Read an Excerpt
Know the Flow
180 Blogs to Spiritual Awakening
By Carmien Owen Balboa Press
Copyright © 2013 Carmien Owen
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-7947-4
CHAPTER 1
A Tidal Wave of Vision
Spiritual Coaching—Wednesday, 21 January 2009 15:28
On this day I have witnessed a man exemplify what a vision and knowing can do. It is inspiring to see Barack Hussein Obama capture the moment as he does, present a vision, remind us of our responsibility, and then conclude with the inference that our vision is at hand if we will but know it.
On January 20, 2009, much of the world paused to witness history. A scan of YouTube statistics showed over forty countries had the inauguration video in the top-five watched clips of the day. People from across the world stood transfixed on a moment. It is almost as if a tidal wave of hope and vision had surged as a backlash to the tsunami of our time. I believe America has contributed to its perception as a powerful aggressor nation. I also believe people want influencers to be better.
You may now be sure of one thing: we each have a responsibility for what happens globally, and the more we live up to this, the greater the momentum's success.
To those who would say the expectations are too great for one man, I ask, what is your vision for the world, and how will you realize it? To those who would doubt and say there is too much to fix, I ask, what is your affirmation for the world's healing, awakening to consciousness, and realization of plenty for all?
As I look inward and contemplate this moment, I often find my eyes welling up. After contemplation, I have come to believe the inner me—that part of my experience that is God consciousness—feels the swell of awakening. Collectively, we have been stirred. This is neither chance nor coincidence, nor is this a time to set your consciousness up to provide a break to the tsunami's force. This is a time to ride the waves like a ship, swaying with the consciousness about us, knowing your course is sure and your sails are as strong as they need to be. You must be clear about the moment you are in. If ever there was a day to know God consciousness within all, this is that day.
In all moments we have an opportunity to be mindful. Sometimes we must look to the eye of our own storms and ride through via a course of vision, mindfulness, and knowing. On this day, we are called once more to collectively hold consciousness of what we know to be so. If ever there was a day to turn hope into knowing, to hold the vision firm in our heart, to have conviction of its complete success, and to release this knowing into the universe, this is that day
CHAPTER 2
A Calling: Let Us Leverage the Law of Collaboration
Vision—Friday, 23 January 2009 15:44
On Monday, May 5, 2008, there was an article in a Canadian newspaper about two technology institute graduates who had come up with a way to help the homeless connect to the world. Assuming their plan goes forward, clients of a street agency in Edmonton, Alberta, will be given a contact phone number with an extension. Whenever these individuals deal with a doctor, a potential employer, family, or someone who might provide them with permanent housing, they are able to give that resource their phone and extension number so a future connection is possible. Dialing the number will direct the caller into the client's individual voice mail. This simple and cheap solution could facilitate new opportunities and a dramatic increase in the quality of life.
The article also noted that the system runs on freely available software, developed through open source. The development of such programs is performed by computer enthusiasts throughout the world. The technology institute grads simply linked the appropriate programs with some of their own software code, and a new collaborative tool was born.
Contemplating such a beautiful idea being so easily and cheaply produced leads to wondrous possibilities. It could easily be argued that mass collaboration in the modern world is evidence of raised consciousness. With our world's frequent focus on the negatives, one is sometimes required to make a conscious effort to dig harder to expose the light. And sometimes strenuous digging reveals a profoundly beautiful intelligence.
The software this solution was built on has its roots in an event that reaches back to 1991, a time approaching ancient history within the world of technological evolution. Before the World Wide Web had even been invented, a young programmer from Helsinki named Linus Torvalds created a simple version of the Unix operating system. He called it Linux and shared it with other programmers via an online bulletin board. By revealing his code to the world, Torvalds was able to eventually assemble a world-class computer operating system over the Internet. This action was the first of many steps that indirectly empowered these two young graduates to create this wonderful new phone system for the homeless.
In 1999 a Canadian mining company, Goldcorp Inc., had pretty much tapped out its reserves and was close to bankruptcy. The CEO took some time off for personal development and went to an MIT conference for presidents where he heard the story of Linux. On returning to Canada, he concluded that maybe the key to finding more gold would be to open up the exploration process in the same way. Taking all the data they had, going back to 1948, they put it into a file and shared it with the world as a part of the "Goldcorp Challenge." With $575,000 in prize money and 55,000 acres of property to analyze, the race was on. For the first time ever, a company from an extremely secretive industry had bared all.
