Faith or fear?

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

A recent article by Karen Kaplan in the L.A. Times stated, “Faith in a higher power can often lead to more aggressive treatment than is medically warranted, research is beginning to show.”  Their example was of a woman diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer that had spread to her lung. She believed that the “Lord” told her that the doctors were not being aggressive enough in their treatment, and sought out doctors who would do more. She found them, and they performed a treatment that subsequently put her in a coma.

Faith….the word seems benign, soft, soothing, implying trust and comfort. What this article seems to point out is that some faith is about clinging to life at all costs, as if this is all there is.  I guess If I believed  that  after I died I would be in heaven sitting, playing a harp for eternity, or perhaps burning in hell while my loved ones are in heaven, I would cling to life at all costs too. Scary!

The Guides teach that we as beings never die. We are souls temporarily living a human life. We have lived many human lives, and are always a soul. We simply change form. But there is no loss, there is no fear, there is only experience gained in love. We are all connected to one another by the force of goodness that some call God, cosmic consciousness, All-that-is, and so forth.

So is your faith fear based or love based? That is the question to ponder.

Read more about the Guides’ perspective here: A Thumbnail Sketch of Life and Death

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Happy is as happy does

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

My daughter, Amy, wrote a post on Opednews.com about the “pursuit” of happiness. It reminded me of an observation I made when I was in the Peace Corps in Venezuela. We lived in an extremely poor section of the town. The people had enough to eat, but by our standards, little else. And yet, they were not unhappy. The children played in the streets with each other and whatever was at hand. There was a feeling of community and friendship. It was not until television sets became more available and people started to see what they were “supposed” to have and to want, that discontent arose.

In the US today, the simple pleasures have long disappeared. The cost of living in our society with all of its “pleasures” is so high that we are constantly under the stress of maintaining our lifestyles…enter credit…and the rest is history.

Joy is a state of being. Pursuing happiness is like a donkey chasing a carrot on a stick. Always slightly out of reach.

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

5 Factors of Spiritual Abundance and Stability

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

Everyone these days is worrying about the downturn in the economy. In the February Study Group Reading by the Guides through Ron Scolastico, a subscriber asks about prosperity and the economy. As I listened to the Guides’ answer, I was inspired to make some notes about five factors of spiritual abundance and stability.

1. Fear – First and foremost, address the fears. What are your worst fears? As the Guides say, wallow in them, talk about them, and then release them.
2. Facts – Assess the truth of your life. What is your current situation factually? Do you have a job? Do you need a job? Do you have resources? Can you continue to work beyond retirement if you want to? Separate the fears from the facts.
3. Focus – Plan your next steps. If you need help, reach out to your friends and allies. What will you do today, tomorrow? What can you do to enhance what you already do? Where can you cut back? How can you be creative? If you do not need to make any changes to your own financial situation, where and how could you help someone else in need?
4. Faith – Here is where you use the spiritual tools at your disposal and tell yourself the higher truths. Use whatever affirmative statements inspire you, such as: “I am an eternal soul, temporarily living a human life. Nothing can damage my being.” Another one I like is: “God is my source and my supply.” Turn your attention to the beauty of nature, or to people you love to soothe your heart.
5. Future – Begin to envision what you want to see in your own personal life and in the world. This is a time of reassessing what true wealth means. Refuse to participate in the mass “negative hypnosis” that the Guides speak about in the Study Group answer. Develop a feeling of expansiveness rather than contraction. Spend from your boundless inner wealth, sharing your love and yourself with others.

And always remember to put one foot in front of the other and take the practical action steps that are needed to manage and maintain your life in the physical world.

If you are not a member of the Study Group, the Readings are a great source of inspiration, delivered each month digitally, or as a CD or printed transcript. If you would like to become a subscriber, I will include the February Reading with any new subscription. Follow the link to learn more. You can read the questions that were asked this month here.

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

So Let’s Listen!

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

Effective Relationships 101….taught by our new President, Barack Obama. In an interview about dealing with the Middle East he said, “All too often the United States starts by dictating, in the past, on some of the issues, and we don’t always know all of the factors that are involved. So let’s listen…………”

I am encouraged that our new President is teaching respect and effective communication through his example. A friend of ours who works in government has told us that it’s as if a dark cloud had lifted in Washington.

I learned about the power of listening the hard way in my younger days. When I was approached with a problem by my mate or a child, my immediate response was to find an “answer,” thinking I knew what was right. Their eyes would glaze over and they would often wander off if they didn’t get into an argument with me. One day my daughter said, “Mom, I wish you would just listen to me.”

Even our relationship with God or the Divine could benefit from this approach. This is not a new concept. “Be still and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10. The Guides, through Ron Scolastico, are often encouraging us to be receptive in meditation, attunement or prayer to the divine.

So before you jump to conclusions and think you know someone, or what a solution is, be still and listen. You never know what you might hear that is fresh and new!

Posted in Posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Say Amen Somebody!

