Spiritual Habits of Success (Certificate of Completion)

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

Success is unique and personal to each of us. Yet most of us still live in a society where success is determined by what ‘people out there’ have decided that it is. In fact, an inward feeling (often hidden) of 'not feeling good enough’ because of ‘what other people will think’ is one of the most common concerns. Personal worth is still frequently measured by what we have to show for what we’ve done - material goods, exams passed, property gained, certificates achieved, goals attained or targets reached. And by far the biggest determining factor of success is the degree to which a person is validated and approved by others (Trinity, 2013).

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

In all cultures and at all times, humans have sought to make sense of their existence. Man's search for meaning is a quest as ancient as the dawn of human consciousness. It is well established that a sense of purpose is necessary for psychological health, and in turn, for human adaptation and survival (Mattiuzzi, 2014).

Destiny may be defined as: 1) something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person to thing; lot or fortune; 2) the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events; 3) the power or agency that determines the course of events; 4) (initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess; 5) the Destinies, the Fates (Dictionary.com). Again, as stated before, in order to utilize the proven system of success strategies in leading theories provided in this text, you must be specific about your life's purpose (destiny) and your definition of success.

Barry Loublestine, president in the Institute for Leadership in Medicine, poses a very in depth concept of ethics, values and character. "Values have been defined as a set of deeply-held, socially-shared beliefs that serve as standards which guide us to the positions that we take on various social, ideological, political and religious issues. We employ these values to decide about what is and is not worth arguing; persuading and influencing what others believe in and do; and, as standards to guide processes of conscious and unconscious justification of action, thought and judgment. Thus, the ultimate function of human values is to provide us with a set of standards to guide us in all our efforts to satisfy our needs and at the same time maintain and enhance self-esteem" (Loublestein, 2015).

How Our Habits Can Predict Our Outcomes

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

In psychology, a habit is any regularly repeated behavior that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate. "A habit, which can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting, is developed through reinforcement and repetition. Reinforcement encourages the repetition of a behavior, or response, each time the stimulus that provoked the behavior recurs. The behavior becomes more automatic with each repetition. Some habits, however, may form on the basis of a single experience, particularly when emotions are involved. Habits, as discussed by William James in his Principles of Psychology, are useful as the means for conserving higher mental processes for more demanding tasks, but they promote behavioral inflexibility" (Britannica.com).

How Emotions Affect Our Behavior

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

Emotions exert an incredibly powerful force on human behavior. "Strong emotions can cause you to take actions you might not normally perform, or avoid situations that you generally enjoy. Why exactly do we have emotions? What causes us to have these feelings? Researchers, philosophers, and psychologists have proposed a number of different theories to explain the how and why behind human emotions. In psychology, emotion is often defined as a complex state of feeling that results in physical and psychological changes that influence thought and behavior. Emotionality is associated with a range of psychological phenomena including temperament, personality, mood and motivation"(Cherry, 2014).

Eliminating Negative Habits that Hinders Success

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

In behaviorism, it is said, what can be learned, can be unlearned. We must acknowledge the fact that our mindset and behaviors are filled with both positive and negative conditioning stemming from our childhood experiences. The amount of positive or negative conditioning depends on each individual and those experiences. We must also acknowledge the fact that we have the power to eliminate those negative thoughts and behaviors, and adapt new healthy thoughts and behaviors that will promote success and the fulfillment of our life's purpose.

The Power of Words

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

According to Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, words can literally change your brain. In their book, Words Can Change Your Brain, they write: “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.” Positive words, such as “peace” and “love,” can alter the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brain’s cognitive functioning. They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action, and build resiliency. Conversely, hostile language can disrupt specific genes that play a key part in the production of neurochemicals that protect us from stress (Borchard, 2015).

Psychology of Thought & Consciousness

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

As stated, cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking. The field of cognitive neuroscience concerns the scientific study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and is a branch of neuroscience.

Cognitive neuroscience overlaps with cognitive psychology, and focuses on the neural substrates of mental processes and their behavioral manifestations. "The boundaries between psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience have become quite blurred. Cognitive neuroscientists tend to have a background in experimental psychology, neurobiology, neurology, physics, and mathematics. Methods employed in cognitive neuroscience include psychophysical experiments, functional neuroimaging, electrophysiological studies of neural systems and, increasingly, cognitive genomics and behavioral genetics" (Sciencedaily.com).

The Power of Belief

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

Belief is defined as: 1) a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing; 2) something believed; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group; 3) conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence (Merriam-webster.com). Simply, a belief defines an idea or principle which we judge to be true. When we stop to think about it, functionally this is no small thing. Lives are routinely sacrificed and saved based simply on what people believe (Lickerman, 2011).

