Hello friends,

It has been way too long since I have posted to Secrets.

It is my intention to begin posting at least once a week now.

I have been writing but most of the thoughts are incomplete and I have not felt like they were share-worthy, as written. So, my hope is to rework some of them and share new thoughts as they appear in my awareness. I would love to return to posting once a day, as I did years ago, but to do this I must change the way I work, and that is, hopefully, in progress.

I have been wanting to start posting again. So, I sat down recently, stared at the blank page and realized I had no clue what I wanted to write about. After about fifteen minutes of this fruitless gaze, I turned to see what activity there had been on social media, over the night.

On Twitter, (@elliott_teters) I had posted the following quote: “I experience God in nature and behind the eyes of every person I meet when I’m fully aware… When my heart is open, what I see in other people is the Divine. I find it particularly easy to see God in babies. ~ Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.”

One of my friends responded: “I agree. I too see God in babies. However, Elliott, I’ve experienced EVIL behind some of the eyes of person’s I’ve met.” So, I decided this was what I needed to address.

To deny that evil exists in the world is to deny our human experience. As, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is so famously quoted, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” As spiritual beings, having some sort of journey in our human costumes, our true nature is that of our Source.

In the times I have spent in communion with the Source of all that IS, no such thing as hatred, evil or desire existed. But, what would a spiritual journey be without the freedom to choose Truth or to reject It?

Thanks to Succo on Pixabay.com

Our life is about Awareness. It is understanding that in Truth, we are spiritual beings. As awake, individual expressions of Source we are Aware of our thoughts, actions and all of our other choices.

Unfortunately, many of us have no concept of what we are and no idea why we are here. This lack of awareness can cause some to think it is o.k. to lie, steal and cheat to get the things in life they think will lead to happiness.

This is a mentality which says, “There is not enough to go around; therefore, I have the right to take what I need, whatever the cost. Sometimes this means the taking of one or dozens of lives. Having no real moral compass, these people appear evil; and by all human definitions, they are.

I have looked into the eyes of evil before. It can be frightening. It is, however, our responsibility, as awakened beings, to see past the fear (both our own and that of the individual in whom we see evil) to the Light which exists at their core.

Now, I am not suggesting that we have to stand toe to toe with these unenlightened beings and search for the good in them. If we have a true sense that our lives are in danger, or our way of life is endangered, we need to get out of the situation and work on ourselves and them from a distance. What I am recommending, though, is that we take every such opportunity as a chance to learn more about ourselves and to allow Love to show us the power we have in any given situation.

That last paragraph kind of sounds like a disclaimer. “Love can overcome all problems, but be careful not to get hurt nor allow yourself to become a victim.” It is not intended to mean we should embrace our fear, but that we are given fight or flight capabilities for a reason. Sometimes, listening to and honoring these inner urgings is important and are there to encourage us to take steps to extricate ourselves from harmful environments. In other words, I would never encourage someone to stay in an abusive relationship while looking for the Light in another. Learning to love ourselves is life’s greatest work, and part of that practice is eliminating dangerous or self-destructive choices.

So, this is a bit longwinded explanation that says, “Yes, I believe evil exists. I do not believe it is a real power but it does have a pool of collective consciousness from which to draw its strength. While Love is the only real power and is capable of overcoming all evil that does not mean that one should not run when they feel threatened.”

While any real explanation of the way I think evil works would take more time than I have spent writing this, but suffice it to say our journey would be pointless if we did not have the possibility of choices. We can either choose to be in alignment with our true nature (Love) or we can make the choice to reject Truth. Sometimes this choice is made without any conscious awareness. Some choose to wreak havoc, knowing that it is not the right choice. Others feel they have no choice and are truly ignorant about their True natures. The former may require intervention. The latter needs patient Light and Love; something we can only offer if we, ourselves, are committed to being True to our own Essence.

Recently, I read a news article which stated something like this: “Scientists have shown that, contrary to popular, modern philosophy, there not only “is” a self, but it is measurable.” I did a short search for the article but was not successful in locating it.

The reason I bring it up, today, is because I started reading The Science of Enlightenment, How Meditation Works by Shinzen Young and was struck by this quote: “A central notion of Buddhism is that there’s not a thing inside of us called a self. One way to express that is to say that we are a colony of sub-personalities and each of those sub-personalities is in fact not a noun but a verb—a doing.”

