Expanding Your Spiritual Vision

On Vision and Perception

You are in control of your own mind.  Your eyes perceive your reality. What you know, understand and believe about the world, the way things work, dictate your choices and behavior. Free will is the buffer between the physical realm and the spirit realm. You choose your loyalties.  You can decide how you will interact with physical reality. Your will is the primary means of physically manifesting spiritual power.
Combining choice and will with directed vision allows your perception to advance and grow. You can then unlock the power of the Spirit and immediately transform your reality.

Your sight and vision are not limited to what's physically before your eyes. Consider what's visible in your mind? Visualize the feelings present in your heart. How connected are you with your spiritual senses? It is not sufficient to rely on the images and information fed through normal sight. It is necessary to expand your vision, develop the eyes of the mind and spirit.

On Finding Spiritual Connection to the Source

It's vital to establish a spiritual base and connection in life. Spiritual guidance informs your perception of the world. It can be difficult, but it's useful to acknowledge the unseen forces at work in the universe. Secondly, your principles, the beliefs and convictions that shape your mind are foundations to your vision. Cultivating perspective and understanding breeds true and lasting wisdom. Expand your field of existence by connecting with and understanding others. Empathize with people and comprehend what makes humans tick and behave as they do. There's always a story behind the way people think and believe the world to work.

I've been fortunate to find my connection to God, the Source through Christianity. Let me say this now, because there will come a time where you are forced, dare I say enticed to question the validity and usefulness of religion or any belief system that acknowledges an active God. You may even question God's very existence. I'll share with you my experience. My goal is to see with the ultimate eyes, to perceive all things, know all things, and understand all things. I am obsessed with wisdom. Naturally, human wisdom and perception is limited, much too limited to even dream of reaching such a goal. The need for a higher working order became apparent. I do not believe purpose is within the human realm of understanding and it became necessary to connect with the Source of all things. You cannot fully experience enlightenment unless you acknowledge an all knowing, omnipotent, endless, infinite Source, that being God. The only way to share in that power and perception is to humble yourself to this Source and establish relationship with It.

On Spiritual Development and Standards for Living

Religion--in my case Christianity--provided me the context to begin a working relationship with God and set forth a framework for my spiritual development. The God of Christianity teaches me to love others as myself, to constantly seek wisdom from on high and promises me the power and eyes of God himself. Christianity and religious/spiritual belief systems such as Buddhism and others give me standards for living righteously and productively. This is a personal goal. I don't believe life is worth living without morals and some context of what's right and wrong. In my natural, non spiritual state, my morals are limited and self preservation is the base for my actions. Truly, my non spiritual state, my carnal being is concerned only with self and the satisfaction of worldly passions. This just isn't enough to satisfy my thirst for permanent ascension.

 Religion and faith address this matter in great detail. In relation to your standards for living which is the expression of your values, principles and convictions, you have to ask yourself who is the most reliable teacher of how to live? It goes without saying that experience is an early instructor. Indeed we learn from our choices--the many successes and failures. Other humans teach us and share their experiential knowledge. Then what? Again, the goal is eyes that perceive every level of existence. Thus, your standard for living should extend beyond mere humanity and its limited perception of experience.  We are once again brought to the Source, God. What does God have to say about purposeful living? Simply pick a belief system. I chose Christianity for my reasons, to realize my goals, but you are free to choose what you believe in God's word. Christianity tells me that God chose the "foolishness of preaching" to communicate His ways to us because humans are in need of teachers. Religion informs basic and spiritual standards for living.  It explains and connects you with unseen, spirit realm, introduces to God and creation and ideally helps you to grow exponentially in your quest for perfect eyes.

Top Ten Tips on Love

The unfortunate truth about love is it doesn't make sense. I'm always talking about the dangers in seeking external validation and how horrible it is to base your happiness on something outside yourself, but I find it so difficult to practice what I preach sometimes. Anywho, on with today's post--Top Ten Tips on Love (in no particular order). Over the next few days, I'll explain each of these in detail. Enjoy.


1. Don't Compromise Your Standards or Settle 

2.   Always Take Steps to Improve Yourself

3.   When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them

4.   To Thine Own Self, Be True

5.   Sometimes Being Alone is the Best Way to Go

6.   Always Cover Your A$$

7.   Stick By Your Decisions

8.   Don't Be Dependent

9.   If You're Not Friends, You're Not a Real Couple

10. Maintain Adequate Spacing

*BONUS*

11. Don't Play With People's Emotions

Excerpt of a Sermon on Self-Examination-Circa 1858

A Sermon (No. 218)

Delivered on Sabbath Morning, October 10, 1858, by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates."—2 Corinthians 13:5.