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

On May 17, 1967, Ron Scolastico sat on the steps of Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley, mesmerized by the words and presence of Martin Luther King who helped pave the way for a person of color to become President. On January 17, 2009, Ron and I listened with tears in our eyes, to Barack Obama speak in Philadelphia at the start of his historic ride to Washington DC. Of course, we were only as close as our TV this time, but good enough.

What stood out for me is the following paragraph from Obama’s speech,

“I believe that our future is our choice and that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together – Democrats, Republicans and independents, north, south, east and west, black, white, Latino, Asian and Native American, gay and straight, disabled and not – then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.”

That, my friends, in a nutshell, is the crux of what I consider to be true spirituality–if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together. This is the Golden Rule stated without shoving religion down our throats. This was the true teaching of Jesus, Confucius and other great teachers. If it were practiced fully, we would not only perfect our union, we would manifest the divine into human reality and perfect our world.

And so, we are hopeful once again, that the words and deeds of a great leader will touch the hearts of humanity and propel us to a new beginning of kindness, compassion and love toward one another. Say Amen somebody!

By the way, Obama has designated MLK day as a day of service and a day to recommit to making this world a better place. Here is a site to find places to be of service in your area. Here is another suggestion for action: Born Again American. Please feel free to suggest other sites that you consider worthy.

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

New You Resolutions

Posted on January 1, 2009 by Susan Scolastico

HAPPY NEW YEAR! In the closing of this month’s Study Group Reading, the Guides (through Ron Scolastico) speak to us about the “momentum” of our lives. I was recently talking with a Study Group member about how the effect of childhood sexual or physical abuse creates a negative self image and disassociation from the body, resulting for many people in overeating or other addictions. The Guides say:

“The actual childhood experiences that triggered the way that you inadvertently use your attention in a negative manner have ended long ago. But, the momentum of paying attention to the memory of the traumatic event, and the thoughts and feelings that you have created about it through the years, that momentum continues in the present because you unintentionally allow it.”

Until we can identify where we have been focusing our attention, we will continue the pattern of “unintentionally” allowing the momentum of negative memories. We will identify with the experiences of the past, allowing them to define us in the present. When we can wake up from the sleep of the past, and redefine who we are, and how we see ourselves, we can begin with a new vision. The Guides continue:

“You can intentionally disallow the momentum. You can cease it. Not by a forceful fear of your negative thoughts and feelings about you, or about that past event, but by a loving embracing of the present goodness that lives within you, in spite of anything negative that you have experienced in this lifetime. If your attention can go to that inner goodness often and consistently, you will create a new momentum, so that you are more likely to feel about your present momentum of your human self in the ongoing sense of, “I am me,” you are more likely to feel, “I am a good me. I am a good self. I am a good person. There is goodness in me. There can be goodness all about me.”

Over the holidays, Ron and I spent quite a bit of time with our 16-year-old grandson. His family has moved several times, and I asked him how he felt about having to change schools. He said, “I like it, because I get to remake myself and start fresh. I can project whatever part of my personality I want in a new school.”

So, if you are looking for a New Year’s Resolution, may I suggest that you re-envision yourself and create a new and improved momentum-one that reflects the true goodness that is you. For some of you, it might be just a little tweak. For others, a major turnaround. But, turn your attention toward what you want in your life, how you want to be seen and known, and create a momentum that will reflect your divine goodness into this human world.

FROM DEATH DO I PART: Overcoming Addiction When Rehab Fails
This is my daughter’ Amy Lee Coy’s link to her blog about addictions. We will be publishing her wonderful book in a few months. Do check it out.

Wishing you all peace and much goodness!

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saint or Sinner, you decide

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Susan Scolastico

Okay, I admit I am a strong supporter of Barack Obama. And I couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t be impressed with him. So I was surprised to learn that one of Ron’s clients, who lives in Texas, was confused because several of her friends think that Obama has a hidden agenda and is actually the anti-Christ. Wow!

In this month’s Study Group Reading, the Guides say: “In constructing a human life, one of the most important building blocks, or ‘factors,’ is what you would call meaning.” They go on to discuss how we assign meaning to events, both large and small, that occur in our lives.

I realized that for me, Obama being elected means that we as a nation have progressed in a most positive way from the days of segregation and prejudice. It means that we have a President with empathy and intelligence in office, and that there is hope on the horizon for becoming a better, more respected nation. And for the client’s friends in Texas, Obama’s election strikes fear in their hearts—fear that he will destroy the things that are important to them. Thus they assign the label “anti-Christ” to justify their beliefs.

As to who is “right,” I of course have my beliefs and opinions. Actually only time will tell I suppose. But the larger point here is the issue of how we decide what things mean to us in our lives. Do the attitudes we hold promote fear and separation, or do they promote love and understanding? And that is something each individual has to decide.

So whatever meaning you give to this Holiday season, Ron and I wish you a blessed one. May each day be filled with a feeling of holiness and love.

You can read the questions that were asked in this month’s Study Group here. There were a couple of interesting ones about Obama: December 2008 Study Group Questions. Of course, to hear the answers, you will want to subscribe. The monthly Readings are an affordable way to receive the Guides’ inspiration by email, MP3 file, printed transcript or on CD or cassette.

Posted in Posts | Tagged , , | 5 Comments