Our life before becoming an embodiment of Spirit was exactly like our Source. Then we began the transition process and became a tiny fetus intended to spend nine months developing in our mother’s womb. I contend that we’ve chosen to enter this world of particles and form. In ways that we don’t readily comprehend now, when we were in our place of origin we knew what we were coming here to accomplish, and we participated in setting this life process in motion.
Why place the responsibility or blame on any one or any thing that’s not a part of us? On Earth we have been given the gift of volition (that is, we can choose), so let’s assume that we had the same capacity when we resided exclusively in the spiritual realm. We chose our physical body, just as we chose the parents we needed for the trip. And it doesn’t seem too great a stretch to believe that we chose this life in concert with our Source.
The very first particle of human protoplasm intended to be our self wasn’t the architect of our physical being—instead, it was an aspect of an invisible, formless energy field that was our self manifesting. In the particle, and the energy field from which it emanated, were the size and shape of our eyes, our legs, our mouth, and so on. So it feels intuitively natural to me to assume that in that field of energy, the very shape of our life was also encapsulated.
You see, deep within us lies an awareness of what shape our life is to take. We can hear that voice, the one that wants us to know our calling, if we choose . . . but first we need to surrender to that Divine plan we signed up for before our conception.
Our First Nine Months in Form
Let’s take a second to go back to what took place from the first moment of our manifestation into a particle, right up until the instant that we emerged from our mother’s womb.
Our embryo became a fetus in a space of total faith and harmony—it had no demands, since it was simply carried along by the Divine forces of nature. The basics of our development occurred without our interference: Our brain developed independent of our ideas about how it should be done; our heart, liver, kidneys, toes, fingers, eyebrows, and every other feature appeared on a schedule that seems miraculous from this side of the womb! For most of us, it was nine months in the hands of the Source of life inside a woman’s womb (who may or may not have been welcoming our existence). Whatever energy we needed to grow into the being that we signed up to be flowed directly to and through us.
How could we have gotten along so well in those first nine months with only the cooperation of our mother allowing us to develop inside of her? How could everything we required for the beginning of our human journey be so perfectly aligned with the Creative Spirit? The seed that we came from was so tiny that millions of them could fit on the head of a pin, and it looked identical to the seed that begins a giraffe, a palm tree, or any other living organism. So how did it eventually become you or me?
The seed materialized into what we intended to become under the auspices of the Creative Intelligence, and it flourished with the assistance of that remarkable Spirit that’s responsible for all of life. The entire process of creation simply unfolded. . . . During those months that we lived in the womb, it’s safe to say that we were in-Spirit—we were allowing Spirit to perfectly align without any effort on our part. We were provided for entirely by a life force that none of us can completely describe or explain. We were a little larvae-shaped ooze ball that, in a relatively short period of time, became a human being with the apparatus necessary to support life outside of the womb.
We can see that there’s a force in the Universe that’s 100 percent trustworthy, one that we relied upon to get us here. It creates and manifests from a spirit of love, cooperation, beauty, and expansiveness, and it’s to this flawless work of Spirit that we can return in order to know inspiration. Throughout our life, we continue our development outside of the womb, wherein we rely on the energy of creation to fuel the light of inspiration within us.
Now I’d like to share a conversation I was privileged to have with my originating Spirit. (As I mentioned previously, this is an exercise that we can all do in our imagination.) It was an amazing experience, which I encourage everyone to seek the opportunity to have, or at least be on the lookout for circumstances that will make it happen.
My Conversation with My Spirit Before Manifesting into a Physical Particle
Being in a Universe that’s created and guided by an organizing intelligence that precludes accidents and coincidences, I’ve always felt that my presence here at this time is a component of that intelligent system. In a powerful experience of hypnosis, I recreated a conversation between my highest spiritual self and my originating Source to which I’m still connected. This one imaginary exchange has been exceedingly helpful to me for the major portion of my adult life.
I was conceived on the first day of September in 1939 and born on the tenth day of May in 1940. The day of my conception was the same day that Adolf Hitler invaded Poland; two days later, World War II was initiated. I was born on the same day that the Nazis invaded and occupied Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and I saw the Holocaust coming. I knew that I was to play a dominant role in reversing the kind of hatred that precipitated the horrendous actions that resulted in the slaughter of millions.
I came here to teach self-reliance and compassion, just as in an earlier incarnation in the 13th century when I wandered through Europe and Asia with or as Francesco Bernadone (who later became Saint Francis of Assisi), attempting to stop the vicious activities known as the Crusades. My infinite soul was, and still is, tormented by human beings’ inhumanity to their fellow humans and wants to eradicate suffering caused by separating ourselves collectively and individually and using violence to settle disputes. The answer, it seems to me, is to teach others how to connect to their Source and stay in this consciousness of love, peace, kindness, and oneness. When enough of us make this journey back to being in-Spirit, our groups and collectives will reflect the inspiration I’m called to promote in one way or another.
