Give and Take and Two of Six Concepts on Change
Tuesday January 22, 2008
8:25 P.M.
Seth… Good evening. We have been dealing with the idea here of Change. We have been dealing with give and take and I gave some information to the man through whom I speak and I had him meditate and write down a number of salient ideas if you will so that when I come to them, they will become apparent. Whether I cover them all in this session or it takes me a few sessions we will see how things go. As I have previously stated change is the driving force of the physical plane. Change must also come from self. You cannot expect another to decide for you that which path you take. Therefore, we shall look under the idea of to give and to take and change and we come to our first point which is, you may number it one:
1) One must decide which bridge in life it is necessary to cross and which bridge is necessary to burn. This is the ultimate idea of give and take and change in simplistic form. Each of you routinely on a daily basis find yourself in a decision-making position. The difficulty here in change is which decisions prosper me and which decisions hinder my growth. Since it is necessary for each of you to decide one must view the decision as a bridge. Life gives you a choice, it is called freewill. One must never let anyone or anything take that freewill away even if it is painful. The idea here of suicide, of letting the events that surround you take away that which you are so that one then ends their incarnation before they have finished their work. They have chosen in this instance not to cross a bridge so they burn themselves and they take away that which may prosper them not only in this incarnation but in incarnations to come.
Isabella… But it is not like they don’t…
Seth… Let us finish this.
One must view the decision-making process as having the ability to approach and then analyze that which presents itself as a challenge! One then, you had a question Betty?
Betty… Yeah, could you define challenge in that context?
Seth… Challenge is anything that gives you an opportunity for change. Do you understand?
Betty… Yes.
Seth… Now, one then must be able to approach that bridge without previous bias upon your part…
Isabella… The past…
Seth… If you then do… I’m not cutting you short but I have a great length of material to try to cover and I will have you write down your questions, I will be happy to answer them later. We will probably not get to all these points and we will probably leave them for the next week or two, however long it takes me to cover them.
Now, if you then understand that when you routinely do things in ways that do not benefit you, meaning you take the same route to work every day. You wear the same type of clothing, have the same haircut.
Jasmine… These things don’t benefit you?
Seth… They do not benefit you. When one looks at something that you do. For example, are you an individual who requires a distinct set pattern of order? Meaning when you look in a room there is something on the left balanced by something on the right which is balanced by something on the left. You are not eclectic if you will. One then has a much more difficult time in deciding how to proceed with a challenge. The person who is lackadaisical who does not seem to care unfortunately is in the same position as the person who does not stop. Where they do not understand the challenge nor do they care to pick up the idea and the work ethic that is necessary for them.
The idea here is that one must make a decision, do I cross? Do I take up the new challenge and leave something else behind? Is it necessary for me to take both ideas with me across the bridge? This is a give and take within self. Do I give it up or do I take it with me? One of the clear indications that one has is that the universe tends to provide you with clues as to which bridge to take and which one to burn. Are your chance encounters similar? Do the same type of events keep repeating themselves? Is it easier for you to have someone else assist you, do the work for you, or lead the way? Then my dear students it is obvious that you have not done what you are supposed to do. One must be aware that you as an individual are responsible for you. If someone does something that bothers you it is far easier to blame that individual then it is to correct yourself. Which in these instances was the proper bridge? Do you burn the ideas of doing things the same way or do you cross over and change self? Which is more profitable? Which is better? Which assists you in your quest for growth.
This quest occurs on a day to day basis. It is a challenge that you as an individual must face. If something bothers you, if something disturbs you the first question one must ask is this repeatable? If it is then you are responsible for crossing the bridge, opening new dimensions for yourself. Opening new dimensions for self and you burn the bridge behind you so that you may not cross back to old ways. That is change. You give yourself the ability to move forward and take with you what you need and you give away that which hinders you. You give away that which hinders you. Individuals will say this is a very difficult concept to do. The problem lies in the idea of not. One tends to become paralyzed, immobile so that you do not even attempt to cross into the realm of prosperity. You do not even attempt to cross into the realm of prosperity!
Remember you are not working alone. These challenges and opportunities are always in combination with others. The concept here must be broadened. You as an individual move within a “family” of individuals.
2) Two people who love each other never look at each other but they must learn to look together towards a brighter future. I do not mean an idea of two people who are lovers, who love each other. But the idea is that you all come from the All That Is. You all come from The All That Is. So, in truth you love each other. I am not stating that you may enjoy or like what someone does. That would be ridiculous. But you will notice that when there is confrontation two people are looking at each other. They do not move. They do not cross a bridge. They do not communicate well at all. They become entrenched and mired down in their own immoveable viewpoints. They blame others. They do not enjoy the beauty that surrounds them. They point fingers and they do not appreciate that which is.
