Growing Into Creative Mastery Through Kabbalah

The Kabbalah Tree of Life diagram portrays the four spiritual worlds, as taught to us by the ancient Jewish mystical system of the cosmos, that we are meant to master. As we advance in creative mastery, we experience the fulfillment we seek: the fulfillment of our potential.

Not all of us realize this to be the way to fulfillment. Until we experience enough conscious suffering through disappointment, we believe that our fulfillment lies in acquiring things and social status. Over and over again we experience the dissatisfaction that things and status brings, or we taste the bitter dissatisfaction of not acquiring the things and social status that we seek. When our disappointment grows strong enough, some of us finally open up to a higher world within, a world we suspected was there all along, but found it too easy to deny. In our openness we utter some form of prayer that basically expresses: "Show me the way and I will follow it." Following this, a way is offered: the way of consciousness. We receive the instruction of wisdom that advises us to simply pay closer attention to our experiences to perceive the impact of the choices we ourselves are making upon our present experience. In other words, we see how we create what is happening to us, and how to create more in line with our fulfillment. From that point on we realize that our joy and satisfaction come from developing creative mastery.

You experience growing fulfillment as you strive for mastery in any department of life, as long as you really want to demonstrate mastery in that area. You can strive for mastery of an art or craft, mastery of mathematics, mastery of healing, athletic mastery, mastery of leadership or communication. You may try to master politics, accounting, parenting, marriage, friendship or citizenship. You may seek mastery of life by striving to create the most meaningful, satisfying life possible for you. You can strive to master anything you do. Mastery goes on endlessly, leading into the highest level of human possibility.

The scheme of the four worlds on the Tree of Life provides us with a sort of map for taking this journey into mastery. The bottom sphere of the Tree represents the lowest world, the physical, where we experience the most restriction. The three spheres above that represent the psychological world, the world of thoughts and feelings. You experience more freedom here; for instance, you can think about yourself anywhere you like, but find it more difficult to physically travel there. The three spheres above those represent the creative world, where you direct the psychological level to express pure goodness, beauty and truth. The more you develop in this world, the more purely and powerfully you express those three sacred qualities. The highest spiritual world is represented by the top three spheres on the Tree. These convey the essence of divinity to creation. We will now examine each of these worlds, how they work together, and how to ascend through them, in more detail.

But before we do, let us begin with an explanation of what is called The Three Pillars of the Tree of Life's structure. "The Three Pillars" refer to the three vertical columns of the Tree of Life spheres. Respectively, these represent male force, female force, and the balanced, harmonious union of the two. This pattern suggests that our journey into the higher worlds of mastery needs to proceed in a balanced way if it is to be sustainable.

You cannot "take the kingdom of heaven by storm" without costly consequences. (Take it from one who has tried.) The more you struggle to push or rush the process, the more you reject the very fulfillment you grope for. As you accept the experience you are having right here where you are, the higher worlds begin to open up for you, delivering joy and beauty, power and grace. This way of acceptance is a facet of creative mastery.

Another important aspect of balance to consider as we prepare to journey into the higher worlds of creative mastery has to do with what Isidore Friedman called, The Law of Progressive Approximation. This law states that you can only make changes by small degrees. The path into higher levels of mastery adheres to this profound law of natural order. If you attempt major change through ceaseless bursts of force, you end up exhausting yourself while causing an equal and opposite burst of resistance opposing your efforts. To work successfully with, instead of futilely against, The Law of Progressive Approximation, take advantage of the smallest opportunities to change things in the direction you intend. Eventually, larger opportunities will show up. In the meantime, make progress no more important than enjoying as fully as possible exactly where you are.

Now that we understand the balanced approach to the highest level, we are ready to advance by becoming more clearly aware of where we are. The lowest world of creation, called "Olam Assiah" in Kabbalah, means "World of Making" or "World of Action". This is the world into which the soul incarnates, what we call the physical world, the world we experience through our physical senses. Your physical body is the instrument through which you demonstrate your level of mastery in the physical world. To do your best work here, you need to keep your physical body in the best shape possible so that it can work as well as it can for you. Provide it with a sufficient measure of exercise and rest, with a balanced and healthy diet, and with clean natural environments. Protect it from the extremes of heat and cold. Also protect it from destructive stress. Much stress, anxiety, unhappiness, anger, impatience, feelings of inadequacy or humiliation - all of this destroys the body, lowers its immune system, its vitality, its ability to faithfully execute your will with the highest skill.

