The Happy Poet

As a film buff, I find myself looking for principles of Science of Mind in the stories. Recently I saw an indie film, The Happy Poet, which was written, directed, and edited by Paul Gordon, who also stars. It’s a low-key comedy about an introverted, low energy, emotionally flat corporate refugee and struggling entrepreneur, Bill, with an M.A. in poetry, who dreams of operating an organic sandwich stand.

He manages to get a $750 start-up loan from a smug bank officer, who puts down his idea and suggests that a hot-dog stand would be a better choice. He buys on installment a used hot-dog stand from a cranky, stiff-necked owner, and proceeds to offer his “eggless egg” sandwiches and hummus pitas in an Austin, Texas park.

His first customers want hot dogs, but he attracts into his orbit two characters, a pot dealer, who  partners as a  deliveryman, and an aging hippy, who gushes over the food and is rewarded with free handouts. Also, he attracts a pretty woman with whom he fails awkwardly to develop a relationship. They all brainstorm and come up with the name, "The Happy Poet" for Bill's business.

Well, the premise sounded promising, but the low-key, mumblecore style couldn’t hold my interest. I fast-forwarded to the end and was surprised to see that Bill, the poet, had his own brick and mortar "The Happy Poet" restaurant, powered by solar energy; a fleet of delivery people, wearing green "The Happy Poet" T-shirts, on bicycles; an electric "The Happy Poet" car; a mobile food truck run by his pregnant wife (the aforementioned love interest); and a business partnership with the two characters, now friends. With his arm around his two partners, in his monotone, deadpan voice, he declares: “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

So what happened? I had to go back and see how all this transpired. After a number of ups and down, bumps and wrong turns, betrayals, money issues, missed opportunities with the love interest, and a brief detour into “hot-dog day,” he achieves his dream.

The hippy happened to have a cousin, Derek, a venture capitalist who has shown interest in Bill’s idea. But Bill is not very convincing as an entrepreneur. Derek confronts him, with, “I don’t think you believe in "The Happy Poet.”

Bill’s initial phlegmatic responses become a bit more passionate. With as much indignity and passion that he can muster, he bristles. “I believe in "The Happy Poet." I believe in "The Happy Poet" more than you could know, Derek. I’m "The Happy Poet," not you. I’m "The Happy Poet.” And with a few insults to Derek, he walks out.

We see Derek with a knowing smile. And we see Bill striding tall and confidently. What do you know? He mustered up some energy and passion, in that polite, inimical low-key style.

Next thing we see he has enough money to pay off his bank loan and the hot dog cart, which he returns. “I got lucky,” he says. He also has the confidence to leave an organic sandwich on the porch of his lady love. Thus the happy ending.

But was it luck? I see it as the Law of Attraction in action, powered by his generous nature, his authenticity, his talent with organic food, his perseverance, and the strong belief and passion for his vision. Basically he affirms, “I AM 'The Happy Poet.'” And that’s what he becomes.  This unassuming, introverted guy can inspire all of us as we pursue our own dreams.

And so it is.

The Law of Attraction in Action

A recent L.A. Times article, “A role that bit him like a spider” by Sonaiya Kelley,  discussed the latest Spider Man animated film which introduces Miles Morales, a Black and Latino incarnation of the superhero Spider-Man, into the Marvel Comics universe.  Shameik Moore, an actor, rapper, singer, and dancer of Jamaican descent, was chosen from hundreds of people who auditioned for the role.

Moore has said that he manifested the role. While filming a previous movie, a colleague gave him a journal and he began writing, “I am Miles Morales. I am Spider-Man.,” manifesting the thought into existence. He is quoted as saying, “Out of all the kids auditioning for this movie, I was chosen. How important is [the role] to me? I mean how important is it for Miles to save the universe?”

He further says: “I attracted that to me. It took a few months to really solidify it, but it ended up working out.”

This got me thinking about the Law of Attraction. It warrants a chapter in Ernest Holmes’ Science of Mind. “Thought can attract to us that which we first mentally embody, that which has become a part of our mental make-up, a part of our inner understanding. “

He adds, Our conscious and unconscious thought makes up our mental atmosphere, which is either attracting or repelling. Like attracts like. Whatever one reflects into Mind tends to take form.

Ernest Holmes didn’t invent the Law of Attraction. The concepts have been around for centuries; even Buddha and Christ alluded to it, without specifically calling it The Law of Attraction. It first appeared in print by the Russian theosophist Helena Blavatsky, and first articulated by Prientice Mulford, an early New Thought author.

Many books and Internet sites target The Law of Attraction. It’s been popularized by the film, The Secret, and several commercial enterprises are selling the secret behind “The Secret,” to really make it work. For about $50, you can learn to manifest your dreams with energetic vibrational language, or balance your intention point-- that space between heart and mind -- to send correct signals to the Universe.

