Seth 368
Change and Moving at Your Own Pace
Tuesday April 8, 2008
8:35 p.m.
Seth… Good evening. Pleasure to have all of you here. Take your time George, I have a little bit of housekeeping to do with Isabella. Want to get a book? Want some notes? (Isabella said something that was humorous but not audible.) I do not understand the reference points.
Small bit of housekeeping for you Kaetorina while we are waiting. I will tell you this now that the chair you are sitting on has a loose portion. Do not rock on the chair.
Jasmine… It has a loose what?
Seth… The legs are loose. So, she should not rock on the chair.
Isabella… Okay, don’t do anything crazy on it.
Frank… Would you like a new chair?
Stephanie… Okay then.
Seth… It will not collapse but I’m just giving you fair warning because you have a tendency to rock and move.
Stephanie… No, I’m good.
Jasmine… Is it in danger of breaking that I should take it to a furniture repair place?
Seth… Do you think I mentioned it because of for fun and games? (Stephanie laughs.)
That being stated, for you, let me see if I can give you a little bit of helpful advice. Give us a moment. You had a disagreement with a friend of yours and to put it mildly you are at times quite put out by her actions. Am I correct? (Isabella nods.) The universe quite often, and this includes most of you, gives individuals a chance to see both sides. And in allowing you to see both sides of a line of study you are better able to experience that which is necessary for your growth and development. You have been quite guilty over long periods of time of abandoning friendships. When you define yourself in certain ways you abandon your own abilities, and you leave friendships go. Therefore, one can legitimately say you do not know or understand how to cultivate that which you have sown. It is like a farmer, if you put your plantings down correctly you will expect a harvest somewhere along the line but if you make sure your plants do not get water, the fertilizer isn’t correct, you don’t give of yourself to that which you are growing then of course your plants rot. The same thing is true here with friendship. You have in this instance seen exactly what you do on a routine basis and why your lack of friendships abounds. So, you may take this information and of course choose to do with it as you will. But I did feel that it was for your own growth and development that I point it out, your lack.
Isabella… I’ve picked it up already myself the lesson, did I not say it to you yesterday?
Jasmine… You didn’t tell me yesterday at all.
Isabella… I absolutely did Mom, you don’t remember. I sat with you and Dad in the bed.
Seth… It matters not, leave it go.
Isabella… I said to you, this is exactly what I have done to people in the past. I said, taste of my own medicine. You don’t remember I said that?
Jasmine… No… (Not audible.)
Seth… That being stated, we shall give one other bit of housekeeping work, of course questions may be asked. For you, George, the loss and grieving that you are going into at this point of reference, it is obviously understandable. You must understand one other thing, that animals are far closer to the magic of the universe than humans are. There is a great division between understanding and experience. If I were to take you apart and look at every individual atom that makes you up, each atom, each molecule knows exactly what it has been and what it will become for routinely you change your entire existence within a few days. There is nothing within you that is the same from one month to the next. Animals on the other hand of course physiologically do the same thing, but they are always aware of where they have been and where they are going as a whole organism and not as an individual part. Therefore, when your beloved animal decided that it was time his consciousness gave you information that allowed you to pick up on his consciousness and do what was proper in the way in which the animal expected you to act. Do you understand?
So therefore, one may say you had very little choice in the matter in terms of how to proceed because that choice, as difficult as it is for most humans to understand was not yours, it was the animal’s. And since you are open to them, one by your own nature and two because of your own physical plane profession, you were aware of what was necessary and therefore you reacted and then acted in a very appropriate manner. Do you understand?
All that being stated let us move along. Under our subject of change, it is very, very interesting to note that there are many individuals who react quickly to events. The older a soul becomes the more likely it is that a period of contemplation occurs between a thought, a word and a deed. One must understand that each of you must learn to move at your own pace. In doing so you will allow change or the need for change to fill you with information as you would fill a bucket with water. (I love this concept! For me it has an experiential feel to it. F.N.) The fact that you fill your bucket the greater the likelihood is that you will spill a great deal. What do you spill in terms of the physical plane? You waste experience. Your efforts are not complete since you do not have all the information that the universe sought to give you. If you extrapolate this statement, you would be able to understand the why in events that keep repeating themselves. It is clearly obvious to an outsider that you have missed something and what you have missed is the ability to learn at your own pace.
All of you who sit around the table this evening are teachers in various forms. So, the question to each of you is simple, do you as an individual expect, demand, require that your students move at the same pace? The answer is of course obvious. However, the same cannot be said for most.
Jasmine… Students can’t move at the same pace, is that correct?