Though we may be aware that we are each engrained with a set of beliefs that may very well lead to our actions, most of us give no thought on how those beliefs were formed. "Studies suggest that our brain may produce as many as 50,000 thoughts per day. Ninety-five percent of these thoughts are repeated daily and reflect the mindset or beliefs we hold that lead to those 50,000 thoughts. Our mindset in turn governs your actions, which lead to your results in life" (Mind-sets.com).

Metaphysics

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

There is a mystical element to science, consciousness, and the mind itself. It is quite evident that there are basic religious beliefs found in scientific principles. In other words, religion and science appears to be saying the same thing, but using a different language. The theory and process may be different, but the conclusion appears to be the same. Science uses terms such as: quantum field reality, energy, and matter. Metaphysics use terms such as: consciousness, collective consciousness, universal mind. Religion use terms such as: God or Spirit.

The word Metaphysics comes to us from Ancient Greece, where it was a combination of two words, Meta, meaning over and beyond, and Physics. Thus, the combination means over and beyond physics. "Metaphysics is referred to as a branch of Philosophy that deals with First Cause and the Nature of Being. It is taught as a branch of Philosophy in most academic universities under the label of "Speculative Philosophy." Metaphysics may include any one or a combination of the following subjects: Philosophy, Religion, Parapsychology, Mysticism, Yoga, ESP, Dreams, Jungian Psychology, Astrology, Meditation, Self-Help Studies, Positive Thinking, Life After Death, Reincarnation, etc. The common denominator of these and all similar subjects, of course, deals with and exploration of Reality. In the idealistic sense, the question becomes how does such knowledge benefit human life on this earth, both individually and collectively" (Metaphysics.com).

The Connection Between Metaphysics and Consciousness

The connection between metaphysics and consciousness is a popularly complex topic discussed by scientist and philosophers today. "There are two theories of the mind that are involved in the connection between metaphysics and consciousness. These two theories are known as dualism and materialism. Both dualism and materialism have many sub divisions containing sub theories. As stated, Dualism theorists deny the conscious mind as a physical form, they respect it as a radical instead of an aspect of the physical world" (Kripke 1972, Chalmers 1996). While Materialism recognizes the conscious mind as neural activity in the brain recognizing it as part of the physical world. Many philosophers and scientists take a physical or neurophysiological approach to fill these gaps. Materialism is flawed in explaining the “explanatory gap” that is present between mind and matter. Joseph Levine (1983) first came up with the expression “the explanatory gap” to express the flaws materialism has in trying to explain consciousness.

Collective Consciousness

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr Bev Knox.

Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the school of analytical psychology. He proposed and developed the concepts of the extroverted and introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious (Muskingum.edu). "For Jung, the collective unconscious is that transpersonal aspect of the unconscious psyche in which we all participate and can potentially access through dreams, art, myths, fairy tales etc. As Jung (1969) himself describes it, the collective unconscious is different than Freud's "personal unconscious," in which "we must include all more or less intentional repressions of painful thoughts and feelings. Jung viewed the collective unconscious as a vast repository of human knowledge, instinct, memory and experience accumulated since the birth of the species and genetically and psychologically passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, the archaic collective unconscious is an invaluable and wisdom-filled source of information unconsciously linking us all together, much like the world wide web, the internet links us together and has become an integral part of our interconnected collective consciousness" (Diamond, 2012).

Spirituality and Academia

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

Spirituality is a notoriously slippery word and educators are often uncertain about its legitimacy or usefulness. "Some within the academy consider it a hopelessly confused concept, an unwelcome and mischievous invitation to relax intellectual and critical rigor. They associate it with New Age phenomena such as crystals, channeling, and psychics. Others, however, hold that such attitudes simply demonstrate how the academy is once again behind the times, this time by refusing to acknowledge what large portions of the business, health, and entertainment worlds—indeed large portions of our general culture—already treat seriously, embracing spirituality despite its ambiguousness. There are multiple forms of spirituality. Each of us possesses his or her own brand, whether or not we or others deem it constructive or attractive. We often uncover our real spirituality by viewing ourselves through the eyes of others as well as by reflecting on our own experiences of hope and darkness. Our institutions also have their own spiritualities. Some of these various spiritualities are quite common, though far from admirable. The final point is that education is ineluctably a spiritual matter, however much we may ignore or deny it. Learning requires that individuals and institutions practice radical openness to the other—whether the other be a person, a text, or a novel experience" (Bennett, 2004).

The Dalai Lama sees empirical verification of hypotheses at the core of both Buddhism and science. "The two disciplines, however, differ in their primary goal: science often values knowledge for its own sake, whereas Buddhism values knowledge in so far as it reduces suffering. In addition, the two disciplines differ in their focus: science has perfected methods to study of the physical world, whereas Buddhism has developed techniques to study mental phenomena related to the nature of consciousness. As such the two approaches have much to learn from each other. The Dalai Lama has said that if scientific discoveries challenge basic Buddhist tenets, then Buddhism will have to change. He also noted in his comments that both Western academics and Buddhist monastics share a tendency to talk only among themselves, and that both groups…need to get out more” (Medicine.virginia.edu).

