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3

There's a great teaching story about two young boys in a village who wanted to 4

fool the village wise man. The whole community revered and honored this wise 5

man. So a very typical teen thing, they were thinking we are smarter than him. 6

We'll find a way to fool him and the whole community will know and then the 7

community will look to us. So one says to the other ok here's what we will do. We 8

will get an appointment with the wise man and we will let everybody know that it 9

will be a public appointment and meanwhile I will capture a live bird. Then at the 10

appointment I will be holding the live bird in my hand behind my back and say to 11

the wise man 'Wise man is the bird I am holding alive or dead?' If the wise man 12

says the bird is alive I will quickly crush the life out of that bird and present the 13

dead bird, thus proving him wrong. If however the wise man says the bird is dead 14

then I shall just present the bird and we will fool the wise man. 15

16

So they gained the appointment. They told the whole community. The whole 17

community shows up for this meeting and the boys standing respectfully in front 18

of the wise man, one with his hands behind his back holding the bird. They very 19

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respectfully look at the wise man and said wise man tell us, is the bird we are 20

holding alive or dead? The wise man looked very gently and compassionately at 21

these young boys and because he was a very wise man he just said to them 'The 22

life you are holding in your hands is yours.' 23

24

Isn't that a great story? The life you are holding in your hands is yours. That's 25

really the truth. The life you are holding is held in your hands. It's the truth. The 26

life that each one of us is holding and experiencing is controlled by what we do 27

and what we choose. Now we've done a lot of work here, so again I want to say 28

welcome back and good job to come back because you are ready now to move into 29

the acceleration steps. 30

31

So we went through the empowerment steps. You did all the early work of 32

discovering a dream and deciding for the dream and paying attention to your 33

longing and your discontent and your dream continues to unfold and be shaped 34

and developed in this living document you are working with where you have 35

written down your dream. Remember you don't just write your dream down and 36

that's the end of it. You are keeping this living document with you. You are 37

making sure that there is no future language in that dream. That it's a present 38

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tense, this is the life I am living and that it's a very clear blueprint that's being 39

impressed into your mind as you reread and then reform and then lift up and lift 40

the frequency of this written document that is the life you are choosing to live. 41

42

Now we went through the whole process of building a bigger deserving, testing 43

our dream and then we took a very good look at the different things we can do 44

that actually toxified the possibility of this dream going forward. We explored 45

how it is that we learn to notice and then befriend our fear. We began to explore 46

the possibility that if we want an expanded life we have to move into an expanded 47

state through giving. We understood the practice and the process of expanded 48

circulation. We recognized that good seed will not grow in toxic soil and so we 49

have begun the process of an expanded deepening forgiveness practice so that 50

there are no balls and chains on our lives holding us back from the ideas and the 51

answers that can really take us forward and help us discover how to deliver the 52

dream we are holding. 53

54

So we went through the discovery phase. We went through the empowerment 55

phase and now we are ready to move into the acceleration phase. In the 56

acceleration phase are two wavelengths that you will bring to bear upon your 57

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dream that you will absolutely find as you practice these will move you in the 58

upward spiral of becoming. They will move you in this ever upward spiral. 59

Remember, the universe is a spiral universe. Your DNA is a spiral. There is a pull 60

of becoming everywhere present throughout the entire universe. This 'more', this 61

pull of the next, this pull of the greater, freer, fuller expanded expression of life. 62

It's everywhere present in the universe and you feel it in you, the seeking for that 63

life that is your life to express freer, fuller more expanded, more creatively. 64

65

And as you say yes to this, which is why you do dream building, why you do the 66

work that we are talking about, you get happier. You find more creativity. You 67

find more opportunity. Your whole life begins to move in a new arc. And once you 68

do that, again it's what Jesus called the pearl of great price. You have this 69

experience. You would trade for it. When your life begins to expand this way 70

everything else pales compared to a life that you wake up in the morning and 71

several times during the day the natural feeling of being in harmony with your 72

own life essence is that this natural feeling rises up in you. I love my life. I love 73

my life. Jesus called it the stream of living water that rises from the center of your 74

own being. He says when you drink from that water you don't thirst again. Now 75

quantum physics has another name for this. There's different names throughout 76

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all the different traditions but the bottom line is it's life and life abundantly. 77

