Functioning in the World with Knowledge

I heard some very moving things just a moment ago from Reed. And he was speaking to the signs and the evidence that we’re moving, that we’re moving in life; in other words, departing an old notion of ourselves, old habits of being and headed in another direction compelled by a powerful but subtle internal force.

And some of the evidence of this for us may be an evolution in our values, what we did hold to be important and now how that is changing for us. It has been compelling us to act differently and even to think differently. Amazing that our sense of conscience is prominent now in our experience. It was always there, but now we’re beginning to develop a relationship with this sense of conscience because we can feel it moving. We can almost feel those cords being plucked, the twangs inside, sometimes painfully. We’re not dismissing it, however. We’re asking ourselves: What is that? Why did I feel that? What does that mean?

We’re beginning to calibrate, in a way calibrate, respond to what I would call a pressure gradient, our willingness to function within a sense of necessity. Something is needed in the world. We are needed in the world. What is that? What time is it now? How much time do I have?—so a pressure gradient. We’re beginning to work with something like this within ourselves. We can sense it, even in the world. The world is calling us in this way. We can feel its pressure. We’re trying to unite with a sense of pressure and therefore to unite with where the world is and what’s happening here for people everywhere, right?

We’re finding ourselves listening versus speaking so much, almost dropping into more of a sense of I need to hear and see what is happening here more than to exert my own personal opinions or viewpoints. What is happening here? I need to see this. I need to feel this. I need to respond to this. This is all internal. Sometimes this will break through in terms of what we hear ourselves saying to ourselves or others, but much of this has been happening internally over time.

We’re less personally identified, I find, even in my own life. There is a need for this to be anchored in who you are and what you’re about and to convey this to the world. But you’re in the process of some form of transformation. You can’t put words to it.

So we’ve been asked—Marshall, Reed and I—to speak to what this New Message from God refers to and calls us to, which is to live an inspired and determined life. Inspired and determined life. Inspired. What does this mean potentially? Calibrating our lives to a higher standard that is not our standard. It’s not imagined. It’s not idealized. Again, this is mysterious, I agree and I know and I share this experience with you, this mysterious experience of beginning to be moved to another level of service. Something real and bigger than you is within you—is within you—real and bigger, exerting itself within even the limits of yourself personally. And those I think are important limits, important because we’re real people undergoing a remarkable process, and a humbling process as well. 

So as time goes on we may find that we actually need to get somewhere. There’s this feeling. There’s this pull. There’s this pressure. There’s somewhere we need to go. There’s somewhere we need to find. There’s a feeling of push. There’s a feeling of pull. At times there’s stop and at times there’s go, and go now. And so we’re calibrating ourselves to these kinds of internal signals, which in our former life were fairly remote and had a difficult time competing with everything going on in our personal lives and personal mind. So something is moving us at a deeper level. 

Some of the cultural norms of pursuing things of personal value, even “happiness”—these kinds of motivations are changing. Our enjoyments, which are real and needed, may not be what they were. They actually may be simplifying perhaps, and rewarding though. And we will seek them out—absolutely. We need this ongoing restoration, and so these enjoyments are impossible. But it’s this Knowledge with us. This is Knowledge that the New Message speaks of, this deeper Mind, this greater intelligence, that has been given birth to. It’s moving in our experience. It’s found us here and it’s walking with us now. It’s walking with us.

So when the New Message speaks about determined in the context of what I’ve just said, what does this determination mean? What does it look like? Certainly there’s what it is not, which is this aimless haphazard feeling to life. That’s the kind of notion we’re beginning to depart, not philosophically, but in real ways by responding to these real signals and certainly by the absolute genuine need to know, like, I need to know now. There’s some things I need to know. Whether I can know them conceptually or not, I need to know and I am putting out that signal. I may say this to myself every day, I need to know. Whether it’s more about myself, whether it’s more about the world, whether it’s more about others, whether it’s more about the problem in front of me—I need to know, not just think. I need to know. Determination. 

So being determined to go forward, I know we have to just not act out this determination but literally feel it. So for you, wait until you feel it, and may you feel it. And I know there are times in life when we don’t and that’s real, too. It’s very real. So stay real with yourself. Stay with yourself personally and otherwise. When I say otherwise, it’s this other side of ourselves. So staying united within ourselves—the people we have come to know we are and the people we are becoming in service to something greater. 

So, determined isn’t…it’s not a behavior, it’s a process, believe it or not. It’s a process of becoming determined.

