There are times in life where all may seem right with the world, and we feel in sync, in harmony, and easily float into bliss, even if in fleeting moments, but typically, we have all had this feeling and can make sense of reality. 

     In this teaching, we are fortunate enough to be  seeped in the awareness that we are all one, and we are taught that our thoughts are things, and that reality is truly a projection of our own consciousness. Normally, we would have an even greater sense of such bliss than many around us just by attending our Sunday Celebration and joining one another during social hour with this in mind. 

     There is a sense of mastery of self; being in the realm of conscious choice in matters of thoughts we hold, feelings we experience, spiritual connection and emotional expression. We begin to surround ourselves with others of like mind, and suddenly, all of the events in our lives up to that moment make more sense than ever, and there may be a sense of arrival, a sense that we have finally found that inner peace we had been searching for. Some of us within this community have been attending to life in this fashion for twenty or thirty years or more. It felt great, it was something to be proud of, something to have faith in. Yes, things are much different now.

     This teaching, however, did not change any of our lives from the outside in when we first arrived, and it still does not. It wasn’t perfect health in physical manifestation around us, it wasn’t a new economy, flourishing and pulling us to IT. It wasn’t a mainstream news channel that decided to sell us roses and sunshine to motivate us to live the day. It wasn’t the world around us brimming with positive energy and equality for all. It was none of these things. 

     As it has been said by many great teachers and sages in one way or another, “Reality doesn’t happen TO us, it happens THROUGH us, and FOR us.” WE attended Sunday service, WE CHOSE to let the light shine through us and many of us have chosen to dig deep in education and study to learn how to PROJECT the consciousness of the Divine through us with the least amount of effort, and the greatest sense of reward. Just being on this path to self-mastery, whether we ever even referred to it as that or not, kept us in a repeated sense of grace. This is GREAT! It feels so good.

     However, when the outer world reflects things back to us such as Covid-19, violence and racism on a global scale, it can feel like practicing this teaching isn’t enough, and it doesn’t seem to make sense. Our attention is ripped into the news and chaos, fear and anxiety. How could we have created this when we felt like life was just going grand?

     I don’t believe any of us ever expected to feel like Anne Frank or Victor Frankl, but here we are. Many of us have our world so turned upside down and shaken right now that it may be our experience that the comfort we once found has now been lost, and that freedom is fading away. Perhaps it even feels like we are living one step above being in a concentration camp, and that our ego, our personal identity cannot even function or be recognized. Others have been there, some for most of their lives. 

     It is in these times, where we are afforded the truth of the Science of Mind philosophy, faith and way of life; “Change your thinking, Change your life.” We must turn away from conditions, and turn toward conscious creation at the level of our thought if we are to participate in, as Gandhi said, “being the change we wish to see in the world.” We must remember that our essence, beneath the ego can never be shaken, stirred or stripped from us. Our essence is Divine, ALWAYS. 

     In the Self-Mastery class I recently attended with Gail Belluardo, RScP (amazing by the way), I was reminded that as conscious co-creators, it is so crucially important to focus my attention on what I say after the words, “I am”. 

     For example, “I am scared”, is so much different than saying, “I am experiencing fear”, and following that up with, “I am Faith.” 

     No one can choose HOW we experience WHAT we experience but ourselves. Outside experiences that seem to be the cause of our own fears and discomforts are reflections only. 

     So today, be reminded that you CAN CHOOSE to see life in today’s world like this:

     The world is my reflection, as is coronavirus, racism, violence, greed, hatred and inequality. I own this, however, this reflection is a reflection of creation that already exists, and it is bound to transformation. This transformation is under my intent and I have the courage, the strength and the faith at my disposal to dare to dream BIG. I use my intent and my words for the good of all mankind and for the benefit of the natural world. I welcome new experiences and new reflections. I…..AM….THAT. 

     There has never been a time in the world in which the following statement has been more clear:

     “The world does not change for the better by us watching IT get better. The world gets better as it becomes what we change for the better.”

     The Center for Spiritual Living Morristown, the congregation, and the Science of Mind teaching are a unified force of love and intention towards such an ideal.  It is in perpetual motion to thrive in this and something better. 

     Stick with us here on Sundays and within our classes and workshops to elevate your consciousness, master the Self, intentionally move towards a greater good, and to consciously co-create this magnificent reality. 

     It may seem like a huge obstacle to not be able to attend Sunday Celebration in person and experience regular normalcy, however it is in times of greatest adversity that we reap the greatest reward of transformation, so I urge you not to give up, but to dig in even deeper. 

     If you enjoy what you see and hear here, please spread the word far and wide via social media, word of mouth, through donations and generosity to our center, and in any other way you feel called to do so. 

Until next time……Namaste,(The God within me honors God within you).