Life's Most Powerful Things
by O.C. Smith & James Shaw
 Thought-power is creative power. It is the power that
sparks action. Action, then, becomes directed behavior that produces an
identifiable result. Good results come from good thoughts. Good
thoughts are like a good foundation that is unshakable and permanent.
Things do not appear without a thought having first given "life" to
them. Through your thoughts, you are creating all the
timeeven when you sleep. The "meals" of your experience are cooked in
the kitchen of your mind. Change your "thought recipes" and watch your
experiences change.
TAPPING INTO THE POWER
Knowing all of this is good. Most people who adhere to
traditional religious beliefs not only do not know this, but they also
would not believe it. So much in chains are we to either religious,
philosophical, or even political dogmas, that we are seldom in tune
with the Infinite. God's power is inherent in pure consciousness. To
know this is fine, but to make use of it is far better.
How do you use this awesome and magnificent power, the very power
that created the Universe and all the life that inhabits it? How can
you tap into the creativity that flows, like a mighty river, through
the consciousness of all life? Dr. Deepak Chopra suggests that a very
good way is by exercising your mind through the daily practice of calm
and expectant silence. This process, known as meditation, can be easily
accomplished if you think of it as listening rather than doing.
And this state of listening is best done by sitting quietly alone and
relaxing by taking a few deep breaths. Rather than willing anything,
simply be; that is, do not judge anything, try to solve
problems, or go to sleep. Simply sit in a calm state of listening and
expectation.
You might achieve better quiet concentration if you close your eyes.
Another good way to access the God-power that flows through all
life is to spend time at the beach or in nature. Notice the quiet,
towering hulk of a tree in the forest and every leaf on it receiving
its full nourishment from it. While at the beach, hear the roar of the
ocean, the lap of the waves, and gaze upon the sparkling sun-kissed
sand. Be delighted in the harmony (cooperation and collaboration) of
nature: how seagulls wait patiently for their food opportunities; how
lovely, exotic "indoor" plants grow within the shade of powerful trees;
how tiny beach birds use the ebb and flow of the tide as their "clock"
for timing the finding of food. You will see that everything in nature
occurs in perfect, Divine, right order there are no accidents, only
incidents. You will also see the infinite creativity, freedom, and
peace in nature.
The sun "explodes" into earth's face in total silence. The sun
contains infinitely more nuclear force and deadly gases than any
quantity of "mass-destruction devices" human beings could ever bring
into existence. Yet, the sun spreads its light and heat upon us without
noisy and deafening announcement or fanfare and "parting shots." The
sun simply is and it shines always as it is.
You are God's light to the world; shine forth like the sun.
AWAKE AND MEDITATE
That is how we are to be just as we truly are: without storm and
stress. But that takes practice. So make a commitment to yourself to
regularly practice sitting alone, say, when you first wake up in the
morning, and simply be quiet with your eyes closed. In a state of
complete relaxation, be at one with the Creator inside you. Hear only
your breath and your heartbeat, not the last world-news report, family
debate, or message left on your voice-mail.
Again, it is your quiet and expectant listening behavior that
is the essence of your "silent treatment". With regular
practice morning, noon, and night you will quickly achieve and assume
power and solutions for every need. What you will experience are the
effects of a spiritual mind treatment.
In order to obtain benefits from this miracle of silence, one has to
make the same kind of commitment made when one decides to get up at the
same time each morning and jog, swim, walk, or go to the gym for
aerobics classes, weight-training, treadmill work, or whatever. The
constant regularity of the physical and (in the case of meditation)
spiritual commitment guarantees returns (benefits).
Develop a silence of mind and the "noise" of your life will vanish.
SUCCESS: A CHANGE Of HABITS
You may have to give up, cut back, or otherwise alter your
current activities to make time for regular meditation. For example, if
you are in the habit of reading the newspaper when you first get up in
the morning, you may wish to discontinue doing that. Remember, your perspective
on life is altered when you engage in regular meditation. Early-morning
reading of newspapers tends to shape your perspective in the direction
of the news. You may find your day unfolding in accordance with, and
being "locked" in to, this perspective.
A more accurate term for newspaper might be "blues paper," since
the information known as news is so very often bleak, depressing, and
emotionally upsetting. Meditation, on the other hand, when done first
thing in the morning, can attune you to the pure consciousness of the
Infinite. Far better to thus allow the Infinite to "map out" your day
than to "fall into" the puddles of printer's ink forming the graffiti
we call newspaper headlines and front-page stories. Be willing to
change whatever you need to change habits and customs to spend time in
silent meditation, free of the interruptions caused by radio,
television, bill-paying, and other "routine stuff." You will be happy
with the results, for they are real.
