Taking the dive

In professional springboard diving there are 5 basic elements of a dive; Starting Position, The Approach, The Take-off, The Flight and The Entry. Let’s analyze each element in relation to the promises of God. The Starting Position is where each and every one of us has basically an equal starting point. God, through man, has made promises in the Bible, the Koran and other religious books. I look at these books as guides to how we should behave. When we obey the rules, laws and accept the promises, we are following literary authoritarianism. The words in these books are powerful; but it is the spirit of these words that inspire and guide us. In the Bible God has promised the following: to supply our needs, to give us grace, to help us to not be overtaken with temptation, to give us victory over death, to allow all things to work for our good when we love Him and others, to be saved from sin and to have eternal life. Wow! What a package of promises and a great starting position.

With all of these promises under our belts we can now begin The Approach. In a diving competition the key element in The Approach is a movement of smooth motion showing good form. If the diver moves to the end of the board and stops, a balk is declared and points are taken away. A balk means to stop because of an obstacle, either perceived or real, and not perform the intended action; the dive. How many times have you begun to follow your dreams and make plans and goals only to stop before you reached the end of the springboard? If the diver does this again on the same dive, the dive is considered failed and no points are awarded. Have you tried achieving your goals and dreams again only to have stopped short of your goal? Have you failed? Remember, failure is being successful at doing something the wrong way. Start again and try a new approach! Never give up.

In The Take-Off, a diver strives for proper balance and control while initiating a safe distance from the board. Why? How many times have you taken off only to find yourself back where you started? You must launch yourself with unwavering faith into the movements you need to perform in order to accomplish your goals. Let go of the springboard. It is what helps launch you, not what holds you back.

During The Flight the diver must be smooth, graceful, move in a straight line from the springboard and not touch the springboard after the launch. There are four acceptable positions in diving; straight, pike, tuck and free (a combination of the first three) and there are stances in accomplishing your goals that parallel these positions. The straight position is the most aerodynamically sound. It is a conventional approach that creates the least wind resistance and friction; allowing the diver to see where they are going. Study the behaviors of your role models and apply their methods of accomplishing their goals. See the direction they took and follow it. Next is the pike position. It is a back-end approach that employs confidence and skill because the diver doesn’t see where they are going; they feel it. Learn to trust in your feelings; they are your indicator as to whether you are on the right path or not. The tuck position creates more wind resistance and allows the diver to hear the movement of the air more intensely. Listen to the wise counsel of those who have achieved similar goals to yours. Finally, the free position allows a combination of the first three and gives the diver a greater challenge in implementing complex maneuvers. Just as our three learning centers (audible, visual and kinesthetic) allow us to learn from each center, we retain more when we learn from all three simultaneously. Combine your movements effectively to accomplish your goals.

The final element in a dive is The Entry. Whether the dive ends head first or feet first the diver must enter the water as close to vertical as possible. Why? You must enter the accomplishment of your goal with the least amount of resistance as possible. The maximum speed occurs just before you hit the water. You must enter the water at the right angle to have the least possible resistance to your entry. The diver must enter the water in good form in order to complete a successful high scoring dive. How many of us did all we needed to do to accomplish our goals only to get burned out, frustrated or angry when we arrived there? Accept your success and feel worthy of it. Be thankful for a successful dive. God has promised you an abundant universe and a prosperous life. Follow His rules and laws and create the life of your dreams!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

The Greener Grass

First, I would like to sincerely thank all of you who have responded to my articles. Whether we agree or not is not of prime import, but the fact that each and every one of you are so concerned about what has been said that you have made the time to circulate you opinion. Thank you for the emails, posts and comments. It’s nice to know that there are thinking people responding. I have prepared an eBook of the first ten articles I’ve written for Examiner.com. If you click on the link you can either read them or download the eBook. I would also like to thank Examiner.com and Nate Ferguson and Reed Hall for the opportunity to write for The Examiner.

"The grass is always greener on the other side, but you still have to mow it!" - Unknown Author.

Sometimes what the other guy has seems more attractive than what you have. This quote seems to go hand in hand with the quote "keeping up with the Joneses." Your grass requires a great deal of attention to be as green and healthy as it can be. But what is the other guy doing that makes his grass greener? Is it the way he plants it? The timing of his planting? The fertilizer he uses? How often he waters the grass? It could be a combination of all of these things but it is more than likely it is how he maintains it.

