Good Day Beloved Ones!
Yak Yak Yak!! Sometimes it seems there is always a conversation going on in our head. Not the "still small voice" either, but the one that never shuts up! You know the one that is stuck on the woulda, coulda, shoulda's!
It has been said that God works in the stillness! That being true, then it seems we need to get to that place of stillness often so the we can hear that higher voice offering guidance, peace and comfort.
The questions for the day are:
. How do you overcome anxiety and worry?
. How do you calm the constant chatter of your mind?
. What is your favorite way to connect with Spirit?
. How does Spirit communicate with you?
Be Still and Listen,
Rev. Sylvia
For me, anxiety and worry comes when I disconnect from Spirit. I overcome those feelings of self-doubt by repeating uplifting mantras and having faith that I too can do all things. To clear the mind chatter, I put on soothing instrumental music, whether it be calm jazz, ambient music. Anything that sounds like "peace." My favorite way to connect with Spirit is through conversation with God. Since I was a boy, I was told that God heard my thoughts. I figured I may as well direct my thoughts to God, since he was in there listening anyway :) And now that I understand my thoughts are prayers, I fine tune our conversations creating affirmative prayer. Spirit speaks to me via Divine idea. I conjure up plenty of ideas, but the one's directly from the Spirit come with more energy and zest behind them, letting me know they are from the Creator.
ReplyDeleteI overcome anxiety and calm the chatter by first being aware that I’m engaging in negative chatter – (it’s the re-telling or re-hashing that’s my dead give-away) - I push the delete and cancel, cancel buttons and then affirm what I want to experience. This process usually leads me to connecting with Spirit. Sometimes that doesn’t work because I’m too busy dwelling on what’s wrong and enjoying the negative chatter. When I find myself in that state of being I just have to STOP, refuse to experience life from that perspective, and remember who I am and Whose I am.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to connect with Spirit is by sitting in a very comfortable chair, or on the ground, looking at my birds, trees, flowers, mountains, oceans, lakes or streams. When none of those are available, I put on Native American music or soft jazz, relax, and imagine that I’m in my favorite spot in Boyton Canyon, meditate and just be. The bottom line for me is to be still and go within and connect with Spirit wherever I am.
Spirit connects with me in most interesting ways – it could be through the movement of the wind or something that someone says that answers a lingering question, it could be I get answers or ideas in my daily spiritual readings, practices or meditations, it could be the answers or ideas just come to me like a light bulb turning on in a dark room, or my favorite way is that the ravens aka crows (my birds) speak to me with amazing messages.
I have absolutely experienced the increased enchantment and profound interest in the world; and I am learning to perceive differently the negatives we see, but I would love to have a better sense of my power to make a difference
ReplyDeleteI know you remember "the look" we use to get from our parents when we misbehave in public. Well that is what I do when the inner chatter starts and I don't want to hear what it is saying. I have an image scenario that I have created for times like those and it begins with the look. I don't have them to often anymore, except if I have been alone with myself for an extended period of time then the Yak Yak starts and I go into defense mode. I am so much better at this then I have been before.
ReplyDeleteI connect with spirit through out the day just by taking a moment to just be still. As a part of my daily practice every couple of hours I take a walk. If I am working it will usually be outside or around the first floor of the hotel or I will go to the fitness center and just sit and breath. I have learned that there is great power in diaphragmatic breathing and I use this technique to connect to the LORD GOD of my being.
Spirit connects with me in many ways, in a song, a movie, word from a friend or stranger what I am learning to do is pay attention and listen. To give my full attention to what I am doing then I am aware when I get my answers.
Meditation in the morning is the life line of my day. I turn everything off, even my furnace or AC depending on the time of year, so all I can hear is quite. in the stillness I shut my eyes breath deep and watch my thoughts. Watching in the present moment with the awareness that my thoughts are not me and the real me can control my thoughts and direct them to line up with the Truth. As I do this the chatter stops and I sense peace and become conscious of my oneness with myself and Spirit.
