A Common Path

Set Some Goals, You Big Chicken!

2009-09-11T11:10:00.001-04:00

Setting goals and not allowing myself to be sidetracked may not seem like courage, to you, but to do some of the things that I need to do requires me to get some back-bone and leave behind the wish-bone.

What do you need courage for? Why do you need to be brave? What goals would you like to see reached? What would make life better for you?

If you can’t answer that question, then I suggest you give it some thought. You must have some dreams floating around back there somewhere! What would you like to do? It can be personal, professional, relational, whatever. Set that goal and then decide that you will reach it, no matter what.

When you get that do or die attitude, you find yourself overcoming obstacles that you never thought you could. You will look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I can’t believe how brave you were! I can’t believe how courageous!”

Now of course you’ll know you were just being stubborn and not letting go of that goal. But then you’ll know; courage by any other name will smell just as sweet!

Making a Slap From Life into a Gift!

2009-09-09T14:17:00.005-04:00

Have you ever had life slap you across the face and then laugh? Oh come on! We all have! The thing is, what do you do when this happens?

Many people just shrivel up. The let their mind go on a rampage and start telling them all sorts of silly things. They listen to this drivel and start to become depressed. Their life starts to really fall apart and they begin to feel as if they are no good and life is not worth living.

Let's say that your car breaks down. No you don't have a lot of extra cash and there are bills to pay. If you get the car fixed, some of the bills won't get paid on time. Maybe you don't even have enough to get the car fixed bills or not.

You start thinking things like how your credit will go bad. You'll have to walk to work, fifteen miles uphill both ways in the snow. Your kids will hate you because they will have to quite soccer and other after school stuff. Your house will be repossessed and your mate will leave you.

Or, you can tell that voice in your head to shut up and start thinking. What bills have a grace period or can wait a week. Is there overtime at work that you could put in? Would your mechanic be willing to let you make payments; say half down and the rest next pay day?

Thinking negatively will only bring you down and stop you from being productive. Thinking positively will help you to see the possibilities. The law of attraction says that what you think about your bring about. Think negatively and bad stuff happens or lingers. Think positively and things get better.

Everybody want more money, a better life, to be more successful. They way to do that is to not let life slap you down. Next time something happens, don't let it get to you! One of my Principles is that no matter what happens, you always have a choice. If nothing else you can choose how you think about something.

Next time life slaps you, use that slap as a motivation to look at how you can handle things better. What can you do? What can you learn? It will make you a better person and help you change a bad habit into a good one!

Steve
A Common Path
Life Change For You

A Labor Day Belief

2009-09-08T07:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was labor day, but, unfortunately, many people in the US and the world are not employed. There is no labor except the labor of trying to keep life and limb together.

Some can't get a job because there aren't any in their field. The job market is closed. Some can't get a job because in this tight market, the people doing the hiring can afford to be very picky. If you are a little too old or not just right, then they don't hire you.

I know how this can feel because I've been there. In a few minutes or a few days you begin to doubt your self worth. You begin to wonder if you might just dry up and blow away and no one will care. This is what I want to address.

I used to be in a position where I hired a lot of people. Those who came in full of confidence got my attention.Those who came in looking like they believed themselves to be a victim or like they believed they would never get the job, usually didn't. I needed someone that could do the job and I would not have to baby-sit or spend time motivating.

Don't stop believing in yourself! Who knows what the Universe has in store for you? No, maybe you won't get the job you were hoping for, but that doesn't mean that your life is now over. What can you learn from the experience and what might be around the next corner? Believe that you will succeed and you will have a much better chance of actually doing so. Your life can change. You can have a useful and prosperous life. Believe it will happen and act like it is happening and it has a much better chance of becoming reality than if you sit on the couch mumbling to yourself how life isn't fair.
Steve
A Common Path
Life Change For You

Setting Goals; Taking Control

2009-09-04T16:14:00.001-04:00

So, what are your goals for your life? What! You don't have any? How do you expect to get where you want to go without knowing how you're going to get there? Oh, you don't know where you want to go.

Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen or pencil and start writing all the things you would like to do. Don't think about them, just write; write as fast as you can. When you just can't write anymore, stop and read over what you wrote. throw out the goofy ones; you know, drive a Ferrari naked through downtown. Now, what's left?

Take one or two of those things that are left and really think about them. Do you really want to do them, to accomplish them? If the answer is yes, then start thinking about how you might get there from here.

