Release Your Problems

By Lester Levenson

Some of the posts in this blog are taken, with permission, from the book published using the material recorded from a series of public talks given to groups of ‘seekers’  in New York in the 1960s.

The following is from lectures that Lester Levenson gave in the 1960s in New York.

“It is necessary and good to discover that everything happening is caused by our thinking. Everything that happens to us is created in our thought. It’s a stepping stone toward realizing and recognizing that we are the creators.

First you discover that you created your trouble. Then you discover that you can create anything you desire. After you discover that there is nothing you cannot create, you’re still unhappy. The reason is that you have separated yourself from  the infinity. Only on recognizing your infinity are you perfectly satisfied.

So if there are any problems that remain, they only remain because you are holding on to them in thought. The moment you let go of them, they’re gone! If you tell me that isn’t so for you, that isn’t true. The truth is you’re still holding onto them, telling me that it doesn’t work.

Now ‘trying to get rid of a problem’ is holding onto it. Anything we try to get rid of, we are holding in mind and thereby sustaining that problem. So the only way to correct a problem is to let go of it. See not the problem. See only what you want, that is all you would get i.e. what you want. But you hold in mind the things you do not want, thereby sustaining them.”

We are reminded constantly by all the philosophers that ‘we get what we consistently think about.’

It’s very easy to say “don’t think about your problems”. But it’s not so easy to do. Our minds make this very difficult since one of the major functions of ego is to help us avoid pain. This means it is going to supply us with feelings of anxiety, doubt, fear etc so as to “protect us” from the reality it sees of the situation causing our problem. It is therefore clearly working against us in this way.

The antidote that Lester proposes is that we take charge of our mind and focus on what we want.

Easier said than done!

Some years ago I came across a little (tiny) book intriguingly called “It Works”. Written by RHJ in 1926, the author was purportedly a wealthy individual who wished to remain anonymous.  In his little book, he outlines a ‘surefire’ way of delivering to the reader who follows the instructions, whatever he most wants.

Long after I had forgotten about this little book, I came across a printed work by someone who had very much taken the instructions to heart and had spent a lifetime proving again and again that these  principles work (for those who follow the instructions).

I corresponded with this man, Brad Jensen, and he agreed to allow me to distribute his work entitled “The Ten Most Wanted List”.

All those on my list, i.e. those who have signed up to receive the Lester Levenson Story called “No Attachments, No Aversions” will have access to “The Ten Most Wanted List”. Just email me with your name and email address to:

gerrydr at (@)gmail.com

and put ‘TenMostWanted’ in the subject line.

For anyone else, it is available when you enter your name and email in the form on this page.

By the way. I’ll expect to receive comments and questions from those who take up the challenge and use the method outlined in “The Ten Most Wanted List”.

Keep chipping away!

Gerry D-R

How to Order from the Universe

By Steve Pavlina / Source: StevePavlina.com

The universe you live in works very much like a popular restaurant. You go in, you decide what you want, you order it, you receive it, and you digest it.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t seem to know how to order. Some are downright inept at it. They walk into this restaurant, behave like complete idiots, and they end up hungry and disappointed. Then they complain about the restaurant and post negative reviews online, despite the fact that the restaurant has received rave reviews from the most experienced food critics.

The Universal Restaurant

I can’t tell you how many times I encounter people who set goals like, “I want a romantic partner,” or “I want a stable job that pays more money,” or “I want to lose weight.” I’ve heard enough of this drivel to last a lifetime. It’s reached the point where I may start carrying around a squirt gun and shoot people in the eye when they say stuff like this.

Those are crap goals. Don’t waste your time on them. And definitely don’t say them within earshot of me.

Setting such goals is the equivalent of walking into a restaurant and proclaiming, “I’m hungry. I want some food.”

First, people will look at you like you’re an idiot. They’re only doing that because you are.

Second, you won’t get fed.

If you’re lucky, someone might hand you a menu and ask you what you’d like to order. You can order off the menu, or you can concoct something creative, but either way you have to be specific. If you stand there asking for food, you’ll remain hungry.

Is this happening in your life right now? Are you standing at the Universal Restaurant, waiting for your desires to manifest, and receiving only static in response? Might the reason be that the wait staff can’t figure out what the heck you’re actually trying to order?

The Universe is extremely adept at fulfilling your desires — but only if you have the wherewithal to decide and order what you want. If you can’t do that — and it matters not what excuses you have — you will remain hungry.

Sometimes the universe will take a stab at bringing your what you ask for. Then you reject it because, although it’s what you asked for (such as a generic “romantic partner”), it isn’t what you actually want. Then maybe the universe tries a few more times, and you continue to send back whatever it brings you. So eventually it gives up, concluding that you’re an unreasonable customer and that it’s better off spending its time and energy serving the patrons who know how to place an order properly. It says, “Ok, we’re done for now. Call me back to your table when you’ve figured out what you actually want.”

