Saturday, October 29, 2016

How to grow your soul


A Course In Miracles is a difficult text for most people to read for a number of reasons. However, the main ideas in the course are simple. The first idea is that the opposite of love is fear and fear blocks are awareness of Love's presence.

Neuroscience has found that the default position in the brain of homo sapiens which has survival value and so this default position has been favored in our evolution is fear, the flight or fight response of the amygdala. The rustling in the bushes we hear may be a tiger or a person with a gun getting ready to mug or rape us.

It takes a conscious effort sometimes for us to use our prefrontal cortex, the reasoning part of our brain to override the fight or fight response of the amygdala. The synaptic connections in our brains are plastic. They can be changed with consistent practice. Mother Teresa said that we should be kind to every one and start with the person next to us. Jesus said to love our enemies. This change in behavior takes conscious effort and does not come to us automatically.

Virtues are acquired habits of mind, intention, and behavior. They usually do not come to us "naturally" but must be developed as habits of character. Ask yourself, "Can I be deliberately kind today to people I don't like, who scare me, and I disagree with."

Yes, we can if we decide to. It takes effort, it takes awareness, it takes intention, it takes action.

Today, start being kind to people you don't like and you disagree with and/or feel threatened by. Watch your soul grow.

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