Let’s make the commitment to ourselves and each other to send more loving, healing energy to every being on this planet.
Below is a beautiful video to take you through the steps.

The post Loving Kindness Meditation appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Our July 2016 issue features a very special story by Linda M. Potter on the love between Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy (the wildly popular SARK) and her beloved, Dr. John Waddell. Sadly, John made his transition on March 5, 2016. SARK feels the best way to honor John is by sharing the work they did together.
Read their love story in the July 2016 issue of Guide for Spiritual Living: Science of Mind magazine, and practice these six habits that SARK and John discovered in their “love laboratory.”

What are the six habits embraced by people in succulent, wild love relationships?

1. They listen to their relationship mentor inside them — their Inner Wise Self, Higher Self, Holy Spirit — and take action.
2. They use their feelings, both as a guide to know when the relationship is off track and to constructively evoke cooperation from others.
3. They recognize inner critics and other negative dialogue in their head and don’t put this criticism on their partner — or themselves.
4. They respect their own and their partner’s boundaries.
5. They create “Joyful Solutions” where no one needs to compromise or sacrifice.
6. They practice seeing the perfection in their partner and all the other people they’re in a relationship with.

Click on the image below to learn more about their book and to visit PlanetSARK.com.

The post Six Habits of Wild, Succulent Love! appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

By Barbara Doern Drew and Walter Drew |
Walter Drew and Barbara Doern Drew have been involved with Science of Mind as students, teachers, writers and through leadership roles for more than 20 years. Contact them at DrewDoernDrew@Gmail.com.

“There is a fundamental spiritual quality to gratitude that transcends religious traditions. Gratitude is a universal human experience that can seem to be either a random occurrence of grace or a chosen attitude to create a better experience of life; in many ways it contains elements of both. Grateful people sense that they are not separated from others or from God; this recognition of unity with all things brings a deep sense of gratefulness, whether we are religious or not.”

Angeles Arrien’s description above captures much of the essential nature of gratitude and its importance to a meaningful, interconnected existence. A cultural anthropologist, author and shaman, Arrien delves into the many dimensions of gratitude from a multicultural perspective in her book “Living in Gratitude: A Journey That Will Change Your Life.” We spent several months on a journey of experiencing the transformational effects of a daily spiritual practice of gratitude. Here’s what we learned.

Expressions of Gratitude

The expression of gratitude takes many forms. Perhaps most simply, gratitude can be expressed as a “thank you” when someone does something kind. While this automatic response is valuable and may be genuine, there can also be a perfunctory quality to it that limits its potential full effect on both the person saying it and the one receiving it.
We can make a conscious decision to seek out things to be grateful for, making gratitude a regular spiritual practice in our lives. In doing so, we develop what Arrien refers to as “grateful seeing.” She elaborates: “The ability to look first for what is good and working in our lives without minimizing or denying the hardships or challenges that are also present. Focusing on the benefits and goodness that are all around us leads to feelings of gratitude, and this creates a multiplier effect: The experience of gratitude generates a sense of well-being. And the better we feel, the more good we will do. Gratitude and the actions it stimulates also build and strengthen social bonds and friendships.

“This practice of grateful seeing, looking for the good, allows us to see the gift of love — given and received — that is present in our lives.”

Thankful expression may also be anticipatory gratitude. In the five-step affirmative prayer developed by Dr. Ernest Holmes, gratitude is the critical fourth step. Once we acknowledge that Spirit is all there is and that we are one with this power, and we speak our words for some outcome, we give thanks in advance for knowing that what we have declared is already done in the Mind of God. There is no more for us to do except release it into the law of cause and effect to manifest in form. This is a high-level gratitude consciousness where we tap into the truth of how life works.
In its own category, outside of our personal volition, is the numinous gratitude we experience in moments of grace, when it wells up from within us unbidden. When this occurs, we are often overcome with feelings of joy and unbounded love, frequently accompanied by tears. There may be no “object” for this gratitude, as we are filled with the wonder and awe of being alive and the majesty of the human experience. This is a state of pure being, where no action is necessary.
However we express our gratitude, being grateful enhances our lives and, by extension, the world. According to Robert Emmons, the eminent scientific expert on gratitude, “The significance of gratitude lies in its ability… to enrich human life. Gratitude elevates, it energizes, it inspires, it transforms. People are moved, opened and humbled through experiences and expressions of gratitude. Gratitude provides life with meaning by encapsulating life itself as a gift. Without gratitude, life can be lonely, depressing, impoverished.”

