[tmtranscripts] SEI TeaM 8-1-4

[Pat/Ken Anderson]

SEI TeaM
8-1-04
Subject:  The third lesson on the Second-Mile
 
Opening Prayer: KLARIXISKA (Virginia): 
 
Father who does see all, we thank You that our very existence is the proof that You ??  We would pray that as we would meet together tonight to hear the teachers that you would give us those ideas, concepts, motivations, feelings that would cause us to creatively seek Your will in the mundane.  We thank You that Your work is the service to all mankind.  We thank You that Your work has its own rewards.   We thank You that to know Your will means we will find the joy that has been mentioned to transform Your world.  Amen
 
DANIEL (Bob S):  Greetings friends, this is Daniel, your teacher, colleague, elder brother and at the moment introducer to tonight’s session.
 
Ken:  Greetings Daniel.
 
DANIEL: Thank you Kenneth.  We have again this evening chosen to delve further into explaining the second mile after hearing your recent discussion, for it has brought about aspects of your understanding which we feel necessitate further explanation.  Therefore, we are, at the moment, setting about to perform this additional introduction to your understanding of what we mean by the second-milers club.  Now with that brief introduction, we shall begin.  One moment please.
 
AARON  (Bob D):  Greetings again my friends.  I am Aaron, and tonight I would like to gauge your understanding and activities since you have learned of the second milers club.  So while we would endeavor to deepen your understanding, we would like to have you each share about your thoughts and reactions and perhaps any opportunities you have found in the past couple of weeks to implement, or attempt to implement, this understanding in your lives.  As always I look for a strong person to lead the discussion, so I would inquire of you Pat.  (laughter) 
 
Pat:  Maybe you got the wrong name.
 
Bob D:  No, I got the right name.  Aaron does have a sense of humor.  I will try to compose myself.  Sorry.
 
AARON:  I understand how you might find this humorous, but indeed do I hold to my statement and ask if you could share regarding your thoughts and activities since you have learned of this second-milers club.
 
Pat: I appreciate your humor, Aaron.  I don’t know that I have done much about it yet.  I have been thinking about it quite a bit trying to understand what it all entails, so I don’t think I have a good example to present.  I am trying to think. Over all I have tried to have a better attitude about everyday life, and I think that is all I have to say.
 
AARON:  Thank you.  Are there any areas of confusion or question?
 
Pat:  Well, perhaps just what we discussed a few minutes ago.  When you are doing a task if it is just personal and not thinking about how it is going to impress someone else or try to raise their standards by what you are doing.  Is it just supposed to be a personal challenge to do your very best irregardless of anyone else?  
 
AARON:  I knew we could coax this question out of you if sufficiently prodded.  Thank you for indeed this is the scenario that we would like to clarify.  For one can’t truly be in the second-miler club if they are consciously trying to impress others even with the best of intentions.  
 
Originality and creativity will manifest out of your applying yourself with no particular regard for anything but the exploration of the situation to manifest your talents in that particular instance or environment.  So truly, you are focused not so much on others, and not so much even on yourself, but on the situation itself and how to bring the highest out of the potentials in a situation, and you all do this in various situations in life.  When you survey the room and decide how you will go about dusting, for example, you unconsciously many times come up with a plan that will bring forth the most effective use of your time in doing so, if time is the element.  
 
In other situations, you look to produce the most enjoyment out of a situation, either for yourself or others, or all concerned, but the emphasis is on the situation rather than how it will affect others or even yourself.  And although it is not healthy to go with the conscious desire of trying to change the behavior of others, to recognize that you are a part of an integral universe is important and that your actions in your small area of the universe that you exist in are important to the overall scheme and development of the Supreme.  For if you can recognize your connection to all other beings, it helps to enable you in your own efforts however small they may seem to you at any given time.  So recognizing that you do have an influence is good, but trying to consciously influence others behaviors will generally bring about more stress than productivity in the long term.  Has this clarified your understanding my friend?
 
Pat:  Yes, that has helped and I think I am beginning to see glimpses of the realization that I am a part of a universe, and also it was helpful what you said about the project or whatever that you are trying to do your best in separating another person and separating yourself from the project and that is where that creativity comes in?  Is that correct?
 
AARON:  Yes, in the sense that you have eliminated a focus on yourself and opened up the opportunity for your Indwelling Spirit to engage with your personality to create, and the lack of self consciousness is important for this to be able to occur.  I think you can see the natural progression to realize that trying to influence others is also self conscious behavior and so eliminating both the focus on others and focus on self is the place of selflessness—lack of self consciousness, and thus all opportunities are open.
 
Pat:  Thank you.
 
AARON:  Bob, my friend, would you like to share your thoughts and reactions regarding this topic?
 
