Finding or Understanding Spirituality. Great suggestions!
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The Triangle of Mind, Body, and Spirit Inspiration; our minds need to be fed good new and pertinent information on a regular basis and maintaining our body and
energy is an integral part of the process of being inspired by life.
Note: taking a closer look at the pysical construction of a triangle, if any one side is missing, Mind, Body or Spirit, the
triangle would collapse....flatline.
Therefore, we sould have a balance of all three components to have a positive outcome or
balance.
Out of balance would lead to negative thinking or actions.
Our personal definition of Spirituality.
My dad posed this question to me in a rather defensive matter.
We were debating about those hard questions, I brought up spirituality, and he asked "What is that?" in order to stump
me.
And it kinda did.
I said that no one knows what gravity is, but the effects are present.
No one may know what spirituality is, but we know it controls our well-being, purpose, drive, relationships, and other areas of our
life, arguably ALL areas.
So what is yours?
Mine so far: Spirituality is the attraction of our thoughts, feelings, etc. to the self.
Not just the ego-self, but all areas of the self, including work, health, and every area of life, especially an interconnection between
everyone and everything.
Sometimes we wait for a miracle to save us, we wait, and wait, and wait some more for someone else to push or pull
us.
No one is coming, get it?
Many believe we have to get ourselves up, stop waiting for superman.
Be in the knowledge that our capabilities of health, happiness, and whatever you seek has to come from within you
first.
If it is a sincere wish then the Universe will co-create the want and desire.
This Video with superb uplighting music and the words sung by Josh Groban can enlighten you see much of what to seek is already
inside your mind This presentation is a definite answer from GOD or the Universe according to your
beliefs.
Together in co-creation anything is possible, ask for help for the right reason and you can walk on water.
We have to sometimes try harder to clear our minds to give room for clear new thinking.
Feel the peace that your surrenders and action can bring. You were a born perfect and you already know the
answers.
Always the best, enjoy this presentation, you have a front seat.
Rumi is one of those handful of people throughout human history who
was both deeply wise AND remarkably eloquent in expressing that wisdom in his writings.
A 13th century Persian poet who lived most of his life in what is now modern day Turkey, Rumi was a Muslim but his works had, and have, universal appeal and were celebrated by Muslims, Christians,
Jews and those of virtually all spiritual traditions.
The following snippets from his writings reveal Rumi’s rare combination of wisdom and facility with language.
We can all use these gems to advance us on the spiritual path.
1. “Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.”
So beautiful. This one strikes at the heart of spirituality.
That we find our answers in the mystery of silence.
It reminds me of Emerson’s assertion that he preferred the silence of the church BEFORE the preacher started preaching.
So many search for meaning and answers in the opposite of silence — words, language, thinking — all of which are products of our inherently fallible minds.
Rumi hits the nail squarely on the head by saying that what flows from our minds is a poor translation of the language of God.
It’s also why meditation and yes prayer are so indispensable for those traveling the path for they help us quiet the mind, which improves our ability to communicate in that silent language with
God, the Divine, the Universe…
2. “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
I take Rumi’s words here as an exhortation to all of us to blaze our own trails and, specifically, to explore our creative sides.
The Universe wants that from us — to create things that only we, with our wholly unique set of characteristics, can create.
Some of that will come in the form of traditional creativity — writing articles, books, songs; singing, acting, painting, sculpting, etc.
But don’t think that if you have no interest or talent in the above that you can’t exercise your creativity.
You can be creative in generating cool ideas for how to improve something at work.
A better way of selling cars or ads.
Or if you’re an assistant to somebody, figuring out a more efficient system for your boss.
That’s creativity, too.
I like to think of creativity, which for me has come mostly in the form of writing, as “If I didn’t write this or do that, it never would have happened.”
You literally create something where nothing existed before.
An idea, an article, a painting.
Doesn’t matter. I continually find it thoroughly invigorating to create something out of nothing.
As one of the most gifted creators who ever breathed, Rumi knew this as well as anyone.
3. “I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.”
Yes! Sing to your heart’s content, whether you’re alone or in a group of acquaintances…or strangers. Who cares?
Same with dancing.
Let it fly.
Why?
Because when we’re in that zone when we’re singing, dancing or whatever type of performing it may be, God/the Universe/the Divine Creator/Allah/Yahweh, (or whatever your belief system) is
expressing itself through us.
That’s why it feels so good. We’re literally in sync with the Universe when we let it fly and ‘sing like the birds sing.’
4.“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against
it.”
This expresses beautifully the spiritual concept that the path to contentment in all matters of life, including love, lies within us.
We don’t ‘seek for love,’ or anything else, by looking out to the world.
The barriers within ourselves that Rumi references are literally synonymous with the egoic baggage I’ve written about so often.
He urges us not to look for that perfect mate ‘out there,’ but rather to let go of those samskaras we have held onto that prevent us from finding the right person.
The fact that he wrote this over 700 years ago shows that Rumi truly was a genius who was light years ahead of his time.
The takeaway
Rumi was as wise as anybody.
Ever.
So if you’re serious about your trek on the spiritual path, it would be well worth your time to read his works.
They are insightful, powerful and beautiful.
4 Soul-Damaging Habits You May Want to Quit
Take care of your spiritual well-being to help your soul fly.
Unlike the obvious benefits of exercise, the benefits of spirituality are hard to explain, but you know it when you’ve experienced it — you feel like you’ve risen
above.
You feel lighter.
You feel like you’ve seen the light.
The world starts making more sense.
However, just like your body, your soul is also vulnerable to damage by many bad habits.
These habits chip away at your spirituality, making you more miserable day by day.
These habits move you closer to whatever is the opposite of enlightenment.
In this article, I want to discuss 4 of such habits.
Let’s get to it.
Being Complicit in Someone Else’s Misery
It’s not always easy to differentiate between wrong and right.