When I read this, I flashed on the, reportedly scientific article, and two things popped into mind:

1. I don’t think that Buddhism would insist that an intellectual self, or perhaps the idea of a self, is non-existent. We have all experienced this ego-based self, our concept of I am; but the Truth is this self is basically the personality, a construct, stored in mind, and made up of everything we remember from the past. Therefore, since it only exists in memory, it is of form. My interpretation would posit that any self, which only exists in form, cannot be a True Self, or the Awareness which witnesses the personality-based self.
2. Secondly, I find articles which seek to point out that “I am right and you are wrong” (i.e.: Contrary to modern philosophy) are ego based and are therefore limited to the level of consciousness governed by said ego. Hmm, is that what I am doing here?

*YOUNG, SHINZEN. SCIENCE OF ENLIGHTENMENT : How Meditation Works. SOUNDS TRUE, 2018. P. XV

I strive to never write from a mind which is locked into a belief system controlled by my egoic self. While it probably happens, from time to time, particularly when I am feeling compelled to “be right,” it is never my intent.

So often, I find that two apparently opposing ideas have more common ground than what is realized at first. I think there is room for science to have its measurable self and Buddhism to insist that such a self is the key to all suffering. While I bristled when I first read the science article, I am now not convinced that the writers were attempting to disprove the philosophical observation that the existence of self is an illusion. I think that just because something is measurable does not mean that it is “real” it simply means that it exists in a world of form. Quantum Physicists are the first to tell us that everything in form is 99+% empty space, and all that we think is form is actually made up of energy, moving slow enough to appear as solid. This, I feel, is what the self is: thought upon thought that has convinced itself that it is real.

Of course, all of this is just my mind at play. I enjoy trying to bring ends together to create full circles instead of linear structures. I guess you could say I am more of a Round Earth type of guy than a Flat-Earther.

Disclaimer: When I say something is Truth, it is, of course, what I perceive to be Truth. I am not sure we can ever really speak to what Truth is. As many have suggested before me, the best we can hope to do is to point to Truth.

It astounds me that it has been over 16 months since I posted on this site. I have shared my thoughts in a few other places, but have neglected Secrets To Peace, entirely.

If you are still here, I apologize to you for not sharing my thoughts for so long. My life has been more complicated, in large part because of a failure, on my part, to live the Secrets which I have been writing for over ten years. I think, at one time or another, all of us who attempt to share what life has taught us, experience “The Impostor Syndrome.”

For me, this typically shows up one of two ways: Either I feel I have nothing left to share, or I feel unqualified to share my thoughts and observations. It does not matter that I know, in my heart of hearts, this is only my little ego being afraid. Such knowledge offers very little comfort when my life is reflecting back to me (largely because of choices I am making or have made) that I cannot live the “Truths” I share.

Knowing that the eyes which catch the reflections of my life are filtered by this strong negativity does not seem to offer much relief. When I am healthy. When I am merely walking my day-to-day journey and not allowing my thoughts to be dominated by “what I have not accomplished, what goals I have not reached, or which songs remain trapped in my heart, because of the fear that I may sing out of key,” all is well. I feel healthy, happy, and free of the chains, which still creep around my heart and brain, like vines of Kudzu, from time to time.

Knowing that I can BE in a state of perpetual freedom, it seems almost unfathomable that I would ever make another choice; but the trickster, the Loki of my brain, is very adept at making me think that the fruits of my labor should define me. It encourages me to reject what I know to be Truth: (that simply BEING is enough.) Why shouldn’t this aspect of my personality be highly skilled? It has been my constant companion, and many times my perceived “I AM,” for most of my 60+ years. What amazes me, and from a healthy, higher ground amuses me, is that I can still be so imprisoned by self-loathing, which I have supposedly cleared from my consciousness, so many times in the last 34 years of my spiritual quest.

I find that I must keep vigilant, each and every day, indeed each and every minute to make sure that I am not lulled into the painful sleep, which my forgetfulness affords. Whether I show up here to report on my lessons and progress/setbacks or I take another extended sabbatical from my frequently malfunctioning electronics, I vow, to myself, that each time I become aware of my destructive inner thoughts, I will forgive my past and,  at least for the present, set myself free.

