It's funny how some things you go through in life are pivots and some things are not...and often the pivots are things we are not expecting would be such life changing events. Some things are obvious...like the birth of a child or sudden death of someone close. In those moments we see our world crumble and fall away...only to give way to a new perception and a new life. One turn and everything we thought we knew is gone...to be replaced by something unexpected and fresh...although many times the newness is not welcome...at least at first. Sooner or later though...we learn...adapt...and become the change we have experienced.
Sometimes it is not such an extreme event that is a pivot for us...and yet it sends us careening into a whole new direction...something we had not expected...and something that has the promise of a new experience.
What we do with our life...our view...our perception....our perspective...from that point on is about choice. How we choose to see things...all things....HOW we see things...IS a choice. We do have freewill in this regard and it truly is freewill although many people choose to be blind to this as a fact. How many times I have heard individuals complain because of "things just being the way they are" and how they don't know how to or "can't" DO anything about it...
Truth is...we choose how we see things...
Sure...environment will play a role in to how an individual is raised and taught to view things...and that is also absolutely true. However...our minds are free...and no one can restrain your mind unless you let them. This is also absolutely true.
Our genetics play a role in this as well...I mean...you are a part of who you came from...and this is also absolutely true...even if that fact is unsettling to you and you do not want it to be true....it is a biological fact...and yet...even in this truth....we have choices as to how we will take this information and process it for ourselves. It is up to us and how we perceive it and what meaning we give to it...which is our choice.
Choice is a funny thing because we always have a choice. Sometimes the choices we see seem to be all negative...but even in the worst situations there is always a choice. It might not be a great choice...but there is always something there...and most of the time...the very least of these choices...has to do with how we choose to see something...and how we will move on based on that choice.
Truth is....how we choose to see it...
Truth is...I choose to choose...and not have my choices made for me...
Truth is...I choose to hope...and I choose to believe I will be blessed for this choice.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Respect
Respect...is a term that is not nearly used enough in it's proper context and meaning in my humble opinion. For if one truly were to respect something or someone else...they must first respect themselves. So to me...the term respect starts...it begins...with self-respect...and respect for others flows from there. I've heard the same said about love...and I believe it's true.
To respect one's self is a responsibility...to one's self. It is a right. It is a duty. It is an established act of kindness to one's own development. It is part of our personal integrity. It means to be accountable...to one's self. Respect and accountability do after all...go hand in hand...as they should. They are pieces of each other and found in self-respect is accountability. In accountability...is found self-respect. When one has done something wrong...somehow harmed someone else...regardless of intention...what a person might have meant or wanted...by taking accountability...especially to those that one loves and cares the most for...is showing one's respect for self. Your own personal truth...must have accountability in it...for if you are not accountable to yourself...then how can you possibly be accountable to others?
If one respects themselves...they work at bettering themselves. If one respects the life one has been given....and the multitude of opportunities...the host of chances that come one's way...then taking every day to be and do your best in who you are...and how you live...is making the most...of those chances and opportunities.
Establishing a forward movement in one's life that includes caring for self but also shares caring for others leads to respecting self...because by caring for others we gain our self worth. If all we do is attempt to care for self and our self interests then we are not respecting the contribution that we are capable of making nor are we embracing the opportunities we are given to contribute to the well being of another. In being so selfish and ego driven...we are in a sense jailing ourselves in our own makeshift prison.
We sometimes do not recognize our situation as such...because our perception is awkwardly askew...which may happen for a wide variety of reasons...but the bottom line is...we create our own world. It is "our" world...and in "our" world the way we see things is king. But by a simple shift in perspective...looking at something from a different angle...we can create an "AHA!" moment. A moment that is truly inspirational and pivotal...in our growth. When one takes a look at problem solving...the shift in perspective usually comes when a person can reorganize a problem...and see it from a different place.
Many times...we as imperfect human beings...do not see what is "really" going on because of the place that we stand...our placement for our perspective...and if we do not move...shake it up a bit if you will...then we will only see things in one way...which by definition makes us short sighted...and limits our view.
