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This morning I visited that place
Where no separation exists;
An infinite emptiness.
Then there was a thought of I.
Suddenly there was a center,
An idea of me,
Arose in the vastness.
Next there was a thought of I Am.
The center began to solidify.
At I Am
I was still free
To be, one with all there is.
Then I Am
Became an island
Its boundaries cemented
By the parameters
Which followed:
I am late.
I have a busy day.
I need to do ________.
I am a _________________.
I am was no longer I Am
Now it was a separator.
I Am has no opposite
There is no I Am Not,
Without adding the constrictors,
I am any-thing
Creates the duality,
Creates the firmly entrenched center,
A clearly defined Island
Standing in opposition to
What I am not.
I Am is True.
I am Elliott
Or any other extension
Creates a barrier,
Albeit imaginary,
To the Truth.
I Am That,
In which That
Is Undefinable
Is the only extension to
I Am
Which is open enough
To remain Truthful.
I saw this very clearly this morning, as this
me was formed, by the awakening of my
thoughts. From the formless, the form is
brought forth, by the thoughts we have.
We must be careful to only think thoughts,
only empower this creative energy, from a
conscious co-creator’s perspective, with a
conscious co-creator’s intention.
Allowed to run, on auto pilot, the world we
see, governed by the thoughts we have, can
seem to give validity to the cliché: Same
Stuff, Different Day.
What a treadmill our thoughts, running
unchecked, can create for our interaction
with the world of form.
I am slave, becomes true
When I live
Such an unexamined Life.
The concept of I
Starts the illusion.
Everything added to this idea
Builds walls of separation,
Strengthening the lie.
Ah, but now
What to do with this wisdom?
How does this glimpse
Into Infinity
Apply to my daily life?
Somehow I do not imagine
I can think my way to an answer
When that which I think with
Has created the problem.
Life is so interesting.
What a joy, to simply be here.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Today’s Secret is very short, and it is
nothing you have not heard me say dozens of
times.
Being fully present is the single greatest
key to a peaceful life.
Consider, for example, that you are scheduled
to attend a family gathering. On your way to
the event, you suddenly remember, "Oh no, so
and so will be there."
So now instead of being fully present on your
trip to this reunion, you are stuck somewhere
in the past remembering how this "so and so"
harmed you.
When you arrive at your destination, you can
be filled with dread, instead of open and
present; all because of something that exists
only in your memory.
We do this in all areas of our lives. A
commute to work can be filled with
anxiousness about the day, anger about
something that happened at home, remorse
about an event which occurred last Friday, or
pleasant anticipation about a lunch
engagement. It’s a good thing the car knows
how to drive itself, huh?
Preoccupied with the past, either five
minutes ago or five years ago, it is not
possible for me to be fully present.
Focused on my imagined future, it is again
impossible for me to be fully present in this
here and now.
The ego mind is always doing one of these two
things.
Peace is mine when I just stay, as nearly as
possible, fully present in this instant.
Family events, where hurts were once present,
become an opportunity for forgiveness; a
chance for the renewal of our ability to
genuinely express the Love we are.
Being present is like being given the gift of
new eyes.
Everything and everyone becomes more
beautiful when not viewed through the filter
of one’s memories.
Try it. Make it an intention every day this
week.
Come back to this intention, each time during
the day you notice the ego taking over and
your thoughts carrying you back to what has
been or forward to what might be.
If you try this and do not find yourself
having a more peaceful day, I will refund
(double) the price you gave for this advice.
And if you act today . . . .
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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I love the use of metaphor. Sometimes it
makes clear, what I can not seem to grasp any
other way. Consider this writing from Earnest
Holmes, in the book The Art of
Life:
We can imagine a fish being told that he is
surrounded by water but not quite realizing
what this means. We can imagine such a fish
swimming north, south, east and west in
search of water. If we think of this fish as
a a person, we can even imagine him looking
up the books of fish lore, studying fish
psychology and philosophy, always endeavoring
to discover just where the Waters of Life are
and how to approach them.
