By Dan Millman

“There is a Mystery that many call God,

manifesting as Universal Love,

a set of Laws,

and a Great Process.

That Process works through

each and all of us,

and that Process is perfect.

As we discover this fundamental truth

in the journey of our lives,

We find that wherever we step,

the path appears beneath our feet.”

Within the mystery of our existence,

the universe operates according to the spiritual laws

as real as the law of gravity

and as constant as the turning of our beautiful planet.

As we align our lives to these laws

we can transform our relationships,

finances, careers and health.

Simply put, they make life work better.

This gem of a book has been given to me as a gift three times, and in turn I have passed it on many times. It’s a short afternoon read, only 109 pages and yet it is on my “Must Read” list! The author offers us a teaching tale in which he encounters a woman of great wisdom while on a mountain hike. In a single weekend in the wilderness, this sage takes him and us through experiences and tests that demonstrate the power of spiritual laws as they pertain to everyday life.

 

“If I met my Higher Self

in the mountains,

in the form of a wise being,

what would that being teach me?”

Each of the following are covered in more detail as the sage takes Dan on this weekend journey.

The Law of Balance

Finding the Middle Way

“If gravity is the glue

that holds the universe together,

balance is the key

that unlocks its secrets.  

Balance applies to our body,

mind, and emotions,

to all levels of our being. 

It reminds us that anything we do,

we can overdo or underdo. 

And that if the pendulum  of our lives or habits swing too far to one side,

it will inevitably swing

to the other.”

The Law of Choices

Reclaiming Our Power

“We are both burdened and blessed

by the great responsibility of free will . . .

the power of choice.

Our future is determined, in large part,

by the choices me make now. 

We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can and do

choose our response to whatever arises.  Reclaiming the power of choice, we find the courage to live fully in the world.”

The Law of Process

Taking Life Step By Step

“Process transforms any journey

into a series of small steps,

taken one by one,

to reach any goal.

Process transcends time,

teaches patience,

rests on a solid foundation

of careful preparation,

and embodies trust

in our unfolding potential.”

The Law Of Presence

Living In The Moment

“Time is a paradox,

stretching between a “past” and “future”

that have no reality

except in our own minds.

The idea of time

is a convention of thought and language,

a social agreement.

Here is the deeper truth:

We have only this moment.”

The Law Of Compassion

Awakening Our Humanity

“The universe does not judge us;

it only provides consequences and lessons

and opportunities to balance and learn

through the law of cause and effect.

Compassion is the recognition that

we are each doing the best we can

within the limits

of our current beliefs and capacities.”

The Law Of Faith

Trusting In Spirit

“Faith is our direct link to universal wisdom,

reminding us that we know more

than we have heard or read or studied..

that we have only to look, listen,

and trust the love and wisdom

of the Universal Spirit

working through us all.”

The Law Of Expectation

Expanding Our Reality

“Energy follows thought;

we move toward, but not beyond,

what we can imagine.

What we assume, expect, or believe

creates and colors our experience.

By expanding our deepest beliefs

about what is possible,

we change our experience of life.”

The Law of Integrity

Living Our Truth

“Integrity means living and acting

in alignment with spiritual law

and with our highest vision,

despite impulses to the contrary,

we recognize, accept, and express

our authentic interior reality,

inspiring others not with words,

but by our example.”

The Law Of Action

Moving Into Life

“No matter what we feel or know,

no matter what our potential gifts or talents,

only action brings them to life.

Many of us understand concepts

such as commitment, courage, and love,

but we truly know only what we can do.

Doing leads to understanding,

and action turns knowledge to wisdom.”

The Law Of Cycles

Dancing To Nature’s Song

“The world of nature moves

in rhythms, patterns, and cycles.

The passing of the seasons,

the movement of the stars,

the ebb and flow of the tides.

The seasons do not push one another;

Neither do clouds race the wind

across the sky.

All things happen in

Their own good time…

Rising and falling and rising

like ocean waves,

in the circles of time.”

The Law Of Surrender

Embracing A Higher Will

“Surrender means

accepting this moment,

this body, and this life

with open arms.

Surrender involves

getting out of our own way

and living in accord with

a higher will,

Expressed as the wisdom of the heart,

far more than passive acceptance,

surrender uses every challenge

as a means of spiritual growth

and expanded awareness.”

 

“These are my wishes and prayers for you, all the days of your life: May you find grace as you surrender to life. May you find happiness, as you stop seeking it. May you come to trust these laws and inherit the wisdom of the Earth. May you reconnect with the heart of nature and feel the blessings of Spirit.” ~ The Sage

Abundant Peace, Love and Joy!

 If we spend a few moments thinking about what category our book of life would fall under, would it be a drama, action and adventure or maybe a suspense thriller? Maybe it would fall under a love story, a comedy or self help manual? You know the title, “Life for Dummies”.  More than likely it has been all of them at different points on our journey.

