Prosperity Attraction – you create your own reality

Did you know that the soap opera The Guiding Light is listed in the Guinness Book of World’s Records as the longest running scripted drama in TV AND Radio history? Beginning as a radio show in 1937, it transitioned to Television in 1952 and will continue at least through September 2009 which will put it into its 72^nd year! Now that’s pretty amazing. Useless perhaps, but amazing nonetheless.

Light has always been both a metaphoric and an actual guide. We often seek the “light at the end of the tunnel.” For millennia, sailors have used the stars to guide them to faraway places and back home again. The North Star has led many lost hikers home.

And no matter how far we travel from our physical home, we are all travelers on a journey of discovery through this life. And just as travelers on the road or over the seas require guidance, we need guidance for our travels through life. We need a light to show us the way.

It is easy to take the light for granted when it is all around us. During the day, in the heat of the summer, when light surrounds us, we often dismiss beauty and power of the sun. In fact, I often hear people cursing the sun and its heat.

But when the dark comes, when night falls, and when the cold darkness of winter descends upon our world, we seek the light, we crave the warmth of the sun and we yearn for the guidance that the light offers.

We have just moved through the deepest darkness, the longest night. This is such a rich, fertile time: A time of healing and integration, a time of introspection and gestation, a time to restore and renew our bodies, minds and spirits.

At this time of year we celebrate the light - even as we honor the power of the darkness. Throughout human history, many cultures have celebrated the coming of the light of bringing light into this deep darkness. Chanukah is the festival of light. The Winter Solstice celebrates the returning of the light. Persian, Native American, Celtic, Germanic, Japanese, Chinese, and many other cultures have festivals and celebrations recognizing the return of the sun.

And on Thursday we celebrated the birth of a great master and the awakening of a brilliant light in the world.

Whatever you believe about Jesus and whatever faith you follow, his life, like those of all the great masters, is filled with many lessons for all of us. His life provides us with an example of what is possible. He is a light in our sky, a light that can guide us home.

And just as there are many stars in the night sky to guide sailors home, there are many masters in our past, many lights in the “sky” of our human history: Buddha, Krishna, Muhammad, St Francis, Gandhi, Black Elk, Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama and many more who have lived and some who live now upon this planet… and they all can help us find our way home. They can guide us back to our Source.

Because, no matter what philosophy these masters taught, no matter where they lived, no matter how altered their teachings have become over the course of the years, each of them had this in common: They lived in alignment with the light of guidance.

We are all connected to that guidance, that light. But most of us ignore it, deny it, block it, resist it, and push it away. The masters of this world have all embraced that light. They have surrendered to that light. And, ultimately, they have embraced that light, becoming one with it. And in that state of surrender and oneness, they no longer needed to look to the skies for guidance. They no longer needed to look outside of themselves for answers or directions. They became the light. They were the guidance.

And what they did, you can do also. They were special, yes. They were gifted. Yes. They were blessed. Yes.

But so are you!

And what they achieved, you can too!

We all can learn from their examples. We can grow and become better by following them. Not blindly, or without thought. But with intention: The intention to become better, to become more fully awakened to our beauty and to our greatness!

As we walk in their footsteps and follow their light, our light shines more brightly in the world. And as our light shines, we become a beacon for others!

We all need guidance. We all need support in our journey of growth and evolution. And when we actively seek that guidance, we automatically offer that guidance to others.

How were the Wise Men led to Jesus? How did they know that a great master was born?

It was a light in the sky. They followed that light. But why were there only three of them? Why did not more people see that light and follow it? Was it an actual light in the sky? Or was that a metaphor for an inner light, an inner knowing that led these three wise men to the place of his birth?

We’ll never know. And it really doesn’t matter. But what is important is to recognize that we all can see that light. Just as those wise men saw the light, just as the great masters have embraced and ultimately become that light, you have that same light guiding you.

We are all connected to that guidance but sometimes we forget that connection. Sometimes we see that light but deny it. Sometimes we hear that guidance but attempt to outsmart it thinking that we know a better way, a faster way, a more efficient way.

We don’t!

I know I don’t! And believe me I have tried to outsmart that guidance many times! It has never worked.

Now, as we sit in this time of darkness but feel the movement into the light, we have the opportunity to say yes to that guidance.

A New Year is coming. The days are growing longer. And so, our attention returns to the outer world and to our place in the world.