Perhaps some wise old fish might say, "It
has come down to us through tradition that in
ancient times our ancestors knew about a
wonderful ocean of life. They prophesied a
day when all shall live in the Waters of Life
happily forever." And can’t we imagine all
the other fish getting together, rolling
their eyes, wiggling their tails, looking
wise and mysterious and beginning to chant,
"O water, water, water we beseech you to
reveal yourself to us; we beseech you to flow
around and through us, even as you did in the
days of our revered ancestors."
This makes us laugh because we see the
silliness of the fish trying to find the
sacred Water, when it would die should it be
removed from this life-giving substance in
which it is completely immersed. How silly
that the fish does not know that it is
surrounded by this life force.
Yet we are in the same situation. We live,
move, and have our being in an omnipresent,
omniscient, Field in which we are immersed
and fully surrounded at all times.
Nevertheless we
feel we have to do something special to
connect ourselves to this energy.
The truth is this Field is our Life Source.
Without it we cease to exist in the form we
cherish. Yet we constantly look for the
newest, and hottest method for re-connecting
ourselves to That, from which we can never
disconnect.
Just yesterday, (I think it was in the Richard
Rohr book The Naked Now) I read that due to the
rapidly changing world of form, we have
already been exposed to more information than
Jesus of Nazareth or the Buddha every was. If
information was the key to enlightenment,
every one of us would have ample access to
everything we could ever need.
How did these spiritual giants ever discover
the Truth of their being without Google,
Blogs, Conference Calls, Cell Phones,
Texting, Social Media, and Online Training?
I don’t have to know the answer, right off
the top of
my head, becauset I have a hundred books on
the subject downstairs.
Information is clearly not the key, is it?
For Jesus to have carried around the
information I have at my fingertips, he would
have needed a thousand assistants to
accompany him to the wilderness. Yet, it
appears he went alone.
For the Buddha to have gained access to the
millions of words printed in my thousands of
volumes,
there would have been no room left under the
Bodhi Tree. Yet there is no record of him
needing any book to reach the understanding
he found inside himself.
We are constantly moving in a field of energy
which is the Source of our Being. There is nowhere we can go to escape this essence. While
I love my books, my movies, the retreats and
workshops I attend, I know that if I were
searching for answers in these pursuits, it
would be akin to the fish swimming around in
search of
Water.
That which moves in me and has its expression
through me does not require any special
exploration to be found. I need only know the
Truth that all I am is this Source energy,
and then discard every illusion which does
not measure up to this Standard.
Now, living my life like I truly own that
knowledge, well.. that is the topic for
another series of Secrets.
Enjoy your weekend and know that there is no
place you can go where God is not. In every
face you see, search for that Truth. The
minute it is obvious, the real fun of living
begins.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Sometimes I like to take comments, I receive,
and expand on them, if I feel there is
something to be gained through the process.
Consider this very valid comment:
"Elliott, I cannot believe you would write
about such a lousy movie as Seize the Day. It
was a depressing, sad film that was a
complete waste of time. Even the picture and
sound quality of the film was terrible." –
Film Buff
Dear Film Buff,
I first watched this movie about two years
ago. It
was on a list of top 100 spiritual films I
was investigating. After that viewing,
I came away feeling, like you, that I had
really wasted my time.
Recently I have been investigating writers
and studying the way certain authors play
with words, twisting them, putting them
together in ways that make them distinctly,
their own. One author which keeps coming up
is Saul Bellow, a Noble Prize winner in
literature. He was recommended by a couple of
different writers, so I set about locating a
copy of Seize the Day, perhaps his most
famous novel.
I had to order the book, because it was not
available in any of the local libraries. The
movie was, however, available and the reviews
indicated that it closely paralleled Bellow’s
writing, so I ordered it.
I completely concur with you about the
quality of the DVD. The poor sound and the
grainy picture
make viewing a challenge. I also
agree with you that the dark nature of the
lead character and the story in general,
makes this a hard film to sit through. I
actually had to force myself to watch it in
small segments. It was sort of like a short
mini-series for me. It drove me completely
crazy that Tommy Wilhelm (Robin Williams)
chained smoked like some condemned man with a
tobacco fetish.
