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1
CD Twelve 2
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There's a great teaching story about two young boys in a village who wanted to 4
fool the village wise man. The whole community revered and honored this wise 5
man. So a very typical teen thing, they were thinking we are smarter than him. 6
We'll find a way to fool him and the whole community will know and then the 7
community will look to us. So one says to the other ok here's what we will do. We 8
will get an appointment with the wise man and we will let everybody know that it 9
will be a public appointment and meanwhile I will capture a live bird. Then at the 10
appointment I will be holding the live bird in my hand behind my back and say to 11
the wise man 'Wise man is the bird I am holding alive or dead?' If the wise man 12
says the bird is alive I will quickly crush the life out of that bird and present the 13
dead bird, thus proving him wrong. If however the wise man says the bird is dead 14
then I shall just present the bird and we will fool the wise man. 15
16
So they gained the appointment. They told the whole community. The whole 17
community shows up for this meeting and the boys standing respectfully in front 18
of the wise man, one with his hands behind his back holding the bird. They very 19
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respectfully look at the wise man and said wise man tell us, is the bird we are 20
holding alive or dead? The wise man looked very gently and compassionately at 21
these young boys and because he was a very wise man he just said to them 'The 22
life you are holding in your hands is yours.' 23
24
Isn't that a great story? The life you are holding in your hands is yours. That's 25
really the truth. The life you are holding is held in your hands. It's the truth. The 26
life that each one of us is holding and experiencing is controlled by what we do 27
and what we choose. Now we've done a lot of work here, so again I want to say 28
welcome back and good job to come back because you are ready now to move into 29
the acceleration steps. 30
31
So we went through the empowerment steps. You did all the early work of 32
discovering a dream and deciding for the dream and paying attention to your 33
longing and your discontent and your dream continues to unfold and be shaped 34
and developed in this living document you are working with where you have 35
written down your dream. Remember you don't just write your dream down and 36
that's the end of it. You are keeping this living document with you. You are 37
making sure that there is no future language in that dream. That it's a present 38
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tense, this is the life I am living and that it's a very clear blueprint that's being 39
impressed into your mind as you reread and then reform and then lift up and lift 40
the frequency of this written document that is the life you are choosing to live. 41
42
Now we went through the whole process of building a bigger deserving, testing 43
our dream and then we took a very good look at the different things we can do 44
that actually toxified the possibility of this dream going forward. We explored 45
how it is that we learn to notice and then befriend our fear. We began to explore 46
the possibility that if we want an expanded life we have to move into an expanded 47
state through giving. We understood the practice and the process of expanded 48
circulation. We recognized that good seed will not grow in toxic soil and so we 49
have begun the process of an expanded deepening forgiveness practice so that 50
there are no balls and chains on our lives holding us back from the ideas and the 51
answers that can really take us forward and help us discover how to deliver the 52
dream we are holding. 53
54
So we went through the discovery phase. We went through the empowerment 55
phase and now we are ready to move into the acceleration phase. In the 56
acceleration phase are two wavelengths that you will bring to bear upon your 57
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dream that you will absolutely find as you practice these will move you in the 58
upward spiral of becoming. They will move you in this ever upward spiral. 59
Remember, the universe is a spiral universe. Your DNA is a spiral. There is a pull 60
of becoming everywhere present throughout the entire universe. This 'more', this 61
pull of the next, this pull of the greater, freer, fuller expanded expression of life. 62
It's everywhere present in the universe and you feel it in you, the seeking for that 63
life that is your life to express freer, fuller more expanded, more creatively. 64
65
And as you say yes to this, which is why you do dream building, why you do the 66
work that we are talking about, you get happier. You find more creativity. You 67
find more opportunity. Your whole life begins to move in a new arc. And once you 68
do that, again it's what Jesus called the pearl of great price. You have this 69
experience. You would trade for it. When your life begins to expand this way 70
everything else pales compared to a life that you wake up in the morning and 71
several times during the day the natural feeling of being in harmony with your 72
own life essence is that this natural feeling rises up in you. I love my life. I love 73
my life. Jesus called it the stream of living water that rises from the center of your 74
own being. He says when you drink from that water you don't thirst again. Now 75
quantum physics has another name for this. There's different names throughout 76
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all the different traditions but the bottom line is it's life and life abundantly. 77
That's what this work and this opportunity and these practices bring you and 78
where it takes you. 79
80
So now as we move into this phase, the acceleration phase there are two 81
wavelengths. Two practices that you are going to bring into this good field that 82