When spiritual aspirants neglect their physical body they neglect the instrument through which their soul ascends into those worlds, and the instrument that must handle the increased intensity of higher spiritual power. Thus, they defeat their purpose. In western religion there has long been a perceived conflict between the physical and spiritual, but there really is no conflict. The symbol of the cross represents the integral intersection of these two worlds as a means of bringing "heaven to earth". In our present context, we can understand the phrase, "heaven on earth" to mean creating heavenly beauty in earthly forms.

The world immediately above the physical is called " Olam Yetzirah", which means "World of Formation". This world consists of your psychological condition, including your thoughts, feelings, dreams, memories, and desires. This world rules the world below it, the physical, to a great extent. For instance, if, on a daily basis, you imagine yourself working out, exercising your body for physical fitness, eventually you will find yourself feeling increasingly inclined to actually do that on a physical level.

Your psychological world is also impacted by your physical condition. For instance, when you feel physically run down you are more inclined to feel depressed, irritated, frustrated. When you experience physical pain, an underlying feeling of anxiety likely accompanies it.

You develop mastery of the psychological level as you work on aligning your psychological states with what you want to create in the physical world. This includes the cultivation of feelings of inner peace, success, fulfillment, happiness, and love on an increasingly consistent, unconditional basis, because this internal state of harmony provides the physical body with the inner support it needs to function best.

The state of inner harmony also makes the higher world of creative mastery accessible to you. That world, the world above the psychological, is called "Olam Briah", which means World of Creation. The great ones function here. In the creative world you direct your psychological and physical levels to express your creative or artistic inspiration. The more mastery you develop on the creative level, the higher the level of beauty you create. Go to your local museum and examine a painting by a master like Raphael or Rembrandt and you will see what a master of the creative world produces. Read a Shakespeare play or listen to Bob Dylan's "The Gates of Eden". Beauty makes time stop, connects us to eternity. From this world comes all the human beauty in the world.

Those who achieve the highest levels of creative mastery convey a ssense of the heavenly, the miraculous, the divine through their creations. That is because as one develops mastery in the creative world, one advances into the highest of the four worlds, called "Olam Atziluth", meaning, World of Emanation or World of Origins. Prophets achieve this level. Kabbalah describes this level as oneness with the divine. Those who connect with this level make up the highest geniuses of the human race, those Godly individuals who seem to receive lightening directly from God, including all true spiritual masters. Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Plato represent the "the chosen few" who have been accepted ino this world.

Let's look at an example now of how the worlds express through human affairs: the art of writing. In the art of writing, mastery in the first world consists of developing the mechanical abilities to operate a writing instrument with dexterity. As you begin expressing ideas in writing, you rise into the psychological level of writing. When you begin doing creative writing, guided by authentic inspiration to express truth through beautiful writing, you enter the creative level. If you advance farther in your mastery of the art of writing, you enter the highest level of inspiration, conveying a sense of prophesy, divinity, heavenliness, the miraculous. You compose a form of scripture announcing "the Word of God". You are accepted into the originative level.

Each of us possesses the will, the drive, the urge to develop creative mastery to the nth degree. Our lives are perfectly designed, like Plato's Republic, to present us with all we need to develop mastery. Whatever you are going through right now calls upon you to recognize and improve upon how you are functioning, to some degree, to produce results more in line with your ultimate intentions. Some of us denigrate our confrontation with difficulty. We call adversity "bad", loss "wrong", unpleasantness "inferior" experiences. This expresses spiritual immaturity, the level of one who has not yet awakened to the path of mastery, the secret of happiness. Your difficulties equal your opportunities and your adversities equal your advantages in the sense that both present you with your present level of mastery and reveal your next step to a higher level.

Nothing brings true fulfillment other than rising on mastery's ladder of light, growing into a co-creator with the divine. Make a list of the things and conditions that you want because you expect them to bring you happiness. Then realize that it is not the acquiring or accomplishing of these that will mean anything at all to you. It is the mastery that you develop along the way that offers you the fulfillment you seek. Making your life right now as fulfilling as possible is what the path of mastery is really all about.

