Bob Lester's "A Course in Miracles" Blog

Two thousand years ago, a man walked the earth who is now worshipped by two billion people. He called his followers to lead carefree lives, in which they could love their enemies and turn the other cheek, because they lived under the care of an unconditionally loving Father. Within mere decades, however, this teacher of radical wisdom was turned into a divine savior, so that the appropriate response was not so much following his teaching but believing in his divine status and saving death. What could have been a movement of countless people seeking to live egoless lives, just as he did, became a religion about belief in, devotion to, and sacrifice to certain heavenly figures. The message that could have uplifted the world was left buried in the gospels like veins of gold, to be occasionally rediscovered by great individuals such as St. Francis, Tolstoy, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, thousands of people believe he has, in a sense, come again, in the pages of a book called A Course in Miracles. On every level—spiritual, psychological, philosophical, literary, practical—this book is a towering masterpiece. It is a reflowering of his...

It’s a favorite past time of babies and teenagers, and even some of our elderly friends. It reduces stress, improves memory, makes you more alert, and helps you keep your brain at max performance over the long haul, among many other things.

So why do so many people resist napping or feel guilty for taking one?

Sleep is one of the most critical elements of maintaining a low stress, productive, and high quality life. Here’s how to work a nap into your daily schedule to give you a nice BOOST for the latter portion of the day.

1. Make your napping environment YOURS. People sleep much better when they are in familiar surroundings. For example, if you have a couch in your office, put a nice covering from home over it. This will make it easier to associate your couch (or "napping space") with the comforts and relaxing nature of your home. Going out to your car to nap would be another possible method.

2. Choose a proper time to nap. Early afternoon is probably your best bet as most people start feeling sluggish around this time. An added benefit is it is still early enough to not...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I'd love to share with you the benefits and power of two simple words. THANK YOU. They are two words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, and success.

Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships. A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart's rhythmic functioning, which helps reduce stress and helps us heal physically. It's actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energize you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.

Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number 1 reason why people leave their jobs is because they don't feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.

So, this week I want to encourage you to tap the power of thank you. Not just on Thanksgiving but each and every day. Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the stronger it gets. The key...

One constant in life is that all things change. Every season flows into another without concern for the ending that is taking place, and we, the viewers of nature, see the good results of that change.

The newness of spring moves into the warm and carefree days of summer, which melds into the glorious riot of color in autumn, which turns to the quiet dormancy of winter, where preparation for renewal begins once again. We do not view these changes with trepidation or sorrow because we know that they are all good.

An Ending Is Only a Beginning
We do not always initially view other changes or transitions in our lives with such optimism and hope, however. If we could only remember what we know about the seasons—that one ending is another beautiful beginning—perhaps we wouldn't experience such fear or doubt about the turning points in our lives.

Viewing life this simply is not an easy exercise, but with faith and with practice as we release our concerns to God, we learn to expect the best for ourselves and those we love.

A Renewed Sense of Hope
Endings and beginnings are good and necessary in our lives.  May you...

Tags: religion, spirituality

The love you seek is also seeking you. Love is in your heart, at the very center of your being—an inherent part of you because you had your beginning in God, and God is love. You are created by God’s love, which is unconditional, all-encompassing, and totally fulfilling.

How wonderfully reassuring to realize that your desire for happiness and fulfilling relationships is but the love of God in your heart seeking expression through you! Every moment of your life becomes an opportunity to prove God’s love by expressing it in all your thoughts, words, and actions.

God’s love will satisfy every need of your mind and heart. You may have found some experiences in your life difficult to understand, but in every season of trial or change, the love of God is with you to strengthen, sustain, and guide you.

“In all these things,” the apostle Paul assures us, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither … things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Rom. 8:37-39).

You live...

