Dear friends,
 Marcus Aurelius: “the best revenge is to not be like that.”
     I have often felt that we know we have truly forgiven a terrible act against us, when we live a good life as if it had never happened.  I also see the above quote to be about breaking the cycle of abuse or addiction or negative thinking. We may have been born into a violent household or an unloving one, but we do not inherit the tendency to live that way. We either shake it off or absorb the consciousness into our worldview.  We have the choice at any age to discontinue its influence.
     Most of the acts against us are carry-overs from that person’s childhood. They have adopted the behavior of defense, which can result in violence against others, or themselves.    It is quite astounding how quickly the mind can let go of such habits once a spiritual image of who we are has been discovered.  One of the most life-shifting moments for me personally was when I learned that who I am has never been damaged nor diminished by what others have done to me.
     That awareness lifts us out of the mode of fixing ourselves or pretending to be something, into the realization of our intactness and how we can proceed from now, leaving the past where it belongs. It is simpler than it is easy, but it all depends on how we integrate our wholeness into everyday choices. We might say it this way: when the soul is involved in our choices, it tends toward love; love of self, love of the world, love of others, despite their behaviors.
      You are the observer of what others have discovered about themselves or continue to believe. That is why New Thought Spirituality can change the world for the better; because it teaches that we are all capable of changing our perceptions about ourselves and when that happens, everything can be new.  Our part is to see through the appearance and to love the Being behind it, including the one in the mirror.
Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes www.carol-carnes.com
 
 
   
 

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Dear friends,

Have you noticed that whenever you forgive someone, release a resentment, heal from anything, what you have done is return to yourself?  We have an originating place, a starting point for our own Be-ing.  All Good starts there. During the Olympics this week, there have been a few “false starts,” when a participant jumps out before the official signal and delays the race. They must start again.  It is akin to us as we act on false beliefs of lack or fear or self- rejection.  Our desire is delayed. Nothing changes until we clear our mind and return to ourselves, restore our sense of who we are and what is possible and begin again.

 This “going out and coming back” is something we have done all our lives without being aware of it.  Once we learn how powerful it is to release what we have believed to be true, and to rethink our position, our lives are so much less stressful and more productive. It is a considerable shift from looking at the objective world to know what is true, and to find Truth within our own mind. It is there. It is the wholeness, the pure potential factor that is the core of everyone.
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 Think about it.  Every great story of someone overcoming great setbacks or rising out of poverty or horrible abuse, is the story of someone who returned to Self and wrote themselves a new story.  Nothing happens without a change of mind and, as the Buddhists state, “nothing changes but Mind.” Mind does not age or run out of power or new ideas.  It is always exactly what it has always been; the voice of the creating universe whispering its presence in every one of us.

​Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes
 
    
 

Dear friends,

​ Emerson said “we are wiser than we know and we are better than our theology.”

Daily life, interacting with Nature, observing our own feelings and how we can change them with a certain new thought, shows us that power is within us and everything that lives. Trees do not need ritual and rules to grow nor cats to find their mouse.  Humans have the highest use of their intelligence and even the freedom to use it ignorantly.  We are not the pawns of some Heavenly King; no, we are the forever becoming of the only begotten. We are meant to live fully and freely in abundance and love.

Why then, is the world in such a mess?  Emerson said we are weak in principle and strong in superstition. The times we are currently experiencing are such an important tipping point, it cannot be overstated. This is it!  Will our species claim its inheritance and use it wisely or will we cling to childish notions of reality and watch everything disappear?  Jean Houston said we were born for these times. We have what is necessary to turn things around. We have imagination, creative intelligence and a responsive quantum field that supports our clarity and conviction.   What shall we give it to do?

It is not any more a global issue than a personal one. How we conduct ourselves moment by moment is equally effective.  Be kind. Be careful with children. Be responsible with your money, your consumption, your votes. Most of all, be happy and loving. Take your heart seriously. What we feel deeply colors everything we do. Spend some time with the Self. Everything we have been seeking elsewhere can be found there.

Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes 
 

​​Dear friends,
   
I get a kick out of Marcus Aurelius and his unwavering stoicism.  He wrote that to be human is to be stressed; it is normal so how can it be a bad thing?  Well, it is not a bad thing if it is counteracted with some easy practices, such as meditation, music, dance, positive thoughts, creative outlets.  Nothing like gardening to ease the mind or just watering the plants.  Point being, we have the means and the power to deal with stress.  The trouble is, so many people just allow it to be present and do nothing about it other than perhaps medicating themselves.

The other problem is engaging in activities that are meant to help but which can cause even more stress if we are competing with someone or even with ourselves.  Why is it so hard for us to relax?  Do we think we are more responsible if we worry about tomorrow or how we are going to solve a problem?  Do we judge those who seem to be oblivious to the state of things?  Or are they perhaps operating on a higher level than we can imagine?

In the Eastern mystical teachings, the running theme in many of their parables has to do with an “Ah, so” attitude. No matter what is presented to that person, good or bad, lovely or terrible, they respond with “Ah, so.”  Our western “can do” attitude would likely find that unreasonable,  but attached to that response is a subtle belief that Life is trying to hurt us, or is the enemy, or that we need to be on guard all the time, lest we lose.

Perhaps a mixture of each is a better way to approach stress.  “Ah, so” here is this situation. I think I will sit in silence for a few minutes and allow my mind to relax into creative mode.”  Or, “I will do a few chores to lessen my fear and then give this some thought.”  A spiritual practice is meant to be woven into our daily lives. Stress is inevitable but it is never as powerful as our mind. No situation can actually make us victims unless we succumb to it.

​Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes

Dear friends,

The election of people to high positions of power and influence is not about them so much as it is about our collective consciousness.   The question we ought to be asking now is ‘what is the consciousness that we want in the forefront of our shared  reality?’  Is it liberty and justice for all?  Is it compassionate policies that promote the diversity of humanity in its expression?  Is it one that holds all people as spiritually equal and as human partners?  We need to be aware of ‘from what container are we drawing our vision for this country and our world’? 

Anger and outrage may have got us thinking more about politics than ever before, but those energies are not the ones that will put the right people in leadership.  21st century leaders will come from our shared desire for intelligent and loving wisdom and our deep knowing that those characteristics exist in the people who seek office. We  put them in place, not by beating someone else, but by being clear in our willingness to live differently and more equitably.  We are the ones who will make this change.  Believe in the power of mind to transcend any manifest form, no matter how powerful it may seem. It is as nothing compared to consciousness.

Let’s stop railing against anything and start rallying for positive change.  Take the high road in any situation and you will be the leader in that group.  Let’s do that together. 

Affirm:  We are now creating a world of liberty and justice for all. We are creating leaders who love humanity, freedom, and who know how to generate abundance through wise decisions.  They are seen and known by us now. We know what to do. All is well with all of us.

Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes