The Daily Feedback

     Once you have begun the daily meditation you will be ready to watch for feedback from the spirit. It will seek balance between your desires and your outcomes, your internal and external worlds, between your spiritual intention and your physical experience. And it will signal whenever corrections are necessary.

This is simply the old-fashioned "feedback" system that alerts you  through your feelings when you are straying off course. When you drive a car down the highway, you see with your visual sense when you are moving too close to the boundaries of your travel lane, and you automatically move the steering wheel to the degree necessary to keep you on your path. Eventually, you reach your destination, although you may exercise the option of pulling off the path for some need or adventure. So it is with the life process. Our instincts guide us along safe passage while encouraging us to interrupt the boredom of the trip.

     Now it knows how you want to meet your needs, and it will do its best to bring about every desired result. But it will only have the freedom that your mind has afforded it. It will only have the mental tools of beliefs, the gems and slivers, contained therein. It can only operate upon your existing level of self-development. It will try to achieve your goals in the existing environment. To succeed, it will require mental skills enough to overcome external challenges. And it will most surely bump into your limiting beliefs. For it will create exactly that which you believe most strongly will happen to you---good or bad. You will feel the nudges of spirit when some event is not within your spirit's desires.

Imagine a carpenter trying to build a house with only a chisel and  a saw. There might be some tasks that he could do with ease, such as cutting the lumber and notching it to fit in place. However, without a hammer and nails, the task would be most difficult. When tools are like "beliefs", we sometimes willingly elect to do a task in the most difficult way because we choose to deprive ourselves of those "tools" that, if acquired, would make the building of our lives so much easier.

     Whether or not you do a daily meditation, your spirit already attempts to create the reality you envision, working within your mental boundaries. But mostly this is unconscious; and fear, anger, and guilt are the primary creative feelings. They can achieve certain levels of expression beyond preservation, but they can also empower scenarios and attract events exactly opposite to those that are truly desired. (The Creator allows this so that eventually humans will make the connection between what they reap and what they sow---between direction of the Will into beliefs and the outcomes they produce). Now, of course, is the time to understand the creative communicative power of human feeling and to harness it forevermore.

Let's suppose that up until now, whenever you drove your vehicle, you were in sort of a half-crazed state, angry and generally upset with the world around you. You would manage to get to certain places, but you would be very tense in the process and would broadcast that tenseness to the passengers in your vehicle and others on the road, most of whom would share your state of mind.  There would be minor (and even major) accidents, when the environment became too crowded or hectic. Systems would have to be created to correct the consequences of those "accidents" and, eventually, those "systems" would become dependent upon the confusion that created this consequential environment.

     Now that you know what the feelings mean and how to respond to them, they can finally do their job. And they will most certainly arise now that your intentions have clearly been offered. Any belief, attitude, or developmental limitation that stands between you and your envisioned goal will signal a negative emotion, so that it can be removed. As you go about your daily business, closely attune to your emotions, and what they are saying regarding your stated goals.

Emotions need no longer be the unpredictable acquaintances we are aware of but elect not to totally trust. As we come to recognize their value in our lives, we will begin to be more comfortable with them. That will lead to a greater level of awareness and reliance. Eventually, they will become our lifelong companions.

    Your feelings will spring from your actions in the external world, and how successful they are at meeting your inner needs. As soon as you experience any emotion, stop and analyze the situation. There will be an imbalance or obstruction of some sort---either in the internal mental realm, or in the external physical realm. The feeling will signal this fact and motivate you to react correctively with either internal, developmental or external, defensive or expressive responses. (Of course you know now that you don't really want mere self-preservation! So watch for those auto-defenses!)

Sometimes, the best signals to the misdirection of an action are the seemingly unexpected obstructions that arise between ourselves and an intended goal. If we heed these "signals", we take a second look at that goal and/or the process by which we are intending to achieve it.

     Good feelings signal situations and underlying beliefs which support and add to your goals. Remember, all feelings signal imbalance between mind and spirit. But this type of imbalance is the kind humans like and are motivated to create as often as possible. This is the imbalance that says, " This is working---not just adequately---but wonderfully! What you are thinking and doing is bringing even more spiritual expression than you expected---keep it up---keep it up---keep it up!!!!!'."

At this point, you have connected with pure joy. Considering all the years of past habits of thought, you may feel somewhat uncomfortable with this state. Hang in there. It will pass and you will actually  become a very joyful person, to the point of being disconcerting to those around you. Pay little attention to this. You have a responsibility now to spread the joy .

