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Nebadonia112805MarinTM_Stillness&Re-evaluation
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[[Image:lighterstill.jpg]] [[File:Teaching_buddha_small.jpg|right|frame]]
 
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Nebadonia—November 28, 2005
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Marin TM Group—Mill Valley, California—U.S.A.
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NEBADONIA—T/R-JL
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  1.
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      (Mercy Is Fully Accepting Others)
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  2.
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      (The Limits of Economic Determinism)
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  3.
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      (Stillness and Re-evaluation)
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  4.
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      (Be the Person You Would Love to Meet)
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  5.
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      (The Perception of Spiritual Connection)
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  6.
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      (Beaming Love into Folks)
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  7.
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      (Heart and Mind: Feelings and Ideas)
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  8.
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      (Really Listening and Seeing)
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  9.
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      (Patience and Perception)
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  10.
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      (Using Stillness to Ground Anxiety)
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  11.
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      (You Need to Ask for Help)
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==Heading==
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===Topic: ''Stillness & Re-Evaluation''===
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===Group: [[Marin TeaM]]===
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==Facilitators==
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===Teacher: [[Nebadonia]]===
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===TR: [[JL]]===
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==Session==
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===Opening===
 
Dear Mother Spirit and Michael: On this our first really blustery winter evening this year, we certainly do welcome the special warmth You bring inside us with Your presence. In fact, if we could have one wish fulfilled, if would be for everyone who will come to read Your words to feel Your presence like we do. But then in a way, they can—those who open their heart and open their mind to embrace deeply the meaning in Your words--they would certainly feel the love You put into them. Amen.
 
Dear Mother Spirit and Michael: On this our first really blustery winter evening this year, we certainly do welcome the special warmth You bring inside us with Your presence. In fact, if we could have one wish fulfilled, if would be for everyone who will come to read Your words to feel Your presence like we do. But then in a way, they can—those who open their heart and open their mind to embrace deeply the meaning in Your words--they would certainly feel the love You put into them. Amen.
    
NEBADONIA: Good evening, My stalwart sons, this is your Mother, Nebadonia. Yes it is always a special occasion when you brave the weather to get together like this—you especially C, coming so far as you do. (Ed: Charlie Hicks has been driving about eighty miles each way, weekly, for over three years to attend these sessions) Your loyalty is greatly appreciated. It gives an extra measure of warmth all around. In this you are touching on something truly ancient with your species—this delight to get together on a cold evening and gather around a fire and just enjoy each others’ company in being warm.
 
NEBADONIA: Good evening, My stalwart sons, this is your Mother, Nebadonia. Yes it is always a special occasion when you brave the weather to get together like this—you especially C, coming so far as you do. (Ed: Charlie Hicks has been driving about eighty miles each way, weekly, for over three years to attend these sessions) Your loyalty is greatly appreciated. It gives an extra measure of warmth all around. In this you are touching on something truly ancient with your species—this delight to get together on a cold evening and gather around a fire and just enjoy each others’ company in being warm.
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(Mercy is fully accepting others)
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* '''''Mercy''''' is fully accepting others)
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===Lesson===
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So too our hearts go out to those who are not so fortunate this evening, either without food or shelter, enough clothing or warmth. This is a great part of being merciful, to open your heart to those who are less fortunate, to not turn away but to welcome them into your personal realm, to be aware of them and to do what you can for them. It all starts with that gift Michael mentioned last week, that true mercy is this dedication to realizing, by accepting fully within yourself, these other folks around you. Just as I mentioned last time, this is accomplished by being aware of all the really subtle kinds of judgement you may feel you need to exercise in order to keep other people honest. For this has some small validity—the kind of feedback you can give one another. But My children, you have to be so careful and wait for the invitation for your advise. It cannot be your duty to go around correcting the world. Insofar as using any kind of correction such as this, that you feel you need to offer another, you must have a very sensitive spiritual evaluation of the total balance of what is happening. Is this correction you are proposing in your mind to help your fellow, is the net effect going to be positive or negative? First do your best to accept another totally without this correction, without judging whether or not they are fully in accord with your ideas of reality. Just open your heart and really listen—just take them in. Let them share themselves with you. Only then in the course of your discussions, if they invite some advice, or ask for your opinion, can you do so in a positive way that will actually help them.
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So too our hearts go out to those who are not so fortunate this evening, either without food or shelter, enough clothing or warmth. This is a great part of being merciful, to open your heart to those who are less fortunate, to not turn away but to welcome them into your personal realm, to be aware of them and to do what you can for them. It all starts with that gift Michael mentioned last week, that true mercy is this dedication to realizing, by accepting fully within yourself, these other folks around you. Just as I mentioned last time, this is accomplished by being aware of all the really subtle kinds of judgement you may feel you need to exercise in order to keep other people honest. For this has some small validity—the kind of feedback you can give one another. But My children, you have to be so careful and wait for the invitation for your advise. It cannot be your duty to go around correcting the world. Insofar as using any kind of correction such as this, that you feel you need to offer another, you must have a very sensitive spiritual evaluation of the total balance of what is happening. Is this correction you are proposing in your mind to help your fellow, is the net effect going to be positive or negative? First do your best to accept another totally without this correction, without judging whether or not they are fully in accord with your ideas of reality. Just open your heart and really listen—just take them in. Let them share themselves with you. Only then in the course of your discussions, if they invite some advise, or ask for your opinion, can you do so in a positive way that will actually help them.
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This is especially so for your brothers and sisters who are less fortunate in their immediate situation. Again there is a balance between long term and short term help that you do have to evaluate, such as if a homeless person on the street seems to being using what income comes their way for unhealthy habits. It might be wiser to offer this person to buy them some food, or help them get some shelter--if you are fearful your contribution would just go for more unhealthy drugs. But this is a longer view, and you should not let it interfere with what immediate spiritual help you can give them. As We asked of you once before, if you cannot directly help these individuals, contribute your time and effort to researching/investigating those organizations that do good work, who can put your gift directly into helping and not fritter away these precious resources for their own self-aggrandizement or enrichment. Seek out and help those organizations that apply their funds as directly as possible where they are so desperately needed.
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This is especially so for your brothers and sisters who are less fortunate in their immediate situation. Again there is a balance between long term and short term help that you do have to evaluate, such as if a homeless person on the street seems to being using what income comes their way for unhealthy habits. It might be wiser to offer this person to buy them some food, or help them get some shelter--if you are fearful your contribution would just go for more unhealthy drugs. But this is a longer view, and you should not let it interfere with what immediate spiritual help you can give them. As We asked of you once before, if you cannot directly help these individuals, contribute your time and effort to researching/investigating those organizations that do good work, who can put your gift directly into
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* '''''Determinism''''' (The limits of economic determinism)
helping and not fritter away these precious resources for their own self-aggrandizement or enrichment. Seek out and help those organizations that apply their funds as directly as possible where they are so desperately needed.
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(The limits of economic determinism)
      
It is very tragic in an ironic way, in that the human race as a whole has been so productive these last few millennia that you are all involved in this enormous drama called civilization, building vast cities, great walls that can be seen from outer space, huge pyramids, and still, several thousand years later, there are still people dying for want of food and shelter. So while it is true that so long as you live a physical life in a material world, the economic aspect of your life is always important, it is not the sole, or even the most important determination of how you live you life. I offer this viewpoint to help you realize in yet one more way how spirit is such a part of your human reality—the value you put upon your various endeavors and adventures, projects and accomplishments.
 
It is very tragic in an ironic way, in that the human race as a whole has been so productive these last few millennia that you are all involved in this enormous drama called civilization, building vast cities, great walls that can be seen from outer space, huge pyramids, and still, several thousand years later, there are still people dying for want of food and shelter. So while it is true that so long as you live a physical life in a material world, the economic aspect of your life is always important, it is not the sole, or even the most important determination of how you live you life. I offer this viewpoint to help you realize in yet one more way how spirit is such a part of your human reality—the value you put upon your various endeavors and adventures, projects and accomplishments.
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Then look at the enormous complexity of your more modern technologically advanced societies. Look at your homes, your transportation, the variety of foodstuffs you enjoy from all over the world now on a daily basis irrespective of season. All this too is indeed a far cry from basic food and shelter and clothing. So much of this can be seen as being in the realm of spirit, that to which you give value, and in turn derive meaning to your life.
 
Then look at the enormous complexity of your more modern technologically advanced societies. Look at your homes, your transportation, the variety of foodstuffs you enjoy from all over the world now on a daily basis irrespective of season. All this too is indeed a far cry from basic food and shelter and clothing. So much of this can be seen as being in the realm of spirit, that to which you give value, and in turn derive meaning to your life.
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(Stillness and re-evaluation)
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* '''''Stillness''''' and re-evaluation)
    
These are the dimensions of your human lives We ask you to consider, for these are the things you must consciously and continuously evaluate if you are to grow spiritually. How much of anything is enough? What does it mean to have enough? What does it mean to have more than enough? This is where your stillness helps you regain a pure spiritual home base so you can have that great, precious strength of starting over again in rediscovering your beginner’s mind; so you can look around your own personally controlled reality and ask yourself, is this enough? Is it too much? With respect to any particular object, ask yourself what was your original intention here? Have you fulfilled it? If perhaps you have over-fulfilled this one time desire, are you somehow going backwards? Are you somehow losing ground? Is your life somehow more complicated than necessary, not only in a material or monetary way, but in terms of mental energy and living spirit? What are each of these facets of your life costing you ? This is especially true with your use of time. Most of you who have started a regular practice of stillness know how taking out even twenty minutes twice a day really sharpens your sense and your evaluation of how you are spending your time—just in freeing up these twenty to forty minutes a day to return to a home base deep within yourself, with only Us and our Father for company. But this is how you renew yourself. This is how you break out of the cocoon of habits and brush off the cobwebs of living purely by reaction. This is how you renew and reevaluate all those things which are dragging you down and making you feel old long before your time. For the overburdened soul there is nothing so precious as rest, nothing so needful as relaxation, and yet for some poor, self-harried and driven souls, nothing so harder to find. So if you would give of yourselves, My children, this is how you do it. This is how you refresh yourselves and open yourselves to that next person you meet. This is how you stay interested and active and on the ball—this reevaluation, this employing and using spirit, seeing spirit, realizing what it is in your life. This is what keeps you curious, and gets you to wondering. This is that inner light that, through the miracle of projection, illuminates your whole outer world, especially those folks out there.
 
These are the dimensions of your human lives We ask you to consider, for these are the things you must consciously and continuously evaluate if you are to grow spiritually. How much of anything is enough? What does it mean to have enough? What does it mean to have more than enough? This is where your stillness helps you regain a pure spiritual home base so you can have that great, precious strength of starting over again in rediscovering your beginner’s mind; so you can look around your own personally controlled reality and ask yourself, is this enough? Is it too much? With respect to any particular object, ask yourself what was your original intention here? Have you fulfilled it? If perhaps you have over-fulfilled this one time desire, are you somehow going backwards? Are you somehow losing ground? Is your life somehow more complicated than necessary, not only in a material or monetary way, but in terms of mental energy and living spirit? What are each of these facets of your life costing you ? This is especially true with your use of time. Most of you who have started a regular practice of stillness know how taking out even twenty minutes twice a day really sharpens your sense and your evaluation of how you are spending your time—just in freeing up these twenty to forty minutes a day to return to a home base deep within yourself, with only Us and our Father for company. But this is how you renew yourself. This is how you break out of the cocoon of habits and brush off the cobwebs of living purely by reaction. This is how you renew and reevaluate all those things which are dragging you down and making you feel old long before your time. For the overburdened soul there is nothing so precious as rest, nothing so needful as relaxation, and yet for some poor, self-harried and driven souls, nothing so harder to find. So if you would give of yourselves, My children, this is how you do it. This is how you refresh yourselves and open yourselves to that next person you meet. This is how you stay interested and active and on the ball—this reevaluation, this employing and using spirit, seeing spirit, realizing what it is in your life. This is what keeps you curious, and gets you to wondering. This is that inner light that, through the miracle of projection, illuminates your whole outer world, especially those folks out there.
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If you have any questions or comments this evening, let’s consider them just another two-step—you and I.
 