My wife and I once climbed Mount Whitney, in California. It's a tall mountain, let me tell you. It is so high that the air gets a bit thin and it is hard to breathe and walk near the top. You know what? I didn't jump from the parking lot to the summit. I walked up. As the trail got tougher, I stopped more. I had specific places that I wanted to get to before the next rest stop. That's how you do it! Just pick a place to get to before you stop and look the whole thing over again.

Another good trick is to tell someone else about your goal. Then, even if you don't feel like it some morning, you have someone who is expecting for you to make it. Tell somebody obnoxious and it will drive you even harder just to keep them from saying," I knew you couldn't do it!"

Set a goal, take control. It's a good mantra for life. Try it. You might not like the struggle, but you will like the results!

A Common Path
Life Change For You

Traditional Wisdom; Where Did it Come From?

2009-09-02T13:52:00.002-04:00

Now, let me ask you this. What are the things you do or think that are so ingrained in you that you have no idea where they came from. Let me tell you a story as an example.

A young woman was making Christmas dinner and she was making ham. She cut off the both ends of the ham and then put it in the roasting pan. Her daughter asked her why she cut the ends off.

"I don't know; it's what your grandma did." She answered.

The little girl went out into the living room and asked her grandma why she cut the ends off the ham when she cooked it. Her grandmother looked off into the distance for a moment and then said, "You know I guess I always did it that way because my mother always did it that way."

The great-grandmother was going to be present later that evening and when she got there. The three women, little girl, mother, and grandmother all cornered the old woman and asked the question.

"Mom," the grandmother said. "why did you cut the ends off of the ham when you cooked it?"

"The old woman smiled and answered, "My pan was too short."

We all do things that we do because we follow traditional wisdom or we are trained that way. Often times we are not even sure why we do them. What I want to ask you is what those things are in your life.

Notice the things you do out of habit and maybe even write them down. Why do you do them? What is the benefit to you? Are there ways to do what you do that is different from your traditional wisdom? Do you find yourself getting into trouble because you do things the traditional way? Don't be easy on yourself. Question everything, especially the authority of those who may have given you that wisdom in the first place. Then change. Change your habits. Change your thinking.

Steve
A Common Path
Life Change For You

Can You change?

2009-09-01T05:00:00.002-04:00

Can we ever be perfect? I don't think so. This life is a journey, not a destination, and we never stop learning, or shouldn't, until we breathe our last breath. Some people think they are too old to learn or change. Others think that they are incapable of changing. This is nonsense!

This past week-end, we had some friends over for dinner and some reiki. We enjoy treating people, but we enjoy more having the conversation. The couple that was over are friends that we feel comfortable sharing our beliefs with. Anyway, during the conversation something was said, I don't even remember what now, and it caused me to reflect on myself. I realized something I wanted to change and I have been thinking about this for most of the day today.

Everyone I know has aspects about themselves that they would like to change. They are too dependent on others or they are not assertive enough. They think they are lost causes on a one way road to oblivion. They see no hope of anything better than what they have right now. Their dreams have died and, for the most part, so have they. Does this describe you? Why not take just one little thing about yourself and see if you can't, over the next two weeks change it. It might not change completely, but it might improve. If you can do it with one, then you can try another.

Take stock of who and what you are. No matter what the situation, you can be better! You can have the life you dream about. It takes work. The old saying, "there ain't no free lunch," is true, but it may not be as hard as you think!

Life Change For You
A Common Path

What Would You Do to Become a New Person?

2009-08-31T15:14:00.002-04:00

What would you do to become a new person? Some people resort to plastic surgery. Some people move to a new town or get a new job. Have you ever tried just staying where you are and changing?

Have you ever gone on vacation and tried to change your personality so that you could play at being someone else? Perhaps you would like to be more assertive or, at least, not so shy. This can be lots of fun! If you are going where no one else will know you, you can change your name, anything you want.

It might be the best thing to totally change who you are. After all, you do have some good qualities. However, we each have things about us that we could change to benefit ourselves and the world.

One way to make a change is sort of like using the vacation game. I’m sure you have heard the old “fake it ‘till you make it” phrase. Well, to some degree, this is ok. Sure, it will feel a little phony to you and, this is the bad part about it, but it does help you to try on a different trait to see how it fits. If you don’t like the changes, you can let them go.

