CT Step 60 - Today I will listen to the world. – Journal – CT Step 59

Today:  CT Step 60 - Today I will listen to the world. (MP3)

Today I will listen to the world. CT Step 60

Today’s practice in listening is listening to what the world is telling you. Go someplace where you can be in contact with the world, where your feet can be on the ground, where you can be connected with nature, and ask, "What is the world telling me?" Just become relaxed and still and listen. Perhaps you may not hear anything except the conversation in your own mind. Perhaps you may only hear sounds around you. That is fine. The point here is you are listening. You are asking the question and you are listening.

Many people ask questions, but they never listen for the answer. They just give themselves an answer or they choose an answer from someone else that they like. "Oh, I like that answer. I'll go with that." But they never listen. They have no patience. They have no discernment. They cannot stand the stillness. They are afraid of it, of what it might reveal. Let this not be the case for you.

Let listening be a constant exercise. Remind yourself upon the hour and during your meditation practice, practice listening within yourself. But take occasion today to listen to the world, and ask yourself, "What is the world telling me?"

Practice 60:   One 30-minute stillness practice.

                 Contemplation practice.

                 Hourly practice.

Picture:  The Wall – a stillness and listening place in the Shenandoah National Park I have used for decades.

Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps CT Recordings - Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training - Working file

From the journal:  CT Step 59 - Today I will be attentive to others.

October 23, 2001

6:55 a.m. At some point this life will end. Have I made my contribution? It doesn't seem so. Time is passing – there is confusion. I'm not hearing the Knowledge I need and responding. I'll be still and attentive and perhaps will be able to hear and act.

7:43 a.m. I can listen. I will listen.

8 a.m. Body → Mind  → Spirit> Culture, Conflict, war – Victor Davis Hanson's work inspires me more? Its perspective is useful. Theocracy doesn't motivate long term.

In terms of what I need to Know, I'm only starting. Life with Cindy, Sarah, David, Mom & Dad, and the rest of the family is stable. Those prayers are answered. I just need to keep to my practice.

> Menus and trends –

– transportation

                         > means of supporting relationships

– communication

– spirituality

– the world/universe – all at once

Food, clothing, shelter – just the minimum

Relationships, work, health, spirituality

                              Inside out at first 

then – outside – perspective

– war – crude communication

7:22 p.m. Contemplation – Step 59 – "Today I will be attentive to others". Probably did this better than yesterday's Step of being attentive to my own self talk. The day went more smoothly. Work got done. I had to take my PC in again. At least I don't have to fight that tonight. The PC unreliability has taken 6 – 10 hours in the past week

→ it turns out to have been had electricity from the circuit 11/11/01

In my day’s listening there was Knowledge in a few places.

> Technology can overcome distance, that which physically separates.  Joe –

Learning to listen. Simple, not easy. We continue.

NNC

Note: If you’ve some interest, but this is the first time you’ve seen Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. Begin at the beginning.

If you do know about Steps, but have not done Steps twice completely, read the related materials, and have a sense of the direction of this study, you won’t get the experience. The Introduction begins:

“This is the Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training. It is designed to build upon the Steps that were learned in Steps to Knowledge to enable you to experience the grace, the power and the direction of Knowledge in your life and to become an expression of Knowledge in everything that you do. If you have completed the book, Steps to Knowledge, twice through and have followed the instructions as they were given without altering the curriculum in any way, then you are now ready to begin this more advanced study”.

If you are an independent student, that is certainly an option. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message.

CT Step 59 - Today I will be attentive to others. – Journal – CT Step 58

Today:  CT Step 59 - Today I will be attentive to others. (MP3)

Today I will be attentive to others. CT Step 59

Today practice listening to what others tell you. Listen for Knowledge. If Knowledge cannot be detected, simply remain silent, but be discrete. People talk a great deal, but their primary message is often lost. They mean one thing but say another. This is your opportunity to hear. Even if someone is being difficult or critical or antagonistic, listen. Listen for Knowledge. Don't try to put a happy face on the situation. Don't try to give their communication some kind of spiritual message. Just listen. To do this, your mind must be quiet, and this is part of the reason you practice stillness, so that you can listen when you need to. And you do need to.