     Correcting this imbalance is easy. It will be some sort of developmental or expressive approach. This can be accomplished by making Right Responses (mental updates) in acknowledgement of good progress, bolstering successful strategies, relationships, skills, and belief and even broadening and expanding goals. This naturally bolsters self-esteem and confidence, resulting in faith toward overcoming future challenges--- this is empowerment. Light Responses (verbal and physical expressions) in which further skill and success can be offered to (and received from) others, are also effective behaviors in honor of positive emotional signals. They reap many fulfilling rewards.

Like a train moving from a crawl to its normal speed, one senses the acceleration of the motion and, after adjusting to this "feeling" begins to enjoy and find it comfortable. First, last and always, one is in total control, both in exercising one's Free Will and in Creating One's Own Reality.

     All other signals will be bad feelings which call for other, more urgent corrections. These feelings are your spirit saying: "If you truly want this to happen, then why are you believing or doing this?" Or: "If you truly want this to happen, then this must be fixed!' Although the most painful, these are actually the most valuable feelings, for they expose the most debilitating conflicts and beliefs. The most important reaction to these feelings is to stay aware of them. As time passes, your successful self-development will reduce the situations wherein you will experience negative emotion. As you no longer need to blunt your feelings, your overall sensitivity will raise, turning the volume up on all emotions since most of them will be positive. As you clear away limiting beliefs, new creative insights will become evermore accessible. This is enlightenment and the expansion of consciousness.

The largest steps in our self-education will be the awareness of our own inconsistencies in thought, word and deed. It is these "inconsistencies" that we manage to hide from ourselves with such habitual skill. Once we crack that "nut", we will discover a much smoother pattern of spiritual growth.

     Remember, living in the Light means living in Spiritual Intention---living on purpose toward self-development and expression of your full potential. This is the "high road". The low road is the self preservation, a mere shadow of true human potential. (This level of existence often severs connective ties in competitive defense, temporarily overcoming "an obstacle", but in the long run further frustrating the spirit's connection need).

This is going to feel somewhat uncomfortable at times, especially when we feel that we are out-of-step with the reality of the world around us---that which expresses the fear and self-preservationary mentality that permeates the society we live in. If we can shift from our envelopment with this "mentality" to a more detached and amusing view of it, we will gain strength from our own perspective. The evening "news" will no longer manipulate us with its latest concerns and we will come to enjoy the fiction of so much of it.

     But the body will defend and self preserve. And the mind will help it ---Until these understandings are fully internalized. There may be many habitual, protective strategies in place to keep bad feelings at bay, but each and every one of them must be dismantled for the spirit to freely speak and do its job. Keep a vigilant guard against ineffective behaviors which compete, stall, excite and distract, yet do nothing to accomplish envisioned goals.

We are never more alive than when we are in the creative mode. To envision something and then bring it into reality (whether it be the remodeling of the basement or the painting of a landscape), it matters little. Creating reality is what we are meant to do; and when mind and body are harnessed together for this purpose, the Spirit sings.

     The urge to self-preserve is quite powerful and habitual, also arriving in the form of defensive anger, in which blaming or any other skirting of the personal accountability for the situation occur, nearly automatically, The two major directives in such moments are to accept (resist not) your personal role in the situations as reported by spirit and thus looking within to seek improvements. (This is not to say that external ideas which self-efface or denigrate the spirit are to be internalized or tolerated. Once you have ruled out that deficits are in your mind, self-expression, even preservation, is essential.) The second is to operate from a stance of cooperation not competition, in which there need not be a loser or blamee.

I fully realize that to suggest that putting "cooperation" over "competition" as an ideal on the road to spiritual evolution, is to fly in the face of conventional wisdom; since we are programmed to accept the latter as part of the economic, political and social creed. After all, wasn't it communism that finally defaulted. And didn't it fail because it  couldn't "compete" with the other system? Yes and no! The chapter is not finished yet and Spirit would seem to always bring all flawed (non-spiritual) belief systems down. Out of two extremes comes progress in moderation.

     With cooperation, the connection need is always honored, even if the connection is one of simple compassion for ignorance of another. A hearty and mature spirit will always seek self-development regardless of how unenlightened the external forces may be. The spirit will sing its pleasure following this higher choice of action. This reward is far greater than any temporary rush from revenge or one-upmanship which may follow vented anger. The former springs from self-development, the latter from self-preservation.

We prided ourselves on our civilized behavior following World War II, as our occupying armies helped our defeated enemies recover from the ravages of war. Then came the Vietnam War and our military conduct became somewhat less than noble. We still tend to take advantage of the weak and less educated in the world. Our self pride tends to get in the way of our spiritual insight. But the weaker our fellow human beings become, the less strength we are left with to help ourselves.

