Over the past month I have been reading the book Journey of the Heart (John Welwood, 1991). I read most of this book during my business travels over the month of December. December, the time of year when I get to spend a lot more time with my immediate and extended family, as well as with friends. So, at this time of year I was particularly connected with a lot more people on many intimate levels. Exactly what this book was focused on. There I was in many of the situations the book described with a variety of people. So the real question I sought to answer is : Did the writings in this book help me remain in the present moment and be intimate and authentic with each person that I came in contact with. The answer I came up with was yes.

I realize that there is no one book that will bring me conscious awareness but it sure can help to remind me of what I want to accomplish in life. One of those accomplishments are having an authentic relationship with my wife, children, family, and friends that allows me to be who I am. I liken it to a dancer with a partner. Welwood states in his chapter Dancing on the Razor’s Edge

The great paradox of love is that it calls on us to be fully ourselves and honor our individual truth. (pg. 45)

Like the dance between dancers, relationships are the dance on the razor’s edge. Each dance requires the couple to rely on the other for their strengths, grace and willfull participation. Some dances are loving, rife with strife, while others express the individuality of the dancers in an interplay of the unknowingness of the other. The hidden beauty of the dance is the practice and devotion of the dancers to their hidden and public performances. This idea reminds me in a poetic way of just what relationships are; a journey between the known and unknown. I find that it inspires me to push more into the unknown with all my relationships.

Poetics aside, the real value of this book is the underlying theme that relationships are about being our Spiritual Self. Better yet, remembering our Spiritual Self. In the course of life there are times when I know that I have forgotten my Spiritual Self. I feel like it would be very difficult for me without the help of others to remember that for myself. Especially people who are connected and committed to relationships at that level. I think it would be great if relationships could start out with the intention of being authenticate instead of developing relationships into authenticity. I think every person should at least read the section on Commitment as Path (pg. 100) in the chapter Conscious Commitment (pg. 85). He actually has what I would call a “Vow to Recall Love” between individuals in any relationship. It uncovers the simplistic nature of remembering just who we are and why we are in a relationship together. His statement is this:

Whatever problems our personalities have together, we will not let them get between us. If our egos are at war, we will not let that ruin our deeper connection – we will always come back and meet on this deeper level. We will help each other wake up and become all that we can be. We will keep opening to each other and to life itself in and through this relationship. (pg. 101)

This is one of the best ways to say “I am sorry” before you even get in the dog house. The only change I would have made to his statement is to put the positive first then the negative reflections last. Set the intention then the remediation. I think the beauty of it is that it can apply to anyone in any kind of relationship.

Overall, I am very happy with the learning value that I got from the book. I would like to share some of the ideals in a workshop one day and I plan on writing and using this book as a reference. I am going to add this book to my collection, I borrowed this one. Welwood is a thoughtful person who presents the information in an inspiring way that I love. Also, it’s the best relationship book I have read so far.

Bibliography

John Welwood, Ph.D. (1991). Journey of the Heart (1st Edition Ed.). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Some of you may know, I am on the CORE Council for the Center for Spiritual Living here in Saint Louis.  Just so I can put this post in context, I just happen to be the current president of the Council.  Let me say this, it is an exciting and busy time of year.  Why?  Well, every January the CORE has a retreat.  It picks a location and spends a Friday evening and entire Saturday day reviewing, planning and getting motivated for the current year. 

What I have noticed over the past few years is that I am usually wondering, “what is it that we are going to experience this next year?”  Right up to the night the retreat begins, we as a council really get ramped up for a lot of leadership training and exercises mixed with spiritual meditations.  At the end of the 24 hours, you are in a state of reflection.  You know that place where you just have to sit and say, “Did that really happen?”

This is my second year as president and I have to say I find planning and executing the retreat is the most challenging task that I am given.  I can deal with people/congregants who are happy and giving compliments to the exact opposite, where people are giving me a tongue lashing for something that was decided and acted upon without knowledge of it.  The lesson learned: When you are involved with peoples spiritual home they get very passionate and animated about it. 

So, the question is “What are we going to do?”  The answer is “great things”.  We are going to hone our goals for the Center’s internal operations and expand our community involvement.  I have termed this year’s theme as a bridge year.  Lot’s of God stuff going.

So, when I recover from the retreat I will let you know how I fared.  I am know I will be the better for it.

Namaste

Check out the Center for Spiritual Living for more information about the organization.

The first thing that comes to mind is Creation. All three words are embodied in it. Without them there would be no Creation. Now that I am asked to write about these words I wonder what I thought about them in the past. With many of the thought papers I have found that what was has been wholly transformed, through the creation process, into something new. Many times I didn’t even consciously think about the subject before I read the assignment.

First, the word “create” means to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes. But in reality it is only being transformed from one or more things into something uniquely new and individualistic.

Second, “creative” is an adjective that describes the power to create. But it really is the innate ability of the cosmos to express itself through some object whether it is reproduction, galaxies forming or just me writing a paper. In Science of Mind terminology that would me that a person has the realization that they can use the power of Creation at anytime in any manner.

Third, “creativity” is the state or quality of being creative. This is where someone is actively transforming something in their life. It could be a job, an idea, a relationship, anything. I think of this as the real destination/realization that many of us want to maintain. That special place where things are and become what you think at every turn.

Now that I looked into the words’ definitions and impact on my thinking I have come to the conclusion that my idea of Creation is far beyond the simple definitions given to us. I think the main difference is that I know that there is a Creation Process that exists and that we are participant in it, either actively or passively. I know my path is to be an active co-creator.

Things I thought before

When I started Year II I never really thought about my role as a Professional Practitioner. I really was focused more on myself as practitioner learning his spiritual practice. I never really gave much thought about how I was going to impact other people’s lives and the responsibilities required of a Practitioner after licensed. As the Term progressed I began to understand the role of a Practitioner in two lights. The first is the responsibility to oneself and the second is to others. In Term I, I was happy that more class time was focused on the Practitioner/Client role and that the personal development was more in my own personal time. That classroom focus really helped me focus on listening and conversing with people. In my daily life listening and conversing with people is not a main focus. Fortunately, I have the resources available to me to continue to hone those skills.

Things I think about now.

During the term my view of Professional Practitioners did begin to change. The change was less about how I view myself as a Professional Practitioner but more about my role as a private practitioner. Really, while I was learning more and more about how to treat for others and the roles of practitioner and client, I was really learning about how to keep my consciousness clear and focused for people and myself. I began to see people saying things that I just simply refuse to believe. Not only that, I intentionally tell myself that that it is not true for me and it is not true for them. It keeps me focused on the cause and not the effect. I spent a lot of time looking at healing as a process in Spirit. I have spent more time treating for Nancy than any other person, perhaps even myself. I think that kind of focus on other people has been the biggest change.

Thinks I need to think about.

There are two particular things I need to focus on in Term II; 1) my word and 2) my works. I think that I need to start focusing more on how I speak around other people. Now that I have begun to realize the impact of people’s words on me, I know how much of an impact my words have on other people, especially, when those words are coming from a soon to be Professional Practitioner. Another thing I need to start focusing on is my works around other people. My main call to practice is to do. Demonstrate all I can and not waiver in my knowing. I think that if I stay focused on my sacred service to others and me it will be my biggest demonstration of all.