Copyright Tam Black 2018 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
My own Loving Presence is my personal connection with Divine Mind. Attuned to my own Loving Presence, I Know myself as Whole and Holy. As I feel my Inner Unity, I know: this is all I want; I have found all I seek.
Reflection
This is what I see today:
Remember that yesterday I found that “seeking Wholeness” is another way of saying “Healing”. Being Attuned with my Own Loving Presence–through the seat of Inner Unity and the Seat of Thought is that Wholeness–Oneness with Infinite Divine Mind, where there is only Oneness-Wholeness-Unity.
“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi.
Words convey meaning. Any time a word is used there is a meaning beneath it. The trick is to get at the meaning beneath the words. Feel the words. Bring them into your whole being, not just your mind. Feel what they are conveying. Listen to the meaning, not to the word.
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Copyright Tam Black 2015 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
When we attune our minds to the Oneness that is All of Life, we understand our place in Wholeness. We are the very Presence of Life, and this Presence of Life is us. We are blessed through this understanding. In return we bless all we encounter.
Reflection
There are words, and there are concepts. Words express concepts, and concepts can be expressed in many different ways, through many different words. One concept can be expressed through a variety of different words. For example, all these words express the concept of “universal” (“of, relating to, or characteristic of all or the whole” or “applicableeverywhereorinall cases;general):
In other words…there are lots of ways to describe just about everything (and this does not even take into account the nuances in the variety of languages).
I mention this, because I have been deeply working on the concept that underlies today’s Guiding Thought, using different words. The concept has grown within my consciousness. Each day that I work with the concept, I understand it and feel it more deeply.
It started on the day of dedication and commitment for this Journey, to summarize: I dedicated all activity, energy, vibration, and movement of my all of my mental-emotional-physical-etheric bodies, and all of the effects of all of these bodies, at all levels of consciousness to the Divine, for the benefit of all, including myself.
In this instance, the dedication was nearly equivalent to an offering, as though I am saying, “I offer all of every part of myself to the Divine”. All intention and energy of every action goes out to the Divine, to be received by the Divine. Goes out are the operative words. I am moving my energy with intention toward a specific direction (the Divine).
And then, the Divine gives it back to me: “For the benefit of all, including myself”. What goes out, comes back.
All of my energy goes out to All that Is, only to come back to All that Is, for the benefit of All that Is, including me. Do you see? There is only the Oneness of Life. When “I” put energy out, the only “one” I can put it out to is ONE with ME, and so “I” receive the very energy that “I” put out.
We all know this. This is the law of attraction, as you sow, so shall you reap and all that. You know this. I’m not telling you anything new.
I want to you feel it, to know it, and to understand it as a result of the fact of Oneness, however you can, whatever words you use. And so again…feel it:
When we attune our minds to the Oneness that is All of Life, we understand our place in Wholeness. We are the very Presence of Life, and this Presence of Life is us. We are blessed through this understanding. In return we bless all we encounter.
I’ve been working with a meditation that has these words, “Change is easily manifesting in my life through God’s Divine Grace and Love. As each aspect of my life that needs changing now surfaces before me, I LOVE it FREE, and forgive myself for any perceived transgression of the laws of harmony and balance”. Let me tell you. I’ve been having so many opportunities to LOVE things FREE. Yeah. Not as easy as it sounds, but here’s a recent hands-on opportunity.
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Copyright Tam Black 2015 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
When we look within and see the radiance of Love, we remember our wholeness. We are wholly loving and wholly lovable. In the purity of Love lies peace, which we share with all in gratitude.
Reflection
How do you see the world? You know the saying about the glass being half full or half empty? The other day, I had a very direct and literal experience in which I saw the “glass” full, and someone else saw it “empty”.
Last week, I had made lunch for my colleagues at work. After everyone ate their fill, I put the food away, and set aside a small container of each of the dishes for a colleague (we had emailed the previous day about leftovers and I had offered some, if there were any). Then I emailed the colleague and said, “3 containers. Top shelf. Yours.” Based on our emails the previous day, and the fact that there had just been a bunch of food out, I guess I thought the word “full” in front of “containers” was redundant… or that “full” was implied.