you have created. A field where you are not letting fear dominate you but you 83
recognize the fear as the border of the reality I have known where there is a lot of 84
circulation and whenever you find anything toxic, a weed, you just pull it out and 85
you wish well for everybody you have ever known. It's a practice and you are 86
doing that. 87
88
Ok. That creates now the opportunity for you to do these two practices, that you 89
will find over time actually put you in the stream's center. It's almost as if you 90
move into a jet stream where your thinking will change, your recognition of 91
opportunities will change--it does not create more abundance in your life. It 92
creates your awareness of the abundance that's here. Because as you become 93
aware of the abundance that's here your ability to access that abundance--and 94
remember the first stream of the currency of abundance is ideas--So your ability 95
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to tune into the ideas that are the answers to the questions you have and the steps 96
you need to take comes from the frequency of your own awareness. 97
98
So we have done the work now to prepare to make ready, to make welcome what 99
it is that you need to know in order to take the steps that are yours to take. 100
101
Gandhi said the voice for truth speaks to every person on the planet every single 102
day. The voice for truth. Now, the voice for truth, meaning the voice that has 103
whatever it is that you need to hear. The voice of this inspired insight, inspired 104
wisdom. The voice of the intelligence of the universe is available to every single 105
one of us. I heard it once said that the voice for truth speaks to all of us every 106
single day and it's as loud as our willingness to listen. So it's as if wisdom is 107
everywhere available but my access to that wisdom has to do with my willingness 108
to hear, my willingness to know. 109
110
So what we are talking about here really is your intuitive capacity. This is an 111
intelligence system you have that is non-linear. It doesn't come from your five 112
senses. It's beyond your reasoning mind. It's natural, it's native and it's one of 113
your intelligence systems that most of us have not been trained in. Most of us 114
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have been trained to use our reasoning mind and that's based on conditions. It's 115
based on information from the five senses. That's important information. Of 116
course you need that information but it's not all the information and its' not all 117
that's available to you. And in fact, if you want to become a really great dream 118
builder, someone who moves through acceleration and is not bound by the 119
constrictions or the containments of ordinary life, then you will learn to use this 120
intelligence system that's in you to be guided because this part of you knows way 121
more than your reasoning mind knows. 122
123
You know this. You can think of times when you have known something, 124
something simple. It's not always the big huge things. You know all kinds of stuff 125
that came to you non-linearly. So you are heading out for the day and you hear or 126
you think take the umbrella. Then your ordinary reasoning mind goes take my 127
umbrella? It's blue skies. I'm not taking my umbrella. And you argue actually, you 128
use your reasoning mind to argue with the insight, with the native knowing that 129
really is coming from your intuitive capacity. 130
131
You know this. You've had experiences with this. You say I'm not taking the 132
umbrella. Three hours later the weather completely changes and there's a 133
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downpour and you say to yourself I knew it. How did I know to bring that 134
umbrella? But I did know to bring the umbrella, I just didn't listen. You probably 135
have many stories, if you go through your memory, of times when you knew 136
something. It didn’t come from the linear mind and because you'd learned to 137
value your reasoning mind more than your intuitive mind you didn't do, 138
something protect something, recognize something that you really could have if 139
you had trained this part of yourself. 140
141
So what I am suggesting is that every great dream builder, every one who has 142
done something that we call extraordinary has learned to value, access and 143
appreciate the part of themselves that is the non-linear knowing. 144
145
The composer Puccini said this 'The music for this opera was dictated to me by 146
God.' He said that he heard the music and he simply copied down the notes. The 147
musician Brahms said this 'Straight away the ideas flow in upon me directly from 148
God.' He said 'I relaxed, I listened and the ideas come.' Now of course these two 149
musicians are using the word God for the place of that stream of wisdom. You can 150
use any name you want to; the universe, you can use spirit. Whatever word is 151
comfortable for you. But here's the point, there is an intelligence system that you 152
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have. It's called your intuition. It makes available to you the wisdom, the knowing 153
that's in this universe. 154
155
Now if you think of the law of mathematics there is not one problem you can take 156
to the law of mathematics for which there is not an answer. It doesn't mean you 157
will know the answer but you know that no matter what problem you take to the 158
law of mathematics there is an answer. It's really not different in terms of dream 159
building. You start with the premise that there cannot be a possibility without a 160
path. You cannot dream something up for which there is not a way to get there. 161
Now you may not know the way. You may not have the resources you may not 162
have the contacts or the education or all kinds of things that might be required. 163
But there is a way to create anything you want to create because by definition if 164
the mind can conceive it, the mind can achieve it. 165
