The Sanity of Fair Exchange

The Joy of a Soul Connection

Regular meditation can open the door to an unending supply of blissful joy.

By Owen K Waters

When we tune into the soul level of consciousness, we find that there is much more to achieving personal happiness than anything related to external events. Real joy comes from within, from an unending source that is divine in origin.

The creative will of the Divine Father aspect of God merged in perfect union with the everlasting love of the Divine Mother aspect of God together fill the universe with total, unadulterated, blissful joy!

The greatest discovery of a person who regularly practices meditation is that, one day, the door will open to this unending supply of blissful joy. On that day, the spiritual seeker knows, beyond all shadow of any doubt, that God lies silently within all things and all consciousness. We are a part of that Divine Oneness, and it is through the joy of soul consciousness that we realize this connection.

Remember that your soul consciousness is your complete, inner consciousness. Your daily, conscious awareness, on the other hand, is focused on the outside world for a purpose. The true purpose is so that we can find our way back to that from which we came, even though we are spiritually “blindfolded,” so to speak. The game of life on Earth is played so that we can experience the rediscovery of that joyous connection to the oneness from which we originally came. All the happiness in the world pales in comparison with the supreme joy of that inner connection. Soul-inspired joy is lasting happiness. It has no beginning and no end because it is always there, just as God is always there, within each and every one of us.

Spiritual Dynamics

with Owen K. Waters

Owen is a cofounder of the Spiritual Dynamics Academy, where a where a free spiritual growth newsletter awaits you at: http://www.SpiritualDynamics.net. He is an international spiritual teacher who has helped hundreds of thousands of spiritual seekers to understand better the nature of their spiritual potential. Owen’s life has been focused upon gaining spiritual insights through extensive research and the development of his inner vision. For the past 12 years, he has written a spiritual metaphysics newsletter which empowers people to discover their own new vistas of inspiration, love and creativity. Spiritual seekers enjoy his writings for their insight and clarity.

Spring into Joy

We can find wonderment and inspiration in our lives by focusing on the things that lift us up and feed our spirit.

By Mary Boutieller

Spring is in the air as we move into the lovely month of April. Budding trees, warmer weather, more energy and movement as we get outside and celebrate this beautiful time of year!

As each month passes by, we know that time marches on no matter what else is happening in our lives or in the world. One day unfolds into the next, babies are born, loved ones pass on and, if we are lucky, we all get another opportunity to take a spin on this lovely planet. Yet “times” seem crazier than ever—more bad news, more crowds and frustration, more traffic, more things to worry about, stress over, be depressed about....unless we make a conscious effort to find joy, wonderment and inspiration in our everyday surroundings.

Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, in her book The Wisdom of No Escape, talks about those times when we feel overwhelmed or scared or uneasy. She suggests that instead of doing the same habitual thing—like crawling under the covers and wanting to give up, we pull ourselves up in our own way and do something to try and feel better. It could be as simple as a nice warm shower, a walk in the park, a phone call to a friend. She says, “Maybe I just have to figure out how to rouse myself genuinely, because there are a lot of people suffering like this, and if I can do it, they can do it.”

So how do we find that joy or inspiration in our own lives? Where do we turn in order to keep things in perspective and build up resilience? Maria Popova, in one of her brilliant Brain Pickings newsletters, asks this profound question: “Who are the people, ideas and books that magnify your spirit?” And then she says, “Find them, hold on to them, and visit them often. Use them not only as a remedy once spiritual malaise has already infected your vitality but as a vaccine administered while you are healthy to protect your radiance.”

Yes—that makes perfect sense! Why wait until I am down in the dumps before I take “spiritual counsel” from the people, books or activities I love? How much better would it be if we continually filled our cups with inspiring prose or beautiful sunsets—any of those life-giving, nourishing things that speak to our souls and remind us why we are alive, why we get out of bed in the morning and why it all matters!

This question prompted me to take inventory of those places that I turn to when I need solace or inspiration. I pondered what it is that feeds my soul, both when I am down and when I am full of joy and gratitude. Here are a few things I’d like to share with you that serve as a salve for my soul: 1) My darling husband, family and friends who fill my life with love and laughter and patience and wisdom are foremost in my cup-filling category. 2) Brain Pickings weekly newsletters (http:// www.brainpickings.org) are a constant source of inspiration. Maria Popolov’s writing and the resources she draws upon often send me down the rabbit hole of beauty. 3) Poetry: Mary Oliver, Danna Faulds, Wendell Berry, Maya Angelou, Mark Nepo, and others. I read their works regularly to remind myself of humanity and nature and growth. Their observations remind me to view my world with a wider lens.