Chapter 1—All Is One
Logically, I would begin this book with an overview of the Seventh Major Understanding. I have chosen to begin this book with a chapter focused on the subject of Oneness. All enlightenment and all awakening are rooted in the understanding of our Oneness with All That Is. Awakening to our Oneness is the path into the age of peace, love, abundance, and understanding. Furthermore, Oneness is the primary foundation upon which the Seventh Major Understanding rests. I will provide details about all seven Major Understandings in the following chapters. To begin, though, let’s explore what enlightened masters have experienced and spoken about consistently: awakening begins with knowing our Oneness.
Anything you can think of, say to yourself, “I am that, too.”
—Ram Dass
The Seventh Major Understanding reminds us that there is only one Source of All That Is, and the consciousness of the Source exists in all things, formed and formless, in equal measure. There is nothing you can think of that is separate from the Source. The concept of Oneness is simple to grasp intellectually; yet it can be challenging to experience because everything in our framework of reality seems to prove that we are separate from one another and from physical objects.
For most of us, it is a rare moment when we are conscious of our Oneness with All That Is. Many years ago, I heard Ram Dass talking about meditation. He made a statement that provides a clear connection to All That Is. He said, “Anything you can think of, say to yourself, ‘I am that, too.’” This practice is very enlightening as you allow yourself to experience being a part of things that cross your mind. It is delightful to be the river, the ocean, the Earth, the solar system, and so on into the cosmos. Music—I am that, too. Light—I am that, too. It is just as exciting to be the blade of grass, the grain of sand, the speck of dust, the invisible mite, and so on into the microcosm.
One of the greatest obstacles to our awakening is not accepting the unwelcome parts of our nature. It is often difficult to embrace our shadow side, as it has been called. When I think of war, it is hard to say, “I am that, too.” Yet, it is nonetheless true. I wage internal battles often. One thing I dislike in my world is bigotry, yet I am that, too. It is easy for me to see that I have a bigoted opinion toward those I judge to be bigots. Dark—I am that, too. I’m sure you see my point. The ability to accept that I am one with All That Is, even the shadow, assists in the release of narrow judgments and the illusion of separation. Accepting that I am one with an idea and a behavior that I dislike empowers me to be responsible for and to make changes in my reality. The so-called darkness is no longer out there—it is in here, and in here is where I have the power to make changes. To awaken to Oneness, I must accept responsibility for conditions that I believe are outside of me. To be one with All That Is, I must stop blaming them for my reality.
When we awaken to Oneness, we cannot continue to deny that each of us plays a role in creating our world as it is. In fact, the more we, as individuals and collectively, try to repress and deny parts of our whole being, the more destructive we become. True destruction is an illusion that I will discuss in more detail later in this book. For now, let’s grasp that the repressed parts of our whole self are projected outward. These denied parts of our true nature leak out and erupt on the world stage in tumultuous actions and events that cause fear reactions in us. Fear is converted into distrust. A feeling of distrust fosters defensiveness and self-protecting behavior. Such fear-based emotions may create feelings of hate and anger. Feelings of hate and anger may be repressed and denied, so the entire cycle repeats. Therefore, we see things happening in our world that we don’t like and wish to deny any responsibility for—leading to feelings of powerlessness.
As long as we place blame for unacceptable acts outside of ourselves, we remain powerless to affect change. Feeling powerless evokes fear, and then we are living in a fear-based reality. Understanding Oneness leads us out of fear and into trust, which transforms our reality from fear-based into love-based. This change will create a personal, local, and global reality unlike any period in our recorded history. We are birthing the New Golden Age of peace, love, abundance, and understanding.
Chapter 3—You Are a Powerful Creator
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.
—Albert Einstein
The second pillar of the Seventh Major Understanding states that each of us creates our own reality and together we create the mass reality. The ongoing spiritual awakening occurring in our time provides an opportunity to create a modern Golden Age. This age of peace, love, and abundance for all cannot be created without you. In Jane Roberts’s book The Nature of Personal Reality, the entity called Seth said, “The experience of a country is the cumulative result of the choice of each individual in it, so as you chose your own circumstances you affect each other person within your country and your world.” You are that powerful. Everything you think about, every feeling you have, and every action you take affects our global reality and beyond.
Joshua wants all people to remember this fact and to keep this knowledge in the forefront of our thoughts. He encourages us to dwell on thoughts and beliefs that attract extraordinary outcomes and to hold the highest ideals in our moment-by-moment intentions. When we as individuals and as a society hold the intent of peace within and we intend the highest good for ourselves and others, a shift in the global reality will manifest.
The power to create one’s own reality goes beyond the law of attraction that is accepted by many seekers. Creating your own reality may sound very singular, but the truth is that what you dwell on and attract into reality affects the mass reality. There is no such thing as a closed system, and you cannot create or manifest privately. Awakened individuals recognize that many decisions are directed by unconscious wisdom and guidance. Our spiritually conscious inner self has more information than our conscious mind. So there are times when, without our understanding, we attract people or events into our life that we don’t consciously choose. However, these people or events serve our highest good, personal growth, and learning. The conscious force of attention and affirmation will not override processes initiated at the unconscious level when that design is required to teach us what we want to learn. Yes, I said “want to learn.” Whether we realize it or not, some of our struggles are intentional and desired, for it is our struggles that wake us up and often implant the most memorable lessons. Of course, every rule has exceptions. Not every lesson must come the hard way!
