If Not Now, When?

"In between stimulus and response there is a space, in that space lies our power to choose our response, in our response lies our growth and freedom." - Victor Frankl, Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor

A man lies dying in a hospital bed. He has spent his entire life building for the future, doing what needed to be done to amass wealth and raise his status to a level he thought worthy. Now he has reached the end of his days and finds himself filled with remorse rather than satisfaction. In his final moments, he turns to his doctor and says, 'I spent my whole life stepping on people in order to get to where I want to be, and now there's no one left for me. It's only now that I realize it's so simple. It's who you love and how you love and the rest of it, the rest of it never mattered.' That is a powerful lesson, yet he has little time left to make use of it. -from The Now Effect by Elisha Goldstein

To know what really matters to us; to tease out the deepest and most precious meaning; to exploit our capacity for awe, wonder and delight are the pearls of great price in a lifetime. These pearls will be the treasures we will seek to uncover and embody during this fall's Journey of Awakening at Unity Center of Davis. The book that will guide our treasure hunt is The Now Effect, How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life by Elisha Goldstein, PhD.

What is the Now Effect? Dr. Goldstein maintains, " ...when we can train our minds to see the spaces of choice in our lives and meet them with mindfulness, we can literally rewire a healthier brain and change the way we think before we think." This is what he calls The Now Effect.

Personally I recognize how much of a time traveler I am, visiting the past, projecting my attention into future possibilities and possible outcomes. I know this human tendency very well, and yet I am becoming more aware of how costly are these trips away from the present moment.  Unless I am "here and now" with my awareness, I have no choice but to react from my conditioned mind. Since most of my unconscious reactions are protective, or defensive, or fear based, I rarely, if ever, achieve a desirable state of mind or heart. However, in those moments when I can keep my attention in the present moment, my perception is finer, and I have room to pivot. In that state of clarity, I am much more likely to see the facts, without the story, and generate responses that will lead me to the pearls of life.

Dr. Goldstein will get us started on our journey this Sunday by giving a message entitled, "Paying Attention to Your Intention." He will also offer an afternoon workshop on Conscious Healing, The Power of Mindfulness from 1- 2:30 pm.

This will be a very practical series with a simple premise. Yet, with widespread application to every area of our lives, it can profoundly enhance the precious moments that make up our days. Across the many traditions, awareness is the entry point for all spiritual growth and development. Through mindfulness, we see more clearly and thus glimpse our depths and our capacities to experience and express our Divine nature. At the very least, it will give us pause where we might otherwise have sped past a critical junction, where mindfulness might yield a higher path for us to follow. We'll create opportunities to find the "spaces" in our life, those defining moments, where we can consciously choose those responses that will lead us to greater "growth and freedom."

I personally want to invite, and perhaps challenge you, to make a conscious choice to attend as many of these Sunday services over the next seven weeks as possible.  Of course, you are always free to come and go at Unity, without guilt or judgment of any kind. However, the benefits of regular attendance and involvement are so much better than the freedom to stay home. Spiritual growth is a progressive process, and relationships require regular quality connections. Those who attend UCOD on a regular basis consistently report the cumulative positive effect of their diligent practice.  Try it and see for yourself.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you, for all the good it will bring us.