness Journeys work: Thought influences action, which then confirms the thought, which becomes strengthened by the confirmation, which then empowers more action…”As within, so without.”

That’s why I need to pay attention both to the within and the without. I can be aware of my thoughts all I want, but if I am not aware of the corresponding action without, I don’t ever see or experience the correlation. Similarly, if I am only aware of my actions, and am not aware of the thoughts that give rise to them, I only discern cause/effect on the material plane.

You see, that’s what this is: A new way of understanding cause/effect. At this point in our history and culture, humans are highly influenced by Newtonian physics (even though we, as a species, are beginning to consider the implications of relativity and quantum physics). Newtonian physics, as a whole, is all about physical laws, the “mechanics” of how the physical world works. If I strike a cue ball with a pool stick, the ball follows a certain trajectory, with a certain momentum. From this information, I can predict what will happen when the ball impacts another ball, or the side of the pool table. It’s predictable; it’s controllable. This, for many people, has become the model for approaching life: If I do such and such, this will be the outcome. People think life can be controlled and predicted like this! Silly people!

Please note, I am not saying that this is incorrect—Newtonian physics does tell us how the material world will behave. It’s just that with human behavior, there’s more to it, precisely because of human thought.

Motivation and intention (the thoughts behind the actions) influence the action. Am I eating a grilled cheese because I am hungry or because someone was just picking on me, and I felt put down, and I need to console myself? What would my behavior be, how would it be different if I didn’t feel the need to console myself, if I felt completely amused by someone trying to tell me something about myself that I knew was not true? How would I behave if I knew the truth about myself? How would I behave if all my thoughts were motivated by the assurance of being protected, safe, brave, daring, fulfilled, and unified?

Each day on the Journey, it’s like feeding your brain a bit of truth about yourself, about your connection with All, about your identity with Love, about our Oneness. It does add a variable to the equations about how the world works. We are used to looking at only the physical variables in the equation, not the abstract intangible ones like thoughts. But as you become accustomed to recognizing the outer effects of thought, and begin to see the correlation between your thoughts, motivations, or intentions, with your actions, then you begin to behave (live) more and more in the Truth of yourself.