That's what this work and this opportunity and these practices bring you and 78

where it takes you. 79

80

So now as we move into this phase, the acceleration phase there are two 81

wavelengths. Two practices that you are going to bring into this good field that 82

you have created. A field where you are not letting fear dominate you but you 83

recognize the fear as the border of the reality I have known where there is a lot of 84

circulation and whenever you find anything toxic, a weed, you just pull it out and 85

you wish well for everybody you have ever known. It's a practice and you are 86

doing that. 87

88

Ok. That creates now the opportunity for you to do these two practices, that you 89

will find over time actually put you in the stream's center. It's almost as if you 90

move into a jet stream where your thinking will change, your recognition of 91

opportunities will change--it does not create more abundance in your life. It 92

creates your awareness of the abundance that's here. Because as you become 93

aware of the abundance that's here your ability to access that abundance--and 94

remember the first stream of the currency of abundance is ideas--So your ability 95

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to tune into the ideas that are the answers to the questions you have and the steps 96

you need to take comes from the frequency of your own awareness. 97

98

So we have done the work now to prepare to make ready, to make welcome what 99

it is that you need to know in order to take the steps that are yours to take. 100

101

Gandhi said the voice for truth speaks to every person on the planet every single 102

day. The voice for truth. Now, the voice for truth, meaning the voice that has 103

whatever it is that you need to hear. The voice of this inspired insight, inspired 104

wisdom. The voice of the intelligence of the universe is available to every single 105

one of us. I heard it once said that the voice for truth speaks to all of us every 106

single day and it's as loud as our willingness to listen. So it's as if wisdom is 107

everywhere available but my access to that wisdom has to do with my willingness 108

to hear, my willingness to know. 109

110

So what we are talking about here really is your intuitive capacity. This is an 111

intelligence system you have that is non-linear. It doesn't come from your five 112

senses. It's beyond your reasoning mind. It's natural, it's native and it's one of 113

your intelligence systems that most of us have not been trained in. Most of us 114

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have been trained to use our reasoning mind and that's based on conditions. It's 115

based on information from the five senses. That's important information. Of 116

course you need that information but it's not all the information and its' not all 117

that's available to you. And in fact, if you want to become a really great dream 118

builder, someone who moves through acceleration and is not bound by the 119

constrictions or the containments of ordinary life, then you will learn to use this 120

intelligence system that's in you to be guided because this part of you knows way 121

more than your reasoning mind knows. 122

123

You know this. You can think of times when you have known something, 124

something simple. It's not always the big huge things. You know all kinds of stuff 125

that came to you non-linearly. So you are heading out for the day and you hear or 126

you think take the umbrella. Then your ordinary reasoning mind goes take my 127

umbrella? It's blue skies. I'm not taking my umbrella. And you argue actually, you 128

use your reasoning mind to argue with the insight, with the native knowing that 129

really is coming from your intuitive capacity. 130

131

You know this. You've had experiences with this. You say I'm not taking the 132

umbrella. Three hours later the weather completely changes and there's a 133

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downpour and you say to yourself I knew it. How did I know to bring that 134

umbrella? But I did know to bring the umbrella, I just didn't listen. You probably 135

have many stories, if you go through your memory, of times when you knew 136

something. It didn’t come from the linear mind and because you'd learned to 137

value your reasoning mind more than your intuitive mind you didn't do, 138

something protect something, recognize something that you really could have if 139

you had trained this part of yourself. 140

141

So what I am suggesting is that every great dream builder, every one who has 142

done something that we call extraordinary has learned to value, access and 143

appreciate the part of themselves that is the non-linear knowing. 144

145

The composer Puccini said this 'The music for this opera was dictated to me by 146

God.' He said that he heard the music and he simply copied down the notes. The 147

musician Brahms said this 'Straight away the ideas flow in upon me directly from 148

God.' He said 'I relaxed, I listened and the ideas come.' Now of course these two 149

musicians are using the word God for the place of that stream of wisdom. You can 150

use any name you want to; the universe, you can use spirit. Whatever word is 151

comfortable for you. But here's the point, there is an intelligence system that you 152

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have. It's called your intuition. It makes available to you the wisdom, the knowing 153

that's in this universe. 154

155

Now if you think of the law of mathematics there is not one problem you can take 156

to the law of mathematics for which there is not an answer. It doesn't mean you 157

will know the answer but you know that no matter what problem you take to the 158

law of mathematics there is an answer. It's really not different in terms of dream 159

building. You start with the premise that there cannot be a possibility without a 160

path. You cannot dream something up for which there is not a way to get there. 161

Now you may not know the way. You may not have the resources you may not 162

have the contacts or the education or all kinds of things that might be required. 163

