Saturday, June 22, 2013

A journey of success . . . .

Prayer Gaz China -- a photo by Gary Finn







Eva-Maria

Value your journey----------

Not just the goal or destination or to gain possession of things, but value the journey in itself.   Because along bare stretches of open land, high hills to climb, potholes to avoid, and bridges to cross over turbulent rivers, all will reveal why the journey in itself helps to reach our destination, either harmoniously, i.e., with insight and understanding, the sheer pleasure in serendipity and epiphany, or with an uncertainty, born of a perception of time.  Then, the destination becomes the only value, e.g., seen in a rush for material goods -- and thus we misunderstand the value of our journey.

Let us not be like the person who feels he is entitled to own the path he is traveling on, and thus builds a house by the roadside at every stop.  Over-powered by a desire to fence it off, or build a tall wall around it, he keeps everybody out and at a distance.  It’s as if he believes a certain stretch of the earth just belongs to him.

Is that not what happens when we’re caught by the fever of greed to gain only material successes?  All we can think of is our goal to possess, to own, to claim power and fame?  And is it not more or less meant to exclude from success our fellowmen?  Some people have a large amount of possession, others have little, and most have almost none at all.

Is man really the owner of success, i.e., of property, people, or things?  Or does success becomes the owner of man?

But what happens when we reverse these deceptive thought-processes? 

Eventually we will reach the understanding and with it the insight into true, lasting success, where we would find no shortage, and no one could poorly be affected by because when we reverse material things into thought, it is impossible what is needed could be limited or lost.

The idea of success is not a thing but a thought.  It is a mental concept, and thus available to you, and I, and all, who understand the journey of thought towards success.  Then we realize that material thinking would have to abandon its false notions, represented by material objects, and when this time arrives there will be no fear of loss, or lack of an idea.  A true thought multiplies all the good we need, first within, and then extends itself in tangible ways outwardly in our lives!  And so we are lead wisely and productively to lasting success.

How did the great Master say it? “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures [i.e., noble and productive ideas] in heaven [harmony], where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

Should we not be grateful on our journey for the fellowship of all those who are willing to journey with us a certain distance, or all the way, until we have reached our destination?  And it would be their destination, too?  We should share and be generous, without strife, greed, or jealousy.  Not ignoring our values and to become ruthless, as it has been said of too many success-stories.  And even erroneously believing we could claim that no one has helped us on our journey, and all that just to save a false self-image.  

All along on the journey toward true success, we would not be burdened by a phony sense of responsibility but by a desire that in whatever we succeed, it has to be a blessing for others too. 

The law of metaphysics is powerful beyond description: THOUGHT EXTERNALIZES ITSELF! 

Mary Baker Eddy clarifies it thus: “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionally to their occupancy of your thoughts.”

Then love and success are intermingled, and are without simulation.  
–--Eva-Maria


picture by E-M








Try to care for what is best in thought and action – 
something that is good apart from the accident of your own lot.


Is there any single occupation of mind that you care about with passionate delight or even independent interest?

What sort of earth or heaven would hold
any spiritual wealth in it for souls pauperized by inaction?

photo by Gary Finn

… but for us who have to struggle for our wisdom, the higher life must be a region in which the affections are clad with knowledge. …Nothing is feebler than the indolent rebellion of complaint; and to be roused into self-judgment is comparative activity.

--George Eliot, passages from Daniel Deronda, pages 395, 399, 400—


where I spoke . . . Pittsburgh/PA -- a picture I took from the summit of a hill . . . very beautiful!

With our spiritual forward movement
our horizon is constantly expanding as we advance.
Eva-Maria


E-M

Some say:  

Or

And:


painting by E-M










photo taken in Luzern/Switzerland by E-M







photo taken in Scotland -- E-M


Warmly,
Eva-Maria








No comments:

Post a Comment