Spiritual Tools - Harvest Feelings

Listen to "Harvest Feelings"

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Feelings are the Fruit not the Root of my Faith.

I try not to act on my feelings but on principles.
Later, at the end of my day I pluck the succulent fruit of a day well spent!

Feelings are the physiological reaction of the body to a thought. They have a machine called a Lie Detector to measure their effect. I have a thought – conscious or unconscious. My body reacts. Heart rate, sweat glands, and body temperature change. Muscles tense or relax. My mind senses the changes and generates another feeling. A feedback loop ensues like holding a microphone in front of a speaker. A little noise amplified to annoying distraction.

If I act on my feelings alone, then I am ruled by the unknown and unproven. I cannot really know which thoughts are causing which feelings. I have theories that may be valid but I cannot truly know. I become a slave to my emotions and sometimes a victim of my delusions.

If I make feelings the “root” of my faith, if I believe they are directions on what and when I should act, then, to be successful, I must be God inspired at all times. This seems unlikely, inhuman, saint-like.

Favorable results occur if I look at the situation, the solutions lying at my feet, practice prudence and use universal principles to assess possible paths. I sit quietly with these thoughts and seek guidance through stillness. Intuitive decisions are given space to emerge. If inspired, I act on those decisions. Sometimes the best path is non-action. At night, I find, I can look back on a day well spent. I harvest my feelings – the fruits of my labors.

With practice, this process is rapid and almost effortless. It takes much less energy than agonizing, emotional indecision. Wreckage of the past is minimized. More time is available for savoring a rich, meaningful life.

Imagine sitting on a bench at a train station where many tracks converge. It might be exciting to take every new train that comes through the station but how often do I ride the same old train to a bad neighborhood before I am convinced to watch it pass and wait for a quality destination.

I am awareness. I am the watcher. I am not the train or the destination. The quality of these trips I take is the quality of my life. And, thus, on occasions I follow my own advice and a richness of feelings results from inspired right action. And when I don’t, I can look back and laugh at myself. Situations are inevitable but misery is optional.


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PRINCIPLES

  1. Prudence
  2. Self-Discipline

ACTION STEPS

  1. Look at the situation, the solutions lying at your feet
  2. Use universal principles to assess possible paths
  3. Sit quietly with these thoughts
  4. Seek guidance through stillness
  5. If inspired, act on those decisions but allow non-action as an alternative
  6. At night look back and pluck the succulent fruit of a day well spent – the fruits of your labors.

EXAMPLE

If inspired, send an example of how this tool has worked in your life.