To anyone who finds this post: I am really grateful that you have taken the time to read this. If you are like me, your soul must need to hear this. I know I needed to or my heart would not have insisted on revealing how I can exist in such an unenlightened state.

Peace!

Several months ago, actually it was in the Christmas Day edition of the Kansas City Star newspaper, I read about a man named Darryl Burton who had spent 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The headline read: “Former Inmate Defines Forgiveness.” I typically find such an article nearly irresistible and this piece did not disappoint.

The article revealed that Burton had been released from the Missouri State Prison system where he spent 24 years, after a judge ruled that Burton’s original trial had been unconstitutional.

Thanks to Ludi on Pixabay

I searched the writing for a glimpse of the promised definition of forgiveness and I want to share a little of what I found. To quote Burton: “If I hadn’t forgiven them, I would still be in prison, a spiritual prison.”

This quote reminded me of a book, I had read, entitled We Are All Doing Time by Bo Lozoff. Not because Bo spent a lot of time touting the virtue of forgiveness, but because he taught that we are all imprisoned by the way we view the world, which is often through a set of rules we learned as children and never challenged. I think Bo would agree with Burton that the failure to forgive those who imprisoned him, would keep Mr. Burton trapped in a spiritual prison.

Without constantly examining the belief systems, which can hold us in bondage, we may remain trapped in prisons which have no apparent walls. Every time we find ourselves reacting to some stimuli, in any type of negative way, we uncover an opportunity to examine our beliefs, to see where we are clinging to illusions; illusions which may keep us from being free.

Thanks to TygerTy on Pixabay

Burton understood this truth. While many people would harbor a great deal of resentment for having 24 years stolen from them, this wise man decided, instead, to free himself of such obstruction. He decided to enjoy his freedom to the fullest, and now he travels the States sharing the wisdom he has gained from his experiences.

In addition to teaching, Burton is working on a Master’s in Divinity and plans to spend the remainder of his years serving his Lord and telling his story of hope and forgiveness. I contacted Mr. Burton through the Church of the Resurrection, in Leawood, KS where he is an associate pastor, and shared an earlier draft of this post. You can read more about his story on his website: http://www.darrylburton.org/

To recap, I shared this article because I think it is a very important lesson. If a man like Darryl Burton, who essentially had 24 years of his life stolen, can find it in his heart to forgive all those responsible for his loss, then surely you and I can choose to forgive the driver who cuts us off in traffic, or the friend who falls short of our expectations. When I think about how minor the indiscretions are, sometimes, which cause me so much angst, I find they pale in comparison to being locked up for years, for a crime I did not commit. It really puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?

Forgive everyone for everything, now. Don’t wait. Don’t allow yourself to spend even one more minute in prison. Yes, others have hurt you. Yes, others have done things which were inconsiderate and thoughtless; but do you need to continue to suffer. Whatever was done is in the ancient past. You can do nothing about it now, except love yourself enough to let it go.

Consider these words from the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” And also this thought: “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”

Thanks to Skeeze on Pixabay

Darryl Burton understands this truth. Darryl Burton is a very wise man. He has chosen freedom. Each of us can make the same choice, right now. We owe it to ourselves to choose Love.

Article citation: Bauer, Laura. “Former Inmate Defines Forgiveness.” Kansas City Star 25 Dec. 2015:  page 1. Print. Also here is a link to the same article with the title: “From the Pit to the Pulpit.”

As I was working, this week, gathering everything I needed for our taxes I found an old book hiding in an unexpected place. It was a forty-two year old little book by Helen Steiner Rice. I am not sure where it came from but I think I bought it as part of a collection of books from an Estate Sale.

Mrs. Rice was a writer for the Greeting Card company, Gibson Cards (I believe) and, as I have noticed in other of her books, she has a gentle, easy way of speaking directly to my heart.

Anyway, I opened this little book to the first entry entitled: The Magic of Love. I thought it was nice, so I decided to share it here:

The Magic Of Love

Love is like magic.
And it always will be,
For love still remains
Life’s sweet mystery!

Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there’s nothing in life
That love cannot change.

Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And Sweetness and Grace!

Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!

Love is the answer
That everyone seeks–
Love is the language
That every heart speaks.

Love can’t be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love like pure magic
Is a sweet mystery!