Many things, about Tommy’s character, made me
feel anxious. I found myself actually wanting
to scream at him. Wanting to tell the dumb,
"victim" to snap out of it, grow up, and
create a life worth living.
Then I noticed this reaction in myself and
said, with a grin, this movie is doing
exactly what its creator intended it to do.
This is not entertainment. There is no happy
ending that will send the viewer home feeling
better than when beginning the film.
That was not the intention, at least not as I
see it, of this movie. It was not the
intention of the writer, I proclaim while
noting that I have not yet read the book.
This movie had a message for me, which was
implanted in my mind, even though it made me
squirm: "Stop being a loser."
I wanted to reach into the movie, slap Tommy
Wilhelm, and tell him to stop focusing on
what he does not have and start recognizing
the blessings that are in his life.
That urge to shake Tommy Wilhelm and wake him
up, really had nothing to do with Tommy
Wilhelm or the movie, it was about me and my
tendency to procrastinate, my occasional
self-indulgence, in which I whine about the
way things are or the way things could have
been if only _________________.
Yes, this movie is dark. It has no heroes, no
heroines, no redeeming joyous ending; but it
does send me, searching with a spotlight into
the darkest recesses of my own being and
reminds me of the following:
- how important it is that I love myself,
just exactly where I am
- how essential it is that I do not allow
my past failures to keep me from trying
again
- how necessary it is that I forgive
everything, now, and move on
- how I need to stay focused on the
blessings which are present in my life
- how imperative it is that I do not let my
“story” define or limit me
At one point Tommy makes this statement to
Doc: "I work hard all my life but
everything flows away like water down a
drain."
Who among us can not relate to that statement?
Who among us has not felt the desperation
that Tommy feels when he seems to have no
control over a life that has run amuck?
I agree with everything you said about the
movie. If you notice, even though I wrote
three pages on my experience, I never once
suggested that anyone else should watch it.
Saul Bellows "dying salesman" spoke to me and
strengthened my resolve to share all I have
to give with the world. Whether the world
ever embraces my offering is beyond my
control. This reminder, alone, made my
investment of time worthwhile.
I am thankful for your comment. It allowed me
to dig a little deeper inside, to further
analyze my
own reactions to this movie.
I will close with this quote from Dag
Hammarskjöld, which opened the film, "We
are not permitted to choose the framework of
our destiny, but what we put into it is
ours."
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Join 156 countries in remembering "Love Is All We Need"
I tried to embed this video but I could not get it done without destroying the rest of the blog, so instead I will give you the You Tube URL.
This is worth the four minutes to watch.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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I recently watched, for the third time, the movie Seize the Day based on the book with the same title written by award-winning, author Saul Bellow.
This is a dark film which leaves the viewer happy that theirs is not the life of the lead character; yet evokes, within each sensitive observer, an empathy which may or may not be describable.
Tommy Wilhelm, the main character, played very convincingly by Robin Williams is stuck in a life which is spiraling downward, out of control, like water whirl-pooling out a drain. At age 40, he is still trying desperately to gain the love of a father who is unwilling or incapable of giving Tommy what he desires.
Doc is Doctor Tamkin played by Jerrry Stiller, a character about whom the viewer is never quite certain. Part genius and part shyster, he is the only person in New York who seems to be willing to help Tommy, in any way.
Consider this scene from a cafeteria, which is down the street from the commodities exchange where Tommy has risked the last of his savings based on Tamkin’s recommendation and assurance that there is easy money to be made there.
The two have just sat down for lunch and Doc has told Tommy a story about a man who has two wives that know about each other. Every time this man gets mad at one wife he simply moves to the other, thus taking away their power over him.
Tommy asks Doc “Why are you telling me this?”
Doc: Because I want you to see how some people free themselves from morbid guilt feelings and follow their instincts.
Innately, the female knows how to cripple a man by sickening him with guilt, making him impotent. It’s as if she says, "Unless I allow it you will never grow up to be a man."
Tommy: Will you get to the point Timken?
Doc: The same things women do to their husbands, parents do to their children.
You’re a halfway case Tommy.
