Where is Common Sense Today?

Common sense means different things to different people.  It seems that in many ways what was right before is now wrong, and what was wrong is now right. 

According to Wiki ‘common sense’ is the basic ability to perceive, understand and judge things by most people.  We all know that in our diversified society that very rarely brings us to a mutual result.  So, what is really our collective denominator?  I believe that the only way that we can find a shared ‘sense’ is that we take God’s point of view. 

“In my opinion, if we have not achieved peace, it is because people forget its most fundamental aspect. Before we talk about peace among nations, we must settle our peace with God.”

~ Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012), Korean Spiritual Leader

 

Without getting into a religious discussion, we can all agree that we were born as men and women.  We all have a mind which allows us to think, feel and make decisions and a body through which we fulfill that which the mind directs us to do.

 

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was an American psychologist who put together a hierarchy of needs which describes the human needs in priority and ultimately culminates in self-actualization.  He suggested to focus on the positive qualities in people rather than treating them as ‘bag of symptoms.’

"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.

 We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
 ~ Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

When I was looking for more common sense connections I came across a site which refers to a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine (1737-1809) called: Common Sense.  The content of this document became the inspiration for the people of the 13 colonies to declare independence in 1776. 

Most people have maybe never heard of this document.  It spread like wildfire through the colonies and became the argument for freedom from the British rule.  Thomas Paine published the work at first anonymously because he wanted it to be focused on the content and the ideas rather than make a name for himself.  He wrote the article in a style which was understood by the common people.

Today is Thomas Paine’s birthday according to some accounts.  February 9^th is recorded in the ‘new style’ birth records.

"A body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody."

~ Thomas Paine

That brings me back to my suggesting to use a common denominator in the picture.  Unless we find our shared roots mankind can never find the solutions we are so desperately looking for.  Let us be accountable to the one God who created us all and who is waiting eagerly for us to have ‘common sense.’

How to Communicate with God

Today, more than ever before, we observe that some people truly desire to communicate with God.  This trends exist disregarding of certain religious affiliations.  In fact, it is often those who don’t have a church preference, who are the true seekers.

Prayer is the ongoing dialogue with God.  It is a way to tell God everything and surrender our lives to Him.  The most effective way to talk to God is by imagining that He is our parent, our Dad and Mom who want to know about us.  When we report to God in this way, we can ask for help and guidance and then just listen.  Honoring God in this way, listening, and waiting for solutions to unfold.  Since God is mostly interested in our spiritual growth and personal development, answers may not always come or come in ways we don’t expect them. 

In the teachings of the Divine Principle this occurrence is explained in the chapter on Eschatology  or specifically the section on: THE PHENOMENON OF THE RESTORATION OF THE FIRST BLESSING

In the beginning, God gave man three blessings:

“Be fruitful, multiply and have dominion over the earth.”

~ Genesis 1:28

Since man was created as a spiritual being with both physical and spiritual senses we were also giving the potential to communicate with God freely.  Being fruitful means to be mature in both mind and body.  Through the unity of mind/body we would be aligned with our creator and could freely communicate with Him as we are talking to our spouses or friends. 

Throughout the ages, God has spoken to central figures, prophets, and saints.  None-the-less, it was the creators desire to talk to each one of us directly.  It is therefore a natural occurrence for more and more people to seek direct contact with the Divine.

The Oriental philosophies and religions have attracted a lot of attention from the Western world.  With breath work, chanting, martial arts, meditation, yoga, and other disciplines spiritual practices are endless.

Let’s look at some of the ways to communicate with the Heavenly Parent through our five spiritual senses:

* Breathing -- The first thing we do after being born into this physical world is to breathe.  At that very moment the spirit of God enters the little human and from then has an eternal spirit.  Children’s breathing is effortless and takes the breath deep into the diaphragm.

“God took the dust of the earth and formed the body or man, and breathed into the nostrils of man the Breath of Life, and man became a living soul.”

~ Genesis 2:7 

Almost all the ancient languages use the same word for air, wind or breath as they do for life, vital energy, or spirit; or the animating principle of life. This principle, this spirit of life, is called chi, ki, prana, or energy.

”If you can do something with breath, you will attain the source of life. If you can do something with breath, you can transcend time and space. If you can do something with breath, you will be in the world and also beyond it.”

~ Rajneesh/Osho, Book of Secrets

When we grow older breathing often gets hindered by negative emotions and experiences.  We hold our breath in excitement, fear or fight and flight causing stress; we starve our cells of oxygen.  Practicing certain breathing techniques can be very beneficial to our health.  Additionally, centered breathing can create an internal awareness and peace.  It can help us to enter into the realm of heart which is our true essence and can lead to a rebirth experience.

* Hearing – Listening is a skill which we all have to practice.  With so much information and stimulation we often filter out stuff we don’t want to hear.  One of the best ways to keep healthy relationships is to learn to listen.

In meditation and prayer we want to be silent at times in order “to hear the small voice of God.”  Our world is very noisy, and even the talk in our head is constantly telling us what we can’t, didn’t, and shouldn’t do.  It seems that the biggest bullies are not external but are the incessant shatter in our own mind. 

Listening to our inner silence takes practice.  Eckhart Tolle, in his book “A New Earth” speaks about “Listening for Silence.”  It will stop our thinking and help us to connect with our true essence.

We also want to hear beautiful sounds in creation as well as delightful and uplifting music.  Our ears are meant to explore the whole spectrum of sounds and vibrate with the frequencies of nature.

* Seeing – In visualizing our spiritual self we become empowered by faith and the invisible will become substantial.  In this way we co-create our own existence.  When we “gaze upon God” and take it upon ourselves to incorporate the spiritual virtues (fruits of the spirit), our everyday life can become an extra-ordinary life.  Faith is believing in that core essence which God has manifested in us as our original potential and can become manifested in everyday events.

“The power to see in Spirit is peculiar to faith. In its outer expression, this power is sight; interiorly it is that which perceives the reality of the substance of Spirit. Mental seeing is knowing; we mentally discern. Have faith in what you do.”

~ Charles Fillmore

* Smelling -- By becoming aware of our sense of smell we can remember certain experiences.  I can still smell the ocean air from the day we spent at the beach in Florida or the scent of honey suckle from the bushes in our backyard when they bloom in the spring.  The key is to connect those kind of experiences with God.  God wants to smell the flowers through us; or the aroma of fresh brewed coffee to awaken all of our senses in the morning.  With the greater awareness of consciousness every small action can be a beautiful experience.

* Tasting – Some people say a prayer before eating.  That is a great practice to invite God to enjoy the food and drink with us.  Since God doesn’t have a physical body, he wants to experience tasting bread through us.  I can imagine the taste of lemon in my mouth feeling the bitter, tangy and sour flavor on my tongue. Biting in the delicious strawberry, one can chew it slowly and savor every bite. It creates a consciousness within us to make God part of all of our experiences.  Then drinking a glass of water can be a holy experience, especially if we are grateful for it.  Once we take all of our actions out of the habitual trance every tasks becomes purposeful and can create joy and excitement.  All of the flavors have been created by God for our enjoyment. 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

~ Jesus Christ

* Touching – This sense is probably the most intimate to come in contact with God.  At times we feel His embrace, His touch through another human being and most often when we are struggling or suffering. Being open to God’s touch in those moments is the most rewarding.  In times of sorrow we need to feel close to God.  It is unfortunate that most of us don’t call on God except for those moments.  And then we are disappointed because we cannot feel God.  Because our Heavenly Parent wants to be close to us at all times, take our hand in good times and in bad times.  It means to make ourselves vulnerable and surrender our ego at times when things go well or when we feel self-assured. 

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

~ Mother Teresa

By practicing to stay in the present moment, we have access to the power of life itself and can get in touch with God.  When we step out of the present moment, thinking of yesterday’s experiences or projecting our mind into the future, we turn away from God.  Then God is not a reality anymore but becomes a concept of the mind.  In that state of mind it is hard to believe in God. 

We all know we have greater potential than we have realized so far.  Using our spiritual senses as well as our physical senses will open up a whole new world for us.  Some people have an encounter of a near-death-experience or some other drastic spiritual awakening.  Others just have a 6^th sense happening, synchronistic event or use their intuition.  Beyond those kinds of incidents we all have the capacity to access our spiritual senses.  All we need to do is become aware and practice to be in the NOW at all times.  Paying attention to the small things, and discovering that we are not separate from God but He is within us.

What about those people who say that God does not exist?  Let them watch the recent movie “The Principle”  in which science now is telling us they can prove God’s existence.

Gratitude is best practice to feel God and having a forgiving heart is an open door.  Based on humility God will be with us even if we don’t pray.  

Character or Personality

Character versus Personality

When we look at character versus personality we have to accept that one cannot be without the other.  Neither one is more important than the other either. While personality primarily consists of inborn traits, character is made of learned behavior.  Let’s look at them more closely:

Character

Character is typically learned from our parents, teachers and friends. This learning comes from being taught directly or from observations of others. Character relates to attitudes and values.  It is possible to change one’s  character based on different beliefs and core values.  Although, certain habits such as lying or committing crimes are harder to change, and need mainly reform through change of environment and circumstances.

