A Couple's Intensive – Part 7 Discovering and Manifesting Our Divine Rays
On Wednesday, July 11, Pat and I left Geneva and drove to our friend Beth’s in rural Middletown Springs, Vermont, about a third of the way up the state, and on the western side. Here we stayed two days and had many beautiful conversations with Beth and her daughter Whitney. Beth is part of Pat’s Awakening Into Presence program, and I too was with Beth the first year of the program. So the conversation could be deep as we explored life, meaning, and the like.
I could see that my finding myself in leadership in so many organizations may, in part, be my way of establishing my identity in society – and in a way that was apart from my true self.
I reflected on Whitney’s dad who is a professor of art at a local college and who so inspired both the college as well as Whitney and Beth. Here was a man it seemed who was manifesting his Truth, his divine ray – and so many benefitted from his manifestation. This does not mean there were no distortions, of course. But to see the Divine Ray that he is manifest is inspiring to me.
Earlier back in Geneva we took time to visit Hammondsport and the Curtiss Museum that featured the life and creations of Glenn H. Curtiss. Here again I was inspired by the manifested genius of Glenn H. Curtiss who was so committed to early flight and speed. He died of disease at the young age of 52, but left such a broad array of inventions, firsts, and records. Yes, he manifested his Divine Rays that so inspired him.
Or look at Paul and Marcia Swenson who created Three Tree Inn, the B&B we so enjoyed in Geneva. They were so passionate about their work – the detailed and tasteful decorating of the place, the simple elegance of the breakfasts they prepared and served on exquisite china, the true pampering of their guests, and best of all their love of deep conversation such as the two hour one we had with them before leaving for Vermont. Again, these are folks who are truly and fully incarnating in this life, following and manifesting their Divine Rays for the benefit of all beings.
By contrast, while manifesting in some ways, I still feel stuck in my THREEness – not fully committing to what I love but rather caught in pattern in leadership roles of organizations, or aspects of organizations, that do not really inspire me, or only partially inspire me. For example take all my activities at Sevenoaks, some of which inspire me (e.g., helping launch Erena’s graduate program, visioning Pathwork, strategizing and organizing Pathwork Programs) and part of which is just not who I am (e.g., the Retreat Center and all the many areas of detailed attention this requires in order to run it in a sustainable way, organizing and helping to coordinate the PTP program each year, the myriad of detailed aspects of the Treasurer’s role, etc.). Good areas to look at as I launch into my 70th year on planet Earth! Why do I not focus on and fully commit to what I love and what inspires me and let go what does not? Grist for the mill.
Pat expressed her own frustrations and sense that she is not mastering things in her life. She assesses that she has become a “Jane of all trades, and master of none.” We talked more about mastering as a process of manifesting who we are (our divine rays) from within rather than using our patterned self-will to impose upon our soul what others expect us to be or do.
Shared with love, Gary