The Power of Understanding

Understanding: Ability to know that God stands under all things; knowing how to accomplish; knowing in my own heart.

The word "understanding" implies a deeper knowledge of things. It comes from the old English and Scottish versions of the modern word "ken" which means "to know." By adding the suffix "under" we have broadened the word, allowing us to use it to describe compassion and sympathy as well as our ability to comprehend.

Whatever we are facing in our lives, our power to understand allows us to overcome our challenges, to transcend our circumstances and to be at peace in the midst of a raging storm. Understanding gives us the ability to respond, rather than to react. Whether our challenges are financial, relationships, health or spiritual, we have the power within us to move forward with courage. And perhaps, one day, we will look back and say, "Ah, now I understand."

In the meantime, we have no way to see the future. We have to trust. And perhaps it is trust that lies at the heart of understanding.

Trust in yourself. Trust in your higher power, call it what you may. I'll use the term God here. God creates us and sets us on our voyage. God brings the sunrise and the sunset. God brings us to safe harbor when we need it most. It is God as well that brings the rains and the storms and the doldrums. God is the water that holds us up and the wind that fills our sails. God is the magnetic force that leads the compass toward true north. And it is God that finally takes us home to rest at the end of our long journey.

There is a familiar prayer, posted on my wall. it goes like this:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.

For me, that summarizes the power of understanding pretty well.

Serenity, courage and wisdom.

Forgiveness, compassion and understanding.

Simple words, but are we living them every day?

The Power of Imagination

"I don't know what I'm saying. I never know what I'm saying."
River Tam, from the movie Serenity

Here it is the end of May and this is the May posting. This was the main power I intend to invoke this year, the power of imagination, the ability to give shape and form to unformed mental energy; vision beyond appearances.

Why is imagination so important?

Imagination is the ability to confront and deal with reality by using the creative power of the mind; it is resourcefulness: it is the power to form a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses.

The word itself is the infinitive version of the Latin imago, which literally means image. The suffix tion creates a verb, which then means: the act of creating an image. Imagination.


The ability to give shape and form to unformed mental energy

Everything begins here - with imagination. It can move you forward, toward great works, and it can hold you back in fear. If you've studied the works of those who have achieved great works, from Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa to Andrew Carnegie and Jack Canfield, they all acknowledge the power of vision.

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich

The building you now occupy, the chair, the computer on your desk or lap, they all began from a vision, from a thought, an idea. Without the initial mental image, nothing is manifest.

Here is a powerful tool to assist in visioning, whether it is a lifestyle, a product, a service or world peace. Take thirty minutes each morning. Write out your daily manifesto - your daily statement of intent. What is it that you are working toward in your life? What are your dreams, your ideas, your desires? What will you do over the next year or so to move you forward? What will you do over the next few months, the next few weeks, the next few days and the next 24 hours? If you do this every day, you will find your vision becoming more and more clear. It may change with time, slightly or dramatically. And with your vision, you will change. You own life will become more clear. With clarity of vision come clarity of purpose, and with clarity of purpose comes an life of accomplishment.


Vision beyond appearances

A few final words on imagination. You are always creating mental images. You can't help it. The trick is to be purposeful about it. But even beyond the physical manifestation of what you want in your life, imagination and vision is a key element of true faith. It is the ability to see what cannot be seen, the ability to understand the unimaginable and the ability to touch the invisible.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Heb 11:1 (KJV)

I started this post off with a quote from a favorite movie of mine because it accurately conveys how I feel most of the time. Using your imagination can feel a bit like leaping without a net. We are conditioned to say and do things that everyone else says and does. It's sometimes hard to step out of the box and do something entirely new, entirely unexpected. People will disbelieve. they may ridicule, scoff and even revolt. Maybe that's why there are twelve powers. Any one by itself is not enough. With imagination, you need power and faith and strength and order. And, of course, love. As they say, the greatest of these is love.

May peace be with you.

Joe