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The Bigger Secret
By Scott Kalechstein
(An Excerpt From The Book, Sacred
Secrets: Finding Your Way to Joy, Peace and
Prosperity)
The
Secret is out, way out. Those who have been entrenched in feelings of
powerlessness are finding their mojo by applying its principles. Yay to
the setting of intentions, the power of positive thinking, and the
wondrous Law of Attraction! Yay to manifesting a perfect soul mate, the
ideal income, and our wildest dreams! Rock on, minds of mankind!
And while I am glad it has become so popular, I do have a few further
thoughts to add to the conversation. When it comes to the Law of
Attraction, I’m a bit of an out-law. To me it’s a little
piece of the truth, and in the minds of egos wanting to play God, that
can be a little dangerous. I believe that letting people in on the
creative power of thought without also giving equal emphasis to the Law
of Allowing is a bit like teaching people inhaling without letting them
in on an intimate and inseparable part of the process – exhaling!
To put it simply, the Law of Attraction is about how to get what you
want. The Law of Allowing is about appreciating what you get; in other
words, letting go and letting God, or seeking ye first the Kingdom.
When applied together, these Laws bring balance to the active and
receptive male and female energies found within each of us.
It’s no secret that getting what you want doesn’t
automatically lead to lasting fulfillment. If that were the case, the
bathroom cabinets of the married, rich, and famous would not be filled
with such an abundant supply of expensive anti-depression and
anti-anxiety medication.
A Course In Miracles puts it bluntly: “The world I see holds nothing that I want.”
Yet we all want what we want. But what’s up with all this
wanting? While wanting can be defined as desiring, it is also
synonymous with lacking. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not
want” means that when we surrender our attachment to a specific
outcome and trust in the benevolence of the universe, we shall not
lack. And that is the Law of Allowing.
When we get rigidly attached to a desired outcome, however, we are
coming from the assumption that we are not whole beings until we get
what we want. And that’s an illusion that life delights in
coaxing us to let go of.
Thaddeus Golas, in The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment, says “There is a good attitude to take towards any goal: It’s nice if it happens, nice if it doesn’t.”
Does that mean we are to be detached from having passion? No, just
detached from craving an outcome, from thinking there is some tear in
the fabric of God’s perfection that needs to be stitched before
we can fully enjoy being alive.
I love watching dogs run after seagulls on the beach. They set their
sights on a flock and then are focused, single-minded, and even quite
passionate about running down a bird. At the same time, they are very
fulfilled in the thrill of the chase, having a tremendous amount of fun
just frolicking on the beach. Going home without having caught a bird
doesn’t for one moment diminish their love of life.
When we realize that just being alive is the gift that keeps on giving,
we may pursue our own gulls just as passionately, but far less
frantically. We value the process as much as the intended outcome. We
embrace whatever we encounter along the trip with loving arms open wide
enough to be grateful for it all.
When we have tasted the nectar of a fulfillment that is not dependent
on the outside world granting us our desires, we realize that life is
blessing us as much when we don’t get what we want as when we do.
In those times we get to practice being friends with reality, letting
go of our adversarial position to what is. A heavy burden is lifted
each time we release the arrogant assumption that we are in possession
of the big picture perspective enough to really know what our highest
good is supposed to look like. We get to more thoroughly chew on yet
another spiritual slice of humble pie A Course In Miracles invites us
to digest: “I don’t perceive my own best interests.”
There’s nothing wrong with having goals and using the Law of
Attraction to manifest them. Yet you can attain the world, only to have
your achievements magnify and intensify your inner turmoil. An
ego’s basic condition of lack, that nagging sense of ‘not
enough-ness,’ cannot be overcome by worldy success. When Jesus
said his Kingdom is not of this world, he was speaking for all of us.
Even my mother, a devout, practicing atheist, will exclaim after the
first bite of some fabulous dessert, “Out of this world!”
(It has been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, and I would
venture to add that there also aren’t any biting into
Junior’s New York cheesecake!)
The Bigger Secret is that there is a state of being available to us that is not of this world.
Echoes of it visit us ever so briefly; the first few morsels of
cheesecake, the first few mouthfuls of romantic love, and other
fleeting moments of satisfaction. For some people who consistently
choose to practice “Seek ye first the Kingdom”, that state
sets up shop and sticks around as part of the fabric. It becomes the
foundation of a sense of self rooted in eternity.
That’s what I want, to abide in a love that is not of this world.
Perhaps that’s what we all want, even when we are seeking to
manifest things of this world.
Have you had enough of a sense of not enough? Do you want out of the
state of wanting that always leaves us wanting more? Let’s
remember together: “I am as
God created me, and I am free, whole and complete as I am. I am enough,
I have enough, and I do enough. I wake up from the dream of lack. I am
drenched in abundance at all times. Every sunrise is proof of my
infinite wealth, every breath is a miracle, and all is supremely and
eternally well.”
When that state of enoughness takes root in you and permeates your
being, you will most probably be moved to chase some gulls and have
some fun.
Gangway… I’ll see you on the beach!
“Those who bind themselves to a joy
Doth thy winged life destroy
But those who kiss the joy as it flies
Live in eternity’s sunrise
-William Blake
Scott Kalechstein is a traveling minister, a modern day troubadour, a
transformational humorist, and an inspirational speaker. He travels
the United States, Canada, Africa, and Europe giving concerts, talks
and workshops, as well as presenting at conferences. The Bigger Secret
is Scott's contribution to the book
Sacred
Secrets: Finding Your Way to Joy, Peace and
Prosperity, which can be found
at: http://www.unityonline.org/publications/featuredBooks/sacredSecrets/index.html
Refresh Yourself at- http://www.scottsongs.com -A Site For Soaring Eyes!
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