Be in the world and not of it
This ancient saying offers helpful guidance for us today. Whether in the workplace or the marketplace or just sitting around the dining table, the message is: do what you are here to do, but don’t get overly attached to material reality. For example, if you are doing a job at the office, do your work to the best of your ability, and at the same time be conscious of the bigger picture. The bigger picture includes the thoughts that this task is important to the company, provides a livelihood for you, and is based in the material world, which is ultimately impermanent.
The next realm
If you are shopping, enjoy the opportunity to be able to purchase what you need and appreciate where the products have come from and what went into making them, but also know that they are temporary earthly items and that you can’t take them with you to the next realm. When you are with family or friends at the dining table, be fully present with them while at the same time your higher consciousness flows through to a higher power. So as not to take this special time for granted, pretend it may be your last meal together with the knowledge that you will never truly be apart. Savor the food you are eating, be thankful for it, and then let it pass to the next realm where it can continue to do its job!
Stay tuned to a higher power
Tuning in to a higher power is aligned with being in this world and not of it. Live your potential, enjoy your relationships, feel gratitude for what you have — all with the overarching thought that this is not all there is. It has been said that the purpose of life is to feel God and to connect to the divine Spirit. One way to feel bliss beyond this world is through meditation. Prayer is asking for divine guidance and support while meditation is opening to receive it. Through meditation, our intuition can be sparked. Our souls are uplifted as we reunite with our Source. We feel we are loved beyond measure. To be in this world and not of it is not to be so attached to the temporary accoutrements surrounding us that all our attention and time is focused on them.
Graduation
To be in this world and not of it is to move consciously, kindly, and courageously through life with the sure goal of graduating to the other side once our stay here is complete. When our human needs dominate our spiritual endeavors, we are out of balance. To be in this world and not of it means knowing that we don’t belong to this world but are spoken for by a much more sustainable One.