Grateful Seeing in Action

Here is Barbara’s recent exploration of gratitude: In February 2016, I tore the meniscus in my right knee and could neither bend, straighten nor put weight on my leg for the three weeks before surgery. I had to cancel a trip with Walter to the annual Spiritual Living Convention, which added an element of emotional disappointment. I realized that I could either take the stance of feeling like a victim, or I could use the experience as an opportunity for growth. I set an intention to focus on the latter, and as soon as Walter left for eight days, I started a gratitude journal to begin to consciously look for the blessings in the situation.

Friends Rinpoche and Jadzia top the list of things for which Barbara is grateful in her daily life.

The sun sets and lights up the New Mexico winter sky.

Opportunities for Gratitude Abound

It’s amazing how when we start seeking out things for which to be grateful, we find that they are limitless. The list we developed from our own life experiences moves through many categories, from our 28-year ever-evolving relationship and loving family members, friends and pets to our meaningful careers, the spiritual communities in which we are involved and the opportunities for service. It meanders through our colorful gardens to the natural beauty of planet Earth and its sustaining resources. We acknowledge the impact of profound spiritual teachers and teachings on us individually, our relationship and the larger world. We are grateful for the healers who have showed up to assist us through challenging situations.
We also give thanks for the spiritual practices that weave through our lives, assisting us in our conscious evolution. Meditation, reading the inspirational Daily Guides in this magazine and expressing gratitude are part of our daily routines. Other valuable practices include forgiveness, compassion for self and others, releasing old beliefs and patterns, visioning, living in accord with our life purpose, and taking and teaching inspirational classes.

The Good blooms when planted in great gratitude.

The Impact of Gratitude

Arrien acknowledges the transformative power of gratitude: “Through conscious and sustained practice over a period of time, we can discover again how gratitude and all its related qualities — thankfulness, appreciation, compassion, generosity, grace and so many other positive states — can become integrated and embodied in our lives. And when people in great numbers choose to practice, integrate and embody gratitude, the cumulative force that is generated can help create the kind of world we all hope for and desire for ourselves and for future generations.”

Making Gratitude a Spiritual Practice

Once we begin to notice all the opportunities to be grateful, how do we go about making it a spiritual practice? Here are a few suggestions:

• We can set an intention to practice grateful seeing throughout the day, looking for the good in our experiences. A gratitude journal is a great tool for recording these observations, as is sharing them aloud with another person.
• Verbally expressing our gratitude is important. Saying “thank you” to our partner for taking out the trash or to someone who helps us in the grocery store creates a ripple effect that spreads the positive energy out into our immediate circles and beyond. When possible, tell the person specifically what you appreciate about them. The atmosphere tangibly shifts when we make these brief, heartfelt acknowledgments.
• In today’s busy world, sending cards with handwritten thank-you notes seems to be a lost art, but we all know how wonderful it is to receive a card in the mailbox. Online cards also enable us to share our gratitude.
• As a daily email routine, writing a short note or two to friends, family or colleagues, thanking them for who they are and what they do, helps us express our gratitude.
• If you experience disconnection from someone and have been feeling judgmental, think of three things you are grateful for about the person. This slight shift in focus begins to soften the edges and helps you move toward reconnection and appreciation.

The post Online Exclusive: Gratitude Practice appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

In our January 2017 issue, Ester Nicholson, ALSP, reveals the power behind admitting that you are powerless. And Nicholson knows from experience.