But there is a way to create anything you want to create because by definition if 164

the mind can conceive it, the mind can achieve it. 165

166

So let me remind you of the story of Thomas Edison, who would get quiet, would 167

listen, meditate. He had learned a technology for accessing that inner wisdom; 168

that stream of ideas that were always in harmony with the questions he was 169

asking. He learned to use his intuition. He would sit, as you remember, taking 170

catnaps. But they weren't really catnaps. He framed important questions. 171

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Questions that mattered to him about the thing he wanted to create. Now you too 172

can learn how to frame good questions. It was Einstein who once said 'If I had 173

only one hour to solve a life and death matter, meaning his life depended on it, he 174

would spend...he said 'I would spend fifty-five minutes framing exactly the right 175

question because once I got the right question I have my answer in five minutes.' 176

177

Now what does that mean? The right question. That's why you write your dream 178

down. That's why you keep your dream really in focus. Because part of what you 179

want to know is what’s the step I should take today. What do I do today that 180

would facilitate the forward movement of the dream I am holding? Now, learning 181

how to discern your own intuition, recognize that voice from all the other voices 182

or that knowing from all the other things that are in the field of your awareness is 183

a practice. There's all this information. It's like the five senses are like these five 184

lane highways of information just pouring into your brain. And you see 185

circumstances. You've read things in the paper. You understand what's going on 186

in the economy. You have a history. You have whatever's in your bank account. 187

All of that information is in the field of your awareness and it's in the field of 188

facts, or form. 189

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So you are not denying facts or form but you are recognizing that there is another 191

frequency. Just like if you have on CNN, NBC is right here or CBS is right here or 192

whatever the channels are that are broadcasting wherever you are. It's a different 193

frequency. If you want to change the picture of what you are seeing you pick up 194

the remote control and you change the frequency. We are talking now about you 195

changing the frequency of the noticing and the amount of attention you give to 196

this particular access you have to another stream of information which will help 197

guide you in the steps you need to take today. Absent this, you will work from a 198

very low amplitude of your own power. You have this power. It's the stream of 199

inspired insight. It comes through your intuition. It knows exactly things you can 200

never know with your linear mind. 201

202

So how do you know the voice from all the other input? People often say to me 203

well how do I know this voice? How do I recognize this voice? So here's what I 204

would say to you. 205

206

So imagine right now that your phone rings. You pick up the phone. You have no 207

idea who it is. Say you don't have caller ID. So you have no idea who it is on the 208

other end of the line and your phone rings and you decide to pick it up. I mean it 209

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could be a telemarketer, it could be family, it could be friends, and it could be 210

somebody from your past. You have no idea who it is. So you pick up the phone 211

and you say hello and you hear the voice on the other end saying to you 212

something and calling you by name and saying hi and then saying something to 213

you. 214

215

Now imagine that the voice on the other end of the line is somebody you love 216

deeply, somebody you have a great relationship with. It's your spouse; it's your 217

friend, but somebody very close to you. So you are going through your day, the 218

phone rings, you decide to pick it up, you have no idea who it is and you say hello 219

and you hear this voice that comes from the person that you care deeply about. 220

Are you likely to recognize that person's voice even if they don't say hi it's George 221

or hi it's Mary? Of course you are. You will recognize that voice. 222

223

And how will you recognize that voice? Because you know them. Well how do you 224

know them? You know them because you got interested in them. You paid 225

attention to them. You invested some time in developing that relationship so you 226

now recognize that voice. It's not different in this regard. The voice of this stream 227

of inspired insight, the voice of your own intuition has a resonance to it. It has a 228

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frequency to it. There's a tone to it that if you are interested you will get to know 229

and you will pay attention to and it starts with a decision. That I have an 230

intelligence system that is required for my forward movement; for me to bring 231

about my dream, to collapse time, to facilitate the transformation that occurs in a 232

metaphysical universe. Remember the physics always work and part of that is the 233

intelligence of the universe downloaded through the lens of an individual into 234

time. That's your opportunity but it's also you requirement, that you call from 235

this higher wisdom this greater knowing and bring it through your own 236

awareness. 237

238

So know this. You are going to do some things today. Even if you decide well I 239

don't want to make any mistakes. Gosh there's this higher wisdom, this greater 240

knowing and I've been operating mainly from my reasoning mind. I've been 241

trained to do that. So I don't want to make any mistakes. I am just going to stay in 242

bed and pull the covers over my head. Remember, what you created was a day in 243

bed with covers over head. So you are going to do some things today. You are 244

going to practice making some decisions listening to also this intelligence system. 245

You start to notice even when little things start to come to you like take the 246

umbrella and you go hmm, well. Just try on being a little more respectful of that 247

