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Satvatove Institute Community News

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May 1st, 2006 - Volume2, Issue 3

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CONTENTS:

1. Foundational Transcription

2. Regaining Myself - by Claudia Kurz

3. Take a Look - Audio Inspiration

4. Genuine Expression - by Stacey Marsh

5. Intention, Consciousness and Living Our Vision - by David Wolf

6. Upcoming events

7. An Open Invitation - Bring Your Friends!

8. The Satvatove Archive

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FOUNDATIONAL TRANSCRIPTION

We are looking for some Foundational Course graduates to help with transcribing a recording of a recent Foundational Course. These transcriptions will be used as material for various books and articles. By listening to and transcribing the recording of the seminar, you will be able to review many aspects of the seminar from a fresh perspective and to strengthen your realizations. In addition, you will be making a valuable contribution to the Satvatove community. If you think you would be interested to participate in this project, please contact me at a.palmer@satvatove.org .

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REGAINING MYSELF

-or the story of losing and finding a true friend

by Claudia Kurz

I would like to tell you a story. My story. My hope is that through hearing it, you will be encourage to write a Personal Achievment Compact [PACT].

A PACT is a contract with ourselves. We make it to find out who we really are, to connect with our essence, to live our lives fully. That is really worth thinking about for a moment. Who amongst us would say that they are one hundred percent satisfied with themselves or their life?

Before I went to the seminar, I was a spaced out, rootless, hippie girl. I tried to avoid conflict and I always tried to 'be nice'. I was driven by fear, mainly, and pretty unconscious of it all. The seminar I attended was given in July 2005 in France. Just recently, I watched my video interview, taken immediately after completion of that seminar. As I watched, the tears welled up and flowed down. I couldn't stop crying. As I looked at the screen, I saw an inspired, radiant, energetic girl. She was shining, as if a light bulb were glowing inside her. I felt she knew exactly what she wanted and that she was completely commited to changing her life and really going for it. Why, you might ask, was I crying? Well, a lot has happened between July 2005 and today.

As soon as the seminar ended, I gathered people in Heidelburg to form an LMP [Life Mastery Program] group. With the help of my precious friend, Silke, I began the tough task of writing a PACT. It took me more than one month to finish it. I am a perfectionist; it is not so easy to write the perfect PACT.

So, my PACT was finished and I was eager to start. It's designed to work over one hundred eight days. In that time, it helps us release our old habits and choose new patterns of thinking and behavior. For one month I was absorbed in my new life. I went dancing once a week, I put my newly acquired communication skills to work, I told myself how much I love me. I stayed on track. Until a man came stumbling into my life.

With the addition of this new person, my focus slowly changed. Instead of remaining true to myself and giving myself the love and attention I need, I gave all this away. I gave these things to my boyfriend. Now, instead of depending on myself for my needs, I relied on him to supply my emotional needs for me.

Slowly, I gave up on myself. I was afraid that if I remained true to the tight plan my PACT required, I would lose the man I loved. Rather than spending time with myself and keeping my integrity, I went back into old patterns. I began to hide behind my old, ugly masks. A sense of frustration began to grow inside me. And I did not know why.

"I want to love him," I thought, "to be with him. Who cares for this PACT." If I fulfilled my PACT, there wasn't enough time for him. I wondered if I should just bring him in to my agreement. To share it with him. A part of me thought this was a good idea. Still, it felt somehow ridiculous to put another person on my time schedule. Now that I consider this idea more deeply, I realize that I actually did not want to let someone into my life, so close and so deep. Looking back, this a more honest understanding of the problem. On one hand, it seemed that if I lived my PACT fully, I could lose him. On the other, I felt afraid to let someone else be a part of my contract. It would have required so much intimacy and commitment, all at once.

Looking back, I see that my actions were based mainly on my fear. I see that I clung to him. I was always afraid I would lose him. As a result, I not only lost him, but myself as well. I lost my self-trust, my self-worth, and much more. At the end I sat broken; a bewildered heap of shards. And then suddenly, the pieces made sense. I realized I'd done it again. This pattern I have with men is so routine, it's like watching an old television rerun. I know this pattern so well. Why do I keep doing this to myself?

For over two months I wallowed in my pain and rejection. I'd just broken the biggest commitment I've made in my entire life. I'd broken my commitment with me. Instead of forgiving myself, I held resentment against myself. And I didn't want to let it go.

