Author: CSLT-Faces

Rituals of Our Lives

We all have rituals and use them. It has always been so. Even though I have trouble wrapping my mind around this, archeologists claim to have discovered evidence of human ritual practices dating 70,000 – 80,000 years ago, and there is some disputed evidence that is older than that.

Rituals must serve us, right? They’ve been part of our human history for as long as we’ve been identifiable as humans. Why do we do rituals?

They can remind us of who we are, and how we fit in the bigger picture of our family or cultural traditions. We can use them to improve our quality of life and the quality of life for those around us. We can engage with them out of habit, duty or obligation. We can repeat them to quell our anxiety, or create an experience of order in a disordered, chaotic situation. They can help ground us in the present moment. They remind us of seasons past. Sometimes we do them because we love them; they encourage our feelings, emotions and experiences.

We’ve entered one of the seasons of the year that can be seriously ritual-heavy. I encourage you to look at the rituals you participate in. Engage in them with discernment, consciously aware of why you choose to continue the ritual practices that you observe.

Even if you don’t get all that much value out of some of the rituals that you do, but you do them in conscious and intentional service of another, they can add depth and quality to your life as an intentional act of service, but notice how much of your life energy you are spending in this way. Decide if you are okay with that, and choose accordingly.

In addition to any seasonal rituals that you might have with decorating, cleaning and clearing, sharing food, fellowship, gifts or song, or with renewing connections with people who you don’t normally interact with, this article suggests three ritual practices you might find useful.

www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-3-types-of-rituals-everyone-should-incorporate-into-their- day.html

Read the article if you are interested, otherwise, here’s the list:

  • Savoring. Taking a moment to appreciate what is already good in your life. If you share this feeling of appreciation with another, you appreciation is multiplied. Even if you are ‘only’ writing your appreciations in your journal, you’ve become more aware of the goodness that surrounds you.
  • Starting. This one sounds a little like “Let’s Make a Deal” except you are making a deal with yourself that after you do something enjoyable for a finite period of time, then you will start on a task that wants to be done, and you will start by doing this one thing. Steven Pressfield, in his classic text The War of Art, has an elaborate ritual that he follows every day before he sits down to write. Once the ritual has been completed, his mind is much more willing to drop the resistance and begin putting words on a page.
  • Making ourselves luckier. Since we experience what we believe, if we truly believe that wearing our favorite shirt on game day will make us play better, then wearing the lucky shirt will increase our confidence and focus, and we will probably play better.How can you use ritualized practices in service of your goals and dreams?

–Rev Janis Farmer

Pay Attention, Practice Gratitude

I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness—it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.

— Brene Brown

When my grandson Owen was very young, I loved watching him notice his environment and start to figure out who and what fits where. Later would come articulating and remembering the names. That open, trusting stage.

In my little corner of Arizona, in addition to the rattlesnakes, hummingbirds, and javalina, we frequently see hawks, falcons and mating-season tarantulas. One day a coatimundi had climbed to the top of a utility pole on our property. I’m grateful that I witnessed that. The wonders of nature remind us to pause and observe the beauty and oneness of the Universal Spirit. These amazing sights trigger astonishment and gratitude that we get to live in such a world.

What about closer, more personal life events? Not every day is a coatimundi day. Our teaching states that we should be grateful for all the journey. At my age it is tempting and, I think, human to want to evaluate the past and separate experiences into good or bad, painful or happy, mistakes, or lucky outcomes. These thoughts and evaluations of the past have never proven to be useful. In fact, they can foster doubt and depression. We’re told to look for something to be grateful for.

Dr. Karmen Smith, in her book The I AM Solution, on page 157, states “Gratitude is the act of focusing your attention on what serves the highest good.” She encourages us to be Gratitude Warriors. A Gratitude Warrior acknowledges that when our thoughts are in gratitude, we’re creating more situations to be thankful for.

One of my gratitudes is for ZOOM communications. This platform has allowed me to continue participating in CSLT Services and in morning meditation practice. There I have found wonderful like-minded friends, even though we live varying distances away from each other. We remind each other to be Gratitude Warriors.

To speed up the good in our lives, we must strengthen our faith. We must give the mind a more positive and constructive foundation upon which to work. We must feed our emotions with joy, with thanksgiving, with a sense of security.

— Daniel Lee Morgan, DD, Guidance for a Spiritual Journey, page 168.

