Dealing with a loss? Meditation for .3/06/2014

Seaside Farms; St. Helena SC

“Unable are the beloved to die.  For love is immortality.”  - Emily Dickinson

“Grief is a process.  Not a state.”  - Anne Grant

     If we are to live long and practice empathy and compassion, we are sure to suffer intimate losses.  If we did not love, we would be incapable of feeling the mind-numbing and gut-wrenching pangs of grief.  Losing someone who is close to us from illness or age allows some time to process the event that will come; those that are accidental and/or young do not allow such a luxury.  Especially in the case of sudden death or where the passing of the person was especially difficult, we must each go through our stages along the road to acceptance – denial, anger and feeling betrayed are a few.  When we finally do accept the finality of death, we are confronted with not only our own fears, but we can fall into a pit where everything seems hollow – nothing seems real or of meaning.  We have this tendency to blame ourselves for someone else’s demise – a most natural of the human process.  Shakespeare said that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have known love at all – at these times that concept is not so clear.  Grieving is an intensely personal matter, but personal does not have to mean private.  Hiding grief brings us no relief – we must share it, and each time we do it loses a bit of its power over us.  Eventually other things will fill the space and time that the one we loved occupied, but nothing will ever replace them.  Death brings a grief that no one else can ever heal, but the love we had leaves us with cherished memories that can never be taken away. 

    If we have accepted our own mortality, it is instructive to look at how we will want others to be affected by our passing – would we not prefer that they honor our love and our contributions rather than bemoan their loss?  But it is clear that we must allow ourselves this most human emotion, because if we try to repress or medicate it away we are sure to skew our thinking and poison our future relationships.  If we can honor the life that merited the love we gave and be grateful for our own ability to share love we are well on our way toward being better rather than bitter.  If our wish is that good should come from our own passing, it follows that using our grief as fuel to build new strength and greater love out of another’s passing is the highest honor we can give them.

Today, may I give myself permission to be human.  

To contact me, click Here.  To contribute to setting up the foundation or this journey, Click Here.  But whatever you do, have a 

Happy Friday!!

David

All worked up? Meditation for 3/5/2014

Beaufort SC

“Anger and folly walk hand in hand.”  -Benjamin Franklin

“Using anger to solve problems is like using a fan to organize paperwork.” – Unknown

     The word anger covers a spectrum from mild irritation to intense fury.  This survival instinct that triggers adrenaline, increases heart and breathing rates and triggers hormones is one of our most primitive emotions.   In situations of split-second survival response, the same things are triggered but we do not have time to develop a tantrum.  Therefore I can think of no use for it besides intimidation – which is one of the least effective social tools.

     If we are to be happy and function in society, we must get a handle on our anger and our responses to it.  Un-expressed anger causes chemical and emotional changes that poison us from the inside out.  There are many clinics, articles and books written on managing anger and techniques for dissipating the rage.  But is not better to just avoid it to start with?  Observing ourselves to realize how destructive it is provides motivation for a solution.

     Anger is our reaction to fear that we are not going to get something we want, or are going to lose something we have.  I personally have not found a situation yet where this was not the case.  Once we understand this second step is clear – each time we get angry, we train ourselves to honestly assess why we are afraid.  It takes a bit of practice, but it becomes habit soon.  To the extent that we address that fear, that particular phobia loses its power over us.  It does not take long working this regimen to eliminate the vast majority of fears that trigger our anger.  Soon it becomes a rare event that we allow ourselves to be manipulated into this harmful emotion. Then we are healthier physically and spiritually, and we spend a lot less time cleaning up chaos we have created.  This time will be well spent developing social tools more sophisticated than stones and clubs.

Today, may I remember to treat the illness rather than the symptom.  

Have a great Wednesday !!

David

To contact me, click Here.  If you would like to contribute to this effort, just Click Here.  Thank you for your interest and support !!

