The Sufis say “Trust in Grace, but tie up your camels.” Here’s how to combine spiritual wisdom with common sense.
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“I’m putting it out there.”
“I’m leaving it to The Universe.”
“I’m calling it in.”
“I’ve set my intention.”
“Perfect”, I say. “Excellent! So what now”?
This tends to be when I get, the look. The one that wordlessly says I must be kidding, or stupid, or both.
“Trust in Grace, but tie up your camels.” – Sufi teaching
Maybe I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but when I learned about the power of The Universe and how I could magically manifest the life of my dreams, I thought I had won the lottery.
I was sure I had Aladdin’s lamp of, “whatever I command” easily landing in my Cheetos-covered lap.
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I believed that my new understanding about creation was my ticket to a smooth, effortless ride. No more would my brow be covered in the sweat of perseverance. Due diligence was going to be a thing of the past. Determination? Bah. The only thing I had to be determined in was the continual projection of my desires onto the Universal screen.
I was sure I had Aladdin’s lamp of, “whatever I command” easily landing in my Cheetos-covered lap. I had it made in the shade and I was happy to slip into sloth-ville after having lived a long, arduous, life of labor.
When I look back now I realize that I had a few misunderstandings about trusting in Grace and what the business of tying up the camels was really all about.
When I look back now I realize that I had a few misunderstandings about trusting in Grace and what the business of tying up the camels was really all about.
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I’ve since discovered that The Universe is like a giant movie screen but with an added element – it has its own gravity. We can also call this magnetism, intelligence, or for those of us who groove on the science of such things, an infinite Toroidal field.
Now, given that we are the creators of our life experiences, we are continually projecting our desires onto the screen of that fertile Universal field. Granted, some of us are consciously directed in this act, while others are more reliant on the default settings of their creation compasses. Either way, while our individual satisfaction with the results that appear may vary, the process remains the same.
I think that Abraham Hicks has distilled the verbiage of this idea most eloquently so I’m going to use that as a base for what I’m about to say:
Ask = putting it out there.
Answered = Take a look at your life. You do have whatever you’ve asked for regardless of that personal satisfaction element I mentioned earlier.
Align= Yeah, this is where we have to get off of our cozy, cushioned, rumps of putting it out there and W.O.R.K. (A great acronym for Walking Our Road of Knowing.)
It is through heading in the direction of dreams with our actions that we show The Universe, and ourselves, that we are committed to getting into that deliciously complimentary relationship or to having that rockin’ business.
No amount of asking and not taking action – even if the perceivable results are not exactly what we’d immediately hoped for – will have our dream partner knock on our door or clients begging to purchase our goods and services. And, if Ms. or Mr. Sweetie-pie does happen upon our cottage in the wilds of Alaska, we had better be willing to get out of bed and answer the door.
Now, chances are a lot of our actions may at first seem valueless. But I assure you it all adds up.
So, if you happen to be one of us who has Mastered the art of engaging The Universe but you’re no closer to running that half marathon than you were six months ago, I’ve got a few tips for you.
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You may have to learn some new skills and this will stretch you emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I know that deciding to get real in my business has had me feeling like the new kid in class, mid way through the year, where they speak a language I’m not even close to fluent in. Yet, at the end of each day the tear-stained tissue pile gets smaller, there is less of my hair between my fingers, and the old beliefs I held about my abilities, self, and the world begin to break down into grist from the mill of my W.O.R.K.
So, if you happen to be one of us who has Mastered the art of engaging The Universe but you’re no closer to running that half marathon than you were six months ago, I’ve got a few tips for you.
Get to work – those camels need to be fed and watered if you aim to use them tomorrow. While you’re at it you had better pay them some attention too. Pet them. Groom them. Exercise them. Shine their saddles (do camels wear saddles?) Maybe yours do. It matters not, take good care of your dreams and goals, I mean camels, and be willing to do whatever it takes to keep them healthy.
This may include cleaning up some piles of camel goo or auctioning off a few that no longer match your new, leaner, more confident self. And give them some leeway, they need room to grow and mature into the best version of themselves to compliment the best version of you.
Rest – After a long hard day at the camel station, it’s important to take a break. Indulge in a magazine about cars and new gym equipment. Don’t worry, the camels won’t escape now that you’ve tied them up and left them all warm, nourished, and cozy in a place where you’ll be sure to find them tomorrow.
Plan – No matter how engaged The Universe might be, if you don’t have a plan for leveraging the help you receive you aren’t going to get far.
There is a Yiddish proverb made famous by Woody Allen that says:
“If you want to make God laugh, make a plan.”
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I say: “If you want to make God cry, don’t.”
Now, let’s start doing the Walking Our Path of Knowing.
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Photo: Flickr/Schristia