Education in Challenging Times

"We are living in a time of great uncertainty reagarding the economy, the environment, world leadership, global health, family concerns, and personal finances. What a splendid time to become a student at USM."
- Neale Donald Walsch, Author, Conversations With God

Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick were recently asked by some USM graduates to respond to the times we are living in. Their response was to draft a letter to the entire graduate base. The essence of their response is that 27 years of working closely with students has demonstrated time and time again that USM’s Graduate Programs in Spiritual Psychology educate students in how to live a fulfilling and authentic life independent of finances, health concerns, business circumstances, family situations, etc.

We thought you might like to have a copy of this letter for yourself. Although you may not be familiar with some of the language, hopefully you’ll be able to read between the lines and grasp a sense of the value available to you at USM.

Dear USM Grad,

We trust you are well and supporting yourself through utilizing the principles and practices of Spiritual Psychology you learned at USM. We’re writing because recent events have led us to the realization that your USM education is more valuable to you now than ever before, and we wanted to take some time to show you how.

While fall enrollment is progressing on schedule, we’ve been hearing from some prospective students who say they would love to enroll this year but think it might be wise to wait until things are more stable for them financially. We then share with these folks that it’s precisely when life is challenging that is the best time to enroll. Why? Because USM educates its students in how to live an authentic life independent of finances, health concerns, business circumstances, family situations, etc.

Then it occurred to us that you, our graduates, might also benefit from a few reminders since you too may be experiencing some challenges at this time. We identified seven reminders we’d like to share with you as a way of extending our support and encouragement to you and, through you, to those around you.

1. How you relate to the issue is the issue. If, for example, money is tighter than it has been for you, remember, you have both inner and outer choices; choices in the attitudes you hold and choices in the actions you take. You really can choose to reside in the wellspring and abundance of loving that resides inside of you independent of higher gas prices, etc. You can also make wise choices regarding how you use the precious life’s energy your money represents.

2. Forgive any judgments, eliminate negative future fantasy, and formulate clear positive intentions. If you find yourself observing physical reality, coming to negative conclusions, and worrying about your situation, it’s time to take dominion in your consciousness. Since you know that what you hold in your mind tends to manifest out in the world, gently and compassionately forgive yourself for any judgments or misunderstandings. Reframe your challenges as opportunities. Then write our your intentions and post them where you can review them daily. Remember, “When intentions are clear, the methods appear.”

3. Update your Ideal Scenes and Living Visions. A few days ago, I (Mary) had fun updating two of the Ideal Scenes that are near and dear to my heart. And while we were on vacation in July, we created a fresh Ideal Scene for our creative endeavors. We encourage you to set aside an afternoon or evening for co-creating Ideal Scenes and energizing them with Living Visions. Laminating and posting them in your shower for easy review each day keeps them in front of you and is empowering. Remember, enthusiasm is the engine of success and three-foot tosses taken consistently over time, result in powerful outcomes.

4. Challenging times = Learning Line opportunities. It is precisely when the status quo is shaken up that you will find an abundance of opportunities for shifting more onto the Learning Line of life, the Line of Spiritual Evolvement. When comfort zones are challenged, people often search for deeper meaning. If it is not true that “he who dies with the most toys wins,” perhaps this is a fabulous time for reassessing what is truly of value and spending more time focusing on whatever that is for you.

5. Healing is the application of Loving to the parts inside that hurt. And really, this principle can be expanded to include any system that is out of alignment. Naturally, you’ll want to Work Your Process to release judgments from your Consciousness. And another excellent way to enhance Loving is by working with Positive Projections. Look for the beauty and blessings that are present around you. Acknowledge them as a reflection of the beauty and Loving that reside within you. Practice an attitude of gratitude. Notice opportunities for sharing small kindnesses; find ways to be of service to others. You’ll find yourself residing in the Abundance, Peace, Joy, Loving, and Compassion of the Authentic Self. And as a by-product, you’ll be a source of Healing wherever you go.

6. Draw on your USM community to multiply your power. Remember how productive you became and how supported you felt when you were part of a project team? Consider gathering with others in the USM community for purposes of mutual support. And if you do, here’s a key. Participate not from the perspective of what you will receive from the team but rather from what you can contribute to the team. If everyone is fully participating and contributing their encouragement, support, wisdom, and creativity, then everyone will automatically be receiving significant value.

7. Go for the gold – let go of the fool’s gold. If there’s one thing we know for sure, money cannot buy happiness. All it can really ever buy is options. It’s nice to have the option to buy a BMW or even a yacht. But what’s really extraordinary, and actually priceless, is to exercise the option to reside in the Consciousness of Unconditional Loving regardless of situation or circumstance. At USM, the ultimate competency is a Loving Consciousness.

We sincerely hope that you find what we have shared with you supportive. We cannot urge you strongly enough to use your USM tools. We know that to the degree you do, it will serve you (and others) well.

With heartfelt loving,