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part of you that seems to be the voice of your intuition and what will happen over 248

time--you know you aren't going to do it perfectly. Just like anything you are 249

going to find your way. But toy with this. Experiment with this. Have some fun 250

with this. 251

252

What you'll find over time is that you begin to know this voice more and more 253

and more. And I will tell you some things about it. Whether you hear it as a voice 254

or you feel it as a kind of a nudge. I don't know all the many ways you will 255

discover access to that part of yourself, but I know you will. And what I know 256

about the voice, when you hear a thought come through your mind of course it 257

sounds like your voice but it is carried with wisdom and when you hear that it is 258

never frantic. Your ego, my ego, at times gets frantic, gets worried, gets anxious, 259

gets all of those kinds of thoughts will begin to move through the mind. You can 260

choose to energize those thoughts or starve those thoughts. You either feed them 261

or you starve them. So you are learning to discard those thoughts that are not 262

helpful. Transform those thoughts into something much more helpful. Learning 263

how to change the frequency to a channel or a vibration that is in harmony with 264

the dream you say you want. Now as you make a decision to practice listening to 265

and following the voice of inspired insight, you begin to recognize that that 266

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wisdom is not frantic. It knows there's nothing to get frantic about. It's wise. It 267

will speak to the circumstance that you are in and offer a step to take, always, 268

always. 269

270

As Gandhi said, the voice for truth speaks to every person on the planet every 271

single day and is as loud as our willingness to listen. 272

273

So this voice is described in the Old Testament. The scriptures in the Bible are 274

really stories of the unfolding awareness of the human from being in the Adam 275

consciousness or state, where we fall asleep, to who we are as divine beings who 276

fall asleep to who we are as divine beings with the capacities to create as a co-277

creator with the infinite and then the journey through all the many different 278

characters which are in essence different parts of ourselves coming to be 279

awakened in the full personhood of the Christed mind or the one who is fully 280

awake to the full potential and accomplishes what ordinary people call miracles 281

as a common ordinary practice. Then we find of course Jesus saying to you and 282

me ‘know these truths. It will not only set you free but you too shall do these 283

things and greater things still.’ 284

285

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So here we are. In the Old Testament, discovery that there is a capacity in us that 286

is of a higher knowing than ordinary knowing. That story emerges in the story 287

about the Prophet Elijah. So Elijah believed in one presence, one power, one life 288

which was not too popular at the time of his day. So things are happening and it's 289

a rough time for him and he has to flee for his life. So he goes to Mount Horah. 290

It's there that we find one of the most beautiful and really compelling 291

descriptions of what it means to be in communion with this voice. So Elijah has 292

spent a night in the cave and then in the morning, this is what is says, there was a 293

great and mighty wind splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of 294

God. But God was not in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake. But God was 295

not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire. But God was not in the fire. 296

And when the fire died down and the wind was gone and the earth had stopped 297

shaking, Elijah in that stillness heard a still small voice and he knew that in that 298

still small voice he had heard the voice of God. God had not been in the howling 299

wind or the cracking of earth or the crackling of fire. So Elijah finds his voice for 300

that stream of inspired insight not in the midst of those spectacles but in silence. 301

He comes to know God in the still small voice. 302

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Now many of us kind of expect this wisdom or whatever it is to kind of pop up 304

like Zeus hurtling thunderbolts. But the truth is this wisdom is always present. It 305

may not knock you on the head. Many times people I've worked with say you 306

know I am just praying for a sign. I want to see a sign and there are signs 307

everywhere. But they are not aware of the signs they are seeing. So this is a 308

practice now of being willing to just start by knowing everything that can be 309

known is known. It may not be known to me but it is known. There can't be a 310

question without an answer. By definition. In the mind, the mind of the infinite, 311

the mind of this universe everything is known. Great people, people who live 312

from greatness have learned how to generate in themselves an awareness that 313

anything they need to know can be known. They learned how to ask and shape 314

important questions. The transcendentalists were asking important questions. 315

They would frame questions, spend time framing questions, ultimately leading 316

themselves to the experience of the transcendent; that part of themselves that 317

was wiser than their ordinary mind. They could access information and ideas and 318

answers. 319

320

So part of this is learning what it means to take time to get still. We will never 321

develop a relationship with that knowing if we don't have a stillness practice. It 322

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doesn't take a long time and there's many ways to get to that part of yourself 323

where you have real free flowing access to the part of you that is wise, that is that 324

stream of divine or inspired insight. 325

326

There is a great story I heard once about Tiknaht Han(?). Tiknaht Han is a 327

revered, honored Buddhist monk from Vietnam, a prolific writer. He told a story 328

once about being in Plum Village, which is the community place for his work in 329

