CT Step 76 - I am here to serve the world. – Journal – CT Step 75

Today:  CT Step 76 - I am here to serve the world. (MP3)

I am here to serve the world. CT Step 76

You are here to serve the world, but do not think that you know what this means or how it will be carried out People make many premature conclusions about this and then give up everything and follow some pursuit, only to find grave disappointment after they have expended their primary years and much of their resources.

Yet just the understanding that you are here to serve the world gives you a different set of criteria upon which to determine what is valuable in life and what is not. Yes, you have personal needs, and yes, you have personal enjoyments. And many of these are fine to fulfill so long as they do not require too much from you. If they do require too much, you will feel it, you will know it and you will sense it. And it will be a problem. Then you can ask yourself, "Am I giving too much to this situation?" or "Should I be involved in this at all?" Creating the balance requires much care and discernment, much patience and some degree of consistent effort, but it is well worth it. For balance is essential in order to advance. In order for your life to come into harmony and all things to work together well, there must be a strengthening and an alignment in all aspects of your life.

Your study in The Greater Community Way of Knowledge and your diligent application of this Teaching will provide you the means for accomplishing this. This will be motivated by an understanding that you are here to serve the world and not just yourself and that your happiness and your security are eclipsed by something greater which offers much more meaning and satisfaction. This puts you on a different track, so to speak. It gives you a different vantage point from which to see all things around you and even within you.

Today practice in stillness and practice upon the hour in awareness and discernment. But keep in mind that you are here to serve the world. Carry this thought into the day with you, reminding yourself regularly that this is the case. Then perhaps some of the things that seemed so irritating before will not seem as important now. And some of the passions, desires and fears that seemed so dominating in your mind will have less vitality.

You are here to serve the world. This is where your happiness will be found.

Practice 76:    One 30-minute stillness practice.

                         Contemplation practice.

                         Hourly practice.

Picture:  We go through the day with the world over our shoulder. Love Field terminal, Dallas, Texas.

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 75 - I will not be deterred by others' opinions.

7:57 a.m. Thursday, November 8, 2001 – Here among the thick ghosts. That was an early thought this morning. Space and time experienced a little differently here. Yesterday…some progress.

5:17 p.m. Very tired @ this moment. Diane Loeb is an available caregiver for Mom & Dad. I'm tired of dealing with my sisters. "Shoot me now" is the feeling. I don't want to deal with this in my own life. I need Tai Chi. Will my mental environment/discipline support it?

Time for contemplation.

9:07 p.m. At home. 2827 Forest Avenue. Looking at the middle of my life. At the hospital, me looking over at my Dad – strong, hungry, fighting against the tightening of his muscles in Parkinson's disease. Mom is there – caring for him. In 28 years or in the future, I don't see David in my chair looking at Cindy being the same for me. So…I'd better get healthy. No support group of family will be there for me. It is good, it is humane, it is life. I feel helpless, yet there's been movement – thanks to Spirit.

Today's Step 75 – "I will not be deterred by the opinions of others". I'm facing that in RI/RC – and will continue to do so. I do like people. They are amazingly good…when free.

I've been trying to read my journals for perspective. I'm not interested in RI @ this time. Don't want any academic read.

So, we are trying to become more spiritual with this practice, yet the world keeps intruding – making life difficult. 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.