The Differences Between Religion and Spirituality

Religion (from the Latin Religio, meaning 'restraint’, or Relegere, according to Cicero, meaning 'to repeat, to read again’, or, most likely, Religionem, to show respect for what is sacred) is an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. There is no culture recorded in human history which has not practiced some form of religion (Mark, 2009).

Religion and spirituality are two related yet distinct terms associated with faith. Religion denotes "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances and a moral code" (Compellingtruth.org). "Some view religion as an institution established by man for various reasons. Exert control, instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. Organized, structured religions all but remove God from the equation. You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship, told what to pray and when to pray it. All those factors remove you from God" (Bibliotecapleyades.net).

In contrast, spirituality can be defined as "the quality of being spiritual" (Dictionary.com). Spiritualism is stated as the doctrine that the spirit exists as distinct from matter, or that spirit is the only reality (Merriam- Webster, Incorporated, 2014). "To have a direct connection with God. Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life. Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced. Being spiritual to me is more important and better than being religious" (Bibliotecapleyades.net).

Psychology of Application

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

“What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve” --Napoleon Hill

There is a mystical element to science, consciousness, and the mind itself. It is wonderful that we are able to learn about new theories and acknowledge that there is something greater occurring within and around us, than what we are capable of seeing with the naked eye. Such brilliant minds that allow us to memorize, analyze and think about outcomes and possibilities of such wondrous sensational theories. How magnificent that certain concepts can transform one's ability to recognize key elements to foster success and phenomenal greatness. Please take note, the wisdom and knowledge of understanding theories is just the beginning, it is just Part A of this process. Part B is the application, the activity, the function, the motion, and the component needed to fulfilling your life's purpose in all its mystery. It is an ever evolving process.

The Spirit of God

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox.

The term "Holy Spirit" is to be found almost exclusively in the New Testament. In the A.V. the term "Holy Ghost" is often used, but it should always be translated as "Holy Spirit," as modern versions make clear. This is equivalent to the Old Testament phrases "the Spirit of God" or "the Spirit of the Lord." Many passages clearly identify God's spirit with His power. In order to create the universe, "the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:2-3 ESV).

God's spirit was the power by which all things, e.g. light, were made. "By His spirit He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent" (Job 26:13). "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Psalms 33:6). God's spirit is therefore described as: His breath, His word & His hand. The Hebrew word translated "spirit" in the Old Testament strictly means breath or power; thus God's spirit is His breathing, the very essence of God, reflecting His mind. The spirit does not just refer to the naked power of God as evident from Romans 15:19, but "the power of the spirit of God" (Christadelphians.com).

Put on the Armor of God and Shield of Faith

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

My brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18 KJB).

The Full Armor of God, described by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians is our spiritual defense. It is not a physical armor worn by knights. "The Full Armor of God may be invisible to the human eye, but it's just as real. And when used properly and worn daily, it provides solid protection against all forces not of good. As stated in Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 2, 1 John 5 – we are victors. We are invincible, we are super-conquerors. But that is speaking about the total picture, the positional picture, the ultimate war; the fact is in order to win the battle every day, we have to come to Ephesians chapter 6, because there we appropriate the armor that God has made available. And in appropriating this armor, we can be super-conquerors on a day to day basis. We can be more than conquerors. We can go beyond just winning the battle; we can take the spoil. We can go beyond just claiming victory; we can inherit all the possessions of the vanquished foe" (Gty.org). Though invisible to the naked eye, The Armor of God in all its mystery, must be worn at all times on your journey to fulfilling your life's purpose.

Having a Clear Understanding about Your Life's Purpose

In order to condition your mindset and create new habits for success, it is essential that you acquire a clear description of your life's purpose, which is your destiny. Your Mystery Element is there for you to access and assist you. Do not submit to a suggested career path or any random position simply to test this theory. You must meditate night and day, pray continually, and fast if needed, until your purpose is revealed to you. Please note, you will not flourishingly excel in creating your success blueprint without a clear focus. Before you can ask for something to manifest, you would have to know what it is that you truly want or desire.

Again, we as evolving beings striving for superior knowledge, must welcome wisdom and information with an objective analysis, not just an immediate subjective conclusion. To become successful and fulfill your destiny, you must have the capability to think and process information on a higher level. You must be able to interpret data in all its mystery, that is not seen, whereas others can only receive and accept data that is seen. You must be specific about your life's purpose and your definition of success. If you are not sure about your life's purpose, you cannot move on to the next step in your success journey. It is suggested that you review and meditate on steps 1 and 2 until your purpose is clear. Once that description is clear, an intense visualization exercise is needed, where you see yourself already there. You actually need to see yourself with your life's purpose fulfilled before moving on to step 3.