“What I’ve learned, in applying and sharing this material in workshops, training and private sessions over the past 30 years, is that the very same approach I used to heal myself of smoking cocaine applies to issues far beyond alcohol and substance abuse alone,” she vulnerably shares.

Nicholson developed Soul Recovery, a curriculum of study and practice she used to heal herself of a life-threatening addiction. This ultimately birthed the writing of her book by the same name. She believes the reason that we obsess about a drug, a relationship, a job or anything else is that we have lost sight of our wholeness. Through our life experiences, many of us have “adapted” ourselves to believe that we are unworthy and incapable of being truly happy and fulfilled. That just isn’t true.

Guided Meditations: 21 Days to Healing Dependence

We are entitled to feel as whole as we really are, compassionately and fearlessly.

Let Nicholson guide you through 21 daily contemplations, connecting to Truth and healing dependence — whatever form or appearance that takes in your life. » Sign up on her home page and begin to feel the benefits and profound shift in how you view your circumstances.

Other Powerful Resources

Receive regular insights on Nicholson’s blog: https://esternicholson.wordpress.com
Join her life-changing Forgiveness Course: https://www.udemy.com/soul-recovery-forgiveness/

The post Soul Recovery: 21 Days to Healing appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

What About Alzheimer’s Disease From a Religious Science Perspective?

For decades, our readers have turned to Jesse Jennings for answers to the tough questions about Religious Science.
Here is an example of how Jennings meets readers with compassion, wisdom and Truth:

QUESTION:

Some spiritual teachers assign specific mental causes to physical conditions. Two close family members have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. What might be the cause?

ANSWER:

I am knowing for you strength and peace as you care for your relatives while they are experiencing this, and I’m sure anyone reading this is also sending you a silent blessing.

You are never alone. I’m sure you know about support groups for families and similar resources, but I also mean you are invisibly, intangibly supported by Spirit (as are they).

Assigning specific causes to conditions is not a practice I recommend. No matter how much experience we have in metaphysical service, none of us knows why anybody else’s reality appears the way it does.

It’s a life’s work just to know why we ourselves manifest particular outcomes. Arriving at how another person caused — or worse, invited — some disease is not comforting to us and can be truly shaming to them.

It is human to speculate, provided our speculations are kindly, but seldom if ever do we get to know.

I wish I could tell you how to cure your loved ones, but instead I’ll offer this about holding the situation in light. Both are expressing life unconventionally, perhaps now forgetful and uncommunicative, but they have not vanished, nor will they.

They are still conscious beings, still at the center of the universe. Where exactly their attention now is, we cannot fathom. Perhaps it has wandered off into the realm it will next inhabit — that after spending a while in space and time, these souls are being drawn into their place of origin, which is beyond both space and time.

Mind, being infinite, cannot withdraw from any part of Itself. Yet our personality, always at choice deep inside, can lead us to process information and express ourselves differently than we ever did.

Again, may I say that you are not alone. Prayer works. Some corner is always turned by going into prayer and realizing that a power greater than any condition is at work.

The post Questions & Answers appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

By Mark Waldman and Andrew Newberg, M.D.  |

Sharing your personal, intimate, and spiritual experiences can trigger similar experiences in other people. Based on our newest research, documented in “How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain,” we believe the search for Enlightenment — your quest to discover personal or spiritual truth — is hardwired in the brain. Perhaps because everyone is born with so little understanding of anything, we must learn and grow. As we change, our notions of reality continue to evolve.

When you hear and read about other people’s spiritual experiences, your brain begins to mirror the activity in their brain. You’ll feel what they felt when they entered higher states of consciousness. Then your brain will begin to search its own memory for similar experiences as you reflect on earlier transformations — those “Aha!” moments that improved the quality of your life. You prime your brain to seek more
of them.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that any one exercise or meditation will bring you to enlightenment, but our research has uncovered a few basic steps that can speed up the neurological processes.

