Spiritual Practices

Right Action

Spiritual Practice: Before performing an action or making a decision, ask yourself one or more of these questions: Is this in accordance with God's laws? Is this the right action or decision given the present circumstances? Is this good for me and those around me? Is this decision based on love? Or anger, fear, resentment? Will it further my noble goals or will it hold me back?

Spiritual Practice: Check the motivation for your actions. Are you motivated by love, or by fear or anger? If you're motivated by fear or anger, what alternate action can you come up with that will have you act from love instead (without discounting your feelings)? You may need to release the fear and anger before coming up with an alternate action. Do this by separating the feelings and judgments from the facts, so you can see more clearly what is going on. Note how your judgments about the facts affect your feelings. (See Helpful Hints for further information about the introspection process.)

Spiritual Practice: If you want to make certain actions habitual, visualize yourself performing those actions in the circumstances in which you would perform them. Action begins with thought, and visualization will help you instill the action in your subconsciousness, making it more likely that you will form it under those circumstances.

Spiritual Practice: Before acting on something important, calm yourself and ask yourself what the right action to take is. Ask God for guidance and be open to a response. Use your intuition as well as your reason. Pay particular attention to the first thought that pops into your mind, which may be the intuitive response you're looking for. Weigh the pros and cons, but also be aware of how it feels. Does it feel right? Is there any doubt? If so, consider the alternatives and repeat the process to gain greater clarity.