Character is trained by keeping certain disciplines such as: honor, diligence, loyalty, love, etc.

Personal character virtues are:

•        Authenticity or integrity

•        Dignity

•        Self-control

•        Virtuous

Social character virtues are:

•        Honesty

•        Respect

•        Loyalty

•        Morality

Personality

We are equipped with certain personality traits or temperaments.  Some people are outgoing and talkative, while others are introverted and keep to themselves.  Another classification is whether you tend to be task oriented or prefer social engagements. This results in people having either a domineering, influencing, steady or complying personality. Some people are born leaders while others are analytical in their thinking.  I wrote once a blog about the different personality types as laid out by Dr. Robert Rohm:

Now I ask you, what is more important? -- Character or personality?  I believe both are necessary to build a successful life. Since personality is something we are all born with we can compare it with talents, while character is something we have to attain and work for. 

Traditionally, our society paid more attention to character education while today often personality is favored.  While personality seems to unfold naturally, it takes effort to attain a solid character.  We need good role models, starting in the family, and larger community like church, school and sports.

I therefore suggest that character education has to be the internal compass which can direct us to attain our ultimate destiny. At the same time we want to let our personality unfold and share our given gift with others.

We can see in our society today what lack of character education has done.  It becomes apparent mostly in the loss of moral values.  We have lots of personality, especially those with domineering traits. 

I like to end my observation regarding character and personality with a quote from Lao Tzu:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habit.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

~ Lao Tzu Chinese Philosopher 6^th century BC, wrote the Tao Te Ching (the Way).

Pygmalion Effect

You may have never heard of the Pygmalion effect but there certainly has been a lot of talk recently about the Law of Attraction.  Since the book and movie “The Secret” has been published that age-old spiritual law has received a new lime-light.  In the business world they are calling it “The Law of Positive Expectation.”

So, what’s the buzz?

Thoughts create images in your head.  Those pictures produce feelings or emotions.  The vibration of these emotions will attract similar experiences.  Here it goes: positive emotions will generate positive experiences, while negative feelings will generate negative experiences.  What does that mean? You create your own life by what you imagine in your mind.  Eventually, you build your own future.

Contrary to the popular thinking that we live in a mechanical universe, the universe exists in different forms of energy, starting with the atom.  Our thoughts are a form of energy.

Where did the Pygmalion effect come from?

In Greek mythology, there was a talented sculptor named Pygmalion.  He wasn’t very successful in his love life, but he had a great imagination.  When he found a beautiful piece of ivory, he saw the form of an attractive young woman before his eyes.  He started carving and chiseling and in a short time he had created the statue of lovely young lady.  At once, Pygmalion was taken by her beauty, to the point that he put clothes on her and jewelry.  He even gave her a name: Galatea which means sleeping love.

As it is was tradition in Greece, Pygmalion went to the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and prayed for a wife just like the statue he had carved out of the piece of ivory.  When Aphrodite heard his plea, she went to see the statue of Galatea.  She was very pleased with her since she resembled the goddess. 

When Pygmalion came home from his worship, he found Galatea alive.  He fell in love with her, and they got married.  From then on, the couple went to the temple together and brought gifts of thanks to the altar of Aphrodite.  She in return blessed them with happiness and love.

And we remember the story for the lesson: whatever we expect with deep passion and imagination, it will come to pass.

The Pygmalion effect was made popular by George Bernard Shaw who wrote a play called “Pygmalion.”  It became also the known as “My Fair Lady,” a musical, where Professor Higgins takes a common flower girl from the streets of London and trains her to “become a lady,” speaking, dancing and behaving like a woman of high status.

 

The Power of Positive Expectations

In the 1960’s Robert Rosenthal has done experiments where he told one teacher that he had great expectation from a group of school children because of some data.  Throughout the school year, these children had great performance in all areas of study, because of the support and encouragement of the teacher.  At the end of the school year the teacher learned that the children had been randomly selected, and was surprised how well they performed.  In another experiment, high grade students were treated with no special attention and expectation.  At the end of the school year their grades showed only average results.

