Compassionate Understanding

Sometimes the enormity of this world and our life’s journey can be lost on us.  Many times I pass people on the street, at the store, in a parking lot, or where ever I may be and often wonder what they are thinking.  Some of these people have smiles on their faces, some have scowls, and some are expressionless.  And, even so, it is still hard to know what they could be thinking.  Did they have a good day?  A great day?  A terrible day?  The worst?  Are they feeling love, joy, happy, sad, desperate, desolate or hopeless?  AND, how did I react to them, if we crossed paths?

When dealing with these people, we sometimes get frustrated because they are nasty to us.  But do we ever stop to think that they may be going through something pretty darned heavy?  When we were younger, we didn’t even think about their world…just ours.  We’d get angry that someone treated us disrespectfully, and we took it personally.  We tend to stay stuck in our own little world and forget there is a vastness FAR beyond our space and our journey.  When we get a little older, and have gone through a bit more of our own “stuff,” we still tend to be a bit frustrated, but we are less likely to take it personally.  And, we are starting to realize just how big the world is and how many people there are going through their own “stuff.”  We find we can identify with them a little bit.

A friend of mine lost her twenty-something daughter yesterday to tragic circumstances.  She is feeling despair, pain and anguish.  After I heard the news, I moved through my day and realized everyone I encountered had something going on in his or her life, good or bad.  It dawned on me yesterday that you have no idea about the circumstances of the people you pass on your journey.  How many of these people have an ill loved one?  Just lost a loved one?  Are out of money, about to get kicked out of their homes, or are just lost, and looking for answers?  Better still, how many of these people realize they are not alone?  How many of these people understand there are others going through something similar?  And even more eye opening, how many of these people realize they don’t have to go through it alone?

I implore you not to judge people by how they act toward you.  Yes, I do know how hard that is to do…but, offer them a smile anyway…tell them to have a good day, anyway.  You never know what a simple smile and a few positive words can do.  And, above all, just say a little pray for them…offer up some of your good energy…they don’t even have to know about it.  In fact, doesn’t the Bible tell us not to judge and not to make a spectacle of what we do?  How hard is it to just give someone a friendly smile and say some encouraging words in private for someone who may be suffering?  In that instant, what better do you have to do, anyway?  We are all linked and the positive thing you do for someone else will revisit you.  In being encouraging to someone else, you are, in fact, encouraging yourself!  Think about it!

New Years Introspection

I have often wondered why so many people love the ritual of making a New Years Resolution when they seldom, if ever, keep them.  Don’t worry, as I could never keep them, either, and stopped making them a long time ago.  This year, however, the idea of doing a sort of introspection instead of resolution popped into my mind.  Simply put, find out what does and doesn’t suit me, what I like or don’t, what I need to “make over” and what I don’t, and maybe this will help me make some changes.

Taking an inventory of what you do and don’t care for takes all sorts of honesty.  Why?  Because, in all honesty, we have become so settled in our way of thinking, we don’t pay attention to how we truly feel!   We are so comfortable with “the way things are,” we’d rather just continue down this path of fake tranquility, hoping that, at some point or the “right time,” things will change.

The truth of the matter is that we need to be proactive in our own lives.  If something doesn’t suit us, we need to do it differently.  If we don’t like something, we need to put the effort forth to change it.  If something needs to be made new, we need to be willing to make it over.  And yet, we aren’t…oh, and don’t worry, I am talking as much to myself as I am to anyone reading this.

There is much to like about “comfort” and much to fear about the unknown.   At least with comfort, we know what we are getting…even if it doesn’t make us happy.   With the unknown, we have no clue what might happen.  Could be good, or it could turn out bad…but if the comfortable is already unsatisfying, why wouldn’t we venture out into the unknown?  That new territory could hold such potential!  It could bring us everything we have ever desired…and maybe more…but only if we are willing to cross into the unfamiliar.