And the gambit paid off. Within weeks, submissions flooded in from around the world. As expected, geologists got involved. What was not expected was that of the 110 targets identified, 50 percent had not been previously identified by the company. And over 80 percent of the new targets yielded substantial quantities of gold. Today, Goldcorp is reaping the fruits of its open source approach to exploration, and what was once a failing $100 million company is now a $9 billion juggernaut.
As we move into this twenty-first century it's clear to see mass collaboration is here to stay. Wikipedia, Linux, Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, YouTube, and the Human Genome Project are all examples of mass collaboration. In a perfect storm, a global platform has appeared. A new generation that grew up collaborating for growth has created the beginnings of a different economy that enables new forms of economic cooperation while driving deep changes in the world. From the first tangible evidence of social cooperation in the cave paintings and primitive tools left behind some sixty to seventy thousand years ago to this new interactive Internet, or Web 2.0, one common theme could be considered a law: groups with cooperative habits are more successful than those in isolation. I suggest this might be called the Law of Collaboration.
These examples of mass collaboration all have a common theme, yet they could be missed in this world of stories. One might even argue these stories occurred as a result of forces driving them. But if one can accept the profound Intelligence acting in all things, it is hardly a leap to consider these series of apparently disconnected events as absolutely and profoundly connected.
Even the business world is noticing. For the first time since commerce started taking serious hold in civilization, business collaboration is changing. In the coming years those businesses that find ways to tap into multitudes of external knowledge, resources, and talent will gain competitive advantage and agility. Those companies that stick to old customs of control and secrecy and who fail to learn the rules of this evolving worldview will be left behind. In short, those organizations that utilize the Law of Collaboration with integrity will prosper.
With ideas such as working together in the open and strangers cooperating toward common goals, it is easy to imagine there is a beautiful, virtuous intelligence at work. As we begin to contemplate the growth of this spiritual awareness, a series of new possibilities begins to dawn. The distance from the philosophy of our community to the communities of mass collaboration is not that far.
CHAPTER 3
Integrity
Contemplation—Wednesday, 28 January 2009 16:45
A question recently came to mind. What if integrity is to seek God unconditionally?
Until a moment ago I would have defined integrity as a perception that my actions, values, methods and principles are consistently good. In this light integrity is the alignment of all values. Wikipedia defines integrity as "the quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one's actions."
By living in integrity I have a value of goodness and acceptance for, and through, all actions. God has been defined as infinite intelligence, infinite wisdom and infinite understanding. Seeking God without condition is also considered by some to be the ultimate spiritual realization. Assuming these axioms are true, could integrity be demonstrating God in everything you think, say and do?
I have come to believe that living in integrity is essential to a conscious life, regardless of which of the above definitions may resonate with you. In the past I have certainly had moments where I was not in integrity. Before my mother made her transition I often failed to approach her with integrity and I believe I opted to treat her differently. Sometimes this was out of fear and at other times I believe out of love. I do not believe I was treating her badly in trying to soften the blow of some of our interactions, but as I look back I think that the only person that was being hurt through my choices in this regard was me.
I also now note with interest that the Sunday following her transition was the first time I attended at the Centre for Spiritual Living in Edmonton. Is the timing coincidence or symbolic? I like to think both; but then the beauty of perceptions is that we have the option to choose how they sit in our minds.
As I allow that which is God to be my values I am living in integrity. If I seek God in every moment I allow the values of God live through me in every moment. Surely there can be no better alignment of all my values if each thought, word or deed is a seeking an expression of God by means of, through and as me. When looking to others we must see the integrity of the God that is their true self, and know that they have what they need to live in integrity. If this is true then I would propose that a path to mindfulness is to be loyal to our integrity and to those in our awareness in all that we think, say and do.
CHAPTER 4
One Word Ministry: Divine
Contemplation—Friday, 30 January 2009 05:08
One aspect of the beauty of language is that it is filled with context; ours. I am coming to realize that contemplation of ideas and how we associate words with our way of life is a powerful practice. For example, a few months ago I embarked on a journey of what I have come to call, One Word Ministry.
In response to the commonly asked question, How are you? I now reply, divine. In my professional life, at the Centre for Spiritual Living, in a public place, greeting a retail professional, or when meeting any stranger I simply respond to the customary process of greeting that I am, "divine."
Since I've started responding in this way I've been inspired by the responses I've received. Perhaps my favourite response so far has been, "Wow, that must be better than best!"
