I am having a 62nd birthday tomorrow, so “Happy birthday to me” - time flies when I am on purpose and having fun!
The term ends on June 3 and so will my look at Eric Butterworth’s book …PosiTrends or Negatrends? My classmates and I have been responding to questions about EB’s books on Rev. Dr. Tom Shepherd’s blog site: http://theologybutterworth.blogspot.com/ . It is worth a look if you have enjoyed this book and/or you would like to grapple with some dynamic questions.
Let us move on to Chapter 6, The Toxic Effect of Words. For negative trends EB points out the obvious, those parts of words we have all experienced. Negative speech is destructive, indulging in pessimism, negativism and fear create those experiences in the speaker’s life, and profanity is destructive to the speaker. The video I used is powerful even though there is not a sound made during the entire video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXTAScGu7Gw&NR=1 .
EB is clear when he states, “Infinite Mind is as impersonal as the soil…The subconscious mind doesn’t discriminate. It can’t tell the difference between your causal and your casual thoughts…the subconscious mind can’t take a joke.” His suggestion is to watch your thoughts and your words carefully to make sure they reflect the world in which you want to live. This is easier said than done as those of us who have tried it can attest. We can also attest to the difference the effort has made in our lives. Try it and see the change for yourself.
In Chapter 7, The Word Is Integrity, EB sees the negative trends as focusing on our image as it appears to others instead of our character and following others when to do so is not in our best interests. Here is a video that represents this very well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXk5uJgc0s&NR=1
Building our character instead of our image is EB’s solution to the negative trends he saw around him. He thinks we need to be honest with ourselves about what we really believe. He asks, “…can your conscience be your guide?” noting that conscience is what we learn is right and wrong; we learn these values from our culture and our environment. (p. 84) When there is error thinking in either of those areas, we pick it up and use it without seeing any problem with it. EB suggests that we seek a “lofty spiritual awareness” and only when we have that awareness can we be guided by our conscience. (p. 85) EB sums up his view with this quote, “True integrity means meeting life as a mature spiritual being, realizing the importance of living within the bounds of spiritual principle―knowing that even if you can get away with some dishonesty, you can never get away from it, for under the law of compensation, you must always ‘pay the piper.’” (p. 87)
A Heritage of Gentleness is Chapter 8. Here EB cites the violence in America, aggressive business behavior and the common use of profanity as negative trends. This video clip is of a street person responding to taunts from a crowd. It is interesting to see how EB’s negative trends shout out from this short human experience of communication. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUrj_D13_Y&feature=related
Violence in relationships and in our society in general saddens EB. He cites statistics about gun use here as an illustration of this trend. EB’s figures are from 1997 or so. I checked out these statistics on the internet today and found that the United States is at the middle range among the nations of the world in the use of guns. The shift in gun use in the twelve years since EB published this work is cause for sadness in my view. EB believes that as a species, we are gentle creatures and our greatest strength is our divine potential. When we focus our attention on managing our power through serenity and poise, we allow that potential to manifest in greater degree than through force and fear.
In Chapter 9, Victory Over Excessive Dependencies, EB focuses on the crutches people use to escape their personal responsibility for life. There were so many videos about dependency and the various methods we employ to escape our lives ― alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, video games, eating, exercise, and anger, to name a few. I had difficulty narrowing it down to one. I choose an authority on drug and alcohol dependency because what she says about the shift from use to dependency applies across the board in my opinion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dNdl1-Eto&feature=related
From my perspective, EB is very judgmental in this chapter. I do not believe he has ever had to struggle to escape an excessive dependency and although his suggestions are valid, they are not helpful to people in that struggle. He rightly suggests that anything can become an excessive dependency; however, his suggestions for overcoming it seem to me to be naïve and come from the consciousness of someone who has not lived that path. The spiritual awakening that results from honestly looking at our lives and working to release our error thinking is not a onetime experience. It is a way of life and I believe that EB fails to present this view.
Be prepared to chuckle as you watch this video associated with Chapter 10, Entirement in the Golden Age. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_WcFJZ-XJo&feature=related EB talks about in this chapter the negative trends of letting age define us, declining in vitality as we age, and giving up on our contributions to life because of our age.
Go for all you can in life is EB’s suggestion. Change your attitude and your expectations for your life as you age. See all that you can do as you gain maturity and experience. Be interesting, interested, and filled with zest and enthusiasm for living; that is what EB describes as “entirement.”
The final chapter of the book, Quo Vadis, discusses what EB sees as a lack of direction and meaning in the lives of people. Here is a clip from the movie Papillion that I thought spoke directly to what EB describes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGpMLIayQEo
This is a chapter filled with EB’s vision for the future. His reiterates his message about our potential and our ability to create a world that works for everyone. EB becomes an ardent cheerleader for the positive way of life that is Unity throughout this book and especially in this chapter. His message about the principles taught by Unity is timeless and well worth study, reflection and practice.
Thank you for sharing this book with me. I look forward to your comments.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Relationships and Stress - what a pair!
My presentation on Eric Butterworth’s book Dealing Positively with the Third Millennium PosiTrends or Negatrends went well. The best part for me was the reaction to the various YouTube clips I found to represent the negative trends EB describes in his book. I will give you a link to the video I used for each chapter as we work with it. Because we have already begun our look at some chapters, I include the missing clips in this blog. All of the clips except one have sound. One word of caution, the last link I had did not work because there was a copyright issue with the film clip. That may happen with these clips, so if it is not there when you click on it and it has been removed, there will be a notice toward the top of your screen explaining why. I hope that that will not be the case.
I opened the presentation with a video clip that depicted 1968 events. That year EB published Discover The Power Within You. For those of us that lived through that period we remember the powerful events that still shape our world. Here is the link to that clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JUV34V1OIY . As of this writing, the clip is still there.
We next looked at the 1990’s because it was around 1997 that EB wrote PosiTrends or Negatrends and it was published in 1998. Thirty years after his blockbuster book Discover the Power Within You, EB and the world were still dealing with many of the same type of events. Here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3GTZQp5nNQ&feature=related
The first chapter Ground of Being spoke of negative trends toward separating religion from intellect and practicality resulting in a feeling of separation from God and decreased creativity. Here is the clip I used to give visual support to these negative trends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sLvkCX7oiE&feature=related this clip describes a group who believe there is no God which I see as an extreme example of the negative trend EB describes.
Chapter 2, Intrepreneurship for Everyone begins with EB’s description of the negative trends of job loss, job restructuring and a change in the job compensation. Here is a clip that shows two men discussing the transferring of jobs from the United States overseas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgmGGyM24y8
We discussed Chapter 3, Managing Your Own Health Care, in the last blog. I had two clips for that and I include them here for your convenience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJX4wKbRwp8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7u4zUQh1GE&feature=related
The end of the term is near; we finish it on June 3. This blog is a substitute for the twenty-page research paper normally due at the end of class, so it is necessary that I move through the remaining eight chapters quickly. I will briefly discuss two chapters in this blog and the remaining six in the blog next week.
I started this blog saying that I was comparing EB’s work Discover The Power Within You with PosiTrends or Negatrends to see if EB’s theology had changed in the intervening thirty years. It has become clear to me as I listen to my classmates describe the books EB has written during this intervening period, as well as my study of PosiTrends or Negatrends, that there is virtually no change in EB’s theology.
I think EB’s goal in his writing was to appeal to a section of society that is able to accept and use Unity principles in their lives. I do not believe EB’s theology or ideas will work in situations where people are functioning at or just above survival level. In my view, EB does not provide sufficient specific information for people to effectively use his ideas in critical situations such as life threatening illness or poverty unless they have been using similar techniques and have a new thought consciousness. EB is inspiring and gives people a place to start with this new consciousness. He plants seeds of thought and for that, I am grateful to him.
Let us look at Chapter 4, The Relationship Revolution. The negative trends that EB describes in this chapter refer to the behaviors of prejudice toward minorities, bigotry in general, and an absence of peace among peoples of the earth. Here is a clip I particularly enjoyed that speaks to those trends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJTd2eVvfoM
In this chapter, I think EB gets as close as he ever has to advocating spiritual social action. EB believes that all problems between races are essentially problems with people as they attempt to express love toward themselves and their neighbors. He says on page 43, “A great goal for the people of planet Earth in the New Millennium is to resolve the confusion that sets us apart and find the way to communication between people of diverse backgrounds.” The way for us to find that communication according to EB is to shift our reactions to what people say and do away from fear and suspicion to love and acceptance. EB takes ten pages to say we need to follow Jesus’ teaching and use the power of love for others and ourselves.
Chapter 5, Dealing with Stress, is particularly close to my heart and the hearts of my classmates. As we near the end of term, there are what seems like mountains of papers to write and little time in which to do it. EB would caution us that the calendar, the clock, our instructors, our desire to achieve, all these things are part of the negative trend that saps our energy, creativity, and enjoyment of life. This clip shows a group of people in an elevator. The first person to get on the elevator is in a hurry to get somewhere else. Have you ever felt that kind of stress? Here is what happens in the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYEGHuwZhFU&feature=related
EB works to make a case in this chapter for shifting your attention away from stressors to thoughts that soothe and calm. He cites clinical studies that describe the impact of too much stress on the body and the resulting lowered immunity to illness. As he has stated many times before in this book and his other works, he believes we must control our thoughts. He says on page 61, “If you want to protect yourself from the strain of anxiety or the fear of failure, be certain to keep yourself ‘now-minded’.” When we focus on the present, we can change our pace and make time for relaxation.
See you next week. I am going to relax and play with my cat!
I opened the presentation with a video clip that depicted 1968 events. That year EB published Discover The Power Within You. For those of us that lived through that period we remember the powerful events that still shape our world. Here is the link to that clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JUV34V1OIY . As of this writing, the clip is still there.
We next looked at the 1990’s because it was around 1997 that EB wrote PosiTrends or Negatrends and it was published in 1998. Thirty years after his blockbuster book Discover the Power Within You, EB and the world were still dealing with many of the same type of events. Here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3GTZQp5nNQ&feature=related
The first chapter Ground of Being spoke of negative trends toward separating religion from intellect and practicality resulting in a feeling of separation from God and decreased creativity. Here is the clip I used to give visual support to these negative trends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sLvkCX7oiE&feature=related this clip describes a group who believe there is no God which I see as an extreme example of the negative trend EB describes.
Chapter 2, Intrepreneurship for Everyone begins with EB’s description of the negative trends of job loss, job restructuring and a change in the job compensation. Here is a clip that shows two men discussing the transferring of jobs from the United States overseas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgmGGyM24y8
We discussed Chapter 3, Managing Your Own Health Care, in the last blog. I had two clips for that and I include them here for your convenience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJX4wKbRwp8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7u4zUQh1GE&feature=related
The end of the term is near; we finish it on June 3. This blog is a substitute for the twenty-page research paper normally due at the end of class, so it is necessary that I move through the remaining eight chapters quickly. I will briefly discuss two chapters in this blog and the remaining six in the blog next week.
I started this blog saying that I was comparing EB’s work Discover The Power Within You with PosiTrends or Negatrends to see if EB’s theology had changed in the intervening thirty years. It has become clear to me as I listen to my classmates describe the books EB has written during this intervening period, as well as my study of PosiTrends or Negatrends, that there is virtually no change in EB’s theology.
I think EB’s goal in his writing was to appeal to a section of society that is able to accept and use Unity principles in their lives. I do not believe EB’s theology or ideas will work in situations where people are functioning at or just above survival level. In my view, EB does not provide sufficient specific information for people to effectively use his ideas in critical situations such as life threatening illness or poverty unless they have been using similar techniques and have a new thought consciousness. EB is inspiring and gives people a place to start with this new consciousness. He plants seeds of thought and for that, I am grateful to him.
