The Four Questions

The Four Important Questions This is the exciting part! If you have never contemplated the four important questions and sought the answers, no wonder your self-esteem is not high enough to save you from the effects of the disease of addiction. There are two equally valid ways of discovering “new” knowledge. One way is observation and the other is contemplation. An example of observation was New-ton’s discovery of gravity by watching an apple fall. An example of contemplation was Einstein’s discovery of the concept E=MC2. The four questions discussed in this chapter and their answers came to me during a time of prayer and meditation through contemplation.nnn ContemplationnOn what plane of existencenDoes perfect knowledge now exist?nAnd where does supraconsciousness reside?nTruth, light, and understanding livenIn the attic of one’s mind. And mind is the buildernOf all things large and small.nContemplation is the methodnTo reach one’s port-of-call.nThroughout all time, discovery,nCame most by tapping in nTo the pool of wisdom thatnConnects beginning and end.nNewton had his theories.nGalileo’s world was round.nDi Vinci dreamed of flying machines.nMendel’s peas sprung from the ground.nEinstein contemplated–space, mass, relativity.nAll the world’s great thinkersnThought thoughts they couldn’t see.nThe answer to every questionnHas always existed my friend.nThe question that needs the answer is–nHow do we tap in?nnnRemember the scenario of the disease process. Initially our consciousness had not been expanded sufficiently due to our failure to deal with and understand four questions. As a result we had less than an adequate sense of our own value or self-worth. We tried to fix this negative feeling with what was common and available– the addictive be-haviors. The addictive behaviors, and the basic disease process itself, caused symptoms like anxiety, depres-sion, loneliness, fear, boredom, emptiness, pain, guilt, unhappiness, resentment, lack of energy, and the need for immediate gratification and pleasure. Between the bad side effects and complications of the addictive be-haviors, and secondary effects of the symptoms, self-esteem was further damaged and the addictive cycle established. To cure the disease, all that is necessary is to break the cycle. This is done by increasing self-esteem, and the fastest and easiest way to do this is to understand the answers to the four questions.nnnnQuestion #1- Who Am I?nnnHumans have a dual heritage. We have an earthly physical component and a spiritual component. We see the earthly component and accept and believe in it. No problem there. We can’t see the spiritual part, since it is beyond our five senses, so we have problems ac-cepting this part of our being and in believing that we are spiritual creatures also. You won’t get very far in this healing program if you can’t accept this understanding. It is critical to your self-esteem and here’s why. You know how the physical side works. The father contributes half of the genetic information necessary to form your first cell and the mother contributes the other half. From this first cell, every other cell in your body is formed. Therefore you are actually part of your parents and have their characteristics. Now the spiritual side works the same way. Your spiritual creator is God, and since God is your spiritual “father”, you have in that part of your heritage His characteristics. This part of you is perfect, because your spiritual “father” is perfect. Remember that most people refer to Jesus as Jesus Christ and that dual name implies a dual heritage– Jesus from the physical side and Christ from the spiritual side. Now tell me, if you really believe what I have just told you, and you answered the question this way, how would you see yourself and your self-worth? Knowing that part of you is perfect, could you think of yourself as worth-less or “not good enough” anymore? How could you, knowing this truth, continue to hurt and mistreat such a valuable treasure? Would this information cause you to be kinder to yourself and love yourself more? At this point, some of the readers are going to say, “I’m not convinced. That’s just your opinion.” I could make any number of arguments to support my case, but let me give you two to consider. In the first place, for those of you who embrace the Christian faith, Jesus, the founder of that religion, once said in front of a group of ordinary people when teach-ing them how to pray, “Our Father.” Remember the beginning of The Lord’s Prayer? He didn’t say, “My Father,” which would have made a distinction between Him and all the others to whom he was speaking. He said, “Our Father,” which should reasonably indicate that Jesus believed we had the same spiritual father. Obviously He was not referring to His earthly father. Jesus believed He was the spiritual son of God and that all the people He was addressing were also the spiritual sons and daughters of God. The second point I would like to make is that this is a practical belief. With this belief, you will be able to generate enough self-esteem to stop your suffering and cure the disease. Without it, you probably won’t. Later I will explain affirmations and how to use them to quickly change the way you think about things. Your affirmation to accomplish this part of the program is– n I am a child of God.nnnnQuestion #2- Where Did I Come From?nnnThe second question implies something different than “Baptist Hospital”. The significant answer deals with one’s spiritual origin. The question is a continuation and development of the first question. Obviously if one has trouble accepting the first question, then there will be a lot of confusion about the second one. If you accept the premise that you are a child of God, then it is reasonable to believe that you came from God initially. We could get into a philosophical discussion of religion, but that is not absolutely necessary to under-stand the importance of developing one’s self-esteem by