Living the spiritual life excerpt

Audience member says "They have the power"...
(Robert responds)
Do they? Do they?
Does anybody have any power over you except the guy carrying the gun? That, unless you give him the authority to have power over you? (audience member says no, not in that respect) 
Okay, so now let's say the lovely lady sittin by the side of you would dissaprove of you if you did so and so, would that be havin' power over you? (only if I want it) well, you just didn't make it important whether she approved or dissaproved you could just go on about your business, is that right? (audience guy says something like if she really doesn't want me to I won't do it) Right that's a good way to make her responsible instead of you. So you know, we are always running around here seeing who we can make responsible for me. Right? There isn't anyone out there who's responsible for my inner state, what I do or don't do, yes we do have officials who see that we don't do things, or get stopped if we do things that are harmful to other people, but they don't care as long as I keep my nose clean and don't bother anybody.

State of being

One has a state of being, (which is what everybody is concerned about--this is the persons state of being) and it's exactly the way it has to be for this moment. And, on the other side we would have environment, inner feeling, activity, and nutrition. Now all of these are available which we have considerable control over.

Notes from 1977

STATEMENTS

Most people spend their time defending their view of themselves. They are totally unconscious of it.
The only thing anyone can do is make statements whether written or spoken. This includes the 'Not I's'.

It is entirely my responsibility as to how I handle these statements from within and without.

I can see it has no value to my purpose, or
I can see that it has a value to my purpose.
I do not have to defend self from any statement.
I do not have to analyze it.
I do not have to interpret it.
I do not have to reject it.
I do not have to accept it.

The end result is that I have accepted certain statements as true or valid to me and this is what I live by. This is my Truth.

I do not have to sell it to anyone else. I do not have to convert anyone else. Above all, I know that it has absolutely nothing to do with what is ultimately true - if there is such a thing as ultimate truth.

For instance:

I have heard that "most people are stupid bastards", and I have heard that "all humans are Christ incarnate, thus everyone is Christ playing a role to see if I can recognize Him in that role."

I have no idea of determining the validity of either statement. However, at various times in my life, I have lived as though each statement were true for a given length of time - have accepted it as being true and have lived by it.

I much prefer the latter.

Notes from 1977

There is nothing to prove or defend.

Teaching idea # 28

We have it all: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, interesting things to do and interesting people to be around.

Teaching idea # 27

Goal: Struggling after a predetermined result. Very stressful. Aim: A direction to go.

Teaching idea # 26

We can't live by concepts (conditioning). We live by insights (what's going on inside).