Balancing Spirituality with a Corporate Job

QUESTION: "I am struggling with balancing my spirituality with a corporate job. The biggest challenge is 'aggressiveness' and how it is rewarded. This goes against my understanding of 'treating people the way you want to be treated.' Next, I am not sure that I am doing 'enough' versus focused on making money. During your near-death experiences were you shown or given any insight into this area?".......Andy

ANSWER: Not during my near-death experiences. The information I was given and it was extensive, had to do with the innnerworkings of creation and consciousness, and basic living skills. You can find most of what was revealed to me in my book, Future Memory. The last chapter of that book does address to some degree what you are speaking of, as does various other parts of the book.

The challenges of today force us all to re-evaluate what we know to be true, versus the way things are, and the behaviors that are rewarded. None of it seems fair, until you begin to move further within and connect with your own higher mind and heart. Once you begin to do this, it changes the "scenery" and turns things around.

I cannot speak for you, but I can share what I have been learning and still am - and that is, the only person I can change is myself. So, if nothing is working externally for me, that means I need to go further internally as I am somehow, someway, "out of tune." When I go deeper within, let go of any agenda, desire, or wants, release the external completely, I automatically move (without the necessity of a 'decision') toward a central "feel" of balance and wholeness. That feel strengthens me as it spreads throughout my frame. When I return to full consciousness, I know what to do (again, without the need for choice), and I do it. I move with movement. I cease being PMH Atwater with an agenda, and become that which I seek in league with the movement of that which I seek. The full me, the real me, simply moves. Deeds are done. Goals are accomplished. Timelines are met. When I am in this mode, the opinions of others do not matter; failure does not exist; negative treatment passes me by; and I am left awash in joy for the privilege of being, of breath, of the ability to stand and speak and move. I guess you might call this a state of Grace. When my personality gets a little antsy and I find myself faced with overwhelming odds not in my favor, I admit outloud - "I do not know how to handle this, but God knowns. I will go with God." Then, I take the first impulse or impression that comes, check it out with Guidance, breathe deeply, let it sift through my body if it feels appropriate to do so (until I resonate with it), and then I act. When I remember to do this, miracles happen.

Life is disappointing as long as we focus as how disappointing it is. When we shift, move to another vibration or mindset, it is amazing, at least to me, how quickly we can slip into joy and be guided to our next step. That joy we slip into does not save us from disaster or pain, but it does enable us to keep things in perspective and give meaning to that which seems meaningless. Doing this is what enabled me to survive the ten days I had to wait before emergency surgery could take place to fix my seriously injured and broken left wrist, hand, and arm. The injury necessitated a steel plate be inserted and "nailed" in place. Within three weeks, there was no sign on x-rays that my wrist had ever been broken or that the injury had ever taken place (other than the presence of the steel plate). The surgeon was so overwhelmed by this that he ran into my room and hugged me. He said, "This doesn't happen to women of your age. You don't see this type of rapid healing. It doesn't exist." I enjoyed his hug. It felt nice to be greeted that way by the physician who had spent hours sewing me back together again. He asked me how I did it. I replied, "I slipped into joy."

I don't know if any of this makes sense to you. It is how I live my life now, because it is the only way I have yet to discover that consistently works irrespective of circumstances - and feels right.

Blessings, PMH

ANNOUNCEMENTS The Conference IANDS held at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , TX, October 25-28, 2006, was absolutely incredible! A dream come true for any and all connected with near-death experiences, on any level, in any manner. The theme, "Near-Death Experiences: 30 Years of Research," headlined a series of dynamic presentations - attended by the largest turnout we have ever had of medical physicians, nurses, counselors, and chaplains. Add to that experiencers and researchers and you have attendance figures of over 400 people! Please access the IANDS website for more details about this important event, and information about how to obtain CDs and DVDs of the various talks and panels: www.iands.org.

It is now time to do something about our lack of broad-based research and cross-cultural studies on the near-death phenomenon. We have come a long way, as evidenced by the Houston Conference, but we still have a long way to go. I have sent a proposal to IANDS with the suggestion that a "research packet" be prepared that can be supplied to any individual or group who wants to do research and/or data collection of near-death experiences, but is unclear as to protocol methods and reporting procedures. It is my hope that the idea catches on and something like a "research packet" emerges. The outline of what I suggested follows. Anyone who wishes to comment on this or who has further suggestions to make should contact IANDS directly, at office@iands.org - and reference "Research Packet Suggestions."

PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH INSTRUCTION PACKET

I. Different ways of doing Research:

A. Clinical -

Prospective

Retrospective

Greyson Scale

B. Observational - (this is what I do)

Police Science

Neurolinguistic Style

C. Narrative Collection -

Personal Interviews

By-mail Collections

II. Questionnaires to use if applicable (samples given):

III. How to record case studies:

IV. Submitting case studies:

A. Research Papers

B. Articles

C. Archival Data Collections

V. Where to send finished work and how to use it:

A. IANDS archives

B. Journal of Near-Death Studies

C. Local Sources, including interested Universities,

Medical Schools, etc.

D. Media

I sincerely hope that something real and substantial comes from this proposal that will extend near-death research to an even broader level that truly reaches across all boundaries. Thank you, PMH