Seth… They cannot but the same cannot be said for you as an individual. For you meaning all those sitting around the table, in fact most who inhabit the physical plane. I will explain, just write it.
Jasmine… The same can’t be said for most?
Seth… Correct. How often do you speak without thinking? How often do you become frustrated, bothered, annoyed, aggravated when things or events are first not to your liking and second prevent you from obtaining that which you perceive as your right! Each of you desires to move quickly to obtain something. Most often you are not sure what that something is.
When you have a large bit of change that you believe is necessary you then become frustrated if you will with the idea that the change that you perceive has not been accomplished easily. Change requires mastery of self so that you may incorporate a different viewpoint than you currently possess. The individual who is overweight, the person who is concerned about beauty, the other who is concerned that their smoking habits are affecting others, the spendthrift all are individuals who require major change. The difficulty here is that they do not look at the simple fact that it took great effort on their part to become what they are! They then expect their decision to change to become instantaneous, to be instantaneous. This of course is at best foolhardy since large change itself for most individuals requires greater effort than it did to proceed along the path that you were on, to proceed along the path that you were on.
The person who goes to the beauty parlor, two, three times a week, the individual who goes to the plastic surgeon routinely, the dermatologist, looks for a quick cure to what they perceive as a failing at best or ugliness that they behold in themselves but, is not usually seen by others. If a change and a large one is required and for our purpose now, we will assume that it is, which is more practical for most individuals the quick fix, the sprinter, the runner who can run a hundred yards in less than ten seconds or the individual who will move cautiously and deliberately down the track of life perceiving and learning at their own pace? Both may attain the finish line, but the question arises is the race truly over?
Jasmine… Do you mean if the change is really accomplished?
Seth… Correct. Individuals who “stop smoking” commonly say, this is the sixth time I’ve stopped smoking. My question to them is simply this, what does the word stop mean? If one does not change their inner and outer perceptions, then of course any change is but a way-stop on the highway to true learning.
Isabella… If one does not change their inner and outer perceptions?
Seth… Then the way-stop…
Isabella… Way-stop?
Seth… A way-stop is for example if you were on a long journey and you pulled into, for example, a highway portion where you can get gas, where you can get food and it’s a transitory stop. Do you understand?
Isabella… A rest stop.
Seth… A rest stop is another way (to say it.)
Jasmine… And a way-stop?
Seth… It is actually the same thing but a way-stop you can spend much longer periods of time there.
Jasmine… One doesn’t change inner and outer perceptions and any change is but a way-stop to true learning.
Seth… To true learning.
Jasmine… I was left out on the highway. (Frank laughed softly.)
Seth… Now, the reason for this should be quite obvious. To incorporate change the ego portion of self must be directed to allow your intake of physical plane information so that it profits you in ways that you yourself will find helpful.
If one, then puts this together and since of course you are not alone there is the idea that opposites attract. Unfortunately, the outcome of true learning with others is never profitable when you are totally opposed or at opposite thereof with someone else. Examples here abound. The most common one at this point of reference may be seen in the clash of religious beliefs. The idea that “my god” is correct therefore “your god” cannot be. To allow experience to enrich you one must understand that although differences are common and should be explored you cannot change if you don’t accept the differences with a fair and just manner. You cannot control that which another does although you would like to. Even if you do things differently commonly the outcome is the same. Simple example, if you have a dark colored wash and a white wash does it matter which one you do first? The answer is of course obvious.
To test your literary knowledge, there was a very famous story of a traveler who was brought to a land where there was a war going on between that land or kingdom and went across the way, it was separated by “an ocean.” And their great difference was how to eat an egg. Do you eat the egg and if it’s a soft-boiled egg from the small side of the egg first, you crack that open first, or do you crack open the large side of the egg? (“Gulliver’s Travels” by Johnathon Swift written in 1725.) I believe that with most individuals where change is necessary that they look at the egg and they prefer one side over the other. And therefore, the other person, community, country is wrong. Differences are what make you great. However, if you let them pull you apart where do you then stand?
One must understand that when you have a difference with another, especially when you are of opposite views the quick fix, the rush to judgment rarely succeeds. The old soul is patient, they are kind. They look at differences as a challenge and an opportunity for eventual success. They are never rushed. They think before speaking. They contemplate the change itself so that the change itself can be incorporated into themselves and that they as individuals may profit from their experience.
Each of you must view change in your own way. That is to say you are responsible for making the change itself. Large or small it matters not. Move at your own pace. Relish the difference between you and others. Then and only then will the universe stop providing you with opportunity after opportunity to learn the same thing. Always enjoy the change for it is a new beginning. Where something ends something begins. I believe at this point we shall take a break.
(Break at 9:07 P.M.)