First, you must genuinely desire enlightenment, knowing that it could shake up some of your most cherished beliefs. Beliefs are principles that you formed in the past, and enlightenment — going by the dictionary definition — means “to bring new light to ignorance.”

Second, you need to prepare yourself by engaging in gentle relaxation and awareness exercises. This will help prevent you from being overwhelmed by the next step.

Third, you’ll need to engage in an intense ritual (chanting, rapid movements of head, body, arms, etc.) that will interrupt old habits and everyday consciousness. Fourth, you must completely surrender and immerse yourself in the ritual experience for 10 to 50 minutes. Keep going until you feel a distinct change in your ordinary consciousness. After you’ve completed your ritual, set aside 10 to 20 minutes to sit quietly, inviting insights to flow into your heightened state of awareness.

Desire, prepare, engage, surrender and reflect: These are the five basic steps that will prime your brain for enlightenment. Then share your experience with others. Let’s work together to bring enlightenment into everyone’s life!

The post 5 Steps to Enlightenment! appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Powerful Affirmations to Kick Off Your Month in the Most Divine Way! »

Here’s just one example of the positive mental state you can set with guidance from Eugene Holden, RScP, manager of the World Ministry of Prayer for Centers for Spiritual Living:

I’M READY

Live today to the fullest. You are ready. No excuses. Believe and know that you have everything you need.

I am ready to live my life to the fullest. I am guided and supported in all that I do. I am the divine expression of God, peacefully shining my light everywhere I go. I am ready, willing and able to be the love, light and peace of God. All is well.

The post Eugene Holden's Affirmations appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

NOTE: If you’re looking for the online exclusive from Dr. Christiane Northrup from page 17 of the September 2015 issue of GUIDE FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING: SCIENCE OF MIND, you’ve found it.
Women’s health expert and best-selling author Dr. Christiane Northrup has a surprising message for women: “I want women to know that their sexuality and their spirituality are intimately connected.
“It’s important for women to know about their second chakra, the pelvis. This has nothing to do, by the way, with having sex with somebody. I’m really talking about one’s aliveness; you can feel it in your whole body.”
Northrup notes that women have as much erectile tissue in their bodies as men, but for females it is on the inside. And, she says a woman’s pelvic area is a direct connection to her life force – God.
“You can often use that area of your body as a guidance system. If it feels turned on and it’s kind of tingling, you’re going toward the right thing.”
Northrup goes on to explain that “The Lady Garden,” a term coined by Dr. Sarah Frey, can act as a GPS for women, putting them in touch with their intuition. First, Northrup explains how this part of a woman’s anatomy has been maligned through the ages, starting with the story of Mary Magdalene.
“Mainstream says she was a prostitute. No. She was a disciple of Jesus, a beloved inner circle member, but Peter was just jealous. Women didn’t amount to anything back then, but she was a benefactor with a lot of money. You know there’s a whole gospel of Mary Magdalene but given the patriarchy of the time, she was called a prostitute. We have been taught as women from the youngest age, ‘Don’t come home pregnant.’”
For women, the second chakra has had shame and guilt heaped on it through the generations, but Northrup wants to change that.
“Here’s how you know you’re on the right track [with something in your life]. You might feel literally like you are sexually turned on. And you can teach your body to feel more and more and more with less stimulation.
“Now you look at some of the saints, like St. Teresa of Avila for instance, or let’s look in the Bible, the Song of Songs. They’re talking about spiritual, sexual language — about pleasure — and when you’re in touch with Spirit in that way, your whole body will feel it. It won’t be from the neck up.
“Women’s GPS is very accurate to guide you toward what is most life-enhancing because pleasure is life-enhancing. When we say pleasure we often think of sex, but it can be simply having a pedicure! So, I want women to cultivate the Lady Garden and cultivate the deliberate pursuit of pleasure because it uplifts everything, and it actually will produce nitric oxide in the lining of all of the blood vessels which will balance out hormones. Plus, it will create beta endorphin, dopamine, serotonin — all the things for which way too many women are on psych meds.
“Women need to cultivate their own pleasure and their connection with their entire body. Everything in our culture just shoves that pleasure principle down the sexuality portal. The culture is so starved for genuine “stopping to smell the roses,” for feeling the wind on our skin, for smelling the salt air at the beach. We’re so starved for that, and we can each cultivate that feeling in our own bodies and use it as a direction.”