Another way to make a life change like this is to consciously work at changing some trait that you want or don’t like. This is not the same as faking it. In this method, you simply work at the trait you want. Let’s say that it is to become more assertive. Instead of faking that you are assertive, you work at small things at first and then larger. You remind the waitress that she forgot your water, or you speak up when someone steps in front of you in line. At first this might seem uncomfortable, but, as time goes on, it will become more of who you are.

You can have a better life! Many people have overcome great personality issues to become something much grander than they ever believed they could be. You are no different! The success you want, the better life you want is there for you if you will try. What will it take for you to move out of your comfort zone and make a change?

A Common Path

Life Change for You

Are You Positive or Negative About Your Life?

2009-08-28T12:05:00.001-04:00

In the New York Times, this morning, there was an article about consumer spending and earnings. Basically, it said that earnings were flat and spending had increased a little due to the cash for clunkers program.

How’s your spending and earnings? If you are like most people, this article was written about you. You earnings are the same, or maybe less, but you spend about as much as before or maybe a little more. You have to live and that means you have to spend. What I want to know is if you feel stuck in the whole thing?

There are two ways to look at every situation in life. You can look at them negatively or positively. If you look at your current economic situation in a negative light, things seem pretty bleak. There aren’t many jobs out there so if you are unemployed, getting a job doesn’t look good. If you are employed, but would like something better, there isn’t much better to look at. Prices keep going up and you begin to wonder just when you will slip under the water and drown.

If you look at things positively, you see that the economy, like everything else in life cycles. Just as we, in the northern hemisphere, are seeing the last of summer and heading toward fall, so the economy is in the depths of winter, but spring may be just around the corner.

What sort of outlook on life do you have? Do you see things as being pretty bleak, or are you excited about the opportunities that may lie ahead. Taking control of your life and changing it so that it is better is a matter of how you look at things. If you always look negatively at things then you will look negatively at your life and your ability to change it. If you look at life in a positive light, then you will have no problem seeing the wonderful change that can be yours!

Anyone Can Change Their Mind

2009-08-27T13:43:00.002-04:00

I said that I have moved my blog over to Wordpress, and I did, part of it. I decided, since I already have this blog, I could use it for something slightly different.

In the past, I have posted some fairly general posts. I may be a little more specific here and I invite some conversation. Don’t be shy! Let’s discuss things.

Speaking of change, I realized something this morning. I was looking at my porch where I have deposited all my camping gear from last weekend, because it was sopping wet. I needed to set it up again so it would dry out. I thought, “I have to set that stuff up and then get it put away.”

What I realized was that I didn’t “have to” set it up, I wanted to. Now there is quite a difference, at least in my mind. I wanted to set it up and then put it away because I didn’t want my porch to look like the Beverly Hillbillies lived here. I wanted to have pride in my home and so I “wanted” to do what needed to be done.

What about you? Is there I difference for you? What do you do that you hate because you feel you have to. We don’t have to do anything except die and pay taxes, and you can not pay taxes, at least for a little while.

Don’t be a woos! Own up to what you want and dump the rest. It’s your life! Live it your way!

A Common Path

We've moved

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

We've moved back to our original digs. Sorry for any confusion. It just worked out better this way! Come see us at:
acommonpath.com/blog

Finding Your Life Love

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I have spent nearly all day sitting at my computer. It really isn't a good thing to sit there all day, but I was learning something about a subject that I absolutely love. It is so interesting to me that it was hard to stop. Do you have anything like that in your life? The answer is yes, whether you know it or not.

We all something inside us that makes our heart beat a little faster and holds our interest like nothing else. It is different for each person, even if the subject is the same. We may both like writing, but I like to tell stories and you love to write technical manuals. Whatever it is, we all have that something inside us. I firmly believe that it is put there by the Infinite to be expressed out into the world.

How do you find that special thing? Some people are lucky and it comes naturally to them. Others really know, but down-play it to the extent that it isn't immediately noticeable. If you are not sure, take a moment to think about the times when you are upset, or maybe just want something to do. Do you gravitate toward the kitchen and bake something? Perhaps you go out and mess around in the flower garden. Once you have that special thing you do, start thinking about the specifics of that activity. What is it precisely that you like about doing that activity? Keep narrowing it down and you will eventually come to the real truth of the matter. You love to create edible master pieces, or flower gardens, or high performance cars. Whatever it is, that is your heart's desire, your love in life.

If you are fortunate enough, you make a living doing what you love. If you cannot do that now, is it a possibility in the future? What would it take to get to that point? If you are able to get to that place, your life will become one long symphony of excitement and fulfillment.

