The Spiritual Basis of Life

It became obvious to me this morning why I must live my life on a spiritual basis; or else go insane with anger and fear and rage.

Do you know what a basis is? It is a financial term, the original investment. More generally, it means foundation or founding principle. So, my life is founded on a spiritual basis: because I made that decision. Whether there is a God or a Holy Spirit actually doesn't matter. I just do much better with positive ideas, attitudes and opinions if I first rely on spirituality; and NOT my own resources. The only resources I have on my own are ego-based; and these are always losers. They only get me anger, fear, hatred and despair.

Ok so this morning, the alarm went off at 3:15 (my new get up time). I sat in bed for 10 minutes. My mind was flickering between the previous days incidents with colleagues and reaching out for God, trying to remember God. When I sat down with my coffee and looked at my spiritual reading, the line that jumped out at me was, "The Holy Spirit's Love is your strength" (ACIM text 12.V.4).

This acceptance of the Holy Spirit and Its plan for me and my learning experiences is The only sane thought I have. Attempting to answer my colleagues with better-thans or any sort of defensive maneuver or simply hating them in my mind will only kill me. Yet, all this attack crap is the ego's plan for me. It fosters unhappiness right now. If I accept whatever happens as a gift from the Holy Spirit for my spiritual development and transition from ego-consciousness into spiritual-consciousness, I WILL be happy. I will make progress in being a positive influence in the troubled areas of my world.

All of my colleague's seemingly negative behavior is a call for love. If I respond by looking beyond the physical world and seeing only spirit, then they have received love: a spiritual gift. I would rather they have that than my hatred or my attempt to compete with them on the ego level.

Ok so, my company has a leadership development program. I applied for the leadership development program. Yesterday, my colleague gave his reasons for why he didn't sign up. My ego immediately identified his ego's attempt to make him look good and me look stupid. I myself immediately saw the ego trap: I could be pissed that I get accepted into the program because it is for inferior people, or I could make a case for this colleague being closed minded and too arrogant to participate in a "development" program.

But when I signed up for the program, and found that since I haven't received a rejection notice yet that I'm probably accepted, I viewed the program as a gift from the Holy Spirit through my company. So, if I now decide that the program is demeaning then I have trashed the Holy Spirit's gift to me.

How often do we trash the gifts of Love (from the Holy Spirit) because our ego doesn't approve. Whereas, if we accept the gifts of Love, we have interesting spiritual growth opportunities.

Back to the financial idea of basis. Is my investment in spirit or in ego? Is my identity in spirit or in this world? What is my choice to be? Do I want the reward of beating my colleagues on the ego level or the reward of helping all of us transcend to the spiritual consciousness?

What is my choice to be?

I must live my life on a spiritual basis or else.

Identities

At issue: identities.

Yesterday, I was visiting with the lady who did my taxes this year. I picked her because I know she is experienced and knows what she is doing. I worked as a preparer in the same office for one year and that is how I met her. But, then I met her at church. So yesterday as we were chatting, she changed the subject to church. She knows me as Catholic. I pretended to be what she thought because it didn't seem necessary to ruffle her up.

I do this alot: hide behind identities. Identities are my safety shield because I am afraid of recriminations. That is, as long as people think I am one of them, they treat me favorably; but if they think I am strange, they treat me another way. The insiders get the privileges. Can you see that I accept privileges rather than be true to myself? How sickening?

First, what I see in the world is my projection and my decision. I am responsible for the world I see. Second, I cheat myself when I do not be myself. Third, I must be afraid of who I am.

These statements are huge. They provide a good touchstone for contemplation. I need to change my projections by changing my thoughts. I need to look inside and see who is really there and be that. The identities are my ego protective devices. Hence, I can't use my ego consicousness to correct the problem. I need spiritual help. I need to use a higher consciousness. The consciousness which is not ego is in me. If I give that consciousness a space to speak, it will.

I begin merely by sitting quietly and listening with non-ears to non-words which flow continuously from that spirit who I really am.