Many years ago, I heard a well-known minister say: I am a spirit that lives in a body and has a mind. At the time, it seemed more like a nice doctrine to wrap your head around than a life-changing revelation. But what I have come to understand in the last 15 years is the depth of truth contained in those words.
While waiting for a flight at Detroit airport, I noticed on the departure screen that a flight could get me to my destination several hours early. I knew Nathanael, my son, and Stephanie, his girlfriend (now his wife and my daughter-in-law), were waiting for me as they had traveled ahead of me. So I walked up to the gate agent in charge of the earlier flight and asked if I could switch flights.
Nothing has had a more significant impact on my wellbeing than learning to quiet my mind in meditation. Quieting the noise of my conscious mind, I connect with my heart and open the flow to the source of life.
I have a dream board on the inside door of my office, with cut-out, meaningful images representing the kind of life I envision for myself. It includes photos of the difference I want to make in this world, the accomplishments that I want to achieve, and how I see my life unfold. It even has a picture of my dream home.
Many years ago, I heard David Cho tell a story about meeting a single woman who had earnestly but unsuccessfully been looking for a husband for more than ten years. The woman asked him to pray for her to find a husband. Dr. Cho looked at her and asked her to describe this husband. At first, the woman seemed a bit puzzled by his request. So he asked her to get a pen and paper and write down the answers to ten prodding questions that described her husband.