Not getting your way? Meditation for 03/04/2014

Beaufort SC

“Leadership is based on cooperation, not intimidation.”  - Arthur Ward

“Every kind of peaceful cooperation among men is based upon mutual trust.”  - Albert Einstein

     Some people seem better able to obtain cooperation from others on a regular basis.  If we want to improve on this skill, we ought to look at the difference between a request and a demand.  A request is the act of politely or courteously asking for something as a favor.  A demand is an insistent request, made as if by right and delivered with an implied consequence for failure to comply.  When someone threatens, twists our arm or otherwise tries to coerce us into something they want, even if we do comply there is usually a sour taste in our mouth, and there is the temptation to maneuver in the future so that we are not in a position to be compromised by them.  It is that underlying “or else,” that goes with a demand that is often the most grating.  It might work once, but making demands just about assures that there will be greater resistance in the future to attempts to solicit cooperation.

     It would make sense then to be about how we phrase our requests for cooperation and assistance.  When we make a demand we are in a position to be “hurt” if the other party says “no.”  There may be emergency situations where the hurt is physical, but these are few and far between.  Our fear of loss has us state a consequence if the other does not help us, but even if the consequence is naturally occurring the other party still has the option to say “no” and accept the consequence. 

     Our goal ought to be obtaining enthusiastic cooperation and creating a feeling of mutual respect and goodwill between us and other parties that lasts long after the immediate situation is resolved.  Threats, manipulation and coercion are just not as effective in the long run as politely asking, offering rewards, encouraging teamwork and staying within the boundaries of what others are capable of or willing to offer.  If we make sure our requests are legitimate, pay attention to the words and posture we use when making them and hold up our end of the bargain, all involved will benefit. 

Today, may I live in solutions.

To contact me, click Here.  If you would like to contribute to this effort, Click Here.  And whatever you do, have a

Happy Tuesday !!
David

Think you are courageous? Meditation for 3/3/20104

Dataw Island; SC

“Courage is grace under pressure.”  - Ernest Hemmingway

“Prudence which degenerates into timidity (is not) the path to safety.”  - Viscount Cecil

   If courage is defined as the ability to act in the face of fear, then can we call the child answering a dare to jump out of a tree courageous?  How about the teenagers playing chicken, smashing cars into one another head on?   How does this differ from the person who jumps into the icy river to save the drowning child?  Is the soldier with bayonets at his back being forced into a headlong rush into machine gun fire being courageous?  Perhaps it is the difference between pride and humility.  If one is acting recklessly on a dare, it is about craving attention – wanting to be seen as being worthy or better than one’s peers.  If one is facing danger to avoid losing face it seems people-pleasing is the motive.   Acting in the face of fear when it is a self-less act is just as dangerous, but the intention is not recognition, the intention is the well-being of others. 

     Adversity gives us opportunity to put into practice the spiritual principles we learn.  But if we approach the adversity from the standpoint of pride or elevating ourselves, we put ourselves at unnecessary risk for what will be a fleeting moment of applause at best.  This does not just apply to risking physical harm, there are many more examples of courage in the face of other fears.  How about standing up for someone who is being unfairly portrayed when to do so will not be popular?  What about calling our friends out on improper or self-destructive behaviors?  What about making amends to others for our own wrongs?  What about pretending that we are being tolerant when we really are just being cowardly?  The list goes on.

     Tact, wisdom, fore-thought, fore-sight, vigilance and concern are all synonyms for the word prudence.  This is the middle ground we seek between fear and recklessness – simply acting in the face of fear is far from grounds of respect and desirability. It is not recklessness or attention getting, but the application of courage combined with prudence and humility that deserves honor. Understanding this distinction will save us much grief in life.

Today, may I recognize valor.   

  

If you would like to contribute to this effort, just click Here.  To 

contact me, click Here.  And whatever you do, have a

Happy Monday !!

David

Today's top story !! Meditation for 02/27/2014

St. Helena Island; SC

“Our age is no more insecure than any other.  Poverty, disease, war, change and death are nothing new.”  -  Alan Watts

“If you don’t change, your life will be like this forever.  Is this good news?”  -  W. Somerset Maugham

     If we are to believe our 24 hour news cycle, you wouldn’t think it is safe to go outside.  We are constantly bombarded with tales of negativity, of the degradation and deprivation mankind is capable of.  Driven by a lust for viewers and ratings, there seems to be no end to the various angles that our fears are played upon.  Then, between news segments, we are again assailed with carefully scripted pieces designed to subconsciously convince us that if we do not have this or do that we are inadequate.  I once met an Australian who referred to the Television as the “glass teat.”  He claimed it was a device for the mentally impoverished to suckle some mental stimulation from. 