For example, mastering the skills of making a smooth transition in the face of change reduces the amount of struggle we experience. We often resist change. The struggle inherent in our resistance to change is a simple lesson to grasp. Change is constant, and change will occur in your life, your community, and our global society with or without your conscious participation. Resisting every change will drain your energy and sap your ability to enjoy life. Learning life’s lessons with acceptance of the inevitability of change is a path toward inner peace. Life will present lessons, and your coping skills determine how comfortable you feel as you manage these lessons.
Of course, some situations have intrinsic struggle. One example is the death of a loved one, something we each experience at some point in our lives. A change of this magnitude brings many lessons. Each individual handles the death of another in his or her own way. Learning to grieve is not a lesson we consciously seek, yet it is a lesson that life delivers many times. Grief need not be limited to death. We grieve loss in many arenas. The loss of a job, the loss of a friend, the loss of our youth, and so forth—each loss provides life experience.
On some level, we grieve change of all types. Consider this: it is a major change to graduate, to get married, or to have your first child. Changes of this nature are often viewed as positive experiences marked by celebrations. When these joyful transitions occur, we often do not recognize that one way of life is ending while a new chapter is beginning. We find that endings usually mark beginnings. Each person finds his or her own way to grieve what ended and to welcome what begins.
The transition into the Golden Age is a change of this nature. We must gracefully let go of the fear-based reality to introduce new beliefs and behaviors. The New Age brings an abundant and peaceful way of life for everyone. Nonetheless, people who fear change are acting out with passionate resolve to block this transformation.
The shift is happening. Some are struggling to stop the change. The people clinging to outworn notions about what is good for society usually do so out of the fear of change. What is unknown and untried frightens them. Some are unable to release fear-based laws created by ancient religions or cultural judgments. These people are being pulled into the Golden Age kicking and screaming. This is the role they came here to play. Their actions draw attention to what must change. Their struggle is fear-based, and it is the fear-based reality that is fading.
Many other people are acting as change agents as they find ways to release fear-based thinking and behavior. With courage, these change leaders stand for unconditional love, joy, peace, and beliefs in abundance for all. Powerful and successful change agents begin locally. These bringers of a new reality are showing us the way to end our fear-based habits and embrace love and trust. They start this transition internally and share it with family and friends. These people are awake. Through their personal transformation, they influence the world. This is the role they came here to play.
Some people are flowing into the Golden Age seemingly unaware that anything is happening beyond the focus of their personal lives. These people are sleeping. They offer no resistance to global transition because most of them are unconcerned with matters beyond home and immediate family. These people have a limited scope of influence by unconscious choice. This is the role they came here to play. As the Golden Age dawns, even the eyes of these people will be opened.
Unfortunately, some people are angry about the circumstances surrounding our local, regional, and global conditions. These people think the best way to awaken the population is to shake them from slumber with scare tactics. People are often frightened when told that their survival is in danger. If the population is frightened into an awaked state, the fear-based reality continues. In this case, the angry, while they feel completely justified, are spreading fear. The spread of fear blocks the path into the Golden Age. Joshua says that the angry change agents are also sleeping. This is the role they came here to play.
You are a powerful creator. The notion of power can be misleading. You are a powerful creator, yet you need to understand how this power to create works. Some individuals want to master the law of attraction to gain power over reality. Seeking this form of personal power often results in disappointment. Frustration occurs because our spiritually conscious inner self operates on an unconscious level in the physical environment. This inner self, who always acts on our behalf, is making the vast majority of our moment-to-moment choices. Because the choices are directed by our human unconscious, an attempt to control reality or to have power over the part of our self that is acting in our best interest is counterproductive. The effort will wear you out and could cause feelings of failure. When people imagine that they have failed to control reality, they begin to tell themselves and others that creating your own reality is deception, and the law of attraction is propaganda. In fact, the only failure has been one of misunderstanding personal power. I cover this subject in more detail while discussing the Third Major Understanding, which is about our use of personal power.
Creation 101—Desire
Joshua said, “There is a delightful challenge to being human. The challenge is the acceptance of the illusion that you are separate from the Source while remembering that you are the creator of your own reality.” He continued, “At this moment, it is second nature to you to create and manipulate physical material and events. You do this so effortlessly that you forget that you are the creator of your experiences.”
To illustrate this point clearly, I want to explain the basic nature of desire. Desire is intrinsic in all life forms. Intrinsic desire, existing on an instinctive level, compels all life forms to reproduce and to transform. Biological codes cause a seed or an egg to form and to recreate itself. This biological urge equates to desire. Desire is present and inherent in all forms of life. The desire to create and manifest comes naturally to all life through the Source of All That Is.
