Tag Archives: New Thought

Doing It Differently in 2015

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by Gregory Toole

As we journey into this new year, many of us envision so much more for our lives. The beginning of a year is a great time to give thanks for what has been, and to look forward to experiencing more fully the vision for our lives.

But how do we do it differently? There is an inherent inertia in the human experience that seems to sabotage most people within a week or two of the new year, when old habits and patterns seem to resurface and we are right back where we were despite our best intentions and great hopes for something better.

Doing it differently really begins with being different. Anything else is just window dressing as the saying goes. So what does it mean to be different, and how do we be different? Being different requires a fundamental shift at the feeling level of our being. Rather than just setting a goal to be, do, or have something different, we enter into the vibration of the newness that we desire.

The vibration of what we desire is the feeling tone of it. We need to ask ourselves, what would it feel like to be, do, or have the desired good? When we uncover how we would feel if what we want were real right now, then we enter into that feeling. We evoke that feeling within us right now through the use of our imagination. The more we can feel that right now, the more real it becomes for us. In doing so, we are aligning with the vibration of our desired good.

The vibration about which I am speaking is the invisible substance that now takes form as we align with it. It is the substance that is spoken of in the scripture from Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We have evidence of our good before it even arrives through our experience of its vibration. We are already experiencing it at a feeling level, so we have evidence that it is real. Aligning with the vibration is what actually brings the “substance” of it into form.

The more we align with the vibration, or feeling tone, of that which we desire, the more we become something different. And when we become something different, now our life will change in the direction of what we have become.

The human inertia that might have set in when we only worked on the outer with our goals is now neutralized, because at a deep level we truly are different as we move toward our goals, intentions, or resolutions.

The real beauty is that by becoming something different, we not only have the power to transform ourselves, but also to transform our world.

Happy New You! It is already turning out to be a great year!

Love and blessings,
Gregory

Do Mytics Age?

by Gregory Toole

As I am now unquestionably a part of what the world refers to as “middle-aged,” I come to the place where changes in my physical body meet the principles of New Thought metaphysical teachings. In my 20s and 30s, one of my mantras had been “mind over matter.” Later, that mantra changed to reflect a more holistic view of spirit, mind, and body as an integral wholeness reflecting the degree to which I aligned with a vibration of well-being.

All of my favorite professional athletes, in every sport I follow, eventually retire, realizing they are no longer able to perform at the highest levels in comparison to younger athletes. Most of the top athletes in all major sports are now young enough for me to be their parent. In fact, now I am older than a good many of the coaches. All of this does lead me to reflect on my personal status as an athlete, or even as one whose body is still optimally healthy.

A couple years ago, I played basketball with some teenagers and one of them said to his teammate, referring to me, “You cover the old guy.” Of course, given the age difference, I couldn’t really be offended, yet it was a reminder that my status as an athlete had changed over the years.

In 2007, I went to a book launch in San Francisco for the great yoga master, BKS Iyengar, one of my spiritual teachers (by way of his writings). At 89 years old, the benefits of his yoga practice were evident in how well he looked physically, and yet, as we might expect, he did look different than he did in photos of him in yoga poses at a much younger age.

It is true that the body does change with age, and it is also true that the principles of metaphysics still apply at every age. Alignment of spirit, mind and body has tremendous healing power. My alignment of body, mind, and spirit is still serving me quite well. The state of each of these aspects of our being really do affect each other. This is not a sequential proposition. It is in taking care of each of these aspects of our being that we take care of all three of these aspects of our being. Neglecting any one of them is neglecting the others.

We take care of our spirit by living our lives in the vibration of love, wholeness, and harmony. We take care of our mind by keeping it engaged and active. We take care of our bodies through movement, stretching, eating well, and getting proper rest. Through mindful (aware/awake/conscious) engagement, we may find ways to take care of all three at the same time, such as through the practice of yoga or through otherwise mindfully engaging our spirit, mind, and body simultaneously.

Even for mystics and practitioners of metaphysical spiritual principles, the body still changes. However, the difference is that when we align spirit, mind, and body, through regular practice, we are attentive to what each aspect – spirit, mind, and body – needs at each stage of life so that we may continue to be healthy and vibrant, while not necessarily the same as we were at previous ages.

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