     Now we have portable devices that take a different approach.  Convinced that we are missing something our “friends” are up to, every available moment we keep our noses stuffed into a small screen which convinces us that we are engaged in life.   We flip through all of this exaggerated stimuli, from burning house to cute puppy meme to murder to sporting event to disease to . . . to what?  To another illusion that we are going to find the meaning of life through a bunch of pixels spoon fed us moment by moment?  We end up a bunch of desensitized news junkies so blinded that we cannot see the opportunities for meaning in our own life that lie within our grasp.

     Let’s do something different today.  Who is right within our reach that has a struggle we can assist with?  Who do we know that is isolated and could use an encouraging word or phone call?  What interesting or beautiful place lies just around the corner from us that we keep “meaning to visit?”  The only life we can create that “has meaning” is the one that lies in the potential life has provided all about us – flesh and blood interaction and first hand engagement in life.  Regardless of how real it can be made to seem, the rest is an illusion that will steal true meaning from our life one headline at a time.  We are well served to stay attuned to the difference.

Today, may I engage life.

Have a great Thursday !!

David

If you would like to contact me, Click Here.  If you want to assist with this effort by contributing a few dollars, please click Here.  Your interest and support is greatly appreciated !!

Frazzled? Meditation for 2/24/2014

Beaufort; SC

“Easy does it.” -  American Idiom

“What are you running from and what are you running to?  Relax, and savor life.”  -  Anon

     Being able to maintain internal calm regardless of external circumstances is a virtue we all aspire to.  To one who has not done any spiritual work on themselves it may seem unattainable.   Granted, it is not something that just happens – it takes work to achieve.  But it is not reserved for saints or people who lock themselves away from the world to pursue solitude and meditation.  Developing and maintaining serenity is something that anyone can do if they are willing to put forth the effort – and it does take some work to achieve.

    As with anything, if we have not experienced it we are apt to have many misconceptions.  Being serene does not require being shielded from life or being withdrawn or sluggish.  One can be both composed and energetic at the same time.  It is possible to be both calm and alert at the same time.  We are capable of relaxing and savoring life at the same time we accomplish the things we are supposed to be getting done. 

     There are a number of things that need to be worked on to get to this point.  First, we need to quit biting off more than we can chew – we must stop trying to prove we are adequate by taking on more projects and responsibilities than we can do well.  We must start being present where we are rather than always striving to get to the next place we think we need to be.  We need to bring our internal and external demeanor into synch – in other words we need to say what we mean, mean what we say, do what we promise and be true to ourselves.  We must mercilessly root out our anxieties and face them for what they are – figments of our imagination.  We need to be honest with ourselves and with others so that we are not burning energy foolishly trying to remember what we told to who or which mask we are supposed to be wearing today.  We need to allow others to be as they are – to give them the benefit of the doubt, to know that they are doing the best they can with what they have, and to forgive the whenever we can.

    There are other things we need to attend to if we would like to live in peace, and they will come clear as we work to resolve the things that bring us internal conflict.  It is a path worth the effort, and one that we can start or restart any time we choose.

Today, may I know peace.

To contact me, Click Here.  If you would like to contribute a few dollars to help me with the journey or to help get the foundation started, just Click Here.  But whatever you do, have a 

Happy Wednesday !!