ReplyDeleteAs I go about my day and I am faced with choices for either fear or peace. I first of all become aware that I am at a place of decision. If my mind has already become intwined in negativity and I am feeling anxious I always remember Emmet Fox and the Golden Keys and begin to repeat and focus on "I am a Son of God, filled with and surrounded by the Peace of God" or "God is Guiding me Now." When I continue to focus on this Truth either in silent reflection or by quietly repeating it to my self I know all is good. I know I am being lead in the right direction by the sense of Peace and calm assurance I feel in my belly. God is Absolute Good!
I haven't mastered how to overcome anxiety and fear. Rather, I have learned to move through it. Whether it is sticking my head in the sand or turning on external chatter to drowned out my inner stuff, this whole idea is under construction.
ReplyDeleteI also haven't quite learned how to make the other players "in my play" & "on my stage" more silent, like a walk on character or extra. They have too many lines and tell too many stories.
My favorite way to connect with spirit is to open myself up to whatever. When I let go, God sends me what I need to know. It is usually a picture or idea. I know that when it is good, it is God.
Meditation, particularly consistent daily meditation, is what helps me the most. Now throughout the day, if I don’t have an opportunity and/or a quiet place to meditate, then I do my deep breath/Intention exercise and focus on the present moment. It appears that when I’m doing the most common everyday thing, like brushing my teeth or taking my morning shower, that’s when the mind chatter really hits me. It’s like the insidious ego knows when I’m at my most vulnerable when doing the things I do on a regular basis that doesn’t take a lot of thought; therefore, I’m more likely to choose to let the ego get the best of me and start doing the mind chatter. During those times, and other moments of mind chatter, I tend to focus on the present moment through the five senses. For instance, when brushing my teeth, I focus my sight on me in the mirror brushing my teeth, listen to the sound of my teeth brushing, feel the toothbrush brushing my teeth, and taste the toothpaste. That’s just one example and it may sound simple but for me, it really works to quiet the mind chatter.
ReplyDeleteTwo ways that I feel connects me with spirit more than anything else is meditation and doing one of my city walks. Again, when the mind chatter hits, I use my five senses to connect to the present moment. I use my sight to focus on the nice homes and other buildings in my line of vision, and my sense of sound to focus on the neighborhood sounds around me. Again, this tends to quiet the mind chatter. I come to really love doing my walks because they really help me emotionally and spiritually.
Spirit rarely communicates to me during actual meditation, even though there have been times that it does. Spirit tends to communicate with me at anytime usually with just a little voice in my head giving me an idea to do something in regards to resolving a particular issue or sometimes it can be just a feeling to do something, with an absolute knowingness that it’s the right thing to do. Even if the action doesn’t seem to have an immediate result, I know within my heart that it came from spirit, it was right, and I don’t feel like I lost anything from doing it.
I sound like a broken record but mediation, prayer and affirmations are my survival tools. I keep several prayers and affirmations at the ready to keep or bring my mind back to the Truth. Sometimes I am in anxiety mode so quickly, I have to tell myself to back away from the illusion(s)- fear and use my affirmations/denials. Unconsciously in a split second, I am back in anxiety mode, I must repeat my affirmations/denials – I continue this process until I am able to catch the anxiety at the on-set. It is a process at which I am getting better.
ReplyDeleteThe affirmation which helps me calm my mind is “there is only God.” This affirmation reminds me God is greater than whatever problem/challenge/circumstance about which I am fretting.
My favorite way to connect with Spirit is around 5:15 am wrapped in my favorite blanket from head to toe sitting on my deck. I imagine I am swaddled in Spirit and I completely let go. I tell myself that the same God who placed the moon and sun, placed and knows ever star, created every insect and plant, created the boundaries to contain the oceans, lives in me – loves me – cherishes me. This is a humbling thought. My journey is to be a vessel that God can use in His service, for His glory and His honor. Sometimes my favorite way to connect with Spirit does not work, I have a great time being present to God but I do not feel His Spirit. Conversely, there are times when I hear and feel God’s presence while doing rather mundane chores. Spirit is always communicating with me (us). Spirit communicates with me using billboards, through songs, a neighbor, a strangers t-shirt, television commercial-countless ways. My challenge is to be still, be present, to heed and to obey.