–Linda Bullock

Practicing Gratitude Increases Well Being

This month’s theme is Gratitude 360. All month long we have been exploring gratitude. The Sunday talks from Rev. Janis have embraced this theme. There are two ongoing Zoom opportunities to further explore this topic. And tomorrow is a whole day devoted to giving thanks

Exploring gratitude practices on the internet, I found two articles from government agencies, the NIH and the VA, that relate how research has shown that a regular gratitude practice increases your well-being. (Links to these articles listed below.) They list several benefits that researchers have identified to be linked to gratitude including recovering more quickly from illness, enjoying more robust physical health and improvements in sleep and energy.

One article states that “Gratitude is both an attitude and a practice.” To experience these
positive health results, gratitude must be practiced regularly on a daily or weekly basis. I found it interesting that at least one study showed that journaling just once a week produced better results than daily writing. The key factor being the “will” behind the action. In other words, putting real intention into the gesture, not just doing it by habit.

Both articles included several ideas of ways to practice and suggested switching it up to keep your practice fresh. A few that were new to me were:

●  Imagine your life without the good things in it, so as not to take things for granted.
●  Setting checkpoints throughout the day to reflect on positive things that have happened that day.
●  Create a gratitude jar to collect pieces of paper on which you write things you’re thankful for and literally “count your blessings.”

 

 

 

I have an empty jar on my desk and found some strips of paper already cut that I’m going to use to implement that last one right now!

 

 

Whatever way you choose to give thanks, do it regularly with a grateful heart and increase your heart health.

Creating a Gratitude Practice – Whole Health Library (va.gov)
Practicing Gratitude | NIH News in Health

–Janet Salese

You don’t have squat! But let me tell you, I do!

I haven’t always had squat. There was a time I didn’t have diddly squat. Squat (short for squatter) is the newest addition to our family. He picked up residence under my shipping container one day. After an extensive search for a lost cat turned unsuccessful, a health check and vaccination appointment were in order. With a clean bill of health, he moved into our home, just before the weather turned cold.

The intelligence in an animal which directs its actions and tells it where to go to find food and shelter, we call instinct. It is really Omniscience in the animal. The same quality, more highly developed, makes a conscious appearance in man and is what we call intuition. Intuition is God in man, reveling to him the Realities of Being; and just as instinct guides the animal, so would intuition guide man, if he would allow it to do so.  – Ernest Holmes. The Science of Mind. 342.2

The cat followed his intuition and relied on his instincts to find our home. He found a comfort & solace within us. To him, there was

“Something Quite Unique About This.”

I’ve learned from THIS experience that in the future whenever I find such a comfort…I’m going to just squat too.

—Madeline Pallanes

On the Road With….

I recently drove across country by myself. I do like driving, but this was way out of my comfort zone. My fear would rise, what if I get a flat tire (I know how to change a flat tire and even have an extra length of pipe to put on my lug wrench to give me the leverage to loosen the lug nuts), and what if something happens to my car (which only had 30,000 miles and have kept it maintained), and what if…… And I’m not fond of expressway driving, going 70 miles per hour with lots of cars around me. More what ifs.

I printed out a recent favorite Holmes quote and took it with me.

Divine Wisdom within me guides every act, directs everything in my life, toward happiness, toward peace, toward power; and being the Spirit of Love, It surrounds me with beauty, with friendship and with joy. Being the Giver of Life, every day I receive that which is perfect, abundant, happy, joyful and free. Being that Divine Thing, which individualizes in me, It is entirely individual, personal and unique. I am the expression of my own complete self, and there is no barrier or bar to that self-expression. Being the Spirit of Substance, that Spirit within me is my Source of Supply, and It brings to me everything necessary to my unfoldment, and keeps me in the wisdom through which It governs me now and forever. (Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind 564.3)

For the first couple of days I took state routes and enjoyed a leisurely pace, drinking in the landscape of acres and acres of corn fields, baled hay. I would have breakfast in diners to get a feel of the community, and spend time with the people that grow the crops that feed me. And I wondered about their faith, faith in rain, and sun, limited pests. Their livelihood dependent on some conditions that are beyond their control. I felt a gratitude for the work they do.

After a few days I could no longer avoid the interstate highways. I finally got on I-70 in Kansas and drove to and around Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus, thankfully not all in one day. When I would feel my fear arise, usually with the traffic whizzing by me at a much greater speed than was posted, I would repeat my mantra, “Divine Wisdom within me guides every act. Divine Wisdom within me guides every act…” and I would calm down.

It was a comfort to know God was my copilot.

–Maria

MONEY – CREATION IN ACTION

The book The Money Keys has been the subject of one of the latest classes offered by CSLT. I really enjoy the subject of money. Money is like the flow of creation. When it is circulating it is creation in action.

Combined with gratitude, it can work wonders in my life.