the proper answer to this question. Most clients who are successful with this program answer the question by affirming– I came from God. nnnn n Question #3- What Am I Doing Here?nnnThis is the question that most of us have not yet sig-nificantly considered nor tried to answer in a meaningful way. Still, each of us has a purpose or destiny to justify our creation. Can you see that if you had a destiny, something that you felt to be very worthwhile and something you knew you must accomplish before you died, that your priorities would be different. You’d look at your relationship to other people differently. You’d have a different way of looking at yourself, and you’d have a vested interest in protecting yourself from harm lest you were not able to accomplish your purpose. Having a purpose dramatically increases one’s self-esteem. And this is why it is abso-lutely necessary to satisfactorily answer this question. For many of us, the answer is that my purpose is “to go to a job so that I can make enough money on which to live.” This is not good enough because this is not a highly self-esteeming answer. Alternatively few people would argue with the concept that service to others is a very worthwhile endeavor in life. Service to others is a life purpose that increases self-esteem. We all can accomplish service to others, but we don’t all do it the same way. Each of us have different talents, different interests, different needs, and different con-cerns. It is our individual responsibility to find the answer to this question and then to act on it. It doesn’t matter as much what you believe your destiny to be as long as you have a destiny to believe in. Here’s the question to ask yourself– If I didn’t have to worry about what anybody thought, not my parents, not my wife or husband, not my children, and not society in general, and if I had no limita-tions, neither financial, educational, nor of any other kind, what would I want to accomplish in this life that would make me the happiest, the most contented, and best justify my existence? Now repeat the affirmation– God, I’m ready to learn my true destiny. Give me a burning desire for something to accomplish with my life. Simply ask the question, repeat the affirmation, and wait on the answer. It will come. Meditation will speed up the process. The other part of the answer to this question, and it is interconnected to what we just discussed, is that we are here, much as being in school, to learn lessons and grow and develop spiritually. We often accomplish significant progress toward this goal by service to others.n nThe fathering of one’s true heart’s desire may change the whole universe. Whatever your heart’s burning desire turns out to be is ok. That’s your correct destiny. But destinies can change and they do. If sometime in the future you feel your purpose in life has changed, fine. Go with your new purpose. One thing you can absolutely count on in life– things change.n nYour affirmation here could be– I am here to do God’s will in my life, and thereby fulfill my destiny. nnnnnn Question #4 nWhere Am I Going When I’m Done? Fear, and fear of death in particular, is one of the most universal characteristics found in people who suffer from addictive behaviors. Fear of death, depending on the survey, is the first or second greatest fear we have. Fear in general seems to stop spiritual development dead in it’s tracks. Actually there are only three commonly held beliefs about death and none of them need to be particularly terrifying. The first belief is that when we die we merely cease to exist. The electricity is turned off. The lights go out. No after life, nothing. You just cease to exist. If this is the case, we can be sorry that we didn’t live longer, but there is no reason to be concerned about this scenario. The second belief is that there is a “heaven” and a “hell” and that we go to one or the other depending on how we lived our lives and what we believed religiously. If one believes in this scenario, one merely has to do what is prescribed by the religious teachings he or she has been taught and then one automatically goes to “heaven.” This too is not frightening. The third commonly held belief is that the soul cannot be destroyed and continues on forever whether it is in a physical body or not. Reincarnation is the name of the plan that allows the soul to reinhabit another physical form at a later time with the object of continued spiritual growth. In this view, death is merely a temporary transition from one state to another. If one understands that there is really nothing to fear in death, one can live more fully and can focus on the essence of life and in accomplishing one’s destiny. Ridding oneself of this fear empowers the individual and increases his or her self-esteem.nnnnnnnDeath Be Not FearednnnWhen life deals misfortune,nBe it terribly cruel,nHave the strength to continuenLike thread on a spool. Whatever your trouble,nOf whatever kind,nHave courage and faithnFace your danger in time. If doubt seems to plague you,nIt’s good for your health.nShare your courage with others.nKeep your fear to yourself.nn‘Cause it’s not what you’ve lostnBut what you have left,nThe fear of survivingnShould not end in death. For fear of the unknownnPlays tricks on your mind.nFirst this way, then that way,nNo comfort you find.nn And not knowing the futurenIs unnerving at best.nBut not bowing to fear nIs the ultimate test. Have courage on ending.nDeath be not feared.nRemember with pleasurenThe course that you’ve steered. And remember that deathnIs not dark and cold.nIt’s merely the carriagenTo transport your soulnnnTo the next step in living.nTo peace, truth, and light.nYour developing spiritnCan sense that it’s right. And as you pass overnDon’t be afraid.nFor in ending one cycle,nAnother is made. Now give up your bodynIf it’s day is done,nAnd exchange it for spirit.nYour victory is won!nnnYour affirmation for question four could be answered– When I’m done, I will return to God.nn