So here’s a simple rule I use.
If my actions make someone’s life worse in any way, it’s wrong and I shouldn’t do it.
Of course, it’s more complicated than that, but as a general rule, it works fine.
I believe that being complicit in someone else’s misery damages your soul.
And you can be complicit in other people’s misery over a spectrum — with one end being very obvious, and the other end — highly subtle.
Here’s what I mean. Let’s discuss 4 examples of how you might contribute to someone else’s misery — with each one being subtler than the previous.
Stealing from someone.
Owning a tobacco company.
Owning a McDonald’s.
Investing in shares of Coca Cola.
№1, that is theft, is obviously wrong.
No lunatic would argue in favour of theft unless it’s in the realms of an ethical dilemma like, “Would you steal bread to feed your family?”
№2 is a bit subtler.
Yes, you’re selling cigarettes, but it’s still the choice of the customer to not smoke, right?
I mean, you’re not forcing someone to get lung cancer.
№3 is furthermore subtle.
Junk food is obviously better than smoking, and McDonald’s delivers happiness, doesn’t it?
№4 is on the end of the subtle extreme.
Coca Cola is quite unhealthy, but you’re not selling it.
You’re just making money off of its progress.
Even if it’s not obvious throughout, all 4 of these actions contribute to other people’s misery.
Theft is obvious.
Someone who owns a tobacco company is somewhat complicit, if not completely responsible for people getting cancer.
McDonald’s again has its role in the obesity pandemic.
And carbonated drinks are extremely unhealthy, and when you buy shares of Coca Cola, you’re betting on people continuing to making unhealthy choices.
As you walk on the spectrum, the difference between right and wrong gets blurred, and definitions differ individually.
For some, 1–3 might be wrong, and 4 might seem harmless.
For some, 1 and 2 might be wrong, and 3 and 4 — maybe not so much.
If you would have asked me a year ago, I would not have thought that 3 and 4 were wrong in any sense.
But as I’ve advanced on my spiritual journey, I’ve realised that I don’t want to be complicit in anyone’s misery — no matter how little role I play.
And hence, over time, 3 and 4 too became ‘wrong’ for me.
I’m not here to argue or tell you what’s right and wrong.
I’m no one to tell you that.
The purpose of this point is to make you think and define for yourself what’s right and wrong.
Most people haven’t done that.
But when you do, you’ll be surprised to find out how your definitions change.
An important part of spiritual enhancement is to care about others — and aid in their prosperity, not in their misery.
In other words, empathy is the hallmark of spiritual enhancement, and hence by inverse, contributing to people’s misery in small ways and big leads to spiritual diminishment.
Carrying Bombs That Will Eventually Explode onto Yourself
The consequences of the concept of hate are lost on many people.
People hold grudges against others, hate on others, and abuse others thinking that it somehow damages the others.
It might, but more than that, it damages your own soul.
Think about it.
Hatred for someone is like a bomb.
And so many of us carry such bombs with ourselves.
And more often than not, these bombs explode on ourselves, and not on others.
We turn bitter.
We turn cynical.
With no real damage to the other person.
That is why, when Nelson Mandela left prison, he said:
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
That’s not an isolated incidence.
At the peak of his boxing career, Rubin Carter was wrongly accused of a triple homicide and sent to prison.
But he didn’t turn bitter.
He was angry, sure.
But he realised that hating anyone and turning bitter wouldn’t help.
Instead, he directed all his energy into fighting his legal case.
After 19 years and two trials, the verdict was overturned and he was freed.
But when he was, he simply resumed his life.
He filed no civil suit to recover damages.
He didn’t even ask for an apology.
He was wronged by society, but he chose not to feel wronged.
In life, many people will harm you.
And hatred or contempt for them is a natural response.
But you have to understand that hatred damages your soul because a truly content soul could never hate.
In Think Like a Monk, Jay Shetty shares four levels of forgiveness —
Zero Forgiveness: “I won’t forgive you, no matter what.”
Conditional Forgiveness: “I’ll forgive him only if he apologizes.”
Transformational Forgiveness: In this type, we try to find the strength to forgive a person without needing an apology or expecting anything else in return.
Unconditional Forgiveness: This is the kind of forgiveness most parents have for their children. No matter what children do, parents forgive them.
It’s a difficult process, but your goal is to get to unconditional forgiveness for everyone because forgiveness is never about the other person, it’s about getting the burden of hate off of your
own shoulders.
In short, stop all the hate, contempt and forgive people not for their benefit, but for the freedom of your own soul.
Shackles For The Flight of Your Soul
When I think of my soul, I imagine it flying among the clouds.
But that can only happen when your soul is free.
However, I feel like many of our souls are immobilised by metaphorical shackles.
And hence, we experience no spiritual flights.
What are these shackles?
Simple.
Material possessions.
Think about it.
By definition, Matter is heavy.
It weighs down your soul.
Sure, you need material possessions to live your life, but getting obsessed with material riches is essentially like applying shackles to the limbs of your soul.
Abstract, on the other hand, is light — it lifts your soul.
But so often, we sacrifice our abstract happiness to gain more material possessions.
We sacrifice peace to make more money to buy more things.
We sacrifice time with loved ones, again, to work more hours, and make more money.
And all this does is weigh down our souls.
But real meaning and happiness in life come from the abstract, and not the ‘things’.
Yet I see many people caring more about the ‘things’ than the abstract.
For instance, some people care about giving and receiving expensive gifts, when in reality, a $10 gift that's meaningful and personal, is a much better gift than a $500 gift that means nothing to
the person.
Material possessions are heavy, and that is exactly why practising minimalism feels so freeing.
When I donated all my extra clothes and kept only a few I actually needed, I felt free.
When I bought a kindle and gifted my old books to friends, I felt free.
