...to be in the world but not of it is to lead an active, interesting, creative and profitable life and still not seek selfishly for gain, for reputation, for glory.... Joel Goldsmith, "The Heart of Mysticism" at p. 399.
I like that definition of "to be in the world but not of it." It's sometimes hard getting a fix on how one can be in it but not of it. It's the "seeking selfishly" that turns it around.
Doing for others in order to look good because we're doing for others is of the world. All we wind up with then is a count of the number of people we've helped...and that's just our count, because those we're counting may not be counting themselves as having been helped all that much.
We've often heard if our supply seems to be blocked, give something away. Giving to charity, looking to get twice the amount back...or any amount back...will not get us there. It usually just depletes the small amount we're thinking we have.
It seems to me that "to lead an active, interesting, creative and profitable life," is purely a by-product of leading a life stripped of ego, a God-centered life in a word.
I need to remember, of course, that there is no 100%. A life stripped of ego for me is to daily recommit, with the occasional failure expected, to being not as nasty as I want to be, to let the other driver go before me when we're at a yield sign in his lane, or the person with fewer groceries in her cart go before me (but not more groceries...I'm not a fanatic about it).
It's all about learning balance which is not an inborn gene...or it wasn't for me. Learning to trust God and doing better than I want to when I'm not feeling it is being in my world but not of it.
Thank You.
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