You could do all of the things mentioned above and still get crabgrass. What is his secret? What can it be that I've missed? No matter how well you plan things out and project possible scenarios, something inevitably comes up that you hadn't anticipated. It doesn't mean that you are stupid or not observant; it simply means that you didn't do everything you needed to do to make the grass greener. The secret is not in establishing an idea, but in maintaining it.

Maintenance of an idea gives you the opportunity to see firsthand how your idea is progressing. If you don't get your hands in the dirt, how will you know how it feels? Green grass requires strong and healthy seeds, fertile soil, good timing in planting, frequent watering and ongoing maintenance. But even with the most beautiful of green grass, it will choke itself without being cut. Mowing the grass allows the grass to be evenly lit and receive equal nourishment from the Sun.

As with the grass, your ideas must be strong and healthy, have a fertile environment in which to grow, must be initiated in a timely fashion, receive the proper nourishment and have to be modified as a result of your ongoing maintenance. Examining your idea as you maintain it in effect is like mowing the grass. It allows the idea to be modified to fit its environment. Even the guy across the street has to mow the lawn to maintain the green. No matter where you plant your idea, you have to do what it takes to maintain it or it will never be any greener than it is now.

Sometimes it appears that the other guy is working a lot less than you are and he is getting better results. If this is the case, you need to employ the M.O.V.E. acronym. Maintain, Observe, Verify and Execute. Maintenance allows us to get our hands in the dirt. There we can observe what is really happening. By testing new ways to cultivate our ideas, we can verify what has caused it to progress (greener) or regress (crabgrass). Finally, when we have gathered sufficient evidence, we can execute a new plan to make our ideas flourish in a better environment.

Ideas come from the well-spring of thought. Treat them as well as you treat your lawn. Just because someone else has the same idea doesn't mean that their method of actualizing that idea is any better than yours. Pay attention to the environment in which your ideas grow and formulate a new plan of attack to implement those ideas. Start your mowers!

How to maintain that great idea...

1. Determine the need for your ideas.
2. Observe what others are doing with their ideas.
3. Verify that your ideas are valid by testing them in different scenarios.
4. Execute different methods of implementing your ideas.
5. Observe the results of these methods.
6. Determine which methods allow your ideas to flourish.
7. Take the necessary steps to market your ideas to those who need to use them.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Dangling on the Precipice

Is that you? Are you dangling on the precipice? Do you say, “I want to make that leap of faith but I just can’t bring myself to take that first step.” Are you standing there looking down at that gaping chasm and fearing death if you jump and don’t make it? Well, welcome to the human race. From our early education as children we are taught the facts of how to live our lives. We learn about being burned, taking too many risks and being too confident. Our brains become programmed with self-preservation so much that we create giant walls around us. But are these walls real? To us they are. These are the walls that we filter our perceptions through in order to maintain a level of safety. Not just physical safety, but emotional safety. Does a sane person purposefully put themselves in harm’s way physically or emotionally? Hardly.

But what about risk takers? People who purposefully push the envelope to stretch human potential. Are they insane or are they reaching for something we cannot see? Are their perception filters less dense than ours? Are they closer to reality than us? Perhaps. But that’s not the point. Each one of us can benefit from others’ experiences by paying attention to their observations and how they handle their experiences. We appear to be islands in the human race but in reality we are all connected. We can share our observations, experiences and methods of handling those experiences. We can teach each other ways of becoming the best we can be.

Throughout history many great teachers have given us methods, sayings and parables to learn about our reality and how to make it work for us and not against us. But do we pay attention? In the picture above we are dangling on the precipice of the Holy Land and looking down at Nazareth. Jesus taught those who listened from this place. His wisdom and insight into our relationship with God laid a groundwork for human potential beyond the time before his birth. In fact, since his teachings we have grown in our awareness as co-creators with God. God has given us the power to be, do and have more of life than was ever experienced before. The only thing that’s required is that we take that leap of faith. Jesus told us that God would be with us always. If that is true, then why are we afraid to leap?

