How true it is that we are free to choose with consequences, cause & effect. As the reading today says, “ The Divine Plan is one of Freedom. The inherent nature of man (humans - everyone) is forever seeking to express itself in terms of freedom.”

This is New Thought…Ancient Wisdom!

True personal freedom is the ability to leave learned limitations of our lives…then enter into a new awareness realizing that there is much more to our lives than we ever dreamed before.

We have many models of people present and past who have lived and expressed true personal freedom. They have paved the way for us and continue to pave the way.
Thomas Paine was such a person. He is one of my favorite persons of the Revolutionary times in America . He knew, expressed and felt his freedom with his willingness to express himself with his writing and speaking. He moved from the awareness he was born in and stepped into a new awareness with great insight and vision.

It is written that before Washington whispered independence, Thomas Paine was shouting for it. He shouted independence in his pamphlet Common Sense . In 1775 more than half a million copies of Common Sense were printed and sold. In Common Sense , Paine demanded a declaration of independence from England ; six months later, July 4, 1776, our Declaration of Independence was completed and signed. Paine had a hand in its writing. While on the battle field he wrote on wood the essay, Crises. Later when there was peace in America he went to England . He then went to France to defend the French Revolution as he had defended the American Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man for France , which became a model for the Bill of Rights in America . Though Paine hated monarchy he loved people, and when a person was no longer a king or queen, Paine could not, would not, did not, agree with the practice of decapitation of the monarchy. Consequently Paine was imprisoned. While in prison Pain wrote the Age of Reason , trying to free people from theocracy and superstition as he help free them from monarchy and enslavement. Most people did not want to be freed from their superstitions their prejudice and religious beliefs. Most considered Paine as a destroyer of religion. He believed in one God for all people.

Paine returned to the United States on a government ship sent by his friend Thomas Jefferson. He continued to write endlessly. He said Negro slavery was vicious. He wrote of women's rights, systems of government, the conduct of banks. He defended freedom of the press. He planted seeds for the League of Nations and the United Nations. He died in 1809, not greatly regarded by the new generation who did not know or had forgotten that he helped forge the liberty they enjoyed. His writings were for the most part more than what most people could understand or appreciate. He had a vision for the good of life of freedom and justice for all. He felt this freedom and had the compassion to express it.

Fortunately many others have had and do have visions for a better life with a freedom for others to enjoy and express their personal dreams… a personal freedom that harms no one and promotes inner peace. We are blessed to be here now and learn from others.

 Paine demonstrated:
1. The ability to move beyond the limiting thinking of childhood and allow oneself to be inspired by a vision of a better life for self and others, even if it means giving up personal comfort.

2. He demonstrated the courage and compassion to express a vision in a positive way that educates people, causing people to think and believe beyond their limitations.

3. He never gave up even in the face of adversity. Paine continued to write in prison, expressing his vision. Looking to a better life, a greater expression and greater freedom.

4. He confronted people who had been oppressed then freed, believing that the newly freed did not have license to oppress their former oppressors. Paine would not participate in this behavior and was willing to go to prison upholding his values.

This is huge. Think about that!

For thousands of years and still today there are countries, communities, families, religions and individuals that begin to bully, victimize, terrorize and hurt those whose once bullied, victimized, terrorized and hurt them. The cycle continues with behavior that is on two ends of the same stick. Fortunately, more and more people are moving out of this destructive cycle which begins with individuals making a decision to not participate in the cycle of hate, resentment and destruction….. emotionally, mentally or physically, sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious and blatant.

There are many ways destructive behavior can be changed or altered and there is much help available for those willing to reach out for help when needed.

What we really want is to know and feel the Divine Love within. To feel this love, inner peace, well being and wholeness one must take the powerful journey to our Inner Soul releasing all the hurts and protections built up within. This takes a desire that involves a conscious commitment of knowledge, practice and experience.

Some times a person who has unhealed past experiences begins to be critical toward others as a way of protection, defense and exerting personal power. You've probably met such a person…

In a book, Choosing Happiness by Stephanie Dowrick,… was published in 2005… there are several suggestions given to enhance relationships, moving beyond destructive cycles.

One of the many the subchapters is titled CURE FOR ALL CRITICS:

•  Every day for an entire month, find at least one specific thing that you will speak about positively and directly to that person.