Let go of your obsession with things.
Break the shackles.
Your soul is meant to fly.
Don’t weigh it down.
Always Aiming Low
When I think about our inner souls — I feel they’re limitless.
Otherwise, how is a soul any different from a body?
And yet, all of us live within limitations that we create for ourselves. “Oh, I can’t do that.”
“I’ll never be that good.”
“I don’t have it in me.”
But the thing is, all these responses are rooted in fear.
But for me, the very idea of a soul produces the image of a free, fearless body of light.
Here’s a very important lesson I’ve learned about life.
Nobody ever craves what’s easy.
We all crave extraordinary things.
But often, we’re scared we’ll fail in the pursuit of those, so we claim to not want them at all.
And in that way, we undermine our soul.
Here’s an exercise.
Close your eyes and imagine the best version of yourself.
And then compare that to what you’ve been aiming for.
The larger the gap between those two, the greater the damage to your soul.
To be clear, you don’t have to aim the highest every time.
But you do have to aim high.
For instance, it's not necessary to compete to be Mr Olympia, but you can and should aim to have a decent athletic body.
Initially, I had mediocre goals for my life.
And then as an exercise from a book, I decided to 10x those goals.
The initial response was fear, yes.
But then, I felt free.
It seems paradoxical.
Bigger goals should add more weight to your shoulders, but I felt lighter.
I think it’s because when you truly begin to set high goals, you come to terms with what you’re capable of. And that feeling is freeing.
On a day to day basis, it’s okay to go easy on yourself from time to time.
But don’t go easy on yourself chronically over years and decades.
Instead, put in the effort to become your best self.
And your soul will thank you for it.
Summary
Just like you try to take care of your physical well-being, you also need to learn how to take care of your spiritual well-being.
Start by breaking these four habits.
Find out the subtle ways you’re being complicit in other people’s misery and try to avoid engaging in those actions.
Dislike, hate and contempt do more damage to your soul than to the person you have it for. Let it go. It’s about you, not them.
The less attachment you have to material obsessions, the lighter your soul will be.
Always aiming low undermines your soul. Respect your limitless soul by setting formidable goals, and putting in a formidable effort.
We are a different kind of
spiritual home.
Unity is a positive path for spiritual living based on prayer and meditation.
What does this mean?
Unity teaches that there is one light, one source of positive energy in the world that we call God, and that we are created in God's image.
Therefore we are all expressions of goodness.
This positive energy gives us great power and, through meditation, prayer, and action, we infuse our lives - and the world - with manifold gifts.
What We Believe
"When people understand each other, love increases."
~ CHARLES FILLMORE
Core Values
Love. Joy. Generosity. Inclusiveness. Integrity.
love
God is love.
We consciously choose love in every situation.
Joy
Joy is our true nature.
It is what we bring to the celebration of life,
regardless of our circumstances.
Generosity
We intentionally give our time, talent, and abundance
in service to our community and the world.
Inclusiveness
We welcome and embrace all as expressions of the divine.
Integrity
Choosing courage over comfort,
choosing what is right over what is easy,
and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.
The Five Guiding Principles of unity
1. There is ONE power and one presence, God the good.
2. Human beings are DIVINE at their core and therefore
inherently good.
3. Thoughts held in MIND produce after their kind. Thoughts have
creative power to determine events and attract experiences.
4. PRAYER and meditation keep us aligned with the one
great power in the universe.
5. Through thoughts, words, and actions, we live the Truth we know.
When we meet again, physically, we will meet at our new home in the North Beach Neighborhood of Galt Ocean Mile.
3331 Northeast 32 Street Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33308
This location is just North of Oakland Park Blvd and just West of A1A, between the
Intracoastal Waterway & Atlantic Ocean in Fort Lauderdale.
How your beliefs and words possess the ability to manifest beauty—or make a mess
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild
animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”
—Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
These are the words of God as he spoke creation into existence.
We as humans have been endowed with the power of dominion over all that lives upon the earth.
What that means from a metaphysical perspective is that each of us has power over our thoughts.
The fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, as well as the animals and creatures that move along the ground, represent the many phases of development and evolution of our thinking.
I needn’t be bound to any particular thought, regardless of how frequently it appears in the landscape of my mind.
Like a good gardener, I tend to my thoughts, remove those that obstruct growth, and nourish the thoughts that bring me closer to the truth of my being.
Dominion of our thoughts translates to dominion of our words.
The creative and formative power of our words rests in our ability to call forth dominion over them.
As we speak, our words bring our life into manifestation.
Our words possess the ability to make messes and to manifest beauty.
Our words create an environment of safety, love, and security, or their opposites.
Living with conscious awareness of the impact our words hold and with a life practice of mindful speaking, we cocreate our world with intention and on purpose.
Mindfulness is a practice that keeps me aware of the thoughts that tumble through my mind and words that flow from my lips.
On any given day, tens of thousands of thoughts run through my mind.
As I live mindfully, I become aware of more of those thoughts.
I use the following very helpful practice to taking dominion over my thinking:
1. Pause each time I cross a threshold.
As I pause, I notice the thoughts that are present.
2. Oh, my! Sometimes it’s quite surprising where my thoughts have unknowingly drifted.
Thoughts of cheerful gratitude may have slipped into old patterns of judgment or insufficiency.
Now that I am aware of my thinking:
3. I consciously choose to carry those thoughts and energy into the space I am entering, or
4. I can choose again. I can allow my thoughts to drift away,
Request your copy of the booklet How to Stay Centered, No Matter What now. Featuring 12 tools to support you spiritually,
no matter what life throws at you. Also available in Spanish.
Remembering who we really are is the first step in awakening to our spiritual path.
Throughout the journey from birth to death, many people choose to question life, strive for improvement, seek out knowledge, and search for the divine.
Simply put, this is the essence of spirituality.