David

Freedom !! Meditation for 02/25/2014

Beaufort SC

  ♪♫  “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose..”  - Janis Joplin

“Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”  ― Brene’ Brown

     Is not the fear of vulnerability the major obstacle to surrendering the masks we wear and being fully genuine and transparent?  We fear that if we do not have the “right answers” others will scoff and exclude us.  We fear that if we do not snatch what is there for the taking we will be in want.  We deny our weaknesses and conceal our attributes on grounds we fear them being exploited.  We fear that if we follow our heart and do that which we are best suited for we will lose out on the passing fad – if the band-wagon everyone is jumping on leaves town we will be left all alone.  We fear that if we are generous we will not be able to meet our own needs but if we don’t make displays of generosity we will be considered miserly.  We fear change because we don’t know if we will be deemed adequate at the same time we complain about the way things are.  We piously trumpet our victories – of course subtly with displays of fake modesty while we go to painstakingly hide our short-comings with displays of false bravado.  And so we cling – we cling to “stuff,” we are miserly with our love, we are not genuine about the true nature of our journey and we desperately cling to the way things are.   And ultimately we do this all because we fear the shame that we would face if we found ourselves abandoned and in want.   

     And so this fear of others emotionally or materially compromising us cripples as we squander our credibility one small deception at a time.  These masks become so entangled that we end up with no idea of who and what we are.  But we forget that in order to be vulnerable we must have something to lose.  If we realize that we never truly own anything but are simply stewards of what we have we live in gratitude of what is and do not want for anything.  When we become attuned to the emotional and physical needs of others they become aware of our own needs as well – there is no “face” or “pride” to lose.  The excuse of not surrendering to the realities of this moment and the human condition we share with others is but another illusion that conspires to keep us in ignorance.  Because truth and power can only flow through when we are genuine – when we surrender, become legitimate and allow our own humanity.  The reality is that we have nothing to lose but the opportunity – the opportunity to surrender, make ourselves vulnerable and gain the world.

Today, may I be real.  

Have a great Tuesday !!
David

To contact me, click Here.  To contribute to this journey or help with the foundation, please Click Here.  Thanks for your support !!

What do you deserve? Meditation for 2/23/2014

Twilight in Beaufort, SC

“Give every other human being the right you demand for yourself.”  Robert Ingersoll

“Equality is probably forever unattainable.  It is a noble ideal, but it can never be realized because what men desire is not rights, but privileges.”  -  H. L. Mencken

     We hear a lot about “rights.”  People fight for rights, preserve their rights, lose their rights, die for their rights – the list goes on and on.  In the grand scheme, there are many “human rights” that folks before us fought and died to be sure that we as the citizenry had.  But on a day to day basis, when we have gotten our dander worked up about our “rights” it is because we feel we are due something.  We might think we have the right to revenge or recrimination when someone has wronged or criticized us.  We may think we have the right to a settlement or compensation when we feel someone’s actions have infringed upon our territory.  We might feel we have the right to speak our mind when we disagree with something, the right to take something when something has been taken from us, the right to a fair public hearing when we think we have been wronged – the list goes on and on. 

     For those of us who are doing the best we can to pursue a spiritual path, this is dangerous territory.  First, there is the issue with expectations as a whole.  As soon as we narrow our focus to an individual thing that we are “expectant” of we have set ourselves up for resentment and self-pity if our expectation does not come to pass.  At the same time, if the thing we expect comes to pass we have precluded gratitude – after all, once “it” is ours, it was merely what we “deserved” in the first place.   So when we decide we are going to demand something we think we are due it is easy to put ourselves in a no-win situation.  Another problem is how easy it is to wreak all manner of destruction when we think we are “owed” something.  In a heartbeat we can become completely self-centered and are trampling over the same “rights” of everyone else’s.  Is there anyone as scary as the zealot, who is so fervently consumed on their mission of exacting their due that they view any harm they cause others to be justifiable collateral damage?   Besides, if I walk around shaking my fist at the sky and demanding that I get what I deserve I may not be all that happy with how that works out.

