Kaye: This is an absolutely crucial excerpt from Christian Daa Larson's book Your Forces and How to Use Them. I urge you to ponder upon these concepts, because it is indeed, in my own experience, a good chunk of why students fail.
The discovery of the fact that man is as he thinks, has originated a number of strange ideas concerning the power of thought. One of the principal of these is the belief that thought is a domineering force to be used in controlling things and in compelling fate to come our way. But that this belief is unscientific in every sense of the term has been demonstrated any number of times.
Kaye: Here we see effectively an emphatic denial of the popular version of the Law of Attraction. I too have found this to be true. You can indeed change reality, but for every change there is a price. To think that you can change and compel reality without changing first yourself is an illusion. The very act of compelling from a position of mental weakness is asking for trouble. It either won't work or won't work in the long run.
Those who have accepted this belief, and who have tried to use thought as a compelling force, have seemingly succeeded in the beginning, but later on have utterly failed, and the reason is that the very moment we proceed to apply thought in this manner, we place ourselves out of harmony with everything, both within ourselves and in our environment.
Kaye: I would reread that sentence many, many times. We have a riddle here - to try to force change is to go against nature, and thus create disharmony. But to create change, surely things must change? The answer is that we must change ourselves, our attitude, and our beliefs. It is like a snowball stuck in a hole. If we try to pull it out, it will exhaust us. Instead, if the ice melts and seeps away, it will naturally escape the hole. So the question is, what constitutes melting and seeping away?
The seeming success that such people have had in the beginning, or for a season, is due to the fact that a strong compelling force can cause the various elements of life to respond for awhile, but the force that compels, weakens itself through the very act of compelling, and finally loses its power completely; and then, whatever has been gathered begins to slip away.
Kaye: Scary enough for you to pay attention yet? Trying to manipulate the universe is like a weakling trying to lift a boulder whilst standing on a three-legged stool. Through supreme effort it might be done, but once strength is lost the poor sod may find the boulder crashing down on him. What you want to do is 1. Remove the stool. 2. To put the weakling into a regimen of training 3. Give him a lever.
This explains why thousands of ardent students of metaphysics have failed to secure the results desired, or have succeeded only in spurts. They have taken the wrong view of the power of thought, and therefore have caused their power to work against them during the greater part of the time.
Kaye: First we have to remove the stool. That is the insecurity that is present when the metaphysician articulates his desire. It is the wish that is tainted by uncertainty. When a mighty manifester selects his target, there is no question of attaining it. There is only an intention that it be achieved. Thus, we have to work on belief in one's ability, or the ability of the mind.
The power of thought is not a compelling force. It is a building force, and it is only in the latter sense that desirable results can be produced.The building capacity of thought, however, is practically unlimited. Therefore there is no end to what might be accomplished, so long as this power is employed intelligently.
To apply the full building power of thought, we should proceed upo the principle that he can who thinks he can, and we should act in the full conviction tht whatever man thinks he can do, he can do, because there is no limit to the power that such thinking can bring forth. The majority among intelligent minds admit that there is some truth in the statement that he can who thinks he can, but they do not, as a rule, believe it to be a very large truth. They admit that we gain more confidence in ourselves when we think that we can do what we have undertaken to do, and also that we become more determined, but aside from that, they see no further value in that particular attitude of mind. They do not realise that he who thinks he can, develops the power that can; but this is the truth, and it is one of the most important of all truths in the vast metaphysical domain.
Kaye: So we build belief that a thing is possible. This is parallel to the Desire Belief Expectancy axis in the Silva Method. However, receptivity is also key, as is faith. In training, we are training our thoughts to be silent, to be at rest. Only when activity becomes minimal does the mind have space to create vast change. This is the equivalent of alpha. In visualisation and imagination, it is important to use the present tense sense, for that bypasses many of the blocks which are created by the conscious mind.
At the conscious level, it is useful to imagine the thoughts employed at the alpha level having vast power, and constantly affecting what they need to affect in order for something to manifest. Keep this attitude, and you will be in faith. Keep humble and receptive at the conscious waking level, and the subconscious will act all the faster.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Promise Yourself
Source/copyright: Superflewis/Wikimedia
Promise yourself to be so strong
that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity
to every person you meet.
To make all your friends
feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best
and expect only the best.
To be enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to
greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticise others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger,
too strong for fear and too happy
to permit the presence of trouble.
- Christian D Larson
"Your Forces and How to Use Them" 1912
The Prayer of the Chalice
Source: Vassil/Wikimedia
Father, to you I raise my whole being
- a vessel emptied of self.
Accept, O Lord, this my emptiness,
and so fill me with yourself, your light, your love, your life -
that these your precious gifts may radiate through me and over-
flow the chalice of my heart into the hearts of all with whom I
come in contact this day revealing unto them
the beauty of your joy
and wholeness
and the serenity of your peace
which nothing can destroy.
- Francis Nuttall
Do It Anyway
Copyright/source: Kropsoq/Wikimedia
Found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
- Original by Dr. Kent M Keith. This version is credited to Mother Teresa
Monday, 17 May 2010
The Essence, The Nittus Grittus
Source/copyright: Szczery/Wikimedia
If you are unhappy, be unhappy. Do not judge yourself for being that way.
