When I sat today and listened, I heard: "Be still and know that I am God" from Psalm 46. I smiled. How many times have I talked with my intentional living intensive clients about these words. Somewhere in the course of the three-day intensives, my spiritual coaching clients would hear these words, and we would talk. Usually, we would talk about stilling the noise of the world and taking time in prayer and meditation. I know I don't spend nearly enough time being still and knowing God in that way.
In Exodus 3:13 Moses asks God in the form of a burning bush who he should tell the Israelites has sent him, God replies in the next verse, "I am who I am." Depending on where my client went, sometimes we would talk about the reference of "I AM." I've often pondered God's humor, which I think is significant. How could it not be? Was God trying to tell us that each of us (who I am) is part of God? If so, was the Psalm reference God saying that we should spend more time knowing our godliness? I don't spend enough time there either.
In the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, God is a verb**. What if 'God' is a verb? Not an entity or state, but an action. What if "God" as "I am" is a verb that says who each of us chooses to be is how others experience God? If God is a verb, how have I been doing on "God-ding" today? I am afraid that often the answer isn't what I would like it to be.
This morning when I heard "Be still and know that I am God," I instantly plugged in to all of these old conversations and thoughts and pondered for a bit more before asking, "What more am I to know?" The answer: "Google it!" God does have a sense of humor. :-)
Obediently, I went to Google and found a description of the Hebrew meaning of the phrase. The verbs "be still" and "know" are imperative forms that might more appropriately translated "Be still!" and "Know!"* These words were not gentle suggestions: they were orders and strong ones at that. I was struck speechless. I am ordered to be still. I am ordered to know the nature of God. I don't think this order was intended to be an activity that I fit in after work, exercise, dinner, making lunch and coffee for the next day, and watching yesterday's episode of "The Daily Show."
Whether we may think of God as a field of Love that connects us all, which I do, or we think of God as an old white man with a white beard, or various other possibilities, we are ordered to be still and know God. Maybe it is just knowing the God in each of us. We are ordered to still our minds, let all the clutter from the world around us drop away, and "know! God." I wonder if our world would be as crazy and violent if everyone of us followed our orders to "be still!" and "know!" before we go into the world each day. "Being still!" and "knowing!" is a priority, not something that we fit in if we are not so tired from all the other stuff that we fall asleep, as happened to me yesterday.
For years, I've taken at least a few minutes almost every morning to meditate, but in truth, more often than not, those few minutes are exhausted by just calming my mind from the rush of starting my day. If I am to really "be still!" and "know!" then I will need to take more time. Really?! I already get up at 5:20 more mornings. I am not sure I can get up earlier. Or, it seems to me that maybe this is really about focusing my intention on paying attention in a different way. I expect that if I focused my attention on knowing the God in me, all that other mind chatter would just fall away. Ah! I suspect that is it.
*http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Be_Still/be_still.html
**God Is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism by David A. Cooper
Showing posts with label spiritual guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual guide. Show all posts
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Living with Intention
Today is a "free" day for me. I took a day of leave just to BE. My dreams were rich, and I had time to process them this morning instead of jumping out of bed to get ready for work. The messages were clear. I must publish more on the BEing of a leader, the subject of Leading from the Heart, which has been out of print for over a dozen years. I must write more on intention.
The word or concept of "intention" has been overused by some as a concept that is something like what one speaker described as "using God as the great carhop in the sky," delivering whatever "stuff" we happen to think will bring happiness--a new car, a new house, a different job, a raise, or maybe even a soul mate. When I use the term "intention," this is decidedly not what I mean.
To me, "intention" is sacred. To live with intention means to align with and act from purpose--what each of us comes into the world to be. Think of intention as a contract we agreed to before coming into this world. Living with intention is acting, moment by moment, in accordance with guidance from our hearts about that intention.
I have a picture in my mind of each soul, before taking human form, sitting with the power of Love, looking out with legs dangling over something that looks like the Grand Canyon, and having a conversation that might go like this one that I think I had.