When she saw me a bit later, she said, in response to my email, “Oh, and those containers, you can have them….” and I thought, “Cool. More for me”, but I said, “Really? You don’t want them”? And in that moment, I could see her pause and think, “Wait a minute…what did I just say ‘no’ to?” while she shook her head and said, “No”. I “saw” that she had the word “empty” in front of “containers”, instead of “full”–of course she did not want empty containers!
We “see” things in our imaginations. What adjectives do you use unconsciously in front of words in your head? How do you see the world? John Randolph Price, in his book, The Angels Within Us talks about changing your projection–literally. Change how you see, change the adjectives that you have in front of words.
Here is another example that just happened this morning, in which it was I who needed to change my projection:
My H.R. rep. is known to (selectively) nit-pick about people’s time, schedules, use of sick days/vacation/personal days. One employee who came in 30 minutes early every morning received a reprimand for leaving 5 minutes early one day.
This morning, after I had been at work 20 minutes, my H.R. rep. came up to me and said, “Did you have trouble getting to work today”? From any other person, this could have been an innocent query, one about traffic, or the weather, or an accident, etc., but from my H.R. rep., it felt like an accusation–as though she was implying I had been late, and I felt this flush of guilt, for something I hadn’t done.
After the interaction, I felt infuriated. I really don’t like to be falsely accused, and I definitely felt falsely accused. (Though, just now, the scripture occurs to me: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.)
I remembered my meditation (words above), about things that need to be changed coming up…and loving them free. So, I started loving really loving my H.R. rep., and the situation, and releasing whatever it was that was asking to be released. I began to feel better.
Shortly after that, I spoke with a friend of mine who said this, “Maybe she just had a difficult time getting to work and wondered if anyone else experienced the same. Maybe she was wanting to feel connected with someone rather than feeling isolated and alone. As though she was seeking validation, like, me too, something must be going on out there in the world, because now I know you had trouble, too getting to work, now we are an us and that “out there” causing us “getting to work trouble” is them; It’s an opportunity to unite!
I thought, that’s it! From that moment, I decided that she was reaching out, connecting with me, and I was there to help her not feel isolated and alone. I changed my projection and became a support for her experience (in my head, in my imagination). It totally changed my outlook, my day, and any subsequent interaction. I was able to shift from feeling guilty and infuriated to feeling release, freedom, cooperation, unity, connection, even Love.
I choose to see with Love’s eyes… As much as I am able!
It may seem a bit oxymoronic, and I know I come across most of the time as someone who gives primacy to spirituality over and above the human condition, but in many ways, I am a humanist. I believe in people. I believe in the strength of being human…I just think that being human and being spiritual are compatible, and not exclusionary categories. The best of our humanity reaches into our spirituality, and our spirituality joins our humanity as the best qualities of being human: kindness, compassion, empathy, encouragement, etc. Today brings these two together…
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Copyright Tam Black 2015 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
Lift your mind and heart to the Truth of Being, to all that Is, to All you are. Accept your Self in Truth and offer your Self to All in gratitude for Being.
Reflection
Every day I pay homage to God, to saints, buddhas and bodhisattvas, to avatars and angels, to Divine Beings of Highest Light. I don’t take a lot of time, or go through any elaborate ritual (most of the time).
A way to show this homage–in almost every tradition–is to light a candle, to offer flowers or money. Sometimes I bring some thing to place before the Divine Beings; sometimes I don’t. Either way, I simply acknowledge their presence, thank them for being, and make my offering. If I do not have some thing to offer, I offer my mind, heart, and hands to be used in their service, for the benefit of All. Then I ask for simple blessing, that All may be blessed through me. It takes less than two minutes.
The reason I thought about this is the line: offer your Self to All in gratitude for Being.
It occurs to me that I need to take my short ritual a (big) step further. offer your Self to All(not just Divine Beings…).
Acknowledging Divine Beings is one thing, as those beings are able to assist All in ways that are unfathomable, and often invisible. They are working tirelessly in Divine Service; when we communicate with them, and let them know we are open to their assistance, they are able to help us more.