Let us go ahead. Are there any questions here from what we have covered?
Frank… How does one get a feel for their pace?
Jasmine… For their what? Pace?
Frank… Yeah.
Jasmine… Of how they are changing?
Seth… No.
Frank… No, no, the pace that you should be moving along, yes.
Seth… When you… it is not a question of a feeling for the pace. When you find things that are repeating it becomes obvious that you are moving too quickly.
Frank… Or not at all.
Seth… Or not at all, usually it’s a too quick problem because you are not allowing yourself to absorb that which has been given to you. You move past it. It is seeing a gas station on the highway, and you are now passing and say, oh, I hope I have enough to make the next station because you didn’t check the gauge to allow you to process, I’m getting low on gas therefore I am going to fill up. Do you understand?
Frank… I do.
Seth… If you are going to speak, take the microphone.
Frank… Would you categorize getting lost in the forest as moving too quickly?
Seth… Ah that…
Frank… Or too stupidly?
Seth… Well either one is perfectly acceptable.
Frank… (Frank laughing.) Quickly and stupidly.
Seth… Stupidly, yes, we will allow that to stand by itself. (Others laughing as well.)
Stephanie… I thought you were saying when you find things are repeating that you are moving too quickly meaning that you’re not having patience to be able… to um…
Seth… Isn’t that what I just said?
Frank… Figure it out, take it in, understand.
Seth… If you are going at ninety miles an hour, don’t look at your gas gauge, pass the gas station and then somewhere two minutes later say, I really should have pulled in for gas because I am running low, are you not moving too quickly to allow yourself to process or to absorb that which you needed to?
Stephanie… Em hmm, and what does that have to do with accepting these differences?
Seth… All of this in terms of if you move in a rapid pace…
Stephanie… Em hmm.
Seth… your style of learning, your feelings for things, the way in which you process information is unique onto you. However, if you are moving so quickly that you cannot either see that or you don’t allow another to process things at their own rate what happens?
Stephanie… Right, you miss it.
Seth… Not only do you miss it but what else?
Stephanie… Well, you are going to repeat it and…
Seth… And so will the other person if you are dealing directly with him. Notice that when you deal with for example, “you are a therapist”, I put that in quotes, and you deal with couples.
Stephanie… Em hmm.
Seth… How often is it that one of the partners will understand very quickly yet it takes the other partner a great length of time to “catch up”? Yet the first partner, if they are moving so quickly does not have the tolerance or the stamina to allow the “slower partner” to move at their own pace. They want it done now!
Stephanie… Em hmm.
Seth… Isn’t that most of the things that you deal with?
Stephanie… Yeah.
Seth… You understand?
Stephanie… Em hmm.
Isabella… I have a question related to the repeated lesson pattern. Obviously in my situation even with this argument that I had with my friend, the repeated pattern for me being the abandonment of friends, why is the lesson presenting itself in a different manner this time?
Seth… The universe is a wonderful “machine”, and it will give each of you an opportunity to learn. Remember if in one lifetime you are the good person, in the next lifetime or the lifetime after that you are going to play the opposite role. And you do this because you cannot have incomplete learning on any line of study. Do you understand this so far?
Isabella… Em hmm.
Seth… So, if you are going to learn to experience something whatever that “something is” then you must participate on both sides. Or at the very least observe and study both sides of whatever question arises. You have made and by your own admission numerous failures on this line of study therefore the universe provided you with the other side of the line of study so that maybe you will incorporate that into yourself so that you don’t have to repeat the other side.
Isabella… Right, my question is why, I mean I also feel that you know even in early stages of my relationship with George that I was falling back into that same pattern and Shanna really helped me kind of see the opposite side of that and sat with me and discussed that with me and obviously Stephanie as well. And I am just curious as to why this lesson from the opposite side has not presented itself earlier in my learning so I could have maybe um…
Frank… Move quicker?
Isabella… No, but maybe have seen this in a different way a little earlier to maybe have prevented this pattern repeatedly.
Seth… Three word question, were you ready?
Isabella… Definitely not.
Seth… I believe you just answered your own question.
Isabella… So obviously now being in a very different stage in my life and in a different stage in my own development. I’m much more ready to see this opposite side because I am kind of done with that giving up that part of my life for somebody else.
Seth… One can only surmise that you might or might not be.
Isabella… Right.
Seth… That is a futuristic idea in and of itself.
Isabella… Em hmm.
Seth… But at least you now understand both sides.
Isabella… But it is a very different perspective when you see the other side.
Seth… One, one side is listen I can do whatever I want, this is my life if I want to do this and the other side says, you’re hurting me.
Isabella… Right.
