(Accessing the true potential inside)
Here’s the audio version as well, in case you’re like me
(I love listening, besides reading).
We find devotees to all kinds of religion every day!
The words they use in their daily conversations, frequently mention their god or other sacred entity.
At their homes, it would be usual to find some elements that proclaim this devotion and perhaps even ritual objects to revere it.
Nevertheless, in their daily lives we might notice that there’s fear, distrust, negativity, sickness, and lack of peace… Why?
How can we gain a healthy perception of Faith?
Our Cultural Beliefs
Among the most valuable gifts we’ve received as a legacy from our parents and their ancestors, is religion and everything that comes with it.
In general, this concept has been tinted with veneration and a mix of love and fear… After all, we’re taking in consideration an entity that is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent (and shouldn’t have gender; therefore, it must exude both masculine and feminine energy at the same time)! Nothing escapes Its knowledge, and for us mortals to imitate Him (or Her) is too high a bar to reach!
Ever since we were kids, we were raised with an image that there’s an inevitable judgment, which will measure all our achievements and faults (mild or severe). Once again we face the issue of “deserving” the blessings or punishments… according to tradition.
This view reached the point of using religion even to manipulate children during Christmas, making them believe that “if they behaved well”, they’d receive whatever material gifts they wished, straight from heaven!
This tradition has spoiled the behavior intended as unconditional kindness every day of the year, and turned kids into greedy and (in my opinion) quite shallow!
On the other hand, some of us were told that –no matter how serious our faults may be- if we accepted a certain amount of rituals or actions (specifically on certain days), we would be automatically and completely forgiven (absolved)…
The thing is that –in the best of their intentions- our ancestors wanted to guide us toward eternal happiness (“Heaven”) and wanted to prevent us from perdition and suffering… or perhaps they wished to feel that they have done a good job, precisely in order to “gain points” for their own destiny?
Either way, the important thing I want to highlight here is that whatever concept each one of us have had, should pass through the Inner Guidance filter again, which will allow us to discern our true beliefs regarding this important topic of Unconditional Love, so that we can heal it from the core.
Our Experiential Certainties
If we follow the track of the most transcendental events in our lives, and even those that are not so meaningful, we’ll be able to notice a pattern of perception associated with our beliefs:
- When in pain and danger, do we implore God’s help mental or verbally?
- When worried, do we do it as well?
- When there’s a tragedy in our lives, whom do we claim against?
- If we receive an unexpected blessing, do we thank Him/Her?
- In the face of natural disasters, do we mention God in any way?
- When we compare ourselves to others who are more fortunate, do we complain to God?
- And when we compare to the less fortunate?
It’s quite probable that we have invoked His name more than once, and somehow we’ve felt that Presence in our lives, even though the perception we might have regarding that Being could be far from reality…
In truth, if that Being is meant to be pure Unconditional Love, is not judging us for our decisions, even if those choices have not been too wise. If He’s Omnipotent, He’s already INSIDE us as much as in everything that surrounds us.
We’ve been given the capacity to discern and the freedom to choose. The results of these selections are directly proportional to certain factors that not always respond to logic, as some might think, but neither to “luck” as some others assure.
The results of our actions are strongly influenced by the intention with which we perform them, and that Omnipotent Being supports that purpose.
It there’s guilt or fear infused within a project, the outcome could be subconscious self-sabotage. Same as when the action is not aligned with what we really want to achieve in our heart; the result will be hindered, stopped, or there won’t be enjoyment when performed.
Inversely, if we’re convinced and determined to achieve something that motivates us from the deepest fiber of the being, because we feel it very convenient to us, it will be an easy process and filled with joy!
Our Relationship With A Supreme Being
When claiming our “faith”, sometimes we relentlessly plead that Divinity something we desire or need… Couldn’t it be that such repetition displays lack of faith, precisely?
Are we uncertain that our prayers have been heard, and we keep on insisting not only by uttering our desire but also stating “how” it should be done…?
I’d like to ask you some questions, and please respond them to yourself honestly, without judging them as “childish” or “naïve”… There’s an important reason behind them.
- How do you perceive that Presence?
- Do you imagine Him “up there in the highest”, far away from you?
- Do you envision His size and definite appearance?
- Do you sense that It has some specific personality?
- Do you feel He doesn’t listen to you?
- Do you identify that He answers you somehow?
- Do you believe that your insistence is what will get His attention?
- What do you do after you place a petition?
Depending on the way you perceive that Being, is the way you’ll act in your daily life.
Perhaps you think that It doesn’t exist altogether, and you feel lonely inside, trusting exclusively your own effort.
Or perhaps you feel that you’ll only get what you desire when you prove that you deserve it through sacrifice that might purify you and make you worthy of receiving those blessings…?
Or maybe you’re counting on an “association” with that Being, which holds all the power to accomplish whatever is more convenient to you, and you firmly believe that He will do his part while you allow yourself to be guided to do those actions that will be intuitively inspired in your heart and creative mind?
I guess you’ve already discovered that I’m inclined to believe the latter option, because I’ve proven that such partnership does exists, and it is I –through my analytic mind- who blocks or allows that creative & transformative power to flow in my life!
I’ve witnessed many manifestations that fit in the description of “Miracles”, and I’ve been able to strongly feel the proofs of Love embracing me from that spiritual plane.
I’ve felt the Friendship, complicity, compassion, even humor and tenderness from what I perceive to be God. Besides I’ve been able to transmit messages of wisdom that my brain wouldn’t have been able to elaborate on its own, and I’ve also been able to compose songs that were inspired within minutes (lyrics, music, and adaptation to English & Spanish), and every time I perform them, something moves every fiber of my being!
Even in the most insignificant details, like trying to find some object that I need but can’t remember where it is: It guides me directly to search in the most absurd places, and there it is!
What I mean to transmit to you here is that we shouldn’t underestimate our relationship with that wonderful Being, and Its participation in our lives! It is imprinted in you and in every single thing that exists, as we already mentioned.
Our Capacity To Release And Trust
If faith means truly believing Him that He’s doing His part if we allow Him, then the best thing we could do is to take advantage of that resource by stepping aside in order for Him to act freely, and be glorified through His Masterwork!
In order to do so, it’s necessary to give up control! Some might believe that what I’m telling them is “not to do anything at all”, but that’s not the case. What I want to express is that even though we are always operating the rudder, we must let us be guided by that inner inspiration, which is confirmed through passion (enthusiasm and drive) and joyful peace to perform that action we’ll feel led to do.
Many times a project has been sowed with lots of expectation in the certainty that it’s for the better, and suddenly we can’t see any apparent fruit. So we’re filled with doubt and even disappointment. Perhaps we reach the point of protesting in anger because of the seeming failure! In fact we might even destroy everything we had created and turn our backs to head in another direction toward a new goal…
But maybe -had we trusted more and proclaimed our certainty that it would sprout one way or another- we would have achieved not only the expected result, but possibly a much better one!
Impatience is an affirmation of what we don’t have (attitude of scarcity) and doubting that it could ever be fulfilled (lack of faith).
If you open your mind more to what seems to be “impossible”, you could unleash the intuition that will creatively guide you toward performing heroic acts and dreams that were considered “unreachable”.
This is the most important element of all of our potential! It’s the hub of our real success, which doesn’t translate to the quantity of temporary achievements we might pile up, but instead in freeing our limitless capacity to reach balance in all areas of our being, and the enjoyment of all the gifts (visible & invisible) that have been granted to us for eternity!