166
So let me remind you of the story of Thomas Edison, who would get quiet, would 167
listen, meditate. He had learned a technology for accessing that inner wisdom; 168
that stream of ideas that were always in harmony with the questions he was 169
asking. He learned to use his intuition. He would sit, as you remember, taking 170
catnaps. But they weren't really catnaps. He framed important questions. 171
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Questions that mattered to him about the thing he wanted to create. Now you too 172
can learn how to frame good questions. It was Einstein who once said 'If I had 173
only one hour to solve a life and death matter, meaning his life depended on it, he 174
would spend...he said 'I would spend fifty-five minutes framing exactly the right 175
question because once I got the right question I have my answer in five minutes.' 176
177
Now what does that mean? The right question. That's why you write your dream 178
down. That's why you keep your dream really in focus. Because part of what you 179
want to know is what’s the step I should take today. What do I do today that 180
would facilitate the forward movement of the dream I am holding? Now, learning 181
how to discern your own intuition, recognize that voice from all the other voices 182
or that knowing from all the other things that are in the field of your awareness is 183
a practice. There's all this information. It's like the five senses are like these five 184
lane highways of information just pouring into your brain. And you see 185
circumstances. You've read things in the paper. You understand what's going on 186
in the economy. You have a history. You have whatever's in your bank account. 187
All of that information is in the field of your awareness and it's in the field of 188
facts, or form. 189
190
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So you are not denying facts or form but you are recognizing that there is another 191
frequency. Just like if you have on CNN, NBC is right here or CBS is right here or 192
whatever the channels are that are broadcasting wherever you are. It's a different 193
frequency. If you want to change the picture of what you are seeing you pick up 194
the remote control and you change the frequency. We are talking now about you 195
changing the frequency of the noticing and the amount of attention you give to 196
this particular access you have to another stream of information which will help 197
guide you in the steps you need to take today. Absent this, you will work from a 198
very low amplitude of your own power. You have this power. It's the stream of 199
inspired insight. It comes through your intuition. It knows exactly things you can 200
never know with your linear mind. 201
202
So how do you know the voice from all the other input? People often say to me 203
well how do I know this voice? How do I recognize this voice? So here's what I 204
would say to you. 205
206
So imagine right now that your phone rings. You pick up the phone. You have no 207
idea who it is. Say you don't have caller ID. So you have no idea who it is on the 208
other end of the line and your phone rings and you decide to pick it up. I mean it 209
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could be a telemarketer, it could be family, it could be friends, and it could be 210
somebody from your past. You have no idea who it is. So you pick up the phone 211
and you say hello and you hear the voice on the other end saying to you 212
something and calling you by name and saying hi and then saying something to 213
you. 214
215
Now imagine that the voice on the other end of the line is somebody you love 216
deeply, somebody you have a great relationship with. It's your spouse; it's your 217
friend, but somebody very close to you. So you are going through your day, the 218
phone rings, you decide to pick it up, you have no idea who it is and you say hello 219
and you hear this voice that comes from the person that you care deeply about. 220
Are you likely to recognize that person's voice even if they don't say hi it's George 221
or hi it's Mary? Of course you are. You will recognize that voice. 222
223
And how will you recognize that voice? Because you know them. Well how do you 224
know them? You know them because you got interested in them. You paid 225
attention to them. You invested some time in developing that relationship so you 226
now recognize that voice. It's not different in this regard. The voice of this stream 227
of inspired insight, the voice of your own intuition has a resonance to it. It has a 228
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frequency to it. There's a tone to it that if you are interested you will get to know 229
and you will pay attention to and it starts with a decision. That I have an 230
intelligence system that is required for my forward movement; for me to bring 231
about my dream, to collapse time, to facilitate the transformation that occurs in a 232
metaphysical universe. Remember the physics always work and part of that is the 233
intelligence of the universe downloaded through the lens of an individual into 234
time. That's your opportunity but it's also you requirement, that you call from 235
this higher wisdom this greater knowing and bring it through your own 236
awareness. 237
238
So know this. You are going to do some things today. Even if you decide well I 239
don't want to make any mistakes. Gosh there's this higher wisdom, this greater 240
knowing and I've been operating mainly from my reasoning mind. I've been 241
trained to do that. So I don't want to make any mistakes. I am just going to stay in 242
bed and pull the covers over my head. Remember, what you created was a day in 243
bed with covers over head. So you are going to do some things today. You are 244
going to practice making some decisions listening to also this intelligence system. 245
You start to notice even when little things start to come to you like take the 246