Seth… You abandoned me. This is not correct.
Isabella… I almost wished that this had happened much earlier.
Seth… I can understand that but that is not the issue.
Isabella… So now how do I go about rectifying the situation with her because I’ve already tried talking to her about it and she really is not ready to see my side at all.
Seth… Why does she have to see your side? Who is important?
Isabella… I am important.
Seth… Why bother going more than that?
Isabella… I don’t understand. I don’t understand. So, it is not even worth my going there with her?
Seth… No, it is what’s not worth, it is your trying to change her. Could you be changed? The answer is no.
Isabella… Could I be changed?
Seth… Could you be changed until you were ready to make a change?
Isabella… No.
Seth… So then why are you trying to change her?
Isabella… Ah… I’m not trying to change…
Seth… Certainly are.
Isabella… Um, because…
Seth… You’re losing. You cannot force someone to change and therefore they’re embarked upon a path or a course of action or a line of study that leads them onto a certain viewpoint. So, either you are going to accept that person for what they are, meaning to you or you are not. Now if you are not going to accept them you leave them go, you do not have to deal with them. But if you choose to deal with them, you cannot force them to change. You can only very simply state, I wish I could see more of you. That’s about as far as you can go.
Isabella… But it is a little bit more than that because she’s very self-absorbed in her own life, so my life has really not, is not important to her at all. She doesn’t ask me anything about my life. She doesn’t, she isn’t curious to know what’s going on with me. You know whenever I talk to her it is always, me, me, me. This is what Bob did. This is what is going on with Jeff. This is what you know it, this is really why I have been calling you incessantly over the last few days. (Stephanie laughs.) Just so you know. And I just feel that that there is no, she has no interest at all in what’s going on with me. And for me I don’t feel like that promotes me at all. It’s really not a relationship…
Seth… She’s not dealing with you; she’s dealing with herself.
Isabella… But I’m kind of done. Like I now… so how do you, in a weird kind of a way it is almost like I want to step back.
Seth… Is that not what all your friends did?
Isabella… Yes, that’s exactly what…
Seth… Did you believe that they were correct?
Isabella… No, not.
Seth… Why would you do the same thing then?
Isabella… Okay so this is what I am asking so then how do I… What do I do in the interim? If I don’t, I don’t want to lose her as a friend because I love her. But do I talk to her?
Seth… Why not? Did you not hear me state earlier you live together and appreciate your differences?
Isabella… Yeah, but I tried talking to her already and she didn’t want to hear what I was saying.
Seth… Why are you talking on the subject at all?
Isabella… Okay.
Seth… You’re still trying to change her.
Isabella… So just understand her value to me at this point.
Seth… At that point. If you don’t feel she has a value, you will move along.
Are there any other questions?
George… Can they be off topic questions?
Seth… Certainly.
George… I was wondering if you could give me sort of help or guidance just in terms of where I am looking for the next job? There are so many possibilities out there.
Seth… Possibilities are always futuristic.
George… Okay.
Seth… So, we cannot deal with that. But let us deal with what we can in terms of your own being. You must learn of course to promote yourself. For example, would you go to a job interview the way you are dressed now?
George… Of course not.
Seth… Why not?
George… Unprofessional.
Seth… It’s unprofessional.
George… Em hmm.
Seth… In other words, you would look badly and people no matter how great you were would not be able to tolerate that which and how you presented yourself. Is that fair?
George… Sure.
Seth… Now, if that’s fair are there other things about you and your personality and the way in which you conduct yourself that you would like to change?
George… (George started with something that was unclear and this is the issue as he tends to mumble in a low voice.) I guess, the topic of changing the way I talk.
Seth… Okay, let’s look at the way you speak. A person who had difficulty with speaking only speaks how?
George… Softly.
Seth… That’s one.
George… You look down.
Seth… That’s two.
George… Mumble.
Seth… Three.
George… Stutter
Seth… Possibly but we will give you four. Just as you are starting to do now, go ahead.
George… Pauses and speaking quietly…
Seth… Pause and speak low but they also tend to speak very quickly. And they speak quickly in a vain attempt to cover up that which they feel is a failing.
George… I also speak quickly when I am unsure about when I am giving advice and giving things like that.
Seth… That makes you look bad. Now, so one must learn in your instance to speak loudly, slowly, and distinctly. And if you happen to stutter over a word, so what. Read that back to me in a loud slow distinct voice.
George… I must learn to speak loudly…
Seth… No, I didn’t hear you. (Isabella giggles.) I want you to say it so that Jasmine, who is in the kitchen now can hear you.
George… I must learn to speak loudly, slowly and distinctly. (George spoke in a much louder and clearer manner.)