The way to mastery begins with accepting responsibility for your present experience. Look at how you are creating your present experience and you will soon see openings, opportunities, to create a more beautiful experience. Thus you grow in life-mastery.

Decide upon what you want to create, then observe your present experience to find the fulfillment that is presently available as you align your thoughts, feelings, speech and actions with what you want to create. Do you want to make more money, enjoy a more satisfying relationship, create a beautiful sculpture, lead an life of great adventure? Whatever you want to create, think about it. This forms it on the psychological level. Think about what you can physically do to contribute to it coming about. This eventually leads your body to take that action. Continue contemplating what it is you really do want to create, and your psychological world gradually opens to the higher levels of the creative, deepening your inspiration with a higher vision or sense of the greater beauty that is possible. Remain patient as this occurs, because the fire of higher inspiration makes us want to create a masterpiece right now. But if you rush, the stress of that actually slows down your development and impedes your ability to demonstrate higher beauty. Remember the balanced way represented by The Three Pillars.

Here is an example of the dawning of higher inspiration. A business man may have the goal of creating a profitable business. As he continues contemplating his vision with an open heart and open mind, he becomes aware of wanting his business to not only be profitable, but to function in harmony with the natural environment and to contribute something truly worthwhile to society. He wants to love what he does, which means functioning in line with higher inspiration. He wants the people who work for him to feel fulfilled. This process eventually opens his heart to a desire to "hear the word of God', to know what God wants him to do, so that his work unites divinity with the human heart, earth and heaven.

Too often it seems that we restrict our hearts and minds, believing it to be impractical to pursue beauty, not to mention divinity, in our goals. We believe we have to settle for an empty package wrapped up to look like success. But the only real success we seek is the next level of creative mastery.

Notice how you create your present moment and you begin seeing how you can function more efficiently, more effectively, relative to what you want to experience and accomplish. You automatically choose to waste as little time and energy as possible wondering what will happen to you, worrying about not making it all the way to your goal, as you see this as utterly counter-productive. You only have to live this moment just a little bit better, which you will do, as you pay attention to your present experience.

Bob Lancer leads individuals, businesses, families, and associations to fulfill their greatest dreams. He does this through a wide variety of venues, including his WSB radio show, Bob Lancer's Parenting Solutions, a show that focuses as much on the raising of ourselves and of our society as on the raising of children. The show has been on the air since 1995 and broadcasts to 35 states over the radio, and worldwide over the internet.

He is the author of numerous books and he has created dozens of motivational recordings on his themes.

Bob Lancer transforms audiences through his dynamic keynotes and seminars on parenting, marriage, and personal and professional development at live events, including conferences around the nation and overseas. He has been leading his audiences to greater personal and professional success as a public speaker, seminar leader, consultant and author for over 20 years and his work has been featured on CNN and other network television stations, in national magazines and in major newspapers.

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Eating Disorders - A Growing Epidemic

WHAT IS ANOREXIA?

Anorexia is an intense pursuit of thinness. A person with anorexia starves themselves, becomes dangerously thin and denies themselves the pleasure of eating even though they are hungry. Eating or not eating becomes a way to cope with feelings, emotions and life circumstances. Anorexia affects people of all ages and backgrounds. An estimated one out of every 100 adolescent girls has the disorder, and more than 1000 women die from anorexia each year in the US alone.

An eating disorder begins as a diet to lose weight and/or the pressure to be thin and attractive. Then the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. A strong determination to become thinner and thinner takes over and the person significantly restricts their food thus becoming dangerously thin. A person with anorexia has a distorted image of their body, themselves and the world and thinks and believes they are fat even when emaciated.

Sufferers generally experience out-of-control fear, depression and anxiety and often become irritable and withdrawn. Unusual behaviors may include compulsive rituals, bizarre eating habits, and dividing food into categories. Food, calories, weight, and weight management occupy most of the anorexic's attention and they frequently become angry when someone tries to interfere with their habits. The process of eating becomes an obsession.

Fear becomes associated with food, even the sight of food causes fear reaction. Food = Fat and Fat = Rejection, so it all becomes enmeshed together. People with anorexia may continually weight themselves and engage in techniques to control their weight, such as compulsively exercising, vomiting and abuse laxative, enemas and/or diuretics.