A Common Path

How to be Miserable, How to be Happy

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a few days of camping. It was a wonderful time and my wife and I really enjoyed ourselves. We visited a wonderful little town called Sacket's Harbor, NY and met some nice people. Some were shop keepers and some were tourists, just like us. It was so nice to meet people who were interested in life and had a bright outlook. We also ran across some not so good.

We had no neighbors on one side of our campsite at first. All was calm, except for the campers across the street with three barking daogs, but that's another post. Then, we came back to camp and there was a tarp and other paraphernalia in the site next door. No one showed for several hours, but then, just as a summer storm can come up out of nowhere, they arrived.

It was only a few minutes and the dogs across the street started their clarion call to announce some other dog lover walking by. Our new neighbor, the male one, started in about, "F-ing dogs and their owners." I didn't think too much about it since some of my own feelings were pretty close to his, although I didn't say them out loud and I refused to let those thoughts control my life.

We went down to the beach for a swim and were not there more than a minute or two when Happy Gilmore, as I had dubbed him, and his lady friend came down to sample the waters of Lake Ontario as well. Right away there was a constant and loud discussion, on his part, about someone they knew and how this person had the gall to have the money to buy some piece of property cash. Then, when his friend suggested that he could have been a little more friendly to the people on the other side of him, apparently they had said hello, he went into a long diatribe about being nice to people when he didn't want to.

In this life, we each must decide if we are going to be happy or not. It doesn't matter our circumstance or situation as much as it does our decision. There are some very happy people in situations that most of us would find unbearable. There are also some very unhappy people who have more than we could ever dream of, and yet, they are miserable. The answer to being happy in this life is a simple one; decide to be happy!

I can tell you from experience. I was once nearly as bad as the guy I mentioned. My wife has always been a happy sort. After years of my being miserable, I realized, or was taught, that I was ultimately responsible for my own life and happiness. It wasn't up to anyone else. I had no one else to blame, no one else to look to. It wasn't my wife's job, my employer's, or anyone's. I could be a grumpy miserable jerk for the rest of my life, or, I could decide to lighten up and put a smile on my face.

I still have my days. I get out of bed and things don't go right and I just can't seem to get it together, and I start to get grumpy. However, I now realize that all I have to do is decide to let go of all that nonsense and decide to be happy. It isn't always easy and sometimes it takes a while, but it works!

There it is! The answer on how to be miserable or happy lies in your own decision. If you don't think it is something so simple, give it a try. Remember that I said it wasn't always easy. For some it can be a real battle, but in the end, that's it. It takes practice! Like anything else, it is an acquired response to life. You decide!

A Common Path

Finding Your Treaure

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was sitting at the computer and my grand-daughter came in and said she had some treasures for me. She had a little purse that we have given her to play with and she proceeded to give me her treasures one at a time. They were blocks, but she told me what each one was.

We all find treasure in the simple things that exist around us. There was a book written by Russell Conwell called Acres of Diamonds. The idea is that you need not look in some far distant country for your treasures; you only need look around you. The interesting thing is that what I think are treasures and what you think are treasures may well be two very different things.

I once heard a person promoting the Law of Attraction say that there was enough abundance for everyone. Now I don't think this means that we can waste natural resources, some things are non-renewable. What I do think is that there is plenty for us to go around because we don't all want the same thing. My son would really like to have a Ferrari. I am sure there are lots of others who would like one as well. If you gave me one, I'd sell it. I have no use for something like that. there are two problems with finding our treasure.

The first problem is being convinced that what everyone else thinks of as treasure is what you should think of as treasure. If the whole world seems to say that having a Ferrari is what every intelligent person has, it is hard to go against this flow. Look around you and notice how many things you have that you really don't use that much, but somewhere along the line you were convinced you needed it. It takes some real strength of character to not get caught up in the world's material wealth game.

The second problem is that many of us don't know what we want. If you sat down right now, could you name ten things that you actually want. I'm not talking all material things here either. Maybe you want more time with your sister, or a little peace and quiet. I teach meditation and sometimes I will have people say that they didn't realize how much they needed that time to unwind.

Take some time today to list out ten or twenty things that you want. Again, these not be material items, just things that you would treasure. Maybe they are career oriented or they might be relational. Once you have your list, take inventory of the things you have and see if they conform to your list. If not, why do you have them. If so, did you notice that you had this treasure, or did it escape your notice?