If you have any questions or comments this evening, let’s consider them just another two-step—you and I.
 
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===Dialogue===
 
Student: Thank You, Mother, it’s always a delight to be with You and Father Michael, no matter how far away I am from here. I would also thank You for all the support and guidance and love You’ve given me over the last seven weeks—I believe it is. It has made a difference in several peoples’ lives, including mine. There are also Others around that I don’t know about, but I thank Them too.
 
Student: Thank You, Mother, it’s always a delight to be with You and Father Michael, no matter how far away I am from here. I would also thank You for all the support and guidance and love You’ve given me over the last seven weeks—I believe it is. It has made a difference in several peoples’ lives, including mine. There are also Others around that I don’t know about, but I thank Them too.
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(Beaming love into folks)
 
(Beaming love into folks)
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Your curiosity is leading you right to the crux of the situation where you do wonder, when you beam love at someone and it seems to have no effect, is anything happening? And so, I am reassuring you tonight that something is
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Your curiosity is leading you right to the crux of the situation where you do wonder, when you beam love at someone and it seems to have no effect, is anything happening? And so, I am reassuring you tonight that something is indeed happening, and it exists extra-materially. It is primarily a function of spirit, that aspect of your uniting personality that expresses the degree to which your heart and your mind are, say, overlapping--in agreement, not in contention. This force of spirit is primarily from your personality and your soul, your personality’s experience, and it goes directly to their soul. We’ve referred to this before as planting seeds, sowing possibilities, encouraging freedom, and then patiently awaiting a fruitful harvest. It is very much a matter of faith. And faith is also a bit like a physical muscle. You have to exercise it for it to grow. Does this answer you question My son?
indeed happening, and it exists extra-materially. It is primarily a function of spirit, that aspect of your uniting personality that expresses the degree to which your heart and your mind are, say, overlapping--in agreement, not in contention. This force of spirit is primarily from your personality and your soul, your personality’s experience, and it goes directly to their soul. We’ve referred to this before as planting seeds, sowing possibilities, encouraging freedom, and then patiently awaiting a fruitful harvest. It is very much a matter of faith. And faith is also a bit like a physical muscle. You have to exercise it for it to grow. Does this answer you question My son?
      
Student: Yes, it does. Also it raises more, but I will save those for another day.
 
Student: Yes, it does. Also it raises more, but I will save those for another day.
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Student: Nebadonia, I’d ask for some help to coordinate better listening and visual skills. I know Jesus could really focus on an individual in front of Him, and I’m finding if I could improve my balance between hearing and sight, it would be a help. Thanks in advance.
 