While attending this book study I was reflecting on another money related course called “Prosperity Plus” as taught by Mary Morrissey. During this course we were challenged to visualize a dream or goal that was out of reach at the time.

Someone in our class said she wanted to write, produce, and sing her own music. This allowed me to remember that I too had musical aspirations.

We were encouraged to share our thoughts, so I expressed my dream of playing music professionally. Not long after admitting to the “world” my dream intentions. The need for a backup drummer at CSLT arose.

Also, I was prompted by a friend to call a number on a bulletin board at a music store. Both opportunities materialized. I played downtown during “Downtown Saturday Night” for several years and I continue to play music at CSLT.

Occasionally this can be difficult when old thoughts challenge my justification and abilities. This is when I remind myself using terminology that I have learned through CSLT and many classes.

Affirmations like: I am rich with unlimited possibilities; I am not at the mercy of fate. Instead, I create my experience by what I choose to think and believe, and I feel grateful; or Change my thinking Change my life.

The Truth is I am rich with unlimited possibilities.

–Chris Wheeler

Moving Forward

My journey at CSL Tucson started around my relationship with money. My wife and I were taking Mary Morrissey’s Prosperity Plus course at the office. That experience changed from the focus on money into ‘What does it mean to be prosperous?’

My wife was attending CSLT and I reluctantly agreed to show up at a service. I continued showing up on Sundays to hear the messages. Hearing the reminder reassured me. The talking points were relatable and fit with many of my conclusions about reality and the universe as I perceived it. Wanting to have a deeper understanding, I took “Foundations,” then “Visioning” and “Power of Your Word.” The classes made me uncomfortable. And I was encouraged to stay engaged and participate. I continued because I wanted a better understanding.

It was becoming clear to me that I was able to apply the ideas and get results. The ideas presented made it possible for me to expand past my old comfort zones and understand that my thinking influenced my reality more than I had realized. I have since come to embrace this teaching and follow it to the best of my ability.

So why don’t I see more of the world seeking to become enlightened? We have regular gatherings to explore, consider and gain new and exciting insights into the spiritual world. We have opportunities to progress — expanding the exciting possibilities of the human condition.

Humans have evolved to fulfill certain conditions for our survival. The chemical cocktail that is our physical feedback system is understood to the degree that we know that feedback loops have evolved to keep us safe, satisfied and alive.

It is natural for us to want to stay in our comfort zone. And in our present world we have a multitude of distractions that stimulate other chemical feedback loops that keep us satiated — whether that satiation is productive or not. Humans are physically wired to interact with the world in groups, we have evolved this way to insure our survival.

Rev Janis asked some specific and pointed questions on Sunday.

  • How do we encourage participation in our center?
  • Do I want to continue with the method I use?
  • Is gathering old fashioned? What are the benefits of gathering?

Some of my thoughts are:
Tell people
Attract people
Excite people
Visualize people
The reality we live in is our creation.
Involve people
Solve your problems
New world view
Connect people
Connect with G0D
Two heads are better than one.

These ideas have been repeated over and over for thousands of years
People, as mirrors, give us a reflection of ourselves. We gain clarity when we see that.

What thoughts do you have about how we might encourage more participation?

–Chris Wheeler

How Do We…?

“Continuing to do pioneering sacred work in a world as crazy and painful as ours without constantly grounding yourself in a sacred practice would be like running into a forest fire dressed only in a paper tutu.” — Marion Woodman
The world of our experience can certainly seem topsy-turvy right now, and it seems like just one thing after another continues to pop up and challenge us to retain our center, and our balance, and remember what’s ours to control, revisit, and reimagine, and then act accordingly.
And there’s another thing we need to add to this already quite messy mix, which is the desire to pretend that everything’s working out just fine, when that’s a mental wish we have but not something we actually believe & embody in our lives. I want to use today’s blogpost to write about both these things.
When we pretend that everything is okay in our world, but if we check in with our physical experience (our body, and our true mental state), we discover that we don’t truly believe it, that avoidance behavior is called a ‘bypass’. Sometimes bypasses are necessary in the short term, to get us through particularly hard times, but they are not a great place to try to live.
I don’t know anyone who enjoys difficult conversations. I do know folks who are pretty good at having them. When we use bypass to avoid discomfort during difficult conversations, we avoid solving the challenges, so they don’t go away.
I have some home repairs that I’ve been avoiding, because I just don’t want to have to deal with problems that I took on when I bought my little house. I don’t want to deal with the financial expense of making it right. I don’t want to deal with my own internal dialog (again) about how I listened to the realtor and fooled myself into thinking this house was wonderful and perfect, without flaws, just as it was. All the repairs I’ve gotten to pay for have made it more ‘like it was supposed to be’. It is a wonderful and perfect house – the size I wanted, with the amount of upkeep I wanted, in the part of town I wanted, and it’s giving me the opportunity to see where I’ve pretended that things were great when they weren’t.
So how do we do the spiritual work that we need to do in order to keep ourselves grounded, in integrity, in our bodies, congruent with our beliefs, and remembering those things that are within our control? Yes, I realize that’s a tall order. If we don’t do these things, it is, as Marion Woodman suggested in that opening quote, like running into a forest fire wearing a paper tutu.
We can pretend that catching our tutu on fire is part of the program, which it is, if we don’t choose differently in our daily spiritual practice. What do I mean by daily spiritual practice? It’s what you do every single day to keep yourself centered and grounded in your Oneness with all Life. Like what, you might ask? (I hope not but you might.) Meditation, journaling, reading spiritual materials, singing, walking in nature, moving, praying loving others in your world, affirmations, peaceful breathing, generosity… What are these practices for you?
–Rev Janis Farmer