How to Order

When you set goals and intentions, place an order. Don’t ask, “Please can I…?” Simply order, much like you would in a restaurant. Say, “I’ll have the …” Then expect to receive what you order.

Don’t be timid or cowardly or uncertain. Just state your order, and expect to get it. If you screw this up, no soup for you.

Take as much time as you want to decide what to order, but when you place your order, accept what you ordered, and know that you’re going to receive it. You may have some buyer’s remorse if it’s not as good as you hoped, but that’s okay. Receive it anyway. There will always be other meals, other orders. Not everything you receive will taste like ambrosia.

Be specific in asking for what you want.

Don’t ask for more money. If you want $50K cash, then order $50K cash. Don’t ask for it. Order it.

Don’t ask for a better job. If you want to be a fashion blogger who travels around the world and gets free invites to major fashion shows and has 500,000 monthly readers, then order that.

Don’t ask for a romantic partner. If you want a geeky, vegan, bisexual, happily jobless girlfriend who loves to travel, then order that. Order it loudly enough so your waiter can hear you, and people at nearby tables will say, “I didn’t know that was on the menu. I’ll have one of those too… with a twist of lemon.”

One of the best ways to get what you actually want is to take your best guess, and order it. When you get what you ask for, it may not turn out quite right. That contrast between what you received and how you feel about it will give you a better sense of what you actually do want. Then you can make a better guess and take another stab at placing an order.

As you repeat this process, you’ll gradually hone in on what you actually desire most at a very deep level. And then you’ll get a chance to receive and experience it fully.

Realize that this is an iterative process. Don’t be a perfectionist. That’s like sitting in a restaurant for hours, trying to decide what you want, while impatient waiters periodically refill your water glass and pressure you to order something. It’s just a meal, so make a decision, get fed, and get out. Even if it turns out to be less than you hoped for, there will be plenty of other meals. The occasional bad meal is inevitable.

How to Be an Idiot Who Can’t Order at a Restaurant

What happens if you change your order before you receive it? Same thing that happens in a real restaurant. What would happen if you grabbed the waiter and changed your order before it arrived? No problem, but you’ll have to wait even longer because the waiter has to cancel the original order and then submit the new one. And if you keep doing that over and over, you’ll piss off the waiter and will never receive a meal. Have you been doing something like that in real life? Blue… no red… no blue! Ahhhh!

What happens if you order something, and then when you get it, you don’t like it? You can eat it anyway, or you can send it back. Either way, there will be other meals. You can always order again. Learn from the experience, and do your best to make a more intelligent choice next time. You may need to sample a few items from the menu to figure out what you like and don’t like. Your first order at any new restaurant may very well be your worst experience there.

What happens if you complain about the way the system works? It’s not fair! I can’t figure out what I want! I keep going back and forth between two possibilities! Stop pressuring me! You’re free to do that, but the system will process you like an idiot. Again, that’s only because you are.

If you rail against the system, it’s not going to work for you. If you can’t follow the simple rules, the system will process you like an idiot customer till you figure it out.

Here are the rules: Decide what you want, order it, receive it, and digest it. It’s not rocket science. Don’t make it complicated. It’s easier to follow the rules than it is to break them. Even a child can do it.

Your Choice

Despite the obvious drawbacks, you’re still free to behave like an idiot customer whenever you choose. You’re free to make a vague request. You’re free to change your mind every 5 minutes. You’re free to reject your order after it arrives. But of course all of those actions have consequences. If you behave stupidly, you’ll get stupid results.

Technically speaking, this isn’t a problem. The Universal Restaurant is robust enough to handle people like you. It will process you without prejudice. However, you won’t have a very good experience, and in the end you’ll be disappointed with the food and/or service. Other members of your party will also be disappointed, either with the restaurant or with you personally. No one at your table will seem to be having a good time unless you order properly. If you screw it up, you’ll ruin everyone’s evening.

This restaurant, however, is perfectly capable of preparing the most amazing gourmet meals you could ever fancy. You just have to order properly. Be specific. Be clear, direct, and confident. Be audible. And don’t keep changing your mind after you’ve placed your order.

When you receive your order, accept it with gratitude. Smell it. Taste it. Savor each delicious bite. Share it with others at your table if they’d like a taste, and taste some of their food too. It won’t be perfect, but it’s better than going hungry. Learn from the experience, and allow it to inform your future ordering decisions. Eventually you’ll become a master connoisseur of the Universal Restaurant.

Work with the rules of the Universal Restaurant to enjoy the best meals of your life. Don’t rail against the system. Don’t be a clueless customer. And don’t post negative reviews about it online.

Note: The Universal Restaurant is not to be confused with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I know that’s what you were thinking.

