Neale Donald Walsch & 3 Ways to develop faith

Neale Donald Walsch inspires me.  His life story goes from experiences he describes as "misdirected," to being homeless and penniless.  Then, he mysteriously reconnected with the creator, began writing books, and completely transformed as a spiritual soundboard.  The Conversations with God movie trailer is worth watching.  Also invite you to watch the film here.

The words and stories he shares are profound, yet also very simple.  They invite increasing self-reflection so that you can uncover yourself by listening more closely to your inner voice, intuition, and all that lies beneath programming that begins before birth. I update this post to add Eloise King's inspiring interview entitled Conversations with Neale Donald Walsh about God and other things (2016) which I highly-recommend.

One of the subjects Neale explores in his books is the power of faith.  He recognizes how hard it can seem to shift to believe in what you don't initially believe.  This brings us face-to-face with our own resistance.  Ask yourself when in your life you notice your own resistance, when you are willing to shift your mindset to believe something your ego resists? How do you nurture faith and trust in the unknown and unseen? 

As author of many heart-warming books such as the Conversations with God Series, Neale Donald Walsch observes faith as an acquired trait but trust is innate. He feels anyone can develop faith, and apply it at will.  Yet, we must develop faith in ourselves before being able to have faith in things outside or seemingly separate from ourselves.  Seeing through our own self-created illusion of separation is part of the process of awakening or expanding into more of our untapped potential. Imagine how it feels to tune into unlimited being. COuld you imagine the nature of such magnificence?

We develop faith at least 3 ways:

1) By noticing you can (in passively observing others).

2) By experiencing you can (sensing it, perhaps unexpectedly).

3) By deciding you will (with conscious intent).

You can also decide developing faith in yourself, in whatever you choose to work on, is a 3-step process.  You may hear about another person's miracle or apparent good fortune.  You may raise your awareness of what is possible and discen you are experiencing blessings.  You may also decide that you can expect good things and nothing else.  

In essence, we each develop faith our own way.  You may skip some of the above steps, change the order or, simply discipline yourself to believe (or not) for your own reasons. 

Accept the obvious

Notice what happens as you block out external conditions, as you not longer judge whether or not things 'go your way.'  As you cease to focus on the controllable, this somehow lifts an invisible burden you create for yourself. Experience joy and success without doing anything.

For some people, success is felt as excitement, a sense of triumph or overcoming something. You may tell yourself you feel better after knowing hardship. You say you know better what its like to have and be without something, and recall where you've come from. What happens as prevailing thoughts are seen as they are? Notice what happens as you recognize being peaceful is itself a reflection of intrinsic success? It actually affirms all that you are.

What does success mean to you? Perhaps it means thinking about a specific person and then, being contacted that person. Does it mean to forgo the short-term or superficial gains in favor of patience and intangibles? Perhaps it means a reawakening to a purpose deep down inside . Perhaps you're results-oriented and success represents actually holding things. Maybe its simply sharing problems and answers or, lessons learned.

Celebrate life.  Whatever it holds can be seen as a kind of success. Control your thoughts and trust in what is emerging. Sense you can undo anything you've done and creatively weave it into something new. You are the wisest about your own life. The Universe never gives you more than you can handle. You can find blessings in all encounters. Nothing and everything is success.

In direct experience, you know success. Its grounded in love, honesty, acceptance, well-being, trusting  in yourself and the universe.  Nobody and nothing are required. Be the light.

The biggest risk ever

You may have taken risks in your time, but I wonder how far you'd be willing to push the envelope? The chances you take often fuel the most memorable stories you'll share later in this life or other lifetimes if you come to recall those. Its no surprise that people often find the effort to take chances and go after what is heart and soul-driven is worth far more than any associated regret or 'what ifs' would offer.

As for me, I've taken many risks. They're the reasons why my life is so exhilarating. The story I choose to share now represents one of the biggest risks I ever took. Another person took it with me.  An excerpt is published in a March 2007 book by Keen Publications called "Grab Your Tiger." Reflecting back, from the moment I recall risk is illusion, a distortion of mind, I see all I do, I do for me. Its the faith we are each invited to reconnect with that reminds us we are always whole.

Not too long ago, I met a man briefly on a bus in Florida while I visited Orlando for a conference. We impulsively shared dinner and conversation. The next day, the man boarded a plane to head back home. You might think our story ended. Well, it didn't. We had hit it off and a distance romance ensued. The experience was anything but ordinary. After all, he truly lived on the other side of the world.

Over the next month and a half, regular e-mails and large phone bills evolved. We even wrote a special electronic book together and he edited my draft of an inspirational book which will soon be published. I wrote him more than 500 letters (card stories inside cards) and posted them to his office (I didn't know his post box). I was told the office girls got a kick out of the stamps? The nature of our vast communications soon prompted him to take the chance of his life. While nearly falling asleep on the phone one night, he blurted out,

"Would you meet me for coffee in Paris?” He knew I planned a spring trip to Europe with my sister.

“That’s a long way to travel from Australia when I only have 3 days in Paris,” I replied, thinking he must've been joking. 