So, my question dear students is how can one cross a bridge in a proper manner if you are only looking at the other? You become so enmeshed if you will that the venom that each one has poisons the atmosphere, the literal air that you breathe. You do not live behind closed doors. It is the enlightened individual who would with the aid of himself/herself turns to their adversary, their love if you will and states, let us look together. Let us work towards something even if it seems small or insignificant at the start. On the physical plane change is not instantaneous. It takes effort. When you work in combination with someone else to ease the burden change occurs. If you work together to move the boulder that blocks your path then you succeed. The giving and the taking when joined as one allows you to prosper because both of you then decide to cross a bridge together.
Now the question arises, what do you leave behind? What bridge do you burn? You burn intolerance. You destroy fear. You gain enlightenment. The prejudice of the unknown is lessened since you are walking together hand and hand. The object is to promote both of you in a fair and just manner. The old statement is quite true, I could not have done this without you. But yes, you must cross the bridge when you come to it. The question is what happens when you don’t? As I have previously stated the repeatable ideas and events and challenges that the universe throws at you become ever more difficult to ignore. You cannot bury something that you do not like for in reality you call out again and again for assistance on that very subject.
One may ask, can I cross a bridge alone? The answer should be obvious, of course you can. Should you? Of course, even if it means burning the bridge and leaving the other behind. Not everyone is ready at the same point of reference to face the challenge that has presented itself. Not everyone chooses to make themselves available for prosperity. Many individuals pretend that they are moving on and they have crossed the bridge into a new dimension. The question for them is what work have you truly done? Are you still making the same errors in judgment? In truth, where are you going? Are you mired down in the event or do you seek new solutions to old problems? These are the questions that will allow you to give and to take.
How do you know what bridge to cross and which one to burn? The answer is simple, let us assume that you make an error and realize that this bridge was not for you. What do you believe that you should do? The answer is so obvious that it is frighteningly simple, you rebuild the bridge that you crossed. You go back to the problem. You approach it anew and then by magic you will find yourself at another bridge that will lead you in an entirely different direction. The person who states, I am afraid chooses to be afraid. Errors adjust errors, it is not a finality; it is not an ending of itself. But if you need assistance look together, work together. View the challenges and opportunities together. Do not look at each other and become at odds with that person even if your original viewpoints seem diametrically opposed. The challenge is to find common ground. A bridge to prosperity is always there. Eliminate the bridge to poverty, to repetition, to heartache by working with individuals that can assist you. The future is always based upon the now. Enjoy that which you are. Expand yourself and you will find which bridges are there for your benefit and which ones you may destroy. Work together in a productive manner and the challenges and opportunities of physical plane existence become laughable because they are in truth a remembrance of that which you are already are. I believe at this point we shall take a break.
(Break at 9:06.)
Let us continue: Isabella, I noticed that you are not feeling overwhelmingly prosperous this evening. The lecture is a very important one especially if you look at it in a broad sense for yourself. How long will it take you to type it up? (Group laughter.)
Isabella… Six months. I got to shoot big.
Seth… Try again.
Isabella… Five months?… Four months?… Three months? Come on! Two months, that’s eight weeks. Seven weeks. (Stephanie laughs.)
Seth… Would you… how about a week?
Isabella… No. Absolutely unequivocally no.
Seth… Then let’s be reasonable.
Isabella… Six weeks.
Seth… Not reasonable.
Isabella… Five weeks.
Seth… Not reasonable.
Isabella… That’s reasonable you give Frank six weeks. Four weeks, a month.
Seth… Fine.
Isabella… Fine. (Stephanie laughing.)
Seth… From today.
Isabella… Why do I have to type it? Because I’m not writing?
Seth… And I…
Isabella… Maybe I’m not taking notes because that I am not feeling well.
Seth… That is the reason why you must type up this lecture so that you…
Isabella… You type it, Frank!
Frank… Do you know what’s really good, there’s no questions?
Isabella… We didn’t ask anything.
Frank… You’re getting off again. There’s like no questions.
Isabella… Oh, there will be questions.
Frank… I’ll get you my tape recorder, you can put it on slow.
Stephanie… It’s only like four pages in typing language. (There was more banter about the length of typing that was not completely clear.)
Seth… Now that we have gone on in terms of whining and the crying we shall move along. You have a month from tonight. I was tempted to give you two weeks but I was generous because you weren’t feeling well.
Isabella… I have a lot of dis-ease.
Seth… One day less than a month, care to go on?
Isabella… I just said that I have a lot of dis-ease.
Seth… Two days less than a month. (Stephanie laughing,)
Frank… I hate that.
Isabella… Can I ask my question?
Seth… Now you may ask your question.
Isabella… Um, I had difficulty meditating today.
Seth… How long did you try and meditate for?
Isabella… I tried to do the two minutes like you said and I really couldn’t, I could not go there. I really had a hard time shutting my mind off.
Seth… Then one must then learn to try a focus meditation.
Isabella… I did, I was focusing on my breathing.