It is wonderful to be unhappy, it is God expressing emotion. Love your unhappiness. It means you are ready for change.
You are ready to go forward, yet you mourn for the old;
you are not ready to let go.
Allow the unhappiness, there is purposefulness in it. Remove from your life everything that inhibits you
from being the totality of yourself. That is called "becoming"
Remove from your thoughts all the have to's, should's, must's.
Remove the images you think you must be and just be.
Embrace your life. Know that you created it.
Love all that you have been, said and done.
Know it was all purposeful.
Never see anything as a failure. See everything as an accomplishment.
Love the hurt, the pain, the sorrow.
For what an experience! What a wonderment!
What jewels of wisdom are now in your treasure!
Be your own teacher, friend, counsel.
Confide in yourself, speak to yourself.
Seek answers that feel right within your soul.
Your soul knows what the truth is, and it will tell you through feelings.
Always listen to your feelings. They know ... they know.
Live, experience, feel. Do not seek to identify yourself.
You will never have a point of understanding from which you
can say, "This is who I am!", for in each expanding moment
of consciousness, of being God, who you are will have changed
into the next moment of being.
To know who you are is to feel what you feel each moment.
Never do anything, no matter how far you are into it,
if you lose the joy of it and it becomes monotonous and mundane.
Do away with it and do something else that brings happiness.
For perhaps what you needed to learn from it you have already achieved.
Go wherever you want to go,
Do whatever you want to do,
for as long as you want to.
Create only for the mere joy of creating.
When you create for you, you will soon find youself living in joy.
Don't ever strive to have anyone understand you.
If they wish to understand, they will.
Love everyone. Have compassion for all other entities.
You do not need to go and take care of them.
Love them by allowing them to express however they choose.
That is the greatest thing you can do!
If they are angered or disappointed by your life, love them
by allowing them to be thay way.
Then you have become a great god, a great light!
- Author Unknown
Love Yourself
Source/Copyright: Stan Shebs/Wikimedia
Take full responsibility for your life.
Stop blaming others.
See yourself as the cause of what happens to you.
Do things you like to do.
Don't stay in a job you don't like.
Participate in life at the highest level you can.
Stop terrorising yourself with your thoughts.
Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.
Give yourself the simple pleasures of life abundantly.
Wear clothes you feel good in, get a massage etc.
Watch what you say. Avoid self put-downs.
Stop being critical of yourself and others.
Take care of your body.
Give it exercise and good food.
Be willing to create a life-style that generates and nourishes self-esteem.
Associate with others with high esteem.
Acknowledge yourself frequently.
Keep a diary of your successes and accomplishments.
Avoid comparing yourself with others.
Remember that it's who we are, not what we do, that's important
Give yourself permission to do nothing periodically.
Schedule time by yourself.
Frequently take deep breaths.
Discover the benefit and pleasure of breathing fully.
Eat first class frequently.
Don't look at the right side of the menu.
Stop trying to change others.
Focus your attention on being the way you want others to be.
Look into a mirror regularly
and say "I love you, I really love you".
Stop feeling guilty and saying "I'm sorry".
See mistakes as valuable lessons and avoid judging yourself.
Consciously generate positive thoughts and feelings of self-love
in place of old thoughts of inadequacy.
Be willing to laugh at yourself and at life.
Stop taking yourself so seriously.
Accept compliments from others without embarrassment.
Don't invalidate their positive thoughts and feelings about you.
Be kind to your mind.
Don't hate yourself for having negative thoughts.
Gently change your thoughts.
Keep your awareness and your thoughts focussed in present time
instead of living in the past or future.
Acknowledge others frequently.
Tell them what you like and appreciate in them.
Invest money in yourself.
Go to seminars, workshops and courses that develop your talents.
Make a list of 10 things
you love doing and do them frequently.
Treat yourself as you would treat someone you really loved.
Praise yourself.
- Author Unknown
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
O del mio dolce ardor
Probably the most difficult song I had to learn when I was younger, although not for range. I was trained in breath control with this song and I still habitually sing it drawn out much longer than most singers. The accuracy of tone and resonance isn't what it used to be but I personally think this was a pretty good attempt.
On the Street Where You Live
I was having some fun here - this is a more operatic version of the same song.
I Could Have Danced All Night
Can anyone tell I was at Julie Andrew's "The Gift of Music" at the O2 Arena?
Wouldn't it be Loverly?
"Okay, I'll stop now," he said.
So he lied. Live with it.
I thought my attempt at sounding anywhere near Eliza was so bad that it just had to go up.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Feed the Birds
This was a childhood favourite. Okay, I'll stop now. Although these are the only recordings I've ever made getting anywhere near to a falsetto.
Beauty and the Beast (Tale as Old as Time)
Same comments as below. The mistake in the lyrics caught me by surprise so I went with the typos. Yes, I'm enough of a geek to know the lyrics off by heart.
A Whole New World
I was just fooling around with this with a morning (read: not warmed up yet) voice. It came out surprisingly passable, so be nice!
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