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Giving Our Gift
by Marilyn C. Barrick, Ph.D.
What is my gift to the Earth?
What can I do to bless someone today?
 How
have great artists, musicians, poets, artisans, statesmen, scientists, writers
produced finished works? First they experienced a moment of vision or
inspiration that filled them with inner illumination. They forged that inner
"knowing" into tangible works through a mighty thrust of will,
determination and physical effort. The process of bringing their inner vision
into physical form took dedication, perseverance and minute-to-minute attention
to detail.
Every creative venture has its moments when it would be easy to say,
"This is too much, it's hopeless." The person with will and
determination says, "This is challenging, and I will find a way to make it
work." The first person is saying, "I give up;" the second,
"I will make it happen." Who do you think is going to win a victory
over challenging circumstances?
Think of Noah building the ark. All those years people made fun of him, yet
he maintained his communion with his God and kept on building. He had a strong
will, determination and a vision to fulfill. A divine mandate from God. What if
Noah had sat down and said to himself, "This is impossible. Forget
it!" God could not have continued to work through him because he would no
longer have been the chalice of vision, determination, effort and will to
accomplish God's work.
Throughout the ages, saints, heroes and heroines inspired to follow a higher
vision have mobilized the will, determination, and effort to bring that vision
to fruition. Think of Joan of Arc, known as the saviouress of France. She had
her vision, her "voices" and her dedication to God and country -- the
France she loved so dearly. Even as she earnestly pursued her destiny, she was
known for her sense of humor and laughter.
Joan gave her life for her country, and she is remembered and honored today
for her vision, courage, and fiery determination to fulfill her mission. One
young girl who followed God's direction and took action in the present became
the impetus to the future of France as a free country.
Great men and women throughout history have followed their inner vision and
sense of destiny to produce heroic and memorable deeds that have changed the
course of history. Madame Curie, Clara Barton, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur,
Jonas Salk and scores of others less well known have dedicated their lives to
discoveries that have blessed the lives of people everywhere.
Life on planet Earth is transformed moment to moment by the choices we make
and the actions we take. Let's ask ourselves, "What is my gift to the
earth? What may I do to bless someone today? How can I help make this world a
better place?"
 This
article is excerpted from Sacred Psychology of Change, ©2000, by Marilyn
C. Barrick, Ph.D. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Summit University
Press. Tel. 1- 406-848-9500. ww.tsl.org
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About the Author
Marilyn
C. Barrick, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and workshop leader, has consulted as a
psychological expert to schools, government agencies, professional advisory
boards and a variety of mental health facilities. In the 1960s and early '70s,
she taught graduate level courses for the Department of Psychology at the
University of Colorado and served with Peace Corps as a training development
officer and field counselor. She has also been a minister for over twenty-three
years in a church that integrates the spiritual teachings of the world's major
religions. Combining psychological expertise and in-depth spiritual
understanding, she specializes in inner-child work, relationship counseling,
dream analysis, Gestalt techniques, spiritual self-help exercises and EMDR
trauma release therapy. Dr. Barrick's popular book, Sacred
Psychology of Love was the first in her series on spiritual
psychology. Sacred
Psychology of Change is the second book in the series. (Dr.
Barrick's other books.) For additional information, Dr. Barrick
invites you to visit her web site at www.spiritualpsychology.com
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