The Dangeous World... of the Unknown

So what's up with all this "New Age" stuff and why are Christians fearing it so much?

A while back I had a highly-religiously-focused friend send me something along the lines of:

"Subject: The World's "Most Dangerous" Spiritual Guru: Oprah Begins 10-Week Online New Age Class

Article link: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2008/mar/08030701

I sent you this article that describes the dangers of New Age and its teachings and how Oprah Winfrey is promoting it on her show. In particular, read the section where she talks about the movie, "The Secret". I knew you were interested in this movie/book and just wanted to put you on garde as to its dangers for your spirit / soul. Please watch out for these types of influences."

My reply back was along these lines...

I just read the article noted (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08030701.html) and have the the following to say:

I disagree with your comments and here's why (...remember this is simply my feedback no bad feelings intended):

I've purchased the DVD "The Secret" and enjoyed its concept. Obviously there are a few things that meh? I couldn't be bothered with, but overall the concept is fairly straight forward and accepted (by me). "The Secret" as many other books, movies, religions, whatever all teach us one thing:  

Ask and you Shall receive.  

Whether your link to this 'way-of-being' is adapted from the Bible, from "The Secret", from the "Law of Attraction", from wherever... whatever.. bottom line - we're all talking about the same thing, just in different "languages". 

God, Jesus, Christ, Buddha, Karma - whatever you want to call that "Source" that "Energy" - we all know it's there and it's good.

The struggle (internally) is always about either proving it there or proving it's not there.
Either way - it's being acknowledged somehow: Acceptance or Denial.

I do believe and I do believe that believing is important.

First things first, you need to learn to accept yourself and love yourself - then everything else falls in to play. You are a part of "God". He created you, from himself. If you don't love yourself, then...I guess you don't love him.

"God" (or whatever you call it) always "gives" you want you want, when you love yourself enough to accept it - because you're already a part of him. So the debate is with yourself and from this debate you either ACCEPT or REJECT 'Him'. And with that being said, when things come your way you either ACCEPT or REJECT them consciously or unconsciously.

And then there's the Ego... who sits there patiently EXPECTING.
...so there's a difference between EXPECT and ACCEPT.

Religion is simply a "road", a "path", a "map" to go somewhere - choosing whatever / however you want (as your journey) is a choice and you shouldn't be condemned because of it.
...but somehow isn't this what religion teaches you? ...condemnation and they (Religion Rules) are you're only way to Salvation. Kind-of sounds like the structured dominance rule of "Our (My) Way or the Hwy-Way"...

Ha! So "they" Religion want me to think that if I do anything bad; like: don't go to church to ask for forgiviness, then God will condemn me? He'll throw me to the devil, the evil Gods, and leave me there to burn for eternity? ...And this is the God they expect me to worship?

I think not.

I know that God has shared himself into us (within our minds, within our soul) so that we can experience and learn... and ultimately in the end, choose: love.
That's the whole "Secret" and his whole plan... to eventually learn to "love unconditionally".

Love without discrimination.
Love without guilt.
Love without pressure.
Love without shame.
Love without judgment.
Love without anything else but just love.

There are people out there who are already "conditioned" by Religion, by Media, by the "world" -
they're the ones who's thoughts are "boxed-in" by ways of whatever since they are conditioned to believe that choosing without influence or guidance is wrong.
Geez... I don't know what to do, my husband beats me everyday but the Church tells me to love him and forgive him?
Hum... ok I guess living in Hell right now for my entire life is ok since when I die I'm guaranteed to go to Heaven, right?
...guess what? The Church changes it's rules and guidelines every-so often too...
Hum...? So what does this mean?
It means that the "Church" is ran by humans. Humans making choices for all of their followers.
Sounds like a government to me, or even a mafia! <--- Ha! Ha! Not to be taken too seriously...!!

Governments are bodies of people who make choices for people and these governing bodies tell their people that choices aren't theirs to be made. You can have a say and if I like then fine, otherwise you have to "Do things MY (our) WAY or the Hwy-way!" ...and so if they don't listen they get charged or go to jail...

