Today’s application is another application of action.  We’ve previously covered the principle of faith without action is dead, and equally action without faith is dead.  Today we’re going to go a little more in depth about what that principle means and how to apply it.

There are times when we get caught up in our life and feel overwhelmed.  We become concerned about external and internal aspects; really, all facets of our life.  We don’t know exactly what is going on but we feel overwhelmed, find our selves with very little energy and very few ideas about what actions to take to improve the quality of our life.  We must remember that the first and foremost action that we can take in our life is the spiritual action… To grow spiritually is to be able to quiet down the insides.  We cannot function to good purpose nor make clear decisions when we’re running all the time in fear, anxiety and worry.

We need to look at certain indicators to help us recognize what actions we need to take that we aren’t taking, starting with where we are at emotionally.  If we are riddled with bitterness, regret, vengefulness, or remorse, then this is an indicator of that we are caught up in our past… Trying to change something that has already taken place… Being regretful about situations that have already unfolded, taken place and been recorded in our life that we cannot change today… We wallow back and forth wishing we had taken this action or that action.  The action we need to take right now in this moment is to settle with our past.  We might not get to figure out all the exact details in the moment, but there has to be a way to quiet the storm right now. The way to quiet that storm is to recognize that this day is the day that we have to change our life, and what is it we are doing this day to not wallow in regret for actions that have taken place.

It’s the action that we take in the day that we are in that matters.  If our past is blocking us from living today then we need to let that go.

If we have these emotions of bitterness, regret, vengefulness, or remorse then we are caught up in our past and it is haunting us… When we are caught up in our past and it haunts us, we can’t have clarity…  When the consciousness of our mind is going so fast that nothing seems to settle down and we can’t get clarity about actions today, it means that we are focusing too much on what has gone down already.  There needs to be the understanding that if we have a way of life now, if we have something now that we can take action in to create harmony in our inner life then everything that happened has lead us to a moment where we can find our freedom now.  We all need to look inside and ask, “Do I have something inside of me and in my life that guides me on how to live, on how to be the best person that I can be, to fulfill my dreams, and to allow me to live in a world that has unlimited possibilities?”  Are we embracing a way of life?

This is what I have been talking about:  A way of life that guides us in the decisions that we make and the actions that we take.

A way of life that allows us to process those emotions, past history and show us the best actions that we can take for our life today.  It has to do with spiritual growth… We must grow spiritually inside… We must be quiet internally in order to figure out the actions we should take.  The way that we slow things down and get quiet is to have a way to recognize what it is that is disturbing us in our life right now.  If it is our past, the best way to settle with it at times is to recognize that we have a way of life right now that shows us how to live that guides us in the day that we are in… Part of that way of life is:  no more chaotic emotions!  No more erratic emotions that disturb us and take us all over the map.  We have to learn to regulate our emotions and one way to do that is to feel good about the way of life that we have today, right now, in this moment.

Embrace this way of life that is being given to us that has a moral code that tells us how to live in the day that we are in, to allow us to manifest a positive psychic change.  The true change is in the way that we think and perceive the world we live in.  We must perceive this world as opportunity.  But, if we are haunted by our past and can’t let go of it, and keep hanging onto victim-hood, self-doubt and regret, then how can we have clarity for today?  That is one of the first things that we must start with in a way of life: to let our past go.  When the time is right we will settle with it… We will come to terms with it.  But the first process must be: Stop engaging with our past and stop reflecting on yesterdays.  The discipline becomes: No more thinking about yesterday unless there is purpose or we have a guide.  If we are really caught up in our yesterdays then it definitely means that we should not talk or think about our past without a guide… Without somebody there to let us know when we are getting too caught up, looking at it the wrong way, hanging onto the wrong things.  That then gives us freedom to recognize that we of our selves and by our selves can’t create that peace and harmony in our past, but we can reach out for guidance.  We can then become aware of when we’re having thoughts and memories from our past that are disturbing us and disengage from them.  The way we disengage from them is to think about what it is we can do today to bring harmony into our lives.  Who can we call to tell them that we love them, to connect to that feeling of wellbeing?  Who can we share with and spend time with that makes us feel good?  Who can we help and be of service to?  These are the actions we can take to quiet the disturbance from yesterdays.

In dealing with our past, initially what we need to do is set it down for right now… Until we can get our selves quiet… Until we quiet that disturbance in our mind, soul and emotions.  We do this by staying in the now.  We practice what it is like to live in this now as it is.  A great key to use to keep us in the now is to learn to listen… Listen like our life depends on it… Listen to everybody and everything, because we are being given indicators all day long about the next actions we should take.  But, if we don’t listen then we can’t hear what those actions are… If we are constantly remembering, regretting, in anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, or thinking that the life we have is not going or not gone in the direction we wanted it to go in, then we can’t be clear on what we need to do today.

The best way to quiet the disturbance today is to trust that all our life has lead up to this moment where we are embracing a way of life… This way of life is going to guide us from this point forward… We no longer have to “figure it out.”  The job that we have is to be at peace in the day that we’re in.

Even when we are stressed about the future, things that are coming up on the horizon that we’re concerned about, or disturbing conflict or unresolved major issues, whatever it is, we must remember that people transform.  There are two types of transformation:  people who regress when bad situations happen with anxiety, havoc, and turmoil; and then people who learn how to transform in a healthy way by getting productive, figuring out how to create order out of chaos which is usually done by being present in the moment.  When Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic and he didn’t know if he was going to die, he said he was intensely aware of the cockpit and every little gauge, all the instruments, how the screws fit in, where the welds were… every little aspect and detail of that cockpit.  Because when we’re in our last moments or even just in adversity, there is so much to see… So much of us looking for answers… When we’re looking for answers in our life they are always right in front of us.

We must apply practicing that intense presence of being in the moment we are in because we are looking for guidance… We are looking for direction… We are looking for signals to indicate what we should do; and, in order to find them we have to be present.  Not only are we present but also we are actively embracing the moment we’re in with such intensity and clarity… Because we’re looking for the next little guidance that we need and it could come in the most minute way, but it could be a major component that is necessary.  The way we find that component is to search and research again and again always in the moment we’re in with the completely open mind.  That is how we settle with the past and stop the concern about the future… We intensify our opportunities in the day that we’re in to completely focus on the moments that are unfolding for our life because we are looking for direction.  And it will always come if we stop everything, listen as if our life depends on it and pay attention to everything that happens.  We’ll be taken to the next thing that we are supposed to do, and the joy will unfold for our life because the next thing we are supposed to do is so clear because of our presence in the moment we are in.   Practicing being present in the moment that we are in will guide us to next steps we are supposed to take.

Much love,

K.C.

This material is copyrighted and owned by Thought-Life Connection (TLC) and is not to be reproduced or used without the author’s consent. © 2012