     On the other side of the coin, when we see the wisdom of foregoing our “rights” on frequent occasions, do we view ourselves as martyrs?  If so, we have simply developed a new expectation that we are going to get some type of accolades in exchange for our “piety.”  Is there anything more pathetic as the pious victim, who bemoans their “sacrifices” in the secret hopes that victim mentality will bring them some sort of elevated status?  If so, we have missed the whole point of humility and gratitude.  When our focus is on “getting our due” it is impossible to be in a frame of mind sufficiently open and willing to allow the spirit to work with and through us to attain the best possible outcome of the situation at hand – right NOW and right HERE.  With some spiritual maturity, we realize that what we think we are owed is seldom the thing of most value that can come out of the situation.  We learn to get out of the way, open our mind, seek guidance and look for the greater good.  Because what we think we want is seldom the best thing for us and almost never the best alternative available.  And if we are looking to the future for our “salvation” we are sure to live a life full of unsated anticipations.

Today, may I want what I have.

      

To contact me, just Click Here.  If you would like to contribute to this effort, Click Here.  And whatever you do, 

Have a great Monday !!

David 

In a hurry? Meditation for 2/21/14

Fripp Island; SC

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”  - Socrates

“Take time for all things.  Great haste makes great waste.”  - Benjamin Franklin

     Ever notice how there is time to do things over when it did not seem there was time to do them right to start with?   And it seems the norm that when we have to go back and correct something it is much more difficult than doing it right to start with.   When we rush hither and yon trying to be all things to all people we are usually not much to anyone, ourselves included.  Alternately, if we are doing work just to be doing something and find ourselves doing meaningless tasks just to avoid clearing other issues out of our mind, we need to remind ourselves we are better off “doing nothing at all.”  Multi-tasking might look good on paper, but typically falls short in overall efficiency.

     Time spent in awareness and at peace with ourselves is our most precious time.  Quietly focusing on one task, just the one immediately in front of us, helps overcome procrastination and can stop us from obsessing about other things that are bothering us.  And, if that one task we focus on is to sit quietly and be fully aware right now, that is something in itself.

Today, may I remember that my time is my life.  

Have a great Friday !!

David

To email me, please click Here.  If you would like to help financially with setting up the foundation or with this journey, please Click Here.  Thanks for your support !!

Some sick thoughts - Meditation for 2/20/2014

Fripp Island; SC

"Health is not valued until sickness comes."  -  Thomas Fuller

"We are not victims of sickness, aging and death.  They are just part of life's scenery."  -  Deepak Chopra

     Experiencing physical illness has a way of bringing our priorities back to the basics. Some illnesses are chronic, and never going to go away, and some come with symptoms so debilitating that we don't have any choice in the matter.  But I am speaking of the illnesses that come and go - that plague us all from time to time.  It might be a broken bone, the flu or a cold or any of other ailments that slow us down for a while.  

      When we are relatively healthy we may get to thinking we are entitled to good health.  But give us a downturn, and our attitude changes quick.  One tempting notion is to start thinking we are going to feel this miserable for the rest of our lives.  Another is to mask our symptoms with drugs and push ourselves into doing the things we think we are supposed to be doing.  Still another is to just medicate the pain away and pull the covers over our head until it passes.  But one thing is for sure - our body is telling us something is wrong and we need to prioritize attending to it.  When we finally do get better we may feel some gratitude for a day or so when we get the cast off, can eat solid food again or our head stops spinning.  But soon we are back in the grind and the gratitude is gone.

     Since gratitude is such a crucial component to a meaningful life, perhaps we need to do things on a regular basis that remind us to be grateful for our own help.  A couple of years ago, I helped cook Thanksgiving dinner at a Hospice center.  Seeing all of those people who were dealing with imminent death had  profound effect on me for a few months.  Then there are the times that I visit people I know in the hospital or nursing home, and I always walk away feeling a good bit more grateful for my health.  One thing we are all guaranteed in life is that our own health will permanently fail one day, and it is easy to try to avoid our fears of that reality by skipping those opportunities to be of service to those that are sick.  But perhaps those very opportunities will be what gives us the gratitude we need to know a meaningful life on a day to day basis.  

Today, may I take a healthy dose of gratitude.