Of course there are those who say the Law of Attraction doesn’t exist. Neil Farber, M.D. Ph.D., writing in Psychology Today, says that it is  “metaphysical pseudoscience with conclusions based on erroneous, unfounded, and often incorrect assumptions.” And he outlines all the erroneous assumptions, many of which I don’t find in our own teaching.

For example, he mentions the focus on material wealth with no action,  no plan, and no deadlines needed. Challenges are negative thoughts to be avoided, as is compassion -- so don’t get involved with any charity or helping the needy, which attracts more negativity and poverty. Don’t join support groups, with mental or physical problems, such as AA, which will make your problems worse. Blame yourself for any illness or negative event.

This doesn’t sound like the way we use the Law of Attraction here, or the way I’ve been using it. Spiritual Mind Treatment addresses The Law of Attraction in a way that brings the Spiritual element to the forefront, and also says: “Treat and Use Your Feet.” Be proactive.

We declare our truth in the present moment, re-framing negative thoughts to positives; we also develop plans, goals and timelines, and get support help when we need it. Therapy, medical treatments for illness are all seen as expressions of God in action. We don’t play the victim; we empower ourselves to go forward in life as co-creators with God, to manifest our dreams.

To attract the role of Miles Morales, the actor was proactive and prepared. He was co-creating with Universal Mind when he used the tools of manifestation.

And so can we all.

Fire and Smoke

“Surreal scenes unfold as a fire ‘like Armageddon’ barrels toward West Hills," screamed an L.A. Times headline yesterday. TV coverage of the Woolsey Fire confirmed this, as did a number of evacuees interviewed by news teams.

“Armageddon,” said one. “Apocalyptic," said another. Shelters for the displaced are set up; freeways closed; Pepperdine University students ordered to shelter in place. Some people camped out on Zuma Beach.
  
You’d think we’d be used to these disasters in California, but we’re not.  A whole town, Paradise, burned to the ground? The entire city of Malibu mandated to evacuate, as well as thousands of others in Calabasas, Agoura, Hidden Hills, Bell Canyon, parts of Thousand Oaks and Simi? Homes --some million dollar homes - totally destroyed, people losing everything, some losing their very lives.
 
Outside, the air smelled of smoke. I decided to stay indoors.
  
It was in December of last year that I spoke about the wildfires and high winds accelerating the spread. Then it was burning hillsides, evacuations, people driving through walls of fire, first responders battling blazes on the ground while tankers and helicopters made drops of water and fire retardant.
  
It was all very  heartbreaking and sad. Eventually the fire was contained; recovery for some is probably still going on. Now we have a repeat, and it’s worse. Residents of Thousand Oaks hadn’t recovered from the mass shooting of a few days earlier, and now this.
  
Even though we can get sucked into negative thinking by all this going on in our world of conditions, we can still feel gratitude in the enormous effort made by all the personnel and resources mobilized yet again for this devastating firestorm.
  
Through the Internet I found resources, such as the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations where we can donate funds, supplies, shelter, humanitarian help for animals and more. We know we’ll get through this, and we can also offer our prayers, our Spiritual Mind Treatments of healing love, in support.
 
 I looked in Ernest Holmes’ Science of Mind for something inspirational, and found this brief Meditation: (p.537)

“Despair gives way to joy at the thought of Thee, Indwelling Good.

I cannot be sad when I think of Thee.
My sorrow is turned to gladness and my shame to rejoicing.
My tears are wiped away and the sunlight of the Spirit shines
  through the clouds of depression and lights the way to Heaven.
 Thy Joy has made me glad.”    

And so it is.

Trust, Belief, Faith and Knowing

Recently, I was exercising on the elliptical at my local gym and, as usual, I had a paperback book to read. Upon leaving, I realized I had forgotten my book. I went back to the machines and even checked the restroom, but the book wasn’t there. So I asked the young lady at the desk if it had been turned in, which it wasn’t, and to let me know if it turned up. She took my name and telephone number to call me, and I did a Spiritual Mind Treatment on the way to the car that the book would be safely recovered. It was a library book, and it’s expensive if lost, but possible to replace more cheaply.

After a few days, when she didn’t call, I ordered a replacement from Amazon. The next time I went to the gym, she smiled as I came in and said, “I have your book.”

So I realized....I had lost faith. The Spiritual Mind Treatment went to work as soon as I declared it, but I didn’t have patience. I didn’t trust the treatment would work, and I ordered the book. Meanwhile, the treatment had been activated and book recovered.

So this is a small thing, right? Why bring it up? Because sometimes a demonstration isn’t immediate. Sometimes it’s working and we don’t know it. And in my case, my trust in the process had eroded. It was a small thing but caused me to really examine my relationship to affirmative prayer and Science of Mind.