I learned the following beliefs about the Source from Joshua. He taught me that the Source knew itself and all its potential completely in a single instant. The Source exists in an eternal and infinite state of conscious awareness. The Source of All That Is knows all the potential it contains, and the Source comprehends that conscious awareness is not equal to direct experience. Hence, the desire to objectify for the purpose of direct experience by creating the illusion of separation is the driving force of manifestation. If the Source of All That Is did not know desire, nothing would exist in material form. This fundamental desire to experience all that the Source knows about Itself created the perfect paradox. The Source is whole; separation is an illusion; yet without the illusion of separation, there is no experience, and there is no means of interaction. Without interaction with Itself, the Source, in a manner of speaking, is seemingly alone as an eternal and infinite energy field of pure yet unexplored potential. To experience Itself, the illusion of separation occurred. This desire created the observer and the observable. The illusion of separation is perfect and sprang from the desire to experience all of creation in form while constantly being observed by the formless.
I am aware that some religions and spiritual practices advocate transcending our desires. If I understand these teachings correctly, our feelings of desire are blamed for much of our suffering. Desire is blamed for creating heartache, greed, envy, disappointment, and more. I accept that an attachment to our desires or identifying with objects of desire may result in suffering. Even an attachment to transcending desire is a desire that may cause disappointment when one fails.
I understand the concept that desire may hinder our spiritual awareness and cause disappointment. I have experienced moments of feeling free of desire and the complementary feelings of peace within. Nonetheless, I refuse to malign any part of human nature. There is nothing within human nature that doesn’t exist within the Source itself. The Source created us by desire and with intention. The Source itself dwells within us and saturates our nature with the desire to create. This includes the biological desire to procreate. Humans have the freedom to decide not to reproduce; nonetheless, the biological urge to couple is present.
Human desire is intended by the Source to move us to new experiences. The one and only Source explores itself through each and every experience occurring throughout All That Is. Human desire drives our interaction with our environment and with one another. Desire sparks the yearning that burns in human nature. Desire fuels imagination. Our imagination is the power to create what we desire. All creativity comes from imagination. Here’s a simple illustration: art of any type occurs in the imagination before it takes form. Before anything can take form and manifest in this reality, it first appears in the imagination. When I speak of imagination, I am talking about creativity.
Albert Einstein said about imagination, “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” It is easy to recognize that all invention and art is driven by imagination. What we often overlook is the fact that everything that exists in your life and the global reality is here because of imagination. Anything you can think of existed first in the imagination.
The desire to create is a vital element that is deeply ingrained in human nature. Desire is the energy of creation, and creative desire is a characteristic of our Source that is evident in our species. It is important to manage unbridled impulses, yet I urge you to be cautious about suppressing your natural state of desire. While desire can become a cause of suffering if we allow it to consume our focus, desire is the flame of our ability to create and therefore needs to be given freedom of expression. It is a challenge to our nature to experience desire while avoiding the potential to suffer from identifying with the objects of desire.
Creating Our Own Reality
Never doubt that a small group of committed
people can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
—Margaret Mead
Our personal reality is a result of where we focus our attention and how we express our intentions. Some people spend more time dwelling on what they don’t want than they invest in imagining what they do want. This is often called worrying. Peace Pilgrim wrote, “Worrying is praying for what you fear.” It is safe to say that many worry their reality into manifestation rather than consciously creating it. Worry is a mode of emotional attraction. It creates a vibration in the unseen and unheard energy field that immediately begins to attract what one is worrying about. The more one worries about a specific matter, the probability of manifesting the worry grows. Our individual thoughts, beliefs, expectations, and feelings in this moment of now determine what appears in one’s personal reality. Our thoughts, beliefs, expectations, and feelings are the seeds of our reality being planted. To the best of your ability, be aware of the content of your mind and the feelings you are experiencing. What are you dwelling on right now? How do you feel right now? What are you imagining right now? Be aware that the answers to these questions equal the seeds of the harvest coming your way.
Some people have been taught that to imagine something means that it is not real or what you imagine is not true. Although I completely disagree with this assertion, I can certainly understand and even support the concept. I agree that there is a dimension of fantasy where objects and events take immediate form as directed by our imagination. Given the proper time, attention, and energy, items and events in that dimension can and do appear in the present physical reality. However, the mass agreement regarding what may appear in this reality limits some manifestations. For example, one can easily imagine riding a dragon. No matter how much thought and emotional energy one applies to this image, the dragon will not appear in this dimension. Dragons exist in a dimension of shared reality within a framework of what appears to us as myth, fantasy, and dreams. Are dragons real? Yes. Do they manifest in this dimension of reality? No. Yet, if you disagree on this point, please produce proof. I’m open to changing my opinion.
This is the specific process that allows us to create a Golden Age of peace, love, abundance, and understanding for everyone. When the mass agreement changes such that peace, love, abundance, and understanding dominate our collective consciousness, fear-based behaviors will not manifest. Our mass consciousness determines what may appear locally and globally. For example: As the mass consciousness awakens to our desire to create a world at peace, war-making cannot manifest here. Like the dragon in the first example, war and war-making must appear in an alternate dimension.
The act of pretending is the same thing as using the imagination. I have often said that we pretend that we can’t see each other’s aura or hear each other’s unspoken thoughts. Because we have imagined that this is true, most of us do not see auras or hear unspoken thoughts with our physical eyes and ears. Because we believe these ideas, we consequently create the proof in our reality. Most of us are content with this illusion because we want to keep our unspoken thoughts private. I want to make it clear that this privacy is an illusion. There is a line in the book Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson that says, “What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves.” We are constantly proving our own beliefs to ourselves. We constantly prove that we are right.