As I readied myself to make the shift from an exclusively spiritual being into the world of particles in 1939, I had the following conversation with the Creative Intelligence I’ll call God.
God: What would you like to accomplish on this journey you’re about to undertake?
Me: I’d like to teach self-reliance, compassion, and forgiveness.
God: Are you certain this is what you wish to dedicate this lifetime to?
Me: Yes. I can see the need even more clearly now.
God: Well, then, I think we’d better put your little ass into a series of foster homes and have you stay there for a decade or so, where you’ll learn to experience relying upon yourself. And we’ll remove your parents so that you won’t be dissuaded from your mission.
Me: I accept that. But what about my parents? Who will best facilitate my life’s purpose?
God: You can select Melvin Lyle Dyer as your father. A prisoner, an alcoholic, and a thief, he’ll abandon you as a baby and never show up in your life. You’ll first practice hating him and seeking revenge, but you’ll ultimately forgive him, long after he’s left his body. This act of forgiveness will be the single-most important event of your life. It will put you on the path that you’re signing up for.
Me: And my mother?
God: Take Hazel Dyer, Lyle’s wife. Her compassion for all of her children will give you an example to follow. She’ll steadfastly work herself to the bone to reunite you and your brothers after ten years or so of her own suffering.
Me: Isn’t it an awfully cruel fate for my father?
God: Not at all. He signed up for this 25 years ago. He dedicated this entire lifetime to teach one of his children the lesson of forgiveness—a noble gesture, wouldn’t you say? And your mother is here to show you how true compassion shows up every day. Now get down there and participate in becoming a particle.
In the Introduction of my book You’ll See It When You Believe It, I wrote about finding my father and visiting his grave in the early 1970s. The
facts that led me there defy the laws of logic—and visiting it was the final hurdle I needed to overcome before initiating my writing and speaking career, or the mission I’d signed up for back in 1939.
I’ve also visited the Holocaust sites of Europe and read and reread the history of events that contributed to the hatred that created war. In the 1960s I worked to bring peace to the events surrounding the horrible Vietnam War, and today my attention is often focused on finding an alternative to the violence and hatred in Africa, the Middle East, and particularly Iraq. My calling is deep within me and has a hold on me. Like Arthur Miller, I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I’m probably being guided by what Spirit and I decided at the inception of this journey. One thing I know for certain is that I’m inspired!
I’ve described my personal insight about my calling to encourage all of you to examine your own life—including all of its travails and success—as a necessary experience in order to fulfill your mission. Looking at life from this perspective nurtures the deep yearning within that will beckon you back to Spirit.
Looking at Life from an Inspired Perspective
As you can see from my own example, it can be a great help to look at your entire life as the unfolding of a plan that you participated in before you even arrived here. By doing so, you shift from blaming others and circumstances to being responsible and feeling your purpose. Whatever shows up in your life then becomes a part of the perfection of this plan. When everything you experience seems unwelcome, for instance, you can search for what you gain from the apparent obstacles.
If we can remember that we’re responsible for what we’re attracting, we can then eliminate the negative energy we wallow in. If what we desire is to be inspired and feel joy, but the opposite keeps showing up, rather than cursing fate, we can view ourselves as simply being out of creative vibrational alignment. We can shift our vibrations, in the form of thoughts, to those that are more harmonious with our desires, and we can then begin to take the small steps necessary for our inspiration to be sensed. Source energy will cooperate with us when we seek it energetically—moreover, we can begin to reassess our lives for misaligned attractions and imagined bad luck.
With a mental shift of this nature, someone could question why he’d elect to come here as a homosexual, when all it’s done is bring him trouble: Parents rejected him, he was the recipient of ridicule throughout childhood, employment opportunities eluded him, and he faced discrimination in every area of his life. Well, maybe if he looks deeper into his spiritual origins, he’d discover that he signed up to teach others to love and accept those who aren’t in the mainstream of life. What better way to do so than to have a life in a body that’s so easily stereotyped? If this felt true, that person would recognize his calling to be involved in changing prejudicial reactions. Regardless of what goes on in the world of form, inside himself he’d be living in-Spirit.
When we feel peaceful within, we begin to attract more of the peace we desire because we’re functioning from a spiritual place of peace. When we engage Spirit, we regain the power of our ultimate Source. Likewise, a beggar on a street corner may have agreed to come into this world of boundaries to teach and generate the awareness that leads to more compassion in this world—or even to teach a single person (perhaps you) to be more compassionate. After all, Source shows up in an endless array of costumes. . . .
In an infinite Universe, there’s no time restriction on how many lifetimes we get. With an infinity before us, spending one lifetime teaching compassion doesn’t seem outrageous. Similarly, the autistic child, the blind person, the victim of violence, the aborted fetus, the quadriplegic, the starving child, and you—with whatever infirmities and difficulties you’ve attracted—are part of the perfection of this Universe. The desire to change and improve our world is also a part of that perfection. Therefore, an inspirational attitude is less judgmental and more appreciative, with a keen eye for how God, or Source energy, manifests. And remember: Source can’t be removed from what It creates.
