“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” St. Paul

“I know what to do, I just can’t do it!” This is the cry I hear so frequently. People know that love will serve them the best. They know that arguments, disgruntlement, and yearning for what they don’t have serves them poorly. They yearn for peace, contentment, positive engagement, and the desire for what they already have.

But, the flesh is weak, as Paul groaned long before we came along.

Sometimes something really wonderful comes along and you
just have to pass it on.

I thank Jennifer (you know who you are)
for sending me to this video clip today.

It’s Joe Vitale speaking about an
amazing way of cleaning up your relationships,
especially your relationship to yourself
and to the Divine.

Nothing to sign up for, Nothing to buy.

Cool!

http://offto.net/Hooponopono/

Enjoy! I sure did!
Steve

Boundaries 101

The quickest way to increase your self-esteem is to work on your boundaries with the world around you. This means developing the ability to know your self apart from those around you. You really don’t have to take everything personally. You can evaluate whether someone is speaking the truth before taking it inside and having feelings about it.

Imagine yourself mentally slowing the conversation down. As the words come out of your partner’s mouth, first pause, then consider their truth. Are the words true about you, or, are they really a personal perspective that says more about how this person sees the world?

Dear Pastor,

There is probably no reason to tell you. You already know that folks in Colorado suffer the doldrums in January, February, and March. The holidays are past, the daylight is still in short supply, and problems that have been put off tend to surface again.

It’s no surprise that the day children return to school in January is the day of the year with the most divorce filings.

So, I’m offering this reminder to be on the watch for people in stress. Clearly, the depression and anxiety will be worse this year due to the economy.

There is so much I wish to accomplish. I have so many ideas I’ll never get to. Thought after thought whirl around my head. I am ADD. That means Attention Deficit Disorder with no hyperactivity included. My head whirls, but my actions do little for accomplishing my desires.

I wish to put my Beloved, Pam, first in my life. Then, I wish to get an article written for you. Next I desire to create a small project that will lead to residual income. Along the way, I stop at the tire store, my secretary asks a question, a note catches my eye reminding me to print some paperwork for a client, and then I wonder what it was I wished to focus on today.

Most couples get together because they’re “in love.” Most couples have real challenges when they “fall into fear.” Fear breeds competition, arguments, suspicion, blaming and ego centered behavior.

I can testify to people’s present fear given my own practice. It is not what is happening, but what is NOT happening. People have stopped calling in for therapy. Very unusual for a well established therapist. And my colleages say the same thing. My dentist also is hurting. All over people offering important services are not being accessed because people are scared. Folks are holding onto their dollars and putting off whatever they can.

I’ve been reading the most recent of Caroline Myss’ books, “Entering the Castle.” (2007) It is intended to give a spiritual path to seekers. The central inspiration for the book is Teresa of Avila’s sixteenth century work, “The Interior Castle.”

Already I have to stop and reflect. From page 36:

“That is the mystic’s life purpose - to know his or her soul and put it to use in a spiritually radical form of service to others. And mysticism is spiritually radical. For one thing, you enter into a realm of consciousness that is truly “extra” ordinary. Second, your interior life becomes more valid, more real than your exterior life.”

I. Experience

Recently we renamed our counseling and education center. We now call it “Centered Life.” When we speak to people about what our new name means we often have difficulty describing what it is to live a “centered life.” Some folks seem to easily know what this is about, and some really don’t get it.

There is an old saying that there are only two emotions in the universe: Love and Fear. All the other emotions are really a form of one of these two.  If this is the case, then whatever we do, we are either Loving or Fearing. Which is more familiar to you?

We have ample enough reasons to be caught up in fear:

What do you do when you want something really bad?

Suppose that new pickup truck seems to be just what you need to feel wonderful again? Maybe it is the redecorating of the dining room. Or, perhaps it’s that new Fall outfit, or the vacation that will let you get away for awhile. For some of us it might mean going off the wagon and having a drink, for others it could be eating your way through the holidays. And what if it is that clandestine affair with Mr. or Ms. Unavailable, with whom you find that your heart (and hands) has a mind of its own?