Tonight in the Mindshifters Support Group we watched the second half of the video titled, Purpose, Personal Power and Commitment. In this lecture Dr. Ryce describes how the primary purpose for everyone, as stated in the ancient texts, is to create a viable, conscious, spiritual body. Toward this end he recommends the age old tool of tithing. This means giving ten percent of your T.I.M.E., or time, intelligence, money and energy, to the task of building a viable conscious spiritual body. This means giving 2.4 hours a day to the things that will keep you in touch with and stimulated by the spiritual energy that is you and surrounds you.
The secondary purpose is something which is unique to each of us and Dr. Ryce offers the following tool for deciding what your secondary purpose should be. 1) Make a list of things that you are naturally good at doing. 2) Make a list of things you really like doing. 3) Write a short description of how the world will look to you, when it is perfect. Then create a statement in the following format. “I now use … ( take 2 or 3 things from list number one), to do… (take 2 or 3 things from list number two), to help the world become… (write out the description you have regarding how the world will look when it is perfect.) [For more detailed information and to download a free worksheet for this exercise visit www.whyagain.com]
The second half of this two hour video discusses the need for us to focus our energies. The process which focuses our energies is the setting of goals. If we are not clear about our purpose, it will not be possible to set goals which serve our purpose. Once we are clear about our purpose and we set goals, they work to focus our energies the way a magnifying glass focuses the sunlight so that it can burn a hole through a piece of paper, or start a fire with kindling wood. There is no limit to the things we can accomplish when we focus our personal power, and when we are in alignment with the creative energy which surrounds and runs through us.
The discussion in the group tonight centered around what things prevent each of us from being more focused and more productive. Each member who looked at this question found some sort of fear or other intense emotion which was at the heart of the “blockage” to being more clear about one’s goals and the focused application of their personal energy. Several people got feedback on what exercises or worksheets they could do to clarify what is blocking them from being happier, more productive, and more satisfied. The exercises included the Reality Management Worksheet, and the Mindshifters tool, [both are available free from www.whyagain.com]
My personal take-away from tonight’s meeting was that I want to re-work my secondary purpose yet again. I want to be more clear about my goals and more specific, so that I can be more productive in areas which bring me more satisfaction and joy, while helping to make the world a better place. I have realized over the past few months that I have been more scattered in my energies than I would like. I have been “juggling too many balls”, and I am feeling less productive and more “sluggish” than I would like. While trying to do too many things, and be too much to too many people, I am feeling less happy, more stressed and less productive.
I want to follow Joseph Campbell’s advice to his students, “Follow your Bliss!”.
I invite those from the Mindshifters group to post their comments on what was most striking about the video this week and their “take-away” from the discussion, whether it was work they were doing directly, or what they learned about themselves while listening to someone else.
Dr. Tim