Recently I’ve been researching gurus because I’ve been trying to find words to describe my philosophy of life. My thoughts are somewhat eclectic so you can imagine that this is a search that could be an entirely different blog. At any rate, I was researching Louise Hay, the author of books such as Heal You Body and Heal Your Life and Google being what it is, wanted to show me all the rabbit holes I could descend. One such rabbit hole was an article by an oncologist who seemed to believed that the renowned author and influencer was the worst thing on the planet. This guy was filled with anger and hate towards the author. Now, I can imagine that he’d just seen too many people die of debilitating disease that he couldn’t tolerate someone espousing love as the only treatment, so it was interesting to me that in his incensed harangue, he was proving her point eloquently; at least to me.
The point of Louise Hay’s message was self-love and acceptance. She also advocated extreme gratitude to the point where you tell yourself all the things you wished someone else would have told you throughout your life. Now, this, is a pretty big leap for anybody. We are not taught to express love to ourselves. We barely know what love is when we look for it in others. We can spend a lifetime just figuring out what love is.
In this guy’s pain and anger, he was spouting the very opposite of what she was expressing. Her message was love, his seemed to be an overflow of anger and pain. Nowadays, I have trouble listening to that, but I can see his point. The number of people who have cured themselves of cancer are much less than those who have had success from standard allopathic treatment, but what we are learning now is a middle ground. Now a days, of course, most physicians will encourage their patients to explore spiritual, religious, and philosophical avenues in conjunction with their treatments. They are beginning to realize that what happens in the heart, mind, and spirit of the patient can have a tremendous impact on the treatment and how it affects the patient.
In addition, you don’t need to have a life-threatening illness to practice self-love and gratitude. Everyone can benefit from self-compassion. In a March 2018 article in Medical News Today, why self-love is important and how to cultivate it (Soudoiu, 2018), self-compassion can help us deal with struggles, adversities, and failure.
If you’re curious about this self-love stuff, I invite you to try a little experiment. Think of something you dislike a lot. If you absolutely hate something, go with that. It can be an experience, a person, even a food. Really feel that feeling. Let it fill you up. Now imagine living with this feeling all the time. Not very pleasant, is it? Next, think of something you love or even just really enjoy. Feel the difference. Let it fill you up. That’s the difference. Imagine feeling that 24/7?
With this little experiment, you can begin to see how love can heal or just help you cope with the struggles of life. In addition, you did it all on your own. No one did it for you or to you. Self-love can be done at any time or any place. It isn’t selfish. It’s self-care. In this rapid, perfection seeking world, it’s healthy to take a minute to accept, care, and be grateful for that which we are.

Peace,

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321309#What-is-self-compassion?

So recently I’ve been on my unworthiness issues and I thought I’d share a conversation I had with myself.

To say that I am unworthy does not completely explain what I’m feeling. I feel as though it doesn’t matter what I do, I won’t get it because I’m just person 123,897 out of billions. Who am I? There is no one out there who is going to listen and if they do, I will block it because I don’t deserve it. I’m not special.
What makes this true?
That’s just the way it’s always been.
Can you change it?
No.
Why?
Because I’m just person #123,897 out of billions.
What if there was another truth?
What other truth?
The truth that says you do.
Well, I suppose that would work for other people.
What makes you different from other people?
No, that just it. I’m not different from other people.
Then it will work for you.
What will?
Choosing another truth. You said that it works for other people. Be those people.
How?
Choose another truth.
How do you do that?
Decide what you want. Choose it.
But aren’t all truths just that? Truths.
Yes, and they all exist at the same time. Choose the one you want.
You mean, if I choose: I am unworthy, I will be unworthy and if I choose to be worthy, I will be worthy.
Sure.
How do I choose worthiness?
Recognize when you feel unworthy and tell yourself that is not the truth you choose. How do you feel when you feel worthy or the possibility of being worthy?
Unstable.
That’s good because you’re wrestling with the two feelings. Focus on the feeling of being worthy.
You mean that out of billions of people, we’re all worthy.
Yes.
Wow.
Yes. To be worthy does not mean that others are unworthy.
I’m special?
Yep.
And everyone is special. How?
Everyone is born with unique abilities, but some never use them.
Because they feel unworthy?
Yep, or they’ve never had this conversation. The world teaches them that only some people are special.
This is okay, right? It’s not like…hubris?
Hubris is where you think you’re better than everyone else. Do you feel that?
No, well, not always.
We’ll work on that another time.

Where has the joy gone? Google dictionary says that Joy is feeling of great happiness. How do I find true happiness? They say you can reflect on past happenings, but what if the past is not so happy. Others say you can choose to be happy, but if you don’t know what happy is, how can you choose it? How can I know happiness? If you can, think of a happy memory, allow it to occupy your thoughts, feel it fill you up. Where do you feel it in your body? I feel it in my solar plexus. It is a rippling sensation. This is what I call joy, but it can also be an excitement that bubbles up in response to something.

