Failure
"Let your failures in life, then, disillusion you and sober you, temper you and open your eyes. Accept your failures. Call them failures. They are failures. Let them renew you. Let them clear your vision. Let them free you from future failure. Let them give you discernment. Let them teach you discretion. Let them take you back to truth, which is what you needed to begin with."
~ From the book Greater Community Spirituality, chapter Who is Wisdom Meant for?
How to Escape Fear, Confusion and Hopelessness
"Do not think that everything will work out fine. Everything will work out, but perhaps it will not be fine. Do not think that God will take care of things in the world, for God has sent you to take care of things in the world. Do not think that everything happens for a good purpose, for things just happen, and yet they can be used for a good purpose. Do not think you are at the right time and the right place with the right people, for this is a false assumption. You may be in the wrong place with the wrong people doing the wrong thing, and that is actually very common for people around you. Do not think that all fear is bad, for there is fear that is born of caution, the recognition of real danger, requiring a serious and wise response."
"If you are idly sitting on the sidelines of life, preoccupied with television or movies, living out someone else’s imagination, disconnected from the events of the day, unaware of the great changes that are building in the world, then you are putting yourself in a position of extreme powerlessness and vulnerability.
As a result of this lack of awareness and preparation, you will feel immensely afraid. And as the Great Waves build, your fear will escalate. You will feel hopeless and helpless and be prone to panic and to making very bad decisions or to following others who are making very bad decisions."
"The only way to really avoid fear and all of its dark manifestations is to build your connection to Knowledge and begin to assemble your worldly wisdom. In this way, you are able to navigate not only the changing circumstances of your life, but greater waves of change that are coming to the world."
"Build your strength. Build your foundation in Knowledge. Bring your life into order and do not stop. And instead of fear, you will begin to feel the Power of God working in you and through you. And regardless of how difficult the circumstances may seem around you, you will be able to bring this strength with you."
~ From the book Preparing for the Great Waves of Change, chapter Escaping Fear, Confusion and Hopelessness
You are the Caption of your Ship
"Your life is like a ship, sailing in the world, sailing in the physical environment with all of its challenges and influences, and also sailing in the mental environment with all of its challenges and influences."
"On this ship, you have the craft, you have the crew, and you have the captain...Your body is the physical vessel. Your crew are your thoughts and emotions. The captain is you."
"Beyond the captain, there is the Great Authority that gives the ship its purpose, its destiny, its cargo. Your task is to carry out the mission that is assigned to this ship in these waters, in this world."
"The captain must be objective. The captain must have authority. For the Greater Authority is not managing the ship day to day. It is not setting the sails day to day. It is not navigating the waters day to day. That is the job of the captain and the crew, you see. That is the job for you and your mind."
"To sail, you must be prepared. Your ship must be worthy. Your crew must be assembled. Your provisions must be there. You rely upon the world. You rely upon science. You rely upon everything practical. But you also rely upon the Mystery to tell you how to respond to the unpredictable circumstances that you will surely encounter."
"Your ship will not travel alone, for you are meant to be united with certain others. So you do not travel the great seas as one vessel alone, but as a small armada, you see, a convoy. You travel together, but you all must be capable to do this. For now you are accountable to others on your journey. Your failure will impact their success, and even their survival."
~ From the book Building the Foundation for a New Life, chapter The Ship