CT Step 41 - My relationships are an expression of how I view myself. – Journal – CT Step 40

Today:  CT Step 41 - My relationships are an expression of how I view myself. (MP3)

My relationships are an expression of how I view myself. CT Step 41

The greatest evidence of a person’s self-understanding is the nature and the quality of the relationships that they establish around themselves. This is very clear but goes unseen in the world. People are not very scrupulous or discerning when it comes to establishing relationships. For they are driven by other needs—the needs of their own weakness, the fear of loneliness, the need for security, the need for financial power or social recognition. Even the need for sexual reproduction can have a driving force on people and unite them with others with whom they have no real purpose.

Therefore, your relationships tell a great deal about how you view and value yourself. If you value your studenthood and are attempting to establish and to protect your integrity, then you will want to establish relationships to serve this purpose. If you seek to deepen your understanding of Knowledge and your experience of the greater movement of the world, then naturally you will want to find people who will strengthen this experience and enable this experience within you. This is a natural selection, but here you must look at your relationships, for many of them were established long ago in the past, at a time when your priorities were different than they are now. Be very clear, then, about whom you associate with. In time, as you advance, you will be able to serve the weak and the needy, but right now you need to find your strength and you need others to assist you in doing this.

Practice stillness in your long practice period and practice awareness and discernment upon the hour. Throughout the day consider today’s lesson and its invaluable importance to you.

Practice 41:    One 30-minute stillness practice.

                         Contemplation practice.

                         Hourly practice.

Picture: “Langar is a common tradition in the Sikh community, where people of all faith and statures are served food in an act that signifies equality and sharing among humanity”. "Sikh Langar Feeds Thousands at Parliament of the World’s Religions Conference" Members of the Sikh relationship community worked together to provide this. Others, looking for expanded relationships and community, attended the event.

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 40 - Who I am with will determine what I will be able to do.

8:34 a.m. Thursday, October 4, 2001 – Boundaries and freedom – when you see the planet whole – you don't want political boundaries to keep you from moving about. Boundaries are like membranes – osmosis let's things flow through – keeps some things out. Market/business seeks customers – doesn't want barriers.

10:15 p.m. Contemplation – Step 40 "Who I am with will determine what I will be able to do". To date, I've mostly been with myself – RHG – the outworking of the RI/RC idea. So – questioning if others have strength – I wonder about my own.

[regional empowerment zones] – an A.M. idea

Which people in my life now are strong enough to help me move forward? Mom, Dad, Jack M…, Jack H…, Doug A…, Charles B…, John R…, Ed D…, Vince P…, Rob K, Joe C…, Jim D…, Jim L…, Alan V…, Frank W…, Joe M…, Nancy D…,

This is a different kind of power – not worldly power – people with that are thugs/boorish,

Marshall – Regions – no one even sees the need for making them visible.

The search for fulfilling relationships begins early in life, though we may not know what that means or how to express that. Moving forward? What does that mean? By the time we reach adulthood it can be very confusing, filled with success, failure and frustration in various degrees. So we’ve come to Steps to try to figure out life. That is work, yet our lives are already in play and we have many relationships. So, we do the exercises; 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.