Dear Spiritual Family,
If you wanted to give yourself a grade on how happy you are – most of the time, what would that grade be? No judgment here, just a willingness to provide an honest answer.
When I asked myself that question recently, I wasn’t entirely pleased with the answer. A short time after that while resting in bed, I heard the Inner Voice say, “Steve, just decide to be happy.” Immediately, I felt more peace. As I write this to you I think of the words of President Abraham Lincoln, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
This wisdom coming from a man who had much, in the world’s eyes, to be unhappy about. If our happiness rests on the outer world, we’re destined to be blown about like a small boat on a stormy sea most of the time. If indeed, “God’s will for us is perfect happiness” as Jesus reminds us in A Course in Miracles, what can we do to “make room” for this happiness?
In this week’s video message, three areas of focus are suggested:
Physically, we can “make room” by letting go of – recirculating – things that are just taking up space in our lives. You’re familiar with the idea. Doing so not only provides others an opportunity to enjoy those things but can significantly lighten our mood and provide some needed space for new good to flow into our lives.
Mentally, we can become more conscious of the thoughts that would undermine our happiness. We do so by becoming, the “witnesser” of our little self, our ego that doubts, that angers, that hates, that becomes frustrated, that worries, that thinks lack and limitation. We can ask the question, “where is that voice coming from?” Invariably, it is not coming from our Self, the Christ. Just the act of questioning invites a smile to our face and “room” to feel happier.
Emotionally, we can use the power and wisdom of forgiveness to heal old hurts when they rise to the surface in the circumstances of our lives. When conflict arises, we can either call on that thinking, those actions, which take us deeper into the hurt or we can use our spiritual tools to heal and move higher. There is a story I share from Dr. Roger Teel’s book, This Life Is Joy, where the airplane pilot had to climb higher to avoid a crash. And as you and I purpose to move higher in consciousness, we not only avoid the proverbial “crashes” but we make room for the happiness, joy, abundance and love that is our birthright.
I’ll close with the quote referenced in my talk, from Dr. Ernest Holmes: “We are to know that passing events cannot hinder the onward march of the soul. The temporal imperfection of the human cannot dim the eternal integrity of the Divine.”
We love you dearly,
Rev. Steve and Mary
Going Deeper
- Will you take a moment, and just to yourself, ask the question, “on a scale of one to ten, where would I fall regarding my general level of happiness?
- Is there a genuine willingness to take that grade higher? And if so, how might I commit to the tools mentioned in this week’s lesson or others that I have found helpful, to accomplish this shift?
We love you dearly,
Rev. Steve and Mary
Going Deeper on Zoom – Wednesday, May 3
This group meets on Wednesdays from 6 to 7:15 pm CT following a new video message. To learn more, Email Mary McIntosh.