https://otter.ai/u/953TbOXk8ocpyhDxCK1uXiMUzhI?utm_source=copy_url

How do you experience God’s guidance in your life? When I was younger this must be this definitely before I came to Japan so 2030 years ago at minimum, I 20 or 30 years ago at minimum. I had this idea for a movie concept that the movie camera would like be panning around the room from the perspective of the protagonist and things that could help the protagonist what very subtly like flicker or light up or there’d be a little hint of light pointing some direction and this would be a representation of God guiding the protagonist in the right direction. And as I’m describing this now, I might add some guidance in the wrong direction with a different color light, like yours also, this has been portrayed as like a little angel on each side shoulder the consciousness of an angel or a devil guiding one or attempting one, one way or another. And I just want to take this as to a very kind of literal sense I once had the experience of moving without really thinking doesn’t sound good enough. I’m not sure if I told the story yet here. about seeing a woman basically, B rating her lApi rating, seeing a woman who was yelling at her son, a couple few years old. She was he was crying and she was telling him not to cry. And that there was no one to help I my sense it was all in her she was speaking Japanese to him. My sense what she was saying in my memories mentally Been a while that there’s no one here to help and stop crying. I just got the idea that she had been recently divorced or left with a young child and there’s no one here to help her and just stop crying. And I was like that that eight right, the way she’s treating him and I I didn’t do it because it’s Japan and it’s an her her business and blah blah blah. Oh gosh, but when at one point I just found myself, like watching them but then I found myself moving toward her. And I can’t explain it. Well, I can explain saying in my mind as I Okay, I guess we’re doing this kind of thing. As I had just set my bag down, I walked over, gently walked over to her. And I put my arm in between her and the child. And I basically focused on her I ignored the baby the child for a bit and I said it’s I don’t My Japanese is not that good. I said something like no, I’ve said it in English but in simple English. I said he is so small. And I hope I didn’t say it that way. Gosh, no, I wish I have maybe find my journal entry. I’m sure I wrote a journal entry about this and I think it went rather well. This retelling is like not as good. But the point is, I believe God guided me to support her and I ended up like giving my my card as I call me anytime. At the same time thinking why the heck would she call someone who can’t speak Japanese but just the offer was there. She never ended up calling me but I hope that it helped her recognize the need to find a different way to express her anger and her sadness. I’m sure she was devastated. And yeah, it was it was really a powerful moment in my life to have the sense that I was being guided to do something that I truly believe was an overall positive effect. Even though I was breaking the Japanese mores of it’s not just Japan like the speaking to a stranger randomly, but I think it’s even more so in Japan to not get into other people’s business. But to the question I’m posing to you now. How do you hear God’s guidance? And do you even believe it’s possible to hear guidance from higher power God as you understand God? Do you believe there even is a god? I know I addressed this a couple chapters back, you’re trying to prove that there’s something and is there as something that you would like to tap into? Is there something that you can imagine tapping into so

allowing God’s guidance to flow in my life I tend to slow down. I tend to speak more gently, thoughtfully. If you were to listen to this recording, Even now my voice is slower. As if in a meditative state, facilitating a meditation

simply dropping into a quiet state. I believe I can hear insights, guidance. encouragement

