God and Santa Claus

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1. God and Santa Claus

Recently I began to consider how I often think of God in the same way I used to think about Santa Claus.

"My" Santa comes from the North Pole and wears the red suit with white trim most of you are familiar with. I must say I was taken aback upon meeting my first Finn a number of years ago. He said (And he seemed to believe what he was saying!) that Santa came from Finland, and wore clothes fashioned from the hides of polar bears. There is just no accounting for some people's beliefs!

When it comes to "God" my thinking is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. When I write about "God" I am writing about, "A ‘higher power' as perceived by you." Be it "god," "Spirit," "Goddess," or "Oh Mighty One," all is fine with me.

Santa used to enter my mind only once a year, but when he did I asked for everything I wanted, and in return I promised to be a good boy. Some years Santa heard my plea and came through with all the goods as ordered. Other years I wondered if he had fallen asleep on the job. Either that, or he was dumping stuff on me that he couldn't get rid of the year before!

So yes, when I took a moment the other day, I realized my conversations with God, were similar to the conversations I had with Santa. I give thanks for the many things he has given me in the past, while doing my best to refrain from complaining about some of the unwanted gifts that I had no way of returning. I ask for a lot for the future, and I promise very little of clear value in return. Does this pattern seem at all familiar to you? Ask for a lot, give back very little, and feel somehow cheated or misunderstood when your requests are not met.

Somehow I was touched by my last newsletter and decided to start relating to God in a radically different manner. Here is what I have been doing and thinking about these last couple of weeks:

1. I assume that if God knows anything at all about me, he already knows what I want and don't want. I don't need to keep telling him over and over again, just to be sure.

2. I cannot at all understand why my prayers appear to get answered at some times, and not at others. One thing does seem clear though - praying in a louder, more imploring voice, or promising to be a good boy, have very little effect on the results I achieve.

3. A lot of the stuff I asked for in the past, I was lucky I didn't get. I really don't know what is best for me and I have proved that numerous times over the years.

4. Regardless of all my training and education, when left to my own devices I am still prone to screwing up fairly often. If God is not available to help me, I sure wish he would send someone else!

5. I've finally decided to surrender to the will of God. Rather than creating my own agenda, which often doesn't hold up anyway, I now spend time every morning asking God what he'd like me to do.

I find it makes a lot more sense for me to adapt to God, rather than attempting to get God to adapt to me!

I am doing a lot more listening these days, and a lot less asking for what I want.

How about you?

2. Introducing my colleague Molly Gordon

I have a friend and colleague by the name of Molly Gordon. As I have said before, she is the person that inspired me to begin the Seishindo newsletter, which I modeled after her successful newsletter entitled "Authentic Promotion."

Molly's work is first class, and she is about to run two fascinating courses which will be of interest to you if you are running your own burgeoning OR floundering business, or if you are working as a coach, consultant, attorney, etc.

If you consider yourself an entrepreneur, and you are looking to jump start your business or career, Molly can definitely be of help.

Here is what she says about her upcoming courses in her newsletter:

"Beginning in July I'm convening two telephone groups to do The Work. One is for independent professionals: attorneys, therapists, designers, consultants, etc. The other is for working artists. If you are self-employed or a working artist and at war with yourself, The Work can be your path to peace."

Get more info about Molly's teleclasses!

3. A possible workshop in Australia

(For those who missed this info in our previous issue)

Over the last year or so, a number of people who subscribe to our newsletter have said they would likely attend a Seishindo workshop if one was ever held in Australia. Some folks have even offered to help organize such an event.

If YOU have definite interest in a Seishindo workshop held in Oz, please write to us at Australia[at]seishindo.org, and let us know. We will add your name to our Australia-New Zealand mailing list, and if we get enough interest, we will contact you at some point in the future.