Let us look at Chapter 4, The Relationship Revolution. The negative trends that EB describes in this chapter refer to the behaviors of prejudice toward minorities, bigotry in general, and an absence of peace among peoples of the earth. Here is a clip I particularly enjoyed that speaks to those trends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJTd2eVvfoM
In this chapter, I think EB gets as close as he ever has to advocating spiritual social action. EB believes that all problems between races are essentially problems with people as they attempt to express love toward themselves and their neighbors. He says on page 43, “A great goal for the people of planet Earth in the New Millennium is to resolve the confusion that sets us apart and find the way to communication between people of diverse backgrounds.” The way for us to find that communication according to EB is to shift our reactions to what people say and do away from fear and suspicion to love and acceptance. EB takes ten pages to say we need to follow Jesus’ teaching and use the power of love for others and ourselves.
Chapter 5, Dealing with Stress, is particularly close to my heart and the hearts of my classmates. As we near the end of term, there are what seems like mountains of papers to write and little time in which to do it. EB would caution us that the calendar, the clock, our instructors, our desire to achieve, all these things are part of the negative trend that saps our energy, creativity, and enjoyment of life. This clip shows a group of people in an elevator. The first person to get on the elevator is in a hurry to get somewhere else. Have you ever felt that kind of stress? Here is what happens in the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYEGHuwZhFU&feature=related
EB works to make a case in this chapter for shifting your attention away from stressors to thoughts that soothe and calm. He cites clinical studies that describe the impact of too much stress on the body and the resulting lowered immunity to illness. As he has stated many times before in this book and his other works, he believes we must control our thoughts. He says on page 61, “If you want to protect yourself from the strain of anxiety or the fear of failure, be certain to keep yourself ‘now-minded’.” When we focus on the present, we can change our pace and make time for relaxation.
See you next week. I am going to relax and play with my cat!
Looking back on EB and his work
My questions for EB. Parkinson's disease is devastating to the body. What denials and affirmations do you use to cope with the ravages of the disease? What would you say about prosperity to people living in survival conditions; how would you make your message meaningful to them? What do you think about Unity's new spiritual social action direction?
EB did not believe in a theistic god, the god that most people worship. EB believed in God as principle and used scientific prayer to access principle. It was important to EB that people recognize that prayer in no way changes God; prayer changes the consciousness of the person praying.
EB did not believe in a theistic god, the god that most people worship. EB believed in God as principle and used scientific prayer to access principle. It was important to EB that people recognize that prayer in no way changes God; prayer changes the consciousness of the person praying.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Managing Your Health
Hello folks! I wish you could be in class with me on Mondays. We have been discussing each of the books written by Eric Butterworth (EB). On May 5, we looked at Spiritual Economics led in our discussion by my classmate, Jackie. We discovered that EB did not talk about economics in the book, although he did offer his thoughts on prosperity. Jackie clearly enjoyed the book and showed us many places where EB’s ideas about spirituality and prosperity were especially inspiring.
This week Jenn led our group through the steps of creation from EB’s perspective in the book The Creative Life, 7 Keys to Your Creative Genius. It was a lively discussion! Jen did a wonderful job of showing us creation through EB’s words as well as some amazing pictures she found on the Internet.
If you are interested in reading some of EB’s works, the Eric Butterworth Foundation operates a website where you can purchase any of his books; there are a number of them. Here is the website: http://store.ericbutterworth.com/index.php?cPath=21 it is worth your time to check it out!
I am doing a presentation this coming Monday on Negatrends and PosiTrends. I will be using YouTube videos to help illustrate the trends EB says are plaguing our society. In this blog, we are looking at Chapter 3 which deals with managing your own health care. I plan to show only about the first 90 seconds of this first video. It was created by a health management organization (HMO), so it is biased in favor of their telling you what is good for your health. Look at it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJX4wKbRwp8
EB says that as a society we have treated our health care as something that someone else looks after for us; that we no longer can afford to continue this trend. This first video clearly shows marketing by an HMO that presumes people always allow doctors and the medical system to dictate their health regimen. He believes this trend toward dependency upon others to take care of our health is a serious problem.