I’ve been having a number of physical challenges this year, everything from sleep apnea, urinary tract infections, cataracts, intestinal infection, dental issues, a leg injury and to top it off, a broken toe. Then anxiety about all this and other issues around aging swirled around in my head until insomnia kicked in. So sometimes I feel like a basket case. Too much monkey mind; too much anxiety and fear.

So I decided to immerse myself in the teaching; I’m taking SOM 103 with Reverends Kathy and Jessica, and it’s bringing me back to basics. Even though I’ve taken these classes before, and even become an ordained minister. I’m finding fresh inspiration in reading again about the Principles of Successful Living, Mental Equivalents and the Law of Attraction, Spiritual Mind Treatment and meditation.

It’s not enough to simply declare our intention with our objective mind. We must work at it until the subjective mind, our unconscious mind, believes what we say. I can declare: “There is One Supreme Intelligence which governs, guides and guards, tells me what to do, when to act and how to act.” But it’s not enough to just say it: I must know it, see it, feel it and BE it; If I do this every day I can build my trust, my belief, my faith in the creative process.  Only then can I get to truly KNOWING the Truth.

Meditation helps, because this is when we can quiet the mind, relax the body, and be open and receptive to Spirit. This little book, “The Joy of Meditation,” offers different ways to meditate. I like "Letting Go With Balance.”

First, I sit in the silence and periodically let go of, and release, every problem, all fear and anxiety, until I feel a sense of freedom. Then in the second part I interject the silence with declarations that God is able -- able to heal each and every concern. With this meditation I’m working to let go of all those monkey mind anxieties, and accept my highest good. As I practice this, my goal is a more balanced, healthy life.

And so it is.

Let's Tidy Up

This month’s theme at the Granada Hills Center for Spiritual Living is “Prosperity, Abundance, Wealth.” Living in my home for 43 years, raising a family, being a wife and then a mother, and then living alone for the past 10 years, I see the material evidence, certainly, of abundance.

An abundance of stuff. I’ve decluttered at different intervals, but there’s still a lot of stuff in the house...stuff I don’t really use or need.

I recently embarked on another decluttering mission, and ended up with 12 boxes of clothes, shoes, purses, books, a straw hat and a wedding dress waiting for a truck for the take away.

I came across a little graphic novel, “The Life-changing Manga of Tidying Up, A Magical Story,” by Marie Kondo. The heroine, 29-year-old Chiaki, is living in the midst of immense clutter. She signs up for a tidying lesson with Konmari, who promises tidying up will change Chiaki’s life and fill it with joy.

Chiaki needs first to visualize her ideal lifestyle and how tidying up can dramatically change her life. Konmari says material things need to be functional, informational, emotional, or possess rarity, but most important...they must spark joy. Take each item in hand and ask: Does it spark joy when I touch it? Is this something that’s going to make me happy?

The novel proceeds with various tips:  Fold clothes rather than hang, and fold with gratitude for the way they protect you. Unread, neglected books that don’t bring joy are discarded. Store so things are easily accessible.

Sentimental items are last. The principle here:  Your life now is more important than memories of the past. What really matters is not the past but the person you have now become, thanks to those past experiences.  Space can now be used NOT for the person you once were, but for your future self.

Once the home is filled with only things that spark joy, it becomes a joyful place. Real life begins. Konmari says if people are unable to discard things, they are either attached to the past or afraid of the future. So tidying up can set ourselves free.

By clearly identifying our own joy point, she says, we can gain confidence and trust in our own future.  Space opens up for positive things to happen out of the blue, to have different experiences and more.

So I realized: 12 boxes is not enough. There is a whole lot of remaining stuff that doesn’t spark joy, that’s attached to the past, and can be discarded. Then I have the space, the mindset, the clarity,   and confidence for Spirit, as Ernest Holmes says, to manifest an abundance of whatever I need to make my life NOW happy, opulent, and joyful.

And so it is.

Come From Away

I saw segment on TV recently reporting on tourists going to Gander, Newfoundland where people are “nice.” Imagine that.  “Being Nice” is a tourist attraction, an antidote to all the negativity and non-niceness surrounding us on a daily basis. Particularly in the media.

Turns out this story is about the Canadian town of Gander, where planes were  rerouted immediately as North American airspace shut down on 9/11. By the end of the day, 7,000  "plane people" in 38 jets were waiting on the tarmac while the Red Cross, town councils and various churches strategized  the logistics of processing, feeding and bedding them down for the night.

Gander is not a huge town, not wealthy, with only basic infrastructure. Yet somehow thousands of stressed visitors of all ages, needs and languages were taken care of for a week after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

People opened their hearts and homes, cooking meals, offering rides, showers, and telephones. They scoured their closets to find, sheets, blankets,  pillows and towels, while stores donated such basics as as toothbrushes and underwear, and the school bus drivers, then on strike, paused to help out.