In your practice in stillness, continue this listening exercise and upon the hour listen carefully. Use your whole body to listen when you are doing this practice. For it is not just the ears that are hearing. It is your whole being. Today listen to what others tell you. Do not pass judgment. Do not critically evaluate what they are saying. Just listen for Knowledge. Either Knowledge is there or it is not, and if it is there, what is it really communicating? If you listen, you might hear.

Practice 59:   One 30-minute stillness practice.

                         Contemplation practice.

                         Hourly practice.

Picture:  The Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. It takes a ferry ride to get there.

Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps CT Recordings - Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training - Working file

From the journal:  CT Step 58 - Today I will be attentive to what I tell myself.

8 a.m. Monday, October 22, 2001

Today I'm being attentive to what I tell myself. Self-talk not new, but certainly a different perspective. The whole notion of attentiveness and being remote…guarded against forces is a challenge to my view of life – ministry to anyone and everyone. S2K is a Mystery School.

I have great, great personal freedom thanks to those who have gone before. I live in a wealthy country and lead a rich life thanks to public investment and freedom.

TV – everything that comes through is edited. It is intentional – a commercial, a story – news – there’s an intent for the messages.

6:10 p.m. Contemplation of the Step – "Today I will be attentive to what I tell myself". I told myself it was OK to eat donuts, chocolate, tea, coffee to suppress my boredom and anger @ the office. Cleaning out files and throwing away old ideas is hard. The world has changed…and the new is uncomfortable. It is even more remote from reality than the past. How things got to be is unknown. It may be that we should focus on the future, but knowing how we got there would be nice. The world is getting better because there are more minds focused on the problems – as Julian Simon projected. So…why do I have such a problem?

Today I told myself I should be involved in DSB, MIF, Water Authority, Living Towns, CAIT, River Use, Economic Strategies, CPI email, local government CAO network, database design, GIS, regional community mapping, ITS, transportation planning, PC maintenance, walking, Rotary nominations, etc.

These are not mixed messages, these are overwhelming messages. Plans go forward for the November 2 re-launch of the RC – RC [Regional Commission] by the way having less meaning to the public than PDC [Planning District Commission].

The world is changing…do more. I can't – I'm behind as it is. The simple people seem to be the smarter ones, more so than I.

These are all "self deceptions" – probably so. Then there's the responsibility for Sarah, David, my own failure/fall from director.

– I suppose now I am repairing damage – it is costly, though I didn't see the unburdening coming.

Today's happening, the room "re-launch planning" affected me significantly – depressed me – they are dancing on my grave. The fact that I can use some of the resources for my transition didn't feel that strong. So…highly affected.

I suppose this analysis is good, because I wouldn't have done so otherwise – just continued to stew. I can/do tell myself this is the unburdening and see productive use of the irritation.

Was I present or not? For some of the day I was "not present".

At lunch I was not present. I went to Mom's Restaurant. It smelled – I shouldn't have stayed. I got a grilled chicken salad where the salad was 50% onion – with the rest core iceberg. I shouldn't have accepted it. The chicken was really grilled – so okay – I ate it – but – never go there again. As a customer I should have told them, but it wouldn't have been wise – not serving it to me and saying – "no lettuce" – would you would have been wise. They weren't that smart.

Going into Computer Medical Center I felt good. Going into Mom's – not good… – worse than the last time, over a year ago – that I remembered as being OK. Must be more attentive, less over extending.

I did a reasonable job of recording my attentiveness this day. It is just a beginning to learning the skill of attentiveness. We continue.

NNC

Note: If you’ve some interest, but this is the first time you’ve seen Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. Begin at the beginning.

If you do know about Steps, but have not done Steps twice completely, read the related materials, and have a sense of the direction of this study, you won’t get the experience. The Introduction begins:

“This is the Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training. It is designed to build upon the Steps that were learned in Steps to Knowledge to enable you to experience the grace, the power and the direction of Knowledge in your life and to become an expression of Knowledge in everything that you do. If you have completed the book, Steps to Knowledge, twice through and have followed the instructions as they were given without altering the curriculum in any way, then you are now ready to begin this more advanced study”.