umbrella and you go hmm, well. Just try on being a little more respectful of that 247
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part of you that seems to be the voice of your intuition and what will happen over 248
time--you know you aren't going to do it perfectly. Just like anything you are 249
going to find your way. But toy with this. Experiment with this. Have some fun 250
with this. 251
252
What you'll find over time is that you begin to know this voice more and more 253
and more. And I will tell you some things about it. Whether you hear it as a voice 254
or you feel it as a kind of a nudge. I don't know all the many ways you will 255
discover access to that part of yourself, but I know you will. And what I know 256
about the voice, when you hear a thought come through your mind of course it 257
sounds like your voice but it is carried with wisdom and when you hear that it is 258
never frantic. Your ego, my ego, at times gets frantic, gets worried, gets anxious, 259
gets all of those kinds of thoughts will begin to move through the mind. You can 260
choose to energize those thoughts or starve those thoughts. You either feed them 261
or you starve them. So you are learning to discard those thoughts that are not 262
helpful. Transform those thoughts into something much more helpful. Learning 263
how to change the frequency to a channel or a vibration that is in harmony with 264
the dream you say you want. Now as you make a decision to practice listening to 265
and following the voice of inspired insight, you begin to recognize that that 266
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wisdom is not frantic. It knows there's nothing to get frantic about. It's wise. It 267
will speak to the circumstance that you are in and offer a step to take, always, 268
always. 269
270
As Gandhi said, the voice for truth speaks to every person on the planet every 271
single day and is as loud as our willingness to listen. 272
273
So this voice is described in the Old Testament. The scriptures in the Bible are 274
really stories of the unfolding awareness of the human from being in the Adam 275
consciousness or state, where we fall asleep, to who we are as divine beings who 276
fall asleep to who we are as divine beings with the capacities to create as a co-277
creator with the infinite and then the journey through all the many different 278
characters which are in essence different parts of ourselves coming to be 279
awakened in the full personhood of the Christed mind or the one who is fully 280
awake to the full potential and accomplishes what ordinary people call miracles 281
as a common ordinary practice. Then we find of course Jesus saying to you and 282
me ‘know these truths. It will not only set you free but you too shall do these 283
things and greater things still.’ 284
285
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So here we are. In the Old Testament, discovery that there is a capacity in us that 286
is of a higher knowing than ordinary knowing. That story emerges in the story 287
about the Prophet Elijah. So Elijah believed in one presence, one power, one life 288
which was not too popular at the time of his day. So things are happening and it's 289
a rough time for him and he has to flee for his life. So he goes to Mount Horah. 290
It's there that we find one of the most beautiful and really compelling 291
descriptions of what it means to be in communion with this voice. So Elijah has 292
spent a night in the cave and then in the morning, this is what is says, there was a 293
great and mighty wind splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of 294
God. But God was not in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake. But God was 295
not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire. But God was not in the fire. 296
And when the fire died down and the wind was gone and the earth had stopped 297
shaking, Elijah in that stillness heard a still small voice and he knew that in that 298
still small voice he had heard the voice of God. God had not been in the howling 299
wind or the cracking of earth or the crackling of fire. So Elijah finds his voice for 300
that stream of inspired insight not in the midst of those spectacles but in silence. 301
He comes to know God in the still small voice. 302
303
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Now many of us kind of expect this wisdom or whatever it is to kind of pop up 304
like Zeus hurtling thunderbolts. But the truth is this wisdom is always present. It 305
may not knock you on the head. Many times people I've worked with say you 306
know I am just praying for a sign. I want to see a sign and there are signs 307
everywhere. But they are not aware of the signs they are seeing. So this is a 308
practice now of being willing to just start by knowing everything that can be 309
known is known. It may not be known to me but it is known. There can't be a 310
question without an answer. By definition. In the mind, the mind of the infinite, 311
the mind of this universe everything is known. Great people, people who live 312
from greatness have learned how to generate in themselves an awareness that 313
anything they need to know can be known. They learned how to ask and shape 314
important questions. The transcendentalists were asking important questions. 315
They would frame questions, spend time framing questions, ultimately leading 316
themselves to the experience of the transcendent; that part of themselves that 317
was wiser than their ordinary mind. They could access information and ideas and 318
answers. 319
320
So part of this is learning what it means to take time to get still. We will never 321
develop a relationship with that knowing if we don't have a stillness practice. It 322
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doesn't take a long time and there's many ways to get to that part of yourself 323
where you have real free flowing access to the part of you that is wise, that is that 324
