Unity Spiritual Life Center Blog

Just for kicks; we did a little Google search as we were preparing this article. We searched the phrase “Flu Bug” - In .18 seconds, there were 1,430,000 hits! There were multiple interpretations-Even “Flu Bugs of the Zodiac” which provided information about how each of the zodiac signs handles the flu! But guess what? When we googled the phrase “Love Bug,” we were inundated with 30,700,000 hits in .15 seconds! The obvious favorite! Unfortunately, a lot of those hits had to do with the bugs, not the emotion! And the phrase “Love Bug of Truth” got zero!! (Until we get this article on our blog!)

The Love Bug of Truth is the one bug we WANT to catch  and spread to others! And just as that pesky flu bug has a list of symptoms, guess what? The Love Bug of Truth has THREE symptoms too! Your adventure this week is to see how many of these symptoms you feel  and how you can keep those symptoms flowing! They will be simple to remember  just remember the word BUG!

B=BELIEF:
When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you experience a strengthening of Belief. Belief is the difference between living life in HOPE of something, and KNOWING that you know that you know. Belief actually affects your sense of inner peace. When you know Truth, from the depths of your being, you can move through any situation with calmness and assurance.

Example: There is an interesting observation we’ve made in the field of professional speaking, which we’ve done since 1984. It is a cyclical business  It doesn’t really matter how fabulous you might be, the speaking business has definite ups and downs, and fairly predictable cycles. When you’re just starting out, and hit a down time, you panic, worry, and run around trying to force results. No matter what anyone tells you, you think the world is coming to an end, you’re finished, and you’ll have to actually return to that “real world” of work!” Once you’ve been around that block a few times, you recognize the cycle, and you live from that knowing that you don’t need to panic. Instead, you take advantage of that down time to rest, take care of yourself, and work on new material or marketing tactics. Then, when the up cycle comes around again, you can enter it refreshed and ready to dazzle with your new stuff. Meanwhile, the newbie enters the up market exhausted from all the needless worry! Those who don’t learn and know won’t succeed in the business!

The same principle is true in our Spiritual life. When you hit a drought in your prosperity flow, or run into challenges with health, career, relationships, whatever  Stand on the foundation of BELIEF, and don’t allow yourself to fall into  doubting the Principles. Instead of doubting principles, this is when you get busy USING them!

When you feel yourself facing a challenge from that place of BELIEF, you can be sure you’ve been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth!

U=UNDERSTANDING:
When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you sense an “inner click” of Understanding. Understanding is the difference between acting a certain way because someone said you should be doing it, and doing it because you “get it!”  It is that A-ha that hits you when you smash through a Truth barrier.

Here’s an example to help explain what we mean. We saw it as we watched our grandson playing with one of his toys. It is this big block that has shapes cut into it. There are a lot of plastic blocks cut into the same shapes, and our grandson is supposed to figure out how to drop the right shape into the hole of the same shape. And every now and then, by accident, he hit it right - and it’s exciting! But the awesome time came when he realized how he did it and was able to replicate it over and over! It’s that a-ha!

Consider the practices we have as we live our Truth principles. How many times do we do stuff because someone said we should  for example affirmations? We worry: “Am I saying it correctly? Did I use the perfect words? Is there enough energy behind it?” But when our affirmations are grounded in Truth, we understand that they always work! We UNDERSTAND that things don’t become true because we affirm them  We affirm them because they are Truth!

When you feel that inner click that says “I get it!” that click of Understanding, you can be sure you’ve been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth!

G=GRATITUDE:

When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you live life from an attitude of Gratitude. Living in Gratitude is the difference between allowing outer circumstances to determine our emotional state and choosing to live from a place of gratitude no matter what is going on.

For example: How many people do you know who gripe about how their vacations were ruined because of the weather? Personally, we have this one pretty well down! Since way back years ago, we started making a conscious decision to claim and set the intention that weather would never affect our enjoyment with our vacations! Now this doesn’t mean the weather will always be perfect on a vacation time. What it means is that we will not allow our emotional well-being be dependent on weather. And we have enjoyed every single vacation we’ve ever had, regardless of the weather we’ve experienced!

So remember, Gratitude is an attitude, not an event! We develop it by choice. This week, when you open your eyes in the morning, just take a moment to affirm “I greet this day with gratitude and joy!” Throughout the day, if you happen to feel yourself dreading something you need to do, pause a moment and repeat, “I am God in action! I do what I need to do with gratitude and joy! In all things, I give thanks!”

When you feel yourself facing a challenge from a deep place of Belief, when you experience that inner click of Understanding, and when you realize you are living every moment of every day from an attitude of Gratitude, you are experiencing the BUG symptoms - and you can be sure  you’ve been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth! Pass it on!

Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.

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Did you know that WORRY was an acronym? It honestly is. It stands for When Our Rationalizations Really Yodel!!! Just consider — when we think of a yodel, we think of an echoing, meaningless refrain, repeating in varying vocal levels. That’s very similar to what worry does in our Consciousness! We value what Leo Buscaglia says about worry: “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow. It only saps today of its joy!”