Citation: Rice, Helen Steiner. Everyone Needs Someone. Place of Publication Not Identified: Revell, 1973. Print.

So simple, so clear. It speaks of the Love which cannot be explained, cannot be quantified or defined. It is, in fact, a great mystery, this Love which can only be felt or ignored.

We are this Love.

When we are living authentic lives, we allow this Beingness to flow in and through us, as us. And Mrs. Rice was correct, “There is nothing that Love cannot change.” There is nothing that Love cannot heal.

It is January 5th, 2016. It seems nearly impossible that another year has come and gone but it’s not mine to argue with the calendar. My goal, this year, will be the same as in the past: To stay present and fully enjoy each moment of every day. When I am successful at this endeavor, each day seems to move at a nice easy pace and, in truth, I am very seldom the least bit conscious of the passing of time.

Thanks to condesign on pixabay

So, how do I work to accomplish this? There are two simple things I strive to incorporate into every day:

In as much as is humanly possible I remain fully present in this current “now.” Understanding that the human mind is always either considering the future or dwelling on the past, I constantly re-direct my attention to the task at hand. If I am driving, to the best of my ability, I only drive. I keep my hands on the wheel, my eyes on the road, and my thoughts on the possible actions of the drivers who share the road with me.

Of course, this is not easy, because at every opportunity the mind will do what the mind does and it will be “off to the races” thinking about my destination or about my point of departure. I choose to experience this as if it were a game. It is not really “me” against my “mind,” but it kind of feels this way. The minute I notice my mind building stories about the past, the future, or something I am observing, I bring it back to whatever I am doing. This can be a constant challenge, particularly if one has not spent years practicing to create a quiet mind. But, it is doable. Like every other habitual behavior, it is merely a matter of practice, practice, practice.

Thanks to John Hain on Pixabay

A part of my daily work is to spend time in meditation. By this, I mean that I spend at least thirty minutes every day watching the way my mind works. I sit with the intention of being quiet and I re-emphasize this intention every time my mind sends up a thought for my consideration.Sometimes people ask me about my meditation practice. The most common question is “What is the best way to meditate?” My answer is always the same, “However you are most comfortable.” I have read dozens of books which insist that meditation must be done the way the author proposes. I have also had people tell me that you cannot meditate the way I choose to do it. None of this matters to the mind.

What matters is that you set aside time, with the intention of being quiet, and then you refuse to invest in any thoughts that arise. You can be walking, you can sit in a straight-back chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor and with your back straight. You can be quiet in the practice of Yoga, walking, or running. It does not matter, as long as your physical safety or the safety of others is not at risk. I do not advise practicing meditation while driving your car or while operating dangerous machinery, although the practice of meditation “at other times” can significantly improve your ability to pay attention to either of these experiences.

Thanks to Somogrado on Pixabay

I have known people who are successful at meditating in their beds. I typically am not able to do this unless I sit up, because I tend to fall asleep. That is not to say that lying down is a bad way to meditate. In fact, one of my favorite ways, to be quiet, is to lie in the supine position (flat on my back with my face up) but I need to do this on the floor, instead of the comfortable bed.

Meditation helps one learn to have a quieter mind in their daily walk through life. I highly recommend it. In-fact, there is nothing I think is more important to one’s spiritual development. Having a quiet mind is so beneficial, it requires an essay of its own, just to list the many benefits. Staying in the now is very difficult for one who has not spent time training their minds to be more peaceful. Our minds are very skilled at making associations to things in our past. So, when we see something, it automatically triggers some type of reaction. The untrained mind can get caught up in these reactions and left unchecked, a whole day can pass with little to no time spent present to the actual task at hand. This is why time, sometimes, passes so quickly that we feel overwhelmed.

I urge you to invest in yourself and find a way to train your mind to be quieter. It can seem like a lot of work, because, quite frankly, it is a lifelong pursuit, but the key is just to allow a little time each day and fully commit to this daily ‘honoring’ of yourself. Once you have your first breakthrough, where you actually have an instant of complete silence, you will be hooked for life. You will soon crave your time in the silence and will feel that no day is complete without this self-investment.

Thanks to Hans on Pixabay

It truly does slow time when you are able to be fully present in each new moment. I am not suggesting that the days will not roll through at a speed which seems to increase with each passing year, but I do promise that you will have more memorable moments in each of these hyper-speed-like days.