Student: Nebadonia, I’d ask for some help to coordinate better listening and visual skills. I know Jesus could really focus on an individual in front of Him, and I’m finding if I could improve my balance between hearing and sight, it would be a help. Thanks in advance.
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(Really listening and seeing)
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* '''''Listening''''' (Really listening and seeing)
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NEBADONIA: Yes V, let Me tell you the real knack in listening and taking someone in visually. This is the spiritual strength of self-forgetfulness. Very literally, you have to let go of yourself--relinquish yourself, and be more curious about this other person than about what is going on within you. This again is a spiritual matter of value. You have to value another as much as you value yourself. In a conversation, you take in fully what they’re saying to you by not judging it, or immediately evaluating it. And for so many folks, this is almost impossible. They’re only half-listening or half-seeing while the other half or more of their attention is focused on their own reactions to what is happening. This is why I said earlier this
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NEBADONIA: Yes V, let Me tell you the real knack in listening and taking someone in visually. This is the spiritual strength of self-forgetfulness. Very literally, you have to let go of yourself--relinquish yourself, and be more curious about this other person than about what is going on within you. This again is a spiritual matter of value. You have to value another as much as you value yourself. In a conversation, you take in fully what they’re saying to you by not judging it, or immediately evaluating it. And for so many folks, this is almost impossible. They’re only half-listening or half-seeing while the other half or more of their attention is focused on their own reactions to what is happening. This is why I said earlier this evening how precious it is to take someone in without any of this subtle judgment going on of how you are reacting to them. So you can see why it takes a degree of courage and strength to open yourself this way.
evening how precious it is to take someone in without any of this subtle judgment going on of how you are reacting to them. So you can see why it takes a degree of courage and strength to open yourself this way.
      
But after you do so for awhile, by being genuinely curious, you find you literally can adapt to it. For as you adapt, you begin to trust your own responses, your own spontaneity. All the time they’re talking to you, you do not have to be elaborately working up your response. You come to trust that when they are through speaking, you can just spontaneously reply.
 
But after you do so for awhile, by being genuinely curious, you find you literally can adapt to it. For as you adapt, you begin to trust your own responses, your own spontaneity. All the time they’re talking to you, you do not have to be elaborately working up your response. You come to trust that when they are through speaking, you can just spontaneously reply.
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lives of those around me as they grapple with their own journey and…just letting them--these people around me--take their own steps towards their own growth and expansion. I’m finding out what truly moves them, as they’re finding their own souls, and what they think is real. But I have taken to heart what You’ve said tonight about not giving my advise, or not interfering, but just kind-of watching and being there, and looking at my own inner reactions, and seeing where that source is.
 
lives of those around me as they grapple with their own journey and…just letting them--these people around me--take their own steps towards their own growth and expansion. I’m finding out what truly moves them, as they’re finding their own souls, and what they think is real. But I have taken to heart what You’ve said tonight about not giving my advise, or not interfering, but just kind-of watching and being there, and looking at my own inner reactions, and seeing where that source is.
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(Patience and perception)
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* '''''Patience'''''
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* '''''Perception'''''
    
NEBADONIA: My son, patience is definitely a human virtue. Once, in these meetings, someone thanked Michael and I for Our patience. (laughter) We had to honestly reply that We don’t need it so much. (laughter) Think of the opposite: think of impatience. It can mean you have your own schedule of events, preceding at your own particular pace, and generally things aren’t going quite fast enough for you. So you deliberately put on the brakes of patience inside. This can be transcended by exchanging this need for patience for ever more fulfilling, direct perception, which I am delighted to note that you yourself have just expressed--that you are really enjoying watching others grow, and transform. You are realizing more deeply the creative aspect of just being there with a very subtle and yet profound and strong support. You’re letting them know you are there, yet leaving them as much as possible to their own devices, to make their own discoveries, to have their own lives. You are able to relinquish more and more of yourself through this growing confidence within yourself--that you’re not going to disappear, you needn’t be anxious about your own reactions to what’s happening.
 
