SGM August 2018 Weekly Message Four: “Discovering Your Soul’s Desire And Purpose”
PART A: Introduction Audio
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PART B: Guided Exercise Audio
"Discovering Your Soul's Desire and Purpose"
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Welcome to this week’s edition of Spiritual Growth Monthly. I’m Kevin Schoeninger. It’s great to have you with us here at SGM as we finish up our month exploring “The Awakening Course,” by Joe Vitale.
Our “Meditation of the Month” is designed to give you a guided inner practice related to this month’s material. You’ll find that guided practice in “Part B” of the recording above.
Before we get to that, I’d like to take a moment to welcome any new members that have joined us at SGM this month. Let me briefly go over a few details about our site. After that, I’ll briefly summarize this month’s messages. Then, we’ll move into our practice session.
So, again, welcome to all who are have recently joined SGM. If you haven’t done so already, make sure that you visit our “Getting Started with SGM” page for tips on how to get the most out of your membership. Also, in the right upper corner of our website, you’ll find an “Ask the Instructor” link. You can use that to ask me any questions about your personal practice that you do not want to ask in the general Discussion under the Weekly Messages. You’ll also find a Client Support link in that same corner. Use that for any billing, site admin, or ordering questions. We’re here to support you in your personal practice. . .
So, this month on SGM, we’ve centered our discussion on the book “The Awakening Course.” In our first Weekly Message, we explored the four stages on our path to awakening—victimhood, empowerment, surrender, and awakening—and five simple steps you can take to move gracefully along your path.
In Weekly Message Two, we heard an amazing story of transformation using an ancient Hawaiian healing technique. We then practiced the four parts of this technique to release fears, tensions, resistance, or limiting beliefs in relationship to money.
In Weekly Message Three, we explored a common and often unnoticed type of resistance to having what we desire—feeling that we are not worthy or deserving of it at the moment. Vitale gave us four transforming actions to move through that resistance and out of this aspect of victim mode.
This week’s “Meditation of the Month,” is called “Discovering Your Soul’s Desire and Purpose.” The economy of abundance is an exchange of value. The key to receiving what you desire is exchanging the gifts, skills, and resources that you have for that. The first steps are getting clear on what your soul desires and recognizing the value that you bring to the table—your purpose.
Once you gain clarity about your soul’s desire and take inspired action in that direction while also cultivating and sharing your unique value with others, you have done your part. Life provides the rest. Actually Life provides it all. Everything you have is a gift from Life—all your interests, talents, skills, and resources. It is your task to recognize, care for, cultivate, and share what you’ve been given.
So in this meditation, we’ll journey into your soul’s desire and purpose. You’ll discover and affirm what you want, what you’ve have been given, and what you have to offer. I think you’ll find this meditation inspiring and empowering. Enjoy!
Part B: Guided Exercise Audio
“Discovering Your Soul’s Desire and Purpose”
To begin, find yourself a quiet private environment and commit the next 24 minutes to uninterrupted practice. Turn off your phone and tell anyone who needs to know that you are taking the next 24 minutes for some quiet time.
If it’s convenient for you to do so, take off your shoes and sit on the front edge of a seat with the soles of your feet flat on the ground and parallel to each other. An ideal seat height puts your hips level with, or slightly above, your knees. If it is challenging for you to sit without back support, you can sit back against a seat back or you can even lie down (though you may find it more challenging to maintain alert attention lying down). You can even do this exercise while sitting in your parked car.
In this meditation you’re going to form images of what your soul desires and of the gifts you have to offer. Life is an exchange of value. You exchange what you have to offer for what you desire. The purpose of imagining and feeling what you desire and what you have to offer is to open you to your higher possibilities, prime you for those experiences in real life, and shift your inner state.
You’re going to imagine yourself immersed in the specific details of what you desire and what you have to offer to generate strong positive feelings. The more strongly you feel the more your inner state shifts into alignment with the essence of what you are imagining. Therefore, as you move into this process, it’s important to know what you want to feel. What is the felt experience you are looking for? Let that feeling guide the forming of your images.
Once you are in a strong, positive feeling state, you can let go of attachment to these images. Let go of holding onto those exact results and appreciate and feel grateful for “what is.” Let go of the specific details and center in the essence of the feeling you’ve created. Remember that what you are looking for is a felt experience—and there are any number of ways that could be fulfilled. Trust that Life will bring you what is best and what is truly aligned with your positive vibration. Then take inspired action every day to live the experience you desire.
Lightly close your eyes. Relax your shoulders down and rest your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head drawing your spine gently upright. Tuck your chin slightly to lengthen the back of your neck.
Lightly close your lips and smile. Let the feeling of smiling relax and soften your face, your eyes, and your forehead. Let the feeling of smiling wash down through your whole body, softening and relaxing your whole body.
Take several slow, deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel your breath expand as if it fills up your whole body as you inhale. Imagine and feel as if your whole body empties out as you exhale.