You look for the reason for things. You want to follow your instincts, but you’re still walking around with guilt and suffering. You can’t free yourself from your wife because you can’t free yourself from the desire to be punished.
Tommy: Punished for what?
Doc: For failing to make your parents love you.
Now listen to me Tommy. I am trying to do you some good. You are a profound personality with some very profound creative capacities, but also disturbances.
I have been concerned with you, and for sometime I have been treating you.
Don’t marry suffering the way some people do.They marry suffering. They eat with suffering. They sleep with suffering, and if they find some joy, they think they’re committing adultery.
Forget your father. For him love is a recessive gene.
With this Tommy had heard enough.
I have come to the conclusion that we, as humans, never feel whole and complete until we feel loved.
Sometimes, and for some people, the love found in a human relationship can be sufficient to satisfy this longing, which we all share.
For others, however, no matter how great the demonstration of love is, from the outside,there is always a feeling of emptiness until this love is found within oneself.
Tommy, in this movie, was never given the love he needed to feel, from his father. This left an emptiness that no other person in Tommy’s life could fill.
In Tommy’s case, as in many examples from everyday life, his entire sense of self-worth was contingent upon gaining his father’s love and approval.
I have known people like this.
I was one myself until I was able to realize the person from whom I had expected so much was simply not capable of giving what I wanted. In forgiving him for falling short of my expectations, and in forgiving myself for demanding that which could not be obtained, I set myself free. Tommy, at least in the glimpse of his life presented in this film,never understood either message. The closest he gets to receiving “life-altering” advice comes in these words from Doc Tamkin; but Tommy has neither ears to hear nor does he possess a heart ready to divorce his attachment to suffering.
The most sacred place on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a current love.– A Course In Miracles
If there is any place, in your consciousness,where you can find an ounce of resentment,now is the time to let it go. Release the person who harmed you. Know that they were doing the best they could with the tools they possessed, and then let them go. Next,forgive yourself for having demands and expectations that created the resentment you have been hoarding. Extend love to the one that hurt you and to that part of you, which you have perceived as hurt.
Forgiveness rewrites the past.
Forgiveness creates happiness and health where once only pain and suffering resided.
Tommy was unable to seize the day because he was controlled by his unfulfilled desires from the past.
Tommy was a fictional character, yet the pain he felt, the agony Robin Williams portrayed so expertly, has been experienced by each of us, every time we have allowed the past to prevent us from seizing the blessing that our present day offers.
Right here, right now, I intend to forgive the past, allowing me to seize this day.
In the end this is the only choice I can make which keeps me in my power.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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I listen to Dan Miller’s podcast entitled
“48 Days to Work You Love” on a
regular basis. I just love Dan’s advice and
his examples of people in businesses which
are thriving, despite the state of our economy.
One of the questions most frequently asked is
similar to this, “Dan, I have lost (or left)
my employment and want to start something
where I work for myself. Please tell me what
are the hottest self-employment opportunities
or trends.”
I have been listening to Dan’s weekly podcast
for over two years now, and his answer to
this question never wavers. He always,
patiently, explains that the formula for
success in self-employment is not in finding
the right opportunity; it is always in
creating a way to be compensated for doing
what you are passionate about.
We always seem to approach this employment
endeavor from the opposite direction. We want
a job that pays well and offers benefits. We,
usually, consider the day-in, day-out chores
required of the position, last.
Marsha Sinetar wrote a book, I read over
twenty years ago, entitled Do What You
Love and the Money Will Follow. It is
a classic, which I still pull out and reread
from time to time. I recommend it to anyone
facing employment decisions.
Dan’s advice is absolutely in alignment with
Marsha’s teaching. Find what you love to do
and then create a way to be paid for
providing this service.
I cannot tell you how many people I know, in
my life, who absolutely hate their jobs but
go because they like the paycheck or do not
feel they can live without the benefits.
These people live like zombies on Sunday
night, when they start thinking about
returning to work on Monday morning.
I have the utmost compassion for these poor
souls, and to be quite honest, I have quite a
bit of respect for them. While I realized,
long ago, I was not willing to sacrifice my
peace of mind for a pay check, I admire those
who find ways to enjoy, or at least tolerate,
a job they once hated.