One's spiritual practice can take on many forms, because embracing the spiritual is a very personal pursuit.
While many people do relate their spirituality to a God or Goddess, this quest for the divine, or oneness with the universe, always springs from within.
It doesn't matter where you find your spiritual path.
We are all fundamentally spiritual beings and the essence of that lies in knowing one's true self and finding a peace that comes from within rather than the outside world.
It is in remembering this that we awaken to our personal path.
The spiritual path springs forth from a daily routine that reaffirms our personal connection with a purpose or a way of life.
Practicing compassion, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, generosity, meditation, and taking care of one's wellbeing can all be a part of one's spiritual life.
If you are new to exploring your personal spirituality, remember that this is a process.
You may want to spend a few moments each day giving yourself a spiritual gift.
Try a new form of meditation, visit a sanctuary, or explore a specific deity.
Accepting the importance of spirituality can be a healthy decision, because a spiritual practice tends to include habits that promote healthy living.
Take the time to carefully determine the action, thought, and ritual that most speaks to your soul.
Remember that your most profound spiritual experiences may also come from the simple intricacies that make up your life.
See the interconnectedness of all things. As you explore your "inner work," you will be walking your spiritual path and feeling your oneness with the universe.
We affirm that all people have sacred value and are made in the divine image.
Sunshine Cathedral is a different kind of church where the past is the past and the future has infinite possibilities.
We are happy you have discovered Sunshine Cathedral! We are a community committed to learning, to growing, to loving, to sharing. We hold a variety of beliefs, and individual beliefs are
likely to change over time.
We affirm that each of us is a divine child of God, intrinsically good and blessed to be a blessing to our world
How to Talk About Your Spiritual Growth with Others
One of the biggest challenges any spiritual aspirant faces is the heightened sense of detachment from the world.
This is a natural stage in a person’s spiritual life when they can no longer relate to their older ways of thinking or to what society lays out for them.
In fact, it’s a natural part of any kind of growth.
As you grow into higher and higher ideals, the lower ideals stop making sense to you.
You can’t understand anymore why people do certain things that bring them suffering.
You realize that there’s a better way to live that produces happiness and joy.
Yet, it comes with its own set of problems — of which the main problem is to live in this world peacefully while still expressing your spiritual nature.
But why can’t you fully be your spiritual self with everyone?
Because not everyone understands it.
And people fear what they don’t understand.
If you go too overboard with your ideas, trying to convert every person you talk to, you’ll be left with no one.
It’s truly an odd experience.
You are leaving your old habits and tendencies aside to adopt a new model of living.
But your friends and family think you’re going through an existential crisis.
They think you're losing your mind whereas, in reality, you’ve just found yourself again.
In some cases, a spiritual change can seem like a rebirth to most people.
If a person drastically mends his ways to conform with higher truths, it’s hard to believe that he ever lived a different life.
So how do you navigate these changes in your life? I don’t have all the answers, but I do have some suggestions.
Decide If You Really Want to Talk About It
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
— Matthew (7:6)
It’s the nature of joy to share itself.
When I first came across meditation and various yogic, spiritual teachings, I was absorbing them like a sponge.
Day and night, I’d think about different topics.
I was intoxicated with these ideas wondering why did I not learn them before.
Naturally, I wanted to share it with everyone.
My friends, families as well as my readers online (Yes, you!).
And while I thought it’s going to be all roses, it was quite the opposite.
People start to think (literally sometimes) that you’re going crazy.
The fact that you don’t want a big fat car or pursue a cushy job with a large paycheck doesn’t make sense to them.
The fact that you want to be a vegetarian, not watch as many movies, write and meditate even on a weekend, go for silent retreats, never party, not listen to music, etc is just out of their
‘paygrade’ so to say.
The fact of the matter is this — they can’t understand what you’re going through.
And as I said, you fear and resist what you don’t understand.
This simple lesson can be seen in the life of every great saint — from Jesus to Joan of Arc to Teresa of Avila.
Their spiritual strength was beyond the level of understanding of most people.
But to reform the lives of people they had to come out and give glory to the teachings.
Yet, since most people didn’t understand them, they were condemned and in the worst case, crucified.
I’m not saying you’ll be crucified!
But if you talk too openly about your spiritual growth, you can end up being demotivated.
If you are not strong enough, you can succumb to your friends or family trying to pull you out of the ‘mess’ they think you’re in.
Talk Only with Your Spiritual Guides
Going through a spiritual awakening is a confusing experience.
Don’t confuse yourself further by talking to people who’re not at the same (or higher) level of consciousness as you.
They might be your family and want good for you.
But they won’t have your spiritual interests in mind.
With their strong beliefs about the world, they can throw you off the path that you courageously decided to pursue.
At best these things will sound too ‘woo-woo’ to them.
It’s not their fault also, they just don’t know.
Even a therapist will not be able to adequately help you in the matter.
After all, psychiatry or therapy never produced a saint!
I’m fortunate to have teachers and guides who are more spiritually aware than me.
They’re further on the path that I’m walking on, and can guide me through problems.
They also provide a joyful refuge when this world enforces its materialistic beliefs on me.
I can talk freely about my spiritual ideas and experiences with them — something I don’t do even with the people closest to me.
If you don’t have such people around you, find them.
But till then, refrain from talking about such things with ‘normal’ people.
Root Yourself Firmly in Your Beliefs
If you’re unsure about your own beliefs, it’s easier to be swayed by what people are trying to tell you.
It has everything to do with your confidence and the sense of power that you feel within yourself.
Again, remember that the majority of the earth’s population isn’t going through a spiritual journey.
They might not even know it exists.
All they know is the beliefs they were taught by society and their environment.
If you talk to such people when you’re feeling lost or otherwise confused, you might end up listening to them.
What a pity it would be!
They might label you with some kind of illness or just a case of personal life crisis.
