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Co-Creating with Spirit
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Foundation Eight
I accept my role as a true co-creator with Spirit—never expecting Spirit to do for me what it can only do through me.
I, as a true co-creator with Spirit, have the power to bring about positive changes in my life as well as my own transformation. Spirit creates everything yet I, through the creative power of my own consciousness, can direct Spirit’s creation as it applies to my life. Whatever I wholeheartedly wish for or imagine for myself—that is exactly what Spirit sets about to create for me. And the highest I can wish for or imagine for myself is what Spirit wants most for me.
I accept my role in this divine partnership, which is to direct Spirit to create more and more love, joy, abundance, fulfillment, and beauty for me to experience in my life. This is a sacred duty because my experience of Spirit’s qualities in me is also the way that Spirit is able to experience those qualities for Itself. Spirit exists on the plane of the universal and can only experience itself through an individualized expression; it can only experience its love, joy, abundance, and beauty through an individual like me.
Co-Creation
Once we understand the nature of Spirit and our individual role in the creative process it behooves us to use our creative power in a way that is truly beneficial, that actuates a positive change in our life, that restores us to wholeness and reveals all the divine qualities of Spirit in and through our own lives. Our consciousness, which is one with the Consciousness of Spirit, is the crucial factor that we bring to the alchemical process of creation. Divine intervention is afforded to us through our own consciousness, through our own one-with-Spirit actions, through what we are able to conceive for ourselves.
As individuals in touch with our creative power we have a choice with respect to how we direct our own power. The Power of Spirit is automatically directed through what we believe, what we hold to be true, what feels natural to us, and what we conceive to be possible for ourselves. However, by changing our beliefs we change what Spirit creates. The influx of Spirit and the redeeming power of Grace is always dispensed to us and through us in accord with what we conceive (and believe) for ourselves.
Throwing in the Towel
When people are faced with a crisis or an insurmountable problem their solution is often to do nothing, to give up, to throw in the towel so to speak. But what exactly are they giving up? This simple and often infantile approach is to give up on everything—on yourself, on your life—and then, in some kind of Hail Mary play, hope that some Higher Power will take care of everything for you (like mommy once did). But this is an ill-conceived approach. This outdated way of thinking and doing things, this misinformed approach to life, has led you into this kind of trouble in the first place—so get rid of all of that but not yourself, not your will, not your power. Surrender all of that feeble stuff to some Higher Power if you will but don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Trying to discover the right course of action has been the subject of inquiry for thousands of years. The most famous scripture of India, the Bhagavad Gita, addresses this very issue. The scene of this scripture takes place in the middle of a battlefield, and takes the form of a dialogue between Arjuna, the greatest warrior of the age, and Lord Krishna. Looking upon the two opposing armies Arjuna is suddenly besieged with doubt and despair with the thought of going into battle against his cousins and teachers. In his dejected state he tells Lord Krishna (who is the embodiment of God Himself) that he would rather lay down his weapon and die than kill his own cousins and teachers. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that such action is not the will of God, that fighting and defending dharma is his duty; and that, ultimately, it does not matter since all action is the action of God. After a long discourse Arjuna finally understands and is ready to fight, saying to Lord Krishna, “I shall do thy bidding.” I shall give up this wrong and self-defeating way of thinking and take the right action, the action of dharma.
Giving up, not acting, or hoping that some Higher Power will take care of everything for you has nothing to do with God’s will because God’s will is that you claim your own power, that you follow dharma, that you be an instrument of His grace through your loving and beneficial actions. What you are called to give up is your incorrect way of thinking and the outmoded concepts you have about yourself, not yourself, not your will, not your power to act in a way that serves God and his creation. You are an irreplaceable vessel of God’s glory. Do not rely upon God to do the very things He is relying upon you to do.
Questions and Answers
Somehow I don't resonate with this whole "create your own reality approach." It feels like too much work and I'm not in a position to do that kind of work. Can I still participate in this program?
