"You know, the world, who is not here today, likes short term gains and long
term losses. Short term gains and long term losses.
That little fact is to be considered by you until you see it in greater
revelation than you see it now. You're to connect that fact with your
behavior - short term gain. That means I can instantly make a decision no
matter how bad it might disrupt something. It means I can race around
picking up the stray prizes. Easily, in one day, I can get all kind of
gratifications, all kind of quick thrills.
Then no one thinks of long term losses, which of course it is because
only what is obtained consciously by spiritual power, only that has long
term value. People simply don't understand their lives.
You take time out today for just one small enormous thing. Think about how
you have spent the few hours previous to your contemplation period. Just
think how you have spent your mind, your words, your strength, your
decisions. Just think what you did and then you will have to see there is
no permanent value in these usual old ways at all.
You have to understand, you have to say to yourself, "I could have been
doing something else." You could have been doing something else. When you
saw that opportunity to be someone in the eyes of someone else, if you
could have seen when you wanted that opportunity to say or do something,
thought it would make you important to them, you refused that treacherous
prize of doing or saying something that made you feel as if you were
uplifting yourself, but you weren't. What you were doing is getting instant
gratification without regard to long term losses.
You are now going to think of the consequences of small things, not big
things like moving to another place. Not big things. I'm talking about small
thoughts, reactions in your mind. And I want you to know that they are,
those thoughts, those impulses, they are really enemies disguised as
friends."
from a talk given 6/28/1992 V. H.'s Higher World - MP3 CD Volume 35, talk 857, track 3
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