Do you believe in destiny?

 

There seems to be much debate over the idea of destiny vs free will, as if the two ideas are some type of irreconcilable paradox. Those in the corner supporting free will advocate choice, personal responsibility and the idea that we create our own reality.  Concepts like fate, destiny and karma have no purpose in that stance.

Looking at the definition of fate as “an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition or end,” this way of thinking can be understood.  After all, if all that we will do, achieve or experience has been predetermined, what is the point of trying or striving? 

We are mere victims of the capricious fates!

Right.

We are victims of nothing unless we choose to be, for that is a matter of perspective and perception.  That being said, we still have a destiny.

But what about personal choice?  What about “seeing is believing and believing is achieving?”

The two are not mutually exclusive.  In Dan Millman’s book, The Life You Were Born to Live, destiny is likened to an inner mountain that we have been given to climb.  This mountain ultimately symbolizes issues, personal conditionings, and negative traits that we must overcome.  It also guarantees certain types of situations will be presented to us so we can learn what it is we have come here to learn (our climb up the mountain).  How we handle situations presented to us, the outcome of our experiences, including lessons learned, is completely within our control.  That certain experiences or situations must be drawn to us is an example of “you reap what you sow” (karma) and/or the principle behind seeing is believing and believing is achieving — the Law of Increase. 

Thoughts of one topic or idea call to other thoughts on the same topic and eventually align you with that idea.  This is easily demonstrated.  Think of a class you used to attend.  Remember when it was and where it was held. Dwell on that for a few seconds.  Now what else comes to mind?  The teacher?  Classmates?  Homework assignments?  Some experience you had there?  This is also the principle behind brainstorming, one idea calls to other ideas and so on and so on.  So focusing your thoughts and attention on an idea or desire cannot help but to cause it to grow in your mind and eventually be born into the world.

This is also true of any perceived problems!

 Many of these problems (issues, conditionings) are what we came here to master.  That we would have such “problems” was predestined and all we have to do is take a good look at our life to realize the true of that statement.

 Not one of us is free from some conditioning or circumstance that we encounter over and over again, in many ways, and through many people.  How we handle that is completely up to us.

We were given the mountain to climb, but it is us who must make the journey.  It is our choice to strive upward, stand still or coast downhill.  It might be a long, winding path for some, or straight and narrow for others, but the journey is uniquely ours, controlled totally by us and is, at once, both utterly exhilarating and terrifying!

Have faith, move forward, and go live! 

If you like this post and the others contained this blog, please vote for me here.  You can vote once a day and there is no registration required.

Powerful Affirmation

Here is one of my personal affirmations.  It is a perfect follow up to the post below and should be used several times every day to be most effective.  It should be used continually when thoughts of failure, lack or fear threaten to creep into your mind, it will drown them out.

I hope you find it helpful.  As always, I would love to hear your results.

Success in the Here and Now 

My thoughts contain only success.  My eyes see only success.

My ears hear only success.  My hands prepare for only success.

This is the secret to why I achieve only success.

Don’t Get Your Hopes Up!

Has this ever been said to you?  Have you ever said this to someone else?

Don’t get your hopes up is a warning often given with the purest of intentions.  It is an admonishment to be cautious, wary, to hold back and not fully commit.

It should be permanently banished from our vocabulary.

Seeing is believing and believing is achieving, yes.  Now what are you see if you tell yourself or someone else, don’t get your hopes up?  Lack, limitation, failure, disappointment and despair is the answer to that question. Is this the mental picture you’re trying to create?  The outcome you’re trying to achieve?

The best way to avoid (or shield someone else) from major disappointment is to absolutely refuse to validate that emotion in any way; refuse to allow any thought of failure into your mind.  Instead, accept this was not part of the wonderful plan for your life at this time and be happy!

Why should you be happy?  Because if this wasn’t meant for you, something better is!  And the beautiful thing is that the seeds of what IS truly meant for you probably lie right within your perceived loss or failure.  So look for those seeds, nourish them, be thankful for them, and the next time you face a risky situation…

Get your hopes up!

Becoming A Divine Vessel (Part Five)

One of the conditions that block the expression of the divine force inside us is our failure to embrace one simple virtue — forgiveness.

Forgiveness:

1. To give up resentment of.

                   2. To cease to feel resentment against.

The idea of a forgiving God is clear in the Scripture, “Thou art a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness. And Thou did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9:17)

This idea of forgiveness as a Divine virtue transcends any particular religion. It can be seen everywhere. A Muslim starts a prayer with: “In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.”

The need for forgiveness also lies outside of any spiritual venue — physical ailments, psychological disorders, and great loss of life have all been tied to a lack of forgiveness.

That said, forgiveness should be a daily practice. It can be extremely healing and transformative. Forgiveness is another method for establishing divine order and, as such, helps to release any blocks which stop the flow of good into your life. In securing the good (blessings) we expect to receive, we must remember that achieving true faith, becoming more successful, and finding our place in the world is not an act of force. It is a quiet determination and desire for good which is allowed to guide all our actions. Allow this desire for good (in other words, success and blessings in all aspects of life) to permeate your being. Send that desire forth, expecting it to return to you in countless ways. Now knowing that we are all connected and that we reap what we sow, how could we wish anything but success for another?

Realize that your “enemy” is God, that your “competition” is God, that you are God and bless everyone in every situation that crosses your path. Affirm that everyone and everything ultimately works for your own success as you desire only the best for others. Do this several times a day until it takes hold in your spirit and watch it unfold in your life.