Do not resist change; insist on it. Then watch
your problems give way before the new opportunities that will present
themselves to you.
THE ABUNDANT GOOD LIFE ... YOURS FOR THE TAKING
Every good in life you could ever imagine or will ever
want in all its variety and unlimited abundance has already been
ordained and created for you by the Infinite. Our eternal good already and always exists. All the Infinite requires is that we have faith and the vision to see our never-ending good. Regular and consistent meditation is the fastest and most efficient means for developing this vision.
Meditation is not willing your good to come to you. Rather, it is developing the quiet, reliant confidence of knowing
that it is already there. Your attitude, desire, and goal are to be
at-one with the Infinite and gratefully acknowledge that. Through
meditation, the Infinite embraces you with the "Creator-consciousness."
Without this, it is impossible to go deep within yourself to the faith,
feeling, and fulfillment level where the Source communicates with the
soul, resulting in your meeting both the supplier and supply of all
your good.
In addition to practicing silence in the morning, take opportunities throughout the day to periodically practice being silent.
At first, it may be difficult; you may continue to hear the "radio"
between your ears rattling on about the staff meeting at work, the need
to run some errands at lunch, the importance of returning a V.I.P.'s
telephone call. But keep at it. In a very short time (a couple of days,
perhaps) you will soon be very comfortable with the new and developing
silence invading your mind.
You can produce your life exactly as you want it to be.
MINDING YOUR MIND
You see, the mind understands that you have made the decision not to speak or even think
thoughts that you would have spoken if you had not instead made the
decision that "this is silence time." You are coming into your True
Self, your pure spirit, and seeking to confront and address and access
the Creator's power. Your intention to do this is recognized by
the mind. It will cease its relentless thoughts about "urgent matters"
and let you be in peace. The peace and silence you experience is the
vacant and uncrowded region of pure power.
How long should you meditate? You should practice until you can
comfortably meditate for at least 30 minutes morning and evening before
stopping. The region of silent and pure power will confer a special
awareness upon you. You will find your intuition, or "hunches" and
premonitions, becoming sharper and more frequent and insistent. You
will also become aware of the activity of cause and effect in your
life; and as you see seemingly random events or people come into your
experience and behave in an intelligible manner, you will realize that
the Infinite constantly makes order out of chaos.
There are no accidents, only incidents. And "coincidences" are merely two events that were meant to occur at the same time.
IN PERFECT, DIVINE, RIGHT ORDER
Every event and every person crossing your experiential
plane is part and product of the Infinite's power of correlating and
organizing. As you realize what is occurring (that miracle phone-call
"out of the blue," that long-due money owed you, that long-awaited
contract, that indication that your special relationship with another
is a "winner"), you will see that the parts, though "randomly" acting,
are related to each other and related to the whole picture of your
unfolding good. In this region of pure power everything is connected
to everything else.
When discussing how meditation produces the clear inner vision so
necessary to making life all that it is supposed to be, someone once
said, "By going inside [through meditation] you gain insight." That is
exactly what occurs.
Meditation grants you the inner vision that
illuminates the answers to whatever ills may be in your life and
provides you with the corrections for the conditions you want changed.
This article was excerpted from:
 Little Green Apples: God Really Did Make Them!
by O.C. Smith & James Shaw.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Devorss & Company, Publishers. www.devorss.com
Info/Order this book.
About the Authors
Ocie Lee Smith, Jr. was born in Mansfield, Louisiana. During his teen years he truly loved singing at
parties and performing at school social events. He attended Southern University in
Baton Rouge, majoring in psychology. O. C. would tell you with a smile,
"This was not a bad preparation for life in show business." Following
college, he joined the Air Force and Special Services as an entertainer
on military bases all over the world. Once his 'hitch' was over, he
headed for New York and a full-time career as a singer.
James Shaw has been a speechwriter for Chicago Cubs legend and
Baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and is a frequent media commentator
who lectures throughout the United States on public school law and
socially urgent issues regarding children and families. He earned his doctorate from the Claremont Graduate
University and received Phi Delta Kappa's Best Dissertation of the Year
award for 1997. In 2000, the California State Legislature honored him
with its Certificate of Recognition for his writings on children and
families.
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