(This is Part 3 of a continuing series. Go back to Part 2.)
The second element, affirming, is about creating a positive and optimistic thought-atmosphere. Often this will be the direct opposite of the negative thoughts that we habitually fall into.
Let's take an example: If we notice ourselves thinking the thought, "My life is hopeless and helpless," we can create a thought exactly the opposite, such as:
Under divine guidance, my life path unfolds in the most meaningful, successful and fulfilling way.
Or let's say we have the thought "I'll never win Mary's heart" or "David will never love me." If we can catch ourselves thinking that thought, we can change it to what we really want, that is, the perfect relationship for us:
Under divine guidance, the perfect soulmate relationship manifests in my life.
Even better, let's put it into the present tense:
I enjoy a sublime, sexy and loving soulmate relationship.
If that doesn't seem true yet, don't be concerned. We create that reality first on the inside, not with a specific person but with someone unspecified. After all, the universe has many doors through which it can operate; why attempt to limit it to just this door?
Actually, it's wise never to directly refer to someone else in our affirmations. Because then we're attempting to infringe on someone else's freedom—and that will cut us off from the very energy that we're trying to access.
For instance, we would not want to say, "My boss, Linda, promotes me," or "Mr. Smith hires me for the job." This type of inner manipulation will block the energy. Instead, let's go for what we really want, in this case the perfect calling or job for us. Two examples:
Under divine guidance, I find the perfect job for me.
I work in a wonderful way for wonderful pay.
The exceptions for referring to specific people are if:
a) we're affirming happiness and healing for someone, or
b) we're affirming greater harmony between us and them.
This is just a brief summary of the second element. (More on this later.)
The third element, listening, has to do with listening to our inner guidance. Our inner guidance is always there, like the sun constantly shining. Of course we can pull the shades and not see the light from the sun, but the sun is always shining anyway. Just so, our inner guidance is always shining. We have only to perceive it.
This perceiving is accomplished—switching sensory metaphors here—by having an intention to listen for it. We simply listen more and more for our inner guidance, knowing that it's there.
How do we know the difference between inner guidance and the other thoughts in our consciousness? We just do. We come to recognise inner guidance by simply listening for it more and more. In addition, there are some clues:
While the mind wants safety and security, inner guidance is not concerned with that. It's not against it—it's not against anything—it simply doesn't come from there. It doesn't come from any kind of fear, anxiety, depression, resentment, etc. It's not against any of those things; it simply doesn't come from there.
Instead, it comes from a sense of tremendous love and infinite possibilities. And it has a quiet sense of "yes!" about it, a sense that somehow it feels right even though the rational mind may not understand it.
Eventually this listening for guidance can evolve into simply listening to the silence, the mysterious silence, listening not as a means to an end but listening for the sheer truth and beauty of the listening itself. And at some point the Eternal simply rises in us and through us.
Of course, the paradox is that it's already doing that anyway. But now we're aware of it, and in beginning to know that the heart becomes surrendered and trusting and grateful enough that heaven suddenly appears, right here in this very world, right here in the middle of joy and suffering, victory and defeat, life and death.
(More on this subject later.)
(This is the end of Part 3. Go to Part 4.)
—jim sloman, 12.10.03 for February 12.
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