This also is disrespectful to others...because we are inherently imperfect...we many times do not see things as others might...because of our limited set of experiences that we draw from. We can negate the opportunity to learn something important from someone by dismissing them too quickly...without hearing them out and seeing if what they are saying might have some truth in it. Something we can learn from. Even those with a wide and varied set of experiences in life are capable of short-sightedness and therefore can, if they aren't careful, disrespect themselves and others by being closed to new possibilities. That closed mindedness and lack of vision disrespects ourselves because we limit our opportunities to learn. This also limits God's voice in our hearts because we will stubbornly not listen to a truth being told to us...and many times...it is told to us repeatedly.
As I said in another post...when the truth is told to a person it rings in them like a bell. Sometimes...if it is a particularly strongly held truth...one might even physically feel a reaction as their spirit, energy, mind, or soul...however you might choose to categorize it...recognizes the truth...and the reaction creates an involuntary response because of this recognition.
Truth is...how we see it. But the truth is...what is true...is true...no matter how much we might protest. A simple truth...disrespecting one's self...is all too common...and all too avoidable...which to my way of seeing things...my perspective...makes this element in an individuals life a tragedy...for if one thought enough of one's self to respect one's self...well...oh what a world it could be...what a joy one could bring to others...and thereby themselves. What a blessing we could be to each other...if we only respected ourselves...and by doing so...respected each other.
Maybe...if we respected ourselves...and thereby each other...we wouldn't have to hear so much about things like this other post...and our world and society would be a better place to live in...this is from my other blog which can be found in my links section...about a recent experience of ours...
911what-is-your-emergency
May God be with this man and his family...and with us.
And...may we teach...and learn...to respect ourselves...and each other...so that this sort of thing can become simply stories which are told of how things used to be...
To respect one's self is a responsibility...to one's self. It is a right. It is a duty. It is an established act of kindness to one's own development. It is part of our personal integrity. It means to be accountable...to one's self. Respect and accountability do after all...go hand in hand...as they should. They are pieces of each other and found in self-respect is accountability. In accountability...is found self-respect. When one has done something wrong...somehow harmed someone else...regardless of intention...what a person might have meant or wanted...by taking accountability...especially to those that one loves and cares the most for...is showing one's respect for self. Your own personal truth...must have accountability in it...for if you are not accountable to yourself...then how can you possibly be accountable to others?
If one respects themselves...they work at bettering themselves. If one respects the life one has been given....and the multitude of opportunities...the host of chances that come one's way...then taking every day to be and do your best in who you are...and how you live...is making the most...of those chances and opportunities.
Establishing a forward movement in one's life that includes caring for self but also shares caring for others leads to respecting self...because by caring for others we gain our self worth. If all we do is attempt to care for self and our self interests then we are not respecting the contribution that we are capable of making nor are we embracing the opportunities we are given to contribute to the well being of another. In being so selfish and ego driven...we are in a sense jailing ourselves in our own makeshift prison.
We sometimes do not recognize our situation as such...because our perception is awkwardly askew...which may happen for a wide variety of reasons...but the bottom line is...we create our own world. It is "our" world...and in "our" world the way we see things is king. But by a simple shift in perspective...looking at something from a different angle...we can create an "AHA!" moment. A moment that is truly inspirational and pivotal...in our growth. When one takes a look at problem solving...the shift in perspective usually comes when a person can reorganize a problem...and see it from a different place.
Many times...we as imperfect human beings...do not see what is "really" going on because of the place that we stand...our placement for our perspective...and if we do not move...shake it up a bit if you will...then we will only see things in one way...which by definition makes us short sighted...and limits our view.
This also is disrespectful to others...because we are inherently imperfect...we many times do not see things as others might...because of our limited set of experiences that we draw from. We can negate the opportunity to learn something important from someone by dismissing them too quickly...without hearing them out and seeing if what they are saying might have some truth in it. Something we can learn from. Even those with a wide and varied set of experiences in life are capable of short-sightedness and therefore can, if they aren't careful, disrespect themselves and others by being closed to new possibilities. That closed mindedness and lack of vision disrespects ourselves because we limit our opportunities to learn. This also limits God's voice in our hearts because we will stubbornly not listen to a truth being told to us...and many times...it is told to us repeatedly.
As I said in another post...when the truth is told to a person it rings in them like a bell. Sometimes...if it is a particularly strongly held truth...one might even physically feel a reaction as their spirit, energy, mind, or soul...however you might choose to categorize it...recognizes the truth...and the reaction creates an involuntary response because of this recognition.
