A Matter of Energy and Power--and Spirit

On January 23, 2010, I wrote a post on serendipity and synchronicity.  Writing that post reminded me about James Redfield's Celestine Prophecy and the Insights.  The third and fourth Insight were about energy and a struggle for power.  The fifth Insight was about tapping into the internal source of Spiritual energy--the energy flowing from God in all things and all people.

The way to overcome the struggle for power was to tap into our own inner source of Spiritual energy and to give freely of the overflow--sending it out to all things and all people.

In my own life I have found that tapping into the Spiritual power and giving freely (without attachment to outcomes) of the overflow helps me experience more joy and abundance and to see the positive energy around me.  James Redfield talks about it in The Celestine Prophecy and I experience it in my own world.

Sandra Bullock did an excellent job in the movie, 28 Days, in which she portrays Gwen Cummings, a person addicted to alcohol and drugs.  She is given a choice of jail or rehab and she chooses rehab.  Her experiences in the rehabilitation center and the choices she makes during and after rehabilitation make the movie an excellent reminder of choosing life rather than choosing the addiction.  There is clearly a struggle for power shown in the movie when Gwen's boyfriend at the beginning of the movie tries to influence Gwen Cummings to stay with her addiction.  The movie clearly depicts her claiming her own power and resisting efforts to bend her will.

In the Celestine Prophecy movie this struggle for power is depicted in the energy fields around the people trying to influence each other.  While the energy in real life is more subtle, the ideas ring true and I am aware of the power struggle when someone engages me in conversation on the telephone or even in e-mails and in ads. 

Thinking about the struggle for power that Osama Bin Laden demonstrates against the West brings me back to the third, fourth, and fifth Insights. 

While The Celestine Prophecy is a novel, I have found an excellent source for insight into practical spirituality for everyday life.  Many of the ideas expressed in The Celestine Prophecy are also part of the spiritual teachings from many spiritual paths.

Tapping into the connection with God that is inside each of us is a key to being aware of the loving and joy that fills and surrounds us and all things.  Remaining aware of that connection is both a challenge and a goal.  When actually filled with this loving energy that I will call Light, it is easier not to be influenced by people trying to steal power and influence behavior.  Sending  the Light for the highest good of all concerned (with no attachment as to outcomes) is a way to ask for God's blessings to be manifest in ways and times which are for the highest good of all concerned.  This process certainly fills me with loving and joy.

Aikido Principles--Insights for Action and Improving Results

Aikido principles are often symbolized by three shapes.  A square means "defend."  A triangle means "attack."  A circle means "flow."

Applying these principles on a daily basis when dealing with challenges that present themselves can help provide greater insight and improve results.

 How we react to challenges is often a habit.  For some, when asked to do something, the first reaction is to refuse (defend) (square shape).  This can lead to justifications of why we cannot or will not do what is asked.  For others, the first reaction is to attack (triangle shape)--self or others. (For example, asking questions like "Why do you want me to do that?  Why are you picking on me?")  A third response is to flow (circle).  This is usually the most creative resonse and can lead to the most significant improvements.   Any one of the three reactions can be appropriate, given the right circumstances.  If we want to build a positive habit and to see more positive results in our life, we need to develop the habit of reacting by moving to flow.

One example of moving to flow happened to me two days ago.  I was asked to submit a publication dealing with human computer interface.  While I had published related working papers, I didn't have one available on that topic.  Rather than to react with defend or attack, I chose flow and wrote a paper based on work I have been doing for the past few years.  I need to do more research and to revise the paper before submitting it for distribution. By reacting with flow to the challenge, I created a new opportunity to publish research and to share learning with others.