2002-06-21-Self, Potentials
Pocatello #223
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Self, Potentials
o 1.2 Group: Pocatello TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Daniel
o 2.2 TR: Unknown
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
3.2.1 Potential, Creativity
o 3.3 Dialogue
3.3.1 Opportunity
3.3.2 Personality, Balance
o 3.4 Closing
Topic: Self, Potentials
Group: Pocatello TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Daniel
TR: BobS
Session
Opening
Prayer by Bob: Lord, we quiet our minds and our hearts in the quiet of this evening to open our very selves to the words that have been prepared for our edification, to the end that we will become the sons and daughters you have created. Amen.
Lesson
Potential, Creativity
DANIEL: This is your friend, Daniel, who is one of your teachers, guides, and companions. I stand in awe of our Instructor in Residence, for his ability to co-mingle and correlate the threads of truth in such a way that a most gorgeous tapestry emerges. In all fairness to the order of Melchizedeks, it needs to be noted that they are master teachers! They have been my teachers in the majority of my highest educational opportunities on Jerusem and its satellites. It is not without reason that Minearisa is titled, “Instructor in Residence”. So I want you to know that I sit at his feet, as you, and truly enjoy the overflowing abundance of both his intelligence and his compassionate love.
Yet, despite our admiration for Minearisa and the other Melchizedeks, we teachers do not become intimidated. We are able to assign experiential differentials to orders of beings and individuals without the need to fawn and fall in worshipful adoration. We have no need of a “Guru”, as so many mortal do. It is one of the achievements of the morontia career that you begin to be more objective about relative gifts and achievements.
The objectivity consists in a loss of that ego-centered self reference, which is such a difficult struggle in the mortal life. You are no longer comparing yourself to others in the sense that you feel either superior or inferior, with the associated emotions. You merely observe that one has more experience than another; or that one is created a higher order of being than another is. It is simply a fact.
Since the universe is evolutionary and we are all progressing there is no limit to our capacity beyond that which is inherent in our potential. In other words, a seed can be come a beautiful tree. A baby becomes an adult. But a tree does not become a human being, nor does a human being become a tree. So, we perceive all the evolutionary universes as consisting in the march from potential to actual. In fact, my friends, that is the purpose of spiritual growth. It is to achieve your full potential. That brings me to the keynote of my thoughts this evening: achieving your full potential.
As I have already alluded to, every one of you is created with a vast reservoir of potential which awaits completion in actuality. Because each of us has a different and unique personality there are no identical potentials. Each individual person has different, if only slightly different, potentials than others do.
It is fairly widely recognized that one of the major purposes of mortal life is to achieve one’s “potential”. The problem with this concept, as it is usually described in your cultures, is that potential is not given broad enough parameters and dimensions. It often does not include all the aspects that we have been discussing: the physical potential, the mindal potential, and most importantly, the spiritual potential. Therefore, to achieve one’s potentials requires some idea of what we are talking about when we use the term, “potential”.
Ask yourself how broad, how inclusive, are your concepts of your potentials. You see, if you narrow the parameters too much, then you will make no attempt to achieve potentials which you may possess, but are unaware of. We have been consistently presenting to you the broadest possible picture of your potentials which are based on your givens as children of God. The givenness of your animal nature, you were all familiar with, although many of you were unhappy with your animal condition. We have added to that picture over the years the spiritual dimension of your life, your divine nature which is the result of your Indwelling Father Fragment.
Having a more complete picture of your true nature, both human and divine, and evolutionary in character rather than static, you can then begin to examine all the areas of your life for the purpose of enhancing the full achievement of your potential as a mortal being. As an aside to our discussion about achieving potential. let me underline a fact that is becoming more centrally understood in your culture, that is, the role of the foundation of your abilities which you inherit in your genetic material. It has been downplayed in the past for fear of enhancing racism, prejudice, etc. that there are differences between peoples in terms of innate ability, both intellectual, physical, social, etc. But accepting those differences as a fact, tonight I am talking about achieving your potential with the cards that are dealt you.