So, this year, instead of making a list of resolutions that have little chance of getting crossed off that list, why not do some personal exploration?  Observe what is going on within your own life and make an accounting of things that make you happy and things that don’t.  And, don’t rush the process…take your time.  Truthfully evaluate each thing you find.  Can you do something about it?  Can you change it?   Maybe there are other questions to consider…If we could really approach things candidly, what would we find out about what makes us happy and what doesn’t?  If we took the time to learn, would we possess the courage to pursue our happiness?  If the going got hard, would we be willing to stick it out?  If that proved to be intolerable, as well, would we be willing to make another venture forth into the unknown?  After all, that really IS all what matters.  Our own willingness to change our own lives…our willingness to go after what makes us truly happy…think about it!

Changing Your Perception

In the Bible we are told not to ramble on when praying.  We are to say our piece and get on with our lives.  Short, precise words are the ticket.  The more confusing the prayer, the more chance that it can be confused!  That’s not to say Our Creator would confuse that, but if you, like many others, believe your power is in your thought, then confused thoughts breed confusion of action!  One of my favorite spiritual teachers and authors, Ernest Holmes, taught that thoughts are things, and when put out there are acted upon.  To change your situation, you need to change the way you THINK about it.

Some of us wonder why we are in the positions in which we find ourselves.  “What did I do to end up like this?  God must really hate me for this to have happened to me.”  Sometimes it is over the death of a loved one.  Sometimes it is a financial situation.  Sometimes it is a relationship.  Sometimes it’s a loathed job.   Why do we automatically assume God had anything to do with that?

There are a couple of things we must understand.

First, you only control you…You cannot control the thoughts, decisions and deeds of another.

Second, Our Divine gave all of us free will.  We each have the ability to act and react.  And, again, we have the responsibility for ourselves.

Thirdly, we either take control of our lives or we don’t.

At any time we feel ready, we can start a journey of discovery to find out how we came to be where we are in our lives.  If we find ourselves in a particularly rough spot, we need to ask ourselves some particularly hard questions.  But we MUST be honest to get useful answers.

What decisions did I make in my life to bring me to this particular place?

Is this place in which I find myself beneficial in any way?  Are their lessons needing to be learned?

Can I make a new decision right now to change the course of my life?  Will I follow through on that decision, once it’s made?

Am I willing to make a new determination, at any time, if the previous one proves to take me in a wrong direction?

Again, remember, you are only responsible for you.

Many times, before a long journey by car, I visualize the entire journey to my destination, the drive, the potential stops, and the arrival, usually the day before I am to leave.  That visualization is comforting, as I see exactly what I want it to be.  We can do the same in our lives.

Maybe you are unsure what you want to lie ahead of you in your earthly journey, but you can visualize calmness in your decisions and spirit.  You can realize that whatever comes up for you is an opportunity, either to grow or to change a thought or decision for a better growth.  Throwing your hands up in the air in despair should never be an option.  Why?  Because THAT is the condition you are putting on your day…despair.  That is the thought that goes forth from you and becomes something.

Many people meditate and others pray.  Others believe in energy and others believe in other things.  There is no wrong way to go about your desire to see results, except one, hurting another expression of Our Divine.

The key to getting where you want to go is to simply start…Many teach to pray without ceasing, and like I have said before, the more you think positive thoughts, the more you will find your mind just goes with it.  It becomes automatic in your subconscious.

As an expression of Our Creator, you are a blessing to humankind that carries a piece of Our Creator inside your very being…Do you understand how awesome you are?  Better yet, do you understand the power you possess?  Go into the world every single day knowing you have the power to change your life…Live your expression to the fullest.  If you find yourself on a path that is distasteful, unproductive or brings loathing, change your perception?  You CAN make that change.

May the many blessings you seek be a catalyst for your upward growth and may you relax into these blessings and allow them to fill up your life and heart.  May you always carry the love of our Blessed Creator with you and wear it proudly…May your love of Our Creator shine forth so brightly that those around you have no choice but to take notice…With Divine Love in our hearts, we truly are the ones we’ve been waiting for…Much love and light to you…

Reflection…

Life sometimes finds us at a crossroads,
no clear way forward or back.
Yearning for some new adventure,
seeking anything new.