France. The community lives there and they spend time together. It's a 330

community. It's not like a gated community but it's protected by fences and a lot 331

of people come there and even spend time there learning the meditation practices 332

that Tiknaht Han has been so revered for teaching; awareness practices, 333

mindfulness practices. 334

335

He tells a story about one summer when his five year old little niece came to stay 336

for six weeks. Because she was in the community many of the people watched 337

over her during the day as she would play and he would go to his meditation 338

room and meditate. He said he was in his meditation room one day when he 339

heard this knock, knock, knock at the meditation room door. So he went to the 340

door and he hears his little five year old niece and she says 'Uncle Monk, uncle 341

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monk. My friends and I are very thirsty. Will you give us something to drink?' So 342

he goes over to the refrigerator. He opens up the refrigerator and there he pulls 343

out a jug of homemade apple juice that he's made the day before. He puts four 344

glasses on the counter, one for the niece and one for each of the three friends and 345

he pours the homemade apple juice from the jug into these glasses. 346

347

Well the first three glasses came from the upper portion of the apple juice and 348

they were pretty clear. The fourth glass came from the bottom of this apple juice 349

so it was murky. It was pulpy. So the older friends quickly grabbed the three clear 350

glasses, leaving that murky pulpy glass of juice for the five year old. She looks at 351

that and she goes 'I don't want that apple juice! That's dirty apple juice.' He goes 352

'No honey, it's not dirty apple juice. It's good apple juice, probably better apple 353

juice for you. It has all the apple in it. It's good apple juice. Drink that apple juice.' 354

'I don't want that apple juice! That's dirty apple juice.' So he says 'Well have it 355

your way.' So he goes back to his meditation room and he begins to meditate. 356

357

He said about a half an hour later he hear this kind of a little commotion in the 358

kitchen and then knock, knock, knock at the meditation room door. 'Uncle Monk, 359

Uncle Monk. I am very thirsty and I am only a little girl. I need your help to get 360

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me something to drink.' So he goes out again and he says 'I did help you. I did 361

give you something to drink. I got you that apple juice. Drink the apple juice.' She 362

goes 'I don't want that dirty apple juice. I don't like dirty apple juice.' He looked 363

over at the counter. The apple juice had been sitting in the glass for about thirty 364

minutes. All of the sediment had drained to the bottom of that glass, leaving the 365

upper portion crystal clear. He says 'Well look at the apple juice now.' She goes 366

'What happened to it?' He goes 'It just sat still for thirty minutes.' He said at 367

moment his niece turned around and she goes 'Oh, Uncle Monk. Now I know why 368

you sit still so much.' 369

370

I love that story. I love it because it reminds me that the wind and the waves and 371

the earthquakes and all the many things that happen in life seem boisterous and 372

seem loud and often it's difficult for me to hear from that part of myself that 373

knows the truth. I get caught up in the facts at times. But it is a stillness practice 374

that helps that sediment drain down so that I have more clarity. I am more 375

available to this stream of inspired insight. 376

377

So today you are going to make many choices. The power that you have in choice 378

to shape your life is a phenomenally powerful thing. Way more than most of us 379

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recognize. Everything is created twice. Remember that. Everything is created 380

twice, first a thought and then a thing. So where you put your interest, where you 381

put your attention, energy flows. You can choose to pay attention to the knowing 382

even if you don't yet have a relationship with that voice for inspired insight but 383

you can pay attention to the idea. I have an intuition. So remember the story of 384

the foot lamp. It's that recognition and that knowing that this intuition, this 385

stream of inspired insight is like a lamp unto our feet. It shows light upon the 386

next step we are supposed to take. It's a lamp unto my fight and a light upon my 387

path. 388

389

So when you ask the question here's my dream, what step could I take today? 390

Something will begin to occur to you. You are going to make a choice anyway so 391

go with the highest guidance you've got. Go with that which seems most inspired, 392

which seems most in alignment. Now sometimes that voice will tell you 393

something you need to let go of. Sometimes it will tell you something you need to 394

gain hold of. Sometimes it will tell you whatever it will tell you but your practice 395

is to bring a silence practice into your life where you even spend a few minutes a 396

day listening and you might find that right after you've written your morning to 397

be pages. How you want to be that day. Instead of starting your day again with 398

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your to do pages you start with your to be pages. You want to be compassionate. 399

You want to be aware. You want to be insightful. You want to be in touch with 400

and in harmony with your dream. You are going to bring it forth. If one advances 401

confidently, so you are confident in how the laws of the universe are working. 402

Part of the laws of the universe are access to the information system that gives 403

rise to your all knowing about the steps that you are to take. But you are the one, 404

the only one, and I am the one, the only one for myself, that can choose to pay 405

attention. 406

407

You know what it's like when you pick up the phone and there's just all this static. 408