HAD INTENDED to address you this morning from the third title given to our blessed Redeemer, in the verse we have considered twice before—"Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God;" but owing to excruciating pain and continual sickness, I have been unable to gather my thoughts together, and therefore I feel constrained to address you on a subject which has often been upon my heart and not unfrequently upon my lips, and concerning which, I dare say, I have admonished a very large proportion of this audience before. You will find the text in the thirteenth chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians, at the fifth verse—"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"—a solemn text, that we cannot preach too impressively, or too frequently meditate.
The Corinthians were the critics of the apostles' age. They took to themselves great credit for skill in learning and in language, and as most men do who are wise in their own esteem, they made a wrong use of their wisdom and learning—they began to criticise the apostle Paul. They criticised his style. "His letters," say they, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible." Nay, not content with that, they went so far as to deny his apostleship, and for once in his life, the apostle Paul found himself compelled to "become a fool in glorying; for," says he, "ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing." The apostle wrote two letters to them; in both he is compelled to upbraid them while he defends himself, and when he had fully disarmed his opponents, and wrested the sword of their criticism out of their hands, he pointed it at their own breasts, saying, "'Examine yourselves.' You have disputed my doctrine; examine whether ye be in the faith. You have made me prove my apostleship; 'prove your own selves.' Use the powers which you have been so wrongfully exercising upon me for a little season upon your own characters."
And now, my dear friends, the fault of the Corinthians is the fault of the present age. Let not any one of you, as he goeth out of the house of God, say unto his neighbour. "How did you like the preacher? What did you think of the sermon this morning?" Is that the question you should ask as you retire from God's house? Do you come here to judge God's servants? I know it is but a small thing unto us to be judged of man's judgment; for our judgment is of the Lord our God; to our own Master we shall stand or fall. But, O men! ye should ask a question more profitable unto yourselves than this. Ye should say, "Did not such-and-such a speech strike me? Did not that exactly consort with my condition? Was that not a rebuke that I deserve, a word of reproof or of exhortation? Let me take unto myself that which I have heard, and let me not judge the preacher, for he is God's messenger to my soul: I came up here to be judged of God's Word, and not to judge God's Word myself." But since there is in all our hearts a great backwardness to self-examination, I shall lay out myself for a few minutes this morning, earnestly to exhort myself, and all of you, to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith.

Read the Whole Thing Here
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0218.htm

Start Your Day How You Want to Finish It--Good!

 How many times have you heard "Today is the first day of the rest of your life?" Too many to count right? As cliche as the phrase may be, it holds some truth. Each day is the opportunity to make change. Change begins with the little steps you take day by day. Rather than being overwhelmed at the prospect of getting things done, focus on the present moment and embrace it fully. When you first wake up, decide what it is you want to do at that exact moment. Choose a task that's different, but don't spend too much time thinking about it. The first thing you do shouldn't be something you feel like you have to do--it should be something you want to do. That means not checking emails or your phone, switching on the television, or thinking about the laundry list of things you have to do for the day. Pick something simple, yet productive. You have a whole 24 hours to do the rest of that stuff so no need to rush into it. Once you pick a task, do it and invest your mind completely into it. Afterwards, you can focus on doing something else. As the day goes by, you'll begin to notice how much you've achieved in the short span of a day. Just be sure the actions you engage in throughout the day are positive and productive.  

Top Ten Things You Can Do to Start a Productive Day 

Shower and Get Dressed 
This one may seem obvious, but it's all in how you look at things. A hot shower can be very refreshing. While the water hits your skin, enjoy the feeling it creates. Think about good things as you clean. Take your time and admire every part of yourself.

Clean Up 
Cleanliness is next to godliness. Cleaning up, while it may seem like a chore, is a great way to start a productive day. Clutter and disorganization are bothersome. Before you dive into the day, make your bed, clean your tables, sweep and create order in your space.

Pray/Meditate 
This is your opportunity to clear your mind of negative thoughts. You're probably saying "I just woke up. I don't have any negative thoughts." Believe it or not, you probably do. Consciously acknowledge any pressure you're feeling because of worry or anxiety and replace those thoughts with positive affirmations about the upcoming day. Take deep breaths and become one with the current moment. When you're finished, you'll feel more at peace.

Read Something Inspirational
You can never go wrong starting your day with inspiration. Morning newscasts can be depressing because of all the drama going on in the world at any given point. Also, you don't want to start your day with media conditioning. Feed your mind with positive information when you wake up.

