Daniel012601Altern_SelfEsteem

Group: Southeast Idaho Teacher Base, Pocatello, Idaho

Teachers: Daniel, Altern

Topic: Self Esteem

January 26, 2001

Altern(Bill/Isaac): Greetings, my friends, this is Altern. I appreciate the willingness you all display to take seriously the words, the thoughts, the lessons that come to you from all your spiritual sources. It is not of great necessity that you understand the source as much as it is important that you recognize the flavor of truth which is given. We have told you our names because we are brothers and sisters. We are ascendant mortals and therefore we are kin; and in kinship relationships everyone goes by names.

However, you are subject to more than just our directions and friendships. You have had with you from the arrival of your Father Fragments the Spirit of Truth as well, and always you have been under the tutelage of your guardian Seraphim, group or individual. What I wish to impress upon you is to remember that truth comes often from the strangest corners and places that you would not expect. Do not narrow your pallet to the point that it cannot embrace the larger landscape. Don't miss the truth because its origins seem suspect.

Truth, in the absolute sense, is synonymous with total reality and as a finite creature you cannot, by necessity, have a very large understanding of truth. But there are within you spiritual Sources, your Father fragment, your Spirit of Truth, your Holy Spirit from Mother Spirit. These Sources can enlarge beyond the limits of your mind so that your soul knows more than your mortal mind does. When we say, "You know, that you know", this is a reference to this fact, for your soul knows even when your mind may question or doubt.

Indeed is the essence of change the process, for the completed projects are but platforms for the initiation of the next project. Eternal life, which begins now, has no limits, and completions are, at best, only temporary. Even the incredible and stupendous completion of this universe age in the full manifestation of the power of the Almighty Supreme will be but the springboard for the initiation of the age of God the Ultimate as He comes to be fully empowered and actualized, eventuated.

Many times we have told you, as you have also heard it from human sources, that the most important thing is to be in the present, for there, in the present moment, is the stage upon which the process unfolds. At the same time that you are in the present and aware of all that is available to be conscious of, you also remember the past and make your plans for the future. When we say, "Be in the present", we are not advocating that you put blinders on your mind and only see what immediately happens, but we are asking you to enjoy the fullness of the eternal now.

Your conversations this evening were most interesting to us for they are evidence, (as you have surmised), that our promise that you would be more engaged by those seeking truth has begun to manifest. Don't let the unusualness of the events stop you from letting the flow continue. Going with God's flow is allowing yourself to do things you have never done before. For if you only do those things you have done before, what growth are you experiencing? You can be conscious of the novelty of a situation without it causing you to choke up and freeze. Rejoice that your mouths are speaking at the impetus of your Spirit. Rejoice that you are beginning to trust God enough to take Him at His word.

Now, my friends, my time is completed. Thank you, again, for your interest. I present your teacher and friend, Daniel. One moment.

Daniel(Bill/Isaac): Good evening, my dear friends, I am Daniel, your guide, your teacher, your friend, and your companion.

I want to tell you how important it is to me, as it is to all the teachers, for us to be meeting together! Yes, we, also, benefit and look forward to this time with you. Sure, we have plenty of company on our level, but it is, you see, a very unusual thing for ascendant mortals as we are, most of us fused with our Fragments, to converse with our younger brothers and sisters on planets of rebellion and disruption. It is common throughout the universe, in fact, standard policy for people to be both learners and teachers; but it is unusual to have this special mission to assist the spiritual administration of this planet in this Time of Correction and in this mode we call the Teaching Mission. So, when you think about how you look forward to being with us, I want you to remember that we also look forward to meeting with you.

Tonight I will begin the first lesson designed to elevate your self esteem. I need to, perhaps, modify that introduction with a reminder that this is really phase two of the attempt; and we will succeed in this attempt to elevate your self esteem.

Ken: Didn't we succeed the first time? (Heavy laughter from group interrupting Daniel) Sorry about that. Please continue.

Daniel: I think your self esteem is showing real signs of improvement....(Drowned out by raucous laughter) that you can interact with me in this manner! Thank you, Ken, I do appreciate that. (Outrageous laughter continues.)

Yes, we were successful, for many of you were unaware, having been trained in standard religious practice, that there dwelt within you a divine nature. Even while the Urantia Book contains that information, it was not clearly understood. What we are going to do this time around is deal with your human nature. Tonight I wish to talk about the first step which is the transformation of your God given, natural, mortal, animal nature into perfected humanity.

Throughout history there has been a sense that human beings, though being animals, had somehow a greater dignity and status than merely being the smartest of the primates. The Greeks had a dualism that regarded the body as evil and the spirit as good. Other cultures have discerned the indwelling presence of a divine nature. But often the human nature was by and large relegated to the status of debased, fallen, sinful, unfortunate, and even to a greater or lesser degree, evil.

All of these estimates are erroneous, my friends. Your animal nature is not, in itself, evil, although it is capable of error, sin, etc. as a result of the choices your mind makes. But your animal nature is inherently a part of God's creation through his Creator Sons and Daughters and their craftsmen, the Life Carriers. Your animal nature has evolved, even as your science has correctly ascertained, from simple to very complex. Because you are not born in sin, not created faulty, you can revise your negative estimates of human nature in the direction of much greater dignity.