But, we are human, and it’s hard to imagine those invisible beings; I still wonder if they really are there. I question why I do what I do–is anyone really listening? (I feel the rightness of it, but more than that, I can’t explain). As humans there must be some way that we can embody this with other human beings. After all, don’t people deserve respect and acknowledgement simply as being human, with the dignity inherent in that? Don’t we all live in this world, contributing to the life of culture, the life of nations, the stream of movement we call history?
Just acknowledging another’s humanity is the next step, the step further: offer your Self to All in gratitude for Being. I can imagine performing my short ritual silently, internally, with every person, with every being, “I acknowledge your humanity. We are different, but the same. Thank you for being the unique individual you are. May we enrich each other through our differences, and strengthen each other through human kindness. May we share with others that richness and strength, increasing it with all we meet.”
If you prefer something more spiritual… “I acknowledge we are One, united in and by Divine Love. Thank you for being, thank you for being One with me. I offer my heart, head, and hands to you in service to the benefit of All. Please bless me, that I may bless All.”
Why does this matter, as a humanist, or as a spiritualist? Because as you make these acknowledgements part of your routine as you meet people, you strengthen that truth within yourself. And, as you give blessings to others, those blessings ripple out, then return to you.
“God is so ordinary, no one notices”. I love that quote. I strive to be an ordinary expression of Highest Love. “I am nothing, and everything”. I want to be nothing……. and everything. I can’t be everything unless I am willing to be nothing.
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Copyright Tam Black 2015 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
I seek only to Love in Unity. Love is Pure in Oneness. Let me Love All, including myself, in Oneness, that I may Know gratitude as the result of Being Whole in Love.
Reflection
I have a role and a purpose, whatever it is. We all do, of course.
Everyone is necessary, just as we are. We all contribute something different and unique, just as we are.
Yet, we are Unified, as different and unique as we are. It’s the combination of all of us that is the Oneness. Love unifies.
As One Breath, One Voice, One Heartbeat, and One Energy, Vibration, and Consciousness of Pure Divine Love I proceed.
We all, everyone of us…have to come home, as we are, as who we are.
Copyright Tam Black 2014 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
Our Joy unifies! Accepting our Joy—acknowledging it, sharing it, and expressing it—heals us and All. To be wholly Joyful means to be wholly Love…means to be wholly our Self.
Sharing
Often, I’ve been noticing, the Guiding Thought answers my questions and responds to my objections when (if!) I think it through.
Our Joy unifies! Whyyyyy??? Why does Joy unify? Is there something inherent in Joy that is a unifying quality?
Accepting our Joy—acknowledging it, sharing it, and expressing it—heals us and All. Again…Whyyyyy? There is nothing inherent in Joy that is healing, is there? There certainly is anecdotal evidence that humor helps people heal and recover (just talk to Patch Adams), but is humor JOY?
The “answers” come in the final sentence: To be wholly Joyful means to be wholly Love…means to be wholly our Self. When we experience Joy wholly, it is the outcome of being our Self, which is Love.
Now we can go back and answer the previous questions:
Our Joy unifies! When we experience Joy, we are experiencing our True Self, our Self of Love. Our Joy Unifies because in Love we are One; in Love we are equal; in Love there is no differentiation, no separation, no “you”, no “me”, no “I”. In Joy we experience this, we KNOW our Unity.
Accepting our joy—acknowledging it, sharing it, and expressing it—heals us and All. It’s not actually the Joy that heals; do you see that? It’s accepting, acknowledging, sharing, and expressing the Joy that is healing. Why? Because Joy is the indicator of Knowing your Self, your Self of Love. When you accept your Joy, you are accepting your Self of Love. When you accept your Self of Love, there is nothing to doexcept acknowledge it, share it, and express it. Through your expression of Love, you create a channel by which Love can do what Love does: Unify. This unification is the healing.
All of the answers are finally summed up (again) in the last line: To be wholly Joyful means to be wholly Love…means to be wholly our Self.
Two notes:
If you are a logical, rational human beings (and there are philosophers who say that if you are a human being you are logical and rational, as that is what sets humans apart from other animals), then you will notice that when I think through the Guiding Thoughts, and my own questions, I ask you to think through them with me logically.