Whatever teacher gives you the wisdom of God and His universe, it is all pointing to the same God. Religions argue with each other about who and what God is because of how He appears to them. Their perception of God is what they think God is and they do not embrace what He truly is. The creator, giver and manifester of all life. He created us, the stage, the props and the dialogue. We have to immerse ourselves in the play of life and act out the desires God has given us. When we come to edge of the cliff we need not fear. God is with us. When we are overwhelmed by people, our jobs and our finances, God is with us. He is transcendent and imminent. When we take the leap of faith and we don’t believe in His promises, we will fall. But fret not. He will catch us. We are His prized creation. We have the ability to carry out His promises and manifest our desires. But we have to take that leap of faith! If we don’t do what desires He has planted in our hearts it’s like telling God that He didn’t know what He was doing when He created us. I for one don’t want to tell the creator of this universe He didn’t know what He was doing when He created me. That’s not my place. My place is to be thankful for His wisdom.

Move forward in your life by basing it on the promises of God. What are those promises? Come back tomorrow and read the warranty!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

The Power of Expectancy

Expectancy is defined as the quality or state of anticipating something based on a belief or desire. Achieving the goals and desires of your heart is a two step process. First you have to believe you can achieve those goals and desires and then you have to expect them. Most people stop when it gets to the second step in the process. Why? Is it because their belief wasn’t strong enough? Is it because they got distracted from their goal? Or is it simply that they didn’t do the spiritual legwork that is required to manifest goals and desires into reality. The saying “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” applies here. You may need or want to get to your destination. You may desire it immensely. But you will never get there until you expect to get there by taking that first step. That first step comes from what is known as faithing. Putting your desires into action. Expecting the manifestation of your goals and desires.

In a previous article I talked about the Chip Away Theory; what I call CAT. It is a process of doing a little bit each day to move toward the completion of your goals and desires. It develops and nurtures a state of expectancy in your being that resonates your spirit with confidence. It takes the trying out of things and creates the manifesting of things. When you methodically take steps toward your goals and desires you generate an energy of expectancy. Remember, everything is energy. Matter is energy that vibrates at a slower rate. The mental energy we expend comes from chemical interactions in our brains. This energy is manifested from matter and vibrates faster than matter. Slower vibratory matter generates faster vibratory energy. How can this be? Faster vibratory energy from the Sun enters all life on our planet and affects the growth and development of all life. When we generate thoughts we are create a feedback into our environment. If we respond negatively to situations we are simply creating more of the same! If we respond positively to situations we are altering our feedback and generating a new mental energy that is broadcast from our being. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It simply changes form.

So what does this have to do with expectancy? If we keep our desires and goals within us and don’t mentally broadcast them into our environment than how can we ever expect to manifest our goals and desires? Someone once said, “let go and let God.” There is power in this statement. God is in control of this vast universe. It is His clock. It ticks with a rhythm that is beyond our sensual comprehension. By broadcasting our desires into this clock we set manifestations of this clock into motion. We receive the results of our desires by letting them go and expecting them to come to us. Unwavering faith is a state where we think, know and feel a positive outcome of our expectancy. It is a declaration to the universe that this is what we need, want, desire and expect to happen. It is actualizing our potential as a co-creator in the universe.

Are you creating joy, abundance and prosperity in your life? Are you satisfied with your day to day existence? Is something missing in your life and you can’t figure out what it is? If you want answers to these questions then do the research. Make the time every day to get to know you. Find out what makes YOU tick. What excites you. What stimulates you. What you truly want out of life. Then create and environmental feedback that declares the manifestation of what you truly desire. Let it go and expect it to come. It will!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Focus on a desired outcome

Dogged determination. What does that mean? In most cases it is an unwavering focus on a desired outcome. It doesn’t mean that you sometimes don’t have any doubts and feel like throwing in the towel; it means that when you do you still “press on” toward your goal. It means that you still hear the negative chatter in your head but you take a stance and reject the perceived outcomes it reveals. Bias begins within each one of us. It is something that we are taught and sometimes accept as true without even knowing why, or worse, caring why. The story of Vivien Thomas comes to mind. I saw an HBO film about him in 2004 and shared it my fiancé last Saturday. Amidst the feelings of anger and a hope for fairness and recognition, we ended up with tears in our eyes by the end of the movie.

Vivien Thomas was a person who was a skilled craftsman. He was recognized as such but was let go at his job. He took on a job at a medical research facility in Nashville, TN tending the dogs that were used in the experiments. He applied his skills as a carpenter to help the doctor with surgeries on the dogs. His hands were steady and his mind was focused. The doctor recognized his skill as a perfectionist. This is where Vivien learned how to feel his way through the body during surgery. He would often close his eyes so he could feel better. Later on, this technique would astound other surgeons.