Me: "I'd like to go into the world as a human being, so that I may evolve my soul."
Love: "What lessons do you wish to learn on this journey?"
Me: "There are many, but I believe the most important ones for me are to receive love, to keep commitments, and to persevere with love...to have faith...in the face of overwhelming challenges."
Love: "Those are powerful lessons. They are also ones that are important in evolving the world, too. You know that is a great privilege to take human form to learn these spiritual lessons."
Me: "I do. I am ready to pay for that privilege."
Love: "The people in the world have forgotten that they are spiritual beings intended to connect through love. You would perform great service by helping them remember that."
Me: "That is service that I will commit to performing."
Love: "There is another piece to it. The people of the world seem to forget most who they are when they are at work. Your service would be especially great if you would help them remember who they are at work."
Me: "I will do that."
Love: "Thank you for your willingness to do that work."
Me: "It is a privilege."
Love: "Now you know that you will receive special gifts and talents to help you do this work. What gifts and talents would you like?"
Me: "Hmmm. Language--the ability to use language to touch people and to help them remember who they are. That would be one. And, the ability to understand people when they are at work--to know what causes them to forget who they are. Finally, of course, the ability to remember who I am when I am in work settings."
Love: "Those are good ones. We--the collected souls--would like to throw in some others, but especially 'dance.'"
Me: "Dance? I don't understand."
Love: "You don't need to understand, but it will speak to you and you will learn from it."
Me: "These will be my intentions. They will be written on the back side of my heart, and I will tune in to listen to where they lead me."
Love: "You will do well."
Each of us had a different "conversation," but we all made commitments. Our unique and special "recipe" for this life is written on our hearts. The intentions that we agreed to before taking human form are the only intentions that are important. Listening to our hearts keeps us on track. Yet we will almost never (maybe never, but I don't know that) be told in one fell swoop what the whole plan is or even why we are to do what we are to do. We will be guided, one step at a time.
The magnitude of millions of steps accomplishes miracles, making the impossible possible.
The word or concept of "intention" has been overused by some as a concept that is something like what one speaker described as "using God as the great carhop in the sky," delivering whatever "stuff" we happen to think will bring happiness--a new car, a new house, a different job, a raise, or maybe even a soul mate. When I use the term "intention," this is decidedly not what I mean.
To me, "intention" is sacred. To live with intention means to align with and act from purpose--what each of us comes into the world to be. Think of intention as a contract we agreed to before coming into this world. Living with intention is acting, moment by moment, in accordance with guidance from our hearts about that intention.
I have a picture in my mind of each soul, before taking human form, sitting with the power of Love, looking out with legs dangling over something that looks like the Grand Canyon, and having a conversation that might go like this one that I think I had.
Me: "I'd like to go into the world as a human being, so that I may evolve my soul."
Love: "What lessons do you wish to learn on this journey?"
Me: "There are many, but I believe the most important ones for me are to receive love, to keep commitments, and to persevere with love...to have faith...in the face of overwhelming challenges."
Love: "Those are powerful lessons. They are also ones that are important in evolving the world, too. You know that is a great privilege to take human form to learn these spiritual lessons."
Me: "I do. I am ready to pay for that privilege."
Love: "The people in the world have forgotten that they are spiritual beings intended to connect through love. You would perform great service by helping them remember that."
Me: "That is service that I will commit to performing."
Love: "There is another piece to it. The people of the world seem to forget most who they are when they are at work. Your service would be especially great if you would help them remember who they are at work."
Me: "I will do that."
Love: "Thank you for your willingness to do that work."
Me: "It is a privilege."
Love: "Now you know that you will receive special gifts and talents to help you do this work. What gifts and talents would you like?"
Me: "Hmmm. Language--the ability to use language to touch people and to help them remember who they are. That would be one. And, the ability to understand people when they are at work--to know what causes them to forget who they are. Finally, of course, the ability to remember who I am when I am in work settings."