For this New Year, try to spend some time in the quiet each and every day, and practice being fully present in whatever task is at hand. If after attempting this for one month you think you are wasting your time, go back to your old way of being. My intuition and experience tell me that if you really invest in yourself, in this manner, you will be forever changed, and that change will be for the better, in my humble opinion.

This year’s version of the holidays are upon us, with Thanksgiving only two weeks away. This is a very busy time, for me, as many of my household projects must be completed before filling our home with family and guests. As such, it is highly unlikely I will have much time to devote to sharing here. I did want, however, to offer a couple of quick suggestions for embracing the next seven weeks, until we begin the year 2016.

Thanks to pixel1 on Pixabay

1) Let the past live in the past. Take each day as a brand new event. If you have history with anyone you encounter during the holidays, suspend that memory and look at these individual with brand new eyes. Don’t bring up the past, do not judge them based on things which happened in the past, and take this opportunity to demonstrate your ability to simply be the greatest expression of Love you are capable of being.

2) Just walk away. When others insist on re-living the events of the past, you have the option of simply bowing-out. Say, “This year I am choosing to merely be here. I am not interested in dwelling in the past.” In this way you set the example and free yourself of all the painful memories which, in many cases, means suffering. If that group of individuals refuse to follow your lead, move on to other people with higher levels of consciousness; people who respect your insistence to stay present in this NOW. If you cannot find anyone wise enough to join you, spend the holidays by yourself. Be a leader, this year, not a follower, not someone governed by habitual behavior. Yes, your ego may want you to engage in the same old behavior which haunts your memories of holiday’s past, but you are making a different choice this year. You will, eventually, see the wisdom of honoring your commitment.

Thank you Geralt on pixabay

As I wrote here the holidays offer us a unique time to heal our old familial relationships. These relationships often offer us the opportunities for some of our most profound growth. I am a big believer in using every opportunity the Universe places before me for my growth, my evolution. I recommend you honor your self by making the same promise to your soul.

Have fun this holiday season. I truly believe that if you adopt these two easy steps, you may have your best holidays yet.

Unless I magically free up some time between now and the New Year, I expect this will be my last post of 2015. It is possible that I could find myself compelled to share something before then, but I leave that up to Spirit. If things go as I foresee them, accept my wishes for your best holiday’s yet and my promise to return to writing with a renewed vigor on January 2nd, 2016.

I love and appreciate each of you who take the time to visit here and to read my words. I am very grateful for each of you who take a moment to post these writings on one of your social networking sites. You help me to attract readership, which, I hope, helps the planet to grow and evolve closer to becoming the Greatest Expressions of Love we are all capable of becoming. I thank you in advance for this kind gesture.

Thanks kevindvt on pixabay

However you choose to celebrate the many holidays, I offer you Peace and consider you my friend, a term I do not take or use lightly. Much Love to each of you.

 
You, beloved, fill me,
As nothing else can.
You transform my loneliness
Into solitude.
You incite my longing
To be an open vessel,
For your Life-giving essence
To flow in and through me
To show up
In my actions, my words,
My thoughts.

Thanks to VivitoArt on Pixabay

Oh, how painful it is
When my mind forgets
Your loving embrace
Experienced in silence.
Oh, how this “Me”
Fights for survival.
How my “I Am” dreams
Of being needed, wanted, desired,
When I have once again
Forgotten the Truth;
The Truth that
I can never walk alone,
No matter what
I think.

Thanks to huevocosmico on Pixabay

Who is this I
Who thinks;
Who thinks he is flesh,
Bones and fluids,
Who thinks “he”
Is a him, different than
A she or a her.
He who notices
The apparent space
Between two forms
And deduces that
Separateness is what is Real,
Who focuses on differences,
Instead of similarities;
Who seeks pleasure for the
Form, he thinks he is.

Thanks to Pixabay

Fill me beloved
So that I may never forget
To see with my heart
And not through my eyes,
My ears, my touch.
Fill me like the wind
Fills a tree,
Like the sun
Feeds a leaf,
Like a wave
Completes the shore,
Full till is no me
To remember or forget,
To imagine
A past or future,
To dream, or hope
Or find anything, missing.