He told me he'd been saving for a new stereo, but the trip of 16, 808km would be his preferred investment. I was flattered, but my ticket and travel dates were unchangeable. I suggested we could meet at another time when we both had more time, but he had never been to Europe and decided his work schedule would allow it about when I was traveling. Why would you say? I told him if he came to Paris, I would gladly give him a scenic tour. After all, I'd lived there and knew the area.

Now, if you don't believe in guardian angels, you might change your mind after this story. A few days after that Paris conversation, I received a curious phone call from an airline. A technical glitch in my booking had caused the airline to cancel my tickets. After I got over my initial shock, I managed to negotiate a return ticket 5 days later that the initial plan. Then, I emailed Australia.

The response I received was, “Italy?”

My reply was, “Need you ask?!”

I suggested some key stops for what was planned as a romantic, 8-day train trip (2500km) through France, Switzerland and Italy. When all was said and done, we planned to meet at the Gare du Nord in Paris on a particular date. That day was definitely something to look forward to, or was it? 

Now, before the big day, the last time I'd been to Gare du Nord, I hadn't recalled four exits on separate floors.  Yet, on arrival, that's what I discovered. Better still, I had been stuck in traffic a half hour in a friend's car in terrible traffic and I had no mobile. Imagine my state of mind upon arriving at the train station 40 minutes late to meet a man who had just travelled 14 hours to meet a woman he'd met in person one evening for dinner and one morning for breakfast? Who was taking the bigger risk? Him scaring friends with his impulsive travel spending or me being so inexcusably late?

This in mind, wouldn't you assume that I would have to negotiate my way through the barrier by way of French policemen because my electronic ticket wasn't working? Wouldn't you assume that I would find no functional pay phone to contact my weary traveller? When I did find a crackly phone, I discovered I'd forgotten the number back at my friend's apartment! If you never believed in Murphy's Law, this day would change your mind on that. Nonetheless, patience and faith saved the day. After all that, he recognized me by the back of my hair and my familiar orange dress.

"I was beginning to wonder if the stereo would've been a better choice, but I'm glad I waited."

"So am I."

"You know, until now I'd never waited 45 min for anyone. Risks can really pay off!"

http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2007/9/8/the-biggest-risk-ever-follow-up.html

http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2008/2/18/the-biggest-risk-ever-follow-up-2.html

http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2008/7/26/the-biggest-risk-ever-follow-up-3.html

This story is the foundation for my first book, Self-Disclosure: Changes from Within. 

Right place, right time?

No doubt there have been times in your life when you felt as thought you were in the right place at the right time.  You may have won in weekly bingo or had that lucky numbers on a 50$ lottery ticket just when you needed the money.  You may have arrived at a bus stop just as the bus arrived so you didn't have to wait.  You may have been late for an important appointment and suprisingly got green lights almost all the way to your destination. Those good experiences are the ones you remember because circumstances seemed to unfold in your favor. The question is, did you have anything to do with it? Or was something beyond you influencing the outcome? Of course, you can believe what you choose to believe and your opinion may be right.

People always arrive in my life just when I need guidance.  Sometimes I attract assistance because I look like I need help, but it goes deeper than that.  One such occasion relates to a timely experience where my passport, money and identification were stolen during a visit to Estonia. I was supposed to be heading to Finland on a ferry that evening, but that departure wasn't meant to be. I was fortunate my employer was in his North American office when the small shop I was in permitted me to email. He was able to wire me some money for the next day. I reported the theft incident to police who arrived on the scene and returned to the hotel I'd stayed the night before. They still had my credit card info.

The next day, the informal Canadian mission told me to replace my Canadian passport would require 10 days. That would have to be ordered from Finland. I also had an Estonian passport however. After making my official statement at the local police station, partly though a translator, I decided to set out and try to find out how to replace that document in what might be a shorter wait time. 

Imagine my surprise that in asking directions every so often to ensure I was headed in the right direction. In speaking to a parking attendant, an older man drove up to pay for parking. He was perhaps the age of my grandfather. He knew of the government office I needed to visit and offered to take me there in his car. Me without a map, he estimated it would have been 2-3 hours away walking on foot. He only spoke Estonian and I did my best to explain my situation. I made the choice to get into his car. I learned he was a government consultant. With his assistance, I went through bureaucracy meant to take 14 days in less than 6 hours. This kindly stranger took me to where I could pick up the money that had been wired to me. He helped me to organize a job interview, told me where to go, and he picked me up later by car to take me to the ferry to Finland.

This man is an angel in disguise. He appeared out of nowhere.  I felt I could trust him. We only communicated in Estonian.  He told me he had a granddaughter my age and went out of his way to help me.  For a few years after that experience, I sent him Christmas cards.  He also sent me a letter. Then, he vanished. My mind echoes he may have died. My heart knows this soul is immortal and ever-present. In my life, he was definitely in the right place at the right time. He reminds me I am always in the right place to learn if I am receptive. His compassion is a mirror. I see that we each exist to make a difference in th lives of others.  When someone helps you, you are also helping that person, even if the how is unclear.

“When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.” -Joel Osteen