So maybe I am the one who's converted, maybe I'm the New Age rebellious junky, and maybe I will burn in Hell for eternity. ...and then maybe not... I'm not here to try to convert anyone or change anyone's mind about anything - I'm just here to share my thoughts, my leanings, my beliefs.

If someone wishes to discuss this then BONUS, I would love to discuss -
But what I do believe (for me) is that "God" loves me just as much as he loves a terrorist.
How we choose to accept that love and how we use that love is OUR human choice.

The "Church" doesn't allow me to love thy brother (the terrorist) or the gay man working at the Subway...
...oh sorry - I can love them but I have to pray for them cause they are "wrong"... hum? Sounds discriminating don't you think?
Maybe this "rule" was initially created by some old-school minded Humans?

Nah? I'll take my chances and choose to love and pray my own way - cause I'm sure (since these are my beliefs) my way can't be all that bad.
I do believe in some Religious blessings, in Community Love (Gatherings) and some Celebrations - but Rules are simply a way to "Control" people.
Just like jails are.

Look up the word "control" in the dictionary:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/control

If you want truth, shut-off the TV, turn-off the Radio, sit by yourself and listen.
...not to the conditioned voices that you first hear inside your head... cause those are all of your pre-existing memories embedded in your head "reminding" you of all the "rules".
...no not those voices... just keep still till those stop and then listen to you.

Cause remember, you are a part of "God", he did create you.
And if Jesus is the son of God and is also a part of him then so are we, and so this is how/why we can live like Jesus. Jesus (or the image of Jesus, or the spiritual representation of Jesus, etc...) is an example of unconditional love. He is our aim, our example on how to love unconditionally.

Stop judging, stop gossiping, stop that negative "thinking".
All these things are simply just "the voices" in your head.
You can ask "God" to help you stop listening to these "conditioned voices" and start creating "new ones". Ones of love and acceptance.

Don't worry about what people say and think -
Obviously I'm not concerned about what you're saying or thinking while your reading this cause it's already said and done. I love myself and that's all that matters - my life is between me and "The Big Guy".

When things come back around - there's a reason for it...it's cause I'm (or someone around me that needs me is) not learning a lesson needing to be learned.
If something keeps coming back, look deep into it and eventually when you are ready  - you'll come to realize that there's actually something there you need to learn.
And when you learn the lesson (needed) then the path continues...and all (the past) is forgotten / forgiven - the lesson is always (in the end) about "love".
..about letting go.
...about loving someone for who they are.
...about finally accepting the people for who they are (not changing people, not controlling them anymore).
...about accepting the situation as it is and not trying to "control" things anymore.
...about loving yourself.

Fear is the opposite of Love.
So if you fear something you will continuously fear it till you let go of that "fear" and just allow yourself to "love" instead.
Believing that "God" will take care of you is "love".
Not believing is living in Fear and so you are not living in "love" and so the circle keeps turning.
You just don't allow "good" to come to you cause you don't believe...
...you don't believe you deserve it; you don't believe in it; you just don't believe...

Whatever you choose is your choice.
Ultimately you may choose to keep-up with your human limitations or not -
but my choice is to keep living in "love".

Heck, it's not easy - but I'm willing to give it a shot!
"God" has taken care of me for this long...

I have 4 wonderful, beautiful children that I've been blessed to parent (the best teaching job ever)!
I have a wonderful understanding fiancé who loves me dearly (a growing experience that allows us both to keep learning together).
I work a tremendously great job helping people help people.
I continuously succeed with learning new things and then graciously get to share these teachings.
...and when things aren't going my way, that's because I'm not going "His" way.

And Yes, "God" gives me money --> if I have good intentions and am not expecting it (because I think I deserve it) and I'm not greedy about it, then yes he does provide for me (and yes in actual monies). If you want proof, ask me and I'll tell you ample stories.

Creating Your Holiday Experience

I enjoy reading Steve Pavlina's blogs and newsletters since he's truthfully honest, no sugar-coating.

Get to the point and tell me what I need to know/hear...
Bitter-sweet; Raw; ...whatever you call it, I like it!!