Finding your treasure is a simple as knowing what you want and not being influenced into thinking that something your don't want is your treasure. Don't allow yourself to be manipulated by advertising or people. Find your treasures on your own and they will mean more to you!

A Common Path

How to Become Who You Are

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

My wife is a Reiki Master and I am a level II practitioner. We try to give each other treatments, when we don't have anyone else on the table. It isn't often, maybe every other week or so, but we try. Today was my turn.

I won't bore you with the details, but I got some real revelation about myself. It had to do with becoming part of the Infinite and becoming who I am. I know I write about this stuff all the time and you would think I have it down. but the truth is, we are all human and we all struggle. I sometime fall back on old ways and need reminding.

To do this, the first thing you need to remember is that you are part of the Infinite. You are not an isolated little glob that no one notices, but part of the Infinite Source of all things. You may feel like an insignificant glob, but that's your feelings, not the truth. Finding that part of the All that is our part is not always easy, but with a little reflection, some honesty and a taste of what you would like from life, it can be found. Once you do that, you need to start being it.

Now it may take a fair amount of Energy to make this happen, but remember that Life Energy flows from the Infinite to you and through you. The Energy, Prana, Chi, Ki, whatever it is you like to call it, is there for all of us. Through the ages, people have learned to tap into this Energy. They have done it through Yoga, Karate, Tai Chi and others. Anyone can do it. First you must believe it is there for you and then you reach out and begin to use it.

Now, take some time and sit with the idea that the Infinite is all around you and runs through you like a river from the Universe. Once you begin to see the Source as more than what many people call God, you can begin to see your part in it. You are created by the One, by God, to represent who and what the Infinite is in this world. That's your job!

Once you have some grasp on that, you can begin to tap into the Energy. Again, sit with the idea that this Energy, this Prana exists and is there for you. Next, begin to feel it. I suggest you simply reach out your hand and try to experience it. It may feel like a gentle breeze or it may feel like tingling in your hands. You might try holding your two hands close to each other and see if you sense a slight resistance or heat. begin a daily practice of reaching into the Energy field and your sense of it will grow.

To become who you are is the only way to live life in any sort of fulfilling way. The frustration we all feel from time to time is simply our spirit's realization that we are not doing our job, not being that part of the Infinite we are created to be. When we feel antsy or run down, it is often because we are in the Energy field, but not using it and so our spirit and body sense the lack of movement and action. I would bet anything that if you try these simple suggestions you will soon find a sense of self growing that was not there before.

A Common Path

Three Understandings To a Super You

2009-08-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

There are three things that, if done, can turn your life inside out and right side up! It takes a little work, but the results are well worth it.

The first things to understand is that the Infinite, the Universe, is so much larger, so much more than you or any of us have ever imagined, and you are a part of it! We cannot conceive of the greatness of it. We are a part of something so big, so powerful that if we understood half of it, we would be more than some comic book super-heroes. When we understand how great the Infinite is, and that we are a part of this awesome existence, it begins to change who and what we are.

Imagine that you were suddenly told you were royalty. You wealth suddenly when from an average income to being more than you can fathom. You power moves from the average person on the street, feeling a victim to life, to being in control. You every whim is something to be carried out at the fastest possible time. This is only a small portion of what you really have as a part of the Infinite.

The second thing to understand has already been alluded to. You are not a victim. We so often think that we have no control over anything and that we are at the mercy of life. We work a job we hate, we don't have the education we want, we don't have the health we want, we don't have the partner we want. Many of these things, and more, cross the minds of the vast majority of people. Are you one of them? You see, you are a part of the Infinite and as such, you are not a victim, but a participant.

We feel so victimized because we feel that we have no say, but this is not the truth in any way. We are a part of the Universal movement. We are a part of the Infinite Source. Does that sound like a victim to you? Once we begin to understand that we are not victims, we can begin to move toward those things we wish to do and be. We can make plans to move from where we are to where we want to be. Leaving the victim mentality behind is not easy. Much of the world works overtime to convince us that we are the victims we have always thought we were.

The third thing we need to understand is that we are responsible for our lives and happiness. Now I know this sounds scary, but it really isn't. We are the ones who have kept us in this downtrodden state. We are the ones who have believed and told ourselves over and over again that we were victims. Now don't get me wrong, we are not responsible for every little thing that happens in our lives, accidents do happen and we have no control over others. We are responsible for our reactions to life.

