This is my response to a Facebook friend, Gary R. Markley, to his question, “…must we cultivate our conscious awareness to be at the level of where thought arises from, cultivate Being?And from there the Word moves?”

This is part of our ongoing discussion about the Word.

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No, Gary, that’s the long way up the mountain, in my opinion. Besides, we’re pretty much dealing with pre-cognitive issues here, so in a sense we can’t get in there anyway, not really.

It’s far better, I think, to work at the conscious level, to pick something in the “I want/I need” department, and go for it. It doesn’t really matter if your goal is “right,” just as long as you have a starting point. Part of the learning process is engaging with the course-corrections that will inevitably arise when you put your heart into creating new conditions in your life or the lives of others. The keyword here is initiative—the Universe responds to boldness and daring.

You can say “let this be done in right action,” but that can sometimes be a way of avoiding responsibility for your creation. There’s always the risk of doing something wrong, but creation IS risky. I would rather show my desire for right action by being attentive and responsive to the course corrections as they present themselves. Know what I mean?

I say that creation is an “all in” kind of deal. There’s a mystical saying that goes, “Pray for what you want, and then pay for it.” Now, one might think that this means that you can pray for a car or a house and it will show up, and then you write the check, and at that level this is true. But there’s another meaning that cuts a little closer to the bone: you say, “LET IT BE,” and then take the heat if it goes south.

History mostly records the bold moves that were successful, not the ones that weren’t. In the movie “Glenngary Glen Ross,” first prize was a new Cadillac; second prize was a set of steak knives; third prize was “you’re fired.”

We have to bring this kind of “do-or-die” attitude into our inner work. Many of the Great Ones have said as much:

Do not seek illumination unless you seek it as a man whose hair is on fire seeks a pond.
–Ramakrishna

Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.
–Jesus, Rev. 20:10

And this:

Luke 14:26-33New King James Version (NKJV)

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

This last one (controversial as it is) really illustrates the level of commitment needed in spiritual work, whether it be in one’s own personal development or in using the Word to bring something into manifestation. Hating your parents means going against their authority, which can apply to your inner “parents” as well. It also applies to governmental authority when it tries to assert parental control. Hating that refers to civil disobedience. Hating your brothers and sisters means not letting loyalties stand in the way either, whether to family, church, ideology, community, whatever. “Brothers and sisters” refers to close-in peer groups.

The “cross” that Jesus is telling us to pick up is the one that has our name on it. It is our point of connection to the world, where we are planted, spiritually speaking. “Taking it up” means own it. This is our soul’s way of staking its claim in the Earth. And no claim is valid unless it is worked. Using the Word to create what you want in your life is “working your claim.”

What do we say when a gymnast attempts a difficult move and is successful? We say, “She nailed it.” The Hebrew letter vav, which means “nail,” is closely associated with the crucifixion. It is Spirit affixed to matter. It is full-on commitment.

These sayings emphasize the degree to which we must take responsibility for what we create in order for our acts of creation to appear in the world. If we are faithful in the little things, greater things will be given. That’s why I say start with something/anything and then roll with the punches. Pick a direction and begin. If you’re wrong, you will find out in short order. So adjust your bearing and continue.

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Here’s the original FB post to which Gary responded:

How can a person speak the Word if they think they are the one saying it? The Word is spoken, not by you, not by me, but by itself.

In Hindu philosophy, they say that the secret of OM Nama Shivaya is to speak it at the right time and in the right way.

The right time is the present moment, you might think, but it’s actually a fraction of a second BEFORE the present moment. In other words, you’re speaking it before you intend to speak it.

The Word shapes the present moment. That’s the power it has. But how can it shape it unless it precedes it?

This is not so hard to understand if you study yourself, your words, your actions, and your thoughts. The “present moment” is your creation. It comes out from you. The present moment IS your Word. But it’s already in place before you speak it.

This bestows a profound strength upon he or she who contemplates this, the Source.