My uber driver

I was on holiday in Cape Town. Life had sent me some financial curveballs and was I feeling a little distrustful about its benevolence. I got an Uber to Mum and Mike.  Without me mentioning my life or predicament at all, my Uber driver told me how a couple of years ago he was financially destitute.  Being God intoxicated, he prayed for help.  Then suddenly he was contacted by a Joburg company who offered him the chance to rent a car and end up owning it.  It just felt right so he spent his last remaining money to get there.  When he arrived at the dealership, he was gobsmacked to discover that his tshirt was exactly the same colour as the ribbon on his new car.  "It was a clear sign and it gave me the most extraordinary sense of trust and gratitude" he told me.  He drove the car home and used it to generate income as an Uber driver.  "It has brought me so much financial prosperity" he said.  "Life is good.  God is good."

The story brought tears to my eyes.  It reminded me of the exquisite benefits of trusting Life and surrendering to it.  There is an Infinite Intelligence running the show and I am loved and cared for.  Life is not meant to make us happy but to wake us up.  So not all will always go to plan.  But ultimately all is as it is meant to be and all is unfolding for the ultimate benefit of The All.  There is nothing but The All.  Life is inherently good.

Below is the photo of him getting the car.  He was delighted that he had inspired me and I wanted a copy of it.

Moments of synchronicity (2023)

 Two wonderful synchronicities on the same day:

Trying to understand is like chasing a butterfly

In the car, on the way to our weekend away near Ceres, I asked Heather, Russell's mum, a whole lot of questions about her belief in God. Eventually, she exclaimed "You need to get out of your head. God is not an intellectual thing. God is an intuitive experience."  We arrived at our destination,  at The Fynbos Farm.  As we drove to our cottage on the farm, we drove past a large poster that said "Trying to understand with intellect is like chasing a butterfly. Sit quietly and understanding will alight on you."

The five green apples

In the kitchen of our cottage, there was a painting on the wall of 5 green apples. In a bowl, on the counter, were five identical green apples; the apples that Russell had brought for us to eat on the weekend.

Moments of synchronicity (2022)

Meeting James at La Perouse

I was hiking at La Perouse with Gavin, Srini and Elna.  As we walked, we spoke of Gavin's friend, James, who I knew well and liked very much.  Gavin said he had asked James to come hiking with us that day, but that he had decided he wanted to do a solitary hike to sort some things out in his head.  Half an hour later. we walked out onto an isolated headland to have some lunch.  Suddenly who should appear but James!  He said he had never hiked at La Perousa before but had decided to explore it on a whim.  The chances of us doing the same hike and then meeting in this isolated spot were mind bogglingly tiny.

The NRMA service van

A few months later, I went birding at Barton Park near Botany Bay. I parked at an isolated parking spot well off the main road and walked into the park.  After a couple of hours, as I walked back to the car, I remembered I had switched on my car lights on my early morning drive to the park and had forgotten to switch them off. I made mental peace with it as I returned to the car. When I reached the car, what should I discover, but an NRMA van parked right next to my car. There were no other car in the parking lot. The NRMA driver had parked there to have a short break. I asked him for a jump start and he willingly obliged.

Synchronicity: "It's like a movie, right?"

I was walking to the post office in North Sydney.  As I walked down the Princes Highway, my mind turned to my favourite metaphor; "Life is God's movie." I had some beautiful thoughts about how relevant this metaphor is and how life feels just like a movie."

As I neared the post office, a man and a woman walked past me.  At the very moment they passed me, I heard the guys saying "It's like a movie, right?"   There is absolutely no way I imagined this.   I heard it so very clearly. 

A sense of wonder at the synchronicity arose in me.  Life felt dream-like and pregnant with meaning.

Synchronicity: Life is God's movie

In 2016, I woke up in a very elevated state similar in some ways with my elevated states of consciousness that I experienced during my "enlightened mania" experience in 2015.  The strong sense came over me again that life is unfolding perfectly and is a movie created, directed and experienced by God through each of us.  Life is God's movie and it is already in the can. I felt a wonderful sense of peaceful bliss at the thought.

I got out of bed, dressed and got onto a bus to go to the Spit Bridge to join some friends for a hike.  As I was driving, I received an email from Sharon giving me a link to online information about one of her favourite spiritual gurus; Paramahansa Yogananda. I explored the link to discover that "Life is God's movie" is one of his favourite metaphors.  

Later that day, I listened to a teaching by Mooji. In the talk, he too used the metaphor.  He said something along the lines of "It's all a movie. It's all just happening. Consciousness (God) is the great movie maker."

An hour or two later, an email arrived with a teaching from Scott Kiloby. In this teaching, Scott too used up the metaphor that life is a movie.