This is a good time to decide what light you will follow in 2009.

What light will guide you on your journey into this New Year?

Will you be guided by the light of Love? Or will it be fear?

Will you surrender to the light of Source? Or will it be “I can do it on my own?”

Will you be led by the light of God? Or will it be good enough?

You have the choice.

I have made mine. I choose Love, Source, God as my light and my guidance in 2009.

Will you join me?

Spiritual wealth is wealth that derives from knowledge. To gain spiritual wealth entails acquiring spiritual knowledge. Facts and information about the spiritual aspect of life are what constitute spiritual knowledge. Such facts and information include: facts about our spiritual nature and the purpose of our life; information about God and the role He plays in human affairs; facts and information on the way our spirituality shapes and orders human life and society; and information on the spiritual principles and processes that regulate our activities and influence the outcome of our pursuits.

We require these facts and information if we are to avoid groping through life guided only by our instincts and emotions. We need these facts and information if we are to perform at our full potential and so get the most out of life.

Let us now examine the many benefits a person will derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Human ability is limited. So is our life span. Consequently, no one has the ability or the time to acquire knowledge and skill in all areas of human endeavour. And so each individual acquires training and then participates in a particular trade or profession. No human being can accomplish all things. If a businessman’s car breaks down, he will need a mechanic to fix it. And in the event that the mechanic falls ill, he will need to see a doctor for treatment. We need others and others need us. The sexes need each other in the domestic enterprise of starting and raising a family. It is an apt description of our situation when we say: “no man is an island”.

Clearly, we are a social species which is why we are constantly interacting with one another. The day begins at home with interaction amongst family members. At the work place we are involved with colleagues, superiors or subordinates. Here also, we have to attend to those who need our products or services and deal with those whose products or services we need. In between the home and work place we have to contend with other road users.

How skillful we are at relating to others goes a long way towards determining how happy and successful we are at home and at work. One of the benefits of acquiring spiritual knowledge is that it enables us to develop interpersonal skills.

Things do not always turn out happily or successfully in spite of our best efforts, individually or collectively. There have been instances where doctors have asked patients to go home and await death as nothing more could be done for them – medical science has reached its limit. In spite of impressive advances in modern medicine, sickness is still a major cause of untimely deaths. Technical faults, human error and natural causes have resulted in tragic loss of human lives in accidents involving the different modes of transportation. Our sophisticated early warning devices and protective measures have not always proved adequate in safeguarding us from natural disasters caused by floods, violent storms and earthquake.

Apparently, our limitations as human beings make us unable to cope with every situation or circumstance. On our own, we cannot always ensure our safety, welfare and the success of our pursuits. This is why humans, all through the ages, have instinctively sought to reach out to a power much greater than them to help ensure their well being. And the good thing is this. God created us with limited ability but in His infinite wisdom He has made His unlimited capabilities available to us.

Another benefit of acquiring spiritual knowledge is that it makes us able to access the unlimited powers of God through exercise of faith in Him. The dictum, “knowledge is power” clearly applies here. The spiritually enlightened individual is a spiritually empowered person.

Human beings have conscience which makes them aware of the choice they ought to make between right and wrong. This, in effect, means that some things we say or do are wrong and some things we say or do are right. A natural consequence of this is that human beings need to be discouraged from doing wrong and they also need to be encouraged to do good. Hence, wrongdoing usually attracts unpleasant consequences while the good we do usually brings us reward.

In fact, our criminal justice system conforms to this pattern. Punishment is meted out to wrongdoers to serve as deterrent. On the other hand, society, by way of encouragement, offers all manner of rewards and awards for those who contribute positively to the system. And this includes the wages or salaries we receive for doing even the most mundane jobs. A porter who helps someone carry their baggage will be rewarded with a tip. But if he steals a bag and is caught, the law will punish him.

And this brings us to yet another benefit of acquiring spiritual knowledge. We are moral beings and spiritual enlightenment enables the individual to attain a high moral state. In addition to being able to tell right from wrong, such a person will be very responsive to their conscience. This way, they will be able to avoid wrongdoing and its repercussions. Such a person will always strive to do good since they know that good deeds will, sooner or later, be rewarded.

