Life Course Chapter # 6

The Eternal Now
School of Spiritual Fitness

Discussions:


The goal of a healthy personal development plan must be:
A Totally Balanced Life Fitness !
Fitness by Its' nature requires effort,
and often struggle.
A solid fitness program places this struggle and effort
in a safe environment.
We must map out appropriate goals and objectives
for each area of fitness,
and do so in a manner that suits our abilities.

Then we need to follow this plan,
and watch to assure the results come to pass.


There are six basic and primary areas of fitness to address.
Spiritual, Mental, Physical,

Financial/Logistic, Vocational, and Social.

If we allow any of these areas to fall into chaos
The other areas of life will be dragged down.
Each area must receive routine attention and care.

Spiritual Fitness demands healthy attitudes
towards the eternal nature of things.
A continual focus on Christ Consciousness or Universal Consciousness.
A balanced of consideration between our own well being and others.

Introspection, the honest and sincere review of ourselves;
Spiritually, is as important and indispensable as
looking in the mirror to comb our hair, or check our clothing each day.
No; it is much more important !
And today we must pause long enough
to see who We are !

And what is spirit;

"these words I speak are Spirit, and Life"
Jesus made this statement (John 6;63)

To better or more clearly understand the meaning, consider;

Words; are the expression of thought.
Thought; is the expression of an attitude or value.
Attitude; is an internal bias that we carry,
Biases influence how we react, and how we behave.
and biases are actually unavoidable !


To attend religious services weekly
may (or may not) help address spiritual fitness;
Does the message from this organization harmonize with
and build our true inner (and higher) values and beliefs ?

We become eternal beings only; ...
When we live to promote the attitudes and values we believe in !
"read the Scriptures, in them you think you have eternal life...
these are writings that speak of me, (of My Spirit)" (John 5;39)
BIASES and SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Just as we may have a bias towards a particular food or aroma.
and when we experience it,
we intuitively feel; either hungry, pleasant, or repulsed.

Our biases may have come from
teachings or incidents in our childhood,
or other significant experiences we have had.
However, it is generally true that very few of our attitudes,
have been cultivated by our
conscious and intentional thought and practice.
To intentionally develop attitudes of patience and strength,
while we also cultivate within,
our appreciation for values of love and kindness.

These are good Spiritual goals;
However, WE MUST BE TRUE TO OURSELVES.

Mental Fitness demands the healthy exercise

of our mind and brain.
Just as with a physical workout,

a mental workout requires effort.
To struggle to remember better,
or to learn something difficult;
Is part of becoming more mentally competent.
To practice "Mind Silencing" ...
Is necessary for maintaining Sanity !
To practice our analysis skills,
Is necessary for maintaining our ability to reason well.
To eat the right foods which are
required for a healthy mind.


Physical Fitness not only requires
Patient, progressive and comprehensive work of our body,
but also thoughtful and intentional care of our diet.
This care must be taken daily;
From proper eating to brushing of our teeth,
To proper exercise or physical therapy !

Diet - Hygiene - Exercise
All three must be reviewed and practiced.


Financial and Logistical Fitness requires

the work of self restraint and planning;

Planning for our financial fitness.
Planning and care for our
housing, transportation and budget.
As we see things each day that we think we need or want,

And as with any exercise,
We must wrestle with the decisions we make.
We must set goals, and plan for obtaining them.
A balance of reflection between what is needed now,

and what is needed tomorrow.


Vocational Fitness requires that
We review and focus on the work do in our job.

It means recognizing that ...

"our work is a very real form of our worship".
To work at a job that compels us to do wrong to others;
Is a thing We need to change.
We need to be prepared for the possibility of
having to change jobs !
We must keep developing our skills and our resume.
To live as though we will always work at the same place
is to make ourselves vulnerable to
vocational misery or unemployment !

Social Fitness requires being properly connected to others.
To develop good wholesome friendships,
to share and to learn.
To achieve this fitness means
also not to cut ourselves off.
We are children of God .... social creatures.
It is good to Be a Friend.
A good friend is "there" when asked,
but cautious not to be pushy or intrusive.