Anorexics use the behavior as a way of dealing or not dealing with emotions or problems in their life. They weigh themselves frequently, wear baggy clothes to cover up thinness and repeatedly look in the mirror for flaws. Some may have decreased sexual desire and miss menstrual periods. The majority of their time is spent talking and thinking about food and weight and might develop a sense of self by being labeled "anorexic." It becomes a banner, a shield and an identity. Individuals with anorexia often attempt to hide the disorder and frequently are in denial.

There is no definite cause of anorexia; however some experts believe that demands from society and families, and a poor self-image can be contributing factors. Most anorexics fear growing up and use restrictive dieting to prevent their bodies from developing so they can maintain the parent-child relationship.

WHAT IS BULIMIA?

Bulimia is a diet, binge, purge behavior. A person with bulimia also has an intense fear of being fat and most feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. They may look happy on the outside, yet feel lonely, frightened and empty internally. This person often feels out of control while eating and is unable to stop until the food is gone. When the food is gone, guilt about eating takes over and they have to get rid of the food by vomiting, exercising, using laxatives, diuretics or enemas.

Many bulimics consume as much as 20,000 calories at a time in a rapid, automatic way. The foods consumed are often sweet or high-calorie foods such as ice cream, cake, breads, or pasta. An individual may binge anywhere from twice a day to many times a day.

As with anorexia, the process of eating becomes an obsession, a way to cope with feelings. The act of stuffing one with food and then purging gives the person a sense of relief. Unlike people with anorexia, you cannot immediately identify the behavior. They often weigh an average weight; however one might see weight fluctuations in a person. People with bulimia often do their behaviors in secrecy attempting to conceal their symptoms, yet feeling ashamed when they binge, and relieved once they purge. Typically people with bulimia are very body and weight conscious and are frequently dieting.

Harm on the body

Eating disorders can have harmful effects on the body. They may possibly lead to death by starvation, heart failure or suicide. Specific effects on the body can include irregular heartbeat; hair loss; low blood pressure; damage to organs, especially the heart, brain, muscles and kidneys; loss of thyroid function; anemia; swollen joints; brittle bones (osteoporosis) and fatigue. A person with bulimia can also get swollen glands; damage the esophagus; wear down the teeth from the acid in vomit; and have ulcers in the mouth and throat.

My 23 year struggle

My name is Debra. I didn't come into this world with this name and I didn't choose it. It was given to me when I arrived. I came here as a shining diamond.....but somewhere along the way, just as my name was "given" to me, so was guilt, shame, blame, positive and negative thoughts, words and actions from myself and others. The negative outweighed the positive. This was how I experienced myself and the world. I didn't know how to reject it; instead I took it into my consciousness and created a "negative" self-image. My diamond went from shiny to dull.

From my earliest memory food was an issue. I felt very uncomfortable with myself and my surroundings and turned to food for love, comfort and safety. At age 13 I weighed 140 pounds when my doctor told me to "go on a diet." I started losing weight and received a lot of positive recognition which made me feel good. I started to associate feeling good with losing weight. Unconsciously I became trapped in a vicious cycle. I had to continue to lose weight in order to feel good. My weight dropped down to 80 pounds and I was hospitalized.

For the next 23 years I was in and out of hospitals, and living in an eating-exercising trance. At the beginning it gave me a sense of power and control, but after awhile I was being controlled by it. By focusing on food, weight and exercise I didn't have to deal with the pressures of growing up and making decisions like; what I want to do with my life, dating, drugs, career etc. (I didn't know that I was doing this at the time, all I know is I was frightened and confused.) By doing the anorexic behaviors, my life was contained and controlled. I stopped the process of growing up, nothing new could come in and I wouldn't come out. Gaining and losing weight, eating very little and constantly exercising was the focus of my life.

In the hospitals I would gain weight, but as soon as I left I focused all of my energy on losing it, it was the only way I knew how to cope in the world. Because I was so frightened to gain weight, whenever I ate, I made myself exercise for hours so I wouldn't get fat. I unconsciously regressed back to that lonely child who never felt loved or good enough, staying small so someone would take care of me.