Tags: religious, spiritual

An excerpt from "The Art of Conscious Creation: How You Can Transform the World," by Jackie Lapin, Founder of United World Healing

Imagine an Earth in the throes of peace! People of every culture and race respect each other, help each other, and work together for the good of humans, animals, and the environment. In this world everyone has enough to eat, adequate shelter, work that is fulfilling and sustaining. The global economy is balanced, and everyone is reaping the benefits. Science is working to protect our treasured planet and heal all of the illnesses that have scourged the globe. Businesses are adding benefits and vacation time for workers, while executives and shareholders are sacrificing their profits just a bit in order to insure they are bringing to market the best quality products and making the right moral choices. Worldwide and national leaders are truly "men and women of the people," working for the benefit of their constituency, not the strengthening of their own power base. Global warming is a thing of the past, solved through worldwide corporate and government cooperation. Alternative fuel solutions are in use everywhere. Everyone practices energy and resource conservation. People of all ages are...

Tags: personal development, spirituality

By Robert Ringer

"If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them."

- Francis Bacon

While channel-surfing recently, I happened to catch a glimpse of Tony Dungy sitting on the sidelines during a football game. Dungy, of course, is the coach of last year's Super Bowl champs, the Indianapolis Colts. It crossed my mind that rarely does a coach in professional sports have the majority of fans rooting more for him than for his team, but there's no question that this has been the case with Dungy for many years.

Dungy and his Baltimore Colts - oops, I mean Indianapolis Colts (still haven't gotten over the Colts' middle-of-the night escape from Baltimore in 1984) - are off to another great start, and only the three-time-champion New England Patriots appear to stand in the way of their winning a second straight Super Bowl.

You don't have to meet Dungy personally to know that he's a genuinely nice guy. Your television screen doesn't lie. Dungy is soft-spoken, respectful, and gracious in...

BY:  James Arthur Ray

In the East, many have condemned the body or the physical world saying that matter doesn't matter. Likewise, traditional religion in the West has suppressed the sensual world, often calling material and physical pleasures carnal and sinful.

However in the secular West, we've often made matter all that matters, worshiping on the altar of the physical body and its toys and trinkets.

I submit to you that "poor" is a state of mind, heart and soul, and not just a financial state. Just like true Harmonic Wealth is so much more than what's in your wallet. And I've got news for you... While I can't say that every person who's rich is spiritual, I can assure you that those who are poor are not spiritual!

Reread that last paragraph and be sure you understand this new definition of "poor."

So many religions of the East and fundamentalists of the West want to condemn society at large for chasing after illusion, for being caught up in the materialistic mind. I can agree with that on one level... but there's more to the equation.

I'm tired of the individuals that are so "spiritual" and yet they are...

Tags: personal development, self-improvement, spirituality

By Mark Victor Hansen

Your attitude determines the state of world you live in. It is the foundation for every success and every failure you have had and will have. Your attitude will make you or break you.

Attitude creates the way you feel about people and situations. Your actions are a result of your attitude, which, in turn, creates a reaction from others. So, basically, what you think ... you get. It is your attitude toward others and the Universe that determines the resultant attitude toward you. Incorporate a positive, joyful attitude and you'll have positive, joyful results. Put out a bad, negative attitude and you've failed before you begin.

I know it sounds simple, but the truth is….it IS simple!

WHERE DO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they have become a part of your subconscious – they've become habitual, a part of your personality. You may not even realize you have a negative attitude because it's been with you for so long. Once you have a bad attitude, you expect failure and disaster. This expectation turns you into a strong magnet for failure...

Tags: personal development, self-improvement

By Jon Benson

Everything is bigger in America - larger plates, larger ovens, larger clothes, and larger insurance policies to cover our larger health care bills. And it’s all related to America’s serious problem with portion sizes.

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that, over the past 50 years, portion sizes in the home have increased 42 percent for processed foods and decreased about the same percentage for foods high in fiber.In short, more junk, less Roto-Rooter. More empty calories, less thermogenic calories. Plus, we’re talking larger amounts of food.

Restaurant portions make those stats look cheery: up 220 percent.

The same study revealed that decreasing restaurant portion sizes to "near" the size they were 50 years ago, done slowly over the course of several months, did not affect customer satisfaction. While the study stopped there, I can tell you from many years of professional experience that a smaller plate with whole, unprocessed, tasty food on it will satisfy most any palate - more so than a huge plate of nothing but nutritional detritus.

Keeping this in mind, you should consider taking the issue of portion control seriously. The best way to do it is to...

Tags: healthwellness, personal development, self-improvement