The thoughts we have create feeling energy, and that creates the vibrations around us, so our thoughts and feelings are not private at all. The vibrations of our so-called private thoughts and feelings are broadcast like radio waves through the air. While these vibrations are invisible to our human eyes and unheard by our human ears, they are easily received by the mind and spirit. Our thoughts and feelings are constantly transmitted by us and affect our environment. Our thoughts and feelings are not contained—the energy projected by our thoughts and feelings is without boundaries. Yet, we agree with one another that, for the most part, unspoken thoughts and feelings are private.
We realize that specific waves of light are beyond the visual spectrum of our human eyes. And we know that there are sound waves that escape the audible range of our physical ears. Being unseen and unheard doesn’t diminish the impact these vibrations have upon our psyche. Likewise, the unseen and unheard waves of energy created by our thoughts and emotions impact our spirit, our mind, our bodies, and the physical environment. While the energy (vibrations) of our thoughts, beliefs, expectations, and feelings are invisible and inaudible, they are constantly projected outward into our environment. These invisible vibrations are much more powerful than many people realize. Our projected vibrations attract like energy and begin the process of manifesting as events and objects.
Chapter 10—Paradox Perfect
The Seventh Major Understanding assures us that All That Is exists in a state of perfection. Every event and every situation is an exploration and an experience of the unlimited potential of the Source, and the Source is perfect as it is. All That Is—anything you can think of and much more—exists in a state of perfection now. Nonetheless, we judge what is good or bad, right or wrong with expert fluidity, and some of us believe we are absolutely right in our judgments. In our human experience of a lifetime, we judge many things to be less than perfect. We decide how things should be and constantly compare that mental model to what is. Our notion of how things should be often doesn’t align with what is, so we fail to recognize that our personal, local and global reality truly exists in a state of perfection.
Occasionally our recognition that things are not how they should be causes frustration and anger; at other times, it leads to feelings of futility and powerlessness. Those who appear, by mass agreement, to hold the power in a family, community, or nation act to change things so that reality comes closer to how they believe it should be, yet even with the best intentions, they cannot please everyone.
Who you are, in truth, who everyone is,
is whole and perfect and beautiful.
And if that can be recognized, then it is
possible that self-torture can stop!
—Gangaji
Some spiritual philosophies teach us to simply accept things the way they are. After all, when you accept that all is perfect as it is, there is no need to be troubled. One can set aside any ideas about how things should be and be at peace with how things are. This is a valid philosophy, and it works well for some people; however, this philosophy requires that we surrender our perfectly natural human nature to desire change and to create change. Change will happen. Do we want to allow change to happen and simply observe it, or do we want to create a desired change and enjoy it? Both paths are equally perfect.
Our ability to accept the perfection of All That Is does not interfere with our desire to transform reality. Even as we accept the perfection of All That Is, as humans we find that what is not is more important than what is regarding our desire to change. This is a perfect paradox. All is perfect as it is, and we want to change it. Joshua reminds me to let this perfect paradox be fun! Taking it too seriously may result in frustration, and prolonged frustration may result in physical health problems.
The state of perfection is rarely obvious to our human perception because we create imagined imperfections in this time and space. These perceived imperfections are perfect flaws. This paradox is occurring flawlessly as set in motion by the Source. As a species, we may find peace in the knowledge that all experience is an expansion of All That Is. When we look at our Earthly reality as the state of play, it is easier to let go of judgment and to stop fretting over the events and conditions that seem unjust. Nonetheless, our knowledge of the state of perfection does not nullify our longing to be more than we are now.
It is often difficult for us to accept that all is perfect as it is since it is obvious that there is suffering in our world. At least, there is suffering as we define and judge it. The problems we see do not match our human perception and concept of perfection. Many of us seek a world free from pain and suffering in any form. An utopian world filled with comfort and joy more closely fits our Earthly idea of perfection. At the same time, the mass consciousness, which is the collective awareness of physical and nonphysical beings near the Earth plane, accepts that pain plays a role in our experience and in our awakening process.
In addition, each of us can identify specific imperfections in ourselves. We, as individuals and as a collective consciousness, know that we are capable of producing and creating conditions which would result in better quality of life, and satisfy higher standards of living. We believe that we can create a world and a life free of suffering, and indeed, we do. There is a time and place on Earth where people live in harmony with one another and the planet. However, in the space time coordinates in which I am writing, our state of harmony is not manifesting. The challenge of creating a world at peace filled with love, abundance, and understanding is a challenge worthy of our personal and collective intelligence.
Here we are faced with another challenging paradox regarding the nature of reality and the experience of humanity. Again, we have a limited view of the whole picture because of our focus in time and space. That is how it is. An Earthly reality that fits our picture of utopia exists, yet it is not present in our here and now. Since it exists in a time and space that is outside of our focus, we long for the experience of people living in peace and harmony with each other and nature. We yearn for a life that is free of pain. And I want to remind you that at this moment a portion of your being is experiencing that Earthly dimension of perceived perfection now, and our separation from that reality is an illusion.