I associated food with negative feelings. Whenever I ate, my emotions became more intense, I felt the "yucky" feelings in my body and I hated myself even more. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I projected those feelings into a fat image of myself. It was like looking into a mirror at a fun house where you see yourself five times the size you truly are.

Eating became my sacred time, something I did in private. No matter what "no one can see me eat." It was as if I was doing something "bad." I also had rituals of eating certain foods at a certain time in a certain way. By doing this I felt powerful and in control of my life.

By continuously doing the behaviors over and over again, I made an imprint in my subconscious training my body to respond and exercise whenever I ate or had feelings or emotions. In other words, if I wasn't eating, I was exercising. If for any reason I couldn't exercise, I would get a sick feeling in my stomach, my heart would race and I'd sweat. The physical feeling and thoughts wouldn't go away until I exercised. I was like a hamster on a wheel, moving very fast but not getting anywhere, with a very narrow focus of life. (Food and exercise)

Because the subconscious is the driving force of our behaviors, I would automatically exercise after I ate and no longer felt like I had a choice. My subconscious mind was now dictating my life. I was a robot, being controlled by unseen commands.

When I exercised "I thought" I was getting rid of the negative thoughts and feelings that I felt in my gut. However, by running I just pushed the "yuck" deeper inside myself and I eventually had to deal with it. No wonder I felt "so fat" even at 80 pounds; I was fat with the feelings I stuffed inside.

I was so frightened of change so I stayed in my "familiar zone" even if I was going to die. I knew that if I ate the same foods and exercised everyday then I was sure to stay the same weight or get even thinner. I didn't feel capable of taking good care of myself, nor did I want to because I didn't have any beliefs to support this. By looking so thin and gaunt I was telling the world, "I'm empty, lonely and angry, please someone show me you love me by taking care of me." For me, the anorexia kept me small (literally). It was a shield (a trance) and a "safety blanket" I used so I didn't have to make choices and it protected me from the world in which I felt so unworthy.

How I overcame the eating disorder

I became empowered by having the courage to sit through my discomfort and take charge of my life on a conscious and sub-conscious level. Bringing myself back to the here and now helped me to be present with my feelings. By being present with my feelings I was able to connect with my true self. Doing the anorexic behaviors kept me in constant fear, and I could never attain what I truly wanted.

Everyday, I took one action different from what the eating disorder behavior dictated. Slowly my life started to change. The anorexia served a purpose in my life, it was my safety, comfort and "my friend." I had to find new healthy ways to get these needs met. I was starting to take charge of my life from my true internal desires. I started reading books on spirituality and discovered that I was more than just my body and the negativity that was piled on me from a very young age. There is a tender spirit inside me that is happy, joyous and loving. Today, I now take the steps necessary to make my life work on all levels, physical, emotional and spiritual.

I used the power of intention and visualization to create a healthy body and bring fun and happiness into my life. I had to stop running in order to get in touch with my inner desires and true happiness. It was a process, and because I stuck with it, my life continues to get better and better. I also used hypnosis to change my automatic responses and my limiting beliefs that kept me stuck. By aligning my conscious mind with my subconscious mind, I wasn't in so much conflict within myself and gradually became more relaxed and peaceful. "Everyday in every way I'm getting stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier, happier and happier."

I use self-hypnosis, meditate, read and say positive affirmations daily. I focus my attention on what I want and change any thoughts or actions that don't serve me to ones that do. I take time everyday to connect with the love deep inside myself and bring it to others instead of looking for and needing it from them. Every time I do this I feel a glow emanating from my core and all around me. I am a shining diamond here to love, serve and LIVE.

The power of my mind (conscious and unconscious) now continues to help me along the way. Once I made the decision and commitment to being healthy, books, teachers, mentors and seminars started showing up. "I am being divinely guided." I'm constantly looking for ways to help myself and others live a rich, fun and rewarding life.

Debra Mittler is the author of Free yourself from Anorexia and Bulimia now available at http://www.HypnosisIsFreedom.com Along with her personal journey of insight and revelation are easy step-by-step processes that promote wellness.

Debra works one-on-one and in groups as a Hypnotherapist and life coach in Los Angeles, California. She is also available for speaking engagements.

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