This seems to prove that the teachers' expectations about a student's achievement can be affected by factors having little or nothing to do with his or her ability, and yet these expectations can determine the level of achievement by confining learning opportunities to those available in one's track.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Robert Merton, a 20th century sociologist, actually coined the term of self-fulfilling prophecy. In his definition, in the book Social Theory and Social Structure published in 1949, the prophecy or prediction is false but is made true by a person’s actions. In the modern sense the prophecy has neither false nor true value, but is merely a possibility that is made into probability by a person’s unconscious or conscious actions.

The self-fulfilling prophecy has also deep implications in regards to our health.  The well-known placebo effect can fit into this area which shows the power of our mind and how attitude and suggestion can influence us for better or worse.

The best steps to take advantage of the 'law of expectation' is to keep a positive attitude and stay focused on facts, and most of all trust our gut feelings in case somebody wants take advantage of our ‘innocence.’

Do you do Jigsaw Puzzles?

I just finished a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.  When I started it before Christmas I just wanted to relax with some Christmas movies and having something to do with my hands.  I remember doing this puzzle several times with my son when he was younger.  We would finish very quickly when we worked together.

This time it took me over a month.  It turned out not just for my enjoyment but to learn some interesting lessons along the way.  I was surprised how I could draw on many parallels to life in general.

Like I always do with a puzzle I start out finding the straight edges to lay out the frame for the picture.  Then I divided the pieces by color and images where I thought they may go according to the finished picture on the box.  Half way through arranging all the sections, I discovered that some pieces were missing.  Then I became very tempted to end the whole thing since it wouldn’t be perfect at the end.

I have to say that I got frustrated many times during the layout, and finally, I looked up some instructions on the internet on how to do a puzzle.  I was surprised on how many people have described exact methods on how to proceed.  That gave me new motivation.  In the progression I discovered some interesting facts on how to build a jigsaw puzzle.

 

Purpose of doing puzzle:

1)    Learn patience

2)    Practice imagination

3)    Learn color coordination

4)    Distinguish the different shapes

5)    Finding repetitive patterns

6)    Sorting by colors

7)    Sorting by shapes

8)    Learning problem solving skills

 

The best thing of all it is a good brain building activity.  It balances both sides of the brain, the logical and the creative parts; and most of all it helps you to focus on the task at hand.  It reminds you that many small parts together make a whole picture; and that when you persevere long enough, you can finish the task at hand.

 

To build the puzzle of life takes a long time.  It is almost impossible to unravel all the answers and solution without instructions.  Sometimes we need some help, encouragement, maybe even a coach.  As long as we persevere we will always benefit and be enriched.  That’s where puzzles are such a useful activity; we know that there is a spot for every part.  As long as we match the different pieces, we will finish the puzzle.

 

So when you think that puzzles are for children, think again.  It is a very useful activity for adults, too.  What happens when you have used up all pieces and there are still some holes?  Well – you realize that you tried your very best at completing the picture.  You understand that there are still things missing in your life and you don’t want to ever stop looking for answers.

 

I like to finish with a poem I found at this website it is called:

Life Is...

Life is... Life is a challenge - meet it.

Life is a gift - accept it.

Life is an adventure - dare it.

Life is full of sorrow - overcome it.

Life is a tragedy - face it.

Life is a duty - perform it.

Life is a game - play it.

Life is a mystery - unfold it.

Life is a song - sing it.

Life is an opportunity - take it.

Life is a journey - complete it.

Life is a promise - fulfill it.

Life is beauty - praise it.

Life is a struggle - survive it.

Life is a goal - achieve it.

Life is a puzzle - solve it.

 

 

 

The Law Of Assumption

I don’t believe anything happens by accident.  Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the “decision is like a goal.”  I was still reflecting on it when I came across a booklet on the “Power of Awareness” by Neville Goddard.  He wrote this script on 1952.  Neville, as he is known in metaphysical circles, was way ahead of his time.  It took more than 60 years for his ideas to become more widely accepted; most people still don’t have any clue about spiritual laws.  In chapter 3 of the book, he writes about the law of assumption (LOA). It is to me a very clear description of how faith manifests and how we create.

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

~ Rom. 12:2

How to apply the LOA and to experience transformation:

·         It starts with a changed state of consciousness (consciousness is defined as what man thinks, desires, loves, and what he believes at his core being)

·         Next is an intense, burning desire (we must be willing to be different with full intention)

·         Assume the desire to be the present fact as if it is already fulfilled (our dream becomes reality by acting as if)

·         Persist in feeling and assuming the desire until it is manifested (we rebirth ourselves in the process)

·         Think from the end result rather than think of it (thinking from it manifests the spiritual process while thinking of it is only mental or physical observation)

·         Let it happen with the least effort (remove all resistance, negative emotions such as doubt and limiting beliefs)

·         Achieving the new state of consciousness becomes apparent to all (our new attitude and behavior becomes visible through our actions)

Neville makes these point an absolute requirement for the LOA to be manifested:  

“You must be the thing itself and not merely talk about it or look at it.”

