You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Will’ tag.
There’s lot of talk about doing God’s Will. “You choose, I’ll follow.” There’s also quite a bit about it being about my will, what I decide it to be. Which is it? I think it means that God wants for us what we want for ourselves. God’s will is simply salvation – that we remember who we are. So the path He lays out for us can be colored by our wishes, our will.
God never forces us to do anything. He only encourages. Seeing the wider Point-Of-View, He knows all is well. No matter what our monkey minds might chatter up. God never stops, never loses patience. Why should He? He has all the time in the world.
What an amazing system He created of Cause and Effect which moves the energy in the Universe. We all have an impact on how it moves, in our own way, at our own pace, in our own time. By our impressions about life we are at cause in what’s happening to us. Our thoughts conjure the particular effect we think about. They direct our action (our cause) to the effect it produces.
Underlying the various stories we seem so magically able to create, is a brilliant, Loving Universe that wants to support us to have whatever it is we say we want. This entity wishes only that we experience all that life has to offer – the “good” and the “bad” – as it’s all God Stuff after all.
It is we carbon-based creatures who care to see this false reality of guilt and blame, up and down, love and fear. We can’t seem to get the game; that it’s all about Love. We find it so hard to see through the illusion to the Loving nature of the Universe.
We can feel it. Maybe see it in action. But it is I guess our challenge, our question to answer: Will we rest into that Loving Universe each and every day? Welcoming all that comes our way with love and understanding? Doing what makes us happy, helping and supporting others, knowing we are all in this together?
In the end, it is God’s will that we find our way there. Salvation is the goal and its end is assured. But in the meantime, it is our will that fills in the details. What we believe about ourselves, about our lives, how the universe works is how the Universe works for us.
Will is an interesting thing. It will be your best friend and help you to move through life deliberately and gracefully.
However, will can also be hard and unyielding. Sometimes it won’t let you move forward. It convinces you that you can’t change, you must remain the same. Will can keep you stuck in a place you might not want to be. Will is responsible for, like a stubborn child, making you believe you can’t let go.
Will is the difference between giving and taking, holding and releasing. Will can bend you or keep you from going where you should not.
The truth is: life is change and nothing ever remains the same. Will allows life to flow. When you’re willing to let go, life moves like a steady stream. Will is the source of your First choice. What is your will? What do you want?
When you’re willing to let go, when you don’t let resistance get in the way, life is much easier. You will feel calmer and things will seem to come to you.
If you are in the rock hard grasp of Will, you can sometimes loosen it by being willing to be willing. Just that small gap might just remove the boulder out of your way and free your will and your life to fly!
1) Make a Choice to Do It.
Setting the Intention and putting some enthusiasm behind it is the best way to get going.
2) Plan Wisely.
Be sure to know how I’m going to do it. Don’t overload. Consider how I’m feeling and what else I need to do. What will my overall energy requirements be? Find a good time to do it. And know the steps I’m going to take.
3) Know the Reasons I Want to Do It.
This will increase my enthusiasm and seal my commitment if the going gets rough.
4) Accept That it May Not Get Done the Way I Picture It.
Doing what I say I’m going to do,
Has nothing to do with when.
Not being able to do it now (or when I planned),
Doesn’t negate doing it at another time.
Simply say when I will try again and stick to it.
5) Check to See if There’s an Easier Way.
I increase my chances of doing it if I make time to find the quickest route.
6) Get Into the Good Feelings.
Remember how wonderful it feels to do what I said I would do, to follow through on my promises. How about that feeling of crossing it off the list, knowing I did it!
7) Remember the Steps for Goal Getting.
First is knowing what you want to do.
Second is figuring out what it will take to get it.
But nothing gets done unless you Take the Steps.
8) Stop to Appreciate the Accomplishment.
It’s so easy to jump into the next thing. If I make sure to appreciate the accomplishment, I strengthen my will muscle and my commitment for the next goal.
Some say God’s Will is our will. Will is not effort, but desire or choice. It is that Real Desire of the Soul. What you truly want. If you will it, you choose it.
God/The Universe will bring you what you choose. It’s not about leaning on Him to make your choices, but allowing the call of your soul to be “heard,” so to speak. God already knows what it is, but He can only come in to help and guide if you allow Him. You need to move your will aside so He can do His thing.
The only way to find this Will, this Choice, this Desire of the Soul, is to relax. The Soul speaks softly and if you’re cranking around, stressed and obsessed, you won’t hear it. It is not found, nor ignited through effort, but through release.
You always have a choice how you wish to feel. You can be negative – depressed, resentful, angry, frustrated, confused, afraid, ashamed, guilty. Or you can be happy, at peace, excited, engaged, relaxed. What is your will?
From the book and workbook, “Living In the Light,” by Shakti Gawain
Shakti defines spirit and form like this, “Our Spirit is the creative energy of the universe which moves through us to manifest in the world. Our Form is our physical body, our mind and our personality – the medium through which our spirit moves.”
The problem is that what they seek is often in conflict. The spirit wants expression, change, a bigger life, while the form wants safety and security, and for things to remain the same. Shakti says this explains how we can be conscious and strong one day and lost and panicking the next.
So many of us spend most of our lives feeling lost and dissatisfied, no matter what we have. Shakti tells us it’s because of “our lack of connection to our spirit.” Our spirit and form are working against each other. Often, the only time we can regain that connection is when we give up and surrender. That’s the point where we can bring these two into alignment.