The first thing, then, that I wish to point out I will summarize by saying that in order to actualize your potential to the greatest degree you must first have a good idea of what those areas are that you can fulfill and enhance. We have been working on this so that you would realize that you are not the limited creatures that your culture has taught you; that, indeed, you are the children of God with eternal careers in front of you inviting you to do much more in this life than has been hereto thought possible. One of the aspects of the spiritual potential, which we have lately stressed, is your cosmic brotherhood and sisterhood, the concept that you are spiritually united with a vast universe of free will creatures.
After understanding what your potentials are, then you must understand the second thing, your role as co-creator. It is not merely a secondary matter to be co-creative. It is a primary matter. It is only not given to the artistic few, the Rembrandt, the Monet, to be creative. It is given to each of you to co-create yourself so as to contribute your potential to the full actualization, the emergence and completion of the Almighty Supreme.
When you understand that it is not merely a pastime, possibly an activity of retirement, that you should become creative, but that is the essence of your personality, then you are beginning to get the picture. This has been discussed before at some length, but it ties in here because without the intellectual will choice of your role as co-creative, your potential will remain a pool of possibility instead of an ocean of actuality.
Yes, you co-create yourself in the partnership you have with your indwelling Thought Adjuster. Your Thought Adjuster awaits fusion with your personality for it is pre-personal until that moment. At the same that you so align yourself to be in perfect alignment with the will of God as expressed through your Thought Adjuster, you will achieve that synchronicity of mind with God which you have been striving for, even as that Gift of God achieves personal expression through your personality. This is the ultimate co-creation and yet it is not the end. It is the completion of the potential so that the actuality of co-creation can flower and grow.
Please understand that I am not describing “pie in the sky”. I am not selling you a “silver bullet”. This is not magic. The “human potential” movement has much value for it has challenged people to think beyond the boxes of their traditional thinking, to open doors into creative possibilities that were undreamed of. All this is good. What we are trying to tell you is that there is even a larger picture which is your divine inheritance, which is your gift from God to be expressed back to God by your contribution to the emerging Supreme.
I am trying to tell Isaac something in pictures, but it is almost ineffable; it cannot be put into words, this experience of co-creation as it flows forth from the fusion moment. You people haven’t reached that fusion moment so there is no real way I can put it into words. But I say, knowing the vastness of your potentialities, now make that commitment to co-create yourself. This brings us to the third point, the “how to”.
Now that you know you have these potentialities and the desire and willingness to actualize them, how to achieve your full potential? Number one: stop doing the things you know you shouldn’t do. Stop doing the things you know you shouldn’t do. You say, “Daniel, that sounds terribly negative!”
(Laughter followed by massive group protest and commentary setting aside the value of that statement as simplistic.)
Well, so much for that! (More outbursts of laughter. “It’s going to be a long night!” from one group member..laughter goes on and on) Okay. I love you all. Let me back up and say choose one! (More laughter going on and on) thing you know you shouldn’t do, or choose one thing you know you should do. Either or! Start doing it or stop doing it. Just one thing. Just one thing.
Group: It’s a little easier for one.
DANIEL: : Okay. (Flustered)
Ken: Good sense of humor, Daniel.
DANIEL: : If you can’t sell ’em on number one, you’ll never make it to number two. (More laughter) My friends, I truly enjoy our times of humor. My point was mis-expressed or poorly expressed. Whether or not I want to blame Isaac or just take the responsibility, I haven’t decided. (More outrageous laughter)
Ken: We are not going to blame Isaac. (More laughter)
DANIEL: : My point was this. All of us, and I say us because I have lived as a mortal, all of us have things throughout our life, coming and going, which become scaffolding rather than substance. They are things that were useful earlier in life but are no longer needed. They can be habits that were comfortable, yet as you grow wiser and older they become unnecessary.
They can be relationships which are negative. It can be any number of things which you have a reached a point where you say, “I don’t need this any more. I really don’t want this anymore.” It is that kind of thing that I was trying to refer to in words that struck an archaic response. You are quite correct that if it was that easy, you would all stop doing these things.
No, I am talking about that which you are coming into a whole and complete agreement within yourself, that you have outgrown or have need of this situation, this habit, this way of thinking, this relationship, whatever “it” might be. I guess the best metaphor for this is pruning. Trees are pruned to cut off those things which are useless and which drain energy so that the rest of the tree can grow in a greater fashion. That is the metaphor I am after here. Does that make more sense?