One of the best ways to build that confidence is to be in a community of spiritual people.
It gives you a way to not only talk about your experiences but also find solace in the fact that others also go through similar phases.
Finding people who understand you without judging is the best gift of spiritual friendship.
This alone will help you develop the confidence you need to stand firm in your beliefs.
Once you gain that confidence, you can be relatively sure of talking with ‘worldly’ people and be unshaken in your faith.
Ergo, if you’re not at that point, don’t share too much outside your spiritual community.
Be Wary of Pride
“The seeker after Truth should be humbler than dust. The world crushes the dust under its feet but the seeker after Truth should be so humble that even the dust would crush him/her.”
— Gandhi
Spiritual pride is one of the worst pitfalls on the path to greater awareness.
Material pride is based on fragile things — having money, a big house, a beautiful spouse, and so on. These things fall away faster than they come to you.
But spiritual pride is based on something tangible.
Perhaps you find yourself being joyful, calm, and humble.
But if you don’t pay close attention you can be proud of your humility as well!
Even though in this article I call others who are not spiritually aware as ‘normal’ or ‘worldly’, it’s only meant as a figure of speech.
It doesn’t mean that I’m above them in any sense.
Often we forget that everyone has the same consciousness and awareness that comes from God.
The only difference is that it’s dull in some places and expanded in others.
Just like fruits ripen at their own pace, our souls progress on the spiritual path at their own pace. There’s no place for pride.
I’ve found it helpful to never challenge anyone’s beliefs in these matters.
For example, I detest any kind of intoxicants that includes alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc.
But if someone consumes them, I don’t jump on them and give a lecture.
If we try to never impose our ideas on anyone and be comfortable in ourselves, there will be no conflict.
Judging others only strengthens your ego and derails your own spiritual progress.
Don’t Show Off with Fancy Concepts
When you grow spiritually, it’s natural to think and talk in terms of energy, chakras, awareness, consciousness, and so on.
Yet, when you talk to someone who’s not aware of these truths, don’t scare them in a bid to show-off your knowledge.
Talk with them in plain language.
Explain simple benefits that will motivate them to start their own practice.
Often people who’re new to meditation or spirituality think in terms of “What’s in it for me?”
And so it only makes sense to satisfy their craving to get them started.
Don’t scare them away by talking about changes in your energy or the
third eye.
Even though some people are open to new ideas, most of them close their minds when a practice different from their culture is taught.
Stop At the Right Time
Don’t convert people against their wishes.
Often, when we know how much a person can benefit from, say, meditation, we push them over the edge.
When someone asks me about it, I used to go full force on them talking about taking a course, meditating every day, and so on.
I realized that a short introduction is enough.
Let the person be guided by their own curiosity.
Point them in the right direction, but don’t force them to walk the path.
It’s their life and they have to come to conclusions on their own to stick with it in the long run.
Lead Only By Example
When I started on the spiritual path, one of my biggest concerns were “How do I get my friends and family onboard?”
The answer was not to shove it down their throat every time you meet them.
The answer is to live an ideal life that shows them what is possible.
Once I was driving with a friend and almost went through an accident.
A large bus was about to hit our little car but the driver applied the breaks at the right time.
The driver then came out of the bus (as is common in India!) to fight.
To my surprise, the bus was filled with army soldiers with big-ass guns handing on their arms.
I only opened my window to talk to him. But he wasn’t there for small talk.
He grabbed my arm, twisted it, and launched a barrage of abuses that I didn’t know the meaning of!
Then, I calmly said (in Hindi) “Sorry, brother.” I repeated this four times and the matter was closed.
My friend thanked me for not losing my cool and escalating the issue to get into a fight. He immediately knew that it was because of my meditation practice.
And I’m sure having seen the benefits of meditation in my life, he'll be much more open to it in the future.
It’s not about how long you meditate or how early you get up.
It’s about how you live, talk, breathe, walk and behave.
When they see the light of love and virtue shining from you, they’ll come to you and ask where you got it from.
That’s the time to plant the seed of inspiration in their minds.
Tell them that whatever peace comes to you is a direct result of your practices.
Welcome to United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale!
We are part of the United Church of Christ (UCC) which is a mainstream denomination consisting of over 5,600
churches and 1.3 million members!
Here you will find that everybody is somebody, and Jesus Christ is Lord. No matter who you are or where you are in
life’s journey, you are welcome here!
We are “open and affirming” and diversity is our middle name!
At our church, we enthusiastically lift up that United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale is a welcoming, justice-minded
Christian faith community where we believe that “God is Still Speaking.”
At a time when religion is too often portrayed as narrow-minded and exclusive, many are raising their voices for an
alternate vision:
*Where God is all-loving and inclusive
*Where your mind is nourished as much as your soul
*Where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the King of Social Justice
I invite you to experience the total fellowship of the church — worship services, fellowship times, special events, and
interesting studies.
You name it.
We’ve got it and YOU are invited!
I encourage you to get involved in the activities and mission work of our church.
There are all sorts of opportunities and missions, like our weekly meal program for the hungry.
We address the question “Am I saved by faith, works, mercy, or grace?” with the answer YES!
Topics to think about when we define Spirituality. Read "An Epiphany", in the following document. This is a rare insight, yet so relevant from Hack Life.
An Epiphany
Imagine for a moment the year is 2000 B.C. and you’re a fisherman living along the coast of what is now Southern Europe.
Like any other morning, you’re fishing when suddenly a powerful burst of energy enters your body.
It creates a tingling sensation in your fingertips, a flutter in your heart and warmth in your belly.
You know it’s not anxiety or a heart attack because it feels comforting and fulfilling.
You put your fishing pole down and sit at the water’s edge.
You reach down and splash a handful of cool water up onto your face.
It is here, in this quiet moment, that you have an epiphany.