Thanks Steve for another enjoyable read!

Tammy

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue #30 - December 20, 2010 - http://www.stevepavlina.com/

Creating Your Holiday Experience

I've seen a few forum members lamenting that they'll be spending the holidays alone. It appears that this isn't what they want, but they've resigned themselves to it anyway. Their messages broadcast an air of sadness and perhaps a little regret.

It's perfectly fine to spend a holiday alone if that's what you want to experience. There can be many reasons for wanting to do so. Perhaps you value your solitude. Perhaps you don't celebrate certain holidays or find them too commercialized. Or perhaps you just need a break from people. Again, if this is your choice, that's absolutely fine.

But what if your preference is to enjoy a social holiday, and that doesn't seem to be happening? What if you're facing the situation of spending a holiday alone, and you'd rather not have that experience?
The people who find themselves in this situation aren't using their power to proactively create what they desire. They're being too passive to get good results. It's as if they're hoping for some grand invitation to come out of nowhere, when they're scarcely lifting a finger to make their desires a reality. They often invest more energy in complaining than in creating, which is great way to get what they don't want.

Of course if I were to be honest with such people and say to them, "You're using your power stupidly. Stop doing that. It's dumb." they might try to drown me in the punch bowl. So I'll write about it instead, which is much safer. :)

I can empathize with such people and feel compassion for them, but I also know that the "Oh poor baby" approach won't help much. I'd rather offer some realistic advice to get them moving in a positive direction, even if it pisses them off at first. Anger is a higher vibration than sadness, so that's actually a step in the right direction.

This situation is really no different from the person who complains about not being able to find a job while sitting on the couch watching TV or surfing the Internet all day. Does this person expect the phone to start ringing with job offers?

Reaching Out


There's no reason you can't create a wonderful holiday experience for yourself if you're willing to get off your butt and make it happen.

It's silly that so many people spend the holidays in solitude when they could be having a fun, social experience, if only they would take a few simple actions. There are lots of people who'd love to spend the holidays with someone who invited them.

This doesn't mean you have to spend your holidays with people you don't get along with. I'm not suggesting that you tag along for an experience you wouldn't enjoy. But I am suggesting that you have the power to create something fun that works for you.

What kind of people would you like to spend your holidays with? What kinds of activities would you enjoy? Take some time to identify your desires. If you want to spend the holidays alone, that's fine. But if you'd rather have a fun, festive, social experience, what would that look like? Give yourself permission to dream.
Now tell me this. Is it physically impossible to create this holiday you desire? If you really wanted to make it happen, could you do it? Could someone else do it if they were in your shoes?

What's preventing you from making it happen? The problem is seldom "out there." It's usually due to a lack of inner development like low courage or weak social skills. These are fixable problems though. We all start out with certain weaknesses of character, but those weaknesses can be corrected.

Your holiday will ultimately turn out the way you create it to be. You can create a lonely experience, or you can create a festive one. You're always creating something.

The very act of identifying what you desire is a big positive step forward, even if you don't see how to make it happen. Sometimes that's all it takes, and great opportunities will come to you. That won't happen unless you know what you want, however.

What does it take to create a wonderful holiday for yourself? Do you need to bake some cookies? Make some phone calls? Invite people over? Ask others if you can celebrate with them?

Redefining Family Traditions


Some of us grow up with socially conditioned notions of how we should spend the holidays. Since I grew up Catholic, I had pretty rigid notions of how certain holidays are supposed to be celebrated. As I got older, I still liked some of those traditions, but other aspects no longer resonated with me.

I realized that I have the power to create whatever kind of holiday experience I desire. I don't have to settle for a tradition that no longer works for me. I can keep the parts I like and add new ideas as well.