Our Master Son , in his human bestowal known as Joshua ben Joseph, attained in his short life the perfection of humanity. His attainment of human perfection was not due to his divine nature, but was, in fact, the accomplishment of his human nature. It was the result of the process of turning over his will to the will of his Father in heaven. At first Jesus was a normal child awaiting the time of moral decision and he was no more conscious of his Thought Adjuster's arrival than any of you were. However, early in his young life he became aware of the divine Presence so that he often retired to talk with his heavenly Father, and in a manner which surprised his parents, for such an intimate relationship was not known to occur.

Because Jesus as a growing child chose, as best he understood, to do the right thing, he did the will of God. It was difficult for him at times to understand the restrictions that his parents and his culture placed upon him in his enjoyment of drawing and of the sports which the Greeks had elevated to high levels of importance. In all things that he understood, when there was a choice between good, better, and best, he chose the best. Because he did that, he continued to grow in human perfection.

The point of my discussing Jesus is to emphasize to you that while you will never have the divine nature of a Creator Son within yourself, you do have the same Divine Monitor and human nature as did Christ Michael, and you may grow more and more in alignment with the will of God in your life, for now that you are fully conscious of your dual nature you will always have a hint of the best when you are confronted with the better and the best. The result of this consciousness that you are making the right choices, that you are growing spiritually, will be a profound enhancement of self esteem. Next week we will discuss the process of making mistakes and how that is involved in spiritual growth and enhanced self esteem.

Finally, I would say that this not a discussion relative to ego enhancement. This is not a course in self exaltation. True self esteem results in humility, gratitude, thankfulness, forgiveness, joy, and peace. I have completed my first installment. Now I will be glad to field any questions you may have.

Virginia: Daniel, I really thank you because I really was curious about what you were going to do with self esteem and that is just beautiful! I make the point in my parenting workshops that the greatest enhancer of self esteem is to know God loves us. That was just beautiful. I appreciate that.

Daniel: My dear, I am pleased that this agenda, this discussion of self esteem from the enhancement of human nature, meets your approval (laughter) and gives you pleasure.

Indeed, it is true that the approval and the unconditional regard of God experienced within the soul is the beginning of true self esteem; and we did dwell on this somewhat in the first phase of this discussion begun immediately when I began teaching you. The emphasis this time is going to be somewhat different; and I think you can see that, for we are going to hold up the progress that Jesus made as not a hopelessly unattainable ideal, but as an actual attainment possibility. Despite all the apparent cautions in the Urantia Book regarding contact with one's Adjuster, it still remains the greatest goal of mortal life, to come into alignment with your Adjuster and to speak one on one with God. Having heard us speak to you has been a prelude; it has opened you up to this kind of contact, spiritual contact. But, as you have been told, the goal is for each of you to be able to be as confident in your relationship with God as Jesus was with his Father Fragment. Thank you for your enthusiasm, Letah, my dear. I am glad you are looking forward to our curriculum. Another question or comment?

Lori: I have a comment or question. Is the more traditional self esteem boosting that we are taught...when you are told to look in the mirror saying, "I am great, I am wonderful"... where you are told to really convince yourself that you are worth loving... is that more ego work than the wonderful infusion of self esteem that you get when you are deliberately forgiving or going out of your way to be kind. They feel quite different. Is that because one is ego and the other is truly nourishing from the God Fragment?

Daniel: Yes, my dear, I believe you are quite accurate in your assessment. The attempts to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps always feels strained, forced, unnatural and not convincing because there is an underlying low self esteem due to false beliefs, wrong information, lack of knowledge of God and His love. I am not saying that the people who write these programs have bad motives or that they are deliberately trying to inflate ego inappropriately, but you cannot change the inside by washing the surface. You do not make the cup clean inside by cleaning the outside. It needs the inner transformation for the outer to be genuine. So, yes, I think you are essentially correct. These programs to enhance self esteem without a spiritual dimension are not effective for most people.

You see, when people look at each other and regard each other as animals... some prettier, some more handsome, some smarter, some not so smart... nothing but differences and judgements are possible. When you look at each other as truly brothers and sisters, equally valuable and spiritually alike, then, while there are still those differences in appearance and ability, the essence is the same and your true value and worth as God's sons and daughters transforms and goes far beyond the superficiality of the other things. The experience of ascension entails meeting others of God's children from other planets, from other degrees of universe sonship and daughtership, and yet while there are immense differences, still all of us are God's creation; all of us are valuable and irreplaceable.

I am going to allow Isaac a respite for his laryngitis and allow for one more question only. (Pause) Hearing none I will ask you now to stand and join hands once again. Klarixiska would like to conclude the meeting.

Klarixiska: I am Klarixiska. My dears, my arms are around you all. Know that we all love you dearly.

Father Michael, Mother Nebadonia, we your children rejoice tonight for this wonderful universe of your creation, this universe that shall eventually in its own way reflect Paradise. I thank you for each one of these my friends who have taken their time and given their hearts to this soulful embrace with their brothers and sisters. May they believe our words when we tell them how much we enjoy their company. May their feet fly lightly over the pathway of life so that there is not weariness or monotony in their time on this planet but there is joy and triumph over all obstacles. Send them to this, their next day with you, with light hearts, shining faces and ever deepening faith. May it be so. Amen.

END