Yes. As mentioned, there are two major approaches: a) accept life as it is (from a place of wholeness) without reacting, commenting, judging, etc. and b) endeavoring to change your consciousness and your beliefs and thereby actuate a change in your outer conditions. These approaches are not isolated; they can happen at the same time. The former approach is that of most spiritual traditions, and the oft-quoted line by the Christian mystic Jean Pierre de Caussade sums this up: "complete and total abandonment to the present moment." Many spiritual teachers of today teach this kind of acceptance, this total embrace of life as it is, including Jeff Foster. [The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life.] So, this total acceptance of life as it is, is enough. If, at some point, you feel inspired to actuate your creative power, in consort with Spirit, you can do that as well.
Could you talk about the creative process in the individual? What are some of the elements involved?
To understand the essence of creation, how the individual creates, we must look at the creative process of Spirit and how Spirit creates. We are one with Spirit and possess the same creative consciousness as Spirit but we, as individuals, are unwittingly using our vast creative power in a way that limits our true creative potential and obscures our divine qualities rather than expanding them. We are misapplying or inverting our creative power in a way that limits us, and pains us, and keeps us bound instead of delivering us to freedom and delight. As individualized expressions of Spirit, however, that is our choice; we are allowed to misuse our creative power. We are given the freedom to create misery for ourselves, we are given the freedom to ignore our own nature and seemingly go against Spirit itself. This is not something we are doing consciously but, yes, on one level we are choosing it. So, we want to change all that. We want to choose something else for ourselves.
To fully participate in the creative process we, as human beings, must create as Spirit creates. We must use our power in the same way that Spirit uses its power. Spirit creates from a pure sense of self, from an overwhelming sense of fullness, not from a state of desperation or lack. We must do the same. Spirit is always certain about its creation; it has no doubt about itself and the efficacy of it creative power. We must be the same. Spirit is always “all in,” giving itself completely to that which it creates. We must do the same. Spirit creates from a place of love and beauty, seeking to ever-expand these qualities in itself. We must do the same. … However, if you’re not there yet—and who is really there?—then all you need do is, with sincerity, keep inclining yourself in that direction.
Is there any “secret” to employing our creative power other than creating as Spirit creates?
Not really. That’s the whole of it. That’s the “secret.” The more closely you can create as Spirit creates—with the same motivation, “all-in”-ness, and certainty—the more manifesting power your creation will have and the more magical your co-creation with Spirit will be. So, your first task is to discover exactly how Spirit creates, and then take whatever steps are needed to be and do the same. And this is not so easy. You got plenty of things blocking you. Years of faulty and fearful mis-conditioning—all of which cause you to create a reality for yourself that goes against Spirit and your own nature—needs to be removed and/or overcome. This entails a process of reconditioning.
To actuate your creative power you have to be “all in.” You have to give yourself completely to your creation. You can’t hold anything back, you can’t be divided, you can’t have countervailing doubts going on. That is the way Spirit creates this whole universe—it’s “all in.” It’s always all in. It can never not be “all in.” It gives the all of itself to everything so completely that it becomes the very thing it creates. It’s never divided, separate, uncertain, or at odds with its creation. So in order to create as Spirit creates, in order to direct your creative power in the most positive and beneficial way, you have to be “all in.” And you cannot be “all in” unless you realize your unity with Spirit, unless your intention is fully aligned with the very force that impels Spirit, which is the sheer outpouring of love. You cannot be “all in” if you’re not completely yourself, if you’re disconnected from Life and living as some mentalized version of yourself. You can’t be “all in” if you’re at odds with your own creation, if you doubt your own power, if you’re divided against yourself, if you consciously want one thing but subconsciously want something else. Spirit never creates out of fear, or selfishness, or from a sense of lack (feeling that it needs something in order to be whole); so if your actions are motivated by these lesser forces then your creation will reflect those lesser forces; it will be at odds with the fullness, and power, and beauty of Spirit. Spirit is always prompted by over-flowing love. That is what allows it to be "all-in," all the time.