Bob:  Sure.  In some ways, the more I hear you and the other teachers talk about it, the less I think I have a handle on it.  I was trying to think if during the past week was there anything I did which involved some creativity and originality and something in that area, and I didn’t do anything other than what I usually do, which was to prepare a lesson for church school and that requires a certain amount of creativity I suppose, although I stole the most of it from Linda on the subject of how gratitude affects stillness.  But personally I found in my understanding of the second mile, there are some areas where I do well and some areas I don’t do so well.  I have always been a person who was not so concerned about doing a super job, more to just get the job done and move on to whatever is next.  I don’t clean the corners of the room, I vacuum out in the middle and that is good enough.  And I admire people who do that.  Carol has always been one who is more concerned about doing a good job, and I was more concerned about let’s get it done and move on.  So that is an area I am going to have to work on because it’s pretty clear that is important.  On the other hand there are some things when I am thrown into a situation, I try to make it as positive as possible.  I remember when I first started going to church meetings they were so terribly boring, I figured I had to do something to survive this.  So I started inserting a little humor in them and that has caught on so that now people are much more open and willing to say what they really think and have a good time and enjoy themselves rather than just putting in their time.  So as I am understanding where we are headed with this, I can see some areas of need and some areas where I probably have the right idea.  The concern I expressed earlier was how can you set a higher standard which you hope will impact others without alienating them in the process?  So if you care to, please address that concern.  Do you have anything to add to that, if so, I would appreciate hearing it.
 
AARON:  First of all, my friend, a second miler is not necessarily required to clean in the corners.  For uniqueness, personality provides for deferring behaviors and focuses.  So I would hope to try to blur the edges a little bit here to give the larger concept of creativity and originality in daily life for you do have areas which apply greater amounts of creativity to.  And to recognize your desire to bring the positive out of situations is a reflection of a characteristic that is reflective of a second miler in attitude.  Your desire to bring humor into life, to make the mundane interesting, to share your inspiration with friends, all of these are reflective of this original and creative expression that we are exploring here.  Your ability to expand upon this is what we are endeavoring to nurture such that you can produce greater fruits.  Has this clarified for you on the level of your own capabilities and the potentials, or is this still muddy waters?
 
Bob:  No, I think that helps.  Are you going to take a crack at my question?
 
AARON:  Could you repeat the question?
 
Bob:  Do you want to back that tape up?  How can a second miler set higher standards for themselves that you hope will impact the lives of others without alienating them?
 
AARON:  Oh yes, that question.  I hesitate to say that this is not so difficult to do because I fear you would all disbelieve me, but in reality its your ability to simply be natural as you go about your business.  Again, I refer to Michael as He lived and His ability to be genuine, unassuming, accepting, and yet intensely interested in doing the greatest good in any situation He encountered.  One who met up with Michael, who was of a sincere heart, could hardly withstand his charm and personality, and almost without exception would find themselves sharing things they did not share with even those closest to them in their lives.  This was yes because He contained divinity, but more so because He reflected divinity which you all have the capacity to do in your sincere efforts to be about the Father’s business, to go about your daily activities in a genuine, forthright, and kind-hearted manner.  Thus, if you accomplish something of substance or if you raise the bar somewhat, most people will simply acknowledge your achievement even if it isn’t a vocal recognition.  The difficulty in human life is the fact that often you astound yourselves when you accomplish something you didn’t realize you could accomplish.  And thus when you are astounded, a different energy manifests than the natural, genuine, sincere desire to do good, and so people can be both admiring and set back at the same time due to the conflicting energies arising out of the situation.  So over time your ability to astound yourself will diminish and by continued practice and effort in applying yourself genuinely in every circumstance you will become more natural, and the reaction will become less extreme and more natural as a result.  Does this clarify your understanding?
 
Bob:  I think it helps.  Yes, thank you.  I don’t want to belabor that, but thank you.
 
AARON:  Thank you for sharing.  Ken.
 
Ken:  Yes, Aaron.
 
AARON:  How have you been doing with this topic of discussion both in thought and in actions over this last period of time?
 
Ken:  In my actions, I don’t know.  Some of the thoughts I have been having are that I feel like a child in a candy store.  The plate has been so stacked with thoughts and concepts I try to sample it all, to taste some, to try them, to see how they fit.  I try to multitask these concepts to incorporate them, and that is hard to do.  So I have to stand back in a relationship in this situation whether it is work, or home, or outside or whatever and I have to step into that point in stillness and ask that famous question, what would Jesus do? and follow the leadings I get from there.  I have trouble finding the particular talent to express my personality, or to express the potential of my personality.  I guess you might just say sometimes I feel like I am overloaded, don’t know which way to go.
 
AARON:  And what do you feel might be the best step to take in this case? 
 
Ken:  It is to listen to my inner voice, to listen to the Father and follow that guidance.
 
AARON:  Indeed and recognize that the manifestation of personality on a genuine level, unimpeded, often occurs when you aren’t thinking about it.  But without the intellectual stimulation one can also stagnate into cycles of behavior, so it good to contemplate the various morsels
 
Ken:  Oh, I love the flavors.  They’re fun, sweet and sour.
                        
