One of my mentors summed up the essence of the New Thought/Ancient Wisdom Teachings with these words: “It is done unto you as you believe." He was reminding me that the Universe is a living intelligence that matches our mental state. That mental state then shows up as our experience. Whatever we believe about ourselves, humanity, or our world, eventually gets mirrored back to us.
In these challenging times, it is essential to be aware of our beliefs because they have power and serve as a prelude to our future. A story comes to mind that illustrates the power of our belief and mental state. There was once a man who was in the military and went off to battle. As he moved through the battlefield, he would stop and pick up pieces of paper along the way. Each time he picked up a piece of paper, he would look at it, let it go, and let it flutter away in the wind. The other soldiers were saying to each other and their commander, "This guy is crazy. He’s going to get hurt."
But every day, when the man went to the battlefield, he would do the same thing – pick up pieces of paper, look at them and then release them to the wind. The others around him were now saying he needed mental help, so he was ordered to see a psychiatrist. After several sessions with the psychiatrist, he was sent back to the battlefield, but nothing changed. In the middle of all the mayhem of battle, he continued to pick up the pieces of paper, read them, and let them go.
Finally, those in command said, “This guy is not fit for service. We have to get rid of him.” And they gave him his discharge papers. The soldier looked at the papers and said, "Oh – there it is!” He believed.
The Universe is always saying yes to our deeply held beliefs and mental states; this is how we spiritually commune with this ineffable presence. To commune with God is more than uttering a verbal prayer or affirmation. That's a good start, but we don't want to stop there. We want to be spiritually ready to receive our good through our beliefs and our mental vibrations.
The Universe does not hear language. It hears and reacts to consciousness. It is not enough to do all the outer things because Spirit responds to what we believe and not necessarily what we say (even when we say the so-called "right" words). Put another way, the Universe responds by corresponding to our vibration and mental state.
Some people have never stepped inside a spiritual center and know nothing about spiritual principles, yet they do well in many areas of their lives. That's because they have spoken to the Universe the only way it understands – their belief and mental state. Our work is to raise our beliefs and mental state to the highest and to the best of who we can be. Our future depends on it.
Peace and Blessings,
James