When you’ve mastered the creative power and are aligned with Spirit then you’re at the very heart of creation, then you’ll find that everything is showing up exactly as you wish but in a way that’s even more magical and wondrous than you could have ever wished-for or imagined. In this state of pure creativity, this state of effortless grace, you get all of yourself and all of Life as well. Now what could be greater than that?
Quotes
We must do our share in the work and not expect God to do for us what He can only do through us.
(Troward, Doré Lectures, Ch. 2)
If we clearly realize that the creative power in ourselves is unlimited, then there is no reason for limiting the extent to which we may enjoy what we can create by means of it. Where we are drawing from the Infinite we need never be afraid of taking more than our share. That is not where the danger lies. The danger is in not sufficiently realizing our own richness, and in looking upon the externalized products of our creative power as being the true riches instead of the creative power of Spirit Itself.
(Thomas Troward, The Hidden Power, p.118)
Your imagination is the instrument, the means, whereby your redemption from slavery, sickness, and poverty is effectuated. If you refuse to assume the responsibility of the incarnation of a new and higher concept of yourself then you reject the means, the only means, whereby your redemption—that is, the attainment of your ideal—can be effectuated. Imagination [i.e., the operation of the creative power of Spirit in a human being] is the only redemptive power in the universe. However, your nature is such that it is optional to you whether you remain in your present concept of yourself (a hungry being, who longs for freedom, health, and security) or choose to become the instrument of your own redemption, imagining yourself as that which you want to be. … The only fate governing your life is the fate determined by your own concepts, your own assumptions; for an assumption, though false, if persisted in [and accepted as being true] will harden into a fact. . . . Everything depends on your attitude towards yourself. That which you will not affirm as true of yourself can never be realized by you for that attitude alone is the necessary condition by which you realize your goal.
(Neville, The Power of Awareness, p. 4, 10, 12-16)
_________________ ◊ ◊ ◊ __________________
I accept my role as a true co-creator with Spirit—never expecting Spirit to do for me what it can only do through me.
I, as a true co-creator with Spirit, have the power to bring about positive changes in my life as well as my own transformation. Spirit creates everything yet I, through the creative power of my own consciousness, can direct Spirit’s creation as it applies to my life. Whatever I wholeheartedly wish for or imagine for myself—that is exactly what Spirit sets about to create for me. And the highest I can wish for or imagine for myself is what Spirit wants most for me.
I accept my role in this divine partnership, which is to direct Spirit to create more and more love, joy, abundance, fulfillment, and beauty for me to experience in my life. This is a sacred duty because my experience of Spirit’s qualities in me is also the way that Spirit is able to experience those qualities for Itself. Spirit exists on the plane of the universal and can only experience itself through an individualized expression; it can only experience its love, joy, abundance, and beauty through an individual like me.
Co-Creation
Once we understand the nature of Spirit and our individual role in the creative process it behooves us to use our creative power in a way that is truly beneficial, that actuates a positive change in our life, that restores us to wholeness and reveals all the divine qualities of Spirit in and through our own lives. Our consciousness, which is one with the Consciousness of Spirit, is the crucial factor that we bring to the alchemical process of creation. Divine intervention is afforded to us through our own consciousness, through our own one-with-Spirit actions, through what we are able to conceive for ourselves.
As individuals in touch with our creative power we have a choice with respect to how we direct our own power. The Power of Spirit is automatically directed through what we believe, what we hold to be true, what feels natural to us, and what we conceive to be possible for ourselves. However, by changing our beliefs we change what Spirit creates. The influx of Spirit and the redeeming power of Grace is always dispensed to us and through us in accord with what we conceive (and believe) for ourselves.
