SuperWisdom - Introduction to the Book

SuperWisdom – 7 Vital Secrets for a Rich and Purpose-Filled Life: The Book’s Introduction

By Tom Russell

Visit the SuperWisdom Bookstores for either the hardcopy through Amazon.com, or the eBook edition.

Life’s Most Vital Discovery

Several people were on a walk with author and spiritual teacher Vernon Howard. While crossing a large paved parking lot, he called everyone’s attention to a little flower that had broken through. He pointed out its perfect relevance to our inner task. The seed’s yearning to express itself was so strong that a thick layer of concrete could not stop it.

People possess many different fears, but perhaps the largest one is unseen. It’s the fear that we’ll not be able to handle or contain the tremendous power of the awakened Heart. Therefore, we hold ourselves back. We live a life of reluctance. In this reduced state of energy all our problems “miraculously” appear.

Our inner difficulties are not what they appear to be. Worry, regret, fear, anger and loneliness are symptoms, not the cause. What is the real problem? It is a dormant Central Power Source. What is our purpose? To awaken this source and shatter the concrete of false beliefs and shallow thinking.

It is fascinating to discover that the location of the Central Power Source has been known for thousands of years. Throughout the Bible the power of the Heart is referenced more than 800 times. The dictionary defines Heart as: “The vital center and source of one’s being, emotions, and sensibilities, the central or innermost part of a place or region.” People often point to their physical heart as their spiritual heart, but ancient wisdom places this source in the region of our breath.

Different cultures have highlighted the Heart’s supreme value in life and spirituality, even health and well-being. The Japanese have long referred to this domain as Hara. The Chinese have named it Dan Tien. One of the Bible’s most interesting statements is in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Shakespeare chimes in, “Go to your bosom: Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know.” Buddha declares, “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”

At the turn of the century Russell Conwell wrote a great little book that illustrates this thought entitled Acres of Diamonds. The book opens with a story about a wealthy man who sold his farm and journeyed to foreign lands in search of diamonds. Some time later the richest diamond mine in history was discovered, and it was found right on the land he once owned! The good news for us is this domain is still entirely our own. We can rediscover the rich life we have in fact never lost.

Sufi mystic Al-Ghazzali declares the glowing Heart wisdom:

“The first step to self-knowledge is to know that thou art composed of an outward shape, called the body, and an inward entity called the heart, or soul. By “heart” I do not mean the piece of flesh situated in the left of our bodies, but that which uses all the other faculties as its instruments and servants. In truth it does not belong to the visible world, but to the invisible, and has come into this world as a traveler visits a foreign country for the sake of merchandise, and will presently return to its native land. It is the knowledge of this entity and its attributes which is the key to the knowledge of God.”

Flexibility Is Life

In this book you’ll learn how to stay energized through rotation and flexibility. You’ll never stay bogged down for long, but will quickly recognize the signal to make a change to a different inner development activity. Anyone who has walked the spiritual path in earnest knows this to be a major issue. Things have a tendency to get stale if we stay with them too long. The answer is not to desert them, but to move to something new for awhile. Later we can cycle back with replenished reservoirs of vitality and insight.

The old Tareyton cigarette TV commercial stated, “I’d rather fight than switch.” Well, in this book we learn a tremendous secret that’s just the opposite: “I’d rather switch than fight!”

This book reveals four primary areas of inner development activity, referred to as The Four Gardens. They are:

* Gathering Knowledge
• Daily Life Practice
• Quiet Time
• Rest and Recreation.

Cheerfulness blooms as you grow increasingly sensitive to the inner signal to make a change and work in another garden for awhile. You don’t try to take something past the point where it serves its purpose. You are free of the prison of “should.”

You’ll discover an amazing way to apply spiritual principles in Garden #2–your daily life. The method revolves around The Language of Awakening—a highly efficient form of spiritual self talk developed by author Vernon Howard. Right here, in your daily life, is where you can utilize and develop your seven secret powers of:

• Awareness
• Self-Observation
• Instant Choice
• Independence
• Forgiveness
• Efficiency
• Receptive Request

The Language of Awakening addresses a core challenge every seeker of wisdom confronts: How can I remember what I already know more often, and with greater intensity?

Wisdom seekers tend to have an idea of arriving somewhere, “enlightenment” perhaps. This destinationest mentality places our mind on the end and not the process. The wisdom we seek is on the way. It is in stirring the tea, walking to the living room or taking your next breath. It seems paradoxical, but the highest wisdom is found in the simplest acts. You’ll discover in this book how to mine the lofty wealth in the simple. The rich life of your purpose-filled Heart will be yours.

This work gets to the core of things. Though we feel the purity and rightness of this restoration, we also experience the desert at times. So proceed with persistence and intelligent diligence, but be patient and gentle with yourself. Let the powers of your Heart unfold at their own natural pace. We’re simply nudging them on with a friendly nod.

Tom Russell

Visit the SuperWisdom Bookstores for either the hardcopy through Amazon.com, or the eBook edition.

Table of Contents:

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
INTRODUCTION 6
Life’s Most Vital Discovery 6
Flexibility Is Life 9

SECTION ONE 12
Early Meetings with the Wise 13
My First Great Lesson — Learning to Fly 13
Meeting Dr. Chapin 14
Aunt Ruby Discovers a New Direction 17
Go West, Young Man 18
Vernon Howard and His School 21
Self-Reliance – Catching the Gust 23
Heart Hints 25

SECTION TWO 27
The Four Gardens of Growth 28
Vitality Through Flexibility 28
Garden A : Gathering Knowledge 28
Garden B: The Language of Awakening 28
Garden C: Quiet Time 29
Garden D: Rest and Recreation 29

Garden A 31

Garden B 46
The Language Of Awakening
How NowFacts Originated 47
The 7 Energies of Your Awakened Heart 47
Vital Secret #1: Awareness 49
Vital Secret #2: Self-Observation 62
Vital Secret #3: Instant Choice 72
Vital Secret #4: Independence 83
Vital Secret #5: Forgiveness 99
Vital Secret #6: Efficiency 110
Vital Secret #7: Receptive Request 122
Master The Language of Awakening 134
The Healing Power of Voice Awareness 140
More Ways to Enhance Your Practice 141

Garden C 143
What are Silent Sessions? 144
Seven Tips for Silent Sessions 144
Summary 149

Garden D 151
Rest And Recreation 151

SECTION THREE 153
The Power of Vertical Thinking 154
The Self-Imprisoned Bird 154
Horizontal Thinking 155
Examples of Horizontal Thinking 156
Desert Thinking and Resistance 159
The Spiral Staircase 160
Horizontal Thinking vs. Vertical Thinking 161
The Value of Self-Improvement 166
The Superwisdom Dictionary 170
Grand Summary of the Greatest Journey 188
Resources for Your Journey 192

Visit the SuperWisdom Bookstores for either the hardcopy through Amazon.com, or the eBook edition.