After Vivien lost his life savings in the bank crash in 1930, he paralleled his own career along with Doctor Blalock’s career. He accompanied Dr. Blalock to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He was classified as a “Lab Technician” but was only paid the same rate as the janitors. His anger brewed as he saw his research and discoveries being recognized as the work of Dr. Blalock. He channeled his anger inward and used it to become more determined to create the tools that would be needed to help in the surgeries of blue babies. At one point, Vivien left Dr. Blalock because he accepted full credit for the discoveries, acknowledging the “white” doctors without giving any credit to Vivien. Vivien then hawked antacids for a while until he realized that it was more important for him to complete the work he started with Dr. Blalock than to succumb to his desire for recognition and equal pay. He made the goal of helping others more important than his goals.

Vivien chose to “press on”, even though the prejudice against him seemed insurmountable. During the first surgery on a blue baby, Dr. Blalock stopped the surgery and sent for Vivien to help guide him through the procedure. Another doctor told Vivien to “attend to his duties” and Dr. Blalock told the other doctor that he was “attending to his duties.” The pompous, arrogant and prejudicial attitude of others didn’t stop Vivien from performing his duties. He assisted and trained Dr. Blalock and other surgeons and he never attended medical school. He had talent, genius and educated himself. All of that wasn’t enough to elevate his social status. Vivien was eventually recognized for his work after Dr. Blalock died. He was given an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins and his likeness now hangs in the entrance hall next to Dr. Blalock’s. His dogged determination is why. I suggest your rent the movie “Something the Lord Made.” It’s very inspirational.

Vivien faced prejudice, rejection and the negative attitudes of those less talented than him and channeled his emotions toward the ultimate goal of saving lives. He was determined to be the best he could be amidst his rise from a carpenter in the old south to a surgeon that pioneered a procedure that saved the lives of many children. That is dogged determination. It is the spirit of God within each one of us that knows the gifts and blessings that God has given us and refuses to let others tell us what we can or cannot do with our lives. Listen to that spirit. It is your guide to the life of your dreams.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Persistence and determination

In the last article I ended with Calvin Coolidge’s conclusion that “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Why? Let’s examine why he made this statement. Inspirational quotes come from an observable recurrent theme in someone’s life. The individual not only pays attention to this recurrent theme, but synthesizes it into a simple to understand statement that seems obvious to the reader. Calvin Coolidge had an interesting life of growth, prosperity and recognition. He had a reputation in politics as a small-government conservative. A proponent of the middle class, he understood the needs of those who work their way up to the top of business and government. He believed in a laissez-faire style of government where the government doesn’t get involved in business or the free market. He was focused on individual initiative and observed his environment with tenacity and fortitude.

After his graduation from college, he opted to apprentice at a law firm and became a lawyer by a process then known as reading law. Just before the turn of the 20th century, Coolidge was admitted to the bar as a country lawyer in Massachusetts. He was exposed to many middle class people and their problems and struggles. Businesses and banks began to hire him due to his reputation as a hard working and diligent attorney. He knew his strengths and weaknesses and preferred to operate outside of the courtroom. He traversed the journey from city councilman, to legislator and was elected Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts. From Lt. Governor to Governor to Vice President, he eventually became our 30th President. What a journey for a quiet and apparently simple man who understood the needs of the middle class! His awareness of the power of the spoken word was evident in his statement, "The words of a President have an enormous weight and ought not to be used indiscriminately." He believed that the chief business of the American people is business. The function of buying and selling, investing and prospering in the world.

His persistence and determination to be the best he could be influenced many of his followers. Coolidge signed a bill granting the Native Americans full U.S. Citizenship. After all, they were here first. It took our leaders many years to recognize that settlers took over their land and they deserved the same rights that all citizens should have. He was the first President to have his inauguration broadcast on radio, address congress on radio and deliver a political speech on radio. He was aware of his function in the world at that time and understood how to interact with it. He was also the first President to appear in a sound film in 1924 and the only President to appear on a coin in his lifetime. He knew how to reach the people because he was an observer, a person who studied people and their ways and a person who worked diligently to get to the top of government. His statement about persistence and determination came from his own personal experience.