Consider these interesting statistics on worry:

• 40% are about future things that never occur;
• 30% concern past decisions which cannot be altered;
• 12% center in what others are thinking about us;
• 10% (which seems low to us) focus on our health, which only get worse when we worry;
• 8% are legitimate, demonstrating that life does have real problems which may be met head on when we’ve eliminated senseless worries!

So how can we move from worrier to warrior?  Here’s a quick 3-step formula that results in the transformation!

Step 1: Realize you are worrying! You can’t transform something until you recognize it for what it is. This means you must become aware of your worry signals. Learn to pay attention to your thoughts. Do regular heart checks to recognize how you are feeling emotionally. Your body will let you know when you are worrying instead of acting.

Once you realize you are in the midst of being a worrywart, do not beat yourself up!! Simply acknowledge the fact, then move on to step 2.

Step 2: Release the Worry! We admit it! This sounds (easier|simpler than it is! But let us give you a couple of great techniques:

• Worry Jar: Worry preys on our mind, and prevents us from doing what needs to be done for our growth and development. So we recommend the Worry Jar. Here’s how it works: Find a jar, pitcher, coffee can or other suitable container that has a lid. Label it as your Worry Jar. We invite you to decorate the jar any way you choose. Select a designated worry time (DWT). This should be the same time every week (for example, Friday night at ten o’clock.) Place your Worry Jar in a conspicuous place and then move on with life as normal.
  Throughout the week, every time you find yourself fretting over something - stop! Take a piece of paper and a writing instrument, jot down your worry, fold the slip of paper and place it in your Worry Jar. Remind yourself not to worry about whatever is worrying you until your DWT. When it’s time to worry, according to your DWT plan, open the jar and read the worrisome entries. Some of the things you may have worried so loyally about are history and no longer relevant. Gloat over them before you throw them in the trash. Other issues will be pending issues, so go ahead-worry about them for a few minutes. You will discover it is difficult to worry on demand! You may even chuckle a little. Once you’ve worried sufficiently over your current issues, refold them and redeposit them in the jar, where they’ll be ready for next week’s DWT.
• Meditation: This is the most critical technique. Once you’ve been through the Worry Jar, allow 20 minutes in the Silence, affirming Divine Substance is bringing you everything you need to resolve them, and you are open and receptive! This is the very best way to gain a sense of inner peace, where worry cannot exist.

Now comes Step 3: Replace It! We all know that Nature abhors a vacuum. When you release worry, you have created a void, and it must be filled. Otherwise, worry will quickly show up again and make a home there (and bring some close friends, like Fear and Panic and Depression, to party with). So make time to consciously replace your worry with something positive. For example, you may want to create a few positive core affirmations that you can repeat over and over, like: Centered in my Oneness with God, I am at peace. Or: I am one with God, and I am Rich, Healthy, Happy and at Peace in all areas of my life NOW!

Look at the issue causing you worry, and ask this question: Is there anything at all I can do about this right now? If the answer is no, then you may as well stop worrying, because it is a useless emotion! If you decide the answer is yes, then you may as well stop worrying, and take the actions to do what you can do about it! Either way — stop yodeling and start being a warrior. Oh –did we mention that warrior is also an acronym? It stands for:

When All Responses Reflect Infinite Omnipotent Reality!

In his book, The Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman says of Peaceful Warriors, “We don’t live in an ashram or a commune or seclude ourselves in the mountains. But our values, priorities, and sensibilities are likely different from those of many of our neighbors. It’s nothing special just a certain awareness, a lightness, an orientation toward service, and an  expanded perspective born of inner work and life experience. And perhaps we display a little less fear, less worry, less resistance.”

So how do we sum it all up? There is a wonderful Chinese drawing that really holds the secret to it all. It shows two people sharing a pot of tea, and the ancient Chinese writing, loosely translated, says, “Enjoy today  Worry tomorrow.” By following this advice every day, you will never have a worry!

You have such incredible power within, to transcend all worry and live the life of a Warrior, journeying this Spiritual Path with joy and gusto! You just need to practice the formula of:

• Recognizing Worry;
• Releasing Worry; and
• Replacing Worry!

Another great philosopher said it in his own unique way ~ Bobby McFerrin: Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect priceless works of art. They had everything from Picasso to Van Gogh. They would often take time out from their busy schedules and admire their immense collection.

They had planned a buying trip to Europe, but the Iraq war interrupted their plans. The son’s reserve unit was called up and he found himself in Baghdad.

On his second tour of duty the son was killed by a roadside bomb. The father had lost his wife to cancer and now he had lost his only son.

A little over a month later, just before Thanksgiving, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door holding a large box.

He said, "Sir, you don’t know me, but I served with your son in Iraq. He saved my life. He was the bravest man I’ve ever seen. He often talked about you, and your mutual love for art."

The young man held out the box. "I know this isn’t much. I’m not a famous artist, but I think your son would want you to have this."

The father opened the gift. It was a portrait of his son in military uniform. He stared in awe at the way the young man had captured his son’s personality.

He thanked the young man and offered to pay for the painting.

