Talk Takeaways
All true teachings are about a human being realizing another order of being while in this life.
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." -- New Testament
As we are now, we do not see it when certain thoughts and feelings are out of place. Thoughts and feelings that are out of place, that we identify with, determine our sense of self.
What is your life filled with, moment to moment? It is filled with whatever is imagined to stimulate a sense of self that is never satisfied. Because the imagination does not satisfy, we are forced to imagined more of what has no real substance.
We mistake the stimulated sense of self for being who we really are.
Thoughts and feelings that have no real substance prove their true nature whenever they are tested.
We should be growing tired of strong sensations born of imagination, trying to fill ourselves with the same nothingness that we are trying to escape.
When you are in the right place inwardly, you are able to more readily recognize thoughts and feelings that are out of place.
Are you often just happy to be alive? Or are you most often caught up in thinking about when you will be happy in a time to come?
When you are in the right place inwardly, there is a natural relationship with the sensations of life itself and the corresponding impressions they give.
The punchline of the story of the master fisherman: "When it comes to being fulfilled from the inside-out, everything depends upon where you drop your anchor. The sea bed never stays the same, it always changes. You have to sense the ocean." We are almost always anchored in thoughts and feelings that provide a stimulating sense of self, but which have no value in and of themselves.
What are some examples of self-stimulating thoughts and feelings that take our attention? Reliving a moment from the past. Feeling sorry for yourself. Trying to be important. Making accounts against others.
Insensitivity is being completely identified with, completely absorbed by, self-stimulating thoughts and feelings. We become so full of ourselves that we have no room for real life.
Set an intention to be aware of where you have dropped your anchor. Then you will be aware of your thoughts and feelings instead of being defined by them. When you catch yourself in the middle of being defined by a thought or feeling, withdraw the sense of self that is being generated. Bring yourself back to the full awareness of all that you can sense, both inwardly and outwardly. That is where to drop your anchor.
Key Lesson