And while you are unable to explain how or why this epiphany is coming to you now—you haven’t done anything out of the ordinary to receive it—its message is crystal clear:
The Earth is not flat.
The Earth is a sphere.
You can visualize it revolving around the sun in a predictable orbital pattern.
These visualizations also reveal that the Earth is part of a solar system of eight planets separate from other stars in the night’s sky and that these other stars follow similar predictable
patterns of movement.
There is a whole uncharted universe out there that nobody else is aware of.
Once the magnitude of your epiphany settles in your mind, you begin to sweat from nervousness. Because while the small seaside village you live in is peaceful, there is little tolerance for
outlandish ideas and theories like the ones that just rattled your brain.
If you were to tell others about them, the nobles and town leaders might interpret it as a direct threat to the cultural stability of the community, and the rest of the villagers would likely
think you’re crazy. You could be exiled!
You decide that you must handle your business as usual and leave the deep visions and epiphanies to the witch doctors and nomads who dwell in the forests on the outskirts of
civilization.
These people have already decided that the world they grew up in doesn’t hold the answers they are looking for.
They are the ones who should convey these outlandish ideas to the world.
Because they have nothing to lose. At least not as much as you do.
So, you don’t tell a soul about your epiphany.
Days roll into weeks.
Weeks roll into months.
And you imagine, each day, that you are better off for having kept it a secret.
But you are also aware that keeping this secret is eating away at you from the inside out.
You have distanced yourself from people and have been sleeping less and less.
Take a moment to think about how you treat yourself when you make a mistake or fail to reach a goal.
If you tend to beat yourself up when things go wrong, you, like most people, can use a little more self-compassion in your life.
Forgiving and nurturing yourself seem to have benefits in their own right.
Strong self-compassion can even set the stage for better health, relationships, and general well-being.
So far, research has revealed a number of benefits of self-compassion.
Lower levels of anxiety and depression have been observed in people with higher self-compassion.
Self-compassionate people recognize when they are suffering and are kind to themselves at these times, thereby lowering their own levels of related anxiety and
depression.
Get your copy of Positive Psychology: Harnessing the power of happiness, mindfulness, and inner strength
Positive emotions
have been linked with better health, longer life, and greater well-being in numerous scientific studies. On the other hand, chronic anger, worry, and hostility increase the risk of developing heart
disease, as people react to these feelings with raised blood pressure and stiffening of blood vessels. But it isn’t easy to maintain a healthy, positive emotional state. Positive Psychology:
Harnessing the power of happiness, mindfulness, and inner strength is a guide to the concepts that can help you find well-being and happiness, based on the latest research.
Learn to have self-compassion
Some people come by self-compassion naturally, but not everyone does. Luckily, it is a learnable skill. Several methods have been proposed, and training programs are being
developed, to help people discover and cultivate their own self-compassion.
Here are four ways to give your self-compassion skills a quick boost:
Comfort your body. Eat something healthy. Lie down and rest. Massage your own neck, feet, or hands. Take a walk. Anything you can do to improve how you feel physically gives
you a dose of self-compassion.
Write a letter to yourself. Think of a situation that caused you to feel pain (a breakup with a lover, a job loss, a poorly received presentation). Write a letter to
yourself describing the situation, but without blaming anyone — including yourself. Use this exercise to nurture your feelings.
Give yourself encouragement. Think of what you would say to a good friend if he or she was facing a difficult or stressful situation. Then, when you find
yourself in this kind of situation, direct these compassionate responses toward yourself.
Practice mindfulness. Even a quick exercise, such as meditating for a few minutes, can be a great way to nurture and accept ourselves while we're in pain.
For more ways to draw on your strengths and find the positive meaning in your life, review Positive Psychology, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
The void is the space between utter joy and utter despair. (Photo: Pixabay)
1. Every Door and Window Closes
You felt bliss and ecstasy.
Then you felt misery and anguish.
You’re now in a void where you alternate…
The void feels like being in a cocoon.
Like a planted seed.
All there is for company is darkness, and you’re not sure if the light will ever come.
You feel stuck.
The void is one of the six stages in the spiritual awakening journey
where nothing seems to happen.
You don’t see results.
You don’t get opportunities.
Wishes and desires don’t manifest, and God seems too far away to notice your despair.
It feels as if you're all alone.
You desperately want to start a new chapter and move on to the rest of the story, but the universe closes the book and won’t allow you to flip the page.
Every door and every window you try to escape through slams shut in your face.
You feel lost and confused.
“What is going on?” you cry.
You see, not always, but the void usually follows the dark night of the
soul and that order of things isn’t without reason.
When we come out of the dark night, we’re shaken to the core.
The purpose of the void is so you can rest, recharge, and get your energy back.
This isn’t the time to be doing so much.
The void is a time to do very little.
So much happens in the void.
So much happens when you’re doing nothing.
The things that are happening can’t be seen from the outside, but growth and transformation are happening inside.
Because you don’t see the growth that’s taking place, the void is an incredibly difficult space to be in. You may feel restless, agitated, and bored with your life.
After the dark night comes morning and morning is when we pick ourselves up and get things done. It’s difficult to rest when you’d rather be doing something significant with your life.
It’s hard to remain still when you’d rather be making moves, but the void isn’t the time to be making moves.
It's a time to be silent.
Silence is built into the void for a reason.
The silence encourages you to go within and fold in on yourself.
What you need for the next stage of your journey isn’t outside.
It’s all inside of you, and that’s why the universe forces you to remain inside.
All activities stop so you can focus on yourself and get to know who you are on a deeper level.
Spiritual awakenings are divinely orchestrated.
The void provides rest for the tired soul.
2. All Guidance and Synchronicity Stops
You’ve been receiving guidance from God, angels, and your spirit guides.