     Cooperative acceptance can set the stage for the accurate interpretation of the signal and choosing the appropriate response. The tool of the Twin Selves can determine if the belief that has frustrated the spirit exists in the realm of mind or body. If the belief is learned (of Cultural Self or mind) then a Right Response is in order. This is usually when there is an immediate need for self-developmental learning. This happens when mind needs to add skills or ideas to accomplish the need-meeting challenge at hand. This is always the recommended first choice. To look within and seek clarity and improvement. Or instead, the feelings may spring from the frustrated need itself (the Genetic Self or spirit), if the needed skills and ideas already exist, so an external change is necessary. In this case, a Light Response is in order, as an external expression to remove the obstacle.

Whichever the chosen response of the two, it is bound to be a spiritually elevating experience, not only for the person making the response but for the recipient or witness, as well. The rising Ocean of Thought raises all the individual ships that float within it; and each contributor to that "Ocean" benefits from the "rising".

     In the simplest terms, if the imbalance springs from mind, development is at hand, if the spirit, expression. (Remember the rules: Right first; then Light; if obstacles persist, Fight; if they still persist, take Flight). These simple spiritual directives can guide your daily actions. Even if a small percentage of actions are within spiritual intention rather than self-preservation, great progress can be made. There is no need to beat yourself up if you catch yourself making an automatic defensive response. Simply analyze it after the fact and find the belief that allowed this, change it, and next time the results will be different. Honor yourself instead for this newfound awareness.

Sometimes, when we learn new information and elect to start putting it into practice, we judge and grade ourselves on our performance. This material is not the kind that requires one to be tested in the process. Rather, once exposed to it, we begin to alter our behavior in ways that bring positive results to our lives in ways that eventually become quite noticeable.

     As you begin to become conscious of your choices and actions, you will open an entire world of self understanding. You will be able to see exactly why you have achieved certain successes and why others have eluded you. You will begin to notice an incredible tangle of conflicting ideas and directives through which your spirit has been trying to carry out your wishes. With reflection upon your personal history, you will later begin to notice that your beliefs do create your reality. You will also notice how your beliefs have been creating less than desirous events. You may feel awed, even afraid, of your power. This, like any other feeling, exposes the limited belief---in your powerlessness---which you now have proven to be obsolete. As these limits melt away, you will embrace and delight in your power.

"Power" is a key word here. This is a word that can be an ideal when applied to ourselves. The recognized power to control our thoughts, leads to the power to control our destiny. Unlike the "power" over other people (and their lives), this self-recognized power can lead to development of the kind of person that others gravitate toward, not out of fear, but out of hope.

     You will notice your needs and how you have been meeting them, in both constructive and destructive ways. You will begin to become familiar with your own emotional boundaries, expanding those of mind and standing firm in honor of those of spirit. Your progress will rapidly accelerate as you purposefully accept your personal accountability for each situation, rather than resist it with denial. Your interactions with others will change dramatically as you realize how much more rewarding cooperation is than competition. You will begin to approach the limits of the world with compassion, yet achieve spiritual fulfillment by offering your Light.

From the bible come the words: "Know thyself." Now there is knowledge that can be put toward a very positive cause.

                             Creating Community

     Although living in the Light is perfectly possible without sharing your new approach with anyone at all, finding others of like mind is quite rewarding. The synergy of community is very powerful. It is highly recommended to seek others who have chosen enlightenment, cohorts with whom to share experiences, exchange wisdom and gather support. With even one close friend with whom to share your experiences, they will become much more meaningful and salient. Family units can set aside particular times to discuss the understandings, and the efforts and outcomes at creating desired reality. Establishing focus groups with regular meetings can help build community and build great networks for the Light.

Clearly, CAC has planted the seeds with the sharing of these "Lessons". How they fare will, undoubtedly, depend on the soil in which they land. We who till that "soil" could truly alter the course of history.

     With these strategies in place, you can now begin to live within the Light and allow life to unfold as your spirit desires. So begin now, and you will never be the same again.

I can say, with honesty, that in my own case, this process has begun. The ability to create one's own reality has always existed. It is recognizing that we do it on a regular basis, that takes some extra willingness.

     As you practice, your world will be affected by your newfound insight. You will discover that these understandings act as a small pebble tossed into a still pond. The implications will ripple outward in concentric circles until they reach the very boundaries of human existence---for the implications which logically follow the understanding of human nature, impacts every major area of life. It will be necessary to rebuild certain primary understandings to support your expanding consciousness. Thus, we can now turn the discussion to creating new beginnings.

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