Not everyone has the desire to work for
themselves, and self-employment is simply not
a good choice for every individual. Everyone
can, however, find work they enjoy, if they
first figure out what it is that they love.
When I discuss this with friends and clients,
I often hear, “But, I do not know what I love
to do.”
It is true, many people have no clue what
they most love to do.
This topic would require its own space so I
will only offer this hint: If you are doing
work that you love, on most days, you can not
wait to get there, and are surprised when the
allotted work time has passed.This type of
work experience is is kind of like visiting
with a friend.
I went to breakfast with a dear friend last
Thursday. When we finally got up to leave I
was floored by the fact that we had been
visiting for almost three hours. Not once,
during those 175 minutes, was I the least bit
aware of the time. So engrossed, we were, in
our time together, that neither of us had a
clue that three hours had passed.
Doing what you love is very nearly
effortless. It is so enjoyable; it carries
none of the iconic work symptoms.
If you feel stuck, doing something you hate,
honor yourself and find a way to be paid
sharing your gifts and talents with the
world. You, your family, your employer, and
all you serve will be blessed by your choice.
By the way, I am thankful for Dan Miller and
his commitment to share his wisdom each week
via his podcast. I would highly encourage
anyone considering their life’s work to tune
in to his sage advice.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Nothing pulls my car to a screeching halt
faster than a sign that reads “Book Sale.”
Add to that enticement another line which
reads “All books .10 cents each” and I am
really hooked.
On my last trip back from Iowa, I pulled off
in the town of Bethany, MO., in search of a
quick stretch and perhaps a cup of java. I
never did find the cup of coffee, but I did
manage to look through a couple hundred books
in the thrift store with the compelling sign.
I don’t know that I found any super
treasures, but at a dime each, I still had to
pick up half a dozen possibilities. I have
not spent much time investigating yet; but a
couple of them appear to offer some promise.
One book, which I have begun, is entitled
How Good Do We Have To Be? It was written
by Harold S. Kushner and is essentially a
follow up to When Bad Things Happen To
Good People.
Rabbi Kushner begins the book looking out
over a packed synagogue for a Yom Kippur
service. At his signal the cantor begins to
chant the service with these words: “By
consent of the authorities in heaven and on
earth, we permit sinners to enter and to be
part of the congregation.”
Kushner writes: “Who are these sinners
whom the opening words of the service admit
and welcome? Every one of the nearly one
thousand people in attendance believes those
words are addressed to him, to her. Religion
and conscience have given them the message
that they have not always been the people
they should have been, and it is to religion
that they turn for a message of forgiveness
and acceptance.”
When I read this, I wrote a note, in the
borders of the page, “Isn’t it odd that
people do not inherently feel bad about
themselves until their religion points out
that they are sinners; then they turn, to the
very religion which taught them to feel bad,
in hopes of redemption, in search of
forgiveness and atonement?”
There is no doubt in my mind that we have an
inner conscience which helps us feel fed when
we are on the right track and leaves us
feeling unsatisfied when we are making
choices inconsistent with the true nature of
our being.
Sometimes religion seems to be like a parent
which sets incredibly high standards for its
child, so that the child can never quite
reach the goals. The child wanting, more than
anything to please the parent, either gives
his or her all, to reach the goal, or gives
up and walks away. Setting ideals, which are
always out of reach, is a method of control.
Most religions do not teach of a God figure
which practices Conditional Love, but much of
the biblical text (at least Old Testament
Scripture) can be read and interpreted in
this way. By teaching followers how to stay
in God’s good graces, religions, imply that
God withholds this grace from the followers
who stray from these rules.
Like the child, seeking a parent’s approval,
congregations flock to churches to receive
the forgiveness of their heavenly father,
because their religions have taught them that
they are sinners. Participants in the world’s
largest church recite a line in every service
that says, “Lord I am not worthy to receive
you, but only say the word and I shall be
healed.”
To me, it should be the obligation of any
religion, to teach its followers to cultivate
a relationship with that which is Divine
within, so that they could begin to see the
Divine everywhere.