If you have ideas or suggestions for the meditations or this journey, please email me by Clicking Here.  If you would like to contribute to this journey or help set up the foundation, please click Here.  And what ever you do, 

Have a great Thursday !!
David

Know somebody that needs fixin'? Meditation for 2/1/2014

Fripp Island; SC

"Any nation that would enslave another unwittingly enslaves themselves."  -  Johann von Goethe

"When you stop trying to change others and work to change yourself, your world improves."  - Anon

     People close to us do things that annoy us.  In fact, people close to us do things that make their life much more difficult - and by extension make things more difficult for us too.  We know that unsolicited advice never works, but sometimes we go beyond that and decide we are going to "fix" someone else.  After all, we are convinced we know what is best and feel it is our duty to "change" them.  And how does this work out?

     It goes back to the old adage about "give a man a fish, feed him for a day - teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  If we have determined what we think is best for someone else, we may have the leverage to force them into doing it for a while.  Will they ever be a good at it?  What makes us think we can predict the future so well that we know who is best suited to be a fisherman versus a cattle rancher or a carpenter?  How is it that we think we know what doors will open up for someone else when they "hit their bottom" with their circumstances?  We may think we can predict the future, but all we need to do is to take a look back at our life and we quickly see that we really have no clue what is in store for any of us. 

     Of course it is our responsibility to let others know what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable as they impact us, but we are talking here about going the step beyond that and taking action to force someone else into the behaviors we want.  If we look honestly at it, we see that we never have changed anyone else - only they can change themselves.  At best they might reach a point of pain and choose to pattern their actions on the actions they see us taking in our own life.  And, at best, if we are "successful" at forcing someone else into a particular behavior, have we done anything more than use our influence to take a hostage?  Have we not simply saddled ourselves with another dependent?

     Fixing others doesn't work.  Leading by example works sometimes.  Straightening ourselves out so that we can seek a spiritual solution to our problems works every time.  But it is a lot easier to focus on what we think needs changed in others than to face what needs changed within ourselves.  We serve ourselves and others best by keeping our side of the street clean and focusing our attentions on helping others with what they CANNOT do for themselves.

Today, may I be prudent.

Have a great Wednesday !!
David

If you would like to help me with this journey, you can contribute by clicking Here.  And if you have comments, suggestions or insults you can email me by Clicking Here.  Thanks for your interest and support !!  

Need direction? Meditation for 2/18/2014

If you don't believe, pray in disbelief, but pray earnestly.  Belief will come along with the results.  -  Anon

Insanity 101: Repeating the same action over and over and expecting a different result.  Insanity 201: Knowing what works and refusing to do it.  -  Chris Crolley

     There are those of us who refuse to try prayer because we secretly fear it will work, thus "proving" our deepest fear - that our "self" is inadequate.  Of course this is hidden deeply beneath an air of prideful arrogance.  There are those of us who refuse to pray because we think that whatever God there is must be far too distant and "above" us for our prayers to be meaningful.  There are those of us who pray as though it were some ceremony, trying to impress whatever ears the prayer may fall on with displays of "holiness"  and obeisance.  And even for those that have genuinely tried and made connection with the "Spirit of the Universe," there come times of disillusionment and rebellion, when praying is the last thing we want to do.

     Luckily, experience shows that the spirit never makes difficult terms with those that genuinely try to seek connection - regardless of past errors and missteps.  Praying simply for direction is the one prayer that always works.  Sometimes the direction we are given may not appear like the best course, but if we could see the correct course in the first place we wouldn't need direction.  Regardless of where we are at in our life, the simple and earnest plea for guidance will help us improve our situation.  The only way we can fail at it is to refuse to try in the first place.

Today, may I do what works.

Have a great Tuesday !!
David

Want Peace? Meditation for 2/16/2014

“There is no ‘way to peace.’  There is only peace itself.”  Gandhi

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”  - Eckhart Tolle

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.”  -  Marvin Gaye

    Agitators agitate.  Sometimes it is because they stand to profit from the chaos that conflict creates.  Sometimes it is because they stand to profit in the aftermath of the conflict.  And in every case they are cowards – unwilling or unable to find peace within themselves.  One of the easiest ways to avoid facing and resolving internal conflict is to get engaged in some external chaos – after all, if others are doing the same thing then “we are not so bad.”  And if no conflict is handy, it is easy enough to find and exaggerate differences between others.   After all, the coward’s greatest fear – far beyond the fear of death – is that they will have to face themselves, and in the process will find that they are “inadequate” as human beings.  This plays itself out at all levels of human society – from the family unit to international relations.

