Reference: “All It Is” Chapter 15: “3.5 Primary Activities”
Tuesday, January 10
Walton: After reading through last night’s chapter on the three intentional living processes, you are now prepared to put all the previous chapters together into one package! First, we studied the definitions of the terms. Then we covered examples of how each term fits into the pattern. And then finally, now, we begin to actively combine all of those terms and exercises into a single complete cycle of the creative process.
David: Like how you have built the factory, and you have to figure out what you’re going to build there, and how, and why?
Walton: Yes, if you consider the image that the factory is your life! The Awareness System is the behind-the-scenes observer of whatever it is that you are and what you are not. Like a blueprint. A potential blueprint. Then you start shaping some physical pieces together through the creation of a human body, also known as your Sensory System. And right away, that Sensory System starts filling up with programming information that may or may not lead you to the completion of your original plan. The Belief System that you develop, the collection of that programming, will be very important in determining the success or failure of your venture. The factory either fails or succeeds, based on what you have chosen to put together.
David: And after our most recent discussion about energy flow, one of the first statements on this newest chapter states that we are now going to “direct, observe, and interact” with this energy. It seems like the three follow-up sections simply describe how the energy is going to be directed or used.
Walton: That is correct so far. However, notice the little extra twist that was thrown in to the first section on the Creative Construction phase of your building. You may decide to do the whole Creation thing alone, completely controlling all of the energy flow. However, the majority of humans at some point choose to pick a partner, or partners, for assistance. To agree with some one else who thinks that it would be a fun or useful or efficient decision to create alongside another human. Therefore, they would potentially combine two Belief Systems into one final single product! Fun in the factory!
David: It would be a lonely life indeed if people had to go through this whole process by themselves from start to finish. So I am really glad that you included this alternative tag- along phase of construction, where we get to enjoy the combined energies of one or more other human beings alongside us as we sweat and toil and struggle to make this wonderful world a better place ! Is that a little too dramatic perhaps ?
Walton: Not dramatic at all, considering that at this point in time, you have at least 8 billion other potential co-creators placed on the planet at the same time you are. And there is no practical way to avoid some kind of interaction with those other creators! Even though there may be moments of energetic resistance, or manipulative assistance, with your creation, two heads are better than one. And many heads are better than two. So forge ahead with the co-created construction of your big bad dreams!
David: Are there any other guidelines to completing this process, other than what is written in this chapter ?
Walton: For the answer to that, let’s quickly skip down to near the bottom of the page where there is a discussion of “The Activities Cycle of Intentional Living”.
I do feel like it is necessary to warn you that most of humankind does not even come close to utilizing this pattern of creating with energy. The most frustrating part that you will notice is that most people will get very stuck on either continuing to create new things, and yet never getting anywhere close to completing them. Or they will get stuck in the completion stage, which means that they will want to hang on to what they’ve created, obsessively, never being able to just let it go and move on to something else.
David: Like artists whose job, or intention, it is to pour out an infinite line of products?
Walton: Even though these artists move on to a new song or painting or poem, they might also become obsessed with the impact of that work of art on the outside world. “Can I make something better? Do I need to fix this current project up just a little bit more, and more, and more? How will I ever top what I already consider to be my best work?” And it is these kinds of questions that they ask themselves over and over again. They are now stuck in the fact that they are both wanting to do something new, yet they haven’t fully released the energy of what they’ve already completed. And quite possibly for the rest of their lives, they keep hanging on to the old things, building up a pile of more old things, filling the attic with trash and cardboard boxes, that will never be discarded or released. And they will die, knowing that there’s that ever growing pile of trash hanging around and stored right above them.
David: I am very familiar with the many stories about musicians who have put out a wonderful first album, and every album after that has to be compared in quality to that first one. And the result is that they never do anything new or unique after that initial success! The artist recognizes this failure to produce something else truly unique. The critics reminded them of this failure. The fans stop purchasing this limited product. And from that moment on, the musicians are simply going through the motions of creating more of the exact same thing.
Walton: As this chapter wraps up, you will find that only through your increased awareness of who you are, and what you are, will you be able to find a way to release your past stored up energies, and move on to something brand new.