stream of divine or inspired insight. 325
326
There is a great story I heard once about Tiknaht Han(?). Tiknaht Han is a 327
revered, honored Buddhist monk from Vietnam, a prolific writer. He told a story 328
once about being in Plum Village, which is the community place for his work in 329
France. The community lives there and they spend time together. It's a 330
community. It's not like a gated community but it's protected by fences and a lot 331
of people come there and even spend time there learning the meditation practices 332
that Tiknaht Han has been so revered for teaching; awareness practices, 333
mindfulness practices. 334
335
He tells a story about one summer when his five year old little niece came to stay 336
for six weeks. Because she was in the community many of the people watched 337
over her during the day as she would play and he would go to his meditation 338
room and meditate. He said he was in his meditation room one day when he 339
heard this knock, knock, knock at the meditation room door. So he went to the 340
door and he hears his little five year old niece and she says 'Uncle Monk, uncle 341
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monk. My friends and I are very thirsty. Will you give us something to drink?' So 342
he goes over to the refrigerator. He opens up the refrigerator and there he pulls 343
out a jug of homemade apple juice that he's made the day before. He puts four 344
glasses on the counter, one for the niece and one for each of the three friends and 345
he pours the homemade apple juice from the jug into these glasses. 346
347
Well the first three glasses came from the upper portion of the apple juice and 348
they were pretty clear. The fourth glass came from the bottom of this apple juice 349
so it was murky. It was pulpy. So the older friends quickly grabbed the three clear 350
glasses, leaving that murky pulpy glass of juice for the five year old. She looks at 351
that and she goes 'I don't want that apple juice! That's dirty apple juice.' He goes 352
'No honey, it's not dirty apple juice. It's good apple juice, probably better apple 353
juice for you. It has all the apple in it. It's good apple juice. Drink that apple juice.' 354
'I don't want that apple juice! That's dirty apple juice.' So he says 'Well have it 355
your way.' So he goes back to his meditation room and he begins to meditate. 356
357
He said about a half an hour later he hear this kind of a little commotion in the 358
kitchen and then knock, knock, knock at the meditation room door. 'Uncle Monk, 359
Uncle Monk. I am very thirsty and I am only a little girl. I need your help to get 360
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me something to drink.' So he goes out again and he says 'I did help you. I did 361
give you something to drink. I got you that apple juice. Drink the apple juice.' She 362
goes 'I don't want that dirty apple juice. I don't like dirty apple juice.' He looked 363
over at the counter. The apple juice had been sitting in the glass for about thirty 364
minutes. All of the sediment had drained to the bottom of that glass, leaving the 365
upper portion crystal clear. He says 'Well look at the apple juice now.' She goes 366
'What happened to it?' He goes 'It just sat still for thirty minutes.' He said at 367
moment his niece turned around and she goes 'Oh, Uncle Monk. Now I know why 368
you sit still so much.' 369
370
I love that story. I love it because it reminds me that the wind and the waves and 371
the earthquakes and all the many things that happen in life seem boisterous and 372
seem loud and often it's difficult for me to hear from that part of myself that 373
knows the truth. I get caught up in the facts at times. But it is a stillness practice 374
that helps that sediment drain down so that I have more clarity. I am more 375
available to this stream of inspired insight. 376
377
So today you are going to make many choices. The power that you have in choice 378
to shape your life is a phenomenally powerful thing. Way more than most of us 379
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recognize. Everything is created twice. Remember that. Everything is created 380
twice, first a thought and then a thing. So where you put your interest, where you 381
put your attention, energy flows. You can choose to pay attention to the knowing 382
even if you don't yet have a relationship with that voice for inspired insight but 383
you can pay attention to the idea. I have an intuition. So remember the story of 384
the foot lamp. It's that recognition and that knowing that this intuition, this 385
stream of inspired insight is like a lamp unto our feet. It shows light upon the 386
next step we are supposed to take. It's a lamp unto my fight and a light upon my 387
path. 388
389
So when you ask the question here's my dream, what step could I take today? 390
Something will begin to occur to you. You are going to make a choice anyway so 391
go with the highest guidance you've got. Go with that which seems most inspired, 392
which seems most in alignment. Now sometimes that voice will tell you 393
something you need to let go of. Sometimes it will tell you something you need to 394
gain hold of. Sometimes it will tell you whatever it will tell you but your practice 395
is to bring a silence practice into your life where you even spend a few minutes a 396
day listening and you might find that right after you've written your morning to 397
be pages. How you want to be that day. Instead of starting your day again with 398
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your to do pages you start with your to be pages. You want to be compassionate. 399
You want to be aware. You want to be insightful. You want to be in touch with 400
and in harmony with your dream. You are going to bring it forth. If one advances 401
confidently, so you are confident in how the laws of the universe are working. 402
Part of the laws of the universe are access to the information system that gives 403