Seth… Was that difficult?
George… Yes. (The group laughs with George.)
Seth… As well it should be. (Individuals were saying, “That was good.”) But it shows you, you can with practice succeed. What, (Seth tapped on the table to get attention) here is an exercise for you.
George… Okay.
Seth… I believe you know the author Shakespeare.
George… Yes.
Seth… Get a book of sonnets from him and I want you to read them out loud for fifteen minutes a day nonstop, slowly and distinctly and you are to read them to someone. (Isabella giggled.) Do you understand?
George… Yes, thank you.
Seth… Any other questions? Aren’t you sorry you asked now?
Frank… A couple of weeks ago when you were about to present six concepts, you talked about there being a window for our learning and if you weren’t ready earlier and if you waited any longer it would be in a sense too late.
Seth… Not in a sense.
Frank… Right, why is that?
Seth… If a window opened just as I described there…
Frank… Yeah.
Seth… to receive and understand information.
Frank… But then it closes?
Seth… The window never truly closes because if you don’t succeed by your line of reasoning means you will never learn. Are you still walking in the trees? Are you still walking into trees?
Frank… At times, sure.
Seth… Are you still stupid? That was from an earlier question of yours. (Isabella is giggling.)
Frank… Sometimes, yes.
Seth… Therefore, do you believe the window is shut and you will always walk into trees?
Frank… No.
Seth… Therefore, does the statement itself make no sense.
Frank… Seth, this was your statement.
Seth… No, I said the window will close in terms of an easier way to do things. The longer you delay learning the more difficult things become as you are finding out.
Frank… And that was what you were referring to back then?
Seth… Just as you have a great tendency to apply concepts to a vast audience instead of allowing material to flow in a steady pace, you try and fit the individual to the concept instead of seeing that the concept and the individual may not be ready for each other. Do you understand?
Frank… Yeah, I do.
Seth… Are there any other questions?
Arthur… Yes, I want to follow up on that because in a way if the learning the next time or the next time it is presented as harder, I’ve been trying to pick up the pace. I’ve been trying to not stop out of fear, not to…
Seth… Slow down. Take things easier. To pick up a pace means to rush. You don’t want to rush through something, you want to be able to understand something and learn from it. For example, when individuals are taught to take an exam especially that has to do with a large amount of reading within the examination. The first thing they are told to do is to read the questions. The second thing they are taught to do is to go ahead and to skim the paragraph or paragraphs or pages. And the third thing they are to do is to because they remember the questions that they read is to read the information so that they may understand it to answer the questions as they proceed to read the material.
Arthur… They are also taught sometimes; your first thoughts are your best thoughts.
Seth… We are not dealing with that.
Arthur… But I am still confused about the notion of acting incisively, acting, not clouding my knowledge.
Seth… What does that have to do with the question that you ask?
Arthur… Because I have been trying to respond in the moment to something that comes…
Seth… Responding in the moment is not the same thing as moving quickly or rushing. Responding to something that happens can be a clear definitive statement of whatever it is. I will do this; I will not do this. So, if your sister calls you up and says I need five thousand dollars, well you can respond in the moment without rushing and say, I’m sorry I am not going to do that.
Arthur… Right.
Seth… Or you may want to say, I don’t know if I am ready to give you an answer let me think about it. Both things are responding in the moment. You see the difference?
Arthur… Okay. And do you have any feedback for me about which I do?
Seth… You have a great tendency to dwell on what was and you review the what was and you challenge yourself by saying did I make the right choice. The question to you is does it matter? The answer is no. Because even if you did make a choice that was not the most profitable thing for you, do you want to extend it, the wrong thing? Is there any possibility to correct it? The answer of course is obviously there is. Do you understand?
Arthur… Yes, and yet it is followed by understanding what I did wrong that I can do right.
Seth… Or, you see…
Arthur… No?
Seth… you are looking at wrong and right as an absolutely, as absolute.
Arthur… Better… than.
Seth… It is not a question of wrong or right. It’s a question of was this event that I gave Kaetorina more profitable? Was it in my best interest? Well, it may have been, or it may not have been and so you can correct that which is not by understanding that which is.
Arthur… And yet to separate that from my erroneous idea that this has to do with fate.
Seth… Right because it does not.
Are there any other questions?
Let me leave you with this: One must learn their own pace in life, meditate, contemplate, review. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Even if you travel the same road, there are always differences. Learn to appreciate them. In doing so you will find that your needs are fulfilled, your stomach will be full, and you will become saturated with the goodness of the physical plane. I bid you all a very fond good evening.
Group… Good evening.
(Session ended at 9:50 P.M.)
