What’s New

Vernon Howard eTalks
     There are 14 new eTalks available. All the new digital downloads have a flashing NEW next to them. There are now a total of 105 Vernon Howard titled talks available for digital download at a fantastic price. These talks were specifically chosen by Vernon Howard from his lectures. They are the best of the best, containing beautiful higher truths and covering a wide variety of inner life topics. Order today!           (Last updated November 1, 2018)

Take Charge of Life!

     Here is a new and exciting ongoing series of articles written by New Life Students who have been attending classes for a number of years. They have experienced the benefits of coming to class on a regular basis for themselves. Life throws challenges at us all the time so why not learn to deal with them consciously and effectively. Read and enjoy these helpful and insightful essays which will cover a wide variety of life topics.

Stop Living on Life’s Roller Coaster by Dave Netherton
     Ask anyone what the most popular ride at the amusement park is and they’ll likely tell you, "Of course it’s the roller coaster!" On this adventure, riders zip along the tracks through ups and downs, speeding through loops while hanging on for dear life. They experience thrills that come from sensation seeking.
     Ordinary life here on earth is just like living on a roller coaster. I've found this to be especially true as a salesman. In the sales profession there can be a tendency to get really excited over completing the big deal. This is often accompanied by a financial reward. The opposite side of the coin is when the sale doesn't happen at all or even worse, falls apart at the last minute. This often results in a let down, giving the salesperson the blues and a feeling of failure.
     After going through one such slump I noticed how “it” seemed to be getting me down. Then, one day came a flurry of activity; new clients were requesting appointments and there were several deals in the works. “How exciting,” something inside of me said and I noticed how my mood changed for the better. Suddenly, I felt confident and enthusiastic. It seemed that things were finally going my way again.
     But the observation of my changing states led to a great realization. The realization was about the importance of observing what thoughts go through your mind and what emotions take you over as the result of grabbing onto those thoughts. In our study group, we had just discussed how there are inner voices which tell us how to react to events. They advise us to get excited when experiencing worldly "success" such as making the big sale. And when the deal doesn’t happen or is called off at the last minute? The voices tell us to be disappointed, frustrated and bitter. And we go along with it.
     Through these teachings, we can learn to step aside and examine what the voices are telling us ever so subtly. For example they may say, "You must succeed by pushing this transaction through or else you'll be seen as a loser.” Now ask yourself, “Can such a voice really have my best interests at heart?" Not if it leads to my feeling bad. This is like voluntarily being flung around on the tracks of the roller coaster.
     Life will always throw you curve balls. Studying esoteric principles and facts have helped me learn that I have no obligation to go along with these endless, emotionally draining ups and downs. Seeing this clearly makes me want to get off the pendulum of excitement over the sale one moment followed by disappointment over the lack of sales the next. We are perfectly capable of doing this by having the courage and persistence to observe just what's going on inside of us moment by moment.
     We don't have to go down with the ship or get carried away in a frenzy of elation over what happens. We can live from an entirely different viewpoint. Now any business, personal or social happening can be seen as merely an event because that is the perspective we have chosen.
     On page 76 of The Power of Esoterics, we are advised to “Take events as they come, not as you want them to be, and in time you will want them to be exactly as they come.” What a refreshing change!
     When living from truth it is possible to really choose to enjoy life without the need for exterior happenings to excite or depress us.
     Truth offers us the ultimate, uplifting alternative to being mercilessly tossed around by this world. So give up the temporary thrill of the roller coaster life and discover a life worth living.