Throwing in the Towel
When people are faced with a crisis or an insurmountable problem their solution is often to do nothing, to give up, to throw in the towel so to speak. But what exactly are they giving up? This simple and often infantile approach is to give up on everything—on yourself, on your life—and then, in some kind of Hail Mary play, hope that some Higher Power will take care of everything for you (like mommy once did). But this is an ill-conceived approach. This outdated way of thinking and doing things, this misinformed approach to life, has led you into this kind of trouble in the first place—so get rid of all of that but not yourself, not your will, not your power. Surrender all of that feeble stuff to some Higher Power if you will but don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Trying to discover the right course of action has been the subject of inquiry for thousands of years. The most famous scripture of India, the Bhagavad Gita, addresses this very issue. The scene of this scripture takes place in the middle of a battlefield, and takes the form of a dialogue between Arjuna, the greatest warrior of the age, and Lord Krishna. Looking upon the two opposing armies Arjuna is suddenly besieged with doubt and despair with the thought of going into battle against his cousins and teachers. In his dejected state he tells Lord Krishna (who is the embodiment of God Himself) that he would rather lay down his weapon and die than kill his own cousins and teachers. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that such action is not the will of God, that fighting and defending dharma is his duty; and that, ultimately, it does not matter since all action is the action of God. After a long discourse Arjuna finally understands and is ready to fight, saying to Lord Krishna, “I shall do thy bidding.” I shall give up this wrong and self-defeating way of thinking and take the right action, the action of dharma.
Giving up, not acting, or hoping that some Higher Power will take care of everything for you has nothing to do with God’s will because God’s will is that you claim your own power, that you follow dharma, that you be an instrument of His grace through your loving and beneficial actions. What you are called to give up is your incorrect way of thinking and the outmoded concepts you have about yourself, not yourself, not your will, not your power to act in a way that serves God and his creation. You are an irreplaceable vessel of God’s glory. Do not rely upon God to do the very things He is relying upon you to do.
Questions and Answers
Somehow I don't resonate with this whole "create your own reality approach." It feels like too much work and I'm not in a position to do that kind of work. Can I still participate in this program?
Yes. As mentioned, there are two major approaches: a) accept life as it is (from a place of wholeness) without reacting, commenting, judging, etc. and b) endeavoring to change your consciousness and your beliefs and thereby actuate a change in your outer conditions. These approaches are not isolated; they can happen at the same time. The former approach is that of most spiritual traditions, and the oft-quoted line by the Christian mystic Jean Pierre de Caussade sums this up: "complete and total abandonment to the present moment." Many spiritual teachers of today teach this kind of acceptance, this total embrace of life as it is, including Jeff Foster. [The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life.] So, this total acceptance of life as it is, is enough. If, at some point, you feel inspired to actuate your creative power, in consort with Spirit, you can do that as well.
Could you talk about the creative process in the individual? What are some of the elements involved?
To understand the essence of creation, how the individual creates, we must look at the creative process of Spirit and how Spirit creates. We are one with Spirit and possess the same creative consciousness as Spirit but we, as individuals, are unwittingly using our vast creative power in a way that limits our true creative potential and obscures our divine qualities rather than expanding them. We are misapplying or inverting our creative power in a way that limits us, and pains us, and keeps us bound instead of delivering us to freedom and delight. As individualized expressions of Spirit, however, that is our choice; we are allowed to misuse our creative power. We are given the freedom to create misery for ourselves, we are given the freedom to ignore our own nature and seemingly go against Spirit itself. This is not something we are doing consciously but, yes, on one level we are choosing it. So, we want to change all that. We want to choose something else for ourselves.
To fully participate in the creative process we, as human beings, must create as Spirit creates. We must use our power in the same way that Spirit uses its power. Spirit creates from a pure sense of self, from an overwhelming sense of fullness, not from a state of desperation or lack. We must do the same. Spirit is always certain about its creation; it has no doubt about itself and the efficacy of it creative power. We must be the same. Spirit is always “all in,” giving itself completely to that which it creates. We must do the same. Spirit creates from a place of love and beauty, seeking to ever-expand these qualities in itself. We must do the same. … However, if you’re not there yet—and who is really there?—then all you need do is, with sincerity, keep inclining yourself in that direction.