The post Online Exclusive: Dr. Christiane Northrup appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

By Linda M. Potter  |
Isaac Caldiero, a legend in the rock climbing community and a seasoned “American Ninja Warrior” competitor, claimed the show’s $1 million in a photo finish worthy of the 7-year wait to crown the reality competition show’s first grand prize winner.
Caldiero, the subject of an exclusive feature interview in the upcoming November issue of Science of Mind magazine, beat out dozens of other Ninja hopefuls in the heart-stopping, action-packed finale that aired Monday night, September 14.
A life-long meditator who views climbing as his spiritual practice, Caldiero says he relied on his skills in visualization and “hyper focus” to conquer the American Ninja Warrior course.
Now in its seventh season, the popular NBC reality series features athletes from across the country competing on what is touted as the most challenging obstacle course in the world. The prize money for the first competitor to complete the multi-stage course has risen over the years from $250,000 to $1 million as season after season concluded without a winner.
After a grueling qualifying round, a city semi-final, and the Las Vegas four-stage national final, the 33-year old Caldiero made the 75-foot rope climb up the fabled Mt. Midoriyama in a little over 26 seconds to rewrite history and be the first to claim the $1 million “American Ninja Warrior” prize. When faced with the final rope climb, he says “I just tried to become one with the rope.”
Caldiero, a quiet, contemplative rock climber who works as a busboy in the off season, was lovingly described by his girlfriend, Laura, as a “reincarnated Buddha.” Although he occasionally allowed his inner showman to peak through, his performance on the “American Ninja Warrior” course was measured and focused. It’s the way he meets all of his challenges.
As a result of his efforts, he may very well be the richest busboy in America. But he’s taking his new-found wealth in stride.
A self-described “gypsy” who is comfortable living out of his car (and occasionally an RV), Caldiero doesn’t think the $1 million prize will have much impact on the simple lifestyle he and Laura enjoy.
“We may upgrade a little bit. Not necessarily to a bigger RV, but a more functional one. We bought a really old school 1978 model for about $1,000 that was kind of on its last limb. I rebuilt the engine, and we lived out of that for three years. Now, we just live out of our Subaru. Those RVs are not the most gas-efficient vehicles. If we were to upgrade or get something new, it would be something that was not super extravagant or large. That’s not who we are.”
What he does plan to do, however, is invest in more rock climbing opportunities. “I’ve done a lot of traveling abroad. I spent three years in Europe as a sponsored rock climber. But my sponsorship money barely covered the cost of travel. Now I’ll be able to travel wherever I want whenever I want, which is pretty sweet. I’ll have more freedom to just go rock climb all these amazing, beautiful places all over the world!”
Will he compete again on “American Ninja Warrior” next year? You bet. “I’m a lifer!” he says.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I had the privilege of watching Caldiero compete in the American Ninja Warrior finals in Las Vegas (I was the crazy person in the front row screaming her lungs out when he won). His ability to navigate seemingly impossible obstacles with grace and ease was not only inspiring, but breathtaking. Congratulations, Isaac!

Don’t miss the in-depth interview with this amazing athlete in the November 2015 issue of Science of Mind magazine.

(Images from “American Ninja Warrior” are courtesy NBC.)

The post Caldiero Wins "American Ninja Warrior" appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

She Received the Diagnosis No One Wants to Hear: Cancer. »

By leaning into her faith, Luckett awakened to the perfection in all things — even the most devastating news.