Meanwhile, our Life Mastery Program in Heidelburg had reached it's official end. The others were celebrating with their completed PACT's, while I was crying. This was, and still is, a huge lesson in my life. slowly, steadily, I am learning from it. I am coming out of my hole again. I am building up a new trust with myself and rewriting my PACT. And, I am ready to commit to it a second time.

In german we have this saying, "Neue Chance, neue's Gluck." It means, new chance, new luck. I still have this pain and fear that resists my urge to take new risks, take responsibility, and take a leap into the world with the new me. Still, I can see that courageous, excited, lively woman who I was. I want to be her again.

Actually, this is the most critical part of my PACT. To accept and love myself, with all my faults, shadows, and failures. As Marie said, " Welcome to the human race with limitations and mistakes."

I hereby declare that I do forgive myself. And I will show myself more compassion as I journey through life. I am happy that, once again, I found my true friend. Myself.

And so, you see, I did reach my goal. Only, I took a few detours, I suppose. In German we say, "Gottes Wege sind unergründlich" - God's path's are unfathomable.

I want to encourage you. Take a chance. Write a PACT and stick with it, regardless of what is coming. Give it one hundred percent. You are worth it.

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TAKE A LOOK

- audio inspiration with David Wolf

"Am I doing what I'm doing today because I did it yesterday and the day before? Or am I consciously choosing that this is how I want to live?..."

*To hear a live recording of the rest of this article, click on the link below and click play on the audio track named 'Take a Look'.

http://www.satvatove.org/members/impressions/audio_clips.php

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GENUINE EXPRESSION

- by Stacey Marsh

Words fail me. The Advanced Course was truly and literally transformational for me. I experienced a peace and a knowing that surpassed anything I've experienced in my lifetime. As the past week crystallizes for me, I realize that part of what the course gave me was the chance to be completely without ego. During the course I could speak without judging or editing my words. I did not think about my body. I did not think about how I look. I did not worry about my hair, or my face. I did not care whether my words rang true for any one else, or even that my words made sense. I was totally genuine. The peace and serenity of that was just awesome. My goal is to keep this. I am excited to create for myself the openess, fearlessness, trust, and energy that I want for my life. I have found the path to happy, healthy relationships with myself, my family, my friends, and even strangers. I have peace.

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INTENTION, CONSCIOUSNESS AND LIVING OUR VISION

- by David Wolf

The Satvatove approach to growth and transformation is founded in spiritual principles of personal development. Our spirit self has intrinsic ways of being. When we have clear intention, when we put consciousness in our result, then we are exhibiting these intrinsic traits of our spirit self.

We assert that to achieve a result is fully a function of intention, and zero percent dependent on action. Certainly, there may be an action toward the manifestation of our desired objective, though accomplishing the goal is not dependent on any particular action. If our intention is clear, the result will manifest in our lives, even when we meet with initial, temporary, failure. The power of intention will always actualize itself. No material impediment can prevent this actualization. Intention is founded in spirit, and spirit is superior to matter. With clear intention, we find a way to concretize the result. Implicit in the principle of clear intention is the idea that, "I might not know how it's going to happen, but I'm certain it's going to happen."

When we say to ourselves, "If I can overcome my obstacles, then I'll achieve my goal," we are living in 'obstacle consciousness.' These perceived obstacles might be our health, the need to acquire money, or an increase in self-confidence.

When our consciousness is situated in the power of our intention, then our consciousness will be in our result. We call this paradigm, 'consciousness in the result.' In this way of being, the result is already achieved. There are no obstacles to overcome. There may be considerations to handle as we manifest the result, but those considerations are not obstacles. These considerations are not obstacles, because even if we are temporarily blocked, we will always find a way to accomplish our goal. The accomplishment of our goal is not dependent on obstacles.

To illustrate this principle, I sometimes cite the example of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, founder of a world-wide Vedic based spiritual movement. In 1965 he came to the United States from Vrndavana, India, practically penniless and in possession of some ancient Sanskrit literature that he had translated. His biography describes an event that occured shortly after his arrival in New York. He was seated on a bench when a resident asked him about his life. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami responded by describing-in the present tense-an international organization with more than a hundred centers, millions of published copies of dozens of books, and tens of thousands of active members and supporters. Though none of this was manifest, and he may have looked to be somewhat down and out, he spoke of his vision in the present tense:

"There are one hundred eight centers, farm communities, the expansive publication and distribution of books, and diverse projects."