Ten years later, two Toronto writers. Irene Sankoff and David Hein visited for the Gander anniversary celebration, and were inspired by the dancing, music and the stories to write a script for a musical called Come From Away,

“Come From Away” is a Newfoundland expression for a foreigner, or someone from beyond the province. The musical articulates the compassion and kindness Newfoundlanders showed to strangers from all over the globe during events around 9/11.

The writers interviewed the two mayors, police, volunteers, an airline captain, passengers and others, Characters in the musical speak lines taken directly from those interviews. Before opening in New York, the cast and crew performed two sold-out shows in Gander's hockey arena.

Former Gander mayor Claude Elliott has been quoted: "The tragedy. What they must have been going through — so far away, can't get home, want to be home with their family, and we all got to put ourselves in that position, and that's terrifying...And to be in a strange land."

The musical,  books as well as a documentary, send a message of how kind deeds, and opening our arms to those in need, can improve the world.

Kevin Tuerff, author of a book about his experiences, said: “I think this musical is the jump-start to the heart we need.”  Actor Rodney Hicks, who plays several characters in Come From Away, wants the musical’s feel-good message to travel beyond Broadway. “I believe it’s the universe’s design, really, all we can do is be there and tell the truth every night. This show is bigger than any of us. I want to share this with the world.”

Reviews have been mostly positive. “It’s a necessary balm for this mean time.” Deadline Hollywood.  It’s..”about community; and in this particular community, everyone’s a member..” Huffington Post. “It’s a singing reminder that when things are at their worst, people can be at their best.” New York Daily News.

Ernest Holmes would have loved this musical, because it’s about love.  He writes: “Love is the greatest power in the Universe, it is the basis and the source of everything... Love heals, forgives and makes whole... Unless we learn to love, we can’t get love in return... Love is the central flame of the Universe, nay, the very fire itself...Today, I am immersed in Love. I feel Love as a stream of light bringing Peace and Joy to every area of my life, healing every condition, and bringing harmony to my experience.”

And so it is.

Science and Science of Mind

In Religious Science, we study and apply the principles of Science of Mind developed by Ernest Holmes and his book, The Science of Mind. We learn how to do Spiritual Mind Treatment, and how to use our thoughts, words, actions and feelings as powerful tools to manifest what we desire to experience in life. It’s a metaphysical teaching, and the strength of our belief  propels us forward, knowing that as expressions of God in action, with the cosmic power of Creative Mind flowing to us, through us and for us, we are supported in our dreams and goals.

So could there be a scientific explanation for this? Dawson Church, in his book Mind to Matter, explores scientific research and discoveries that support the concept that the energy fields of our brains are literally creating reality. He examines studies in the fields of biology, physics, psychology, epigenetics, electromagnetism, wave phenomena and quantum mechanics that demonstrate how thoughts can be creative.

The idea that our individual local minds are part of the universal nonlocal mind is examined from the scientific viewpoint, supporting what we already know: we are individualized expressions of the One Source, the One Power, and we can use that power to transform our lives.

We may be able to heal ourselves because the body is constantly regenerating, replacing cells and rejuvenating itself at a frantic pace. Every second, 810,000 cells are being replaced...in blood vessels, digestive tract, heart, brain, eyes and more. And they regenerate in an energy field. The type of energy field bathing our body and in which cells regenerate determines biological outcome.

So what kind of energy fields drive the best outcome? Church  concludes, and various studies support, that when we create mental, emotional and spiritual fields of love and kindness, we provide a healthy energetic ecosystem in which our bodies regenerate.

So we need to lower our stress levels, shift our consciousness to cut our cortisol levels, and direct our mental state in a positive direction to effect healing. For example, the“bliss molecule” anandammide,  generated by meditation, has been shown to inhibit the formation of cancer cells. If we can shift and maintain positive mental states for a few weeks, then trillions of cells can be shaped by them.

In the laboratory, some of the electromagnetic frequencies that stimulate healthy cell growth are the same fields which can be generated by our consciousness on our brains.  Church looks especially at brain waves theta, alpha, gamma and delta. He teaches workshops on EcoMeditation, to train our brains in a particular ratio of brain waves to achieve a peak state.

EcoMeditation is based on best practices from a variety of disciplines, such as Heartmath, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique tapping), and Neurofeedback. (One EcoMeditation source of instruction can be found at: https://annesiret.com/eco-meditation/.)

We’re fortunate here at the Center to have workshops on meditation and Mindfulness. The scientific spin from Church’s book, Mind to Matter, can prod us to add these practices to our daily routine.

And so it is.