I think many churches are led by people who
have never found this Truth for themselves
and are afraid if they taught their people
such a communion was a possibility, it would
somehow harm the Church.
Being part of a church, participating in a
thriving community of like minded
individuals, can be a wonderful experience,
and I would never discourage anyone from such
activity. Please do not take my words as a
sign that I am advocating abandoning your
church.
I am a big fan of Rabbi Kushner. His overall
message in this book, I have only scanned, is
that one’s actions can never separate the
actor from the love of God. This is a very
significant and important message for
everyone to hear.
At our core, we never lose our oneness with
the Divine. When we are in remembrance of
this Truth, we cannot possibly be sinners,
regardless of how this word is defined.
We only need look inside for atonement. In
fact this at-one-ment can only be found
through a realization of this Truth.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Yesterday evening my daughter and I drove to Des Moines again. She has an audition, this morning, and did not want to have to be on the road super early.
I must say it was a much easier trip than the blizzard-like excursion of last weekend.
On the way up I listened to some broadcasts I had recorded on my Ipod.
This morning I want to comment on one discussion I heard.
I do not recall the name of the podcast, but the call went like this:
Caller: At the urging of my misguided, but well meaning parents I received an education degree and have been teaching for fifteen years. I hate it. I have always hated it, but I wanted to make my parents happy. I am concerned now that I will never reach my potential because I have invested so much of my life in a career which is not right for me.
Advisor: How old are you?
Caller: 39
Advisor: So you are not even 40 yet and you are worried that it is too late for you to change directions?
The podcaster proceeded to tell the woman stories of people, much older than herself, who discovered what they loved and found a way to share their gifts by following these passions.
The call made me think about my own life. I did things earlier in my life in an effort to please a parent.
Like this woman, I know many people, ages 40 and beyond who are still blaming their parents for the messes they perceive their present lives have become.
At what point do we decide to become adults?
At what point do we say, "O.K. That was then. This is now, and I have the power to make different choices, if the ones I have been making are not producing the results I desire?"
When do we stop blaming those who we chose to be our parents, guardians, or other significant influences in our lifes, and take responsibility for what is happening now?
Here is the Secret in all this: the joy and happiness I experierence, here and now, is my responsibility. No matter how wounded I may have been 20, 30 or 40 years ago, that is ancient history. Choosing to carry that past hurt, and to use that "story" as justification for suffering, today, is complete insanity.
Today I take full responsibility for the experience I am having here and now, and for every subsequent now.
I free the others, in my life, past and present, whom have knowingly or inadvertantly gifted me with the tools, I have needed, to be exactly where I am today.
Where I am today is as perfect as I decide it is.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Yesterday I wrote that most teachings, I
encounter, on my spiritual walk insist that
being invested in a spiritual life is the
opposite of being in a physical life.
I think this opposition causes entirely too
much conflict.
Each person must find their own way. For
some, the spiritual path includes a monastic
life. For example Saint Teresa of Avila
wrote this: “On the one hand I felt the
call of God; on the other, I continued to
follow the world. All the things of God gave
me great pleasure, but I was held captive by
those of the world. I might have been said to
be trying to reconcile these two extremes, to
bring contraries together: the spiritual life
on the one hand and worldly satisfactions,
pleasures, and pastimes on the other.” -
Saint Teresa of Avila
Since St. Teresa is one of the Saints I
admire and enjoy studying, I carefully
pondered her words.
Even though Teresa did, for all intents and
purposes, withdraw from the world into a
small room, I do not think she would insist,
that one must do so in order to remain loyal
to his/her spiritual path. I think it is a
matter of priorities.
What comes first in my life?
What is most important to me?
What will I forego, if there is a conflict
between my spiritual life and my worldly
life?
While some of us would be well served to live
a cloistered existence, for most of us, that
is not our path. While we are not likely to
find peace, by looking outside ourselves, one
aspect of our mission may be to bring the
peace we find within, to all things in the outer.
The bible said, “No man can serve two masters.”
This is the truth St. Teresa spoke of: We
must choose which master we will
serve, regardless if we withdraw from
the world or dwell in it.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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