rise to your all knowing about the steps that you are to take. But you are the one, 404
the only one, and I am the one, the only one for myself, that can choose to pay 405
attention. 406
407
You know what it's like when you pick up the phone and there's just all this static. 408
You say call back. Let's get a better line. Let's get a better connection. Well it's not 409
different in listening to the voice that you want a good connection. So you want to 410
look at and begin to notice that sense. When you do hear the voice, when you are 411
in touch with that intelligence system there are some conditions that you have 412
put in place that have made that connection stronger. Whether it may have to do 413
with what you are thinking, what you are watching on TV, what you are not 414
watching on TV that you tune in the dial. You really want to recognize that you 415
have a choice about what signal strength you have in terms of your own receiver. 416
You can choose to amp it up by noticing that which causes you to feel more alive; 417
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that which causes you to feel more integrity with yourself; that which is in 418
harmony, in essence, with your own soul's purpose. You may have known for a 419
long time that it's time to stop smoking or it's time to do something and you've 420
known it but you haven't put your behavior in alignment with what you've 421
known. Obviously I am not saying you need to do anything different than what 422
you are doing except to follow what you do know. 423
424
My friend Michael Beckwith says act on the good that you know and that's a 425
beautiful way to say it, that not only knowing the good but acting on the good 426
amplifies that in your life. You will find as Emerson said, that God plays with 427
loaded dice. You are going to have surprise support. You are going to see 428
providence move to. You are going to see all sorts of things, as Thoreau said, 429
begin to occur in your life that never otherwise would have occurred because you 430
are now in a whole new stream or a whole new frequency and everything that is 431
compatible with harmonious with and relevant of that frequency becomes 432
available to you. This is one of the great things that will happen in your life as you 433
begin to recognize, honor--revere actually--your own intuitive faculty. 434
435
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There was a woman I knew who was out of work. I mean it was a tough time for 436
her and she was struggling. She had been out of work and so she said I need help 437
and she had tried everything she knew to find a job. So she started asking for help 438
from the higher mind. She was saying you know, I gotta get an answer here. What 439
should I do? So she started hearing go to the singles potluck. There was a singles 440
potluck at her church and she started hearing go to the singles potluck, which she 441
would then say back to that voice I don't need to go to the singles potluck. I need 442
a job. So she would go busy doing her things and looking in the paper and making 443
phone calls and every so often when she would get quiet she would hear go to the 444
singles potluck Friday. 445
446
Finally Friday came and it was getting time and she had been so frustrated and 447
disappointed she did not feel like going to a singles potluck. But since she had 448
tried everything she knew by her linear mind, everything she knew that made 449
sense, everything that seemed reasonable and none of that was working, she 450
thought maybe I just need a break. So she thought ok I will go to the singles 451
potluck. By the time she got ready the potluck had already started and when she 452
got there people were already sitting around all the different tables. She looked 453
around the room and she didn't think there was even a spot. Then in the back this 454
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elderly gentleman raised his arm and there was one spot next to him. So she went 455
there and got some food off the buffet table and came and sat down. They began 456
to converse and he asked her how she was doing and she said oh I'm doing fine. 457
Back and forth the conversation went and he said so what do you do? She told 458
him what she did. She said but I am out of work right now. I am looking for work. 459
He said really, well do you know...and then he named a software package...and do 460
you know this and do you know that and she said yes. He said this is amazing. He 461
said I told my friends before I came tonight was that the one thing I needed to 462
find was someone who knew...and then he listed exactly the qualities, the 463
attributes, the talents, the skills that he had described, asking her if she had these 464
and she was a perfect fit. 465
466
Now she would never have known that Oh I know I am going to apply for a job at 467
the potluck. The voice didn’t tell her go to the potluck. Go a little late. You will be 468
able to sit down in one chair, there’s going to be a man there who has a job that 469
would be a perfect fit for you. That intelligence system knows everything. As it 470
turned out not only did that turn out to be a good position for her but she moved 471
into a much larger role than she had ever had in any of her work experience 472
before and it was much more lucrative. 473
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474
Am I saying that every single time you follow that voice some great major thing is 475
going to happen? No, probably not. But what I am saying is that you begin to 476
build a familiarity with the part of yourself that is wise, that is intelligent, that is 477
of the intelligence of the universe. You don't ignore your linear awareness or your 478
reasoning mind but you balance it with this faculty in yourself that is of a higher 479
order that gives you information that you cannot find with your reasoning mind. 480
481
So pay attention to your nudges, that's what I call them. Those little sort of 482