Of course, the journey of this one word ministry has evolved. In the early days of this practice I would pause to check in to make sure I really did feel divine. A moment later I would feel divinity and respond. I then came to realize that taking a moment to determine how divine I felt served a purpose of elevating my mindfulness. I will admit that sometimes I would check in and find that I wasn't quite feeling it. At other times my answer would be good without that pause to check. After such moments I found myself reviewing what had just happened. Such enquiry is a good thing, so long as we do not linger too long.
With my focus of fueling a constant state of consciousness I am finding a natural inclination to respond immediately that I am indeed divine, knowing within my heart that my state of consciousness would have it no other way. But then practice is about persistence of knowing is it not?
And so, if you are in a place where the standard greetings of not bad, just fine, or even good are not quite making the grade, consider greeting people by telling them that you are divine (or other powerful words such as amazing, great, magnificent or marvellous).
I can say with the assurance of my experience that you will be inspired by the many smiles and happy conversations that subsequently flow from such one word ministry. It amazes me how much one little word can light up moments. And with more consciousness surrounding such simple exchanges we can effortlessly give birth to a way of life, inspiring others and ourselves with a six letter word.
Divine.
CHAPTER 5
Thinking, Believing, Perceiving, Experiencing
Contemplation—Friday, 30 January 2009 05:39
The thoughts—conscious or unconscious—that we think have become our experience. If we think thoughts centred on God, good, acceptance and service we will be aligning ourselves with Truth. Truth is known by some as God, good, acceptance and service.
The thoughts we truly prize tend to become beliefs. With thoughts aligned with Truth we come to believe in the Truth.
Our beliefs become our perception. I believe in the Truth, and so as a spiritual coach I can perceive the Truth in all that I see and meet. This includes the person I am working with.
Perception knocks on the door of our thinking. As we perceive the Truth we think in Truth, and that opens the doors to heaven.
The next time you flip a power switch notice how you did not will the light to come on. You obeyed the law of electricity and your actions made it possible for the light bulb to receive current. You flipped the switch thinking, believing and perceiving that light would flood your experience. And so it is with everything else, if you will but know it.
CHAPTER 6
Hope and Vision
Contemplation—Monday, 02 February 2009 03:29
What is hope? Can hope and affirmative prayer co-exist effectively?
These questions were originally triggered for me during a class on spirituality a few years ago. The premise of discussion was that hope runs contrary to the idea of a knowing that is required for affirmative prayer. At the time I think I opted to place the use of the word hope into a drawer and from then on focused on the knowing.
Wikipedia describes hope as, "a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." In retrospect this definition certainly supports the initial idea; hope is about a belief in an outcome.
Wikipedia also describes affirmative prayer as, "a form of prayer or metaphysical technique that is focused on a positive outcome rather than a negative situation. For example, a person who is experiencing some form of stress would focus their prayer on the desired state of perfect health and affirm the desired state as if it had already happened rather than identifying the illness and then asking God to eliminate it."
Therefore inserting the word hope into an affirmation would not be as clear as a statement of knowing here and now. The clarity of thinking being placed into the Law would be obscured at best. But there is more to hope than a semantic. Hope is powerful concept. Kingdoms have been raised on its compulsion and love serenaded by its passion. And perhaps therein is something to ponder. Should a word with such potency and historical consciousness be set aside not to be used again?
What if there is a better place than an affirmative prayer for hope, where the statement of knowing is not so essential? One school of (new) thought is that creation is built upon the foundation of meditation, contemplation and affirmative prayer. Could hope have a home in contemplation?
A discussion of what contemplation (or visioning) is, will be saved for another time. However, I do believe that there is power in hope within the visioning process. Perhaps there is room for questions such as, What are my hopes for this highest vision?
As I continued this train of thought it was interrupted by a bend in the tracks; but what of seeking God without purpose? Would hope really have a place there?
Today at least I have an answer (for now) to this mental meandering and I shall cease tooting my whistle. After all, it has taken me over two years to rekindle my discussion of what hope means to me. I shall humbly stop typing now and leave you the option of contemplating what your answer might be.
CHAPTER 7
A Spiritual Snapshot from the Past
Contemplation—Tuesday, 03 February 2009 02:12
During a recent meditation I had a fleeting image prompting me to review my past entries. In this image I was reminded of a time just after my mother making her transition. I was sitting in my first class at the Centre for Spiritual Living Edmonton. Who is to say what contributed most to what I wrote? Deep down I suspect that I was going through one of the most significant transformations of my life. My heart compels me to offer these words of mine from the past with a heart cracked wide open.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Know the Flow by Carmien Owen. Copyright © 2013 Carmien Owen. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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