I love this story that Sri Swami Satchidananda tells in his wonderful book Beyond Words. I had the great pleasure of meeting with Swami on several occasions, and he was a supremely inspired being right up until his transition back to nonphysical spirit a few years ago.
There was a man a long time ago who prayed every day, “God, I really want You to come in person, to have a nice sumptuous lunch with me.”
Because he was constantly nagging, God appeared one day and said, “Okay, I’ll come.”
“God, I’m so happy. When can You come? You must give me some time to prepare everything.”
“Okay, I’ll come on Friday.”
Before He left, the man asked, “Can I invite my friends?”
“Sure,” God said. And then He disappeared.
The man invited everybody and started preparing all kinds of delicious food. Friday at noon a huge dining table was set up. Everybody was there, with a big garland and water to wash God’s feet. The man knew that God is punctual. When he heard the clock chiming twelve, he said, “What happened? God wouldn’t disappoint me. He can’t be late. Human beings can be late, but not God.”
He was a little puzzled but decided to wait another half hour as a courtesy. Still no God. Then the guests began speaking, “You fool, you said God was coming. We had doubts. Why on Earth would God come and eat with you? Come, let’s go.”
The man said, “No, wait,” and walked inside to see what was happening.
To his great anxiety, he saw a big black dog on the dining table, eating everything there. “Oh, no! God sensed that the lunch was already eaten by a dog. That’s why he didn’t want to come.” He took a big club and started beating the dog. The dog cried and ran away.
Then the man came out to his guests and said, “What can I do? Now, neither God nor you can eat because the food was polluted by a dog. I know that’s why God didn’t come.” He felt so bad that he went back and started praying. Finally God appeared to him again, but there were wounds and bandages all over his body.
“What happened?” asked the man. “You must have gotten into a terrible accident.”
“It was no accident,” said God. “It was you!”
“Why do You blame me?”
“Because I came punctually at noon and started eating. Then you came and beat Me. You clubbed Me and broke My bones.”
“But You didn’t come!”
“Are you sure nobody was eating your food?”
“Well, yes, there was a black dog.”
“Who is that, then, if not Me? I really wanted to enjoy your food, so I came as a dog.”
Everyone and everything contains God or the Source, so be on the lookout for the God-force in every living thing. Explore how this force has delivered to us many blessings in disguise.
We came from a world of pure Spirit and allowed that Source to take over without any interference or questioning on our part. As long as we were in-Spirit, our Source materialized in a multitude of ways to handle everything. Then, almost immediately after our birth into form, we initiated a program to deny Spirit and emphasize the ego.
But now, as you read these words, you’re on the threshold of dropping ego identity and returning to a life where inspiration awaits you. Here are some suggestions to assist you in crossing that threshold.
Some Suggestions for Putting the Ideas in This Chapter to Work for You
— See yourself as a single cell in a body called humanity, and vow to be a cell that cooperates with all adjacent cells with a sense of belonging to the whole. View uninspired thoughts and actions as impinging on your well-being and that of all humanity.
— Make a concerted effort to allow the natural-healing and well-being capacity of your body to play itself out. Refuse to focus on what’s wrong in your body and in your life; rather, shift your thoughts to those that allow you to stay in harmony with your Source energy. For example, rather than saying, “I feel sick [or tired],” say, “I want to feel good, so I�
�ll allow my natural connection to well-being to take over right now.” Your reformed self-talk invites the flow of inspiration.
— Inventory all the people who were negative and/or destructive elements in your past, and search for ways that their actions might have been helpful events and attitudes that were just disguised as impediments to happiness. For example, my stepfather’s alcoholism and drunken ways, which I despised at the time, were powerfully instrumental in helping me deal with my own addictions later on in life. Abandonment, abuse, and disloyalty can be painfully difficult and valuable teachers when you see yourself as having experienced them for a greater good.
— Imagine a conversation, just before your conception, with the Creative Spirit that you materialized from. Review the parents and siblings you selected, as well as the timing of your birth. Find ways that those participants in your life were aligned with the deep inner urge you had as an exclusively spiritual entity to accomplish a calling. Try to make sense of what may at first appear to be a jumble of unrelated items in your life. If this exercise satisfies and inspires you, there’s no need to convince anyone else.
— Be mindful of the perfection of the Universe and the Creative Source behind it by noticing whenever you bang your elbow, stub your toe, get hit by a falling tree branch, and so forth. When such events happen, stop and ask yourself, “What was I thinking in that precise moment, and how is it related to what appeared to be an accident?” You’ll discover a pattern: What you’re thinking is usually mysteriously tied in with what’s taking place from moment to moment. Do this to create a constant awareness of your Source and the direction of your life.
Living an Inspired Life Page 3