•  Explicitly encourage, express gratitude or praise them.

•  Take an interest in their interests. You don't need to take on their interests or share them; but offer your curiosity and willingness to listen as a mark of respect for who they are and what concerns them.

•  Keep finding fresh, new things to comment upon positively - as well as what you praised yesterday or the day before.

•  If you hear yourself begin to criticize, STOP. Leave the room.

•  Only by behaving less critically will your habits of criticism begin to change.

•  If you feel silly or self-conscious, regard this as a tiny, private act of reparation.

•  Remember…You are doing this primarily to express you respect and affection for that other person and, only incidentally, to grow in self-respect.

•  You are not doing this for praise ! And promise yourself you will not stop doing this is you don't get enough praise.

•  Enjoy the benefits as the people around you respond, relax, and rejoice.

 HOW TO CRITICIZE-IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST

•  KEEP CRITICISM TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM

•  Never criticize the person, the people closest to them, or their beliefs. Limit your comments to behavior and actions.

•  Do not criticize when you or the other person is tired, tense, angry, sad or depressed.

•  Be ready to offer something constructive alongside the criticism.

•  Speak in the first person ( I feel…not You always)

Instead of criticizing: Be direct about asking for what you want and grown up enough to survive not getting it.

 LISTENING TO COMPLAINTS AND CRITICISMS

•  Pay attention to your body; relax yourself from the inside out.

•  Accept that sometimes the other person is projecting their own dissatisfactions onto you.

•  If there is anything in the complaint that's even remotely useful, acknowledge that.

•  If there is nothing useful, simply acknowledge the complaint. (Okay, I'll think about it.) Don't get into defending yourself while the other person is wound up.

•  Your challenge is to defuse the situation by hearing what they are saying while keeping calm.

 And…this comes from the Four Agreements: Never take it personally. Do not take the complaints or criticism personally.

 When we are centered in God's love which is the most powerful, creative place to go and be… we have fewer, if any, criticism to give. Instead of criticizing we give constructive suggestions. Also, we can accept complaints and criticism more gracefully, thus benefiting and enhancing relationships for the highest good of all.

This Divine Love within comes from and is our Soul Essence. It is that place of inner wisdom and peace. It is here that we are guided, love and protected in all we do say and think. It is in this space and place that we feel and experience our greatest freedom.

As it says in 1 Corinthians 13. There are three things that last forever; faith hope and love. But the greatest of them all is love.

Divine Love is the greatest power of all and when we feel that Love and wholeness within, we are empowered with the greatest freedom we can ever know.

In our freedom it is essential to be aware of who and what we are in communication with. 

When a person has not healed wounds of the past we may be in for a surprised. Wow! Where did that come from!?

 Practitioners in Science of Mind go through many classes and must pass many tests, written and oral before they qualify to be licensed to be a Science of Mind Practitioner. Two of the most important qualities a Practitioner acquires is to love unconditionally and to see the Spiritual Essence or Truth in others. This is the healing power. This is true freedom. It is all law and law and the most important of all is love. From this place of freedom co-creating with our Life Force we experience an inner peace despite the seemingly unpleasant circumstances of life. It is an ongoing evolution grounded in the Almighty. Jesus of Nazareth said, “let not your heart be troubled. You can have this kind of peace that nothing in your life can touch. You can be in the midst of turmoil and there is a center of peace that's available to you. I offer you this kind of peace.”

With this kind of love and peace we become wiser and more competent and experience a greater freedom, a freedom of expression that benefits life.

It takes commitment and desire to work through all what is needed to reach that inner peace and experience freedom from the past hurts. It is a choice.

Florinda Donner, author of Being and Dreaming , has this to say about freedom, “Freedom will cost you the mask you have on, the mask that feels so comfortable and is so hard to shed off, not because it fits so well but because you have been wearing it so long…”

No matter how long we have been wearing the protective mask we can choose now to be free.

As Holmes says in SOM…” We have thought that outside things controlled us, when all the time we have had that within which could have changed everything and given us freedom from bondage.” ***

Nancy Whitson Kandel is the Spiritual Leader of the Pittsburgh Center for Spiritual Living. She has a MA in Education and a MA in Consciousness Studies with Homes Institute, CA