The provision of Source is perfect
If you're on my mailing list, then you received a mailing from me
yesterday
with an article I wrote a few days ago called "A Truly Transformational
Question." (If you're not a subscriber yet, you can remedy that by filling in the tiny form in the left side menu of this blog or of any page of my sites!) I've received wonderful feedback from this article, and I
believe that's, at least, in part, because I have truly been living
what's in the article. It has substance behind it, and that is why people are
resonating with it so powerfully.
Way back in 1987, I was in an intensive 3-week spiritual-development class in Southern California. There were about 35 people in the class and we met twice a day in the classroom as well as working in the intentional community that was hosting us (kitchen, garden, laundry, etc.). Our two class sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, were always quite information-packed and it was all I could do to keep up with note-taking.
One morning, in week three, just after our first class meeting of the day, I was approached by one of the instructors who said I'd been one of 5 people chosen to give a talk that evening at a community gathering--a sort-of closing ceremony for our session. This would be for a few hundred people--our class, the people who lived at the community, and a few people from the area.
My ego immediately soared, of course--I not only was pleased to be one of the "chosen," I love to speak in public and was excited to have the opportunity. But what would I talk about? It was my choice, but it was to be about something I had learned in the class. "Piece of cake," I thought. I had filled most of a college-ruled notebook with the new ideas we'd been given in the class. I was sure I'd come up with something great.
Then came the lecture after lunch. Something in it stood out in stark highlights for me, and, based on what I was facing, it made me just a tiny bit queasy. It was this: When you talk about something you have no real experience in; that you've generated no inner substance in and only have an intellectual knowing of, the words may sound right, but it will not have much true impact. Like a check written on an account with no money, the person receiving it may think it represents value, but when they go to cash it--to put it to use--it is worthless. So always talk about that which you have a true connection and experience with, not just something you think is a cool idea.
Yikes. I'd have to come up with something I truly knew about.
That afternoon after class, we were were busy doing some things to get ready for the program and with my work duties and dinner, that left me only a half hour to get my presentation together. When I went to the classroom to get my notebook which I had left in my chair, the door was locked! With no time to find someone to unlock it, I was on my own. No notebook to "cheat" with!
I could not think of one single thing to say! I successfully fought the urge to freak out completely, but when it came down to five minutes before I was to go to the auditorium for the program, and I still had not thought of anything, I began to get worried. I was drawing a total blank!
"The provision of Source is perfect, and I'll come up with something," I told myself. The thought of getting up there and drawing a blank was too horrifying to contemplate.
As I took my seat in the front row, one of the teaching staff came up to me and told me I was to go first (holy cow!) and that I was to thank the community for all that they had done for us and provided for us. Now that, I could handle. And still, I could not think of a thing that I had learned since I got there that seemed appropriate to share with the assemblage. "The provision of Source is perfect," I kept repeating, sure that a great topic would dawn at any moment.
As I got the signal to go on stage, my heart was pounding as I ascended the steps, still not a clue what my topic would be! So, I just kept reassuring myself with my new mantra.
And you know what? As I talked about how perfectly the community had provided for us and thanked them profusely, it dawned on me that I was talking about being perfectly provided for! It was the very mantra I'd been repeating! And then, it was clear as day. My topic was "The provision of Source is perfect."
Thus, I told the group--who seemed spell-bound as I spoke--about how I'd been totally stumped as to what to speak about but that I had realized that my topic was in the very words I'd been telling myself. I told them that the one thing I knew for sure was that the provision of Source is perfect. My 10 minutes at the podium flew by as I told them the story of my predicament and the cool synchronicities (that I could now see!) like the locked door, that had led up to me standing there being open to inspiration in the moment.
I don't know if I'd ever been that cogent and clear! By staying in the moment, without prior plans for what to say, I had been available to receive that insight in a most potent way and when I shared it, the power of it was transferred. The "check" I wrote was good, indeed, as was confirmed for me.
