November 3: Day 126

STONE FIVE CONTINUED
 
Connect: Not only will I try to discern through mental activity, but I will also discern by connecting with The Divine through prayer, meditation, and contemplation.

Instruction: Talk, listen, think, and then act.

If we act before we think, or if we talk without listening, we set ourselves up for making poor choices. When we talk to The Divine about situations, listen for his answer, and contemplate the decision based upon what we believe The Divine is guiding us to do, we will build patterns of behavior that will move us forward on our journey. The course corrections needed to keep us on track will not be as difficult or as needed as they were at the start.

When I first started flying radio controlled planes, I found myself making huge corrections to keep the plane from crashing. This overreaction caused me to have to make corrections in the opposite direction. This went on until I learned to be more observant, to anticipate how the plane would respond to my commands, and eventually how to factor in the weather conditions. During the first year of flying, I was certainly not an experienced pilot. I made many mistakes and had more crashes that I wanted, but I improved. Sometimes a pilot can get disoriented and have trouble telling which way the place is traveling. After a while, the instincts kick in and tell you to trust yourself and the plane. Watch to see which way the plane is moving, and make small adjustments to see how the plane reacts. By not overreacting, you can gain the proper perspective again, and you will lose your feeling of being disoriented.

On our spiritual journey, there are times when we feel as if we have lost our direction, and we’re not sure if we are still on course. Small adjustments in what we are doing can help to bring back our focus and clarity. We learn to trust our instincts, and, unlike flying radio controlled planes, we don’t have to fear crashing and burning. The Divine is the Master Pilot who controls the wind and will always guide us to safe landings if we will trust that our hearts are connected and that, in the end, all is well.

Take a moment to consider times when you might have overreacted. Could these moments have been lessened by learning to talk (pray), listen (meditate), and think (contemplate) before taking action. At times our initial response to a situation might be one of overreacting and thinking the worse-case scenario is about to demolish our world. By stepping back and taking time, we can often see a way out of the problem with little or no damage to anyone involved.