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Commitments:



Life Commitment:

I am the gardener of my Soul,
and I will make of it a Place the Divine will visit !
I will become partaker of Heavenly Spirits,
that then bless me with their presence.

I accept the lower self I have,
as the skin I must shed.
It is not my "core",
but a veneer, part of my learning process.
It has served me until now,
But it is time to move on !

As I grow rich in Spiritual maturity and Total Fitness,
Others may attack me,
as is often normal for immature persons.

The world (people; some I already know, and some I do not)
is inhabited by many lost or mixed up individuals.
Though basically children of God themselves,
many are confused, some grossly confused.

These people who by the very nature of their misdirected efforts,
often become jealous of others, perhaps me.
So, I will stay my course,
"That of my own personal development and Self-Realization".
Based on and judged by my own well being,
and that of others.
This balanced harmony being my guide;
Not on the desire for the fickle approval of others.

My new self-esteem and validation comes from God, The Divine Within.
and from God only !

I will spend a minute of silence each morning...
in this silence,
without mind noise,
I will absorb the Spirit of Love, and
I will contemplate a particular attitude
I carry towards a thing or person in my life.
I will then summons the spirits of Love and Wisdom
in order to better cultivate that attitude.

Today I begin reflect upon my Spirit,
Upon the values and attitudes that drive my Life.

I intend to cultivate attitudes that will produce
internal joy, and external benefit
for myself and for others.

I will today and from now on reflect upon my Spirit
and call upon my Higher Self to cultivate
the Being, the Child of God,
that I desire to become !
Being aware of the current moment and it's possibilities
and performing a weekly review of My Life...
will be my constant return and pledge.




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Spiritual Commitment:
I will cultivate my Spirit,
to become one with my Higher Spirit.
I will confidently tend to my internal garden
without focus or worry about the validation (or acceptance) of others.

I am now walking in a higher consciousness.
And, as I look at my inner spirit,
and witness "weeds" there,
It is my pleasure to remove them,
to toss them from my life.

Mental Commitment:
I can discern flowers from weeds,
and words can not confuse me in this !
I do not resent others who offend or accuse me,
nor shall I follow them.
I will slow or stop the "mind chatter",
and this will settle my thoughts and mind.
When upset or angry I will use this skill !
I am very capable in analyzing and remembering things,
I will practice this each day with confidence.


Physical Commitment:
I enjoy being physically fit and
this week I will continue to develop my body.
I enjoy feeling well and so,
this week I will take time to eat healthy food.
Each day I will stretch and exercise !

Financial Commitment:
It is my pleasure to pay my bills on time.
So this week I will follow my planned budget.
I will avoid purchasing things "off-budget" by
waiting two full hours before purchasing an unplanned item.


Vocational Commitment:
I will not take up projects that unnecessarily
keep me spinning...
Endlessly busy,
accomplishing nothing but self-gratifying emptiness.
I have not enough time to waste !
I will continue to groom my resume.

Social Commitment:
I intend to develop stronger ties to values of patience.
Deciding to wait for improvements in my life situations;
Rather than impetuously choosing quick fix solutions.

Each evening, in meditative introspection,
I will consider.
The attitudes I carried and spread that day.
I will seek awareness of these without defensive bias.
The moments of regret I may feel, I will replace
with joyous moments of hope, and faith !




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WEEKLY REVIEW and RECITAL

This moment,
and throughout today,
I "Will" Myself to a Higher Plane.
I am now at one with Divine Desire....

With open eyes I look at my Spiritual Fitness level.
How am I this week ?
With true awareness I look at my Mental Fitness.
How have I been this week ?
With honest candor I look at my Physical Fitness.
How have I felt and what practice have I done ?
With "in depth evaluation" I look at my Finances and Practical Needs.
Have I wisely used a budget, and planned for challenges ?
Knowing my desire for honest employment and potential changes at work,
Have I continued to improve my skills or resume ?
Knowing the importance of sharing my gifts with others,
Have I actively sought to be a friend this week ?