Human Empowerment, in Perspective

There are a lot of success gurus out there, and I have to admit I don't really see myself as one of them. I consider myself an ordinary person who tries her best to do the right things, but still makes mistakes just like anyone else. Perhaps one difference between me and other people is that I publicly share the lessons I've learned (and have yet to learn) along the way.

(Thank you for coming along on my journey through life... it's nice to have your company!)

So what's the difference between me and the other "gurus"?

Well, one difference has to do with my perspective on human empowerment.

While some gurus teach that you are the ultimate master of your own life, and that you can have, do, and be whatever you want, and that you deserve to have everything life has to offer... my take on it is similar, but different enough that I think it's worth bringing up.

Some gurus will tell you that you deserve it all.

That's reasonable, but realize this: They tell you that so you'll overcome the common mindset that you don't deserve abundance.

In that light, it's a good philosophy. But it's incomplete.

Yes, we must overcome the feeling that we are unworthy or undeserving of success... but the flip side of that is NOT that we are entitled to it, or automatically deserving of anything.

The antidote for feeling unworthy or undeserving (from my perspective) is to believe that the gap between who I am, and my potential, can be bridged when I lean on the power of my Creator.

Frankly, I "deserve" nothing because I fall so short of living the principles perfectly. But gratefully, I've also learned that I don't have to be perfect to enjoy the blessings, I just need to recognize my shortcomings, acknowledge them, and rely on God to make up the difference.

Think about it: if we're really talking about Universal Law, and if it's as absolute as the term "law" would indicate, then you would have to maintain a perfectly positive, expectant attitude ALL the time or the law of attraction wouldn't work. Period.

Yet, while nobody keeps their thoughts perfectly (and I mean perfectly) positive at all times, goals are still achieved; victories are still won.

How do you explain that?

I explain it this way: God has provided a way for the demands of the law to be satisfied, but it requires honest effort to be obedient to the law, while I do my best to bounce back into right thinking as soon as I can, and having humility - humility which is demonstrated by acknowledging the role of, and my need for, a higher power in the delivery process, and hoping that God will make up the difference where I fall short when I trust him.

It takes faith to believe that my Creator can and will help - but that's the price I pay... The price is not to achieve perfect, unfailing obedience to all the laws of success every moment of every day. The price I pay is to do my best, and have faith in God that he'll line things up for me, anyway.

The key is unwavering faith. Not unwavering faith in oneself, not unwavering faith in the laws (because that would mean nothing but predictable failure, from imperfect obedience to an absolute law), but rather: unwavering faith in God.

So, do you subscribe to the philosophy that you ALONE are powerful enough to make your life the way you want it? It IS a better philosophy than believing that you are powerless to change anything...

But faith in yourself alone can only get you so far. Faith in a divine Creator takes you the rest of the way. In many ways it can be harder to do, but when you get into the groove of it, it's definitely the easier of the two options.

Some gurus will tell you that you're the creator of ALL that comes to you. I see myself as a CO-creator with God. It's a partnership. Yes, I am capable of original thought, and I am even capable of creating circumstances in my life with some independence.

But I've also learned (the hard way) that when I take the independent approach, and get what I want, I find out that it may not have been the wisest thing to ask for.

(Be careful what you pray for, as they say, because you might just get it.)

Yes, I've seen astonishing results from applying the laws of success and utilizing the power of intention. But I've seen even better results when I first make the effort to determine whether my desire is in alignment with God's divine plan. When I know with certainty that I am in alignment, it's infinitely easier to have the faith required while I wait for the necessary elements to line up.

You might wonder, "What if what God wants for me is less wonderful than what I want for myself?"

I feel assured that we cannot possibly imagine the unbelievable rewards that are available for us; rewards that are beyond our comprehension.

We're like the child who wants nothing more than the plastic toy in the store window, while our parents know that the joy will be short lived, and that life has much deeper joys to be experienced.

So it is with us. Trust that the object of your desire may be, relatively speaking, childish in comparison to the rewards that are available to us. Check with the parent to see, "Is this something that will bring me all the happiness I'm capable of experiencing?"

True, you can use the laws of success to get what you want, apparently without God, sometimes with amazing ease. And using the laws in alignment with God's purposes often puts you first through tougher challenges than by going independent...

That's because He's a good parent. He's smart enough to let you first grow into the person capable of appreciating the reward when it finally comes.

Don't begrudge the challenge that shows up when you set a goal. Embrace it with gratitude because it's there to shape you into the person who will be able to fully appreciate the reward you seek.

Haven't you heard that you don't attract what you want, you attract what you are? How else do you think you change who you ARE, without opportunities to grow through opposition?

Yes, I am the captain of my soul; I am a creative being, capable of original thought, and able to build a better life for myself... no matter who I am, or where I come from.

But without God I am nothing.

Before you get all up in arms about that, think about it: I don't dictate whether I have the breath of life in me today or not; it could literally be gone in an instant. (Try attracting another breath with your positive attitude when God shuts off the power fueling your life.)

You may not already have everything you want, but you HAVE been granted another breath, at least. How much say did you have in that matter?

It's a gift worth acknowledging. I look at all I receive as a gift, even when I've worked my tail off for it.

So in summary, I am constantly reminded by my weaknesses how dependent I am on that higher power for strength. I rely on unseen help for the guidance I need, which leads me to the necessary resources to accomplish the goals I have. Call it the law of attraction, call it guidance, call it your subconscious, call it whatever you want. The point is, there's something bigger than all of us that helps us along.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever been successful at achieving a goal with an attitude that I "deserved" it or was "entitled" to it. I think this is the reason why:

Sometimes when one of my own children comes to me with a request, and s/he approaches me with an entitlement mentality, I am more inclined to deny the request. (What makes me think a cocky expectation of a goal achieved is what will impress my Creator?)

But when my child comes to me with gratitude for what they already have, and make the request for something additional, sometimes I'll test them with, "What if I say no?"

If their response is, "That would be okay..." then I usually freely deliver.

When their response is anything resembling a tantrum, I hold it back. I can't reward the ingratitude. Even if I want them to have it, I can't deliver, lest they conclude it was their tantrum that did the trick.

It's all just food for thought:

How are YOU asking Life for what you want? With an entitlement mentality, a tantrum, or with gratitude?

Are you going to be okay if it never comes? I think you'll find that sometimes it only finally arrives after you've learned to live in genuine peace and happiness without it.

Wow, that post was longer than I intended. Sorry about that.

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