Now let go of your breathing and feel the entire space inside your body, feel the whole space inside your skin. Feel your inner body as open, clear, spacious awareness.
Now in this clear space, I want you to imagine something you desire. It could be anything that you want to do, be, or have—anything at all. Anything that makes you smile and feel good inside. What might that be?
Imagine whatever that is in full detail, as if you are present in that scene experiencing yourself doing, being, or having that right now. See that scene from the perspective of being there, in it, right now.
What does it look like around you? What are the details of the objects, environment, or people around you?
Are there any sounds, smells, or tastes involved?
Make the colors bright and the sensory details rich and vibrant.
Imagine what you’re doing, how you’re doing it in terms of the key steps involved, and how it feels.
Imagine any challenges you face, how you successfully overcome them, and how that feels.
Record a snapshot image of the experience you desire in the front and center of your mind and record the positive feeling of it in your body.
Now I want you to imagine opening your eyes and seeing what you desire right now in your real world right in front of you. Can you imagine that happening right now?
Does it feel too abrupt? Are you ready for it? Does it feel out of place with where you are? You may feel you don’t deserve it—at least maybe not yet. Maybe you feel some resistance to that being in your life right now. Or maybe it feels just right and you’re ready to experience that right here and now.
There are no “right” or “wrong” responses. Just notice what thoughts and feelings come up. Whatever you feel is O.K. In fact, it’s important to note your thoughts and feelings.
The current relationships, circumstances, and events in your life reflect the current quality and clarity of your energetic vibration. If what is happening in your life is not exactly what you want it’s simply a matter of getting clear on your unique worth, value, gifts, talents, and resources so you can share those fully in exchange for everything you need and desire. It’s as simple as that. Sure there may be inner resistance that you can clear, but most importantly you need to know who you are and what you are here to do and get busy growing and sharing that.
So, now, I’d like you to take several more slow deep breaths. Imagine and feel as if your whole body is filling up as you inhale and your whole body is emptying out as you exhale.
Let’s journey a bit deeper. Continue to breathe deeply. With every exhale I want you to drop a bit deeper into relaxation. We’re going to journey beyond your current life details. Yes, you have relationships, circumstances, events, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, but you are more than these. Beyond all that, in your Core, you are a being of deep peace, love, light, and awareness. You are an eternal being born of Universal Life Energy—which watches over, guides, and provides for you everything you need always. Experience the freedom and comfort in that—in your essential being.
As part of your eternal journey you have been given this life here and now, in this body, in this world, with these people, in these circumstances. You’ve been put here with specific gifts, talents, and resources. You are here to cultivate what you’ve been given and share it with those around you and to support others to do the same.
Imagine for a moment what your gifts might be. What’s been an interest you’ve had as long as you can remember? What do you enjoy doing most? What are some things you are good at? Allow anything and resist nothing. Be honest, but don’t underestimate yourself. What do you have to offer others? It may be some knowledge, a skill, a way of looking at a specific subject, or compassion and insight born of experiences you’ve had. What would you like to bring more of into this world?
You may have undervalued this in yourself up to now. You may have downplayed your unique gifts and perspective. You may have thought everybody can do, know, or be that. Yet, everyone has their own unique worth, value, purpose, and contribution.
Take a couple more slow deep breaths.
What is Life calling you to contribute? What are you here to explore, grow, and share?
If nothing specific comes up right now, that’s fine. You’ve initiated a process that will continue working beneath your conscious awareness. Be open to discovering your answer in your life. Keep the question open.
If something specific arises, some image, phrase, or feeling, allow it to come clearly into your mind. What would it be like to express that fully? What would it look, feel, sound, smell, and taste like? Step into that experience as if you are there right now. Amplify whatever details and sensations apply.
Imagine what you are doing, how are you doing it in terms of the key steps involved, and how it feels.
Imagine any challenges you face, imagine how you successfully overcome them, and how that feels.
Record a snapshot image of your purposeful activity in the front and center of your mind as you record the positive feeling of it in your body.
Now slowly open your eyes and take in the space around you. With your eyes open, take in these words.
You are an awesome being of energy, love, light, and awareness. You are put here with unique gifts on purpose. No matter what, you are always watched over, provided for, and protected. Your task is simply to be yourself, follow your interests, cultivate the gifts you’ve been given, and share them with others. Life will take care of the rest.
Move through your life looking, listening, and feeling for nudges of inner guidance that show you what interests you and what you’d like to share. Follow through with inspired action and live your soul’s desire and purpose every day.
Take a moment to write down any important details of the images that describe what you desire and what you have to offer. Write down anything else that is important for you to remember from this inner exercise.
---End of Practice---
Next month, on SGM we’ll explore the book, “Follow Your Passion, Find Your Power,” by Bob Doyle.
Until next time,
Remember that we all need what you have to offer,
Kevin