Group: Yes.
DANIEL: : When I said number one, I didn’t mean do this first, no matter what. For, in fact, pruning may not be the first thing you do. I would say that it might be better to start with this notion which I was going to designate as number two: find that small budding branch that desires to grow and expand and make sure the sun shines directly upon it. Find in yourself something you have been wanting to do to change, develop, a new friendship pattern, new service opportunity, a new hobby, whatever.
Find something that you really want to do and start taking the time to do it. Perhaps you are hung up on exercise, or the lack of it and you no longer enjoy riding the stationary bicycle. (Group chuckles) Or you don’t like to play tennis, golf, cross-country skiing, whatever, as much as you used to. Instead of giving up exercise, as such, find another kind that is new to you, that intrigues you. This will take some research, perhaps. That’s only an example. Find something that you want to see unfold and emerge.
The third concept is the old tune, my friends. Provide the water and the nutrients, to use the tree metaphor again. When I first started as your teacher you will recall that I said my job was to spade up the ground and provide nourishment and water so that you would grow. Indeed, that is still my job. But I am saying to you all, help me out. Do your part! What am I talking about? You know: a balanced life with stillness, with exercise, with nutrition, with service, with recreation, opportunities for creativity, and giving in to pruning the dead branches of your growing self. Now, the ultimate achievement of the mortal life, what would it be?
Group: Fusion?
DANIEL: : You’re close and you’re correct. Yes, it would be that, and it would also be to achieve the balance of personality which our Master, Jesus, achieved. Those are two goals of ultimate worth: to achieve fusion while yet on this planet and to achieve personality balance as Jesus did. Probably few will do that in this time frame. But as this planet moves into Light and Life, remember the statistics in the UB, on some advanced planets, 50% of the population reach that first goal which implies also the achievement of the second goal.
Well, you are all doing very well, as Minearisa noted last week. We have no complaints with you. I truly did enjoy your outburst of protest and I understand. I will scold Isaac in private. (More screeching laughter. Ken protests) You know I am joking. Isaac knows it as well.
Virginia: Daniel, are we going to have opportunity for questions?
Dialogue
Opportunity
DANIEL: : It would be pretty stingy of me if, after Minearisa refused, I was to do the same! So, yes, of course. I am done with my presentation.
Virginia: Your topic tonight was very interesting to me because I had a conversation today on the phone regarding potentiality. Maria Montessori believes that if we miss those windows of opportunity in children and the right point for learning, that they have missed a great deal. My answer was that perhaps we can catch up a lot. But we might be disappointed that our potentiality is not met. Is this what Maria Montessori had in mind?
DANIEL: : I am not in a position to respond to the question about Mari Montessori as easily as I could respond to the universe reality which relates to your question. May I do that, please?
Virginia: Certainly.
DANIEL: : One of the great things about God’s universe is that there is more than one window of opportunity. Those things which are not accomplished in the mortal career, but are desirable as well as socially acceptable will be given opportunity for completion. Of course there are critical biological windows of opportunity which your science is now familiar with. At the same time there is more evidence emerging of the possibility of other windows of opportunity not heretofore believed to be possible. I speak here of regeneration of neurons.
That concept is new to your science. People that have lost the ability to speak have been able to regain it by teaching other parts of the brain. There is in nature itself, in the biological construct of the human nervous system, both the windows of opportunity that are critical and also possibilities of more opportunities. The important thing that you need to do is to always set your mortal life within the larger perspective of reality. This life is not the whole ball game. This is just the first inning…..at the most! The game goes on. If you strike out in the first inning you are up to bat again in the third or fourth.
I am sorry if I did not directly address your question; yet I wanted to comment that the larger context that takes the usual limitation that people have of their life as bound by mortality and expands it, gives hope and patience to otherwise impatient people. It is a very sad teaching of many religions that you are only up to bat once, and if you strike out, that’s it. Does this help you?