The triage nurse ushered my gurney swiftly into one of the few available emergency room stalls. My partner, Lisa, walked beside me as I was rolled into the small, sterile space. We had just been told I might have only 30 minutes to live.
A month earlier, I was diagnosed with two massive ovarian tumors and innumerable pulmonary embolisms and blood clots. Although ovarian cancer is life threatening, the menacing presence of countless pulmonary embolisms made my prognosis dire. Doctors gave me a 3 percent chance of survival.

Erika Luckett saw the gift in her cancer diagnosis after being given only 30 minutes to live.

Finding the Perfection in Every Moment

Healing through cancer meant perceiving this health challenge as an inherent part of an intelligent and loving universe. This was an opportunity to evolve beyond my previous understanding of self and become an ever-more transparent embodiment of Spirit.
Because of the prevalence of cancer in our culture, there were plenty of associated story lines. The “war on cancer” was being waged all around me. What I knew from the start was that my body would not be a battleground. To heal, I had to operate from wholeness and find connections instead of perpetuating separation and conflict.
The discovery of cancer in my body was like waking up one morning and finding my basement flooded. As important as pumping out the water and drying the furniture, the unwanted deluge was a symptom of broken pipes. The inconvenience of a water-logged basement revealed something previously unseen that needed mending. This cancer didn’t happen to me. It happened for me.
Rumi says, “Find the antidote in the venom.”
As metaphysicians, we know the Divine is present everywhere, in everything. No exceptions. My healing demanded the capacity to discern the perfection embedded in this experience.

Surrendering to New Understandings

I knew I had to change my thinking. Instead of dealing myself a new hand from the same deck of cards, I had to open up to a whole new game. This demanded a new level of surrender, imagination and creative thought. Surrender meant giving my intellect a break so I could tap into the Infinite Mind/Heart waiting to be accessed. Surrender meant letting go of established mental frameworks so I could reach a new understanding.
Mythology exists throughout all cultures to help humankind navigate through various challenges and better understand itself. I had to develop my own mythology for this healing journey. It happened on every level. Because I couldn’t move or do things I had always done, I consciously had to rebuild the foundation of my life.
As I lay in bed healing, the house across the street was being completely renovated. Hearing the hammers and saws working daily at my neighbor’s home, I imagined that same level of renovation occurring internally — beginning with my consciousness and then filtering into my body.
I imagined my healing was not only for myself but for others as well. I was taking one for the team. The effort invested in healing and transforming my energetic/emotional/genetic patterns rippled out beyond my own physical expression. This deepened my resolve and energized my recovery.
Initially, I resisted the idea of chemotherapy, but once I recognized it as an important modality in rebalancing my body, I reenvisioned the experience as a stream of healing light. My eight-hour chemo infusions became installments of “liquid love.” My baldness offered evidence of renewal and rebirth, not of disease. I alternately saw my shiny pate and lashless eyes like the newness of a baby’s head.
Other times, seeing my hairless profile reminded me of a monk, deeply immersed on a spiritual journey of renewal and transformation. I continually honored my stories even though they differed from mainstream belief. I kept them mostly to myself, protecting their power from the adulteration of outside opinion.
My imagination conjured up metaphors and stories to change my circumstances into opportunities for transformation.

