Because we are anticipating the Jan Phillips concert and workshop at the end of next week, I decided this morning to see what she had to say to me from her book No Ordinary Time. I’m never disappointed with what I find in this book. Here’s what found me today.
“Imagine that when we’re born, each one of us comes to earth with the radiance of, say, a hundred watt bulb. That’s our natural state – 100 watts. As we go through life, our job is to maintain that brightness, and even improve it if we can. What dims it, we learn through experience, is negativity, anger, resentments, regrets. What brightens it is harmony, balance, joy.
If you consider the people you encounter on a regular basis and reflect a little on their energy level, you could probably bring to mind a few who fit the 100 watt category, and others who are in the 50-60 watt vicinity. And you probably encounter 10 watt people every once in awhile, though chances are you don’t linger long. It’s the 100 watt-ers that keep your attention. These are people who don’t complain, who don’t say negative things about themselves or others, who are the first to offer help and the ones who stay until the work is done.
Hundred watt-ers laugh a lot, they draw people in like bears to honey. They’re the ones you wish you were more like. And now, you can choose to become one, if you want. All it takes is a little practice. First, you must become an observer to your own thoughts and words, so you are conscious of your thoughts and the words that you speak. Second, you must speak as if your words were materializing into your very life. This means no self-deprecating remarks and no negative comments about others. In other words, you must actually love yourself and love others as yourself.
If we operate from this premise, then we have a good chance of keeping our light bright. If we speak positively, think reverently, then we maintain our original state of grace. If we enter into a meeting imagining that every person there is a peer, then our encounters will begin to change. Once we start noticing our thoughts, becoming aware of their power, letting go of judgments, resistance, opposition, then we experience a more radiant energy. As we think, so shall we create.” (p.74-75)
(Learn about Jan’s visit to Binghamton at www.thesophiacenterforspirituality.org/events.html)