There’s no more guidance, no more synchronicities and you stop seeing the repeating numbers. The dreams stop guiding you and your vision is blurred, all you see is silence, stillness, and darkness. Everything around you becomes quiet, even the birds stop singing for you.
You can’t understand what’s happening and why.
You’ve been doing the work, see your
shadows, and healing your past.
So how could this happen?
It can be very confusing when you can’t figure out what happened and what’s about to happen.
It’s terrifying when you can’t figure out whether to go left or go right.
You look around you and see people who haven’t done half the work you’ve done living their life outside, and you are stuck inside.
How could the universe leave you all alone after everything you’ve been through?
You may feel hopeless, sad, or angry!
You may feel forsaken, abandoned, and rejected.
“It isn’t fair,” you say.
“What went wrong?”
Nothing went wrong as a matter of fact, everything is right and going according to plan.
Spirit is allowing you time off to rest and recharge to prepare for the next stage of your journey.
You’re being trained to go within to identify the sound of
your intuition, how it speaks and what it says so that when you go out into the world, you can rely on yourself.
Everything on the outside stops so you can learn to trust and depend on yourself.
The void shows you how to stop relying on others and trust your own inner guidance and knowing. You can really only learn to connect to yourself if everything is silent on the outside.
Spirit is allowing you time off to rest and recharge to prepare for the next stage of your journey.
3. The Future is Bleak and Uncertain
You can learn something from the caterpillar and a seed.
When the caterpillar is stuck in the chrysalis, from the outside, nothing seems to be happening.
To the caterpillar on the inside, all there is darkness and limitation.
When a seed is put in the ground, it isn’t sure when it’ll see the light of day again.
The future looks scary and uncertain for the caterpillar in the cocoon and the seed in the ground, but something transformative is taking place inside the darkness.
The caterpillar soon grows wings and flies away.
The seed grows into a seedling.
The butterfly wouldn’t be strong enough to take flight if everything came easy.
The caterpillar understands the natural rhythms of life.
It understands that stillness doesn’t mean stagnation.
Just because it has to be still doesn't mean it's not growing.
Stillness is a phase in the metamorphosis process.
If the butterfly doesn’t stay still in the cocoon, it would never turn into a butterfly.
Instead of rebelling against the universe and trying to kick those doors open; instead of fighting the stillness and ignoring the call of silence, release control and
let go.
Take a deep breath and acknowledge that you're in a void and darkness where growth is not seen. Understand that you aren't stuck, stagnated, or blocked.
You have done nothing to anger God.
You are right where you need to be.
What comes next is unknown, but it’s always growth, expansion, and ascension.
The void is uncomfortable and darkness is scary, but with time, you’ll discover just how crucial this stage is in preparing you for what comes next.
Final thoughts
Many of us are brought up strong in our masculine energy.
We are used to constantly doing and moving that being still can be challenging.
The masculine in us dreads being in a state of inaction.
It doesn’t like to stop, pause and just be. It wants to do this, do that and do it all over again.
It can feel like torture when it's made to sit still when it’d rather be doing.
No, actually it is torture!
But the problem with being too much in our masculinity is that we forget how to just be.
We suppress the feminine in us who want to take it nice and easy and slow down now and then.
Focusing too much on the masculine creates an imbalance within us.
The void prompts us to reconnect with our feminine energy and embrace just being.
The energies of the feminine are abundant and creative and when you slow down and stop, you can tap into abundant and creative energy.
Don’t let the stillness and the silence fool you.
Don’t let the inaction make you feel like nothing is happening.
Just because you see nothing happening right now doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
Everything is happening when nothing seems to happen.
Just because the darkness is here doesn’t mean the morning will never come.
Just because you’re stuck in your cocoon doesn’t mean you won’t soon spread your wings and fly. Just because you’re thrown in the ground doesn’t mean you won't sprout out.
Embrace the void because it’s extremely important for your soul’s growth and evolution.
Grace exists in all situations and in every moment, yet all too often we may overlook its presence.
Grace is always with us.
It flows like a river through our lives, artfully reminding us that there is magic and power beyond what our eyes can see.
At times we catch its subtle beauty, like during chance meetings, near misses, and insights that seem to come from nowhere.
Other times we experience grace in all its powerful surety such as when a job or relationship comes to an end.
Though we may forget that this is grace at work too, it is indeed influencing our lives, helping us to move forward and take the next step.
Grace exists in all situations, in every moment, yet all too often we may overlook its presence.
Imagine how it would feel to live an entire day in grace, to fully appreciate that your day is unfolding in absolute perfection.
Whereas usually you might miss the magic in ordinary events and interactions, on this day you would recognize them all as little miracles.
Perhaps you could begin with your first deep breaths in the morning, becoming aware that there is an abundant supply of air for you to breathe.
Your lungs know just how to carry oxygen to your blood, and your blood knows where to carry it from there.
This is grace at work.
You might appreciate the brilliant sunshine, the warm summertime rain, or the possibilities for learning that greet you at every turn.
You might notice the ease with which you do your job or laugh with a close friend.
These things are also grace.
Even laying your head down at the end of this day and resting in the stillness of night is grace.
With each opportunity you give yourself to enjoy this current of benevolence, you may discover a deeper peace.
Your faith may strengthen and your heart may open.
You might begin to wonder if the struggle is really all that necessary after all. By living this one day in grace, you might open the door to many more.
We are a network of men and women who seek to advance the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, human dignity and the common good in civil society for the
solution of modern problems.
Spirit is the animating force or source of vitality, energy, strength, and inner peace of within you.
Everyone is born with a spirit; it is what gives you life.
Some believe it is what guides you through life in the form of ethical, religious, or spiritual beliefs, while others see it as the electrical charge that
maintains our nervous systems.
Spiritual Identity is your personal perspective of your religious, ethical, and/or sacred beliefs.
