[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Celebration of Discipline
Locked in our bodies and minds are tensions that can distract the inner quiet needed for meditation, contemplation, and prayer. These tensions can be described in many ways. They are static noise on a radio or dust on a window. They are inner turbulence that gets in the way of seeing and getting in touch with the real possibilities beyond our ordinary lives. There are so many names, so many differences. Yet, in a single miraculous moment we are one. It is as if we are all looking into the same mirrored lake, seeing many reflected faces.
But underlying all was the deep clear water below, and the infinite sky above. There are many ways of understanding the powers and resources beyond our deliberate comprehension and control. However, the name you chose should reflect the possibility that your understanding may grow and deepen. Put differently, your name should in some way acknowledge the mystery and hidden potentials of your inner universe. An immense array of names are possible—inner self, God, the universe, the creative unconscious, higher power, or even the word "nothing" or phrase "nameless being." What is important is to pick a name that is honest, a name that fits. The name you pick may change as you explore this subject.
The process of naming a deeper resource is rarely a final act, but an ongoing process. As you gain experience with meditation, contemplation, and prayer, some names may feel better, while others no longer fit. In addition, sharing your names with others, and listening to theirs, can help you pick one that is best. Many people today experience chronic levels of stress. Put differently, elevated levels of stress hormones are maintained in the blood. Just as one can become addicted to alcohol or drugs, the "stress addict" perhaps becomes used to high levels.......