The fact that we are personalities experiencing life in what we view as a less than ideal environment is the very foundation for a time and place of paradise on Earth in another dimension. If our whole being existed in a constant state of bliss, we would not recognize or value bliss at all. As the saying goes, a fish does not know it is in water. The humans that dwell in an Earthly utopia can delight in their world by comparing it to the world of lack and pain. Thus, one reality cannot be thoroughly understood or enjoyed without the existence of the other.
You know the old saying about the man who cried because he had no shoes until he saw a man who had no feet: Please know that the Earth dimension of peace and harmony is blissful because each personality dwelling there has a part of itself that is experiencing some form of pain in another lifetime. Furthermore, parts of each of us are incarnated in that dimension of Earthly bliss—now. Only beings that understand suffering know bliss (and the reverse is also true).
Rest assured, suffering and violence exist in the world now because suffering and violence are among the many tools we use to explore and experience All That Is. We, as a mass consciousness, create suffering while at the same time recognizing that we can create a world without it. In Buddhist teaching it is well understood that pain exists, but suffering is optional. It is our frame of mind that turns pain into suffering. Nonetheless, what appears as senseless suffering, no matter how horrendous, has a purpose. The purpose may be far beyond our grasp in the moment, yet some part of our being understands it. Some suffering may exist to balance experience and action within the One. This idea is often viewed as karma. The Seventh Major Understanding teaches us that karma (action) is immediately balanced—even though the balancing act may not be obvious to us as we follow the river of time.
There is something good in all seeming failures.
You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient.
—Swami Sivananda
Some acts of suffering occur to awaken humanity. All suffering—personal, local, and global—reflects the state of our inner being individually and en masse. Suffering or pain visible on a global scale is for all of us to experience and to understand. As individual creators of the whole, it is important that we accept our role in the mass reality. Events that are local, perhaps even personal, are designed for the experience and understanding of an individual, a Spiritual Family, or a community. However, nothing occurs in a closed system—you affect All That Is. Always remember this: nothing exists in the macrocosm that does not exist in the microcosm.
When you see behavior outside yourself, ask yourself where that behavior or belief exists within you. I’m speaking of behavior or beliefs that you judge to be good or bad. I want to emphasize this point. The world or community that you imagine to be out there, somewhere outside yourself, is truly inside. There is nothing out there in your world that exists outside of you. All that you see and know of in the world exists in the individual—the One. There is only one being here.
Pay attention to the issues that you feel compelled to champion. Be awake as you follow your desire to give your time, ideas, and money to the issues that beckon you. There is a reason certain issues demand your attention. Always remember to search your soul for ways to heal that specific behavior or belief within yourself. That healing will flow from the inside out and will promote healing in the world. For example, if you feel drawn to help homeless people, look within to find the part of yourself that feels homeless, abandoned, or neglected. Once identified, love that part of yourself unconditionally. Give that part of yourself attention and compassion, feed it, cleanse and clothe it, and give it shelter with the light of your being. This simple act will make a difference in our world as surely as any contribution made to a homeless person.
Individuals often feel drawn to work on certain social, political, or environmental issues. These people join others who share their specific concern, and together they develop and implement ideas designed to correct, alleviate, or eliminate a (perceived) problem on a local, regional, or global scale. We experience a deep sense of satisfaction through our acts of service to one another and our planet. All acts of love and giving multiply and expand. As a single rain drop raises the ocean, even the smallest act of kindness heals the world.
Remember that any condition that exists in your world exists within you—and within the One. Therefore, do not fear the problems you wish to change—welcome the problems, love them, and embrace them. You have the power to change everything.
Having the knowledge that all is perfect now and happening in perfect order does not relieve us of our intrinsic desire to become more than we are now. Again, I am aware that many people interpret “more than” to mean “better than.” This paradox is often perplexing. We can understand on some level that we are perfect as we are, yet we also know that we are so much more than we are able to demonstrate and experience now. It is our innate knowing that there is more to experience and explore that stirs the life force and stokes our desire to incarnate. Sentient beings are challenged and excited by the possibility of experience that is not evident in our here and now. Thus, we know that what is, is, while we understand that the possibility and potential of what is not seems more fascinating than what is. This knowledge results in creating constant change.
Chapter 11—Imagine a Modern Golden Age[i]
What will it be like to live in a peaceful world? Can you imagine a world providing abundance for everyone? How will it feel living in a society that shows love and respect for all people, for the Earth, and for all life forms? Can you imagine how different life will be when we trust one another? Picture how our global community behaves when peace, love, and understanding abound. Imagine total cooperation between the nations of the world. Imagine this international cooperation ensuring that hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and war vanish completely. This new way of life is unfolding right now in our personal, local and global societies. We are on the threshold of a modern Golden Age.
There are several books and articles appearing now about this global transition pointing to the year 2012 as a time of massive change. Authors focus on December 21, 2012 because the Mayan calendar appears to end. The Christian world also watches for the signs of the end times with great anticipation. Examining the scriptures carefully, we discover that prophets wrote about the end of the age, not the end of time or the end or the world.