"Oh, no sir." Insisted the young man, "I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift for you." They spent the afternoon talking about the man’s son and the arts.

The father placed the portrait over the mantle. Every time friends visited he showed them the portrait of his son before he showed them any of his other artwork.

On New Year’s Day the man made his own transition. Some of his closest friends believed it was from a broken heart. At his request upon his death, he wanted his paintings auctioned. Many wealthy people and art collectors came to add his rare paintings to their own collections.

The portrait of his son was perched on the auction easel. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "We will start the bidding with this portrait. Who will bid for this painting of the son?"

You could hear a pin drop, then murmurings. Finally a voice from the back of the room shouted, "We’re not interested in that one. We’re here for the Picassos, and Rembrandts, and Raphael’s."

However the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100? $200?

Another voice shouted defiantly, "We didn’t come to bid on this painting. We’re here for the Van Gogh’s and the DiVincis."

Undaunted, the auctioneer continued, "The son. Who will take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the rear of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I’ll give $100 for the painting." Being a man of modest means, it was all he could afford. He loved the man and his son and felt the son was his son too.

"We have $100. Who will give $200?"

"Give it to him for $100. Let’s see the master’s works, the real art work." Someone shouted.

$100 is the bid. Won’t someone bid $200?

The crowd became angry. They didn’t want the inferior painting. They wanted the priceless investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, going twice, SOLD for $100.

The room broke out in applause. One man handed $10 to the gardener as a token thank you for speeding up the auction, but the gardener refused. "They always made me feel like I was part of the family," he confessed. "I have always enjoyed my employment with them."

His purchase of the painting was a prayer answered. He had wanted a memento, and now he had one. He had gotten a small inheritance from the man’s will, but the painting of his son was truly wonderful.

All at once, the auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I’m sorry, but that concludes the auction. The auction is over."

"What?" shouted the audience. "What do you mean the ‘auction is over?’"

"I’m sorry for such a sudden end to these proceedings. When I was called to conduct this auction I was informed of a stipulation in the will. I can now tell you what that stipulation is. Only the painting of the son was to be auctioned. Whichever bidder bought the painting would inherit the entire estate! The man who bid $100 for the son gets everything!"

It is through the dynamics of prayer that we find peace, and rest, and answers, and wealth. Like the gardener, we have ready access to the Omnipresence of Supply. Our prosperity is waiting for us. It is just a prayer away. All we have to do is turn to the Son, the Christ Spirit within.

Although the way we pray differs, most people have learned from the faith traditions in which they grew up to ask, to petition, to beg an external anthropomorphic deity for things they want. They believe in ‘dial-up’ prayer instead of instant, high speed access prayer.

In this 6th in a series of "Get Over It" talks we have selected the familiar New Thought phrase ‘Be careful what you pray for’ as a phrase which should be buried with the embedded theology which gave birth to it.

It is a phrase which adds credence to the anthropomorphic deity myth which has kept our eyes concentrated on a super-being ‘out there’ who will save us if we’re obedient, patient, and gullible.

The help ‘out there’ motif is perpetuated by the mythological Superman, Batman, and Super Hero characters which Hollywood has so skillfully produced for us.

We have all grown up with the belief that the Messiah will come from ‘out there.’ That the Messiah must be some kind of super hero with super powers. Essentially the message is we are too unworthy, weak, and whinny to save ourselves.

In his book, Dynamics for Living, Charles Fillmore said, "The way to attain health and wealth is to put your prayerful words and creative actions to work and bring into swift action the Superman Christ within."

The super hero is within us. It is the Superman Christ part of us. When we get to the point that we identify with our Superman Christ within, and not with fictitious superheroes ‘out there’ we master our human experience.

The same thing goes when it comes to prayer. We believe there is a collective wisdom at our core, and shared by all of us, that senses an unseen spiritual Presence. A Presence that is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent.

In Matthew 21:22 the Christ said: "Whatever we ask in prayer, believing with faith, we shall receive." The word ‘ask’ really means ‘affirm or declare.’ And ‘prayer’ means ‘direct, unobstructed communion with Spirit.’

So, what Matthew 21:22 really means is when we affirm our oneness with Spirit by communing with Spirit to make that connection, and believe that we have instant access to Universal Supply, we will receive all we need to manifest our good. This verse is the key to manifesting our good.

It is praying FROM this unobstructed oneness, that we move toward our good. It is FROM this interior place of alignment with the Allness of God that we position ourselves to receive.

So we do not have to pray TO a God ‘out there.’ There’s no need to dial-a-prayer! We don’t have to be careful for what we pray believing that if we don’t pray right we might get something other than what we prayed for. That’s not how prayer works!

There’s no dispensing God ‘up there’ waiting for us to make a mistake in our prayer languaging so It can surprise us with something we didn’t expect. There are no prayer police watching our prayers to see if we’re asking for the right things.

‘Be careful for what you pray for’ is fear-based theology. It is not wise to build guilt, and fear, and anxiety into a prayer experience.

What is useful is to live a prayer-conditioned life, one which is characterized by absolute trust in your oneness with Spirit.

Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.