Caterpillars

We are all caterpillars, and Jesus was a butterfly. He tried to teach us how to fly,  but the people of his time weren’t ready, including his disciples.

So, caterpillars wrote the New Testament. They copied down the Butterfly’s words, which are helpful, but much of the New Testament contains the words of caterpillars (like Paul, and the church leaders who selected which writings would be included and which would be burned) who turned His wise words into a belief system—one that keeps us on the ground and under control. The caterpillars teach that heaven is a place where you go someday if you are “good” and if you believe the right things. 

They created a religion of fear. The Butterfly taught that the Kingdom of Heaven is among us, within us, at hand. Wings (freedom and heaven) are not something you get some day when you die. They are available now, but first, you have to stop thinking like a caterpillar.

Note: If you are a Christian, I am not saying to stop being one. I am saying--challenge your beliefs. Read what Jesus actually said. When you read your Bible, ask for guidance for what the words mean to you--rather than accepting what all the caterpillars have said.

Beliefs Limit You

Beliefs limit you. 

What do you believe about yourself? Most of us carry a story that says “I’m not good enough.”

The story is a belief and an identity that kicks in, in certain situations, and for many people, in every situation.

For example: If you are looking for a relationship and you have the belief that you are not good enough  (not good enough to be loved, not attractive enough, etc.) you will carry yourself as someone who is not good enough. Posture, facial expression, speech, and conversation will all be affected.  You will make yourself unattractive and teach others to treat you as unattractive—and the image you believe in will be reinforced. Such is the power of a belief.

It’s only a belief, and therefore real for as long as you subscribe to it. If you find yourself playing the “not good enough” role, identify it and accept it.  Sit with it and realize that you created this belief.  Next, change your posture. Breathe deeply. Speak with authority. Be who you want to be. Practice being worthy by playing the role of one who appreciates him/herself.  

When you believe that someone else is not good enough, or foolish, or incompetent, or any critical description—that’s what you will see. They won’t have a chance with you, because your belief prevents you from seeing who they are. Your belief in their low status will encourage in them the very traits you dislike. For example, if you think someone is  a fool, you will talk to them as if they are a fool. This creates a dynamic where your way of being encourages them to be a fool. In other words, the more critical you are of someone, the more they will live down to your low expectation. Set aside your negative belief.  

Several things you can do are:

• Look for qualities you can appreciate in the other person

• See God in that person

• Pray to your Higher Power that you may see this person clearly (To use a New Testament reference: Ask that the beam be removed from your own eye that you may see more clearly.)

•  Recognize that whatever you are reacting to in them is actually projection. It always is. That is, something in them reminds you of some part of yourself that you don’t accept.

• Ask them how they feel and what they want. Ask them to tell you about themselves instead of assuming you already know.

What do you believe about human existence? Are we all sinners who must be saved? Are some people better than others because they have more talent or more money? Are certain ethnic groups or races more important than others?  Are people who disagree with your politics stupid? weak? evil? foolish? deluded? Are people who don’t follow your religion condemned or somehow less worthy than you? These beliefs create communication barriers between you and other people. They limit what you can achieve and serve to limit others, too. They are illusions. 

Beliefs limit your growth. Spiritual growth and human adulthood are not about creating more beliefs. They are about undoing the many false beliefs we hold. Zen Buddhists call this “Shoshin.”  It means "beginner’s mind," and it refers to frame of mind where you are open, eager to learn, and have no preconceptions. Belief gives you the illusion that you already know. When you “already know” you are blind and deaf. What you see and hear takes place in your own mind and is projected on to others and into your world. If you must hold beliefs, hold them lightly. Practice seeing the world, yourself, other people, and God as if you are looking for the first time. This is humility. This is wisdom. 

By William Frank Diedrich

Author of Human Adulthood: A Spiritual Romance

and a few other books.

http://humanadulthood.com

Belief in God, (Or Not?)

A friend of mine told me he was an Atheist. I asked him what that meant. He said: "It means I don't believe in God."

I asked him: "What do you mean by God?"

He said: "A divine being who created the world and who judges us."

I responded: "I don't believe in that god either, but I'm not an Atheist.

When someone asks me: "Do you believe in God?" It doesn't compute. It's like asking me if I believe in that tree. God is obvious to me, not something I need to believe or not believe in.

Were I to say what God is, I can only offer: "God Is."  The moment you start adding adjectives you create limitations and you make God smaller.

The god(s) that most people believe in is(are) very small. This is because people create god  in their own image. So we end up with a god who is opinionated, who holds grudges, who will forgive us if we believe the right things, who accepts us into some transcendent paradise if we are "good" and sends us to Hell if we are bad.

In some belief systems (Christian, Islam, Judaism) god has been known to send us into battle to kill the non-believers or anyone he is displeased with. In older versions of Mormonism god tells a forty year old man he is supposed to marry a fifteen year old girl and add her to his group of wives. The god of human beings tells people all kinds of crazy things to do and say that are hurtful to others. Humans justify killing, rape, stealing, bigotry, and rude behavior all in the name of "God."

If you believe in a god who judges, then you tend to judge, too. It's a game of who is in and who is out, who is saved and who is damned. If there were a divine being who thought that way, I would just as soon not be in this universe! Fortunately, there isn't. All we have are images made up by people who think the images are real.