I celebrated the last two Thanksgivings by going to a local raw vegan potluck with 25-30 people, many of whom are friends of mine. I ate an amazing variety of food, had some great conversations, and enjoyed what I perceived to be a more conscious and compassionate way to celebrate this holiday. As I expected, my raw blueberry pie was gobbled up in no time. I loved all the amazing creations people brought -- it was much more colorful than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And instead of feeling sleepy afterwards, I felt energized.
On Halloween I was delivering the final day of our last Conscious Growth Workshop. I invited everyone to wear costumes, and about 50 people did so. I delivered the workshop dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars. I had a blast, and the attendees seemed to enjoy the festive atmosphere as well. It made the learning experience more fun and memorable. I realized that I have the power to create a fun experience whenever I want, even if when I'm speaking on a stage.

Tomorrow I'm catching a flight to Winnipeg, Canada. This will be the coldest place I've ever visited and my first White Christmas ever. It's about 5 degrees F there right now, so I'll probably freeze, but I'm looking forward to the new experience. Rachelle and I plan to do some cross-country skiing, and hopefully we can squeeze in a snowball fight with her friends. We also intend to host a Winnipeg meet-up at The Forks.
These are very different experiences than what I had growing up, but they didn't just happen. I invited them into my life.

Some people also like the experience of doing volunteer work on the holidays. Feed homeless people, pass out gifts to poor kids, or volunteer at a shelter. Does that appeal to you? How hard can it be to find a place to serve?

You have the ability to create whatever holiday experience you desire. It's simply a matter of deciding what you want and exercising your power to make it happen. You're a creative being. Creating a certain holiday experience is within your power.

Building Your Social Skills


Sometimes wonderful invitations will land in your lap. Other times you have to go out and make them happen.

Let me suggest that if no invitations are forthcoming, that's because you're the one who's supposed to do the inviting. Everyone else is waiting on you. Don't let them down.

Creating your own social gathering is a skill. You may not be an expert at it. I'm no Martha Stewart, but with each year I learn a little more about hosting events. I can't say it's a major strength of mine, but I've hosted some potlucks and get-togethers now and then. They've been fun experiences.

Building social skills is like building muscle. The more you train, the stronger you get. When you don't exercise your skills for a while, they atrophy and you grow weaker. That's when you look at something like spending the holidays alone and see it as a daunting problem. In the grand scheme of things, it's a small problem and one that a person with well-developed social skills could solve with a few phone calls. If it seems like a big deal to you, you've allowed your social muscles to atrophy to the point where a 5-pound weight seems too heavy to lift. If that's you, then I'd suggest putting some serious effort into building your social skills during the next year. You can start by joining clubs and going to meet-ups, such as the ones you'll find locally at Meetup.com.

Being socially weak isn't a life sentence. It's your choice if you want to maintain the status quo or become stronger. When you become socially competent, it's fairly easy to design your own holiday experience, invite people you like, and have a fun experience together. It's not like people need a ton of convincing to say yes to a celebration invitation.

If everyone says no because you creep them out or they'd rather do something else, that just means you need to keep working on your social skills -- and probably your self-esteem as well. This is an important path of development for you.

Social Abundance


As you continue to develop your social connections, you may reach the point where you're getting more invitations than you can handle. This is a good problem to have, but don't forget that you're the ultimate creator of your experience.

It can be tempting to always pick from among the options that are offered to you, but realize that you always have the option of creating something new. Even if you get invited to lots of holiday parties, you can still host your own. You have the power to create whatever experience you desire, regardless of other people's expectations. Don't be afraid to say no to the good, so you can say yes to the best.

Creating What You Want


The way to create the holiday experience you desire is to: (1) Let yourself dream about it, to get a sense of what you really want; and (2) Dive into action to move yourself in the direction of that reality. Keep taking action till you figure out how to make it work. Your results won't be perfect, but you'll get a result that's better than nothing, and you'll learn so many lessons that you can apply next time.

The way to create the holiday experience you don't want is to: (1) Think about what you don't want, and (2) Feel bad about it. You can also complain about it to others. Sprinkle some pity on top for good measure, and you'll have a nice little gift to yourself -- the kind of gift you'd rather not receive.

The difference between these two options is choice. Which choice will you make?

I'm choosing the first option. I'm going to enjoy my frozen holiday in Winnipeg. :)

Happy Holidays!

Until next time, live consciously!

Steve Pavlina

This newsletter is uncopyrighted. Feel free to share it.