That is why the construction stage known as Cosmic Contemplation is so valuable. Just going into a state of pure relaxed sensory awareness, a quieting of the belief system, and almost like a state of waiting for the universe to perhaps accidentally throw you a new bit of inspiration, or coincidence, or synchronicity. This type of “happy accident” might lead you to become inspired toward your next potential construction project! Without this Cosmic Contemplation stage in between the completion of one thing and the start of another thing, the mind, emotions, and body simply get bogged down in the ghosts of their creative past. There must be a period of letting go that is just as important as a period of discovering new energies to shape, and the process of actually shaping those into a constructed product.
David: I like that last little diagram where the person doing the construction of some kind of project moves away from being a “reactor” to what they’ve done, and they regain their status as a “creator” of something new to do. And the magic of that transformation, along with the “magic” of those two words, is that the letter “C” simply moves from being stuck in the middle of a word to becoming the new fresh origin of the other word, “creator.” “See” that??
Walton: Have you ever heard of the expression “Be Here Now”? It was the name of a famous book from the 70’s. But it also served as an eternal mantra for the Cosmic Contemplation stage of the creative process. In light of the PTP materials, what do you think it refers to?
David: I guess the safest way to respond is to take it word by word. “Being” simply refers to the presence of some kind of energetic form, usually a human being. “Be” technically is not a passive or active verb, but it links things, and refers to something that either exists or does not exist. “Be” or Be Not.” It could be a tangible thing or an invisible thing, but it is indeed a thing. I “am”. You “are”. Someone else or something else “is”. All forms of the same verb, to be.
Walton: Take it away, and continue!
David: In this specific phrase, the word “Here” cannot connect to a specific geographic location. Otherwise the phrase would not be a universal statement. “Here” simply demonstrates the immediacy of where your body and your thoughts and all the other creations that you identify with right now exist in whatever space you exist in. I can be “here” in this exact location but I could also be “here” at a different state or a country or totally different environment. Inside. Outside. I think it also refers to being focused on a very singular state of mind. No, I take that back. A very singular state of “mindlessness.” Thoughts tend to lead you to places away from this exact moment, this “here”. The word “here” also states that you are recognizing that you are not somewhere else, in the physical or the non-physical or the metaphysical.
Walton: I “hear” a book coming out of you at the moment. Not a bad thing, either! Let your words keep flowing. And the third word?
David: The word “Now” might be connected to the calendar. Just as we create things in a physical world, we have also created a non-physical world of measurements in space and time. If our thoughts or attention are dwelling or pondering on anything else but the current collection of stimuli surrounding us, we are not focused on this single moment “now”. To not “be here in the now” means that some part of us is dwelling on past creations or future anticipations. We are draining and straining our energy. When we fully live in the time and place and event that surrounds us, we are now “now”! Brown cow!!
Walton: And the more often that the creative human beings learn to live with that 3-word statement, they become more alive, awake and aware. The ultimate goal of the human being is to pay full attention to the immediate inner and outer environment. To create in it, to complete and let it go, and then to rest in between creations with no other intentions except to “be here now”.
David: What do we do with all this knowledge background, and all these practice exercises? How do we start creating an alternative simpler world for ourselves? Now that we know that everything is Energy, and Energy flows, how do we choose to direct that flow into something useful, helpful, and beneficial for self and others?
Being here now. That is a seriously powerful, and simple, and challenging state to get to. Millions and billions of stimuli surround us and seek to demand our attention. To distract us. Even someone in a meditative state can easily be drawn out of it by the simplest distraction. Therefore, I bet it is going to take a lot of practice to do the simplest thing, which is completely being here now!
Walton: One daily exercise is that you should learn to do a minute by minute internal body scan – jump into sensory awareness mode as often as possible. Use the Low-Slow-Nose-Flow breathing exercise in order to at least minimize the degree of distractions around you. Anywhere. Everywhere, do the LSNF breath, and feel it fully.
David: Especially right before bed time?
Walton: Yes, I gathered that this is your current goal at the moment. Take all this information we shared today, soak in it along with a warm bath, and then hit the pillows breathing, in and out, over and over again! And please, make sure you don’t stop breathing at any point. Breathe deep, and often. Be Aware, but not necessarily Awake! Good night, David!
David: Good night, Chet! And that is all the news we have for this evening, folks!
“Be patient and have courage, for there will be better and happier news, one day, if we work at it”.
Walton: “We’ll miss you!”.
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