The point is, we forget that we are the creators of our own reality… We get caught up in the day-to-day monotony; we let life happen to us rather than realizing   that each day WE are writing a new page or chapter in our very own novel! We can relate it to art in the same way by looking at each new day as a blank canvas. Some of us think that we have no choice but to live each day the same as the day before because that is what “life” has dealt to us, maybe it has become such a routine that out of fear of change we hold on to it with all our might… Is it that we are afraid of being labeled different or of not fitting in that we move through our days only doing what others expect us to do, rather than what brings us peace and joy? Is the book of our life fiction or non-fiction?  Are we truly living our authentic selves, if we are not, our novel must fall under a work of fiction because anything less than that makes what we are doing fake and meaningless. In other words, are we living the life we choose or are we living our life to please others?

While it is true that each of us have responsibilities that we must do each day, we also have equal opportunities of doing what we enjoy. We MUST take the time to do that! We Must make it part of the responsibilities to Self, to our Spirit!  When we are doing things that bring us joy we are sending out the vibration of joy, when we are sending out the vibration of joy, the universe answers us with more of the same. We are doing our part in spreading joy to others. We begin our days with more energy, looking forward to what will be written on the next page. We lead by our example and give permission to others to do the same.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the island of Oahu, Hawaii. When we first arrived my energy felt very scattered until I realized that because of the location of our hotel we were right in the middle of materialism gone wild. As I watched those around me, I became aware of how much people were filling the void in their lives with “things”. I learned long ago that getting something new and pretty was only a temporary fix to any boredom or sadness that I was feeling and now I prefer a quieter more serene surrounding. After a few days of site seeing (which I totally enjoyed) we drove to the east side of the island and there I discovered what is referred to as Paradise. I had seen pictures of that side of the island but was not prepared for the pure bliss of just breathing the air!  Driving down a road with breathtaking ocean on one side and tall, green, majestic mountains on the other was for me nothing shy of magical! There on that island, I re-gained total awareness of how much a part of everything I truly am, (something I had been lacking of late) and yet how small we really are compared to the size of our Beautiful Mother Earth. Surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean, the air so pure that with each breath you take you feel every cell in your body come alive from the life force energy that is present there. I realized that I had not been taking the time to connect to the earth and all of the beauty that surrounds us here where we live. It took flying 2000 plus miles across the ocean to open my eyes and heart to the beauty and wonder of this planet again. There just always seems so much to do that I had forgotten to pause!  That is what vacations are for, to allow space and time to pause, but our lives have become so busy that we forget that vacation is not about fitting in as much as we can but about truly relaxing and allowing yourself time to breathe.  I now have a renewed interest in following my bliss, not just on a vacation that we haven’t had for two years, but everyday in some small way. I’m letting go of the pages or chapters in my novel that no longer serve me and re writing them, knowing that I always have, in each moment, the opportunity to create something different and better!

I have wanted to talk about this book for some time, but I have hesitated writing about it. In part, because I wasn’t sure that I could, in a few short paragraphs do it justice and because it really isn’t a book per say, but rather a Course that can take well over a year in the least, to a lifetime to complete. It is written in three sections, the Text, Workbook for Students, and the Manual for Teachers. Many study groups are devoted to it’s teachings now and have been since it was first published in 1976. It isn’t light reading, parts of the text will challenge your belief in what life is about or not about, why you are on this journey and what your perception of your life really is.  You will learn beyond a doubt that we have more control over how our lives play out, how important the simple act of forgiveness is, and, that what we consider miracles should be the natural order of our day.

 The Meaning of Miracles

“Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong.”

 

“There is no order of difficultly in miracles. One is not “harder” or “bigger” than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal.”

 

“Each day should be devoted to miracles. The purpose of time is to enable you to learn how to use time constructively. It is thus a teaching device and a means to an end. Time will cease when it is no longer useful in facilitating learning.”

 

“Miracles reawaken the awareness that the spirit, not the body, is the altar of truth. This is the recognition that leads to the healing power of the miracle.”

 

“YOU are a miracle, capable of creating in the likeness of your Creator. Everything else is your own nightmare, and does not exist. Only the creations of light are real.”

“There are no idle thoughts. All thinking produces form at some level”, that said, we learn that the abilities we now possess are only shadows of our real strength. Much has been said about the power that lies within each of us, but do you know how truly powerful you really are? When we look at consciousness, the level of perception was the first split introduced into the mind after separation, making the mind a perceiver rather than a creator. Consciousness is correctly identified as the domain of the ego. The ego is the questioning aspect of the post-separation self, which was made rather than created. Consciousness is the state that induces action, though it does not inspire it. You are free to believe what you choose, and what you do attests to what you believe. The ego is what makes it difficult to believe in miracles.

 “You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave. The Golden Rule asks you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This means that the perception of both must be accurate”.  Miracles arise from a mind that is ready for them.

All these questions and more are addressed in this book. Complete with a workbook for students with daily lessens for an entire year for you to ponder, reflect upon and study its teachings.  While I continue to process some of the ideas in the text, much of it resonates with me deeply.