In my last blog, I said there is a scenario where God may care about results. As I mentioned I do not believe God is separated from us, but is rather a process of which we are a part. That God is in us experiencing itself/evolving through us.

Imagine that you consist of two parts – The first is the you that goes about your daily business riding the ups and downs of life – often referred to as the “ego.” I’ll call it the “worry-self.” The other part is the you that at times you have probably felt in meditation or relaxation – The part of you that watches you. This is often referred to as the “spirit” part of you. I’ll call it the “present-self.”

The worry-self cares about results. It’s the part of you that seeks approval from others, loves drama and rides the ups and downs of life. The present-self, however, does not care about results. To it results have no consequence. They only exist temporarily so there can be experiences. The present-self cares about the experiences. It doesn’t care what they are (because then they would be results) – only that they occur.

The present-self, however, knows that it needs the worry-self to provide it with the experiences. Without the worry-self, the present-self could not evolve. So in a sense the present-self does care about results because they are what drive the worry-self’s actions. They are the motivation for the worry-self to go about its business, which then, in turn, provides the present-self with what it desires – growth and evolution.

The painful part of life is that we too easily forget that the worry-self and the present-self are on the same team – you. We become so focused on the worry-self (i.e. results) we forget about the present-self. Spirituality/religion/mediation/whatever you want to call it exist to remind us that the worry-self and the present-self are on the same team. And that ultimately it is the present-self that matters.

The worry-self was created to provide the experiences, but the present-self is ultimately in charge. It is the part of us that is real (ironic because it cannot be detected with our senses). And because the present-self and the worry-self are one and the same the present-self wants to give the worry-self what it wants. The worry-self, however, has become so engaged in it’s perceived separateness that it has forgotten it is one and the same with the present-self. So when the worry-self wants something, it asks (i.e. prays) for it. Often, however, that does not work because the present-self interprets “wanting” as the desired act. It’s akin to asking yourself for something – The carrot hanging down in front of the rabbit’s nose. When we ask for the “carrot” we get the chase not the carrot.

A better way to communicate with the present-self is to thank it in advance – to remember that the present-self and the worry-self are on the same team and you already have all you need – you are simply waiting for it to manifest.

If you believe in God as a process of which you are a part try thanking yourself in advance for certain desired experiences. You may be surprised how they manifest.

Timothy Velner is a husband, father, attorney and author living in Minneapolis. You can follow his daily blog – a series of discussions between the worry-self and the present-self at – thespiritualgym.me