THE PRICELESS PEARL

By your acceptance or rejection of universal beliefs, you determine what governs your life.--  Joel Goldsmith, "Heart of Mysticism," at p.898

Some of my universal beliefs have shown up as:

1. I must take care of myself...when someone slights me, snubs me, criticizes me, I must respond in kind else they will think they've won...or, worse, I will think that I have lost. 
2. In this economy, I must watch every penny or I'll become a bag-lady on the street.
3. When I hear someone spouting utter nonsense, I need to explain to him the error of his thinking...or, advanced thinking, keep my mouth shut and try not to feel too superior to her.
4. When a friend and I are at sixes and sevens, we need to pull back and avoid each other until we get straight in our own heads.
5. When in a conference/meeting and I'm not being heard, talk louder.

Each of these is a universal belief, or, what can be called, a reasoning mind truth. Each has a spiritual correlation some of which may seem paradoxical, as in:

1. When someone slaps you upside your head, turn the other cheek.
2. Lay up nothing for a rainy day else you'll wind up with naught but rust.
3. Judge not less you be judged.
4. To heal our relationships, we need to move closer when we differ in order to learn to live and work together without friction.
5. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

It's fairly easy to tell when our ego is driving our bus...the "universals" sound right on target, the "spirituals" are a Wha??? 

If we wanted to divorce ourselves from any responsibility, we'd wish that God didn't speak in such a soft voice or that our ego would quit yelling. The trouble with seeking still more spiritual growth is we find it and know that divorcing oneself from any responsibility is to go with the ego every time...and all its consequences. None of which are an asset, most of which we then have to make amends for.

This is where just knowing it doesn't make a dime's worth of difference, but we have to know it before we can become willing to do it. Then, when we become willing, we realize that want-to is not willing; it is, however, heading in the right direction...toward entirely ready.

There is no cheap "entirely ready"...but the price is the priceless pearl. 

Thank you.