Personality, Balance
Virginia: Yes, Daniel, that does. I do believe that children who miss an opportunity just need another situation, another teacher, another window. I thank you for that. I have both hands with fingers crossed because I wanted to ask another question. Wednesday night at our study group the term, “unification of personality” was questioned. No one could give a satisfying answer for everyone. With you talking tonight about the balanced personality, could we say that the balanced personality is the unified personality.
DANIEL: : They are similar, but not identical. When the UB uses the term “unification of personality” it is referring to the development of the ego function in the small child before the arrival of the Thought Adjuster. It includes a sense of self worth, a sense of the trustworthiness of the universe as known in the persons of care-givers, parents, extended family, etc. It is that sense of self that is not shattered by a dysfunctional family environment so that a child feels safe in expressing their needs and having them met appropriately. They know who they are. They like who they are. They feel loved and important.
That is personality unification. The balanced personality that we have been teaching is a much larger term. You could put it in a diagram. The very center circle is self in the unified personality. The next circle expands out to include the immediate family and friends, the social environment in which the first altruistic interactions occur as a result of Thought Adjuster presence. Then the next circle includes the larger social circle. Where we are now in our presentation to you is going beyond nation, church, even beyond the human species to include the Cosmic Family. The relationship to all of this is part of that “balanced personality”. Yes.
Virginia: Thank you, Daniel. That was very descriptive.
LaReen: Daniel, off the record, I just want to thank you very much for being our teacher and thank you for this private class just for me. (Laughter) Would you like me to share with the others? (More laughter)
DANIEL: : LaReen, thank you for your compliments. If my teaching touches you as though it was a private session, that does bring me great pleasure. I realize that not everything that a teacher says can apply equally to everybody. But it is gratifying to know that we are meeting your needs. So thank you for bringing that to my attention. Well, my dears. What a pleasure it is for me to be with you again and function in the role of teacher. How many classrooms have you been a part of where the teachers almost fight with each other for the privilege of teaching?
Ken: None in this mortal world! (Laughter)
DANIEL: : My observations agree with yours, Ken. Teachers would rather have someone else teach, with the exception of the really good ones. With us, however, it is the opposite. We cherish the opportunity to be with you! If there are no other questions then…..
Lori: I have one. I do want to tell you thank you for tonight’s lesson. I have to say that as we co-create, it’s the process that is so gratifying. I have so many times tried to share the co-creation feeling or idea with people. It is one of the most gratifying processes given to us. It can be accessed so easily at any time. So, thanks.
DANIEL: : Thank you, Lori for expressing your delight in co-creating. In a sense this is a concept that is not known to many mortals. Many people think of themselves in a passive fashion, as victims of this or that outside force, as lucky or unlucky gamblers with the dice of life. So, all that you can do to share this passion of yours with others meets with only the highest approval and pleasure on the part of all universe personalities. Yes. You are a very talented person and you have taken advantage of most of your creativity. More lies ahead, I predict.
Lori: I am not speaking so much in terms of art, craft creation. I am speaking in terms of asking for help, moment by moment, as far as co-creation. When you ask for help you can open up that moment and access a whole another level of beauty, truth, and goodness.
DANIEL: : Indeed, we are talking on the same wavelength.
Lori: I thought you thought I was talking jewelry.
DANIEL: : No, I mean that is what I mean by co-creation.
Lori: I want you to know that I knew what you meant and that I meant co-creating in all our everyday life situations.
DANIEL: : Yes. Isaac will admit he thought you meant jewelry. But I was talking in much larger terms, for you are not all jewelers, obviously. Yet, you all are co-creators. Other comments of questions?
Ken: The wind that you blew, Daniel, was warm and refreshing. Thank you.
Closing
DANIEL: Yes. Then, let us all stand and offer our thanks to God the Spirit, the Wind. Oh, Divine Minister, You are the Wind that blows as it will, energizes and brings to life and fans the fires of ambition and holy desire, that fills the sails of intention to journey toward Paradise! Giver of Life, giver of our minds, Co-Creator of this Universe with Michael, we worship You along with the Son and the Father. Help us to keep that back door always open, that You may not have to surprise us with a rapid knock on the front door, that as that Friend at our very elbow we can hear Your words, “This is the way, walk in it”. Amen.