When I began teaching the Seventh Major Understanding in the 1980s, enthusiastic participants attended presentations about this philosophy. Many urged me to write about it. Many seekers hear the Golden Age calling, and there is a growing fascination with creating the personal and global reality of our dreams. As we consciously create our personal reality, we influence the global reality. The age of peace and abundance cannot be created without you. In Jane Roberts’s book The Nature of Personal Reality, Seth said, “The experience of a country is the cumulative result of the choice of each individual in it, so as you chose your own circumstances you affect each other person within your country and your world.” You are that powerful. When you live peacefully and abundantly, you affect the world. This book and Joshua’s teaching map our personal, local, and global movement into an extraordinarily different reality—a modern Golden Age.
There is a growing fascination with the law of attraction in the United States. The law of attraction is an ingredient in the recipe used to create our personal reality. The intention to become conscious creators is magnificent. Conscious awareness of our power to create a desired personal reality is crucial in our awakening to the fact that our mass consciousness creates global reality. Nothing may appear on the world stage without our approval. The time has come to alter our acceptance of what may appear here. Our collective agreement coupled with our personal awakening will change global reality. The transition into the Golden Age rests upon our ability to let go of our fear-based habits. Our manifestation of Oneness hails an age of unconditional love and abundance for all.
What comes to mind when you hear the words Golden Age? In Greek mythology, the Golden Age was a time of peace and prosperity. The Greek Golden Age was a time when mythological gods and goddesses walked among us. It was a time when people didn’t worry about tomorrow because Earth provided everything they needed and barter was the way of life. I imagine the modern Golden Age will share many characteristics with the Golden Age of Greek myth; however, this time we will remember that we are gods on Earth.
The birth of the Golden Age is commencing. As we observe world conditions at this moment, we see the initial contractions indicating that the labor of birth has begun. These contractions are causing some discomfort environmentally, politically, and economically. We have the creative license to determine if birthing the Golden Age will be painful or not. The more our fear of change limits our creativity and cooperation, the more painful the transition will be. The more intensely small groups fear the transition and cling to old notions, the more they act out. Humanity can produce major change without enduring a global calamity. However, if we continue our mass slumber, global misfortune will force our eyes to open. Then, change will occur. When we are awake, humanity is able to address the necessity of change before a tragedy takes place. The Seventh Major Understanding is a spotlight shining brightly to awaken us from our sleep. The voice of Oneness and awakening is echoing around the globe right now.
There are people taking action to change the way we live today. If you look for evidence of advancement, you will find it. We see numerous efforts around the world to improve the environment and solve the troubles facing our civilization. Humanitarian efforts are not new, yet such actions rarely receive global visibility. Because society is currently motivated by fear, the media primarily reports bad news. This will change. However, occasionally it takes a tragedy to stir the energy of change. Sometimes it requires pain to awaken us from our slumber. Let’s heed the voice of transformation that is calling to us now and change our habits before the pain is too great.
Your thoughts and visions are important. The Golden Age draws closer as you add your vision to our new way of living. I urge you to create a personal vision of the Golden Age. Then write, draw, paint, sing, sculpt, and speak about your new vision often. You are a powerful creator, and your belief in an enlightened society will change the world. In this chapter I’m sharing my vision of what it may be like to live in a world at peace that provides plenty of everything for everyone. I hope that my vision sparks your creativity and draws your commitment to create and promote a vision of your own. Here are some of my thoughts about the Golden Age.
I picture a time when people value life such that we gladly negotiate solutions to conflict without resorting to violence. Our commitment to resolving differences without attempting to exert power over one another begins in our homes and spreads to our communities. From our communities, this commitment to honor peaceful solutions expands to the nations of the world. I dream of the day when every nation signs a peace treaty with the other nations of the world.
Creating and sustaining global peace is a creative and courageous challenge. Negotiation and cooperation become paramount. Sustaining peace will require attention and action. Creating world peace is a challenge that calls to us, and many have already taken up the banner. Truly global peace begins within you. Make peace within. Make peace at home. Being a peacemaker takes courage and strength. Indeed, peace work requires a warrior’s heart. Taking a stand for peace and love is not a sign of weakness, yet it takes wisdom to assert peace without tipping over into aggressiveness. In the Golden Age, we manage this dance skillfully and gracefully.
Peace requires cooperation between different groups within our nation and worldwide. While we may not have war in the United States today, we observe barriers between groups. Democrats and republicans struggle to work together; it seems that people from various religious sects rarely work together. Perceived differences are viewed with fear. In the Golden Age cooperation between groups working for the good of humankind will multiple rapidly. Governments and religions throughout the world will learn to identify common goals and cooperatively build upon this foundation. In the Golden Age, political leaders and religious creeds will release the fear that perpetuates separation and this will pave the way for collaboration. I see a world in which compromise for the good of all comes naturally and joyfully.
Imagine a time when people work together to solve problems. When our fear of diversity is relinquished, we join together in finding the solutions to shared issues, and recognize that we can develop solutions while honoring diversity. It would be a boring world if we all followed one government, practiced the same beliefs, and shared the same culture. The modern Golden Age is not about creating a monotonous world lacking variety. In the Golden Age, we joyfully celebrate diversity.