When things happen to us, we can become sour and unhappy, or, we can learn from the situation, we can become better for what has happened and let it make us stronger. In every situation, no matter how bad, there is always a choice. If nothing else, you have the choice of your own thinking and response to the situation. Let's say your boss chews you out for something. You can get mad and quit or go off and sulk or you can learn from the situation. What set him or her off? Did you do the job right, or does your boss have a point? Are you going to let this chewing out ruin your day and your life?

Your life does not depend on someone else. It depends on you. You are responsible. You can be happy whenever you want! You can feel successful whenever you want! Does that sound bad?

There are many more laws and principles to life than these, but if you start to live by these three principles, or understandings, your life will take on a new luster that it didn't have before! Take some time and think about it. Do some reading and see if others do not say the same thing. Then go out and turn your life right side up!

A Common Path

Changing the Jerk Within

2009-08-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

Whenever I do marriage counseling, I tell the couple that if they think they are going to change the other person, they had better reconsider both the marriage and how much it means to them for the other person to change.

Ultimately, we are responsible for our own life and happiness. This is one of the Principles that rules my life. I recently had a minor set back with someone close to me and it started to bring me down. I caught myself and recited this Principle a few times so that I would get it in my stubborn head. What happened was something small, and yet, had the potential to blow up into something big.

When I recited this Principle, I remembered that the only person I could really affect was myself. I could not change how the other person felt or how they reacted to what I had said. All I could do was be at peace with the situation within myself. I went over what happened and what was said and worked it out within my mind and spirit. I could not change what the other thought about it. I could explain the process I went through and how I felt now, but I could not change them at all. They could either accept what I had to say or reject it and I could not make either happen.

You may be convinced that the other person is a total jerk. There is nothing you can do about it other than to work on the jerk closest to you; which is you. If things are going badly, you can control what you feel and say, but not what the other feels and says. So much of the worlds problems could be simplified if not healed if we would remember this small Principle.

When we run across a situation where we are at odds with the other person, we have a few choices. We can get angry at the other and allow all communication to end or, we can try to work it out, believing we are right and they are wrong , and all we have to do is convince them. Another tactic would be to try and understand what the other person is saying and why they are saying it. Now if we take this approach, we are better off to listen to what they have to say and then process it in our own mind until we come to some sort of amenable ownership of it. If we make peace within ourselves, it will be much easier to make peace with others.

Who do you have a hard time with? Is it a significant other, a boss, co-worker, family member? Who ever it is, try this simple Principle. Don't try to change them in any way. Make peace with the situation within yourself. I am not suggesting that you always let the other have their way, you may decide to terminate the relationship. You may decide that there is no other way and walk away from the situation and the person. All I am suggesting is that you do not try to change them, only yourself.

A Common Path

Irreverent Intentions

2009-08-17T06:51:00.004-04:00

It was suggested to me that I have a rather irreverent way of talking about the Principles and our lives in the universe. I have little doubt that my purpose is to teach spiritual laws or Principles. It is what I was created to do. What I don’t want to do is try to teach Principles to those who either know them already, or have some sort of pseudo self importance that makes them not only immune from the truth of the Principles, but gives them the attitude that they don’t need them.

This is the last day of my little intention experiment. I don’t know how many people are reading my blog or how many are participating in the experiment. What I do know is that it has been a productive time for me. I have had my sense of call strengthened and my determination, my will, to see it happen. There is nothing better than to have a sense of purpose in life.

I would suggest that, if you have no sense of purpose, you use your intention to gain it. Each day, intend to find your purpose in life. You will only feel complete when you find that sense that tells you there is a reason to live each day. The Infinite will deliver it! It may take time as you need to do some self discovery or it may come to you in a flash of insight. The point is to find your purpose.

The second suggestion I would make is that if you or someone you know has a hard time with spiritual laws and principles that you not only read this blog, but engage in it. We can have some good conversation if you will allow it. I may be a little irreverent, but I will be delighted to help anyone become more in tune with their spiritual song. It is the common man or woman who will change the world. Let us be about it!

A Common Path

Tapping the Infinite Keg

2009-08-14T10:53:00.001-04:00

What are our limits, as humans? One of the Principles is the we determine our limitations. No matter how much we may not like it, this is true. We tell ourselves that we cannot do this or that. You might think that someone else is stopping you, but in reality, they are the roadblock that you have the choice to go around or not. You determine you limitations.