Write 
Like praying and meditating, writing is an opportunity for a mental dump. In the morning, the goal is to provide yourself with a clean slate and aim for productive tasks. Writing and being creative is a wonderful way to release. It doesn't matter what or how much you write, just do it.

Tell someone good morning 
So many people wake up angry. A simple good morning may be enough to put them back in a good mood. It's also a selfless, generous thing to do.

Look in the Mirror and Smile 
Be happy for the opportunity to be you yet another day. Look in the mirror and smile. Take note of the image and allow it to permeate your brain. Remind yourself you're unique and beautiful.

Stretch 
In the morning, your body isn't loose. You're typically feeling tight and crumpled. Stretching can be a great means of stress reduction. Feeling limber and light will help get you off to an active start for the day.

Go Outside
Nature is the most beautiful alarm you can hope for. Stepping outside in the morning can be an inspiring, peaceful experience. Experience nature. Hear the birds singing, feel the calm of a morning breeze, admire the trees swaying to and fro while the squirrels hop along the branches. Nature has a tendency of putting everything in perspective.

Exercise 
What's better than getting the blood rushing a bit? A short walk or run will prepare your body for the day's activity and you burn calories while you're at it. Exercising releases serotonin which elevates dopamine, a pleasure chemical into your brain.

Shawn Achor-The Happy Secret to Better Work

The Black Man's Plight

 For the most part, Black men exist within the confines of their environments and are shaped by the ideas and perceptions of those around them and the media. Their ideas of their own education and mental ability are informed by bias accounts of the media, music and entertainment. Much like Carter G. Woodson suggested in The Miseducation of the Negro, when it comes to erasing the plight of the Black male the focus should not be on changing external factors. Rather, we must reshape the way Black males think. Of all the above factors, the one most effective in dealing with the issues of Black male underachievement is education and mental awareness. If a man thinks he can beat his situation, then everything else will follow. It's the motivation of our men that is essential to defeating the negative influences prevalent in our society.

What is it that keeps Black males from making the right decisions? What forces Black men to choose the path that reinforces negative stereotypes about them? I could say it's due to the lack of positive things going on around them, provide a sociological explanation: the lack of encouragement, resources, etc. But is that really the issue? I'm more inclined inclined to believe it's the fact that Black men don't take the time to evaluate who they are and what they want and they rather live re-actively. Instead of seeing, perceiving and making an informed decision to do something, they simply let their surroundings determine what they are going to do next. They essentially conform to the incorrect definitions of their person.

Although circumstances have a profound effect on the number of options one has, no situation can strip one of their free will, their ability to decide to overcome. How do we get Black males to think for themselves?

Building Self Confidence: Defining Your Own Truths and Creating Your Reality

Self-confidence starts with internal motivation. People who are self-confident define their own positive truths about themselves and their capabilities. Those who lack self-confidence have allowed the outside world to influence their self-perception. The media, friends, family, they all will try to tell you how you should feel about yourself. They want you to believe their truths. However, once you separate from the reality and truth born from outside influences, you can establish a new set of internal truths and create your own positive reality.

The best way to create a positive reality and establish positive truths is to optimize your own thoughts and actions, your own time and effort. This new truth, defined through maximizing personal resources, becomes productivity, advancement, and forward thinking. The power of personal, productive truth, springing forth from the inside, is unlimited.

Those with self-confidence are in control. By defining your reality from within, your mind becomes a tool for manipulating the world around you. Manipulation isn't a bad thing. The connotations around that word are overstated. It is in this case, adapting to your situation, and creating what you have decided is an optimal outcome.

Find and locate ways to make the universe an open stage rather than a prison. Here are examples of positive internal truths that will help you build self-confidence. For your positive reality to manifest on the outside, you must believe in these truths on the inside. 

1. You are and will always be a product of greatness, so therefore your actions are tailored to maintain such. Because of this, your every word, every behavior, every decision is based in making not only yourself comfortable, but every person around me.

2. Your interactions are designed as opportunities to make positive, productive impressions that last. Create in every person a curious urge, a thirst for that "it" factor.

3.Design your endeavors around maximizing your potential for greatness. Carry yourself with the confidence and knowledge that your destiny is fullness and abundance. Drill this belief into your head and delete from your thoughts anything contradictory to it.

4. Negativity is naught. It does not exist. To eliminate it is of utmost importance.

5. Harnessing creative potential, you can separate yourself from those who at first glance, are similar to you. This is the definition of personal style, the collective of your personality and abilities, your practice, your walk, your swagger.


With these things in mind, you have set the groundwork for building and maintaining an effective level of self-confidence. As you optimize your thoughts, establish a foundation of internal truth. Live by those truths and never forsake them.