The first note is: Yes, I am speaking to your rational mind. You may wonder how or why I am going through an “argument” on Love and Oneness rationally. How can Love and Oneness be analyzed rationally? The answer is: a) I still want you to feel it. This round, another round, in combination with thinking about it, whichever—you do want to balance the thinking with the feeling. Thinking does not negate feeling. b) The logic speaks to your doubting mind, the mind that wants proof, the mind that wants to understand, and to know logically why something makes sense, or if it even does makes sense. It’s that mind we are pulling/pushing/influencing.
The second note is: Since, in these instances, when I present an “argument”, I want to point out that you have the option to accept or reject my premises. If this were written like an “argument” it would be something like this:
Premise: To be wholly Joyful means to be wholly Love…means to be wholly our Self.
Conclusion #1: Our Joy unifies!
Conclusion #2: Accepting our joy—acknowledging it, sharing it, and expressing it—heals us and All.
Do you agree with the premise? What do youthink?How does this feel for you? Is there anything that feels “off” for you? What is it? Would you change anything in the Guiding Thought to make it True for you? How would you write it?
There have been many times when I have read wise sayings, very intelligent writing, or explanations of philosophy or scripture, that I feel is almost right for me. I change it so that it “fits” with how I would say something, fits with what I have learned or researched, and I tweak it just enough to make it my own. I encourage you to do that with these Guiding Thoughts. If you don’t have ways to change it, then leave them alone—they will not lead you astray, but you have options.
Copyright Tam Black 2014 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
Why would you choose to limit yourself? To limit your reality? All reality is yours, and yours to give. In giving and sharing, your Joy increases, expanding Love, expanding your experience of Life!
Sharing
Expansion is the theme today. Feel the energy of expansion. Can you? Let your mind flow and go and grow…what does that feel like? If you’ve done some type of meditation, or if you have ever gotten into that “creative space”, or even if you have felt the endorphins kick in on a long run, you know what I’m talking about.
Here are some words that I like to associate with expansion:
Unfolding: I think of a flower unfolding, opening up. But in terms of experiencing the energy of unfolding, try to feel the quality of unfolding. Try it right now. Clench your fist. Feel the tightness; feel the restriction. Now, slowly, open your hand. Do it again, opening your hand quickly. Do it several times at different speeds. Notice the difference between a clenched hand and an open hand. Notice the muscles as they open and close—notice the process. Just notice.
When something unfolds it generally takes up more space: when I unfold my t-shirt it takes up more space than when it was folded. Energetically this is also true. When something unfolds, it opens, and encompasses more. This is the process of
Enfolding: the process of encompassing, enveloping, surrounding, of bringing into. I think of it this way (in the spiritual terms that I so often do…)—We (humans) unfold into God, as God enfolds us into Him (Her). As we open to the energy of Love, and to the experience of Love in Life, that bit of our unfolding is what we give to God, for God’s Unity to bring into Itself.
This is how “separation” is brought to Unity. We open our petals (representative of the “separate pieces”); as each petal opens, it becomes enfolded into Unity (the Oneness of God).
That whichenfolds is the totality of existence. As humans, we do not (are not able to) understand the totality of existence all at once; we do it in parts, portions, segments, pieces. But that which enfolds contains and IS everything, so that what it enfolds is Itself, no exclusion.
At any point, where there is inclusion, is unfolding into God’s enfoldment. At any point, where there is exclusion, there is a limit, a constriction, a resistance to the process of unfolding/enfolding.
Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
We fill our minds and hearts with Love, aligning with the Light of Truth. Steadfast and focused on our own Loving Presence, we live in the peace of fulfillment of our own Divine Identity.
Sharing
“Our own Loving Presence”…My Loving Presence is your Loving Presence is everyone’s Loving Presence. The Love that I am is the Love that you are is the Love which everyone is. Love does not differentiate. Love is All. All is Love.
Love is All is Love is All is Love is All is Love is All is Love…let your mind loop on that for a few minutes.