nudges. Particularly if you notice that one has come back like three times. You say 483
wait a minute. Do this. Pay attention here. Whatever it is, if something has 484
occurred to you three times that doesn't quite make sense it's at least worthy of 485
your honoring it enough to give it a chance. Just at least try it on and over time, 486
just like you get to know a person, just like you develop a depth of relationship, 487
just like there's a whole free flow of ability to relate together, you will begin to 488
have the ability because you've developed it. It was there all along but now you 489
have developed it. The ability to have access to this intelligence, to this knowing, 490
to this guidance that is actually required for you to become a great dream builder. 491
492
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So while Michael Beckwith will say act on the good that you know, one of the 493
things that I have felt guided to remind myself over and over and over again over 494
the years is go to the edge of the light you see. So here's the foot lamp casting 495
light on my path. I need to take that step. Not just know that there's a step to 496
take, there's no real power in hearing your intuition and not acting on it. It's 497
actually more entertainment. It's not insight unless I act on it. So in acting on the 498
good that I know or go to the edge of the light that I see. And as I go to the edge of 499
the light I see, more is revealed. But I am the one who has to go to that edge. I am 500
the one who has to take that step. I am the one who has to try it on and so are 501
you. 1:42 502
503
One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He is in search 504
of the Holy Grail and I just love the movie. It's symbolic for each one of us 505
searching for that chalice of life itself. But at one point Indie knows that the Grail 506
is across a great chasm and there's just no way physically to get across. It's like 507
the Grand Canyon. You can't get across there. There's no way for him physically 508
or in the reasoning mind or in ordinary ways to get across. So he is right there 509
and he is standing right there and there is going to be a big earthquake and if he 510
doesn't go now he is going to lose his opportunity forever. He senses that even 511
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though this huge chasm between him and the place he has to go, if he is willing to 512
take a step there will be a magic bridge that will appear. 513
514
Now all of his five senses are saying absolutely do not step out there. He can't see 515
the bridge but he is told that if he will take the step the bridge will appear. And so 516
the voice of inspired insight says take the step. But literally he can't see where he 517
is going. So he has to believe in this invisible power. He has to believe more in the 518
invisible power that feels right to him than what he can see and bring in with his 519
five senses. That's part of the gift of dream building that who you are when you 520
started out to build the dream is not who you become when you reach this dream. 521
You become so much more in the process. You grow in the process. You operate 522
on more than just your five senses. 523
524
So here is Indiana Jones. He is standing on this side of the chasm and he is told 525
to take the step and to take the step means that you have to shift your weight. You 526
have to be really willing to give yourself into it. You see, that's part of the dream 527
building practice that’s really essential. It's not about well I'll stick my toe in or 528
maybe just get my foot wet. It's like really going for it. Really putting your whole 529
self in. So he takes a step and in that step the bridge really does appear. But it 530
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doesn't appear all the way across. It only appears where he is standing. So every 531
step he takes is another step in faith. Every step he takes is another step in faith. 532
Actually I find that to be the exciting part about where you are right now and each 533
one of us is in our process of dream building, if we are really doing that. 534
535
So remember when you were just longing for your dream? That feels pretty safe. 536
Ok I can do this. Then when you are testing your dream that's again a phase that 537
feels pretty safe. But then there is a moment when you commit to your dream. 538
You say I am going to do this and I am willing to change the way I'm thinking, the 539
way I am doing things. I am going to change my life. I am going to change what I 540
have experienced or known or created up until now and I am going to let myself 541
feel a bit uncomfortable. In the interest of growth I am going to take myself out of 542
the frying pan, out of the comfort zone and I am going to find a greater living. I 543
am going to do this. Now, saying that, thinking that is a big phase--but now doing 544
it is of a much higher amplitude and you don't just do it once. You bring it into a 545
practice as your new way of being. So of course you've seen the movie or know the 546
story. Indie of course makes it clear across that chasm. But again it wasn't in the 547
absence of fear and it wasn't in the presence of knowing exactly everything to do. 548
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It was in the belief that he was of a high and good purpose and that what he really 549
wanted was on the other side of that and that he would find a way through. 550
551
So obviously I am not suggesting you take steps into deep chasms physically. But 552
it's a metaphor. It's a metaphor for your willingness to trust. and do it in small 553
ways at first till you begin to build a stronger trust in what Gandhi found, what 554
Puccini knew, what many, many, many, many other people, what Edison found, 555
what Einstein knew. I could spend the rest of this hour telling you people after 556
people after people. But their names aren't important. It's your name that's 557