The next day, Sharon send me an email with a quote from Barry Long, a spiritual guru she admires. In it, he too used the metaphor that life is God's movie.

A couple of days later, I mentioned the "Life is God's movie" metaphor.  Yogi said "Wow, I've just read a book that contains that metaphor." He lent me the book by Merlyn Swan. She uses the metaphor including the quote: "The film of life is already in the can and all I can do is view one frame at a time. I have no choice or free will. I am a character playing a role, dancing the divine dance, the way God wants. Independence and volition are part of the illusion."  Merlyn Swan is a relatively unknown author and the chances for Yogi to be reading that book is very slim.

So, in short, I woke up with the express feeling and thought "Life is God's movie." Then in the space of only a few days, I came across this metaphor used expressly by 5 different spiritual teachers.  There was an immense sense of wonder at the synchronicity. It felt very meaningful.

Since, then, I have researched this metaphor extensively and as of 2022, I am writing a book about it.

Related

• Life is God's movie (on Wisdom Trove)

Synchronicity: Here Now

I was driving home after a weekend away. As I drove, the mind became active and I got lost in rumination.  Suddenly the insight arose, "Be Here Now"  I immediately became present and a beautiful sense of peace came over me.  At that exact moment, I looked up and saw an enormous billboard on a building.  Emblazened on it were the words "Here Now".  The full set of worlds was "Here Now: the  new Samsung Galaxy" but the words "Here Now" were in bold and caught my attention.  A beautiful sense of wonder arose in me at the extraordinary synchronicity. It felt like the divine was winking at me.

Synchronicity: "Experience field"

 In 2015, I had a deep insight that life is a kind of "experience field" for God.  God is experiencing being each of us.  In other world, I am God within an "experience field" that filters out all knowing except the knowing relevant to being me. This explains why an omnipotent universal mind (God) can have the experience of being a "separate self."  I am not sure where this insight came from.  It was either a kind of cosmic download or inspired by reading "The Mystery Experience" by Tim Freke.  In any case, it felt like a very profound realisation when it arose.  

A few days later, I listened to a random Youtube video about a wildlife park in South Africa. It was kind of an advertisement for the park.  The first thing the narrator said is "Come to our wonderful wildlife reserve. It is an extraordinary "field of experience."  I had never heard this expression said before and have not since.  It felt very significant as if Life was saying to me, "Take note. This insight that life is an experience field for God is highly relevant."

Relevant link

• God as a unified field and us as localised experience fields within it (Wisdom Trove)

Synchronicity: The swifts

I discovered that Dani, my ex girlfriend who I broke up with in 2013, was in a long term relationship with a beautiful man (Paul) who she met a few months after our relationship ended.  There was some inevitable pain in the discovery as I was still in love with her but I was also deeply happy that she had met someone special.  

Several times, while out doing my mindful walking, my mind would turn to Dani and I'd wish her well.  She really wanted a child. I wished and prayed to the universe that she be able to have a child with Paul despite her being in her 40's. 

Then, on one weekend, I went camping. I lay alone next to a beautiful river and wished Dani and her relationship well and hoped with all my heart that she be able to have a family.  As I did so, a huge flock of swifts and starlings suddenly swirled and swooped above me.  Swifts for me have deep spiritual significance ever since a mystical experience I had in India in 1997.  I took it as a sign from the universe that Dani was well and that she was being taken care of.

I later discovered that Paul already had a young son, and as time went on, I thought that maybe this was the universe's way of blessing Dani with a family as she was getting too old to have a child of her own.  The thought gave me comfort.

In 2019, on Facebook, Dani, at the age of 47,  announced the birth of a beautiful little girl called Zoe.  I will never forget the surge of joy and gratitude I felt.

Synchronicity: Shooting stars

I was at The Breede River in South Africa with Russell and some other friends.  Late in the evening, when it was dark, I went outside for some alone time and I lay on the grass and looked up at the wondrous night sky.  My thoughts turned to Dani, my beautiful ex-girlfriend who I had broken up with in mid 2013.  I felt a powerful feeling of love for her and I wished with all my heart that she was well and happy.  As these feelings and wishes arose, a shooting star suddenly shot out across the sky and then another and then another.  I have never seen anything like it: 3 shooting stars in immediate succession.  I was filled with awe and wonder and gratitude.  It felt like the universe was saying to me "Dani is being taken care of.  All is well."

My Bad Day

I wrote this (true) story for one of my English classes to introduce 3rd conditionals...

A couple of months ago, I had a really bad day.  I was at work teaching when I got a phone call from my housemate, Craig, to say that my dog, Mack, had run away.