When I watched the video I noticed that I felt comforted knowing that personally I exercise, watch what I eat, and visit the doctor regularly. Could I be one of the people EB is describing? In my defense, I use what my doctor says as wisdom from someone who has studied medicine extensively. For the most part, I make my own choices and let my doctor know what I believe is best for me. I also have a regular prayer practice and I pay attention to what my body tells me about stretching, exercise, food, sleep, and stress.
The second video about health care demonstrates what our children are being taught about managing their health, as well as the idea that “bugs” are “going around.” (p. 28)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7u4zUQh1GE&feature=related EB describes how we use ailments that are making the circuit through our population as general conversation. He believes this contributes to “psychic infection” and “a contagion of fear” which keeps us from experiencing the Divine power within us.
What does EB tell us to do? “…we shall have to take charge of our physical life…we shall need to understand and practice the metaphysics of holism.” (p 29-30) In Discover the Power Within You, EB clearly states that we have the power within us to heal our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits. Many chapters are devoted to sharing how we can do this healing. He has chapters entitled, Your Thought Is Your Life and Jesus’ Formula for Healing. He tells us to change our thinking, recognize that we are one with God and know that healing has already manifest, just as Jesus did.
So what is illness according to EB? He believes that the symptoms our bodies and minds demonstrate tell us what we “…need to eliminate in your thinking and feeling…telling you where and how you have repressed the energy that is life, blocking its free flow into expression.” (p 31) Our body is a perfect creation spiritually even though there may be imperfections in the way it looks or operates. If we remember this, it helps us focus on our wholeness, not our illness.
The medical community may prescribe medication, bind wounds and perform surgeries in support of the healing process; God does the actual healing according to EB. He invites doctors to let patients know about the power that is healing them. He uses the term “Cosmic Healing Flow” which he believes is “present in its entirety at every point in space.” (p 35) Attuning our consciousness to this power facilitates this wholeness. EB believes that fundamentally, time is the difference between medical and spiritual healing when we disregard techniques.
For EB, prayer touches this healing flow within us. Prayer releases it to renew and rejuvenate our cells, “reversing physical ills…the healing process is stepped up…like speeding up the recording of a symphony so that a full hour’s rendition is heard in one grand chord.” (p 37) Healing is not merely speeded up, it is rapidly manifest, in a holy instant. In the chapter entitled The Forgotten Art of Prayer in Discover the Power Within You, EB started us on the path of awareness of the massive power of prayer. In Negatrends and PosiTrends he is more focused in his description of how prayer impacts healing, the same message just more succinct.
Lastly, EB reassures us that there are no miracles in healing. None of nature’s powers is bypassed or negated. “God doesn’t deal in miracles. God is the wholeness of life, substance, and intelligence that is always present.” (p 37) This is what I affirm with people in prayer on the telephone during my Silent Unity shifts. The healing is present even as I pray. I affirm this with people and invite them to collaborate with Silent Unity in this affirmation of the Truth of their wholeness. EB would wholeheartedly agree!
EB reminds us that our bodies are our responsibility and we have all we need to maintain our health. One of EB’s PosiTrends says, “Real health is not a matter of defeating illness but of releasing wellness.” He tells us to remember that our bodies are “biased on the side of life” and that “There is always an Allness even within any seeming illness.” (p 39)
This week Jenn led our group through the steps of creation from EB’s perspective in the book The Creative Life, 7 Keys to Your Creative Genius. It was a lively discussion! Jen did a wonderful job of showing us creation through EB’s words as well as some amazing pictures she found on the Internet.
If you are interested in reading some of EB’s works, the Eric Butterworth Foundation operates a website where you can purchase any of his books; there are a number of them. Here is the website: http://store.ericbutterworth.com/index.php?cPath=21 it is worth your time to check it out!
