A Note from the Universe
If you hold it clearly enough in mind; if you physically anticipate it, steadily, day by day, there are no earthly hands, nor heavenly for that matter, that can halt its subsequent manifestation into your life.
Just be really, really sure you want it.
In one word, "EXPECTATION" is the sole difference between "have" and "have not." And this, you have total control over.
True Abundance
Ralph Marston
Count all the things you have, that money cannot buy, and you will begin to see how truly rich you are. Be sincerely thankful for those things, and your gratitude will make you richer still.
Life is indelibly infused with abundance. Yet that abundance is experienced only when it is being put to use in an authentic and meaningful way.
To know great value, allow value to flow from your actions. Real and meaningful richness cannot help but flow into your life in equal measure. Be thankful for what you have, and you will find new ways to put it to use.
Be thankful for what you can do, and you'll learn to do even more.
Let go of the shallow, worldly ideas of what it means to be successful. Realize that you are, already and always, inherently successful.
The biggest blessing is being able to experience and appreciate your blessings. Choose on this day, and every day, to bring true abundance to life.
I resolve conflicts through communication.
Walton Lee
When confronted with a problem, you may be able to talk your way out of it if you keep this in mind—that the people who initiate the conflict most likely don't want to be in that situation either. Find out the real cause of the disturbance and you may avoid serious trouble.
People, as well as countries, are often in conflict. The clumsiest way to settle the matter is a fistfight between people or a war between nations. Physical confrontations are costly and ineffective, and generally solve nothing at all.
Try to learn your opponent's viewpoint. Communicate and compromise until you can reach an acceptable outcome. To resolve a conflict without violence is an art, and a sign of wisdom.
Lessons from the Court
Steve Goodier
Life lessons can come from unexpected places.
I have learned much about myself from the game of racquetball. In fact, I have learned a great deal over the years about all aspects of life and living on the racquetball court. Here are some of the more important lessons that have come from the court:
- People play better when they are encouraged. It's true in life, too. People do better when they are encouraged, rather than criticized, condemned, and judged.
- When two or more people occupy a small space, they should learn to share. It goes for planets, too.
- The only way to get better is to practice. And in life, the only way to improve relationships, learn courage, or be happy is to practice.
- Pay attention. Those who lose their focus, lose games. And those people who are too distracted by yesterday or tomorrow will never live today fully and joyously. Focus on the present.
- There are always people who will do better than you. But your job is not to be the best, it is to do your best.
- Attitude really is everything. When you believe in your success, visualize it, and work toward it, you are more likely to succeed.
- Losses are lessons. When I lose a game so badly that I am humiliated on the court, I thank my opponent for the free lesson. Failures are not endings; they are valuable opportunities to learn.
- It isn't over until the last point is scored. Many victories are snatched after one comes back from almost insurmountable odds. So it is with life.
- Work can be fun, but fun should never become merely work. Life is to be enjoyed.
- The only way to score is to serve. Individuals and institutions that make a difference find ways to serve others. Additionally, those people who are happiest and most satisfied with their lives have learned to serve. Great lives are built on service.
Serving the Higher Self
The Ego
In most spiritual circles, the ego gets a pretty bad rap. The reason for this is that the ego, to some extent, is the principle in our psyches that separates us from one another, while spirit is the principle that shows us that no such separation exists. Sometimes the ego is depicted as an almost demonic figure that keeps us from realizing our true nature. But at its most basic, the ego is simply a tool that helps us organize the various aspects of our personality so that we can function in the world. In this sense, the ego is simply a way for us to understand and attend to ourselves at the same time as we understand and attend to the world around us. The ego is a tool that we use to navigate the world.
Perhaps the problem is that the ego sometimes gets out of control. This happens when the higher self loses control of the psyche. The psyche then falls under the leadership of the ego, an entity that was never meant to lead. The ego is meant to be definitively in the service of the higher self. When this relationship is functioning, the ego is a useful intermediary representing the whole self but not thinking that it is the whole self. Then, it is almost as if the ego is the self playfully pretending to be the separate entity called “I.” Like an actor, the ego plays the roles that the world asks us to play in order to be part of the program. In this way, the ego can be a tool enabling us to be in the world but not of it.
As long as we are in touch with our higher selves, our egos are not a threat. They are simply useful tools in the service of spirit. We keep our egos in check when we continually nurture our awareness of who we really are. Then our egos are free to serve without trying ineffectually to rule. It is healthy to have ego, but like all things in life, ego functions best when it is in balance and harmony with your whole self.
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