View this video about "The Truth about Consciousness and Spirituality...enjoy!
Some of us grew up with a concept of a God who was up there in heaven, an old man in the sky who was angry, vengeful and could not be trusted.
He loved, hated, blessed, cursed, created, destroyed and lived only in the Ark.
Just as the ocean is in the wave, and there is no way the wave can be separated from the ocean, there is no way we can be separated from God. Read more...
Do you wonder why Mass is a time
of intense devotion for some—
but not for you?
Here's an easy way to transform Mass
into a joyful time of piety and devotion:
Step 1:
Develop a greater understanding of the
spiritual meanings behind the signs and
symbols, words and actions, of the Mass.
Step 2:
Learn the time-tested, spiritually-enriching
ways to approach Mass—the little things that
matter, such as how you enter the church
or make the Sign of the Cross.
Or how you pray the Opening Prayer and
listen to the Readings—and even how you
participate in the Eucharistic Prayer.
These crucial teachings are rarely
taught in Catholic schools or in CCD.
They're rarely mentioned from the pulpit.
But they are essential to making each
Eucharistic Celebration a profound
refreshment for your soul.
Now, these wise teachings (and more) have
been gathered into one short, easy-to-read
volume, so that every Mass can become
a fountain of peace for you.
This book gives you 8 steps to engage
physically and spiritually, body and soul,
in the saving work of Jesus Christ
made present in the Mass.
Among the essential things
you’ll learn from these pages:
The meaning of the “sacramental principle”: if you don’t understand it, Mass
is almost surely dull for you
How each element of the Liturgy has a sacramental quality about it, and can
be a grace-filled encounter with Jesus
How to transform your prayers at Mass into a conversation with
God
The proper spiritual way to make the Sign of the
Cross
How the Creed can become, for you, the highpoint of the Liturgy of the
Word
Why, during the collection, you should explicitly offer Christ your
heart
The best way to participate in Jesus’ saving work in the Mass: do you know
what it is?
What you should desire in order to receive the Eucharist most efficaciously
(and what that desire presupposes in you)
Coming and going through the church doors: what, each time, it should mean
for you, spiritually
At the end of each chapter, there is a list
of actions for you to take the next time you
go to Mass—and much more, to awaken
in you the bright spirit of joyful devotion
that we are meant to have at Mass.
A Devotional Journey Into the Mass
has already received five-star
reviews from our readers:
"Chris Carstens literally took me on a journey
into the Mass like I have never experienced before.
His short book contains a treasure trove of gems that
will help you understand the Mass more deeply and
how it is the greatest encounter we have with
Jesus Christ this side of heaven...easy
to understand and follow."
"...helped open my eyes and see Mass
in a new and beautiful way."
What's amazing is that we will never stop
learning about the Mass—whether we're
cradle Catholics or recent converts.
And for each question you
have, there is an answer.
That's why we're pairing A Devotional
Journey Into the Mass with an easy
Q&A book by trusted Catholic
author Mike Aquilina.
Welcome to all of you who might have wandered into our humble church over Holy Week!
We are still observing COVID safe protocol.
However, we still wish for you to experience the warmth of God through our people and our celebration. Fr. Bob Tywoniak
*Weekday Morning Liturgy and Devotionals
Note that we celebrate Morning Prayer and Mass Tuesday through Friday.
The Liturgy begins at 7:50 am.
The chapel is open by 7:00 am if you wish to come for silent prayer. At 7:20 am the Rosary is prayed communally.
Join us before you go off to work or school.
If you are retired you may come often and make this a prayer apostolate.
OUR MISSION
A Faithful Community in Service to All
OUR VISION
We, the people of Blessed Sacrament Parish,
endeavor to become a unified community of service
who are deeply committed to Christ. We hope to be
a friendly, caring parish in which the gifts and talents
of all young and old, are recognized and graciously
used to nourish others.
Everyone is welcome to participate in our celebration of God's love
We celebrate in a Catholic tradition by celebrating the Sacramental gifts given to us by a loving God . We are open and inclusive, welcoming
all.
We will address the spiritual and social needs of our congregation by promoting ministry growth for both men and women.
We will lead by example here at our Spiritual home and in our community showing that living the
Good News of Jesus Christ is living Love without judgment.
We have been celebrating Mass in Wilton Manors for over 20 years.
Our priests are ordained through Apostolic succession and valid Sacraments.
Our Sunday celebrations follow the traditions of the Catholic Mass but we are independent of Rome. Our Eucharistic communion table is open to all because we
believe that the Eucharist is for the journey, it is not a reward for being good.
We Believe
that regardless of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, where you're from, or what you've done...
ALL are redeemable people loved by God
ALL are encouraged to receive Holy Communion
ALL can marry, and re-marry
ALL should be sexually responsible including contraception
Many believe that Spirituality is the condtion of awareness of oneself as a spiritual being, i.e. having individual, indestructible consciousness and the
awareness of others as spiritual beings.
What has become more real for me over recent months is the belief that one can only advance spiritually by helping others, otherwise, it is just adhering to
the rules of a particular religion or wrapping onesef up in a cozy, cotton wool kind of mysticism.
If you look at the great souls throughout history, what did they have in common?
They helped others.
I really believe that by helping others according to our own personal circumstances, we will automatically increase our levels of consciousness, insight,
wisdom, tolerance, patience and joy.
Religion and spirituality are definitely starting to merge! Whether you follow a specific religious path, have a spiritual practice or just want to see
the world a better place, you could find some insight and value in this video.
Free Meditation E-Course Reveals The Secrets Of
Your Health And Happiness. Discover how to quiet the mind, supercharge your level of energy and manifest anything you want in your life.
Request your copy of the booklet How to Stay Centered, No Matter What now. Featuring 12 tools to support you spiritually,
no matter what life throws at you. Also available in Spanish.
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