Calvin Coolidge made many strides in his life and dedicated his life to public service. When he made the following statement, he made it with authority because he lived it. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Press on with persistence and determination and you will attain your dreams and goals. Calvin Coolidge knew this. Many people since knew this. Embrace the wisdom in his statement and achieve what your spirit drives you to achieve. Remember, it is not talent, genius or education, but dogged determination that gets you to the top!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Faith

I’m sure some of you have seen this email circulating on the internet. My dear friend, blues guitar master Gary Cogdell of St. Georges, DE. forwarded this email to me this morning. The magic of this message prompted me to share it with you…

“This is 'Faith'. This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which had to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him. His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself. She named him 'Faith'. In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. After further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human being. Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him. He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies. His present owner Jude Stringfellow has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that “even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul." In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better you just need to look at life from another direction. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day. Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.”

Sometimes we give up before we get to where we are going. We cannot see that our progress is 99% complete and the physical manifestation of our goal is right around the corner. We are human beings that possess a prefrontal cortex. This gives us the ability to reason about what we have learned from our environment. We don’t just instinctually react, we think about what our next actions are and in what sequence they will occur. We can mentally manipulate time and create imagined scenarios. God has given us the power to co-create our world! Yet, Faith doesn’t have a prefrontal cortex and was not born with the understanding that objects which are not being actively perceived still remain in existence. Technically this is referred to as object permanence. Amidst this inability to have active cognition that recognizes the permanence of objects, Faith learned to walk on two legs. Unlike Faith, we humans sometimes listen too much to those who tell us we cannot do what we dream about or have what we want. Our belief in what others say and do determines the course of our lives. Faith’s owner took baby steps with Faith. She didn’t overwhelm Faith with too much learning too quickly. She started with the skateboard and peanut butter lure and used what Faith desired to motivate the dog to get up on it’s hind legs and walk upright. To make sure Faith would continue to walk she challenged the dog even further by teaching it to walk in the snow. She didn’t give up on Faith; she reinforced a positive by overcoming a negative.

If a dog can walk on two legs, why can’t we achieve our goals when we have the ability to think and reason? Make a date with yourself each day to empty the garbage and stress of the world out of your mind and clear your thoughts through meditation. Use your prefrontal cortex to visualize the end result of your goals through prayer. Feel the joy of accomplishing those goals by giving the best service you can. Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Faith has proven this!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Originality

Lately I’ve been hearing a great deal about originality in the creative arts. What is originality? The dictionary defines originality as the ability to think or express oneself in an independent and individual manner; an expression of a creative ability that is fresh or novel in an idea, method or performance. Throughout the course of history many people from all over the world have had original ideas, new ways of doing things, or new ways of expressing concepts. The source material of ideas have always been there; then someone comes along with a new way of looking at something, a new way of going about something or a new way of explaining the world around us. Societies, religions and governments have all had to modify their rules, mores and laws in order to accommodate newer ways of thought. Most have been notoriously resistant to change, and that is why the human growth process takes many years of development, trial and error and finally acceptance. It has been said that everything has been done before and it will be done again; sometimes with a different twist. Is that what constitutes being original?

Dante Shepherd, on his site “Surviving the World”, explains the varying degrees of originality. His site is enlightening, irreverent and humorous. First he lists about one-eighth of his pie chart on originality as “Completely new original concepts.” These are the ideas that haven’t been utilized before. They come from the realm of the subconscious minds of the deepest of thinkers; Einstein, Hawking and Tesla are good examples. Next are “New variations on concepts already used” that take up about a quarter of the pie. These are the ideas that take work and concepts from the deepest of thinkers and modify how they are implemented into our world; whether through application, instruction or formulation. Following are “New concepts developed by combining concepts already used.” These take up about a quarter of the pie as well and deal with advancements such as those associated with medical science. Next are “Blatant direct rip-offs of concepts already used” (about a quarter of the pie), such as is evidenced by the endless widgets hawked on TV day after day. Now we get to the humorous stuff in the final eighth of the pie; “Completely original concepts lost forever because the hallucinogens have worn off.” Many great ideas have come from altered states of mind; whether drug induced or in deep states of meditation.