The New Message, to this end, encourages us to consider four areas of our lives that are well worthy of work and intention—attention—okay? And it refers to these as the [Four] Pillars of our lives. So our [Pillar of] Health is important, and there’s need to know there. What do we need to do to shore up our health, to strengthen our health? Very important. 

The New Message calls us to consider our [Pillar of] Work and Providership in the world and what’s needed there. Very important. A huge Pillar unto itself. 

It also speaks of the Pillar of Spiritual Development. This is the land of mystery almost. And yet delving further into the New Message, my goodness, you will experience dimensions of this Pillar that you never knew of that are important for you to know of. Spiritual development—you know, the landscape within you that goes beyond your own personal identity in this world. So it’s a vast environment and you are not alone there. You are not alone there.

And then there’s the all-important, very important Pillar of Relationships. You know, the New Message says, Alone we can do nothing. And so that’s a reconsideration of this Pillar for us. And it’s actually a very important Pillar. All these pillars have the power to delay us, each and every one. They have the power to support us, to stabilize us and even compel us. This relationships Pillar is important, as they all are. And I would pass on, I think, a wisdom that I came to experience in dealing with this Pillar. 

And that is, acknowledging the need or the affinity with another, but then to come down to know what is the nature of that affinity or that need very clearly as soon as possible. And I discovered the necessity of this shortly before meeting Marshall and realizing, my time is too important. I can only be with who I need to be with if I ever find those people in this life. And so that’s it for me. Whether I find them or not, I may live a life that actually is quite solo if needed. I have to, I have to concede that this is so. But otherwise, I need to know who I’m with and why I’m with them to the degree that’s possible. 

So at the earliest convenience and opportunity, if I’m engaging with someone and I feel that there’s some reason for us to be together at whatever level, I need to ask: What is it that you see? What is it that I see about what we’re doing? What are we doing together? What do you see that we’re doing together? And then what do I see that we’re doing together? And so this is brought forward sooner, or as soon as possible, so if there is a disparity in that, let it be known. So this is important. 

This is all part of taking action. Whether it’s around relationships or whether it’s around some next step, it’s to attempt to be as clear as we can if we’re able with regard to that next step. So… 

And to that end, the New Message encourages us to build the spiritual Pillar, to build this work that we’ll do that much of the world knows little of. And to that end, the New Message provides us an incredibly powerful pathway of practice which we will engage in here as we see fit, as we feel called. It’s called Steps to Knowledge–the Book of Inner Knowing—at the core of the New Message. 

And then there are the Great Practices of the New Message—Stillness, Inner Listening, Seeing. What do you see? What do you foresee? What do you see in hindsight? What do you see now? And applying, applying these spiritual practices to work in life. And that’s a journey. And it’s a privilege to hear from other students in the New Message, to hear of their journey and how that is occurring for them. How are they bringing their spiritual practices forward and in what way are these practices assisting them?

There’s great work to be done. The New Message lays out guidelines for managing our mind, encouraging us to be more conscious around our decisions, the problems that we are able to acknowledge and identify about our life, how we reassess those problems, manage those problems, resolve those problems. So the New Message provides a tremendous amount of practical wisdom.

It encourages us to build an approach that supports balance and moderation, obviously through the Four Pillars work that I just discussed to preserve our resources, to refresh us. Yes, so that we can go on. It’s all about going on.

I’d like to read something that Marshall said to us a couple of years ago that stayed with me. He says, or said:

What is real freedom but the freedom to find and to follow the Knowledge that God has given you that reconnects you with your Source? 

What is real happiness but finally the happiness to be who you really are? To be that true, powerful and determined in life? 

What is real relationship but to be reconnected with your eternal nature, with those who sent you into the world and with those whom you will resonate with most completely in your journey here on Earth? 

There’s a lot to be with there in this communication from Marshall. 

And then further wisdom here that I’ll conclude with, which is developing a higher standard—this is what we’re all in the process of doing, you know:

Regarding how you engage with your mind, your body and other people in the whole world, to build a higher standard you have to do it consistently and not base this upon feelings, emotions and what is going on with you in the moment. If you don’t maintain a higher standard, you will always fall back into a lower, previous standard because it’s easy. You are already acclimated to living in a certain way even if it does not work for you. And it does not take much effort on your part to continue to do that. You are building a higher standard now for a higher purpose. 

So, very inspiring. So as we go forward together in this living of a life of determination and service, I look forward to hearing more about how this is playing out in your life and in the world around you. We’re all needed now. There are others who need to know you in this life and to experience your service as it is occurring or as it did occur. So may that be so. And thank you so much for listening and being here. Take care.