Letting Go to Become Who I Am Meant to Be

I initiated my healing first through imagination and then by enlisting a variety of healing modalities, from traditional allopathic approaches to acupuncture, high-grade nutritional supplements, laughter, music and meditation. An essential counterpart to all of this, however, was releasing the attachment to my former self.
For the caterpillar to transform into a butterfly, it needs to release the old so the new can emerge. Caterpillars and butterflies don’t have an ego to contend with, so it’s an effortless process.
In my humanness, however, I had to be willing to release habits/beliefs/systems that no longer served me. I had to be willing to let go of the shallow shores of my previous life in order to dive into the deep ocean of my being. Expanding my horizons became exciting! I laughed at the thought of being able to reincarnate in a single lifetime and not have to go through seventh grade again!
The willingness to release old thoughts and habits increased my adaptability, my capacity to adjust to new circumstances, to swim in unfamiliar waters. This was not only essential for my healing, but also for my evolution as a human being.
Forgiveness and gratitude were indispensible. Forgiveness released attachment to old wounds, grievances and limiting stories. Forgiveness toward myself and others granted me the freedom to move forward. Gratitude kept me focused on the abundance of good that existed even in the most difficult moments.
When I was in the hospital barely able to move or breathe, I was grateful for the steady beat of my heart, for the fresh air in the room, for the skin on my body, for my fingers, for the stillness of the floor beneath the bed. Hours passed in this powerful meditation. It became a joyful and rewarding process even in my most compromised state. Though my body was severely limited, my mind was agile and free. Focusing on gratitude brought me into communion with the unifying field of love, the underlying substance of life.
Beyond the horizon of ego and personality, beyond desires and fears, beyond relationships, traumas and victories, an infinite love beckons us closer. Because my body was so sick and my physical condition so fragile, I experienced myself in a way that was beyond the physical.
I developed an intimacy with the Divine, a closeness to God I hadn’t yet known. I wasn’t afraid of dying as much as I felt there was more for me to experience and learn in this physical form. I wrote in my journal, “It’s not a battle or a game to be won or lost. Each of us is going to die. The question is simply: How do we live? How do we bring the fullness of our being to every moment? Have we brought more love to those around us? It’s not about errors but about opportunities to adapt and evolve, to grow in awareness and become better human beings. If I have two years or 50 more, my prayer is that I may live each day as fully as possible, love more abundantly and leave the world a better place than I found it.”

The Gift of Chaos

The nature of the universe is to expand and evolve. Shifting seasons, the turn from day to night and back to day, each inhalation and exhalation, is an expression of death and rebirth. In our desire for order and predictability, we often fail to see a greater arc of perfection when confronted by an unexpected change or undesired challenge. Infinite Intelligence is always present, expressing, beckoning our smaller self to rise to greater awareness.
The question is, “How does this grow me? How does this call forth an unexpressed depth, wisdom or love?” Our reluctance to experience change or be open to the unknown can stifle us into numbness, into stagnation, into a brittle reluctance to see beyond the myopia of the familiar.
Challenge, disruption or chaos is often perceived as bad, but it is essential to any evolving system. Chaos is part of a thriving and ever-evolving natural world. As any dynamic system grows, it reaches a tipping point where it moves beyond predictability and becomes chaotic. At that point, it either collapses or reorders at a higher level of complexity and functionality. For any system to change, it must go through a period of chaos.
The exquisite architecture of a snowflake is the result of continual reforming of water molecules, transitioning through periods of change to achieve an evermore complex and beautiful structure. Evolution demands a continual expansion of horizons, our perceived limits.
Challenging periods are our invitation to grow, to reorder at a higher level of expression. It’s part of an eternal process of growth and evolution. As human beings, our evolution is one of consciousness, of developing a keener awareness of purpose and connection to the Divine, and thus to all of life.
Evolution doesn’t eliminate challenges, but as we grow, our relationship to challenge becomes more nuanced. We learn to play. We notice disturbances in patterns and celebrate them as harbingers of growth. The less we resist, the more easily we navigate through unfamiliar territory.
We develop agility, flexibility and openness. We become meaningful participants in life’s ever-expanding expression. We develop new ideas and creative solutions to previously daunting problems. We learn to lean into the substrate of perfection to inspire us with new possibilities.
Surviving a life-threatening disease required me to expand my horizons of possibility and understanding as I steered through turbulent waters. All of us have the opportunity to joyfully step through change as we consciously participate in our evolution.
We are made of Infinite Source, and Infinite Source continues to evolve and express through us. For this and so much more, there is only gratitude.

The post Healing Through Cancer appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.