Rev. Marie D. Jones's Interview with
Diana Cornelius
Author of
A L.I.F.E. Blueprint

Diana Cornelius is a professional interior designer who was called to do, in her own words, a spiritual “remodeling” of her own “interior.”Her exciting & often difficult journey towards spiritual awakening is documented in her wonderful, warm & wise book.

Rev. Marie:
What do you see as the basic difference between religion & spirituality?

Diana:
My first response to this question is a very simple one. Religion is divisive, and spirituality is unifying.

I see religion as an organizational construct that was designed to control those who became interested in the concept of a particular teaching. People, by their very nature, often need something to follow or cling to for emotional & psychological support. Organized religions are institutions that promote one ideology or set of dogma as their own, & usually disregard the ideology or dogma of other institutions.

Spirituality is not a religious experience. It is the ineffable quality or essence that one embraces while refining one's life to reflect his or her core (soul) belief or knowing. In my book, I describe it this way: “Spirituality is the vehicle that connects one's corporal presence to one's soul's knowing. I see spirituality as the thread of our existence that ties a knot connecting our heart's desires to our mind, which then works fervently to create our experience.”

Therefore, spirituality is a very personal thing. It can't be taught, only experienced. In order to experience it, one must spend time feeling what it is that brings one pleasure, & conversely, what takes it away.

Rev. Marie:
How did being an interior designer give you a special understanding of your unfolding spirituality?

Diana:
This was one of those “ah-ha” moments when I suddenly realized that my new-found interest in finding my spiritual dimension to my personality was just like remodeling a home. You start with very basic questions, such as “what do I like, and what don't I like, to have around me? What colors make me feel good? What style reflects the real me? Whose home have I visited where I didn't want to leave and why? If I had an unlimited budget, what would I choose?”

A person on a new spiritual path would ask similar questions. In this case: “Who & what are in my life that keep me from being happy with my self & my life?” If it isn't possible to eliminate a stressor, it will take extra effort to find peace of mind.

It may sound overly simplistic, but I truly believe we are placed on this planet to discover happiness. When you can feel happy with your self & appreciation for your life (through all kinds of situations & circumstances both good & not-so-good) you are living spiritually connected with an Essence of Joy, Happiness & Love.

Rev. Marie:
Why do you feel so many people lose their connection to L.I.F.E.?

Diana:
This is a very important question: If someone is unhappy, L.I.F.E. isn't getting through to that person. The energy of LIFE (or God) is pure Love, pure Joy, pure Bliss. There is less energy (lower resonance) from any source of displeasure or anger or misery from any condition involving negativity. When we are not being true to ourselves & our mission or purpose here on earth, there is a disconnect & it is difficult to sense the purity of the communion even though it is still there. Therefore, people feel the disassociation, & give up on LIFE (God), believing they are not being heard or helped. This is why so many people lose faith. How sad is this!

Rev. Marie:
What are some basic tips you can give to someone reared in a traditional religion that may make them afraid or hesitant to follow their own path?

Diana:
It is difficult to “disobey” one's parents -- even after they are dead & gone. What we absorbed as children is really hard-wired in our brain. When we mature, hopefully, we begin to think things through & get more analytical. I think of the phrase, “Whose life is this anyway?” This kind of thinking usually happens when we get to the BIG questions like, “Why am I here?”

My suggestions would be:
 • Get away alone for a week of contemplation
 • Tune into nature
 • Analyze your thoughts about what God or Higher Power actually means on your uninfluenced terms
 • Analyze the real cause of any fear or hesitation
 • Allow yourself to let go of preconceptions
 • Pray for guidance
 • Pray for circumstances, people, & events to come into your life that will divinely direct you to your source of knowing concerning what is just right for you
 • Visit bookstores, interfaith web sites, retreats that cater to spiritual renewal
 • Congratulate yourself that you are a free-thinking adult who is capable of making independent decisions.

If, after considering & executing all the above, you feel a strong tie to your religion or origin, by all means, stick to it! Get into the depth of it, & study its structure & dogma from its very core. There is truth at the core of all religion if it was conceived in Love.

Rev. Marie:
How are science & spirituality finally merging into one another to create a unified understanding of what truth is?

Diana:
If you can agree with me & my understanding of what I believe truth to be, you will follow what follows.

My concept of truth is this: GOD (LIFE) IS ALL THERE IS. I love this statement, & it resonates with me. However, it probably won't resonate with everyone. &, that's perfectly understandable. We humans, no matter how “spiritual” we believe we are, are not going to all think & believe alike. &, until we can get science to prove God, we're never going to truly find the “truth.” Since science will never prove God exists (in my opinion, anyway), finding the unified understanding of truth will forever be difficult, if not impossible.

However, here go my thoughts on science & spirituality:
As anyone knows, who is involved with metaphysics, one can only comes into contact with those who can either teach him or her a valuable lesson or validate what he or she already know. Therefore, I seem to meet only the scientists who agree with me, that science & the spiritual (non-material) are converging. Luckily, I haven't had to argue my point with the more rigid scientific community.

Science now agrees that matter is not solid, not static. It is proven scientifically that the quantum energy is changed by the very act of perceiving it. To my simplistic way of seeing things, this means that every single thought we think alters energy. Thus, we “manipulate” consciousness. “Higher” thoughts vibrate at higher speeds that, in turn, create more “vibrancy,” more “creative” patterns. This can look to some like chaos. The chaos we experience in our lives is often the more life-altering times that result in change, more often than not, eventually for the better. God (LIFE) is all this energy expanding as we expand in our consciousness of IT.

Rev. Marie:
What do you hope your readers will most take away from your book?

Diana:
I want people who read my book to value the importance of being free.

From what I've heard about the Bible (a much better book) it is also about finding freedom. Think about this not from a standpoint of being free OF an individual, but free to BE an individual within whatever relationships you are in. This is what I did not accomplish within my marriage (because I didn't stand up for my intrinsic self), & I regret that with all my heart. Freedom, to me, now means to know thy self. My book is essentially available in order to teach someone who to find his or her Self.

Over my fireplace I have inscribed, “To thine own self be true.”

Rev. Marie:
Thank you, Diana, for a lively & fascinating read.

Do catch the Review of Diana Cornelius's A L.I.F.E. Blueprint & then get yourself a copy!

Rev. Marie
2004©Rev. Marie D. Jones
Published 07/18/04