Seth… No, that’s not a focus meditation. A focus meditation is on an idea a thought, a subject, an event.
Isabella… I did, I thought about prosperity.
Seth… That’s not specific enough. In other words. you may focus for example on a meditation of for example for you losing weight. So, you would sit down and you would contemplate the idea of how it would feel to lose weight. That is a focused meditation on a specific idea or subject. Or you may want to do a non-focused mediation and just sit there quietly and let whatever thoughts come in for it matters not. And you will learn to do this on a day to day basis and it will certainly, you will excuse the expression give you peace of mind. You will then in relating this back to our lecture you will understand in a far clearer manner the idea that what bridge you are at and where and how to cross it. For you tend to fall back upon old ways if you will and of course this is not helpful at all. Do you understand?
Isabella… Em hmm.
Seth… Did I answer your question?
Isabella… Em hmm.
Seth… Are there any other questions?
Frank… (Is laughing hardily, probably looking at Isabella.) No way! (Stephanie laughing and then Isabella laughing who may be gesturing at Frank.) Wow.
Seth… Pass the microphone.
Frank… Now I am asking two questions. (Frank laughing and the group is giggling.)
Isabella… That’s alright, I’ll remember the next time that you are going to type.
Frank… You… Listen you could not surpass what you did on the 29 pages that I typed up, so.
Isabella… Yeah, that’s bad.
Frank… And next time don’t tattle tale on me.
Isabella… I didn’t.
Frank… (In a whiney voice.) You gave Frank six weeks! (Group laughing.)
Okay, the idea of looking towards together could you give me that in a form to help couples that I might be working with.
Seth… Couples who are at odds tend to view each other with disdain, they point fingers at each other. She did this, she did that, he did this he did that. I said this, he doesn’t listen. Instead of the finger pointing if you love each other you will say yes this is a problem. How can we both solve the problem together? What are some of your ideas about this problem? What are some of mine? Well I want to ignore this. Well if you want to ignore this how does that assist me? Do you understand what I am saying when individuals one believes there is a problem one believes there is none? How does that assist me? So, when you get individuals on common ground, they then “walk” together to solve the problem. For the first step has already been taken by seeing a therapist. Not that many of you do any good but that is neither here nor there. (Seth often comments about therapists negatively and humorously as he has explained that therapists tend to take away patient’s creativity and freewill which hinders change. He advocates asking questions to engage thinking, among other things. It is interesting to note that over the years many therapists and teachers have sat around the table.)
Frank… This is going to; this may be a little concrete but…
Seth… Well that might be helpful for you.
Frank… Thanks. (Frank chuckles.) For couples to, to teach couples to listen with more than with just their ears I have them facing each other. Should sometimes I change it up and throw them on the couch, so they are actually next to each other?
Seth… No, actually in this instance when you teach couples who love each other to look forward it is better that they have a face to face dialog because this way the expressions of want, the body language of want, the tension of want is easily recognized by the other. Nonverbal communication is much more effective than the word. Words are perhaps the least effective form of communication because they cannot be interpreted well. Nonverbal communication when somebody points a finger, when somebody’s face shows anger is clear that there is something wrong that you cannot hide from. Do you understand?
Frank… I do. But I was just taking some of the metaphor of looking towards something together and I know concretely…
Seth… I know that’s when you get lost in the little forest there.
Frank… That’s why I asked. I have other questions that…
Seth… Go ahead.
Frank… No, they are off topic. I would rather go back to them.
Stephanie… Well I would just ask a patient…
Frank… I have a patient question too, um…
Seth… Jasmine, do you have anything?
Jasmine… No, actually I am going to say goodnight.
Frank… See you next week.
Jasmine… Goodnight everybody.
Frank… I have a mentally ill patient that I am working with. He is pretty, he is somewhat psychotic at times. He’s a gentleman from Morocco so there is this cultural piece. He has difficulties with his eyes and I have worked quite a bit around with him to try and ease up his issue with this. So, in other words he has kind of a thing like don’t think of a pink elephant and of course he thinks of a pink elephant. In this case he looks into pocketbooks, he looks at their groins and…
Seth… You realize this is a form of jealously.
Frank… He’s jealous of the people, actually no.
Seth… Actually yes.
Frank… No, I didn’t realize, I understand…
Seth… Oh.
Frank… what you’re saying. So, I could explore that with him. Is there anything else… that would be helpful to work with this gentleman?
Seth… When someone deals with jealously, they have I do not, the question is what do they have? What do they feel that they are lacking? Those are the questions that need to be explored. Are there any other questions?
Then let me leave you all with this: I have touched upon two ideas, the bridge and the individuals who love each other. When you face the challenges fairly, life is easy. You work together, problem solving becomes simple. Your needs are met. When you refuse to cross a bridge, when you do not burn behind you that which no longer serves you then of course you wants magnify, fears increase, prosperity falls away. I bid both of you a fond good evening.(Session ended at 9:37 PM)
