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There is a saying, the goal of education is to teach you how to think, not what to think.  The same is true for any endeavor we engage in to enhance our sense of self, our expression of the spirit of life.  The endeavor is to help us express our spirit.  It should not dictate to us what we believe.  It should not give us labels to clothe ourselves in.  Nor should it give us fixed responses to be quoted in response to the occurrences we encounter in our life.

Many people engage in spiritual education  yet they obtain no true growth.  If you choose to engage in this endeavor you must allow yourself to change and to truly grow.   Some cannot make this journey.  They can not leave behind their old self.  It is a very difficult process, one that our modern culture does not nurture, hence the need for this writing and others like it.  As stated before there are other writings that assist in this endeavor.  One should seek them out.  True growth and insights come from many sources.  We just need to be open to see them.

Finally and I can't emphasize this enough, spiritual growth is something that is more then just a temporary feeling that we achieve in private moments.  True growth involves our total being.  It changes our basic sense of self.  It alters our interaction with the world.  For many there must be a type of death of our old selves and a rebirth of our life, a new self.  For many they will become people much different from their former selves.

The following writing discusses some of the day to day personal implications that stem from the Belief Statement in Part I.  It's the day to day matters that we should really be concerned with.  Having a sound Belief Statement is only as good as the resulting life, expression of spirit, it engenders.

The format for the discussions in this section is the same as the first.  A basic idea is introduced then a brief discussion follows.  The discussions are designed to introduce the reader to some of the implications of the concepts.  We hope that these insights assist the reader in developing their own real world application of the Belief Statements ideals.

The core objective.

The need to make a Belief Statement real is of utmost importance.

Our internal thoughts are one thing, how we interact with the world may well be another.  Many of us seem to believe that a spiritual life exists only internally.  We find that that is the hardly the case.  We must attain a sense of self that is based on our observations of the world the forces at play and our place in it.

Think of the following as an endeavor to awaken the basic awareness of our spirit.  Once awakened that spirit will seek it owns growth and path.  We will find that we simply need to nurture it, just as a gardener tends a flower.  It is the seed that once planted grows on its on, takes shape that conforms to the world around it, flowers when the time is right.  The gardener doesn't force the plant to do something that it isn't in its nature to do.  The plant's existence, its growth and life is its own. It is unaware of the gardener it knows only its own expression, that is its reality.

Some words of caution.

Many live their life in self deception.  They strive to maintain a view of the world that protects their self image.  They filter all that they experience in the world in a manner that can be considered self centered.  We expend great amounts of energy maintaining a safe yet deluded version of the world where we are always the focus of all that we see.

Many are afraid to see the world and their place in it in the light of truth.  Think of this as a core objective.  Our perception of the world and our place in it must change completely.  We must regain that sense of self that we had in our early youth.   One that found potential wonder and joy in every moment in which we found ourselves.

As such many will have to completely change their life.  Many unfortunately that read this will fail to do so.

To gain the ability to allow a free, natural and honest expression of our spirit requires time.  We cannot transform ourselves over night.

The requirements for this will be different for everyone.  We all are at different stages of maturity.  The level and manner of our spiritual well being varies for all.

Some may have to rebuild who they are.  Some just need to continue to mature.  To further grow along the path they are currently on.

You must honestly assess just who you are and where you want to be.  Many adults can not accept that they are less then they could be let alone truly be willingly to engage in a life altering endeavor.

We are motivated down this path out a longing to be fulfilled and fundamentally happy with our lives. Many of us are searching because we feel unfulfilled, lost or we do not have answers to our most basic questions.

Once on a path of spiritual growth many will not continue.  The rewards are profound yet very subtle.  The distractions of the world seduce many away from the tangible benefits of a truly spiritual life.

Some basic concepts/definitions:

These are some basic ideas or premises that the following discussions are based on.  We will introduce them here since they are used as basic components in the following discussions.

Individual   A human (or any other single life form)

Individuality Being a distinct individual.  This is a matter of degree or depth.  The depth of individuality is depended on the maturity level and level of self-awareness of the individual.

Self-awareness   Being conscious of one's existence.  The ?depth of self-awareness  varies with each person or form of life.  Acknowledging the spirit that is within.  Being aware of the one's place in the world.

Life   The force that is expressed in the living things we see around us.

Spiritual Life   One's life that is in tune to the spirit within.  It is one that allows for the continued growth of self -awareness and a deepening of the State of Joy that all of life strives for.