His consciousness was in the result, not in obstacles.

Obstacle consciousness would have said:

"If I'm healthy enough, then maybe I'll do this project. If I can get enough money, then maybe I'll open some centers. If people come forward to assist me, then I can start this project."

As events unfolded, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami did encounter intense challenges on many dimensions. Still, due to the power of his intention, the vision described on the park bench materialized. Because of his clarity of purpose, nothing material could thwart the result.

Reflecting on these precepts we naturally reflect on the relationship between clear intention and the supreme power. Does clear intention imply that we, as spiritual entitiies with potency greater than any material obstacle, are omnipotent, with ultimate control?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe effectively addresses the issue of the relationship between human beings, our power of intention, and God. Goethe writes, ."..the moment one commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occured. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita describes five factors in the accomplishment of all action. They are: the place of action, the performer, the senses, the endeavor, and-ulimately-providence.

As the performer, our responsibility is to be in spiritual consciousness. This includes states of being such as clear intention, and absorbing our consciousness in the result. Though this consciousness doesn't guarantee achievment of our goal, it does insure that we are living with integrity as spiritual entities, and that we are situated to maximize the possibility that providence will act through us to manifest our goal.

If we think about how we might apply the principle of clear intention to our lives, we might feel intimidated. We might even feel that bringing this idea into our daily life is just something we cannot do. Actually, we can release our fear and apprehension if we realize a simple truth. This principle already operates-every day-in our lives.

If we want to know what our intention is regarding our economic situation, we simply need to look at our bank account. To understand our intention concerning our body weight, simply step on the scale. Similarly, we can apply this check to our relationships, our career, our spirituality, or any other area of our life. The universe reflects our intention.

At first, this realization might be discouraging. We can transform this despondency, however, into enthusiasm by realizing the miracle of consciously using our power of intention. Much of what we've created in our lives-to this point-might have been the result of unconscious intentions materializing in our lives. When we become aware of these unconscious choice's we have made in our past, these formerly unconscious intentions now enter the realm of choice. By consciously choosing our intentions, we empower ourselves to create the lives we desire.

In my experience counseling, coaching, and conducting personal transformation seminar's, I daily witness people changing their lives through living this principle of clear intention. For years, one client had struggled with attempts to lose weight. She had tried everything. Two weeks after grasping this principle of clear intention, she reported that she achieved her goal of losing fifteen pounds. She wasn't sure how she had done it. She wasn't aware of any particular plan or strategy that she followed. She only knew that for the first time, she truly became clear about her goal, and that she placed her consciousness firmly there.

Another woman described how, for years, she had been trying to sell a piece of land. When she would get close to a sale, something invariably would come in to block it. This became a source of anxiety for her. Once she absorbed the principle of clear intention, and understood that this consciousness comes from the soul, she felt freed from her anxiousness. Almost immediately, her land sold.

Whatever our most cherished vision may be, let us begin it now, with clear intention, and consciousness in the goal.

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AN OPEN INVITATION

The Satvatove Community Newsletter is meant to inspire and inform. It is a forum for sharing our own realizations, and a medium through which the transformational energy experienced in Satvatove's seminars and other programs can reach far and wide.

Now it is easy for you to share your inspiration by inviting friends, family and colleagues to receive this newsletter. If you know of anyone who would benefit from the services Satvatove offers or who might be interested in the topics discussed in this bi-monthly newsletter, you can easily invite them through our new online invitation form. The people you invite will promptly receive the latest issue of the Satvatove Community Newsletter.

To invite your friends, family and colleagues, go to the following address:

http://www.satvatove.org/members/invite.php

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THE SATVATOVE ARCHIVE

For those of you who are not familiar with the Member's Panel at www.Satvatove.org, please note that you can find all the previous editions of the Satvatove Community Newsletter there. Go ahead and take some time to browse through them. You will find many inspiring articles. The Member's Panel also offers a selection of interesting audio clips, videos, slideshows, and photos.

You can access the Member's Panel at the following address:

http://www.satvatove.org/members

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May 1st, 2006 - Volume2, Issue 3

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