AARON:  And to recognize the implications that these morsels offer you.  Then take that into the stillness so that an absorption can occur where the divine can meet with the mind and incorporate a spiritization around those morsels that can take them from simply being intellectual to the potential of being actualized as part of your stream of consciousness.  And by doing this stillness practice, you will bring about an integration such that you will find less confusion and can more easily affect your environment in the present without too much contemplation for the past and the future.  Does this help you?
 
Ken:  Yes, it does Aaron.
 
AARON:  Thank you for sharing this evening.  Carol, how are you doing?
 
Carol:  Well, I have thought a lot about it, but putting it into practice has been somewhat difficult.  I think it brings to the forefront of your mind some of the things where you are having some difficulty.  I think I am not nearly as positive as I should be.  I don’t find positive in a lot of things that I should, so I am not using the creativity to bring about positive thoughts.  I struggle with the fact you interact with people and try to bring good thoughts and ideas and express yourself, and hopefully they can gain from you enthusiasm and when that doesn’t happen, I have no patience I guess.  I just need to keep working.
 
AARON:  Recognize also, my friend, that the conscious awareness of these issues is in itself a step forward, and although it is uneasy to see imperfections and the difficulty obtaining an idea or an ideal, the imperfect state is part of the evolutionary existence.  The realization that you are a child of God is more important than the incorporation of any particular insight, and so it is in your attempts to draw closer to this source within you in stillness, that you will gain perspective on many of your questions.  And while we speak of a new ideal these past few weeks, we surely recognize your limitations and ability to achieve the ideal immediately.  And so we encourage the daily activity in relationship to God, to attempt to engage positively with your environment, but know that the will of God is simply your engagement with Him, and what you do in your environment is merely the manifestation resulting from your imperfect awareness combined with the occasional glimpses of insight that mix to create the person and potentials that you are now.  And so relaxing into this attitude of being embraced by God first allows all subsequent understanding to evolve from that recognition.  So I hope this brings a hopeful attitude as you are certainly quite capable of achieving this progress over time.
 
Carol:  Thank you
 
AARON.  You are welcome.  And the best for last.  Virginia, my friend.
 
Virginia:  That is very interesting Aaron because I was thinking of what Daniel said about transform yourself, and you transform the world.  And then you say that to me.  It is a very heavy thing to realize that kind of responsibility, and I hate to be bringing in another thought here but I have been sitting here thinking that my problem is perhaps that which is stated very clearly in the Urantia Book that the work is important, but I’m not.  And if I would dismiss the self-importance, I would have more energy to do God’s will, and so I would like to believe that what I am doing is important, but I am not necessary because anybody can do the act.
 
AARON:  Thank you for sharing these ideas.  Indeed you have touched upon the importance of the lack of focus on self and achieving this creative engagement.  One difficulty, however, in obtaining the lack of awareness of self is the importance of gaining an acceptance for self at the same time.  For the ability to disengage from the ego’s overriding influence is contingent upon your being, recognizing the importance of the various aspects of self and who you are.  And so the process begins with accepting one’s self.  And on a normal world, this occurs in childhood for the system nurtures this reality such that the large majority of citizens understand themselves, accept who they are, and then proceed forth in discovery.  So if I could just simply say accept yourself and you would do so,--good.  Then we could just move on and forget it and all would be well.  But for each individual this acceptance of self varies.  And so while we impress upon you the importance of selflessness and lack of self awareness, we also recognize your limitations in achieving this to the extent that your self acceptance has been impaired.  And yet we do know that who you are, each of you, is quite acceptable.  Does this amplify your understanding my friend?
 
Virginia:  Well, it sounds like it is the same things that are in the back of the drawer that have to be taken out and cleaned and washed or just thrown away and perhaps… is it possible to do work, to do God’s will, and know that even though I may be limited in acceptance of self, the job gets done?
 
AARON:  And this is the exciting aspect of the universe ascension plan that one can work in both realms at the same time.  You can work on gaining self acceptance by recognizing your expression of talent in your environment and at the same time you can, to some degree, still produce beneficially in your environment while having limited acceptance of self.  Of course the highest degree of output occurs with complete acceptance, for then you also have the ability to completely accept the personality of others.  And so there is limited restriction in simply being focused upon the work itself.  But rest assured that your continued activity to go about doing good will increase the degree of acceptance you have for yourself on the long-term scale.  And while these deficits will follow you into the mansion world experience, the eternal potentials and realities will be well nigh limitless, for these deficits will find balance in the worlds to come.  I hope this helps you in understanding.  
 
Virginia:  That is a hopeful conclusion.  It is certainly something to think about.  Thank you.
 
AARON:  And yes, we do hold the greatest potential as the conclusion rather than thinking of negative potentials.  For the best way to achieve at your highest levels is to portray for you the highest perspective and beckon you to follow that prospective.  I sense that we should wrap up this evening’s discussion.  If we could stand for final prayer, Daniel would be glad to lead us all.
 
DANIEL:  This is Daniel.  Let us pray.  
 
May these words which come from the loving hearts of our Creators and ourselves be taken to heart by our students as they seek to live their lives following Your will, O Universal Father.  Be with us all now as we go about our business this week seeking to serve You.  Amen.
 
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