Is there any “secret” to employing our creative power other than creating as Spirit creates?
Not really. That’s the whole of it. That’s the “secret.” The more closely you can create as Spirit creates—with the same motivation, “all-in”-ness, and certainty—the more manifesting power your creation will have and the more magical your co-creation with Spirit will be. So, your first task is to discover exactly how Spirit creates, and then take whatever steps are needed to be and do the same. And this is not so easy. You got plenty of things blocking you. Years of faulty and fearful mis-conditioning—all of which cause you to create a reality for yourself that goes against Spirit and your own nature—needs to be removed and/or overcome. This entails a process of reconditioning.
To actuate your creative power you have to be “all in.” You have to give yourself completely to your creation. You can’t hold anything back, you can’t be divided, you can’t have countervailing doubts going on. That is the way Spirit creates this whole universe—it’s “all in.” It’s always all in. It can never not be “all in.” It gives the all of itself to everything so completely that it becomes the very thing it creates. It’s never divided, separate, uncertain, or at odds with its creation. So in order to create as Spirit creates, in order to direct your creative power in the most positive and beneficial way, you have to be “all in.” And you cannot be “all in” unless you realize your unity with Spirit, unless your intention is fully aligned with the very force that impels Spirit, which is the sheer outpouring of love. You cannot be “all in” if you’re not completely yourself, if you’re disconnected from Life and living as some mentalized version of yourself. You can’t be “all in” if you’re at odds with your own creation, if you doubt your own power, if you’re divided against yourself, if you consciously want one thing but subconsciously want something else. Spirit never creates out of fear, or selfishness, or from a sense of lack (feeling that it needs something in order to be whole); so if your actions are motivated by these lesser forces then your creation will reflect those lesser forces; it will be at odds with the fullness, and power, and beauty of Spirit. Spirit is always prompted by over-flowing love. That is what allows it to be "all-in," all the time.
When you’ve mastered the creative power and are aligned with Spirit then you’re at the very heart of creation, then you’ll find that everything is showing up exactly as you wish but in a way that’s even more magical and wondrous than you could have ever wished-for or imagined. In this state of pure creativity, this state of effortless grace, you get all of yourself and all of Life as well. Now what could be greater than that?
Quotes
We must do our share in the work and not expect God to do for us what He can only do through us.
(Troward, Doré Lectures, Ch. 2)
If we clearly realize that the creative power in ourselves is unlimited, then there is no reason for limiting the extent to which we may enjoy what we can create by means of it. Where we are drawing from the Infinite we need never be afraid of taking more than our share. That is not where the danger lies. The danger is in not sufficiently realizing our own richness, and in looking upon the externalized products of our creative power as being the true riches instead of the creative power of Spirit Itself.
(Thomas Troward, The Hidden Power, p.118)
Your imagination is the instrument, the means, whereby your redemption from slavery, sickness, and poverty is effectuated. If you refuse to assume the responsibility of the incarnation of a new and higher concept of yourself then you reject the means, the only means, whereby your redemption—that is, the attainment of your ideal—can be effectuated. Imagination [i.e., the operation of the creative power of Spirit in a human being] is the only redemptive power in the universe. However, your nature is such that it is optional to you whether you remain in your present concept of yourself (a hungry being, who longs for freedom, health, and security) or choose to become the instrument of your own redemption, imagining yourself as that which you want to be. … The only fate governing your life is the fate determined by your own concepts, your own assumptions; for an assumption, though false, if persisted in [and accepted as being true] will harden into a fact. . . . Everything depends on your attitude towards yourself. That which you will not affirm as true of yourself can never be realized by you for that attitude alone is the necessary condition by which you realize your goal.
(Neville, The Power of Awareness, p. 4, 10, 12-16)
_________________ ◊ ◊ ◊ __________________