and I imagine the same is true for anyone who chooses to allow God’s guidance into their life this is a simple point of like gonna go a little bit faster now. I tend to think that religions are inoculations against true spiritual connection by going to going by going to another human or a human, you know, an organization and looking at looking to another human or a book to get insights from God. It’s a reasonable starting point. It could be a good mentor. It could be a good book and say, Okay, fine. That is fine. Totally fine. However, once one has grown into an adult, and it’s like, put away the book for a moment. Sit down and meditate. For a moment, allow God to speak directly to you. And in this moment, I’m not speaking to those who would declare that blasphemy or what have you. I’m not sure if that’s actually last me in any religion. I hope not. But it’s it’s amazing to me to think that many religions saying Your God is infinite. And then to think Oh, but he can’t speak to me directly. He or she? It’s like, Huh, that’s interesting. So, being infinite, whatever for whatever version of infinity one chooses or omniscient or what have you. How the heck you saying God can’t speak to you directly. My friend Marty said that he leaves or how does he say it like God fiercely loves each of us uniquely and individually, something like that. I have to ask him to the exact quote and I yeah, I like that, you know, as infinity. You know, people talking about the infinite multiverse is of whatever and describing all kinds of different possible like every world exists. Including one where the, you know, all all the words are the same except for the word. You know. Yes and no are reversed. You know, just describing these different possibilities. And then, not necessarily the same people, but then to say that, Oh, God can’t talk to me directly. It’s like, yeah, that seems strange. So yeah, heck, I don’t know. I’m just blabbering at this point. But how could how might God speak to you in your life? Do you want that as a possibility? My sense is that meditation helps open the space so that I can hear more clearly more subtle energies more fine or divine or more. Not trying to rhyme, but guidance coming from a higher source. For more subtle energies. We’re here in this 3d world. And kind of limited to whatever videos probably seven or eight senses we can definitely add balance and proprioception to the list of the five so that seven right there and

emotion I feel my emotions. That’s gotta be a sense. And my sense is that emotions are this kind of interface between spirit and me. And tapping into the emotions. processing them, not just ignoring them who are suddenly have this whole giant conspiracy theory that by being taught to not feel or process our emotions, we’re being taught to not experience higher power taught to throw away the insights received from higher power. Emotions are literally just guidance for our lives and I know I’ve talked about that before. Anger is the emotion that comes up when it’s time to set a boundary or maintain a boundary or you know, protect, protect oneself. Sadness is an emotion that comes up when it’s time to grieve a loss or acknowledge a loss. Fear is an emotion that comes up when it’s time to get more information. Or to keep on alert, tread carefully. Joy is an emotion that comes up when I’m I’m on the right path, so to speak. I have what I want and I want when I have gratitude is an emotion that comes up when I’m recognize the receipt of something that I need or want or love that didn’t come from my direct control. Now this one I just know freestyled this sense of gratitude, I’ve been wondering for a long time, what is gratitude? And so I’ll try to define it here. It’s an acknowledgement of receiving something of benefit without having to do anything for it. So to speak. That last part, I’m not sure. But receipt of something positive receipt of something acknowledging receipt of something that I appreciate or supports me. And gratitude can arise slightly different than Joy. Joy, simply being here now. And enjoying the ride and gratitude the subtle difference being here now and acknowledging the greater world around me making this joy possible, perhaps In

this space and intentionally left blank

at my first TED X speech in what was it October 2021, I guess? September October. I included 30 seconds of silence in a TEDx speech. And it was recommended that I describe it as maybe a little bit unusual for TEDx, but I included it. Just as an encouragement for people to get present in the moment.

I believe, though, you might claim the inability to meditate or what have you. The mind is not easily going to give up its role of spitting out all kinds of stuff. So don’t think that quietening the mind will, is the goal of meditation. When you first start to meditate, that is kind of our here, here we go. So erase all those previous paragraphs, just here it is, when you sit down to meditate. The practice of sitting down to meditate is what’s most important. It’s not quietening the mind. That’s most important. That will happen over time and I’m talking like decades lifetimes of practice.

But it’s the practice that’s the part that I can control. That I take five minutes even 30 seconds is better than zero. Just take a moment to breathe. Just take a moment to be the mind Oh, keep on jumping around. That’s fine. Imagine that that’s not in your control. And when? What is in control of just sitting down and taking 30 seconds, eventually the mind will follow suit you’ll find moments of no thought you’ll find moments of quiet

then they’ll be gone and your brain will start thinking again and that’s natural and just sit just be there

and if you forget to meditate for a day or a week or a month or 15 years It’s cool man Just start again.

Just take 30 seconds.

Welcome to do it now. If you choose.