The question is, what if we had no limitations? What if we tapped into the well of the Infinite and could do whatever we wanted? It reminds me of tapping into a keg of beer. You tap the keg, pull that first glass and get little but foam. You taste the beer and its good so you get another. This one has a lot of foam still, but not as much as before and you get more of the beverage. The next glass is all beer and it tastes good and goes down smooth. You begin to feel lighter in spirit and more friendly. By your six or seventh glass, you begin to think how fun life is and what you might do. Somewhere along the line you begin to think, to know, that you are invincible.

Now tapping into the Infinite is so much better than that. You get the same feelings, but no hangover and it is not a false sense of well being, but are real sense of all being right and your place in it as right. You begin to know your strengths and your talents. You begin to serve others through your abilities and you have such a sense of euphoria that nothing in life can get you down.

Why not tap into the keg of the Infinite, the Source? Why stand on the sidelines feeling like a wallflower, or worse, the worlds biggest loser. Why not drink your fill of what awaits you, if you only will?

A Common Path

Skinny-dipping in the Infinite Pool

2009-08-13T09:37:00.001-04:00

One of the Principles that has been given to me is that we are all part of the Infinite. Now many would take that to mean that I believe that we are all a part of God, and they would be correct, to some degree.

I do believe that we are all a part of what the God-Head is, but that has little to do with what most “religious” people think. I do not believe that we are God, nor do I believe that God exists as some super-human grandfather type. I believe that God is much bigger than that.

I am currently reading a book entitled, “The Field” by Lynne McTaggart. I can hardly do the book justice as it is full of deep thoughts and information, but the just is that there is a huge “field” of energy, information, and activity that we are all a part of. Read the book! Anyway, I believe that this “field” is a part of God and science is proving that we are a part of the field. That, my dear friends, means that we are all a part of God, or the Infinite.

In my meditation practice, it has become my habit to immerse myself in this field or in the Infinite. I sometimes ask questions and wait for the answer, which I nearly always get some impression or other, if I listen. I sometimes come with no agenda at all and simply sit in openness, trying to be as honest and as open to the Infinite as I can be. It is in these times that I begin to feel an overwhelming sense on oneness with the Infinite and all things. This sense of unashamed openness to the All is a far cry from the guilt and shame I was taught as a child to have when approaching God.

I don’t know what your habit might be in this regard. I don’t know if you pray or meditate, sit on a rock or ignore the whole thing. I can tell you that becoming aware of my oneness and participation in the Infinite is a continual eye opener. Try it; you might like it!

A Common Path

Intention-Day 10

2009-08-12T09:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the tenth day of my little intention experiment. I don't know how many people are doing this at the same time, but I am having a ball doing it. Things have certainly been going well.

My intentions for this experiment have been in the area of my business. My business, as I see it, is to live and teach the spiritual principles that have been given to me. Sometimes, it seems I get bogged down a bit and find it hard to know what it is I should do next. Not this week!

Each night I have tried to spend just a little time, a few minutes, reviewing my goals and setting intentions for the next day. In doing so, I have slept better and I have awakened in the morning sure of what I wanted to do and excited about it. This by itself is worth the effort. I have been more productive and happier. I have been able to live the principles with less conflict and stress.

What about you? Have you had any success in your intentions? There are just a few more days left. Set your intentions early, the night before, if possible. Let them percolate in your mind a bit and then go after them!

A Common Path

Creating Your Life

2009-08-11T12:55:00.001-04:00

I talked to my daughter who lives in a small town in Michigan today. They were hit by a huge storm on Sunday that nearly wiped their little town out. No power for four to five days, some homes destroyed, a lot of damage and many trees down, is the damage. Many of the local stores and businesses are closed due to the power outage. Just before I hung up the phone, not wanting to run her mobile phone down, since she can’t recharge it, she said that everything was fine, all her friends were alright and that they would be fine.

How many times are we hit with life’s disasters and we feel like out world has come to an end? I just heard a story very similar about fires in California. The news interviewed one couple who had lost their home and they were devastated saying they had lost everything, another couple who also had lost their home said they had everything they needed, they were safe and their family was fine.

We create the lives that we live. We create them with our thoughts and our beliefs and actions. When life throws us a curve, we have a choice to fall prey to the thing confronting us or we can look for the positive and know that things will work out. The interesting thing about this is that whatever we think is usually how things turn out. If we think everything is ruined including our lives, that’s how things turn out. If we think that we will be fine and, some how, everything will work out. We are right, they do.