You can have it either way. You can focus on your spirit and keep it from ever having to be dragged down by the form. (Frankly, the form keeps us alive and functioning, so you can’t really do that for long.) If it’s all about form, you carry that burden of “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Shakti wants us to “recognize and feel” both sides. Secondly, we need to love and accept these seemingly opposite sides of ourselves. “It’s frustrating,” Shakti warns, “to see that your form can’t do all your spirit wants to yet. But it’s important to appreciate it as it is now and allow the integration to take place at its own pace.” Sigh. Well, that’s life, isn’t it?
Like all of this, it’s about listening to your inner voice and following its guidance. This will build trust. “The more the form surrenders to and moves with the spirit, the more enlightened and empowered it will become.” There’s that surrender again!
Up comes this notion about will – that will is not about gritting teeth and moving forward. But more about knowing and allowing. Watch what happens when you’re too afraid to follow your intuition. Try to tell the truth about what you can and can’t do. But don’t forget to be easy on yourself. The more you can keep judgements out of it, the easier it will be to see when you are following the right voice. That will build trust in your ability to hear and heed guidance and your willingness to follow it.
Exercise 9 is another 3 column exercise in the workbook.
In the first column, is What I Desire to Do – what your soul longs to do, like take a wonderful vacation to an exotic place, or save the environment, or be a famous singer. Then list what you are doing now to make this happen. In the third column, come up with a step you can take toward expressing this desire.
I was surprised to find that I am taking steps toward many of the things I desire. This is probably thanks to Dream Boogie. Others I feel okay about not pursuing right now – like building my dream house. I continue to envision it and think about having it, but it doesn’t feel like the time to start drawing up plans. I don’t need an Aston Martin at this particular place and time, either. If I have the time, I might do a little online research to be sure it’s the DB9 I want and maybe choose my color. I could find a picture of it to hang on my wall. But, otherwise, I think it can sit for the time being.
One of my desires is to have my writing touch lots of hearts. I hope that I’m doing that by posting to this Blog and searching for more readers.
There are also some heroes (and heroines) that I would like to meet someday. I am, as it turns out, actively seeking them out through my business, UpWrite Words. As for my dream of being a published author? Check. I work on that regularly as I prepare a book proposal.
This exercise made me feel good about the ways I’m working to integrate my form and spirit.
Can you list 10 things you desire to do?
The subtitle of this book is: “5 Easy Steps to Discovering What you Really Want and Getting it!” Great concept, huh? Marcia Wieder, the author of this classic book, is a Dream Master. She has been writing and teaching about manifesting dreams for many years. Some of her other books are, “Making Your Dreams Come True” and “Life is But a Dream.” I read “Making Your Dreams Come True” years ago. And loved it.
“Ease” Marcia says, “is about effortlessly accessing and shifting energy.” Of course, the most powerful step you can take is to be more aware of yourself and your feelings. She stresses the importance of taking good care of yourself, too.
She has an unusual take on using your will. I’ve already talked about it in a previous blog and may well delve into it again, at another time. It’s about, I believe, generating your passion, accepting what is and then the will follows, easily and effortlessly.
The book is full of numbered lists like “10 Ways To Make Life More Difficult.” The exercises are stacked with thoughtful questions to answer. It’s an easy read with her humor and deep belief in making your dreams come true.
Speaking of beliefs, she talks at length about dealing with limiting beliefs that are often in the way of manifesting what you want. Our beliefs and the consequential feelings from them create our thoughts and help or impede our progress.
Her Passion Pyramid, starting from a firm foundation of your Purpose, moves into making that purpose into an exciting Dream, creating Projects to make that dream happen and then, finally, Scheduling it into your life.
She talks a lot about creating a dream that you are more committed to than your current reality. She acknowledges that the road can be rough. “As you connect with your purpose and passion, old programming surfaces. As you start to feel your dreams and desires, your limiting beliefs will show up. And as you start to act on what you truly want, reality will test you.” You need to be clear about what you want and use passion for your dream to keep you moving toward it.
Marcia offers lots of fun tools like the “Completion Corner” which helps us find solutions to obstacles. Her essential theory on Obstacles: “Whenever there is an obstacle, design a strategy to manage it.” In the Completion Corner we learn tactics for doing that. I like the “Ease Meter” where you decide on a set of criteria for helping to decide if a project is worth taking on or not by how much ease and passion it could bring.
The #1 way to get more ease, according to Marcia, is to build what she calls an “Ease Team.” Everyone talks about getting support from others. Dreams never come true from one person’s effort only. “The greatest magic happens when we share our dreams with others.” I love that!
“Doing Less and Having More” will teach you a lot about yourself and what you’re looking for. And, if you follow the instructions, Marcia can help you make your dreams your reality.
I was reading the other day, in Marcia Wieder’s, Doing Less and Having More about her definition of Will. Rather than the usual, grit your teeth and make things happen definition, she talks about using will in ease.
As I see it, it goes like this: First, you set your will and intention to say Yes. To allow all to be just as it is. Sharon Salzberg, in her beautiful book, A Heart as Wide as the World, explains Right Effort from the Buddha’s Eightfold Noble Path, “Right Effort is a willingness to open where we have been closed, to come close to what we have avoided, to be patient with ourselves and to let go of our preconceptions.” This seems to speak of that ease which Marcia was talking about. Will, in this case, is about opening rather than closing.
I think this kind of efforting frees us from the emotions that keep us tight, bogged down and clouded – unsure, afraid, hesitant.
Without all that, it’s easy to see what is really going on. Using that knowledge, in quiet and acceptance, you can know what to do next, hear Guidance, see what will work. This easily flows you into action.
The Positive Slant On the Path 