Understanding the Native Soul by Rev. J. Douglas Bottorff

By J. Douglas Bottorff
(from http://unity.org/homepageArchive/features/Understanding-The-Native-Soul…)

More than three decades' work as a minister has given me the opportunity to observe many people operating within a wide range of spiritual understanding. I think it is fair to say that when most start their studies of spiritual principles, their intention is to get more out of life. They feel that something is missing, that their previous attempts to fill the gaps haven't worked, and that the spiritual approach offers the surest way to get back on track in making their life a more fulfilling endeavor. And so it does.

I have also observed that many who have been on the spiritual path for years often express levels of frustration similar to those levels that originally prompted their search. They have obtained many new ideas, but they feel no closer to the satisfaction they crave. I suggest that this happens because they have adopted two commonly held erroneous beliefs. The first is that their current dissatisfaction is attributable to their limited understanding of God, that eventually they will gain enough understanding to give them the satisfaction they seek. The second belief is that in their present state they are spiritually incomplete, that they need to develop spiritually before they can reach a satisfying level of experience. Both assumptions are false.

If you are among these individuals, you now possess of all the knowledge you need to have a firsthand, personal relationship with your Creator/Sustainer. Furthermore, you are as complete now at your spiritual core as you will ever be. No natural barriers exist between your current self-perception and your completed soul. The only chasm that stands between where you are and where you want to be is a perceptual error. As long as you hold this perception of distance and separation from your spiritual home, you will continue to wander in a far and foreign country. The moment you drop this perception, you return to the warm reception of your spiritual home. Embracing the simple truth that you already have what you seek spiritually will revolutionize your approach to getting what you want from your spiritual quest and, in the broadest and most fulfilling sense, getting what you want from life. …

The practice of meditation—periods of deliberate spiritual receptivity—is the narrow gate (Mt. 7:13-14) by which you enter the domain of your native soul. If you are meditating yet failing to experience your spiritual essence, you are not meditating, you are thinking. Meditation is the act of opening your intuitive portal, a faculty that enables you to experience the spiritual domain, to the living presence of your completed soul. Becoming successful at meditation does not require years of training, for there is actually very little to learn.

Meditation is a receptive state that opens your awareness to the perpetual radiation of your soul. You already know how to receive spiritual light, and you have been doing so all along, though perhaps unconsciously. You invite the perpetual light of your soul into your field of awareness by assuming this simple attitude:

 

My completed soul is now radiating light.
I am conscious of this light.


When I mention meditation … I am referring to a practice of internal reflection. You will want to spend quality time away from all distractions and enter a spiritually receptive state. This practice is your primary resource for tapping your inner power. However, you will also gain much by getting in the habit of experiencing the light of your soul while driving your car, shopping, conversing with people or taking a solitary walk. Bring this awareness into every aspect of your life.

Given even a small chance, the light of your native soul will break forth, first as a small and seemingly insignificant thrill of energy. Return often to this experience and this tiny thrill becomes the steadfast beacon that will guide your every thought. You do not want to spend a mere percentage of your time in meditation; you want to spend all your time experiencing your life from your spiritual depths.

This article is excerpted from
Native Soul: Unlocking Your Life's Potential. The mantra of many self-help books is “change your thinking, change your life.” However, negative self-talk and mindless chatter stem from a skewed self-image. Native Soul goes a step deeper, gently encouraging awareness of your true essence.

J Douglas Bottorff is an ordained Unity minister and has served churches in Michigan, Missouri and Colorado for nearly three decades. In addition to Native Soul, he is the author of A Practical Guide to Meditation and Prayer, A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living and The Whisper of Pialigos. He has written extensively for Unity Magazine and has written and recorded two musical CDs, One World and Vision of Hope. For more information, visit
www.jdbottorff.com.