The Keys to the Kingdom
Online Course
Introduction
“The kingdom of heaven is within.” Jesus
The storms of life will come and go. Of that we may be certain. A wise person does not just hope for the luck of the draw. He or she does not live in fear of the storm, but instead prepares to meet it when it comes.
There are a few simple spiritual truths that can help us weather the ups and downs of life. They are neither esoteric nor complicated. We would do well to understand these truths and to pass our understanding on to our children. There may come a time when one of these simple truths and the practice that goes with it may save our life or the life of someone we love.
It is no mystery that the secret of life is to learn to love and honor you. If you can do that, you can also learn to love and
honor others. You can find your true gifts and passion in life. You can stop betraying yourself and giving your power away.
You can live a creative, graceful and purposeful life. The practices in this Course will help you to do this. I have made them simple and clear so that you can use them right away.
First, click on the link above to access each Key in the Course. Read the key so that you understand the concepts being presented. Then watch the video in which I discuss the key in depth. Finally, re-read the key and make an index card with the name of the key and the transformational question associated with it. Carry that index card in your wallet or purse so that you can refer to the question throughout the day.
You will work on each key for one week. Ask the transformation question as often as possible, but especially when you feel triggered or confused. Put that simple truth to work in your life and you will begin to see results. If you want to work more deeply you can spend a whole month on each key.
After you have completed all of the keys, continue to use the keys in your life, asking the transformational questions whenever they are relevant. The Eight Keys give you all the information that you need to know to be happy and at peace with yourself and others. Your only job will be to keep practicing what you know.
Once you complete your initial journey with the keys, consider starting a Keys to the Kingdom Practice Group and share your experiences. Use the Affinity Process Guidelines in the Appendix of this book to help create a safe space for sharing. Support each other in bringing these concepts and spiritual practices into your daily lives. The group can meet as often as you like, but it
works best when you meet every week or every other week.
No matter how much support you have, you will sometimes forget to practice. When that happens you may experience pain and struggle in your life. That is how you will know that you have forgotten. But don’t beat yourself up. Just renew your commitment to practice what you are learning.
Pain is a wake up call. It tells you that you have gone to sleep or become unconscious. Pain calls you back to re-align
your life with truth from the inside out. Jesus told us that the Kingdom of heaven is within. We keep forgetting that. We keep looking for love and happiness outside of ourselves. That search always comes up empty. When it does, we think there must be something wrong with us. We must be deficient. All our unworthiness and self judgment rises up.
We beat ourselves up. We beat our partners and children up. We shame and blame, attack and defend. We get drawn
into the drama. It is not pleasant. When we forget who we are, we cannot be nice to ourselves or others. We must come back home. The kingdom is within, not without. We must learn to find love within our own hearts. Then we can take it out into the world. But if we try to take it out into the world before it is fully established in our hearts and minds, we will make an ungodly mess.
Just look at the world around you and you will see both the drama and the mess. It is so ubiquitous, so multi-layered that
you know it cannot be changed easily. If you want to shift it, you have to start from the inside. A messy, uncharitable world
comes from a messy and judgmental mind. An unloving world comes from a hurt and shut down heart. There is no way this can be changed on the outside. Change must come from within.
When the heart heals, the world heals with it. If you do not believe this, then try it for yourself. Heal your heart and see how the world you live in changes. That is what this Course will help you do.
This Course is designed to be a practical tool that you can put to work in your life. However, it won't have much impact if you do not use it.
It is an existential fact that we all have the life we want. If you didn’t want the life you have you wouldn’t have it. As soon as you say “I don’t want to live like this anymore” you begin the process of transformation. But you must back it up with actions. Words are not enough to change old habits.
Please use the keys in this Course to open the doorways in your life. Take the keys with you wherever you go. Use them
as often as you can. They will help you to transform your experience. Fear will drop away and unconditional love will shine through. As you awaken to who you are, so will the people around you.
A fearful world cannot exist for a loving heart. Love changes everything. That is why this works. Do your part and you will see for yourself.
I wish you many blessings.
Paul Ferrini