Changing Consciousness

Seeing and Living Differently

Exploring Chapters 5–8 of Eric Butterworth’s Discover the Power Within You

Have you ever noticed that two people can experience the same situation and walk away with completely different understandings of what happened? I have seen this as an attorney in court when two eyewitnesses share the truth of what they saw and their versions are very different. Or, in personal conversations,  when the views of the participants are completely at odds.  Take for example when two people may be faced with change in their lives. Sometimes, it is as if  one sees a closed door; and the  other sees an invitation to begin again. One hears criticism; another hears information that may help them grow. The circumstances may be the same, but the consciousness from which they perceive,  is different.

At our next Spiritual Café Monthly Gathering, we will continue our exploration of Eric Butterworth’s Discover the Power Within Youwith Session Two: Changing Consciousness—Seeing and Living Differently. Our conversation will draw from Chapters 5–8 as we consider how an awakening awareness of the Divine within can reshape the way we interpret and respond to life.

The Lens Through Which We See

I frequently remind myself that I and others do not encounter life as completely neutral observers. We meet each experience through an inner lens formed by our beliefs, expectations, memories, fears, and spiritual understanding. These are all informed by our past and present experiences, both direct and indirect. That lens influences what we notice, the meaning we give an event, and the response that seems available to us.

When I speak  of “changing consciousness”,  I do not mean that I am denying facts or pretending that every circumstance is pleasant. What I do  mean is that I must   become aware of the meaning I may have added to the facts – the stories I have created —and  then remain open to a larger Truth. A present difficulty can be real without being the final definition of who I am  or what is possible.

Seeing Beyond Appearances

In Chapters 5–8, Butterworth invites us to look beneath appearances and recognize the spiritual potential already present within every person. This deeper seeing asks us to hold two truths together: we can be honest about a condition as it is, while also refusing to treat that condition as the whole story.

This may sound like wishful thinking, but I lovingly offer that this need not be the case.  For me, it is Spiritual Discernment—my willingness to go within to ask and to listen to my inquiry: is wisdom, courage, healing, understanding, or a new possibility trying to emerge?  I see what is before me clearly, dropping the stories I have created, but I do not surrender my imagination, identity, or choices to the limitation I presently see. I remember that I AM a child of God/Divine Mind/Spirit/Whatever Name or No Name I choose for the  Great Creative Energy that always was, is, and will be, and works in, through, and as me – when I allow It to do so.

The Beatitudes as Ways of Being

Our conversation will also explore the Beatitudes as more than promises of a future reward. They can be understood as inner attitudes of Being: humility, mercy, clear-hearted intention, peacemaking, and a willingness to remain teachable. These qualities can change not only what we believe, but the way we show up in our homes, relationships, workplaces, and communities. It can change the world through collective Consciousness.

A spiritual idea becomes transformative when we live the Truth we know. It is one thing to believe in compassion; it is another to listen without immediately correcting someone. It is one thing to value peace; it is another to enter a tense conversation without surrendering either love or truth. The light within us becomes visible through the life we live. I can be the peace I want to see in the world. I can be the Love.

A Practice for Everyday Life

During our gathering, we will learn and practice a simple three-part process:

Pause. Interrupt the automatic reaction and take one intentional breath.

Perceive. – Breathe. Name the “facts” as you see them, notice the story you have added, and ask what deeper possibility may also be present.

Choose. Let a divine quality—wisdom, love, courage, patience, honesty, peace, or discernment—shape your next response.

T

o Pause–Perceive–Choose does not mean  to suppress emotion or remain in an unsafe situation. At times, a loving and conscious response may include a clear boundary, an honest “no,” asking for help, or taking courageous action. This practice simply gives us enough inner space to respond from a deeper center rather than from habit alone. It allows for what I like to call: Response…Ability.

Come as You Are

As always, you are warmly invited to join us at the Spiritual Café Monthly Gathering, whether you have read every chapter, only a few pages, or none of the book at all. Reading can enrich the conversation, but it is never a requirement for belonging. The Spiritual Café is a place for sincere questions, honest reflection, respectful listening, and the wisdom that emerges when we learn from one another.

You may wish to bring your book, a journal, and one ordinary situation that you are ready to see differently. Together, we will explore what becomes possible when we pause, look again, and allow Spirit within to guide our next choice.

Divine Wisdom renews my mind and clears my vision. I pause. I perceive with love. I choose a conscious response.

Join Us

Join the Spiritual Café of the South Jersey Shore for this meaningful and welcoming conversation on Zoom. Come with your insights, your questions, and your curiosity. There is a place for you at the Café.

Register for the next Monthly Spiritual Gathering through the Spiritual Café website at www.unityofsjs.org.

In Love and Light,

Rev. Dr. Stephanie

Rev. Dr. Stephanie Bush Mann

Founder and Spiritual Leader of the Spiritual Cafe of the South Jersey Shore - Unity