It is said that “where there is a will, there is a way” and that “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. But not everyone is aware of the amazing results determination and perseverance can produce in our efforts to realize our goals and aspirations. Human beings will be spared a lot of worries, doubts and fears if they are aware of the spiritual principle which provides that success will inevitably crown our efforts if we persevere in the pursuit of a goal and if we have faith in God.

Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader, is a man who has made it to the top. His view on what it takes to journey from the bottom to the top is noteworthy. He said: “It does no matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action”. Awareness of the abovementioned spiritual principle is another important benefit we derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge.

Many people, at one time or another, may have experienced the situation I am about to describe. You have just gone through a bad situation and you are upset. Then someone says or does something annoying and you flare up and respond harshly. What this person has said or done is something you would ordinarily have overlooked but on this occasion you fly off the handle. Why did this happen? Here is the explanation.

The human mind is a creative device such that mental conditions tend to spontaneously manifest as observable phenomena. Any condition, image or vision we hold on to in the mind will, sooner or later, translate into physical reality. This is a natural creative process – the process that produces the awesome power of belief. The power of belief is a spiritual resource we can employ to achieve seemingly impossible feats.

This is what Jesus Christ, the great religious teacher, has to say about the power of belief: “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes”. (The Bible, Mark 9:23). He did not mention this all-important concept only once. He touched on it again on another occasion. Hear him: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. (The Bible, Mark 11:24). Napoleon Hill, world-famous author of the book, Think and Grow Rich, expressed this concept very succinctly in this statement: “Whatever a man can conceive and believe he can achieve”.

And so we come to yet another important benefit a person can derive from acquiring spiritual knowledge. The spiritually enlightened individual is able to consciously employ this spiritual resource that is available to us to effectively deal with the difficulties and challenges we all have to face in life. By using affirmations, such a person will hold on to their dream because they know that an unstoppable creative process will ultimately cause their dream to become reality. Such an individual will also appreciate the need to always keep their mind clean by using positive thoughts to clear the mind of negative thoughts and emotions.

That spiritual knowledge is performance-enhancing and life-improving cannot be denied. But then the question arises: “Why is the quality of life of religious people not noticeably different from that of non religious people and the populace of religious nations are not better off than those of secular nations?”

The answer to this question lies in the fact that the quality of spiritual knowledge available to us thus far is poor. In the established religious teachings, a lot of the facts provided are not backed by proof and many of the beliefs propagated cannot stand up to rational examination. Unverifiable conjectures about existence beyond this life are professed as truths. In fact, fiction, misconception and superstition are being presented as spiritual realities. Obviously, knowledge that is so flawed cannot lead to any great benefits.

But here is cheering news. Quality spiritual knowledge is now available under the name, Spiritual Science. This is spiritual knowledge that has been obtained using the scientific methods of observation, experimentation and logical deduction. In scope and depth, Spiritual Science provides sufficient spiritual knowledge that will enable humans attain full spiritual enlightenment.

The opportunity to gain spiritual wealth and greatly enrich our lives has never been so good for the human race. We owe it to ourselves to get more out of life by acquiring this knowledge-based wealth.

Last night’s historic webcast with Oprah and Eckhart Tolle attracted nearly 500,000 viewers. So many people, in fact, that for a lot of us, including myself, the webcast became unwatchable around 20-minutes into it. Here’s a press release from Harpo Productions with more details about the webcast.

If you were not able to view the webcast live, you can access the On Demand version Oprah’s New Earth Web Event here and download a video, MP3, watch a streaming version or grab a transcript of the show.

The workbook that accompanies chapter 1 has some excellent questions to consider based on the information in the book and from the webcast. But I’d like to use this space to explore some other aspects that were explored in the show last night as well as in the book. Watch for a post in a day or so with another topic for exploration.

But right now, let’s start with a question that Tolle poses while he is explaining the purpose of the book. He asks:

Is humanity ready for a transformation of consciousness, an inner flowering so radical and profound that compared to it the flowering of plants, no matter how beautiful, is only a pale reflection? … Is humanity more ready now than at the time of those early teachers [Jesus & Buddha]? … What can you do, if anything, to bring about or accelerate this inner shift?


What do you think? Are we, as individuals and collectively, more ready for an inner flowering of consciousness? Do you, personally, feel ready for a radical and profound inner flowering? And, if so, how can we as individuals and collectively accelerate this process?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below and let’s begin exploring and expanding upon the world-changing ideas in this book!