Happiness is something less bubbly and more contented. Contentment is said to be a mixture of happiness and satisfaction, but how can you define something by itself. That’s like saying happiness is happiness. Well, yeah, but if you don’t know what happiness is, this statement is nonsensical.

What we do know, is that happiness is a feeling. It’s a feeling that comes from knowing we are surrounded by good things. So, maybe, if we can’t remember happiness, we can strengthen our closest relationships and take care of ourselves physically, financially and emotionally. This means good diet, activity, stay within our means, and deal with our other issues so we feel safe. This is choosing happiness and maybe that’s all we have to do.

We can look at this two ways. One, we are (insert negativity here). I invite you to hang with that thought for a moment….. How does it make you feel? I’m betting not too good. Now, (insert positivity here). I am, We are…. If it’s difficult, think of your oneness with that which is grounded. What makes you feel bigger than your current strife? Think of it as an unused muscle. It will loosen and strengthen in time if we use it. Lately, it’s easy to fall into the negativity because it seems to be all around us. People are dying, angry, blaming, and we are wallowing in thoughts and emotions that are counter to our nature. If we stay too long in these we will never find our way out. The thing about negativity is that although we can feel it, it doesn’t help us. We can experience it because we need to identify it. We need to say, this is bad, but not who I am/We are. The interesting thing about negativity, though, is the longer we wade in the muck, the muckier our lives become. Pretty soon, that’s all we see and we are miserable. On the other hand, if we remember that we don’t grow well in the muck, we can step out of it. By remembering that we are not the muck, that we are alive, joy, and individually responsible for our own wellbeing, brings us to a place of power. This is how I know that the positive is the truth of our being. If we believe we are the muck and that it surrounds us, then we will forever stay in the muck. If we believe we are vibrant, loving beings, we can step out of the muck because we believe there is something better than the muck. Humanity is as great as we allow ourselves to be, one person at a time. You are amazing. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can begin changing how you feel and the world.

This was written in honor of Father’s Day. Every one has a different relationship with their father. None are any less valid. Even if you didn’t know your father, perhaps you can think of men in your life who provided the particular qualities you’d like to see in a father. You are lucky because you can choose any number of men with whom to emulate. You are truly at choice. My father died in 2007, but I still feel his presence in my life for good or ill. Just like when he was alive, I get to “glean the gems from the stones”.

Dear Dad,
It’s me, you youngest. I don’t think I turned out as you expected, but I don’t think you’re disappointed. I think if you had been raised in a different era and area, you might not been quite so set in your ways. My body is like Mom’s, but my mind is like yours. In some ways I followed your example, but in many more, I went my own way. Though, I think I’ve embarked on paths which you started me on whether you knew it or not. Those late night discussions in the Gulf Islands will always be remembered fondly. You taught me how to think and to ask questions.  These have allowed me to embrace concepts far beyond the ones you taught. I will always be grateful for that. Our relationship was sometimes a struggle, but you tried. I think none of us are free of issues. The true miracle is that we can glean a few gems among the stones. So thank you Dad. Be at peace. I know I will be.

On this day I am grateful for the air that I breathe, the fresh water I can drink, the food I can eat, and the loving arms of Spirit who sees me through each day. May you know all these and more today and every day.

It is believed that animism was the first known religion. Our ancestors lived closely with the land. They believed the land and its inhabitants could actually speak to them, if they listened. This brought understanding and a sense of peace with what life brought their way. Life and death, feast and famine, peace, prosperity, or the lack thereof were accepted and taken in stride. They took their cues from the natural world and life could be like that of a dance. The give and take of life could be harmonized with and this brought an easy flow to their lives. These beliefs and their modern descendants exist even today throughout the Americas, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and in European Celtic traditions. Sometimes they are followed exclusively and sometimes in combination with Christian or Muslim traditions. In the bigger picture, there are no rules because quite probably, the divine doesn’t care how you show up, as long as you do. If you’re looking for interaction with Spirit that ebbs and flows with the patterns of life, Animism may feed your soul.

Additional Resources:

https://www.religious-information.com/animist-religions.html

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-animism-4588366

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Merriam-Webster defines the word “bless” as to hallow or consecrate and this simply means to make holy; to invoke divine care, to confer prosperity or happiness upon; and to protect or preserve. Dallas Willard, in their article: The Right Way to Give Someone a Blessing in Christianity Today, explains that in blessing someone “You invoke God on their behalf to support the good that you will for them”*. In the Jewish tradition, Berakhah. … בְּרָכוֹת, berakhot, brokhoys is a “benediction,” “blessing,” “drawing down [of spiritual energy]”**. When we bless another, we invoke the divine in our desire for goodness to wrap itself around another. When we bless, we truly want good for the other. This is easy when we bless our loved ones and even strangers. It gets hard when we bring our enemies or people we don’t think much of into our sphere of blessing. It’s hard because they keep pushing our buttons. We are constantly asking: How can they think that? How could they do that? They anger us, hurt us, and we find ourselves in that angry, hurt place and its awful. What we’ve found out, though, is we can’t make change when we stay in that place. Change only happens when we get out of that place. Anger and hurt are important to acknowledge because without them we can never know that change is required. Anger and hurt are tricky, though. It is so easy to stay angry and hurt; but that is not their purpose. Their purpose is to inform us that change is required. You don’t have to stay there. But how do we make change when we’re in our angry and hurt feelings? Might I suggest blessing? Start with blessing yourself. If only for today, draw down that spiritual energy and confer or invoke divine care. Keep doing that until it overflows. Then let it overflow onto those you love. Let it surround and envelope them until it builds them up. Next, allow it to overflow again. Let it enfold the deli worker at your local supermarket, your child’s teacher, and anyone who may need it. Do you notice it keeps coming? In every major and minor religion or spiritual teaching, blessings keep coming as long as you ask or open yourself to them. See them experiencing what they most need or want. With every blessing, see yourself sharing the wealth. See it starting with you, overflowing and spreading out to all. Finally, when you’re ready, think of someone who really pushes your buttons. See them for the wounded, hurt, and angry person that they are. See them lashing out from this place and understand them. Then, when you’re ready allow your blessing to encompass them. You don’t need to know exactly what they most need or want. You just need to bless them. See them with eyes of love. Now this doesn’t mean you don’t act to end your hurt but from this blessing, I hope you act from love.

Namaste.

Further reading:

*https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/january-february/right-way-to-give-someone-blessing.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessing

**https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barakah

So a few weeks ago we talked about why our life sucked and giving thought about defining our connection with the divine. You were going check into your inner world about how you felt about it. No doubt it some questions came up. “Can I do this?” “Is it alright?” “Will God be mad?” Depending on your background, your mileage will vary. I’m willing to bet though, you were not struck down by a lightning bolt. If you were, I would love to hear about it. The only people who will have issue with it are the ones who benefit from being the intermediary. You are growing, Young Grasshopper. If you perceive God as a parent figure, don’t you think He/She/It/They would be proud on you? If you think about it, I’m sure you’d agree that no parent wants their child to remain a child. They feel pride when their children grow and, become more independent, and become decent human beings. If you perceive God as the ultimate source of all creation, then you can be proud of yourself for making it to the next level. So yes, you can. It is alright and God is most definitely not mad.

Now, what are the qualities of Spirit? Big questions, but I think you’re up for it. If it bothers you to define Spirit in this way, think of it as paving a path to Spirit. A path you will walk. For me I like to start with the three “Omnis”, Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent (everywhere present), and Omnipotent (all-powerful). I add one more-all love. The rest are just if-then statements. If God is all-knowing, God will allow our paths to unfold as it does because it will lead to the greatest amount of learning. Yes, God could make it so we don’t suffer but where is the lesson there? If we are growing and evolving as beings, it seems to involve some suffering. You know the thing about suffering? We can learn from it; even if it means we learn how not to do it again. We learn we can change our circumstance. We learn we are stronger than we believe. We learn we are not alone. So much to learn and you know what? We get lots of chances to learn. If we are suffering, it isn’t because we are unworthy, it’s because we haven’t figured out the lesson. Be gentle with yourself and God will be gentle with you.

Life is a series of never-ending lessons. If you think that because you’re over 21, you have no more lessons; you’re in for a lot of frustrations. Finding a spiritual pathway that aids you in learning those lessons makes life a great deal happier, if not easier. Take my life. Every time I start a business, something gets in the way and I have to put it on hold. It’s been children, husband, the dog, my health, the health of my children, husband, the dog. Do you see where I’m going with this? It can seem like the universe doesn’t want me to do this. Why did I have this dream if the universe doesn’t want me to do it? What if I am supposed to do it but I have to let go of some preconceived notions before I can get it? This puts a whole new light on the problem. You mean I can change my circumstance? Well this opens up a whole new can of worms. Now I have to look at what my blocks are and see them as “me” centered rather than “them” centered. Let the grumbling commence. I’ll wait.

Done? Well at least for now? Okay, now we can get some work done. First, let’s look at first cause. You know, God; or Fred. I don’t care what you call him/her/it/them. This is important so you can identify your relationship to it. The Divine is probably bigger than you or I can put a box around, but you can, at least, define it so you’ll know it when you see and experience it. Now, does this greatness want you to succeed? If not, then this discussion is moot; so, let’s assume that yes, it wants you to achieve your dreams. Congratulations. You’ve made your first and second leaps of faith. There is a something greater than you and it’s in your corner rooting for you. Spirituality and religion, for that matter, requires a leap of faith, several actually.

Whew! How’s that feel? My bet is, if you’re coming from that old-time religion, you’re feeling ok but hesitant. If you’re coming from an atheist or agnostic background, you need a bit more. That’s ok. Just hang with these first two concepts for a bit. Journal. Draw. Meditate. Think and feel these concepts through. Your thoughts and feelings are valid and important. From these musing will come insights and questions which will propel you forward on this magnificent journey. I invite you to post any questions or positive comments in the comments below.