November at CSLDallas

Rising from the Ashes

Ours is a positive practical spirituality, yet we never want to deny that there is pain and sorrow in our lives. We teach a philosophy of change and transformation, yet sometimes change is challenging as we let go of who we’ve been to become who we are meant to be. We seek to examine our past for beliefs and habits of thinking, and we are also confronted with painful, hurtful, and traumatic experiences which can linger long into adulthood. We practice knowing the spiritual truth about the immortality and eternality of every soul, yet it is important that we grieve the loss of loved ones when they die. We really do feel the void of their presence in this life, even though we know they continue on in their next expression.

Spiritual Living is not about avoiding change or pretending we don’t experience loss, grief, and death. Spiritual Living is about feeling our feelings, and having the spiritual tools that transmutes trauma into gold, grief into acceptance, and loss into possibility. Like the phoenix that rising from the ashes, our alchemy of transformation, through spiritual practice and deep spiritual faith, allows us to move through our lives fully engaged, fully present, fully feeling our feelings, and knowing that there is a Presence which carries us through and a Power that awakens and deepens within us along the way.

November is an especially powerful time to work with our past – the unforgiven and painful experiences as we prepare for a Holiday Season of family, gratitude and the celebration of Light and Love. Gratitude is part of the alchemy. So are all the ways our family pushes our buttons. Another ingredient is the teachings of Science of Mind, and we stir all these ingredients together as we work through the ashes to rise like the glorious phoenix.

Our book of the month Bouncing Forward: the Art & Science of Cultivating Resilience by Michaela Haas is an especially insightful and compassionate guide on this journey. This month, allow yourself to be poured into the crucible, let the fire of Truth cleanse your heart and soul, and may we all rise from the ashes together.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Bouncing Forward by Michaela Hass, PhD

Thrive in the face of challenges and radically change your perspective on adversity and loss with the cutting-edge science of posttraumatic growth and these powerful methods to grow from victim to survivor in this “great message of hope” (The Huffington Post).

Learn how to become stronger, happier, and more resilient in the face of life’s inevitable setbacks through twelve inspiring stories and practical methods on how to transform pain into a journey to wisdom, love, and purpose.

In Bouncing Forward, Haas draws upon powerful storytelling, psychology, history, and twenty years of spiritual practice to reshape the way we think of crisis. Through interviews with the late Dr. Maya Angelou, who shares with us how her childhood trauma led her into a passionate life of meaning; ex-POW Rhonda Cornum, who found a new purpose after being captured in Iraq; renowned autistic pioneer Temple Grandin, who overcame crippling panic attacks; and famed jazz guitarist Coco Schumann, who played for his life in Auschwitz, Haas provides a deep understanding of the strength of spirit and five powerful practices to transform your own life. This treasury of wisdom shines a light when life seems overwhelming.