Until November 30, 2011 just plug in the code “45K2D469G4” in the coupon box on the checkout page (without the quotes)… and then hit ‘apply’… you’ll see something CRAZY happen to the price. Try it and watch what happens

P.P.S– The WEIRD pricing anomaly is good until midnight on November 30, 2011 only… then, like Cinderella’s carriage, it disappears for good.

As readers will know, I often insert paragraphs from Lester Levenson’s collected talks to groups in NY in the 1960s. Under the collective title of ‘The Way To Complete Freedom – Sessions With a Master On Personal Transformation’, this 266 page book is like a bible to those seeking to understand what this life is really all about and the ways and means of rising above what has become known as ‘the human condition’.

It covers such ideas as The Basic Goal and Ways to Attainment, Happiness, Love, Ego, Mastering Mind and Matter, to Realization By Dropping the Unconscious and Why Not Go All the Way?

The more I read it, the more the knowledge is internalized, the more it becomes a part of me.

Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter “The Basic Goal’:

“Let’s now take a look at this so-called apparency, the world. The world is only an illusion that we created mentally. It is not external but in reality within us, within our mind.  Some day you’ll discover that you created this entire universe that you see.
The method of creating is by first creating what we call our mind. We create our mind which is nothing but a composite of all our thoughts, conscious and sub-conscious, and the thoughts create the material world.

Every little thing that happens to each and every one of us is created in our thinking. We mentally set up a thing called time which makes it even more difficult to see things, because we think now, and things happen years later.

But the only creator that is, is the mind – your mind. Is God a creator? Yes, because you are. Thou are that! You set up a mind and through the mind create. It is necessary and good to discover that everything happening is caused by our thinking. Everything that happens to us is created in our thought. It’s a stepping stone to realizing and recognizing that we are the creators.
First you discover that you created your trouble, then you discover that you can create anything you desire. After you discover that there’s nothing you cannot create, you’re still unhappy.  The reason is that you have separated yourself from the infinity. Only on recognizing your infinity are you perfectly satisfied.”

So what Lester is telling us is that we are cause of all our problems. Not consciously of course, but because of our lack of conscious awareness, we operate on ‘automatic’.  I.e. our ego is operated by the subconscious programs built in by reason of inherited patterns, upbringing and experiences (nature, nurture and more). But as he continually reminds us, we are infinite beings acting as though we are not. We think and act as though we are each individual and separate from the whole. The ego strongly re-inforces this concept since it depends for its life on having us think this way. Eckart Tolle expounds this idea in a simple, elegant way in his books.

So what to do about all this?
It seemed to our regular group, which has been meeting each month since 1997, that the thing to do was to prove to ourselves as much of these ideas as we could. If we are indeed creators, then let’s be positive creators and take control, instead of being at the mercy of  ‘cruel circumstance’.

In future posts, I’ll report to you on various experiences and results which have come about from working with ideas and techniques.

Please leave your comments and any questions you may have below this post. We appreciate your interest.

Sorry to have ‘left you guessing!!’ But now I can share this item with you and request your comments.

Was there someone missing? Someone you thought shouldn’t be there?

Let us know what you think in the comment box below.

“We’re delighted to share our debut list of the 100 most spiritually influential living people, that was published in the Spring issue of the Watkins Review. Yes, we’ve taken up the not so simple task of naming the most popular authors and spiritual teachers, whose contribution in spirituality and spreading awareness is affecting us all.

We live in an age of lists — from groceries and obituaries to Facebook friends, resume facts, lists of city capitals and lottery numbers. Of course, lists that classify the past, are easier to compile than lists that attempt to predict the future. With the holy grail of sorting algorithms, the world is sure to be your oyster.

Lists help us organize, explore and perceive our environments. But are so many lists really necessary? It is very much in vogue to publish lists of people: Time Magazine publishes an annual list of the 100 people who most influence the world; Forbes publishes several lists including a Celebrity 100 list, the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and a list of 1000 Billionaires; Art Review’s Power 100 is an annual list of the worlds 100 most powerful collectors, artists, gallerists, etc…

The lists of lists of people, just keep going and going. However, the Watkins Review believes that an important list has been long overdue, and we are delighted to share with you our list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Lists of influential people contribute to the discourse and issues that each person represents, and the Watkins Review hopes that our list will nurture the debates surrounding contemporary spirituality.”

Read the full story here…

Did you ever read that classic book which virtually started the personal development/success industry?

I actually attended a meeting at the Sydney Trocadero many years ago when Napoleon Hill was the featured speaker.

I was surprised and pleased to come across this old video of him describing his most controversial techniques for accessing intelligence from universal consciousness.

Let me know what you think of it. If you’ve ever done a Silva course, this will resonate with you.

“Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since being published in 1937 and kicked off the entire personal development industry. In this rare footage, Napoleon Hill discusses exactly why “whatever the mind can conceive, and believe, the mind can achieve.”

?Watch Video Here…?