You say call back. Let's get a better line. Let's get a better connection. Well it's not 409

different in listening to the voice that you want a good connection. So you want to 410

look at and begin to notice that sense. When you do hear the voice, when you are 411

in touch with that intelligence system there are some conditions that you have 412

put in place that have made that connection stronger. Whether it may have to do 413

with what you are thinking, what you are watching on TV, what you are not 414

watching on TV that you tune in the dial. You really want to recognize that you 415

have a choice about what signal strength you have in terms of your own receiver. 416

You can choose to amp it up by noticing that which causes you to feel more alive; 417

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that which causes you to feel more integrity with yourself; that which is in 418

harmony, in essence, with your own soul's purpose. You may have known for a 419

long time that it's time to stop smoking or it's time to do something and you've 420

known it but you haven't put your behavior in alignment with what you've 421

known. Obviously I am not saying you need to do anything different than what 422

you are doing except to follow what you do know. 423

424

My friend Michael Beckwith says act on the good that you know and that's a 425

beautiful way to say it, that not only knowing the good but acting on the good 426

amplifies that in your life. You will find as Emerson said, that God plays with 427

loaded dice. You are going to have surprise support. You are going to see 428

providence move to. You are going to see all sorts of things, as Thoreau said, 429

begin to occur in your life that never otherwise would have occurred because you 430

are now in a whole new stream or a whole new frequency and everything that is 431

compatible with harmonious with and relevant of that frequency becomes 432

available to you. This is one of the great things that will happen in your life as you 433

begin to recognize, honor--revere actually--your own intuitive faculty. 434

435

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There was a woman I knew who was out of work. I mean it was a tough time for 436

her and she was struggling. She had been out of work and so she said I need help 437

and she had tried everything she knew to find a job. So she started asking for help 438

from the higher mind. She was saying you know, I gotta get an answer here. What 439

should I do? So she started hearing go to the singles potluck. There was a singles 440

potluck at her church and she started hearing go to the singles potluck, which she 441

would then say back to that voice I don't need to go to the singles potluck. I need 442

a job. So she would go busy doing her things and looking in the paper and making 443

phone calls and every so often when she would get quiet she would hear go to the 444

singles potluck Friday. 445

446

Finally Friday came and it was getting time and she had been so frustrated and 447

disappointed she did not feel like going to a singles potluck. But since she had 448

tried everything she knew by her linear mind, everything she knew that made 449

sense, everything that seemed reasonable and none of that was working, she 450

thought maybe I just need a break. So she thought ok I will go to the singles 451

potluck. By the time she got ready the potluck had already started and when she 452

got there people were already sitting around all the different tables. She looked 453

around the room and she didn't think there was even a spot. Then in the back this 454

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elderly gentleman raised his arm and there was one spot next to him. So she went 455

there and got some food off the buffet table and came and sat down. They began 456

to converse and he asked her how she was doing and she said oh I'm doing fine. 457

Back and forth the conversation went and he said so what do you do? She told 458

him what she did. She said but I am out of work right now. I am looking for work. 459

He said really, well do you know...and then he named a software package...and do 460

you know this and do you know that and she said yes. He said this is amazing. He 461

said I told my friends before I came tonight was that the one thing I needed to 462

find was someone who knew...and then he listed exactly the qualities, the 463

attributes, the talents, the skills that he had described, asking her if she had these 464

and she was a perfect fit. 465

466

Now she would never have known that Oh I know I am going to apply for a job at 467

the potluck. The voice didn’t tell her go to the potluck. Go a little late. You will be 468

able to sit down in one chair, there’s going to be a man there who has a job that 469

would be a perfect fit for you. That intelligence system knows everything. As it 470

turned out not only did that turn out to be a good position for her but she moved 471

into a much larger role than she had ever had in any of her work experience 472

before and it was much more lucrative. 473

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474

Am I saying that every single time you follow that voice some great major thing is 475

going to happen? No, probably not. But what I am saying is that you begin to 476

build a familiarity with the part of yourself that is wise, that is intelligent, that is 477

of the intelligence of the universe. You don't ignore your linear awareness or your 478

reasoning mind but you balance it with this faculty in yourself that is of a higher 479

order that gives you information that you cannot find with your reasoning mind. 480