Many in the audience came up to me at the reception following the program and told me they'd had goosebumps as I was talking, and had really felt themselves opening to receive in a new way. So, it is true! By sharing that which you have actually experienced, you can make a profound difference with your words and the energy behind them.
Way back in 1987, I was in an intensive 3-week spiritual-development class in Southern California. There were about 35 people in the class and we met twice a day in the classroom as well as working in the intentional community that was hosting us (kitchen, garden, laundry, etc.). Our two class sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, were always quite information-packed and it was all I could do to keep up with note-taking.
One morning, in week three, just after our first class meeting of the day, I was approached by one of the instructors who said I'd been one of 5 people chosen to give a talk that evening at a community gathering--a sort-of closing ceremony for our session. This would be for a few hundred people--our class, the people who lived at the community, and a few people from the area.
My ego immediately soared, of course--I not only was pleased to be one of the "chosen," I love to speak in public and was excited to have the opportunity. But what would I talk about? It was my choice, but it was to be about something I had learned in the class. "Piece of cake," I thought. I had filled most of a college-ruled notebook with the new ideas we'd been given in the class. I was sure I'd come up with something great.
Then came the lecture after lunch. Something in it stood out in stark highlights for me, and, based on what I was facing, it made me just a tiny bit queasy. It was this: When you talk about something you have no real experience in; that you've generated no inner substance in and only have an intellectual knowing of, the words may sound right, but it will not have much true impact. Like a check written on an account with no money, the person receiving it may think it represents value, but when they go to cash it--to put it to use--it is worthless. So always talk about that which you have a true connection and experience with, not just something you think is a cool idea.
Yikes. I'd have to come up with something I truly knew about.
That afternoon after class, we were were busy doing some things to get ready for the program and with my work duties and dinner, that left me only a half hour to get my presentation together. When I went to the classroom to get my notebook which I had left in my chair, the door was locked! With no time to find someone to unlock it, I was on my own. No notebook to "cheat" with!
I could not think of one single thing to say! I successfully fought the urge to freak out completely, but when it came down to five minutes before I was to go to the auditorium for the program, and I still had not thought of anything, I began to get worried. I was drawing a total blank!
"The provision of Source is perfect, and I'll come up with something," I told myself. The thought of getting up there and drawing a blank was too horrifying to contemplate.
As I took my seat in the front row, one of the teaching staff came up to me and told me I was to go first (holy cow!) and that I was to thank the community for all that they had done for us and provided for us. Now that, I could handle. And still, I could not think of a thing that I had learned since I got there that seemed appropriate to share with the assemblage. "The provision of Source is perfect," I kept repeating, sure that a great topic would dawn at any moment.
As I got the signal to go on stage, my heart was pounding as I ascended the steps, still not a clue what my topic would be! So, I just kept reassuring myself with my new mantra.
And you know what? As I talked about how perfectly the community had provided for us and thanked them profusely, it dawned on me that I was talking about being perfectly provided for! It was the very mantra I'd been repeating! And then, it was clear as day. My topic was "The provision of Source is perfect."
Thus, I told the group--who seemed spell-bound as I spoke--about how I'd been totally stumped as to what to speak about but that I had realized that my topic was in the very words I'd been telling myself. I told them that the one thing I knew for sure was that the provision of Source is perfect. My 10 minutes at the podium flew by as I told them the story of my predicament and the cool synchronicities (that I could now see!) like the locked door, that had led up to me standing there being open to inspiration in the moment.
I don't know if I'd ever been that cogent and clear! By staying in the moment, without prior plans for what to say, I had been available to receive that insight in a most potent way and when I shared it, the power of it was transferred. The "check" I wrote was good, indeed, as was confirmed for me.
Many in the audience came up to me at the reception following the program and told me they'd had goosebumps as I was talking, and had really felt themselves opening to receive in a new way. So, it is true! By sharing that which you have actually experienced, you can make a profound difference with your words and the energy behind them.
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