NEBADONIA: My son, patience is definitely a human virtue. Once, in these meetings, someone thanked Michael and I for Our patience. (laughter) We had to honestly reply that We don’t need it so much. (laughter) Think of the opposite: think of impatience. It can mean you have your own schedule of events, preceding at your own particular pace, and generally things aren’t going quite fast enough for you. So you deliberately put on the brakes of patience inside. This can be transcended by exchanging this need for patience for ever more fulfilling, direct perception, which I am delighted to note that you yourself have just expressed--that you are really enjoying watching others grow, and transform. You are realizing more deeply the creative aspect of just being there with a very subtle and yet profound and strong support. You’re letting them know you are there, yet leaving them as much as possible to their own devices, to make their own discoveries, to have their own lives. You are able to relinquish more and more of yourself through this growing confidence within yourself--that you’re not going to disappear, you needn’t be anxious about your own reactions to what’s happening.
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Student: What I’ve noticed is that if I come from that place of impatience, of wanting to get things moving because someone else in my circle is anxious, and wants to get things moving; I find, sometimes, it doesn’t go very far. In a sense, you can even take a step backwards because you are coming from a place of anxiety, and ego, and fear. Yet the moment I let that go and forget myself, it becomes even clearer of what is not to be done…but just keep on…keeping on. And it’s keeping this faith, and soothing the souls of those around me, and saying things are going to work out. But that’s the hardest part sometimes, just staying that course. But it is interesting, watching how people go after what they think they want, and seeing them grapple and grasp. The more they lessen that motivation and come home to themselves, they’re no longer coming from that place of anxiety or neediness, but from their own place of power and inner strength, and clarity.
 
Student: What I’ve noticed is that if I come from that place of impatience, of wanting to get things moving because someone else in my circle is anxious, and wants to get things moving; I find, sometimes, it doesn’t go very far. In a sense, you can even take a step backwards because you are coming from a place of anxiety, and ego, and fear. Yet the moment I let that go and forget myself, it becomes even clearer of what is not to be done…but just keep on…keeping on. And it’s keeping this faith, and soothing the souls of those around me, and saying things are going to work out. But that’s the hardest part sometimes, just staying that course. But it is interesting, watching how people go after what they think they want, and seeing them grapple and grasp. The more they lessen that motivation and come home to themselves, they’re no longer coming from that place of anxiety or neediness, but from their own place of power and inner strength, and clarity.
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(Using stillness to ground anxiety)
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* '''''Stillness''''' to ground anxiety)
    
NEBADONIA: That’s the spiritual dynamic, My son. Some of these things you mention of anxiety, ego fears, nervousness; so much of this is best handled very directly--inside. This is one of the glorious functions of your stillness meditation, that you can ground a lot of these anxieties, rather than feeling you need to run out and buy something, or express this outwardly to others. This is your gift to your fellows, if you can ground this anxiety or nervousness within yourself and not put it out into the community spirit.
 
NEBADONIA: That’s the spiritual dynamic, My son. Some of these things you mention of anxiety, ego fears, nervousness; so much of this is best handled very directly--inside. This is one of the glorious functions of your stillness meditation, that you can ground a lot of these anxieties, rather than feeling you need to run out and buy something, or express this outwardly to others. This is your gift to your fellows, if you can ground this anxiety or nervousness within yourself and not put it out into the community spirit.
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Let’s take a few more minutes just to open our hearts to each other, and feel each others’ presence here. (Another long and intensely full pause) If you have a feeling like a light, cool, expansive breeze is blowing through your soul, that’s just Me!
 
Let’s take a few more minutes just to open our hearts to each other, and feel each others’ presence here. (Another long and intensely full pause) If you have a feeling like a light, cool, expansive breeze is blowing through your soul, that’s just Me!
 
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===Closing===
 
(Still later…) Now to quote one of your poets: (Robert Frost, I believe) You have miles to go before you sleep.
 
(Still later…) Now to quote one of your poets: (Robert Frost, I believe) You have miles to go before you sleep.
    
I hear the rain falling outside. So we come back to this small earthly room, and each other. I bid you all a good evening. (Good evening, Mother! Thank you Nebadonia!) Go on to your homes in My Love.
 
I hear the rain falling outside. So we come back to this small earthly room, and each other. I bid you all a good evening. (Good evening, Mother! Thank you Nebadonia!) Go on to your homes in My Love.
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END
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[[Category: The Teaching Mission: Dialogues]]
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[[Category: Marin TeaM]]
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[[Category: Nebadonia]]
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[[Category: JL]]
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[[Category: Mercy]]
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[[Category: Determinism]]
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[[Category: Stillness]]
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[[Category: Listening]]
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[[Category: Patience]]
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[[Category: Perception]]
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[[Category: 2005]]

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