Craig had been walking to the station when he realized he had forgotten his mobile phone so he rushed back to the house to get it.  Because he was in a hurry, he left the front gate open by mistake and Mack then ran outside.   Craig ran after Mack.  Mack thought he was being chased and got scared and ran away faster. Craig could not catch him.

I went home as soon as I could to look for Mack.  I drove around in my car around the neighborhood calling his name loudly but he didn't come.  I was terrified I would never see Mack again.  I thought maybe he would get run over - or people would find him and keep him as their pet.

Then after three hours of stress, my phone rang.  It was a lady called Liza who told me she had found a dog called Mack.  Was he my dog?  I was so happy I danced around in the street.  Then I drove to the Liza’s house to get Mack - she lived close by in North Sydney.  I was so relieved and happy to see Mack again.   Mack was happy to see me to and licked my face to say hello.

Liza said that Mack had run onto a busy road and a car nearly hit him.  She was walking past with her mother and saved Mack.  They picked Mack up and took him back to her house.

Liza said she had and her mum had totally fallen in love with Mack.  She said he was the cutest and most friendly little dog she had ever met.  She asked if she could come to my house during the day and take Mack for walks while I was at work.  I said yes, definitely, because Mack often gets very lonely during the day while I am at work.

So now Liza comes and takes Mack for walks everyday and often she takes Mack back to her house and looks after him for the day.  If I want to go to a party in the evening, she looks after Mack for the night.  She has said that if I ever want to go away for the weekend, she will look after Mack too.  Mack is so happy because he loves Liza and he is no longer alone during the day.

So all in all, my bad day turned into a good day!   If Craig hadn’t left the gate open, Mack wouldn’t have run away.  If Mack hadn’t run away, he wouldn’t  have met Liza.   If Liza hadn’t met Mack, Mack would be alone during the day.  If Mack was still alone during the day, I would worry about him.

Gran and Gramp's passing

When, after being married to Gramps for over 60 years, Gran became sick and had to go into aged care, Gramps was absolutely determined to outlive her. He visited her everyday, wheel-chaired her out into the garden and held her hand for hours. It was heart-warming for everyone to witness; a true testament to their beautiful, soulful connection.

Gran passed away on 16 September 2002.

Gramps lived on, grateful that he had been there for Gran until her end.  He himself went into aged care with heart issues.

On the 15th September 2003, one day less than a year to the day that Gran passed, he mentioned to several of the staff that "Dorothy is coming to get me tomorrow."

The next day, 16 September 2003, exactly one year after Gran's passing, he himself passed away.

There love is a true inspiration to us all.

Neale Donald Walsch and "Conversations with God"

With his "Conversations with God" series of books, Neale Donald Walsch transformed my conception of God.  He also introduced me to the concept of life being God's experience.  His first book was bought for me by Rosemarie Saunders, a moment of synchronicity.  I read it in The Himalayas while hiking The Annapurna Circuit. I also immersed myself in his books while on holiday in Barbados. 