Truth is...how we see it. But the truth is...what is true...is true...no matter how much we might protest. A simple truth...disrespecting one's self...is all too common...and all too avoidable...which to my way of seeing things...my perspective...makes this element in an individuals life a tragedy...for if one thought enough of one's self to respect one's self...well...oh what a world it could be...what a joy one could bring to others...and thereby themselves. What a blessing we could be to each other...if we only respected ourselves...and by doing so...respected each other.
Maybe...if we respected ourselves...and thereby each other...we wouldn't have to hear so much about things like this other post...and our world and society would be a better place to live in...this is from my other blog which can be found in my links section...about a recent experience of ours...
911what-is-your-emergency
May God be with this man and his family...and with us.
And...may we teach...and learn...to respect ourselves...and each other...so that this sort of thing can become simply stories which are told of how things used to be...
Monday, June 11, 2007
Moments...Truth...and Being in the Now
We live our lives in the most fleeting slivers of time. Moments...that if taken for granted can be missed. Opportunities and chances for growth...shared trickles of movement that lead us to another level...or another thought...and another space...where another moment can take place.
In any given moment a miracle can happen. A message of truth given to you by the heavens..by God...by another's spirit...by the truth that lives within each of us that is untapped yet exists as clearly and focused as the rush we get up our spines when someone speaks a truth to us...
When someone speaks a truth to you...it rings in you like a bell. Things that you recognize...as truth. There are times when you might not be ready to accept that truth...so you find a "reason"...a justification really...to ignore or otherwise disregard it...but it still rings that bell.
Truths like;
Common sense is not common.
Love conquers all.
Communication is the key.
One lives their life in a series of moments...and the moments pass.
Time is a healer.
and...
The value is in the journey...not the destination.
Hearing the bell inside you and responding to the sound of a truth is as natural as breathing however there are those of us and times I think...for all of us...that we get in our own way. In those moments where a justification is more important for one than hearing an actual truth...hearing the real...then we know we are not in the now. We can not be fully present if we are not in the moment. If you are there but not really there then it doesn't really matter to those around you...if you are not fully engaged.
Being in the now...is hard....making no mistake about it...keeping in each moment is actually virtually impossible because even watching the moments pass takes one out of the moment...however...the lesson is in staying in the moment to the best of one's ability...which to me...means...not numbing out...or engaging in or seeking behaviors that cause you to get out of the moment...stay numb...not being present...and even though there are times when we all seek those moments...because we get overwhelmed...life....is just...too...damned...short...to keep getting caught up in that repetitively...it is a trap...
As hard as it is...staying in the now...being here...right where you are right now...staying in your truth....and staying in your moment...is the real...is where God can do His work...and is where you can find yourself...is where one can find their own personal truth...and find their serenity...
As the wind blows....
In any given moment a miracle can happen. A message of truth given to you by the heavens..by God...by another's spirit...by the truth that lives within each of us that is untapped yet exists as clearly and focused as the rush we get up our spines when someone speaks a truth to us...
When someone speaks a truth to you...it rings in you like a bell. Things that you recognize...as truth. There are times when you might not be ready to accept that truth...so you find a "reason"...a justification really...to ignore or otherwise disregard it...but it still rings that bell.
Truths like;
Common sense is not common.
Love conquers all.
Communication is the key.
One lives their life in a series of moments...and the moments pass.
Time is a healer.
and...
The value is in the journey...not the destination.
Hearing the bell inside you and responding to the sound of a truth is as natural as breathing however there are those of us and times I think...for all of us...that we get in our own way. In those moments where a justification is more important for one than hearing an actual truth...hearing the real...then we know we are not in the now. We can not be fully present if we are not in the moment. If you are there but not really there then it doesn't really matter to those around you...if you are not fully engaged.
Being in the now...is hard....making no mistake about it...keeping in each moment is actually virtually impossible because even watching the moments pass takes one out of the moment...however...the lesson is in staying in the moment to the best of one's ability...which to me...means...not numbing out...or engaging in or seeking behaviors that cause you to get out of the moment...stay numb...not being present...and even though there are times when we all seek those moments...because we get overwhelmed...life....is just...too...damned...short...to keep getting caught up in that repetitively...it is a trap...
As hard as it is...staying in the now...being here...right where you are right now...staying in your truth....and staying in your moment...is the real...is where God can do His work...and is where you can find yourself...is where one can find their own personal truth...and find their serenity...
As the wind blows....
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