On this 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001 the word that keeps coming back to me is “arise.”
I’m surprised that this is the word that that hits home. But after watching too may YouTube tributes, and too many commemorative specials on TV, and shedding too many tears for lives lost, familes shattered, and dreams unrealized, it is the word that comes.
I bought the book Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Everyday Life by Wayne Dwyer at least 3 years ago when I went on a buying binge in Barnes & Noble. The book, written in 1992, has sat unread on that same plastic shelf I put it on the day it came home from the store. One of my new year’s resolutions is to read the books I have purchased over the years – those collecting dust since they were bought. Real Magic was in the middle of such a stack, no more or less prominent than any of the other titles. Frankly, I can’t remember WHY I bought it. I’m sure it had something to do with the sub-title of creating miracles in everyday life. I do believe miracles are around us every day if we only take the time to stop and appreciate them.
Among the first pages of the book Dwyer notes an ancient Zen saying: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
I’m ready for this book now.
It is about becoming more in tune with your spiritual self and living a life of service and love and purpose. In my interpretation: tuning into the Holy Spirit and God’s plan for your life. Dwyer has many detractors and tends to use some new age language, but so far in my reading he recognizes prayer as prayer, God as God, and the indwelling power of the soul and spirit. Some who prescribe to strict dogma might be offended by how he writes. I am only on the second chapter, but I am seeing themes here that I’ve read before by mainstream Christian authors, and so far, I have been inspired to dig a little deeper into my own “stuff.” A little self-soul-examination never hurt anyone.
Most of you who’ve spent any time on this blog know that I believe the negative effects of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness include the inability to love well, experience real happiness, joy, or success. Anger and bitterness are poisons that corrode us from the inside, they ruin relationships, and yes — they can kill you. That said I want to share this particular passage from Real Magic (p. 72).
“To move past anger and bitterness, in your mind isolate one person such as you feel has wronged you at some time in your life, someone who has not repaid a long overdue debt. Perhaps an ex-spouse who left or abused you in some way, a parent or a long-lost love who jilted you. Isolate this one person in your thoughts. Now, just for a few moments, instead of feeling hate and bitterness, try to imagine yourself sending them love. Try to grasp the idea they came into your life to help you learn a lesson, and no matter how painful the lesson, they showed up in your life for a purpose. When you are able to send them love instead of hate, you will not only be healing yourself, you will be on your way to becoming a spiritual person.
Think of a wrong done to you as being like a snake bite. When you are bitten by a snake there are two sources of pain. One is the bite itself, which cannot be unbitten. It happened, it hurt and you have the mark to prove it. You then go on from there and learn how to avoid snakes in your life. The second source of the pain is the venom that is now circulating through you. This is the killer. No one has ever died from a snake bite – it is the aftershock of the venom circulating in the body that is fatal. So it is with hatred and forgiveness. The event happened. It cannot unhappen in your physical world. But the killer is the hatred and anger that continue to circulate in your system like venom, long after the bite wound has healed and disappeared. You and only you, have the power to send that killer venom out of you; that it is still present within you is your choice. Remember the sage words of Buddha,’You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.’ Miracle making is impossible to experience when your insides are poisoned by bitterness toward others.”
“Miracle making” in Dwyer’s interpretation is related to self empowerment and self realization. For me, it is really our own ability to tune into our God-given strengths and the power of the Holy Spirit to align and achieve God’s purpose for our lives. And I know he is correct. You CANNOT find peace and your purpose when you are poisoned by anger and bitterness.
I’m not asking you to buy into Dwyer’s philosophy – or by his book- but I encourage you to take this challenge. Imagine one person for whom you harbor anger, bitterness, resentment. Hate.
Let it go.
Hold a positive thought about that person. Imagine embracing them. .. Let the poison of anger and bitterness leave your body and mind.