I found myself bored the other night with nothing to do. I thought it would be a good time to practice my inner work. I decided to continue reading The Impersonal Life, which I am finding extremely helpful. I recommend this to anyone with those deep, basic, nagging questions.

        A Course in Miracles is obviously great at addressing these things but it is interesting to read something different and a bit prior.

        After some reading, I felt peaceful and decided to head up to my room by the window where I like to absorb information and ask God what he would have me do (many times out of boredom J). I just started doing this and am finding it helpful.

        After sitting by the window awhile, the floor started looking comfortable so I sprawled out next to my cat and drifted into a light nap.

        As I woke, a louder-than-usual voice said "True inspiration comes from doing, not wanting". I don't get these loud voices very often but it got me thinking how The Impersonal Life stresses that we are our own masters and that our true self and spiritual work are all within; that the physical world is all a reflection of that. It also emphasizes that God is in us, just begging for us to listen and create as he would.

Basically, it calls us to keep the focus within, to let creation spring from that place of wisdom, and that materialistic pursuits are only helpful in leading us back to see that the journey is entirely within.

         I began to think how all the answers I need are already inside me. I have gone to other people and places before, hoping to get answers, but I always knew that those "answers" would be filtered by my ego anyway; that they were usually things I already knew but had not yet accepted.

         If we already have all the answers then it is important to listen. I recently went to the Course in Miracles Conference in San Francisco where Pamela Silberman spoke about her book, Simply Being. In this book, she has journal entries in which she asked God a question and wrote down the answer she heard. I decided to try this for myself and it was a lovely experience.

        The following is my conversation. I'm not proclaiming there to be any deep wisdom for others here but it was very therapeutic for me and I want to share. I think this will be a helpful practice going forth. It may have been the ego speaking, it may have been Holy Spirit, or God, but it made me feel good so it doesn't matter. I personally believe that all acts are acts of creation and thus involve the Holy Spirit. So if I am one with God and the Holy Spirit, then I can say I wrote all of this. If somebody writes something wonderful, then they are the author because they are an amazing co-creator with God. Whether it is a shopping list, The Cat in the Hat, or a work that inspires millions of people, they are holy acts of creation. So let's take credit for our grandeur. I think this is what the Course calls us to do.

         Moving on now, here is how the conversation went after my nap:

Higher Self: (Words that jerked me from my nap) True inspiration comes from doing, not wanting.

me: If this is a world of illusions, how do I keep from feeling withdrawn?

Higher Self: If you were not delusional, you would not see illusions. Do not hide from them. Confront them that your perception may be healed. Go experience as a child. If you think you want something, do something. Wanting enlightenment is not the same as being enlightened. You are already enlightened, so go be that.

me: Why do I get so bored lately and what should I do?

Higher Self: Boredom is not in the now. You are not paying enough attention. Fear not the bounty of opportunities to create that surround you at any moment.

me: How do I look upon the world with excitement and joy? What is holding me back? It seems like it is right there, but there is always something in the way.

Higher Self: Keep removing your blocks. There is much work to do. You know the answers and you know you know the answers. Stop talking your way out of truth. This is why you feel stuck. Your path is covered in the tar of your fear. As you remove your fear, so will you walk your path in grace.

me: This person makes me uncomfortable because they seem so depressed. How can I feel more naturally comfortable around them?

Higher Self: Imagine how your discomfort is making them feel. Give them the peace you want to feel.

me: How do I stay motivated to practice in the physical world when I know my real work is on the inside?

Higher Self: Your inner work prepares you for experiencing the outer. It is important but not complete unless you use it in an act of creation. Listen, learn, and do are the phases of shedding each layer of the ego. Thought leads to creation, creation leads to understanding. Your dedication to inner work will keep you in appreciation of this process, thereby providing you with the inspiration you yearn for.

~Daniel