important. That you know this. That you find this. 558
559
So I want to close this lesson with a story about a fellow who really wanted the 560
greatest good in his life but he kept choosing to operate from his own knowing. 561
It's a man who lived in a house downstream from a big dam. A storm was 562
brewing. A storm so big that it threatened to actually break the dam. Water was 563
rising up in the upper part of the dam. Authorities got very worried and the dam 564
was starting to show signs that it actually could break. 565
566
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So when the authorities determined that the dam probably would break, they 567
sent out the National Guard in jeeps, who went up and down the riverbank telling 568
everyone they had to evacuate. So the guy who came in the jeep, the National 569
Guardsman, said to this man you have to evacuate. Grab some things and come 570
with me. I am going to take you out of here. The dam is going to break and your 571
house is going to flood. The guy very casually said oh that's ok. God will save me. 572
The guard says buddy you've got to get out of here. He said no. I am not leaving. I 573
am not evacuating. Go save other people. God will save me. So pretty soon the 574
dam did break and the water rushes downstream and fills his house. 575
576
So as the home is starting to fill this guy climbs up to the second story and before 577
long the water reaches the second story. This guy goes out on his deck. Now the 578
National Guard has called in other helpers in boats. So they are going along the 579
river that has now risen high as the second story house rescuing anyone who 580
hasn't yet evacuated. So they come in and say come here buddy. They toss him a 581
rope and come on we are going to get you in the boat. We will get you out of here. 582
Very casually he says nope. Nope. That's ok. God will save me. They just could not 583
get him out. He refuses to evacuate. So they decide that they are going to help 584
other people and they leave. 585
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586
So the water continues to rise and now this guy is on the roof of his house. He's 587
just clinging to the chimney and a helicopter comes by. The helicopter drops a 588
line with a harness so that he could hook himself into the harness and escape the 589
flood. They area screaming buddy, buddy come on. Come on. We are here to save 590
you. He just tosses the harness aside and says nope. That's ok. God will save me. 591
And the river rises and he drowns. 592
593
The next scene shows him in heaven. He is at the gate and St. Peter is there and 594
the man says I have to talk to God. So St. Peter takes him and he gains entrance 595
to the Presence of God and this man says I can't believe it! Here I was one of your 596
faithful servants. I was sure you would save me. I was so sure you would save me 597
and you didn't. Why didn't you help me? The Presence of the God simply looks at 598
him compassionately and says what do you mean? I sent you a jeep. I sent you a 599
boat. I sent you a helicopter. 600
601
So of course we would feel sad for somebody who operated from what one might 602
call blind faith that did not recognize that the real help is right here also and it 603
comes through many different ordinary ways. The important thing is that you 604
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and I then personalize this story. Like ok, so what are the jeeps, the boats...what 605
are the helicopters in my life which are the signals that come from this 606
intelligence system that ultimately has only my highest good? There is that in you 607
that is connected to life itself because you are this life. You cannot even make 608
your heart beat, remember? You can't take one breath on your own. Life itself is 609
seeking ever freer, fuller expanded expression in and through the lens of each one 610
of us and that insight, that inspired knowing, that intuition is the stream of 611
intelligence seeking to make itself conscious in you that you might apply all of 612
your resources, all of the faculties that you have been given to bring in 613
coordination to the efforting of the dream you have; to the bringing it about. It 614
collapses time. It makes things easier. 615
616
I remember one time going to the symphony. I was with a friend who was best 617
friends with the first violinist. We went to the symphony and of course it was just 618
wonderful but as they were getting ready something happened that really struck 619
me. The symphony was tuning up, so there was this huge cacophony of sound and 620
all of these many different sounds going on. If you've been to a symphony you 621
know what I am talking about. So imagine all these different cacophonies of 622
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sounds and the conductor come out and he's going through the notes and 623
standing there. 624
625
So all of a sudden just very casually the conductor picks up his conductor's wand 626
and very gently on the edge of his music stand he goes (three taps), just a very 627
gentle tap and all of a sudden everybody right in all this cacophony of sound 628
everyone brings down their instrument and listens. Then of course one thing 629
after another and then the concert starts and the symphony is done and it was 630
magnificent. But afterwards, because we went out with the first violinist, over the 631
time we had together I said to her so explain how with all that sound everybody 632
stopped immediately when the conductor did that small tap, tap, tap. She just 633
looked at me and she said oh we are always listening for it. And I went oh! That's 634
a clue. 635
636
That's what we can do. In the cacophony of our lives, all this stuff going on. We've 637
got kids, we've got parents, we've got stuff to do, we've got our jobs to handle, 638
we've got all these things. We can always be listening for that tap, tap, tap; that 639
inner knowing, that stream of inspired insight. And you will find as you begin to 640