Thanks to Jill111 on Pixabay

Fill me
Like new wine
In an old skin,
So there is no I
Which remains
But only
Truth,
Wholeness,
Oneness,
Allness
Nothing left to say
Nothing left to do
Just unchanging THAT;
Nothing, yet everything
Paradox consumed
In beingness;
Soul expanded
Chains released
Boundaries erased
Borders forgotten;
Beauty lived, breathed,
Integrated, owned,
And celebrated
Now and forever;
For they are one and the same,
Infinity in every instant
Time forgotten with form.

Thanks to Mikael on Pixabay

Gratitude is all that remains
With no “me” to be grateful,
Just Love,
Undefineable,
Unexplainable,
Unimagined,
Simple ISness,
BEingness,
AMness.
 
© Elliott Teters 2015

It is not what happens to you, but what you think about what happens to you that creates your sorrow.

You have heard these words, probably hundreds of times, if you have been on the spiritual path any time at all, but have you ever really integrated these words into your conscious awareness. Do you honestly own the understanding of this Truth or do you merely have the words memorized, in some rote fashion without fully considering how they apply to your day-to-day life experience?

Thanks to Antranias on Pixabay

Consider these words from Joel Goldsmith, found in The Contemplative Life, “Nothing can come into your or my experience except through our own consciousness.”

Reading words and even understanding the words you read and all the possible implications of those words is not the same thing as really allowing the understanding of this concept to change the fundamental way you live your life.

I can give you a quick test to see if you have integrated the opening sentence or if you just understand its meaning in an intellectual way: Do things happen in your life which cause you to suffer? Do things happen which create stress in your life?

You see if you answer “yes” to either of these questions, you do not fully embrace the first sentence. You may very well understand it. You may be able to quote thirty different authors or speakers who have expressed this in similar ways, but if you still allow life’s events to cause you to be upset, you do not own this Truth.

Thanks to Hans on Pixabay

It is the nature of thinking that it is never really present. It cannot be fully present because it is always behind whatever has just happened. By the time you are interpreting what you have just witnessed, the event you are reacting to is in the past. When you consider that ninety-nine percent of what bothers you is much further removed from your present moment than something which just occurred, you realize that you are allowing your thoughts to destroy your calm peace of mind.

It is not my intention to be critical here. I still have moments where I allow my thinking to destroy my peace. The frequency is less than in my past, but they still happen, typically when I am reacting to some situation before recognizing that my emotions have hijacked my sensibility. It’s like my mind is a wild horse and I, having dropped the reins, allowed my mind, no matter how briefly, to become my master.

Thanks to Skeeze on pixabay

What is different for me, today, from where I was thirty years ago, is that now I recognize, normally quite quickly, that my thinking has destroyed my experience of heaven here on earth, and I rapidly change my mind. You can do that too, and I will promise you that it is worthwhile.

When you fully understand that events have no power to disrupt your joy, and that it is only when you are allowing your untamed mind to run, unchecked, that you feel anxiety, you can easily make a different choice. You can simply say, “Stop it” to your out-of-control brain and once you have practiced this, sufficiently, your mind will have no choice but to comply. Of course, there can be other factors involved, like fear, which can make your mind harder to tame, but in time, with a suitable investment of effort, you can make your mind become your servant and not your master. Then you can really own the concept that it is your thinking which creates all of your misery, because you can witness and know, at once, that this statement is Truth.

I am going to close with identical ideas from two different sources:

1. The problem is always a belief in your own thought. ~ Joel Goldsmith
2. It is not possible to have a problem without believing a prior thought. To notice this simple truth is the beginning of peace. ~ Byron Katie
3. The mind’s natural condition is peace. Then a thought enters, you believe it, and the peace seems to disappear. ~ Byron Katie

Thinking is dangerous, friend. Really understand this, especially when in the midst of challenging times, and you can return to peace as if you never entertained the thought in the first place. Your brain is going to think, as long as you are alive. That is a good thing. It is proof that you are still here with us on the human plane. Believing those thoughts, investing in those thoughts, and attaching to these thoughts, that is where every problem begins.

If you must believe your thoughts, believe in the idea of a peaceful, day-to-day experience. Let go of every other thought. Seek ye first peace and joy shall accompany you all the days of your life.