I am doing a presentation this coming Monday on Negatrends and PosiTrends. I will be using YouTube videos to help illustrate the trends EB says are plaguing our society. In this blog, we are looking at Chapter 3 which deals with managing your own health care. I plan to show only about the first 90 seconds of this first video. It was created by a health management organization (HMO), so it is biased in favor of their telling you what is good for your health. Look at it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJX4wKbRwp8
EB says that as a society we have treated our health care as something that someone else looks after for us; that we no longer can afford to continue this trend. This first video clearly shows marketing by an HMO that presumes people always allow doctors and the medical system to dictate their health regimen. He believes this trend toward dependency upon others to take care of our health is a serious problem.
When I watched the video I noticed that I felt comforted knowing that personally I exercise, watch what I eat, and visit the doctor regularly. Could I be one of the people EB is describing? In my defense, I use what my doctor says as wisdom from someone who has studied medicine extensively. For the most part, I make my own choices and let my doctor know what I believe is best for me. I also have a regular prayer practice and I pay attention to what my body tells me about stretching, exercise, food, sleep, and stress.
The second video about health care demonstrates what our children are being taught about managing their health, as well as the idea that “bugs” are “going around.” (p. 28)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7u4zUQh1GE&feature=related EB describes how we use ailments that are making the circuit through our population as general conversation. He believes this contributes to “psychic infection” and “a contagion of fear” which keeps us from experiencing the Divine power within us.
What does EB tell us to do? “…we shall have to take charge of our physical life…we shall need to understand and practice the metaphysics of holism.” (p 29-30) In Discover the Power Within You, EB clearly states that we have the power within us to heal our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits. Many chapters are devoted to sharing how we can do this healing. He has chapters entitled, Your Thought Is Your Life and Jesus’ Formula for Healing. He tells us to change our thinking, recognize that we are one with God and know that healing has already manifest, just as Jesus did.
So what is illness according to EB? He believes that the symptoms our bodies and minds demonstrate tell us what we “…need to eliminate in your thinking and feeling…telling you where and how you have repressed the energy that is life, blocking its free flow into expression.” (p 31) Our body is a perfect creation spiritually even though there may be imperfections in the way it looks or operates. If we remember this, it helps us focus on our wholeness, not our illness.
The medical community may prescribe medication, bind wounds and perform surgeries in support of the healing process; God does the actual healing according to EB. He invites doctors to let patients know about the power that is healing them. He uses the term “Cosmic Healing Flow” which he believes is “present in its entirety at every point in space.” (p 35) Attuning our consciousness to this power facilitates this wholeness. EB believes that fundamentally, time is the difference between medical and spiritual healing when we disregard techniques.
For EB, prayer touches this healing flow within us. Prayer releases it to renew and rejuvenate our cells, “reversing physical ills…the healing process is stepped up…like speeding up the recording of a symphony so that a full hour’s rendition is heard in one grand chord.” (p 37) Healing is not merely speeded up, it is rapidly manifest, in a holy instant. In the chapter entitled The Forgotten Art of Prayer in Discover the Power Within You, EB started us on the path of awareness of the massive power of prayer. In Negatrends and PosiTrends he is more focused in his description of how prayer impacts healing, the same message just more succinct.
Lastly, EB reassures us that there are no miracles in healing. None of nature’s powers is bypassed or negated. “God doesn’t deal in miracles. God is the wholeness of life, substance, and intelligence that is always present.” (p 37) This is what I affirm with people in prayer on the telephone during my Silent Unity shifts. The healing is present even as I pray. I affirm this with people and invite them to collaborate with Silent Unity in this affirmation of the Truth of their wholeness. EB would wholeheartedly agree!
EB reminds us that our bodies are our responsibility and we have all we need to maintain our health. One of EB’s PosiTrends says, “Real health is not a matter of defeating illness but of releasing wellness.” He tells us to remember that our bodies are “biased on the side of life” and that “There is always an Allness even within any seeming illness.” (p 39)
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