What about your life? Do you see things as total disasters, or minor hiccups that will work out fine? Whatever your answer, know that you have created your life by your beliefs, thoughts, and actions. You are responsible for how you react to life. Make it a good one!

A Common Path

A Battle of Good and Evil

2009-08-10T13:52:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a very interesting day. It was a day of conflicting and energizing powers. It was so highly energized that I would not be real anxious to do it again real soon.

Someone very close to my family was having a very difficult day. The negative energy surrounding this situation had much of my family on edge. We not only felt for this person, but the energy given off, although the person was not physically with us, affected us all. It was a struggle for everyone to stay light.

The opposite was also occurring. Everyone was thinking and praying for this person and the energy of love and wanting the best for them was also palpable. You might say that we were involved in a war of good and evil and it was fairly easy to see that, although it was indeed a battle, good was winning out for us and the evil was slowly being diminished.

When evil or bad intentions and thoughts come your way, have no fear which will win out if you will have the courage to stick with it. If you will give the good a chance to hold its ground, it will always win out. The only time that the bad side wins in when we let it.

A Common Path

You Ruined My Day!

2009-08-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

The last time you were having a bad day, or were down, who was in control? Who was it that made you be down? What was the circumstance that led to that bad day? Want to know the answer?

The answer is that it was not anyone or anything. It was not a circumstance or a person. Well, that’s not exactly true, it was a someone and a person, but not who you would like to think.

The person was you. You were the one controlling your bad day and your down mood. Now I understand that there were probably circumstances that caused the initial problem and that circumstance or other person was not under your control. What was under your control was your reaction to the circumstance or other person. We have little control over others, but we have complete control over our reaction to whatever stimuli comes along. We can be upset and feel like victims or we can be in control, learning from the situation and making the best of it.

How do you feel? Do you feel like a victim of life? You can change that. You can refuse to feel the victim any longer and use life’s ups and downs to teach you and strengthen you. Personally, I prefer leaving the victim mentality behind.

A Common Path

Intention-Day Four

2009-08-06T10:13:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are at intention day four. I don’t know about you, but I have been working hard to keep my intentions. The hardest thing though is thinking about what they will be. I try to not get out of bed until I have my intentions for the day firmly set. I need to be up soon after the alarm, but setting the intention isn’t always easy.

The first problem I have is setting an intention that goes along with my goals for life and work. I can’t set the intention to go hiking all day if I have other goals that need attention.

The second problem I have is setting an intention that is realistic. Sometimes my intentions tend to get a little airy fairy. You know, “I intend to love everyone I meet today.” Now that would be a fine intention, but it is a little unrealistic, especially if I go out shopping or something like that and run across thousands of people. It is far more realistic to intend to smile at everyone I make eye contact with.

Today, my intention is to work on my goals, they tend to become larger than life too, and to accomplish everything on my list for the day. I intend to become a better person by being responsible for my life. What about you?

A Common Path

A New Creature

2009-08-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that if any one is in Christ, that person in a new creature. Now I believe that what Paul is talking about is not some limp conversion experience, but a changed way of life that more resembles who Jesus was. What do I mean by that?

It means that we are to be, to live, as Jesus did. I don’t mean some pseudo religious life, but living in the all of the Infinite. There is quite a bit of difference, in my mind, between what most people think being “a good Christian” is and being who the Christ taught us to be. Either way, do we become this new creature over night?

The answer is, most often, a resounding no! Becoming someone other than who you have been for whatever your life span is takes a lot of work and faith that it can happen. The faith or belief is the hard part. Once that is accomplished, it isn’t too hard to follow that belief and change.

To change your thinking about yourself and the world around you is hard. Most of it is conditioned by the subconscious and, true to its name; it is below our conscious thinking. We become angry about something before we are even aware that we are. We become depressed about something and don’t even realize at first what it is we are depressed about. Once we start to understand that we can change our thinking, we can start to analyze our reactions to various stimuli. We start to become angry and we stop and think about what was said or done and if it really was the way we perceived it, or did we shade it with our own preconceived ideas.

To understand that we are not victims and that we are a part of the grand design, part of the Infinite Source, is the beginning of becoming the new creation. As we evolve from the primordial being we have been and become more of what Jesus and other holy ones have been, we become the new creature we were always meant to be.

A Common Path