Quotes on Wisdom Trove

His books I read

Some favourite quotes

• It is the purpose of your soul to announce and declare, to be and to express, to experience and to fulfil Who You Really Are. And who is that? Whoever you say you are! Your life lived is your declaration. Your choices define you. Every act is an act of self-definition.
• The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore not to find out Who You Are but determine Who You Want to Be.
• You are always and forever in the moment of pure creation. The point of life therefore is to create—who and what you are, and then to experience that.
• You do not live each day to discover what it holds for you, but to create it. You are creating your reality every minute.
• My moments of awakening can come at any time, and through any person. These are my moments of grace, when clarity and wisdom, love and understanding, guidance and insight are brought to me and through me. My life has been created to bring me just such moments. That is why I do whatever it takes – meditate, exercise, pray, read, write, listen to music, whatever I find works – to ignite my awareness daily.
• You cannot create a thing—not a thought, an object, an event—no experience of any kind—which is outside of God’s plan. For God’s plan is for you to create anything—everything—whatever you want.
• I truly want what you truly want—nothing different and nothing more. Don’t you see that is My greatest gift to you?
• If there is some aspect of creation you find you do not enjoy, bless it and simply change it. Choose again. Call forth a new reality. Think a new thought. Say a new word. Do a new thing.
• Your job on Earth, therefore, is not to learn (because you already know), but to remember Who You Are. And to remember who everyone else is.
• You think of yourselves as humans searching for a spiritual awakening, when in fact you are spiritual beings attempting to cope with a human awakening. Seeing yourselves from the perspective of the spirit within will help you to remember why you came here and what you came here to do.
• Your soul doesn’t care what it does for a living – and when your life is over, neither will you. Your souls cares only about what you’re being while you’re doing whatever you’re doing. It is a state of beingness the soul is after, not a state of doingness.
• In creating “something else” – namely the realm of the relative – we have produced an environment in which we may choose to be God, rather than simply be told that we are God, in which we may experience our Godness as an act of creation, rather than conceptualisation, in which the little candle in the sun – the littlest soul – can know itself as the light.
• We are all God, Godding – experiencing Our Self through the experiencing of Our parts. We are God expressing Our Self.
• My purpose in creating you, My spiritual offspring, was for Me to know myself as God. I have no way to do that save through you. Thus, it can be said that My purpose for you is that You should know yourself as Me.
• You cannot experience that Which You Are in the absence of that which you are not. Therefore, know that when you experience that which you are not, it is not a failure to experience but a way to experience That Which You Are.
• The parable of the soul and the sun: There was once a soul who knew itself to be the light. This was a new soul, and so, anxious for experience. “I am the light,” it said. “I am the light.” Yet all the knowing of it and the all the saying of it could not substitute for the experience of it. For in the realm from which this little soul emerged, there was nothing BUT the light. Every soul was magnificent, and shone with the brilliance of My awesome light. And so the little soul in question was as a candle in the sun. In the midst of the grandest light, of which it was a part, it could not see itself, nor experience itself as Who It Really Is. Now it came to pass that this soul yearned and yearned to know itself. And so great was its yearning that I one day said “Do you know, Little One, what you must do to satisfy this yearning of yours? You must separate yourself from the rest of us and then you must call upon yourself the darkness.” “What is the darkness, oh Holy One?” the little soul asked. “That which you are not.” I replied and the little soul understood. And so this the soul did, removing itself from all Yea, and going even unto another realm. And in this realm, the soul had the power to call into its experience all sorts of darkness. And this it did. And yet in the midst of all the darkness did it cry out, “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?” But I have never forsaken you, but stand by you always, ready to remind you of Who You Really Are, ready, always ready to call you home.
• Be a light unto the darkness, and curse it not.
• The act of resisting something is the act of granting it life… the more you resist, the more you make it real, whatever it is you are resisting.
• God is love. God accepts you as you are. God expects nothing of you. God does not judge. Nothing makes God unhappy. God would never condemn anyone. You do not need to change anything or “get better” to be seen as perfect and beautiful in God’s eyes.
• God is love. There is no judgement and there is no separateness. And the only ‘hell’ is the one we create for ourselves here on Earth.
• I do not love “good” more than I love “bad.” Hitler went to heaven. When you understand this, you will understand God.
• God offers friendship, not lordship—and in return asks for friendship, not worship.
• See God in everyone and help everyone to see God in themselves.
• God is in the sadness and the laughter, in the bitter and the sweet. There is a divine purpose behind everything—and therefore a divine presence in everything.
• God’s greatest truth is that there is not one way only but many ways Home. There are a thousand paths to God and everyone will get you there. Indeed, all paths lead to God. This is because there is no other place to go.
• There is no such thing as an incorrect path for all paths lead to the same place eventually
• I have sent you nothing but angels and miracles. See the perfection in this moment. Your soul chose your life to create the opportunity to fulfil your soul’s agenda. There is no such thing as a chance encounter. Everything is occurring in perfect order, as it should be. 
• The universe is conspiring in your favor. It is placing before you in every moment all of the right and perfect people, circumstances, and situations with which to answer life’s only question: Who am I? Have you decided yet?
• A master understands that life is perfection and always prefers what is occurring.
• Enlightenment is understanding that there is nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody you have to be except exactly who you’re being right now.
• Each moment of your life is a holy moment, a moment of creation. Each moment is a new beginning. In each, you are born again.
• Do what you do for the sheer joy of it. Do what you choose, not what someone else chooses for you.
• The purpose of a relationship is to decide what part of yourself you would like to experience and express.
• In all relationships, there is only one question that has any importance to your soul: “What would love do now?”
• A five-word sentence that could change the world tomorrow is “What would love do now?”
• All you have to do to have love is be love.
• What you do for your Self, you do for another. What you do for another, you do for the Self. This is because you and the other are one. And this is because…there is naught but You.
• When you see others who appear separate from you, look at them deeply. Look into them. Do this for a long moment and you will capture their essence. And you’ll meet you, waiting there.
• Life proceeds out of your intention. Your true intention is revealed by your actions, and your actions are determined by your true intention.
• Have intentions but don’t have expectations, and certainly don’t have requirements. Do not become addicted to a particular result. Do not even prefer one. Elevate your Addictions to Preferences, and your Preferences to Acceptances.
• He who does not go within, goes without.
• FEAR is an acronym in the English language for ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.