Starvation and poverty vanish from the world population in the Golden Age. People turn away from hoarding wealth and resources so that every person has comfortable shelter and plenty to eat. I picture an effort between nations to share resources providing all people with what they need to live with dignity. My vision exceeds simply meeting the survival needs of humanity. I see people living in comfortable surroundings that are in harmony with the environment. I see people living in homes with access to free, fresh running water and free environmentally generated green power. Yet, if you want to live off the land, and by that I mean live in nature unfettered by facilities, you will have the freedom to do so.
I envision a time when our natural resources are replenished as the Earth is nurtured by loving stewards. All life forms will be equally valued. Plants and animals will continue to surrender life to sustain humans and other animals. However, the human species will participate in the food chain in a more conscious and gracious manner. I see great progress occurring in agriculture, and these advances feed the global population with nourishing foods. Moreover, we gladly adopt behaviors that eliminate our contribution to global warming. I see a time when we live in perfect harmony with the Earth, and our recognition of the connection between all things allows us to behave with love and respect. In the Golden Age society will be completely conscious of the beauty in the sacrifice made for the good of all in the food chain. Our consciousness will ensure that we refrain from creating imbalance in the plant and animal kingdoms, and humans will end animal suffering of all forms.
The disparity between the affluent, the middle class and the poor fades away. I envision a society that gladly meets the needs of all people. Capitalism creates a caste system based on wealth. Capitalism feeds greed and promotes the misguided belief that consumerism or the accumulation of money buys happiness. I see a major modification to the global economy and monetary systems in the Golden Age.
Some people may think I’m advocating socialism. I am not. There is no progress in trading one failed economic system for another. I believe that as a collective we are able to create a global economy that exceeds these systems. I dream of a new financial system that is far more advanced than any type of economy yet created—a true quantum leap in monetary methods.
I imagine that if everyone has everything they need and want, crime will vanish. Conditions that drive people to steal in order to survive disappear. The idea of taking something from someone else evaporates if you already have what you want. Furthermore, in the Golden Age each person feels loved and respected, and we are committed to resolving differences without resorting to violence or force. Feelings of jealousy and rage will be diminished, and crimes of passion will not occur. This transition is largely a result of the higher vibration or energy frequency produced within the mass consciousness. When society as a whole emits the energy of love and acceptance, lower frequency vibrations cannot manifest.
Chapter 12—How Do We Get There from Here?
I am often asked to offer suggestions regarding our ability to effect change in our personal, local, and global reality. I am happy to provide steps you may practice in this effort. However, I want to remind you that many choices made in the eternal now arise from the guidance of our soul. Our soul truly acts in the interest of our highest and best good—always. Nonetheless, no matter how diligently we may strive to have complete control over our manifestations, we must remember that our conscious mind and our singular identity is a small sliver of our whole self. I am playing a role granted to me by grace and unconscious choice. The me that I am aware of is a small tip of an enormous whole self that is largely unseen.
Even when or if we master the law of attraction, we will continue to encounter events and people who we may not consciously desire in our personal or collective reality. These events and people serve a vital purpose, and when we transcend the struggle or disappointment of wanting to control our entire experience of reality, we find the grace to recognize the blessings, enjoy the experience, and grasp the lessons.
Every situation, properly perceived,
becomes an opportunity to heal.
—A Course in Miracles
A large industry has emerged around teaching the law of attraction. These beautiful and well-intentioned teachers promise you that by using their technique or their process, you will become the absolute master of your personal reality, and you may have anything you desire. I agree with teaching that you have the power to create your life just the way you want it to be. However, many people struggle to rise above unconscious habits of thought and feeling that keep their life experience following a deep groove in the path. For these individuals, I urge you to have faith in your ability to break out of the pattern if you are willing to make the effort. Magical thinking rarely delivers results. Changing habits takes effort. Be patient and gentle with yourself, and learn to surrender, knowing that your soul is acting in your best interest without fail.
The quality of life, events, experiences, and relationships may be greatly enhanced with the practiced mastery of feeling energy. I’m not just speaking about joyful and loving feelings; I include the recognition and reclamation of the shadow or shunned feelings of unpleasant human thoughts. Take careful notice of these feelings. These feelings demand productive expression. The unwanted dark part of human nature is a source of misused power. Repressing this power is not beneficial for you or the human race as a whole. All you must do is look at the world as it is now to know that misused or repressed emotions wreak havoc in your life and in society. Raising the habitual vibrations of your feeling tones will indeed improve the people and events you attract. Learning to feel and express shadow-self emotions in productive ways will change your life and our shared society.
Consider this overly simple example about repressed shadow. A young couple welcomes a baby into their lives. The baby is wanted, and they planned and prepared for this wonderful event and addition to the family. Imagine that after a period of time the couple begins to feel some sadness about the loss of time and energy they had for each other before the baby arrived. Imagine further that the couple begins to resent the fact that the baby seems to take too much time and energy, and they are tired. Imagine these feelings and the internal conflict is not voiced. The couple begins to silently “should” on themselves. After all, they want a family, and they “should not” resent the baby. They believe they “should” be happy—even if that is not how they truly feel. In the face of this conflict, the couple begins to feel guilty about feelings they should or should not have. Repressing the truth and feeling guilty can lead to arguments over unrelated issues further masking true feelings about the situation. This process may cause damage to the relationship, and in the long run, physical health may suffer. If we explored the real complexity around this example, we would see how repressed shadow feelings of parents affect the child and even pets in the home. Imagine this situation is occurring in thousands of homes at once. The energy waves broadcast into society effect the behavior of people in the region and beyond. All the effects would be erased if we owned and constructively aired our shadow thoughts and feelings when they arise. Repression and denial are harmful.