Ask God, and It Shall Be Given

Excerpts from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

After knowing your life's purpose, it is time to ask God for the desires of your heart.

As indicated in the Holy Bible (ESV): Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock,… (Matthew 7:7,8). And call on me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you… (Psalm 50:15). I called on the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me… (Psalm 118:5). Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty… (Jeremiah 33:3). And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive (Matthew 21:22). Therefore I say to you, What things soever you desire, when you pray,… (Mark 11:24). Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and… (John 4:10). And whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father… (John 14:13). If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what… (John 15:7,16). And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to… (John 16:23,24). For this thing I sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me… (2 Corinthians 12:8,9). Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may… (Hebrews 4:16). If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all… (James 1:5). And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise… (James 5:15). And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments,… (1 John 3:22). And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any… (1 John 5:14,15).

Declaring in Faith

Declare is defined as: 1) to make known formally, officially, or explicitly; 2) obsolete, to make clear; 3) to make evident; 4) to state emphatically; 5) to make a full statement of; 6) to announce; 7) to make payable (Merriam-webster.com).

The Bible tells us that the tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). "What we speak, whether positive or negative, will have consequences. What we declare will bear fruit. Loud, bold declarations are powerful, however, we do not always need to speak loudly in order for a declaration to be effective. The Hebrew word to meditate also means to mutter, to speak aloud to oneself, and this can even be done under our breath or quietly" (Calder, 2012).

...and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans, 12:2). If you focus on becoming successful and always maintain that idea, and imagine yourself there, the chances of it happening are strongly increasing. For as one thinks, so is (s)he. You must be able to interpret data in all its mystery, that is not seen.

Faith Without Works is Dead

James 2:18-26 (NASB): But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

A Personalized Approach

Excerpt from: The Mystery Element by Dr. Bev Knox

In your attempt to understand your behavioral habits, in its core response to your positive outcomes and fulfillment of your ultimate destiny, you have gained an understanding of the process with an objective viewpoint. Congratulations! You have acknowledged that there are multiple theories that may lead to the same conclusion, and you have acquired a sense of appreciation of such diverse methods. You also understand that you possess some negative automatic thinking and habits stemming from your childhood that must to be eliminated. You then have to recondition your mindset with new healthy thoughts that will produce positive automatic habits towards your success.

It is understandable that your main motive for wanting to gain the knowledge of these proven success strategies, may have been purely for your self gratification and the acquirement of your own personal wealth. It is acknowledged that this purpose may have been altered favorably to include your evolving personal growth and development process, and you holding yourself accountable for your distribution of charitable giving.

You thoroughly understand that there is a mystical element to science, consciousness, and the mind itself. You can clearly see that religion and science appear to be saying the same thing, but using a different language. Science uses terms such as: quantum field reality, energy, and matter. Metaphysics uses terms such as: consciousness, collective consciousness, and universal mind. Religion uses terms such as: God or Spirit.

Many theories were explored and presented to you in this text. You have accepted the fact that in this stage of our humanity, there are some things that we just don't know. Some things still remain a mystery. Science is ever evolving, and new theories are hypothesized on a daily basis. You, as an evolving being striving for superior knowledge, has welcomed wisdom and information with an objective analysis, not just an immediate subjective conclusion.

Some leading theories in psychology and spiritualism have been broken down into chunks of specified informational content for your clarification. Strategies included a step-by-step analysis of scientific research and an investigation into the mysteries of consciousness and spiritual awakening. As you have noticed, some information was intentionally repeated several times throughout this text. It was to assist you in remembering core concepts for your application process, because faith without works is dead.

It is wonderful that you were able to learn about new theories and acknowledge that there is something greater occurring within and around you, than what you are capable of seeing with the naked eye. You have such a brilliant mind that allows you to memorize, analyze and think about outcomes and possibilities of such wondrous sensational theories. How magnificent that certain concepts have transformed your ability to recognize key elements to foster your success and phenomenal greatness.

As you know, the knowledge of this theory presented is just the beginning, it is just Part A of your journey. Part B is the application, the activity, the function, the motion, and the component needed to fulfilling your life's purpose in all its mystery. It is an ever evolving process. It is up to you, to take the knowledge learned from this text, and apply it into your everyday life. No one else can do it for you. Your motivation to succeed needs to be activated by you. Each person's access to The Mystery Element is that of an individual accomplishment through their discovery of their own life's purpose. Remember, the Spirit of God, is within. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 KJB).