Love: "Those are good ones. We--the collected souls--would like to throw in some others, but especially 'dance.'"
Me: "Dance? I don't understand."
Love: "You don't need to understand, but it will speak to you and you will learn from it."
Me: "These will be my intentions. They will be written on the back side of my heart, and I will tune in to listen to where they lead me."
Love: "You will do well."
Each of us had a different "conversation," but we all made commitments. Our unique and special "recipe" for this life is written on our hearts. The intentions that we agreed to before taking human form are the only intentions that are important. Listening to our hearts keeps us on track. Yet we will almost never (maybe never, but I don't know that) be told in one fell swoop what the whole plan is or even why we are to do what we are to do. We will be guided, one step at a time.
The magnitude of millions of steps accomplishes miracles, making the impossible possible.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Remembering Who I AM
We are now seven days into the government shutdown. Can it only be seven days? I feel like September 30, my last worked day, was a different lifetime ago. In many ways, it was. Just a quick review of what these seven days have brought to me: regular exercise and meditation, healthier eating, sufficient sleep, and a week up close and personal with my last book -- The Game Called Life.
A week ago I was numb. Intuitively, I knew what I needed to do to reawaken, but I had so lost touch with Kay Gilley, the human being, that there were times I could hardly remember who she was. I knew that I felt most alive when I was writing. I could recall the deep satisfaction of coaching people on their spiritual paths. An image of myself on stage delivering my last speech--maybe my best ever--was emblazoned on my brain, but so distantly that I struggled to think that it was really me. Yet, no matter what I tried, I couldn't find that person again.
I had taken leave to write several times over the last couple of years, but nothing came. How could it be? Words used to come tumbling out of me like a gushing waterfall after a heavy spring rain. Once there was a list of titles for books that I wanted to write some day. But, I would sit and stare at my computer, and nothing came.
Then I was furloughed.
The work on The Game Called Life has helped me awaken the spiritual coach/guide/mentor. Writing this blog has gotten the words flowing again.
As I have been doing since the Jewish New Year, this morning I started my mediation with the affirmation with "I am Love." An "almost echo" came back at me: "I AM." In the stillness, I repeated "I AM." After a few moments of repeating "I AM," I saw Kay again. I saw myself on the keynote stage again, delivering a keynote address that brought the audience to joyful tears as they remembered who they were. In a line of the speech was born a new book. Then came another.
I remembered who I AM. I am not sure how I lost her, but there is one thing about which I am absolutely certain now: I am Kay Gilley--author, speaker, spiritual coach.
A week ago I was numb. Intuitively, I knew what I needed to do to reawaken, but I had so lost touch with Kay Gilley, the human being, that there were times I could hardly remember who she was. I knew that I felt most alive when I was writing. I could recall the deep satisfaction of coaching people on their spiritual paths. An image of myself on stage delivering my last speech--maybe my best ever--was emblazoned on my brain, but so distantly that I struggled to think that it was really me. Yet, no matter what I tried, I couldn't find that person again.
I had taken leave to write several times over the last couple of years, but nothing came. How could it be? Words used to come tumbling out of me like a gushing waterfall after a heavy spring rain. Once there was a list of titles for books that I wanted to write some day. But, I would sit and stare at my computer, and nothing came.
Then I was furloughed.
The work on The Game Called Life has helped me awaken the spiritual coach/guide/mentor. Writing this blog has gotten the words flowing again.
As I have been doing since the Jewish New Year, this morning I started my mediation with the affirmation with "I am Love." An "almost echo" came back at me: "I AM." In the stillness, I repeated "I AM." After a few moments of repeating "I AM," I saw Kay again. I saw myself on the keynote stage again, delivering a keynote address that brought the audience to joyful tears as they remembered who they were. In a line of the speech was born a new book. Then came another.
I remembered who I AM. I am not sure how I lost her, but there is one thing about which I am absolutely certain now: I am Kay Gilley--author, speaker, spiritual coach.
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