Bells of Mindfulness

September’s Sacred Cinema movie is Walk With Me, a documentary about Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community. You are invited to attend the Sacred Cinema Zoom meeting this Sunday, September 18 at 3pm (contact office for Zoom link). Even if you don’t watch the movie, come discuss a favorite quote or teaching from the Master.

Watching the movie, there were two things that made a lasting impact on me. The first is Thich Nhat Hanh’s advice to a little girl whose dog recently died. You can watch the except
here: ‘Walk With Me’ Documentary film clip – Thich Nhat Hanh on dog dying.

The second was the “Bells of Mindfulness”. The movie shows that at Plum Village, every 15 minutes a bell will ring. Attendees stop whatever they are doing – talking, eating, walking, working – for a few breaths as a reminder to return to being mindful, mindful of what they are doing, saying, thinking, feeling. I wondered what that would be like. I wanted to experience this.

I was trying to figure out how to do this at home. That’s when I discovered a free app provided by Plum Village that includes the Bells of Meditation. You can get the app here: Mindfulness Apps | Plum Village

I had a free morning at home so I downloaded the app and enabled the bell. It starts you out with a 2-hour session with the bell ringing every 15 minutes. I started it and went about my day. Every 15 minutes when I heard the bell, I would stop what I was doing, take a long slow breath and check in with how I was feeling, what I was doing. Was I mindfully (or mindlessly) doing my tasks? Was I connected to my body? Was I aware of my surroundings? It did make me more aware of what I was doing, seeing, and feeling. But I actually found it distracting, taking me off task.

I decided to go another couple hours, but at a 30 minute interval. At this interval I found myself anticipating the bells. I would wait to start a task until the half hour was up or find a task, I thought would be completed in 30 minutes. I was being “mindful” in a way that didn’t serve me well.

The next day I decided to try again, but at a random 23 minutes. This way, I would not be sure when the bell would go off if I happened to look at a clock. This worked well for me. I was able to get things accomplished without being concerned about time or when the bell would ring. The bell at indiscriminate times brought me back to mindfulness, deciding if what I was doing at that time was what I should be doing.

When I find myself mindlessly going through my day, I now have another tool in my toolbox to bring me back to the present moment. “…we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.” ― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

–Janet Salese

Got Problems???

If you want what you have, keep doing what you’re doing.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve picked up a practice that I use each week during service. When David plays ‘In the silence there is peace’ I close my eyes and I gather in my mind, all my problems I can’t solve. Usually, it’s one or two problems but sometimes I have a whole list. As he sings, I mentally throw these problems into the room so that the problems are dissolved and absorbed in the silence. When I leave, I leave those problems there.

Last Sunday, an interesting thing happened. When I went to gather my problems, none came to me. I couldn’t think of anything I needed to throw into the room! Of course, I doubted my thinking -surely I had just forgotten. I kept thinking, trying to gather problems. Nothing came to my mind. This practice is working for me.

The following affirmative prayer is from Ernest Holmes Creative Ideas – I AM FREE OF PROBLEMS – page 41.

I know that freedom from problems, whatever they may be, and a new joy are mine today. This freedom and joy spontaneously express themselves in my experience. There is nothing in me that can obstruct their passage. I permit them to flow through me in all their wonder and might.

I am conscious of an infinite wisdom directing me. Whatever I ought to know, I shall know; whatever I ought to do, I shall do. My every thought and decision is molded by infinite Mind and expressed through law into my experience. My problems and difficulties are dissolved and melt away as I now declare that the action of intelligence makes all things right in my life.

If you want what you have, keep doing what you’re doing.

–Madeline Pallanes

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