Strip it all down and take it into contemplation, or prayer, or meditation, or art, or music, or walking in the woods. What do you know for sure?
• God is. (That is, there is some greater intelligence than my own little mind--there is something going on--some creative intelligence.)
• I am.  Since I am conscious, odds are that I exist. But who is this "I" that I'm identifying with?
• Death is a sure thing. Someday this life as I know it is going to end.

I know. It's easier to find some belief system and latch on. Then you don't have to think. Someone else will tell you what to believe and what to do. You just have to show up and follow the rules. You don't even have to show up--just say you believe. No proof is needed.

I don't "believe" in anything. I don't "believe" in God--at least not the one that everyone talks about. I'm not an Atheist, because an Atheist "believes" there is no higher power. That makes no sense at all, but I respect Atheists for at least beginning the process of challenging beliefs and thinking for themselves. I love Agnostics, having been one, because they admit that they just don't know. Most of us are DK squared. We don't know what we don't know. So we pretend that we do know, and we convince ourselves it's true.

In the New Testament there is a quote: "Seek first the Kingdom...and all else will be added." To believe in this statement means nothing. The verse is talking about surrender. In eastern religions it would be framed as non-attachment or non-resistance. Don't believe in it--just do it. Test it. Create the working assumption that there is an Intelligence greater than you and that It knows more than you, and surrender to it. Let go. Have goals if you want, but release your attachment to outcomes. See what develops. Work on trust. Accept what is and keep moving forward. None of this is about belief. This is spiritual practice. It doesn't involve any special rules or ritual, no god you have to please, no hell to avoid or heaven to hope for--just you present in this moment listening, feeling, sensing what God, the Universe, or whatever name you prefer, is nudging you to do.



by William Frank Diedrich,
Author of  Human Adulthood: A Spiritual Romance,
and a few other books, too.
http://humanadulthood.com

Beliefs

I will never find fault with spirituality. Spirituality has to do with a person’s 

relationship with a Higher Power, whether you define that power as a Divine Being, 

Higher Self, the Universe, Life, or Creative Intelligence. Spirituality is about seeking and knowing. Spirituality is not about belief. It is about feeling, and knowing, trusting, and seeking to unify with something greater than our respective personalities. Spiritually, everyone is on their own path, and each path has validity for the person who walks it. 

Religion is based on beliefs. Beliefs are not facts, and most, if not all  beliefs are not true. They are just beliefs

Beliefs are places of refuge where we cling during times when we aren’t seeking and growing. Beliefs are about having the answers, but spirituality is about questions. 

Beliefs create separation, and believers see their own system as superior. It isn’t.  Beliefs cause conflict. People tend to impose their beliefs on others. Strong religious beliefs are a hindrance to spiritual growth. How can you receive inspiration or knowledge if you think you already know everything via your beliefs? If your cup is already full, nothing new can be added. 

Who are you? What are you? What do you want? Beliefs provide easy answers to these questions, but they are someone else’s answers—not yours. What if you asked these questions and contemplated, or meditated, or prayed about them. That is, leave a blank and see what gets filled in.  What new thoughts might you receive? What insights? Inspiration? Ask, and you will receive. An empty cup yearns to be filled.

William Frank Diedrich

Author of Human Adulthood: A Spiritual Romance

http://humanadulthood.com

Better sorry than safe

When you make a commitment to move past your perceived limitations (spiritually, psychologically, socially, physically, creatively, or personally) you will produce one of three outcomes:
1. Your life appears to get worse (fall on your face, end relationships, etc.)
2. Things appear to stay the same.
3. Your life appears to get better.

Whichever happens for you, take it as a sign of progress. You have stepped out. You have exercised courage.

But watch for this: Any of these three outcomes will tempt you to hold back.
• If things get worse, you may throw up your hands and give up.
• If things stay the same, you may say that nothing is working.
• If things get better, you'll get comfortable and see no reason to go further.

Whichever your immediate outcome, continue further anyway. To be truly alive you must grow, stretch past perceived limits, and reach for the joy of being who you are. Whatever you decide to do, pour love into it--pour your whole self into it.

"Better sorry than safe."  (Halestorm)

William Frank Diedrich
http://humanadulthood.com

Best Growth

Some of my best growth comes when I am uncomfortable.

William Frank Diedrich
http://intelligentspirit.com

Not good enough

"I'm not good enough." Nearly everyone of us carries this negative  identity that may be activated by specific situations. When it's activated you feel scared, or embarrassed, or defensive, or anxious, or small. For some, this identity kicks in when they have to do public speaking. For others, it happens when attempting to form a romantic relationship. It doesn't matter who in the past encouraged you to feel this way.

This negative identity was created by you, probably when you were very young. It's not your fault, or anyone else's. It is simply what humans do. Most people carry this identity throughout life, often avoiding what they want because they are afraid, or embarrassed. Others continually sabotage themselves because "they aren't good enough'.

There is a payoff, of course. If you aren't good enough, then you don't have to step up and be wonderful, or beautiful, or intelligent, or proficient, or lovable. It keeps you safe within your self-imposed limitations..

Or, you could face it. You could allow yourself to feel it. It's uncomfortable, but feeling it without judgment and without identifying with it will allow the emotional charge to flow out of you. You could become uninterested in maintaining it. You could matter of fact-like give it over to your Spirit. You could decide to be someone else, because "I am good."(or beautiful, or competent, or talented, etc.)  is also an identity within you. You could allow yourself to feel that, knowing that is who you are. Cultivate that!
William Frank Diedrich
http://Adults-at-Work.com