481

So pay attention to your nudges, that's what I call them. Those little sort of 482

nudges. Particularly if you notice that one has come back like three times. You say 483

wait a minute. Do this. Pay attention here. Whatever it is, if something has 484

occurred to you three times that doesn't quite make sense it's at least worthy of 485

your honoring it enough to give it a chance. Just at least try it on and over time, 486

just like you get to know a person, just like you develop a depth of relationship, 487

just like there's a whole free flow of ability to relate together, you will begin to 488

have the ability because you've developed it. It was there all along but now you 489

have developed it. The ability to have access to this intelligence, to this knowing, 490

to this guidance that is actually required for you to become a great dream builder. 491

492

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So while Michael Beckwith will say act on the good that you know, one of the 493

things that I have felt guided to remind myself over and over and over again over 494

the years is go to the edge of the light you see. So here's the foot lamp casting 495

light on my path. I need to take that step. Not just know that there's a step to 496

take, there's no real power in hearing your intuition and not acting on it. It's 497

actually more entertainment. It's not insight unless I act on it. So in acting on the 498

good that I know or go to the edge of the light that I see. And as I go to the edge of 499

the light I see, more is revealed. But I am the one who has to go to that edge. I am 500

the one who has to take that step. I am the one who has to try it on and so are 501

you. 1:42 502

503

One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He is in search 504

of the Holy Grail and I just love the movie. It's symbolic for each one of us 505

searching for that chalice of life itself. But at one point Indie knows that the Grail 506

is across a great chasm and there's just no way physically to get across. It's like 507

the Grand Canyon. You can't get across there. There's no way for him physically 508

or in the reasoning mind or in ordinary ways to get across. So he is right there 509

and he is standing right there and there is going to be a big earthquake and if he 510

doesn't go now he is going to lose his opportunity forever. He senses that even 511

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though this huge chasm between him and the place he has to go, if he is willing to 512

take a step there will be a magic bridge that will appear. 513

514

Now all of his five senses are saying absolutely do not step out there. He can't see 515

the bridge but he is told that if he will take the step the bridge will appear. And so 516

the voice of inspired insight says take the step. But literally he can't see where he 517

is going. So he has to believe in this invisible power. He has to believe more in the 518

invisible power that feels right to him than what he can see and bring in with his 519

five senses. That's part of the gift of dream building that who you are when you 520

started out to build the dream is not who you become when you reach this dream. 521

You become so much more in the process. You grow in the process. You operate 522

on more than just your five senses. 523

524

So here is Indiana Jones. He is standing on this side of the chasm and he is told 525

to take the step and to take the step means that you have to shift your weight. You 526

have to be really willing to give yourself into it. You see, that's part of the dream 527

building practice that’s really essential. It's not about well I'll stick my toe in or 528

maybe just get my foot wet. It's like really going for it. Really putting your whole 529

self in. So he takes a step and in that step the bridge really does appear. But it 530

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doesn't appear all the way across. It only appears where he is standing. So every 531

step he takes is another step in faith. Every step he takes is another step in faith. 532

Actually I find that to be the exciting part about where you are right now and each 533

one of us is in our process of dream building, if we are really doing that. 534

535

So remember when you were just longing for your dream? That feels pretty safe. 536

Ok I can do this. Then when you are testing your dream that's again a phase that 537

feels pretty safe. But then there is a moment when you commit to your dream. 538

You say I am going to do this and I am willing to change the way I'm thinking, the 539

way I am doing things. I am going to change my life. I am going to change what I 540

have experienced or known or created up until now and I am going to let myself 541

feel a bit uncomfortable. In the interest of growth I am going to take myself out of 542

the frying pan, out of the comfort zone and I am going to find a greater living. I 543

am going to do this. Now, saying that, thinking that is a big phase--but now doing 544

it is of a much higher amplitude and you don't just do it once. You bring it into a 545

practice as your new way of being. So of course you've seen the movie or know the 546

story. Indie of course makes it clear across that chasm. But again it wasn't in the 547

absence of fear and it wasn't in the presence of knowing exactly everything to do. 548

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It was in the belief that he was of a high and good purpose and that what he really 549

wanted was on the other side of that and that he would find a way through. 550

551

So obviously I am not suggesting you take steps into deep chasms physically. But 552

it's a metaphor. It's a metaphor for your willingness to trust. and do it in small 553

ways at first till you begin to build a stronger trust in what Gandhi found, what 554

Puccini knew, what many, many, many, many other people, what Edison found, 555

what Einstein knew. I could spend the rest of this hour telling you people after 556

people after people. But their names aren't important. It's your name that's 557

important. That you know this. That you find this. 558

559

So I want to close this lesson with a story about a fellow who really wanted the 560

greatest good in his life but he kept choosing to operate from his own knowing. 561

