When I hold this attitude, I can always see that whatever happens in the outer world that makes me be more courageous, compassionate, or understanding will have a sacred purpose for my life. I can spiritualize all my activities in this manner.

On the other hand, if my Intention is to always be happy, or if I equate materialistic possessions with happiness, you can see where this could lead. It would mean I would always be striving for this happiness or material wealth, perhaps even at others' expense--and certainly at my own. I would be convinced I am a failure in life if I don't achieve total happiness or high financial success. And since life automatically contains both success and failure, pain and pleasure, sickness and health, life and death, I will find no gratification. I'm setting myself up to be a failure if I pursue some unrealistic goal my ego may crave--when, in fact, it's all an illusion. We must learn to accept it all as good, and see the beautiful and sacred in it all, no matter what.

So I must be willing to have a big enough Intention to take in life's dualities, both the shadow and the light, the high times and the low. For this is just how life is and how fulfillment really comes. To take on a superficial intention, such as "I'm here to gratify my needs". or "to always be young" will eventually bring disaster. This comes from an ego-driven personality, not imbued with spiritual force at all.

Our creative minds, our intuition, and our dreams can make new creations. We can even decide all together to create a whole new world where the sacred is once more honored! Knowing we have this power, our true tasks begin to clarify:

1. remember that thought is creative.
2. create what we want with clear intention through our powerful active imaginations.
3. stick with the original intent and our highest ideals, no matter how we might struggle through the ordeals of any new formulation.
4. recognize and work with whatever comes when we invoke our deepest spiritual desires.
5. when something is finished, let go and move on toward what is unfolding.
6. strive to become effortless "demonstrators of the divine."

When we choose to invoke something from a Higher Order, we are taking a stand as co-creators in the Divine Plan and giving our lives a sacred purpose. We can either do this consciously nowand awaken, or unconsciously, as we've done in the past. But participate, we do! So we may as well take responsibility for our part and not simply throw ourselves haphazardly into the spirals of fate.