When one is deep in meditation the experience is one of connection to the source of all original ideas; whether new, variations, combinations, “ripped off” or simply forgotten due to altered states. Have you ever had an idea and failed to manifest it and then months or weeks later someone else has invented it? All original ideas come from the source of all thought; God! It is up to you to do something about it. Jesus told the parable about the 3 servants, the master and the talents which explains this well. Each servant was given a portion of talents equal to his ability by their master. The master left and eventually returned and called in his servants to see what they had done with their “talents.” The first servant was given 5 talents and presented the master with ten while the second servant was given 2 talents and presented the master with four. The master then gave more responsibilities to the two servants in proportion to their abilities, even though both doubled his investment. When the third servant was called in he produced the single “talent” that was given to him by his master. When asked why he still had just the one talent he told the master that he buried it because he was afraid of losing it. The master scolded him and said he could have at least put the talent in the bank and made interest on it! The master had the talent taken from the third servant, cast him out and gave it to the first servant who had doubled his investment; not the second one who’s ability was second best. Those who have been given talents and put them to work (invest) will be given more and have abundance. Why? Because they know how to take an original idea, whatever degree of originality, and make it into something profitable for all!

As we have witnessed, there are many varying degrees of originality. One former partner of mine taught me that there is originality in arranging other people’s original ideas. He would take other people’s creations and put his own spin on it. Yes, the original ideas weren’t his, but he put them together in his own original way. Just like an arranger can change the instrumentation of someone else’s composition and make it sound like a completely different tune. There is value in creativity, originality and manifestation. It creates a channel of original ideas that can bring about prosperity for each and every one of us. Don’t bury that talent or that original idea. Play with it. Give it life. The life you give to it will give life back to you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

The CAT

In a past article (Needs, Wants, Desires and Expectations; April 16, 2009), I described how an understanding and application of your emotional levels can help you bring about desired results. In my Mastermind Group, I have had several people tell me that they just don’t get the Law of Attraction. They are trying to apply its principles, but they aren’t getting the results they seek. After careful examination of their questions and descriptions of their behavior, I have come to the following conclusions:

It’s not very difficult for most people to understand what their needs are. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to differentiate between their needs and wants. A want is something that you perceive you need to feel happy, but it is not a need. A need is something that you require to sustain your life. That new car you want isn’t very important if you can’t breathe. Desires are wants that align with who you really are. You have an inner sense of excitation when you desire something. Your emotions well up and your focus is like a laser beam. Most people move up and down on this emotional scale but very few make the leap of faith to get to the realm of expectation. Receiving the manifestation of a desire just once gives you the emotional feedback you need to get to the realm of expectation.

The chasm between desire and expectation is vast and few make the jump. Waking up every day and expecting the day to go in your favor in order to manifest your desires takes focus, dedication and faith. Sometimes the tasks of the day seem enormous and most people either just deal with it or run from it. However, if you break down your day into manageable “chunks”, it can appear to be more palatable. I call it the “CAT”. The CAT stands for “Chip Away Theory.” This is a theory I have applied every day of my life and it works for me, as well as many others. Instead of tackling an entire situation, like generating your innermost desires, master it one “chunk” at a time. You can divide each and every day of your life into chunks. Your morning routine is a chunk. Your drive to work is a chunk. Each chunk can be maximized by proclaiming your intention to do your best. If you set an intention to do your best and you don’t, don’t feel guilty or that you cannot do your best and give up. You simply did not use the right approach. Go back to the drawing board and try another approach. When you successfully manifest your intentions, use the joyful emotion that you experience to springboard you into the realm of expectation. Traverse that deep chasm with focus, dedication and faith. It takes courage to expect the best results in your life every day. Stop listening to your friends, family and the media about how life is. Choose to make your life better and develop a plan to get there!

For example, if you spent an hour a day relaxing, visualizing and expecting the results you desire, the universe begins to operate “the big clock” in your favor. If you invest time in self-edification, expectation of positive and uplifting results becomes easy. If you invest your time in nay-saying, complaining about why things are happening the way they are for you now or just asking ”Why me?,” then the universe will respond according to the Law of Attraction with more circumstances to support your lack of faith in the expectation of the fulfillment of your desires. So what if you take the leap of faith and land in a cow patty? You get yourself up, brush of the dust and do and move in a positive direction. Jesus said that those who pray and seek the attention of men already have their reward. The reward for people who pray and worship in silence is directly from God. God sees you as a brilliant and beautiful creation that has the power to create anything in life. Choose to use that power to create beauty by investing in YOU every day. Chip away at the monolithic task of bettering yourself and in almost no time at all, you will begin to see the results of your desires and expect them to continue to come your way each and every day of your life. Live blessed!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.