It's a man who lived in a house downstream from a big dam. A storm was 562

brewing. A storm so big that it threatened to actually break the dam. Water was 563

rising up in the upper part of the dam. Authorities got very worried and the dam 564

was starting to show signs that it actually could break. 565

566

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So when the authorities determined that the dam probably would break, they 567

sent out the National Guard in jeeps, who went up and down the riverbank telling 568

everyone they had to evacuate. So the guy who came in the jeep, the National 569

Guardsman, said to this man you have to evacuate. Grab some things and come 570

with me. I am going to take you out of here. The dam is going to break and your 571

house is going to flood. The guy very casually said oh that's ok. God will save me. 572

The guard says buddy you've got to get out of here. He said no. I am not leaving. I 573

am not evacuating. Go save other people. God will save me. So pretty soon the 574

dam did break and the water rushes downstream and fills his house. 575

576

So as the home is starting to fill this guy climbs up to the second story and before 577

long the water reaches the second story. This guy goes out on his deck. Now the 578

National Guard has called in other helpers in boats. So they are going along the 579

river that has now risen high as the second story house rescuing anyone who 580

hasn't yet evacuated. So they come in and say come here buddy. They toss him a 581

rope and come on we are going to get you in the boat. We will get you out of here. 582

Very casually he says nope. Nope. That's ok. God will save me. They just could not 583

get him out. He refuses to evacuate. So they decide that they are going to help 584

other people and they leave. 585

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586

So the water continues to rise and now this guy is on the roof of his house. He's 587

just clinging to the chimney and a helicopter comes by. The helicopter drops a 588

line with a harness so that he could hook himself into the harness and escape the 589

flood. They area screaming buddy, buddy come on. Come on. We are here to save 590

you. He just tosses the harness aside and says nope. That's ok. God will save me. 591

And the river rises and he drowns. 592

593

The next scene shows him in heaven. He is at the gate and St. Peter is there and 594

the man says I have to talk to God. So St. Peter takes him and he gains entrance 595

to the Presence of God and this man says I can't believe it! Here I was one of your 596

faithful servants. I was sure you would save me. I was so sure you would save me 597

and you didn't. Why didn't you help me? The Presence of the God simply looks at 598

him compassionately and says what do you mean? I sent you a jeep. I sent you a 599

boat. I sent you a helicopter. 600

601

So of course we would feel sad for somebody who operated from what one might 602

call blind faith that did not recognize that the real help is right here also and it 603

comes through many different ordinary ways. The important thing is that you 604

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and I then personalize this story. Like ok, so what are the jeeps, the boats...what 605

are the helicopters in my life which are the signals that come from this 606

intelligence system that ultimately has only my highest good? There is that in you 607

that is connected to life itself because you are this life. You cannot even make 608

your heart beat, remember? You can't take one breath on your own. Life itself is 609

seeking ever freer, fuller expanded expression in and through the lens of each one 610

of us and that insight, that inspired knowing, that intuition is the stream of 611

intelligence seeking to make itself conscious in you that you might apply all of 612

your resources, all of the faculties that you have been given to bring in 613

coordination to the efforting of the dream you have; to the bringing it about. It 614

collapses time. It makes things easier. 615

616

I remember one time going to the symphony. I was with a friend who was best 617

friends with the first violinist. We went to the symphony and of course it was just 618

wonderful but as they were getting ready something happened that really struck 619

me. The symphony was tuning up, so there was this huge cacophony of sound and 620

all of these many different sounds going on. If you've been to a symphony you 621

know what I am talking about. So imagine all these different cacophonies of 622

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sounds and the conductor come out and he's going through the notes and 623

standing there. 624

625

So all of a sudden just very casually the conductor picks up his conductor's wand 626

and very gently on the edge of his music stand he goes (three taps), just a very 627

gentle tap and all of a sudden everybody right in all this cacophony of sound 628

everyone brings down their instrument and listens. Then of course one thing 629

after another and then the concert starts and the symphony is done and it was 630

magnificent. But afterwards, because we went out with the first violinist, over the 631

time we had together I said to her so explain how with all that sound everybody 632

stopped immediately when the conductor did that small tap, tap, tap. She just 633

looked at me and she said oh we are always listening for it. And I went oh! That's 634

a clue. 635

636

That's what we can do. In the cacophony of our lives, all this stuff going on. We've 637

got kids, we've got parents, we've got stuff to do, we've got our jobs to handle, 638

we've got all these things. We can always be listening for that tap, tap, tap; that 639

inner knowing, that stream of inspired insight. And you will find as you begin to 640

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practice this you will trade everything for knowing that you have the availability 641

to the answers you need--and you really do. 642