©  Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
www.SoulWiseWays.com

Have you ever seen a person so caught up in their spiritual that they seem to be a little odd, a little tipped? That happens sometimes when a person cannot seem to live effectively in the world, meeting his or her human responsibilities while retaining that inner area of consciousness open to spiritual impuluse. They seem to unable to maintain the spiritual balance of living in the world without being swept up in the world.

So, it’s a question for us to consider:  to what extent can we stay in the marketplace, surrounded by competition, struggle, strife and jealousy that sometimes characterizes business or work, and yet maintain an awareness of that Power and Presence that is unknown to the material world?

That take spiritual balance: the ability to maintain both your spiritual awareness and be effective in the world without veering to one side or the other, blending the two into one harmonious whole.  To do this, we cannot give our whole day over to worldly pursuits, but neither do we give our whole day to meditation.  Yes, we meditation frequently for a minute or two to maintain an awareness of the Presence and our best direction.  Then, we go out and live this awareness by meeting the daily challenges and opportunities the world provides. It is possible to be “in the world but not of the world” as it says in the Bible. And, it requires spiritual balance.

The mystical way is one of intense inner stilness in the midst of incredible outer activity. It calls for a nonattachment to ther things and persons of the world. Not the kind, though, that creates that “crackpot” way of being in the world! Not floating in a vacuum with no base on which to rest. Some attachment is necessary, and it is found only in the Spiritu within which becomes our anchor.  Knowing that we are inseparable and divisibile from Spirit, we can be less and less atttached to the constantly shifting changing picture of the human world.

It is not a good idea for anyone to attempt to live beyond his or her attained state of consciousness. We know we are not at the stage of walking on water, so, we wisely take a boat! We cannot let our egos push us to try to walk on water. That is true folly.

Every difficulty we face is, in some ways, a matter of imbalance. If we begin our journey on the Path by remembering the importance of spiritual balance, keeping our perspective with the vision always before us, with our heads in the clouds and our feet firmly planted on the earth, we can keep our spiritual balance and achieve our goals.

Many blessings,
Rhoberta

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Coach. Counselor. Catalyst.
…providing you with success solutions for life, love & livelihood

www.Rhoberta.com

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© Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

I hope yesterday’s post was provocative for you. It was affirming for me. I believe that what Ernest Holmes says is true on one level: we definitely can demonstrate a control of conditions. As he told us: we do not take what we wish, but we do attract to ourselves that which is like our thought.

That is never more evident than in the case of anxiety, fear and panic. There’s a lot of that going on these days, as the media whips up the frenzy as well as shares the facts! So, if we believe that we attract to ourselves that which is like our thought, panic attracts panic, anxiety attracts anxiety, and so on. It makes sense that in the face of possible fear, we do the opposite and do what we know to do to create calm.

When I’m working on myself, working with clients, or talking with friends, and the talk turns to what’s going to happen, I’ve learned to bring the conversation back to the present moment. That means focusing on the question:

“Are you all right in this moment?

We get ahead of ourselves, don’t we? We’re already catastrophizing about next year and whipping up our own frenzy.

“What if?
What could possibly happen if?
What if I do?
What if I don’t?
What if they…?
If this happens, then….”

And, then, there is the spiritual dimension to add into that mix. That can truly complicate it. And, it can simplify it as well. Well, that really helps! NOT!!

But, in the meantime…

“Do you let go and let God?
Do you listen for guidance?
How do you know it’s guidance and not just your own conclusion?
Do you treat and move your feet?
Do you surrender and wait?
What the hell does God want from me, for me?”

As promised, as we walk this journey together, I’ll share a few thoughts from writers I appreciate that are helpful to me as I think about prosperity, God and guidance.

“We are all familiar with Moses, Buddha, Jesus and other great spiritual leaders who did not use the power so much as they let it use them by providing a channel through which it could work. We also are aware of the great humanitarian accomplishments of Lincoln, Gandhi, Schweitzer and others who let the power use them. …Anyone who has ever done anything worthwhile has drawn upon the inner resources of his own being where the One Power resides.

…Life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who earn them, who do not weaken in the face of adversity, and whose patience is not worn out by waiting. – Dr. Donald Curtis

If we are thinking of security in terms of protective barriers and a continuous provision for food, clothing, shelter, heat, light and medical care, then (and this may seem shocking) the most secure individual is a life-term convict in a penitentiary. Almost everything is cared for, thus he has little to worry about. He has real security, but at such a great price!

Most public opinion surveys indicate that the one thing most persons desire in life more than anything else is security. This is a sad commentary on comtemporary values. Professor Peter Bartocci of Boston University has said:

“ It may be that any view of life that puts security rather than creativity first has misread life at its best, and thus misinterprets the cosmic process.”

This is not to suggest that the desire for security is wrong, or that we shouldn’t seek ways of achieving it. It is simply that when we place the emphasis on outer things, we miss the whole meaning of life. Life is for expressing, for growth and expansion.

“…When people think only of being safe, they stifle the urges of personal growth and advancement.” – Eric Butterworth

“[In 1970] a Wall Street economist gave his formula for a cure for poverty: “

“What is needed is not so much a war on poverty as an understanding of the forces that generate prosperity.”

The forces that generate prosperity are mental and spiritual. In order to conduct a mental and spiritual war on poverty, the first thing you must do is open your mind to prosperity. …You can open your mind to prosperity when you realize the true definiton of the word: You are prosperous to the degree that you are experiencing peace, health, and plenty in your world. – Catherine Ponder”

So, let’s start with peace. We know what to do. We know to breathe deeply and give ourselves time to sit silently each day. We know what images bring us peace: walking in nature, remembering people we love, beaches, mountains. Dwell on them, especially when anxiety arises. That’s often easier than affirmation or mental gymnastics. Just shift the picture in your mind to a peaceful one and push the other one out!

We know what to do. Are you willing to make a commitment to doing that each and every time something wants to shake your sense of peace? I’m going to keep making that commitment, even when it’s not so easy. It means sometimes walking away and turning off televisions and leaving conversations. It means monitoring thoughts and changing our minds.

I’m in. Are you?

Many blessings and much prosperity for you.
Rhoberta

Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
Consultant. Coach. Counselor. Catalyst.
Founder of Spiritual Living Network & SoulWise Ways

Dr. Shaler works with individuals & couples to align values, vision, beliefs & purpose to create the lives & relationships that fulfill them.  Visit www.SoulWiseWays.com for more information.

www.SoulWiseLiving.com

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