We—those of us who fill our minds and hearts with Love—must recognize the All of Love for those who are not yet ready to do so. Our work is before us as we become more and more aware of the Love we are. We serve All as we be the Love we are, as we be our own Loving Presence.
Many are not yet ready to see or be Love. Our work is cut out for us. Remain steadfast. Remain focused. The Love we are is the Love of All; what we do—our Love—affects everyone. We are the change. Love transforms. It’s up to us.
See the bickering. Love it into Light.
See the hostility. Love it into Light.
See the anger. Love it into Light.
Be the Love that aligns with Light, and which brings everything in your presence into the Light as well.
Stay in Love. Bring the Light. Live in Peace.
Blessings to you. Thank you for the work you are doing on behalf of Love and Light.
Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
We go deep within our inner stillness, and feel Divine Mind’s presence within. We hold out our empty hands, symbolic of leaving preconceptions behind; symbolic of seeking True answers, and ask, “What is the essence of healing?” These words resonate within us, as though in a vast cavern. The word essence reverberates with these thoughts, “For what do we care most deeply?”; “What is our essence?”; “What is our Truth?”; “Where is our deepest hurt, pain, and sorrow, that all may be healed?”
Sharing
I questioned myself today. For just a moment, I thought, “what if I am the sneaky/guilty/plotting person that that person thinks I am?” It took just a second to shake my confidence, to rattle my cage, to make me question myself. I haven’t quite recovered.
Yet, in that moment, I also saw an opportunity for healing.
At this point in my life, I know in my heart, in my mind that I am a good person. I am kind. I am loving. I care; I give care. I am generous. I want to be truly helpful, and I truly want to do and be what is best for All. It took a long time for me to really accept myself this way. But now, I know, and most of the time I don’t pay attention when people project or blame or call me names.
But today it got to me. Today, I saw darkness within, where someone else was projecting their darkness. Instead of my light of knowledge burning through their misrepresentation, I saw the darkness. It was momentary, fleeting, but it was there, and in that moment I could not breathe. The projection was not real, nor was the darkness.
Darkness simply needs to know itself as what it truly is: light and love–it just doesn’t know any better than to live as darkness.
I haven’t quite recovered. But I am healing.
The darkness that I saw in that fleeting moment is a place within myself that needs my love, a place that is vulnerable, a place that is insecure, uncertain, and weak. It does not trust Love, so it tries to take control. That very control is what makes it insecure, uncertain, and weak. If it would just let Love do what Love does, it would know itself as the greatest power in, through, and above the earth!But no, it wants its own way, even when its own way is the very thing that makes it weak and vulnerable.
I picture this darkness scared, curled up in a corner, shielding its face, trying to hide while being utterly exposed. How can I not feel sorry for it? Have some compassion for it? It looks neglected, dirty, uncared for, but most of all frightened. Darkness does not need blame or condemnation; it needs my love and understanding.
I know this image is answering this question: “Where is our deepest hurt, pain, and sorrow, that all may be healed?” I may not know the specifics of this pain, but I am being shown something deep within that needs healing.
I am able to say to it: “For what do we care most deeply?”; “What is our essence?”; “What is our Truth?” Because it is me, I am it, we are One. If I am to discover what I care for, or what my essence is, or what my Truth is, this dirty frightened darkness is part of the answer. All parts must be unified, all hurts exposed and brought to light. I must love all of myself, lift all of myself.
Copyright Tam Black 2016 Designed for susanwithpearls.com
Guiding Thought
As you unite in consciousness with your own Loving Presence, you unite with Divine Mind. Divine Mind is Infinite Being—it is now, here, always. You exist in Divine Mind, as It does in you, united forever—One. It leads you to Itself through your consciousness of your Self: your consciousness of your Self, asInfinite Being isOneness with Divine Mind, is Peace, is Wholeness, is Unity with All.
Sharing
I feel something really big bubbling beneath the surface. That’s sometimes how it goes with these 40-day Consciousness Journeys. There is a part of my mind always “working on” the Guiding Thoughts. My subconscious, my super-conscious, even my unconscious mind are always active in interacting with these ideas. Like when I wake up from sleep, trying to remember a dream, I have only bits and pieces, colors, or shapes. Unlike a dream, eventually (so far) the pieces come together.
