Just as the ultimate goal of a libertarian activist is far beyond the intermediate issues talked about in a particular election cycle, so the ultimate goal of this course is to benefit me far beyond the realm of politics. The principles I am learning with these lessons work for business or work situations, relationships, indeed all areas of life.
There is nothing I cannot accomplish if I live by these principles.
In fact, the more I learn about spiritual opening ... not religious beliefs, but true spiritual opening beyond any particular beliefs ... the happier and more efficient my life becomes. When I release guilt, fear, anger, wanting, fixed belief systems, and other pain-causing habits; what remains is love, joy, and inner peace. Why wouldn't my whole life be more efficient?
Does this mean a spiritually opened person can live within the depressing gray cloud of a Marxist society or the prohibitive darkness of any kind of dictatorship and still thrive and be happy? Yes. Because a spiritually opened person is in touch with inner happiness which does not depend on external circumstances.
Does this mean I can still feel free in an unfree world? Yes ... if I'm seeing clearly that an unfree world doesn't have to affect my freedom. But such clear seeing requires being open spiritually. A truly free person, a person in touch with inner freedom, does not need to worry about external circumstances.
In a political activism context, does this mean I can be joyous and happy and not the least bit depressed even if libertarians or libertarian-leaning candidates lose everywhere in an overwhelming election landslide? Why not? Who decides whether I am happy or not? Some voter external to me? Or am I myself in charge of how I feel?
If I am in charge of how I feel ... if external events or circumstances cannot really affect my inner happiness ... then I am in a very, very strong position indeed.
If the only way I can become depressed or unhappy is to allow external events or circumstances to have more importance in my mind than they need have, then I can choose to see specific outcomes as nowhere near as important as my inner state of being. What an incredible position of strength! Now I'm like Howard Roark in The Fountainhead, living for the sake of my spirit ... not for the sake of external events.
Recognizing the possibility that Ron Paul might fall short, my task with these lessons is to fortify in my mind the idea that external events, external circumstances or external outcomes do not really matter because I can choose to be happy no matter what.
To this end I start each day with an affirmation of reminder such as:
"No matter what's going on in the world ... I'm the one who decides whether I am happy or not! Knowing this, I am invulnerable."
"My strength today comes from my choice to stay happy in the face of any and all outer occurrences."
"Today my priorities are: (1) choose happiness, (2) choose happiness, and (3) choose happiness. What power this gives me!"
It doesn't matter what affirmations of reminder I use. My inner voice may give me very powerful statements indeed. The important thing is to allow my imagination to give me mental pictures while using the affirmations and then to use the statements until I feel the truth of them.
As always, I also take at least 20 minutes during the day for meditation, quieting my mind, and really feeling the peace and joy of my inner being.
When I retire each day, I rejoice in my strength and power. I rejoice that I do not give away my strength by thinking that externals are so important as to affect my happiness. I rejoice that there is nothing that can get in the way of my achieving my goals precisely because their not being achieved couldn't hurt me in the least.
Before going to sleep with a smile on my face, I might say aloud to myself one last reminder:
"Having surrendered the need for particular outcomes, I am invulnerable."
The device which even more deeply prepares freedom lovers for success, A Course in Miracles , talks about our ultimate need to free ourselves from every kind of slavery:
You have been told to bring the darkness to the light, and guilt to holiness. And you have also been told that error must be corrected at its source. Therefore, it is the tiny part of your self, the little thought that seems split off and separate, that the Holy Spirit needs. The rest is fully in God's keeping, and needs no guide. But this wild and delusional thought needs help, because, in its delusions, it thinks it is the Son of God, whole and omnipotent, sole ruler of the kingdom it set apart to tyrannize by madness into obedience and slavery.
Also available free of charge online:
Course in Relationship Miracles
Thursday
How a Ron Paul Supporter Climbs to the Top in Politics
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