Recently I asked a question of an elder woman who is a dear friend of mine: "How is it that you don’t get discouraged or lonely?”
She responded, “I know where to go.”
At first, I thought she meant that she goes for a walk or something like that. Then I realized she meant that she goes inside! We laughed together in our gratitude that we are able to understand and be guided in life through the power of the Three Principles as discovered and taught by Sydney Banks.
Sydney, in The Missing Link: Reflections on Philosophy and Spirit, describes the Three Principles as the basic building blocks of life and our ability to acknowledge and respond to existence.
Three Principles:
Mind -- Formless divine energy and intelligence of all things.
Consciousness -- The gift of awareness and ability to realize the existence of life. Has infinite number of levels.
Thought -- The ability to think, which guides us through life. The gift of free will.
An understanding of the true spiritual nature of these Principles leads us to an understanding of how we function psychologically and helps us move through life from a spiritual perspective.
The Three Principles and Benefits for Caregivers
One of the most powerful benefits is that the caregiver learns how to be with family members in trying circumstances and is able to maintain or regain connection/rapport. For example, knowing that my own experience -- including judgements, regret, resentments -- come from my own thinking and consciousness helps me let go of my personal thinking about difficult behaviors and see the humanity and innocence of the person. This allows me to see others (and myself) with compassion. This learning is part of taking care of oneself and involves knowing and communicating our own limits -- which is vital for caregivers.
The caregiver learns to trust his or her own inner wisdom and to be guided by inspiration rather than the ego’s need to control outside circumstances -- allowing the self to trust the unfolding of life. I am reminded of when my late husband Roger was asked how he managed to keep his spirits up while experiencing extreme circumstances. He responded, “It is what it is.” And he lived that understanding.
Understanding the role of the Three Principles leads to being able to use one’s feeling state -- whether peaceful and wise or pressured and worried -- to attain clarity in making decisions. The caregiver learns to put off making any important decisions until in a positive feeling state and a quiet mind.
The caregiver learns to orient self to wisdom or a deeper dimension of thought. Personal and analytical thinking are recognized as one form of thinking without the need to identify with or be attached to their ongoing reality. The caregiver learns that psychological freedom is being able to clear and let go of experiences. The caregiver experiences resiliency as the ability to learn from insight or new thought in the moment. In other words, to bounce back… such a gift!
Aging and care giving is viewed with more acceptance and even joy as the realization dawns that learning and growth never end. In the words of Sydney Banks: “There is no end to finding beauty, love and understanding in this world.”
For information about my mentoring services, Three Principles and Aging with Grace, please visit the Home page.
She responded, “I know where to go.”
At first, I thought she meant that she goes for a walk or something like that. Then I realized she meant that she goes inside! We laughed together in our gratitude that we are able to understand and be guided in life through the power of the Three Principles as discovered and taught by Sydney Banks.
Sydney, in The Missing Link: Reflections on Philosophy and Spirit, describes the Three Principles as the basic building blocks of life and our ability to acknowledge and respond to existence.
Three Principles:
Mind -- Formless divine energy and intelligence of all things.
Consciousness -- The gift of awareness and ability to realize the existence of life. Has infinite number of levels.
Thought -- The ability to think, which guides us through life. The gift of free will.
An understanding of the true spiritual nature of these Principles leads us to an understanding of how we function psychologically and helps us move through life from a spiritual perspective.
The Three Principles and Benefits for Caregivers
One of the most powerful benefits is that the caregiver learns how to be with family members in trying circumstances and is able to maintain or regain connection/rapport. For example, knowing that my own experience -- including judgements, regret, resentments -- come from my own thinking and consciousness helps me let go of my personal thinking about difficult behaviors and see the humanity and innocence of the person. This allows me to see others (and myself) with compassion. This learning is part of taking care of oneself and involves knowing and communicating our own limits -- which is vital for caregivers.
The caregiver learns to trust his or her own inner wisdom and to be guided by inspiration rather than the ego’s need to control outside circumstances -- allowing the self to trust the unfolding of life. I am reminded of when my late husband Roger was asked how he managed to keep his spirits up while experiencing extreme circumstances. He responded, “It is what it is.” And he lived that understanding.
Understanding the role of the Three Principles leads to being able to use one’s feeling state -- whether peaceful and wise or pressured and worried -- to attain clarity in making decisions. The caregiver learns to put off making any important decisions until in a positive feeling state and a quiet mind.
The caregiver learns to orient self to wisdom or a deeper dimension of thought. Personal and analytical thinking are recognized as one form of thinking without the need to identify with or be attached to their ongoing reality. The caregiver learns that psychological freedom is being able to clear and let go of experiences. The caregiver experiences resiliency as the ability to learn from insight or new thought in the moment. In other words, to bounce back… such a gift!
Aging and care giving is viewed with more acceptance and even joy as the realization dawns that learning and growth never end. In the words of Sydney Banks: “There is no end to finding beauty, love and understanding in this world.”
For information about my mentoring services, Three Principles and Aging with Grace, please visit the Home page.
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