The essential piece today is how I am receiving help and guidance on this Journey. I am always reading; I look to books (mostly written by people who I think are wise, or experienced, or who have a unique connection with Divine Source) for guidance. Books speak to me beyond words. Books show me things I don’t see elsewhere. Books always seem to have exactly what I need to advance my understanding or to shed a light on all that stuff that bubbles beneath the surface. [I understand that not everyone has this kind of relationship with books, but everyone has something that can guide them or speak to them beyond words. Music does this for many people; cooking can do this, as well as gardening, swimming, or house-cleaning…anything that allows a person to relax and connect with themselves. What’s yours?]
Different books seem to come forward at different times for the Journeys. I read what calls to me, what feels right. This Journey, the book is The Angels Within Us by John Randolph Price. This morning, before I began the Journey, this is what I read:
One of the most famous Hermetic principles is as above, so below. It is an absolute Truth that deals with correspondences, and it enables us to solve a problem by moving above the level where the difficulty seems to be…The key words to this (are) of, as, is.
Today’s Guiding Thought follows this precisely: your consciousness of your Self, asInfinite Being isOneness with Divine Mind, is Peace, is Wholeness, is Unity with All.
Mr. Price goes on to say, “In applying the principle, you are moving from effect to Cause, into the creative realm of you Spirit, and you are letting the vibration of your higher nature be the attracting and harmonizing Power.”
“Moving from effect to Cause…” Just take that in for a moment.
Using this principle, think about the Guiding Thought this way:
When you experience dis-ease, you are experiencing effects of a particular perspective (or “level”, if you prefer) of consciousness.
As you unite in consciousness with your own Loving Presence, you unite with Divine Mind.
Divine Mind is Infinite Being—it is now, here, always. You exist in Divine Mind, as It does in you, united forever—One.
Divine Mind knows only Wholeness; when you experience the effects of Divine Mind, you experience Wholeness–Health.
When you change your perspective closer and closer to an above perspective, the effects change correspondingly. Your consciousness of your Self, asInfinite Being isOneness with Divine Mind, is Peace, is Wholeness, is Unity with All. You decide what your consciousness is. If you experience dis-ease, your consciousness of your Self as dis-ease is dis-ease.
I’d like to note that this is a line of thinking that I am exploring and for which I am demonstrating an argument. As an intelligent, rational person, I also hear myself objecting to this line of thinking, and objecting to the argument. Here’s what I hear:
This sounds a lot like you are blaming the vicitim. I dare you to tell anyone who is really sick, who has cancer, who is in pain, that “all they have to do is change their consciousness”… It sounds really close to “it’s all in your head.”
You are denying the real physical nature of health-disease. There are factors like infections, viruses, bacteria, nutrition, genetics, etc. that this does not address. Again… it sounds a whole lot like, “it’s all in your head…” and we know through medicine that that ain’t so.
I hear you.
If these are your objections…I hear you. Continue with your objections, continue with the Journey. It’s all part of the process. I do not claim to have your answers, but the Journey may help you reveal them to yourself.
As for me, regarding the first objection: changing my consciousness to include more and more of a relationship or connection with or experience of my Divine Mind will never be harmful, and it may be helpful. I choose to continue to change my consciousness relying on when “it may be helpful”. Regarding the second objection: I agree. I solve this for myself by working on as many “levels” of myself as I can, mental, emotional, physical, etheric; this is why I plan to do a cleanse, to address issues that are “real” in my body. (However, I’d like to admit openly that I am a metaphysician at heart [if you didn’t notice], despite doing things to influence the physical body, I will almost always think the mind has a great influence over how we experience “reality”.)
When I give you pieces as I have today, it is for this reason: This is all I can see right now. This is what my mind is working on, but I don’t have the big picture, and I don’t have answers. I hope that by now, you are beginning to be able to recognize your own pieces, that perhaps you can acknowledge, “this is me, working on…something; I am not quite sure what it is yet, but there’s a lot of Journey left for me to figure it out!”
SusanWithPearls 