Moving in a strange direction,
unsure what lies ahead,
we can find ourselves reflecting.
on “better times” we’ve had.

Fear of future happenings
can catch us unprepared.
Looking for something familiar,
stable, well comfortable anyway!

Thoughts of our precious babies,
bring on nostalgic glows.
Maybe a parent, or old friends,
favorite uncle, aunt or cousin.

Great times we’ve had in days gone by,
and we hope to have again,
makes us wary of uncertainty,
we shy away from the unfamiliar.

But, you’ll never know what lies ahead,
unless you venture forth.
Can’t let fear of the undiscovered,
keep us from pushing onward.

Reflection is a marvelous tool,
it keeps us humbled, and aware,
of where our journey started,
and how we far we’ve made it though.

But it can also weigh us down,
particularly if we let it.
So be aware the road lies ahead,
but cherish your rememberings.

Power of being positive…

I love it when people say there is actually no negativity in the world or that we attract what we get.  I don’t agree with it.  Okay, to some extent, I do believe we attract some of what we get, but not everything.  There are so many dynamics involved…with this many people in such close proximity, you need to understand that at least some of what you take in is other people’s emotions…that includes love, anger, hesitation, pain, relief, joy, sorrow…whatever you can imagine.

Things are happening very fast and the news is not always great.  There is good and bad going on, but you don’t have to “own” the bad…You have to realize to not accept that energy…don’t take in.  What you CAN do is realize you can get through it and that realization, alone, will make it easier to handle.

I promote positivity in everything.  Does that mean I don’t recognize that things can turn out in other ways?  Of course not!  BUT, it is in how YOU deal with what comes your way that helps you handle the outcome.  We are, after all, human.  We can make mistakes…even honest mistakes can take their toll.  With mistakes come consequences.  Sometimes those are not pleasant.  That famous quote form Mahatma Gandhi comes to mind, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”  with that, another comes to mind, a Lakota Prayer, Mitakuye Oyasin, We are all Related…which in turn reminds me of another, Luke 6:31, which basically says, Do unto others and you would have them do unto you…

When you realize we are all related, so what I do to you will happen to me and to have a truly positive world, we have to BE positive, it should make us realize that things can change…We CAN make a difference in our world…Amazing what thoughts we can think when we accept the “teachings” of more than one “faith!”  (Which, by the way, are as related as we are!)

Keep working on positive thoughts and approaching all situations with love rather than dread!  With so many people having “free will” but not understanding that it comes with responsibility, we are bound to encounter negativity.  BUT, it does not have to be a part of your everyday life and, while you will have to deal with it, dealing with it with positivity and love rather than anger will only strengthen you…

You are a might Creation from an even mightier Creator!  Truly, there is nothing you can’t do…The minute you realize that simple truth, the better things will be to handle…Remember, Our Creator never said we wouldn’t face trials, just that we could get through anything…Keep that with you as you move through your journey here and reap the benefits of more freedom…freedom from undue amounts of stress and anxiety…After all, it’s your life!

For What Do You Seek?

Always looking forward,
or back.
Never quite finding.

Time spent wondering
to and fro,
Never satisfied.

Journey seems rough,
contentious,
Never suitable.

Always living in a haze,
broken,
At least it seems.

Today, though, is different.
You are still wondering,
still in a haze,
but you can see it,
the way out.

Awakening has begun,
Spirit is strong,
vibrant, alive!
No longer viewing things
with eyes closed.

Realization of what you seek,
just steps ahead.
Coming closer and closer,
if only you could…
the illusion is shattered.

What you seek is not out here,
the revelation is cold,
all along,
possessing the power
to set yourself free.

Worldly hordes forced your hand,
long ago
so you buried it deep.
And there it still sits,
waiting to be released.

You are the only one,
who can release You
from Your dark prison.
Put there so You could fit in,
Yet, now, You yearn to be free…

Emerge from Your darkness,
into Your Light.
Past and future irrelevant,
run from the ordinary…
Now…Your journey begins!