If you are an independent student, that is certainly an option. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message.

CT Step 58 - Today I will be attentive to what I tell myself. – Journal – CT Step 57

Today:  CT Step 58 - Today I will be attentive to what I tell myself. (MP3)

Today I will be attentive to what I tell myself. CT Step 58

Carry on your practice in attentiveness today by being attentive to what you tell yourself. You talk to yourself a lot, mostly to reinforce your past judgments and to confirm what you think already. This goes undetected. It is automatic. But today you have an opportunity to become more aware of this, for all falsehoods begin with what you tell yourself. All self-deception begins with what you tell yourself. All errors in discernment and discretion begin with what you tell yourself.

If you are about to say something personal or controversial to someone today, ask yourself ahead of time, "Should I really be saying this at this time and to this person?" Watch what you tell yourself, but listen for Knowledge. This attentiveness might seem like it requires a lot of work, but really it is saving you a lot of work because if you are not attentive, then you must repair the damage later, which can be very costly in terms of your time and energy. When you are being present, you are saving energy; you are saving time; in some cases, you are even saving your life.

In your practice in stillness, be attentive, but be attentive to Knowledge. When you are out in the world practicing upon the hour, listen within yourself. Look around. See where you are. See what is happening there. How is it affecting you? Is there anything you need to know? Carry this self-awareness further today by being attentive to what you tell yourself.

Practice 58:   One 30-minute stillness practice.

                          Contemplation practice.

                          Hourly practice.

Picture:  Rearview mirror ~ I-695 - Baltimore, Maryland Beltway. Why did I ignore the GPS route directions and use my own thinking? I should have been more attentive.

The view ahead - slowly approaching Exit 29 on I-695 - Baltimore, Maryland Beltway; an American rush-less rush-hours traffic slowdown.

Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps CT Recordings - Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training - Working file

From the journal:  CT Step 57 - Let me be attentive today.

Sunday, October 21, 2001

12:40 a.m. Step 57 – "Let me be attentive today".

9:17 a.m. on waking – forces impacting me – food bought and brought into the home attracting itself to be eaten. Food – the anti-hunger drug. Keeping the home simpler – what is brought into it is a force of attraction.

Knowledge is not in food. Food in my body does not create Knowledge.

10:11 a.m. – My meditation became very noisy as I contemplated the forces/presence of Knowledge relationship.

It took me back to Step 1 – "Knowledge is with me, but where am I?"

6:01 p.m. Back from a day of sporadic listening. Where did I encounter Knowledge today?… Writers in the Washington Post, Ed Mayhew – exercise – slow repetitions – as tai chi – builds power. Marathons create stamina, not physical strength necessarily; the design of Long Branch, musicians, herbal body packs, tea time with hats, back roads of Clarke & Warren Counties.

11:12 p.m. Attentive to nothing. What little K there is slips away. I am not doing much. Is there a reason – K or apathy. I looked ahead in the lessons. What is the mental environment here? What, if anything, contributes?

Learning to look; to discern; these are all things to learn and practice. When in the middle of an error, looking for the exits or just getting through; is a reminder that we have to be careful of what we tell ourselves, as well as not to judge ourselves, but learn in every seeming error. We continue.

NNC

 

Note: If you’ve some interest, but this is the first time you’ve seen Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. Begin at the beginning.

If you do know about Steps, but have not done Steps twice completely, read the related materials, and have a sense of the direction of this study, you won’t get the experience. The Introduction begins:

“This is the Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training. It is designed to build upon the Steps that were learned in Steps to Knowledge to enable you to experience the grace, the power and the direction of Knowledge in your life and to become an expression of Knowledge in everything that you do. If you have completed the book, Steps to Knowledge, twice through and have followed the instructions as they were given without altering the curriculum in any way, then you are now ready to begin this more advanced study”.

If you are an independent student, that is certainly an option. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message.