~ Neville Goddard

This understanding takes a new twist on the Law of Attraction which was featured in the movie “The Secret.”  It is with imagination that we create our world and it is with imagination and following an ideal that we can become our true selves and be responsible human beings.  Neville calls imagination a redemptive power.  Human beings are the only creatures who have the choice to grow by imagining themselves as that which they want to be or to remain in the present concept of themselves.  Practicing the imaginary life will eventually led to the “ideal life.” 

“In today's rush we all think too much - seek too much - want too much - and forget about the joy of just being.”

– Eckhart Tolle

It is amazing to me how many different approaches there are in regards to transformation and the laws of creation. 

Napoleon Hill called it “The Power of Definite Purpose:”

Dr. Wayne Dyer calls it the “The Power of Intention.”

Even science has now discovered that it is not only our genes which determine our lives.  Dr. Bruce Lipton:

 “I want people to understand that we are creating this world, that we are creating our own lives.”  His teaching on the “Biology of Belief” has been published on YouTube. 

Another scientist, Amit Goswami, along with Quantum Physics, explains that man’s self-awareness and consciousness creates his world.  It is in the nature of observation and paying attention to our surroundings that they become significant and therefore exist.

This is a time where we have to find new ways to actively participate in the creation of our lives.  Especially, here in America, we have the rights to pursue happiness by the laws of the constitution.  With the law of assumption it is certainly possible to achieve it.

WARNING: The Law of Assumption can also work against us when we are driven by negative emotions such as judgment, prejudice and/or limiting beliefs.

I am Introverted and I love It

I have been watching a video by Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html

“Solitude matters, and for some people it is the air that they breathe.”

~ Susan Cain

I have been able to fully identify myself with her.  Especially, when she opened that suitcase and pulled out all these books.  Reading has been a favorite pastime all my life.  I became more interested in identifying the different personalities after I participated in a seminar where Robert A. Rohm gave an enchanting presentation.

Definition of an introvert: 

An introvert  is typically more concerned with internal aspects of life and prefers thoughts and ideas over people and things.  An introvert recharges his energy by being in quietude.  That does not mean that he is shy, it’s just her interests are more in learning and listening.

I learned about introverts and extroverts:

Robert A. Rohm, the author of the personality insights presented his experiences by showing us the DISC model.  He teaches us that we are foremost Outgoing or Reserved people. The other classification is that we are either Task oriented or People oriented.  Obviously, there are many people who are multi-faceted but once we can understand the basic personality aspects it becomes easier to understand people.  Florence Littauer, in her book Personality Plus made similar observations.

Accept who you are:

We are all created as unique individuals.  For us to get along with others, it helps to understand ourselves and accept who we are.    I can see clearly where our society is breaking down.  If we just relate to each other horizontally, there is no connection and we don’t have a common base.  The only way we can see that link is by connecting vertically with our creator, God.  There, we discover universal principles.

Character or Personality?

We are born with a certain personality while we acquire character over our lifetime.  When we can live according to our given talents and are allowed by our parents and society to develop our God-given potential, we feel happy.  With the right kind of values and vision for our lives we can cultivate our character to become members of our society who are kind, serving and concerned for the welfare of all.

Opposites attract each other

When we talk about personality types we don’t value one over the other.  In fact we discover that opposite personalities attract each other.  The quiet, internal personality is attracted to the outgoing, people oriented person.  With right kind of understanding they complement each other and make best marriage partners or colaborate well together in the work place.  By striving to find our true self and accepting each other for who we are at the core we become more authentic.

Here are some of the 10 myths about introverts:

They embrace solitude.

They let their fingers do the talking. Expressing themselves through writing.

They express calmness in face of challenges.

They focus on depth.

They think first, talk later.

If you are an introvert, enjoy your solitude, your quiet times, and your books.  Or if you know an introvert let him have his private space.

An introvert is not depressed or negative when she wants to be alone.  Many gifted people are introverts: theologians and philosophers, scientists and inventors, explorers and researchers, just about quarter of our general population.  How do introverts manage in our so extroverted world?  Watch Ms. Cain’s video or read a book called The Introvert Advantage by  Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.

The real issue is that we understand that we were hardwired from birth to focus inward.  Isn’t it sometime more important to talk less but to communicate more?