State of Joy The State of existence that is characterized as an individual being fully aware of themselves and their place in the world.   The degree of Joy is dependent on the maturity level of the individual.  It is depended on the degree to which the individual has developed beyond the concerns of the basic necessities of maintaining one's life.  Think of it as this, an individual expresses and experiences a wide array of emotions, happiness and contentment while at the same time feeling excitement with each new moment of life.  The depth of one's State of Joy can be one that grows through out one's entire life.

Distractions of the world.  Anything that keeps us from expressing our spiritual side.  Those things that cause us to pursue the material and short-lived pleasures.  These distractions create a false sense of Joy.  This is why they tend to be harmful and unhealthy.

Remember these basic premises when reading this part of the writing:

Keep an open mind and an open heart.

Communication of an idea or concept takes time.  Accomplishing this may take several attempts.  While this writing may not help accomplish this others might.

Take time to reflect.  True understanding comes from within.  True insights are those that occur once you realize a new degree of awareness.

Expect change to occur.  Expect that your awareness and sense of self will grow.

Basic observations to make on your on.

All things are in motion.  The universe is made up of forces and physical manifestations.  Forces act on all.  These forces range from gravity, to various electro-magnetic ones.  We see them in the geologic changes on earth, the changes in weather.  We can observe the changes in the cosmos as various forces play out amongst the heavenly bodies.

Life itself is a force.

It makes us who we are today.

That elemental force caused the basic components of life to come together to manifest the first vestiges of living cells eons ago.   That same force is found in all forms that we see today.

Each living bacteria, plant and animal that we see today is the result of a process that has been in the works for eons.  That process is the active expression of life as found on our planet.  This force of life is an ongoing process.

The upcoming discussions seek to enable the reader to be aware of their place in the world.  You may find it helpful to ponder these basic statements though out the process.

For example take the statement, all things are in motion.

One should spend time actually observing the motion that is talking place around them.  This can involve the obvious  like the people we see everyday going about their own lives.  Try to think of what is motivating them to do what you see them do.  You will find that we are all motivated by the same things.

Observe the motion of the weather.  The movement of air masses from one location to another.   The change of cloud cover, temperature and wind depended on the energy in the vary air around us.  Become aware of the cycles of the moon as it changes phases.  For the truly bold spend time watching the night sky and the movement of the stars and planets around us.

Observe the plants and animals that are around us.  They too are motivated to do that which they do just as we are.  Here is a hint ? you will find that the plants and animals around us are just as alive as we humans are.  They too have that spirit of live that we humans possess.

Now this might sound like a little thing.  But it is probably one the most important things that anyone truly engaged in a journey of self discovery needs to do.  That is to observe the world around them.  Reflect on what you sense.  Strive to become aware of the things that are in motion around us.  Strive to feel them and have an awareness of their presence.  Strive to be aware of your own presence in the array of all that is in motion around you.

Many of us have lost touch with this awareness.  It is a problem that is made worst with the modern world.  We are so isolated from the real physical world around us.  We live in houses that are climate controlled.  We travel from place to place enclosed in protected environments.  Our senses are bombarded with electronic sights and sounds.

Our ability to observe has been limited to those protected environments that we surround ourselves in.  As such many of us never experience true reality.

To help you enable your ability to make observations and thus enabling your ability to grow you will have to make some changes.  Start out making small changes.  Change only as much as you can handle.  The forth coming discussions explore this more fully.

A brief outline of covered discussions.

The past, present and future:  the nature of life  a series of statements that briefly summarize the essence of the Belief Statement writing found in Part I.

The test: a tool for self evaluation.

Can you stand alone?  Understanding our most basic of human motivations.  The reader can begin to become aware of what their spiritual growth will require.  Many may find that they are not up to the challenges.

Being Free - a natural approach to spiritual development: Letting go of our mind's preoccupation with the past and anticipation of the future, freeing the mind to allow natural spiritual expression.

There is no such thing as time: Being aware of the here and now.

What do you see? One must see the true world to truly understand their place in it.

We are all the same: Being aware that the spirit that we express is the same spirit that is found in all life.

When Meditation leads to Dreams that become Visionary Insights:  A brief discussion on meditation.  Meant to introduce the reader to the potential benefits of the endeavor as well as the additional spiritual insights that one may attain.

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