     On the individual level, to the exact degree we have unresolved fears within us are we vulnerable to the manipulations of the agitator.  Thus, if we are tired of being manipulated, the solution lies not in changing them but rather in changing ourselves.  If we have faced and grown beyond the deep underlying fear that we might be inadequate, we have made great gains toward being impervious to manipulation.  If we have done the work to face our fears we realize that our true self is not other’s opinion of us or what collections of objects, accolades, achievement or information we have accumulated.  If we have done the work of self-examination we realize we are not even the body we occupy or the thoughts, opinions and emotions we generate.  And if we have honestly done the work to connect with that spiritual essence that is woven throughout all, we realize that if we stay connected we will be ok no matter what.  How is another to manipulate us when realize that we will be ok no matter what – when we no longer fear loss of material things, we know we are perfectly adequate and even death itself no longer intimidates us? 

     From this point of understanding, we see others as we see ourselves – a whole and complete being who struggles with the insecurities of the human condition.  And from this position of understanding we cannot help but show empathy and love because we can then see clearly the deep fears that plague the one who would agitate.  Does this mean that we can “change” them?  Of course not; their path is theirs to follow.  They have to exhaust every attempt to avoid facing themselves before they will know enough pain to become teachable anyway.  But we can avoid buying into the drama – we can stick to the high road and avoid the sewers of self-centeredness.  We can avoid being drawn into the drama and still be understanding.  We can serve as an example of peace, and we can walk away from things when we realize that they are not what we first thought.  But in reality it is rare that we have to walk away from anything - ignorance cannot stand in the presence of enlightenment; it create or find some other negativity to prop itself up to avoid caving in upon itself.     

Today, may I know freedom.

If you have any troubles getting these by email, or if you have any input please contact me by clicking Here.  If you would like to contribute to help with this journey or to get the foundation going, just Click Here.  And whatever you do, have a

Happy Monday !!

David

     

Look before you . .step? Meditation for 2/14/2014

Cole's Island Creek; SC

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who endowed us with sense, reason and intellect intends for us to forego their use.”  - Galileo Galilei

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  - Benjamin Franklin

     Logic and reason all too easily become rationalization and justification.  I can use my own sound judgment to talk myself into or out of just about anything.  I can also selfishly want something so badly that I disguise its acquisition behind the appearance of a good deed or by manipulating conditions to make it appear as though it were a necessity.   I can make up valid reasons to avoid seeking the counsel of others knowing full well that they will advise me against it.  Sometimes I just do not want to admit that I do not know what I do not know.  But this all adds up to situations where I have created such a mess that I despair.  Rather than ask if it is a good idea to jump off the cliff, I first jump and then either holler for rescue on the way down or allow my pride to keep me silent and thus suffer every possible bruise and broken bone the landing has to offer.  Afterwards, I find myself stuck in the mud, saying things like: “I had a feeling that wasn’t a good idea” or “There is no way I could have known” or more often “What imbecile put that dang cliff in my way?”

     Seeking guidance is much more effective if done prior to jumping off a cliff.  Sometimes I forget to do this - usually when I desire something so strongly that I act before I think.  Other times I am afraid of the answer I will get if I ask, so I go ahead with my own plan anyway.  And of course when things overall are going pretty good I start feeling invincible and convince myself that I needn’t bother God or others.  When it becomes clear that the resulting calamity is not only un-avoidable but overwhelming in its scope it suddenly occurs to me that seeking direction and intervention might be a good idea. 

     Perhaps after a few failures (preferably of the non-fatal variety) we remember to consult maps and ask for directions rather than traveling at break-neck speed through un-known terrain.  Once we are stuck in the mud an ounce of prevention is worth a lot more than a pound of cure - because often there is not a pound of anything that can undo the damage our decision has caused.

Today, may I pause BEFORE I get myself agitated.  D.Emch    

Have a great Friday !!

David