Living Consciously June 26, 2009

Dear friends,

We have heard the term “reinventing” the self. I have friends who have seemed to have done just that. It is a necessity when life changes and our old ways of being and doing no longer get the results we desire. Our financial situation may be downgraded, a relationship falls apart and we find that it is imperative that we reinvent ourselves. For most of us that means letting go of a title, a career, a way of appearing in the world. We find new work, new living situations, new relationships. We may seem like a different person to our acquaintances.

The spiritual truth is that we never really reinvent ourselves. It is the changeless nature of our true identity that is at work. We are vast systems of potential. One way of living is the tiniest tip of an infinite mountain of possibility. However, in an emotional quest for permanence, many never plumb the depths of their being. They won’t discover the hidden talents they possess and they will never know the joy of learning something new in later life. They try to recreate what is clearly no longer viable.

A willingness to find out just who you are and what you are capable of is the greatest of all spiritual practice. You will never know it, however, if you allow circumstance to dictate your identity. That which is constant is the Self. It can take on many identities in one lifetime yet never lose the integrity of its wholeness. You can trust yourself to jump into new challenges and to be successful wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. The whole self goes with you and before you. Give it something new to do and it will lead the way.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev Carol Carnes

Living Consciously June 29, 2009

Dear friends,

Have you had the experience of dreaming about something you saw on tv or read just before you retired for the night? We create mental images of our own but the theme will be the same. This is what happens when we run thoughts through our mindscape. They tend to take on the quality of story with dialogue and outcomes. We are unknowingly projecting a scenario onto the screen of our consciousness which becomes an inner reality of our very own. A waking dream which ultimately finds its way into the outer realm of experience.

Suffice to say, inner reality and outer experience are kissing cousins. There is a flavour to our inner life which is a kind of constant backdrop for everything we do. For years mine was disappointment. I noticed that I was often disappointed in people, events, out-comes, even myself. I thought nothing measured up to my expectations when actually, everything did! I expected to be disappointed. I have recently redoubled my efforts to rid myself of any semblance of that useless state of mind. I expect the best! That is my story and I am holding on to it.

Look at your daytime dreams. That is, what is the running theme of your reaction to your experience? Your may detect a long-standing but unacknowledged culprit. It will be some perception or emotion that could effectively be holding you hostage, keeping you from fully realizing your own potential. Often, just a little more self awareness can make all the difference between living an adequate life and real spiritual aliveness.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev Carol Carnes