For those who were at service on Sunday, April 7,
2013, a few bullet points to jog your memory.
- My wife, Jane, and I recently adopted a young dog whose "manners" left a little to be desired, particularly when it came to understanding her bathroom is outside.
- I quickly turned to advice from Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer" vis his book Be The Pack Leader.
- Many of the things Cesar Millan said areas applicable to the spiritual journey as they are to modifying dog behavior.
- One of the things he mentioned is that he noticed after moving to America from Mexico that many Americans live primarily from their intellect.
- Spiritually speaking the intellect is not wise. It is not the home of wisdom. It's job is to carry out the orders it is given.
- A healthy intellect carries out "to the letter of the law" the instructions it has been given.
- An unhealthy intellect argues back and forth, endeavoring to prove it is the highest authority… something more than the “carry-outer” of instructions. Misguided intellect wants to ascend to the seat of authority, usurp God, and be the pack leader… which it is not.
- We must demand of our intellect – during the inner argument for authority – to surrender to wisdom.
- I contend there are only two voices from which our counsel comes: The voice for Love and the voice for not Love.
- The voice for Love we might also call God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit “speaking” to us.
- The voice for not Love is the voice that advocates everything but Love. We could call this voice ego, or devil, or Satan.
- There is a moment when we can call ourselves “Pack Leader,” but that is temporary.
- The voice for Love will always only tell us one thing, that we are love.
- The voice for not love will always tell us we are limited, that we are not good enough or smart enough, of strong enough, or capable. It’ll also council us to accept fear, guilt, shame, hate, anger, jealousy, hopelessness, etc.
- The Pack Leader sets the tone for the pack. The Pack Leader determines what is acceptable and what isn’t. This is where you get to be the pack leader; you establish that the pack of lies the ego is always foisting on us are not true.
- When those thoughts and feelings arise, be the pack leader and deny their truth. Do not let them take control of your thoughts. The Pack Leader requires the pack to stay behind him and follow him. Tell those lies, “Get thee behind me…” (MT 16:23)
- Once you’ve established your dominion over negativity you surrender to the voice for Love, God, your Pack Leader.
- Like Jesus, we are all followers. (Not my will but yours...)
- Cesar Millan says in the book, Marley and Me, that the Grogan family related to Marley as a name and a personality.
- He also says that is the last way to relate to your dog. 1st: animal - 2nd:dog - 3rd: breed - 4th: name and personality. Relating to your dog as a name and personality will not result in effective communication.
- I suggest we have to relate to other people at the highest level: Spirit. 1st: Spirit - 2nd: Human - 3rd: Societal differences - 4th: Gender - 5th: Name and personality.
- It's no wonder that communication is so difficult when we relate to others with what we have least in common, name and personality.
- Here's an exercise you can try to redirect your awareness of others to that which we have entirely in common, Spirit., I invite you to speak this phrase silently to yourself as you encounter other people: “I am another one of you. Together, in Love, we are One.”
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