We must stop denying negative emotions and thoughts when they arise. We must own them, breathe through them, and ask ourselves how to give them healthy expression and release. If we move through these emotions and thoughts, we will find they do not get stuck in our energy field. All emotions and thoughts are designed to move through the energy and physical body. Repression causes stuck energy, and our physical body and mental state suffer from these blockages. Repressing shadow energy creates the personal, local, and global reality we share today. It is time to transcend our fear of our shadow. We must stop running from the dark. We must stop denying that we each have so-called dark thoughts and feelings. We must stop trying to place the blame for unwanted behaviors and events in our world on others. Always remember that anything you can think of is part of All That Is, and All That Is dwells in you as you. Therefore, anything and everything is connected to us. Separation is an illusion.
Furthermore, while we may enjoy significant improvement in what we manifest, it is highly uncommon for an individual to master all manifestations on a conscious level. There is a lot going on behind the scenes of the play. With the awareness that we’re not intended to become the sole puppet master of what manifests in our life, I offer these suggestions to allow us to make significant and successful changes. This is certainly not the only way to effect change, and I frequently advise people to follow their own inner guidance. My wish is for all good things to grace your life in every way.
How Do I Change My Life?
- BE RESPONSIBLE: I observe the events and people I have drawn into my life right now. I know that every person and event is present because my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and expectations attracted them to me, even if the attraction occurred subconsciously. I stop blaming others or God for my current reality. I take full responsibility, knowing that the life I have now grew from seeds I planted. No other being is responsible for the circumstances in my life.
- BE MINDFUL: If I am less than satisfied with my personal reality, I observe my thoughts. My thoughts govern my feelings and form my beliefs and expectations. To change my reality, I must be mindful of the content of my thoughts. Habitual thoughts create feelings, beliefs, and expectation (and ultimately, manifestation).
- When I catch myself thinking about something I don’t want, I change my thoughts to focus on what I want.
- Remember, I cannot stop dwelling on something I don’t want by telling myself not to think about it. I must make a conscious effort to focus my attention on what I want.
- I cannot stop a train of thought by telling it to stop. I must replace one train of thought with another. I must create an alternative track and intentionally make the switch.
- When I catch myself thinking about something I don’t want, I change my thoughts to focus on what I want.
- I am patient and gentle with myself when I catch myself thinking about things I don’t want.
- I develop new thought and feeling habits via mindfulness.
- If, in the moment, I am focused on an event or person that feeds feelings of sorrow or anger, for example, I may change how I feel by shifting my attention to thoughts of gratitude or love.
Understand, dear reader, this is not always desired in the moment. For example, if we recently experienced the death of a loved one or a divorce, feeling our grief is a healthy process. The peaks and valleys of grief have a rhythm of their own, and feelings of loss, sorrow, despair, hopelessness, anger, and more may occur. It is wise to let this process unfold naturally, and it may go on for long periods of time. We grieve losses of many types, so let grief be expressed when felt.
If loss is not the cause of stress and grief, however, I may elevate my energy by shifting my thoughts. For example, I could ask myself to begin listing things, experiences, and people that I love. I may shift my attention onto experiences that bring joy to me. This is a deliberate conscious shift. With practice, holding my attention on things that lift my vibration frequency becomes a habit. Yet, I refuse to deny the proper place and natural human experience of so-called negative emotions. I stop judging my emotions as either being good or bad, positive or negative. - I practice a form of self-hypnosis. The truth is we use self-hypnosis constantly, but we don’t realize that this is what we’re doing. Here are the steps: 1) I select a belief about my life or my reality. 2) For five to ten minutes a day I focus on my belief and repeat thoughts about it. 3) I feel how I will feel when this belief manifests. Remember that feeling begins the process of attraction. 4) I paint pictures in my mind that align with my beliefs. 5) I act as if my belief is reality.
- If, in the moment, I am focused on an event or person that feeds feelings of sorrow or anger, for example, I may change how I feel by shifting my attention to thoughts of gratitude or love.
- I let go by remembering that everything happens perfectly at the perfect time. My present reality was created using these steps, and it happened so unconsciously and automatically that I didn’t realize what I was doing. Begin to use this process consciously now. Awakened people create reality through conscious intent. Set your intentions for your life, and then let it go and let it happen.
- BE HERE NOW: I remember that the present is the only point of power through which I may affect my reality. I remember that the point of power necessary to change my life is only available now. I know I have the power to change my life now. I have faith in my ability to change my life, and I accept that I cannot create changes for others. I realize that I do not change my life by reviewing the past or dwelling on the future. I know that my whole self is creating my reality with perfect intention. Now. Everything happening in my life now is for my highest and best good.
EMBRACE ALL EMOTIONS: I accept the full range of my emotions. I stop resisting or denying how I feel. I know that I have the power to change how I feel in any moment. If I want to change how I feel, I need to change what I am thinking—right now. This power of change is always available to me here and now. (See item #2, steps A through C.)