This one practice is more important than the other four covered in the Becoming a Divine Vessel series. It is transformative and if you are new to the practice of active forgiveness, you may be shocked at how much you have to forgive — broken promises, past relationships, family conflicts, competitors, childhood trauma… forgive them all, let them go and embrace the abundance of love and light that now comes into your life.

If this post has helped you in any way, please share your experience. Click here to comment or send an e-mail to sistersibbia@hotmail.com.

Happiness

This is from an email I received last night. I decided it was something we should all remember.

Bank Account

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.  “I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

“Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied.

“Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. “It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.”

“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life.”

Old age is like a bank account.  You withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, excellent advice is to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! I hope this blog does its part to help make that easier for you.  As for me, I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3 Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

Dare to Live

                      

What do you really want out of life?

Seeing is believing and believing is achieving, but have you stopped to seriously consider what you want to achieve?  If the sky was the limit, what would you do?  

How would you live? 

Where would you live? 

Who would live there with you? 

What would your work look like? 

These are questions that should be addressed a few times a year as what we want, and our motivation behind it, may change.  People and situations come and go from our lives changing our priorities, but our ability to manifest, to use our imaginations, our creative power to change our lives never leaves us. 

What do you want to harness that power to accomplish? 

Envision it, write it down, find pictures that represent the thing or situation and place them where you can always see them.  See yourself happy and enjoying the situation several times a day. 

Then… take a chance.  Act on your dream, accept some risk, be open to having, and creating the opportunities for what you want in your life. 

Be bold.  Be daring.  Be creative. 

And live!        

The Platinum Rule

What you have done unto others, you have done unto me.

I call this the platinum rule as it supersedes the “Golden Rule” of do onto others as you would have others do onto you, and this is a powerful statement no matter what your religious belief.

Most religious and spiritual paths inform us, either directly or indirectly, that we are connected, that to harm another is to ultimately harm ourselves.  Yet the illusion of separation is strong in this world and we fail to see, or acknowledge, the divine presence in others which connects us all.

Failure to recognize this connection leads to envy, selfishness, intense competitiveness, and all forms of strife and hatred. 

When we acknowledge this divine connection, we realize that to give to another is, in reality, to give to ourselves and we begin to understand the Law of Giving and Receiving.  Embracing the divine within your own person is a requirement to effectively use the golden rule.  To use and benefit from the platinum rule you must recognize and affirm the divine in others.

When we do this we cannot help but to treat the other person as he or she truly wants to be treated and generate the peace, health and goodwill in our lives that are necessary for us to succeed.

So, as seeing is believing and believing is achieving, today is an invitation to “see” your own divinity and that of others.  A sample affirmation is listed below to help create the correct thoughts and state of mind for your explorations.  If it appeals to you, use it several times a day while envisioning the calm and peace and joy that’s experienced as we connect with the divine.  If the affirmation doesn’t appeal to you, design your own or find another, and if you wish, share it with the rest of us.

Before I close, here are a few more tips for creating unity:

Smile and greet everyone who crosses your path cheerfully — extend this even to those you may not “like”

Perform an act of charity; give of your time, money or additional resources  to someone who is unable to reciprocate.

Send a prayer, positive energy or perform a meditation for someone who needs it, but you do not know.

 

Affirmation for Divinity

Today I embrace the divine in me and all people.

As I express my divine and highest self,

I meet with only divinity and the highest expressions of others.

 

What do to when things aren’t going as we want…

If seeing is believing and this believing is the master key to achieving what it is we want in live, what should we do when we aren’t “seeing” the picture we’ve conceived of in our minds?

 Ignore the apparent obstacle, challenge or problem that presents itself to you.  Affirm that what is meant for you is yours, already and give thanks for having it.  Accept that it may not come as you imagined it, and work to “let go and let God.” Acknowledge that things often come when least expected and not at all how we planned them.

 Hold on to the desire of your heart knowing that you will receive what is needed before the 11th hour.  Repeat to yourself that the Universe has an endless, abundant supply and that you are open to receive it.

 Whether you are trying to manifest money, a job, a life partner, assistance with legal matter, resolution to family conflicts or any other righteous desire — continue to see and expect the outcome you desire, regardless of external appearances.

Even those who live in great balance and understanding of spiritual law will be confronted with situations that do not go as expected or seem to “fall apart” in ways that seem contradictory to our beliefs, visualizations and affirmations, but this does not faze them.  There is faith that all is as it should be and all will be as it should.  My will is only for the divine plan and divine plan will come to pass.

 Make this your affirmation for today — it has been mine, and I hope it proves helpful to you as well. 

So when life tosses you about, center yourself, rise, and align yourself with Divine will.

Remember:  “the failure is not in falling, but failing to rise every time we fall.”

Expect a Miracle

Have you ever noticed how something that happens early in your day can affect you for hours later?

 A snubbed toe, missed train, spilled coffee… if allowed such small events lead to negative thoughts, which lead to a negative attitude and more of such events!

Conversely, a pleasant event leads to a joyous attitude, a smiling face and people who smile back at you.  This attitude, if held onto, will also bring forth more of such events.

 This will happen whether we are conscious of it or not, whether we accept it or not, but wouldn’t you rather control it?  Look for happy events, acts of kindness, things of beauty and sources of joy and you will surely find them.  Expect them to be there and to come into your life and give thanks once they do.

Dream big and expect a miracle!

Then share them, big or small, with the rest of us!