Feeding Each Other

"It's how we grow and heal, again and again, by holding and being held.

In my own life, I have been held and dropped, have hurt and soothed others,

enough to accept, at last, that the reasons of the heart are leaves in wind.

Stand up tall and everything will nest in you."

Mark Nepo

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

We unknowingly bring balance to each other while interact with each other.  On days we are not feeling necessarily kind, someone will display kindness towards us, lifting our personal attitude to a higher level.  We may be in a bad mood but upon running into friends and having heartfelt conversation, we easily forget our troubles and become elevated to a higher place in our thinking.  It happens all of the time.  Seldom are we down in the dumps at the same time our partner or best friend might be.  We take turns holding and being held.  This is why we have arms, to give and to receive. 

There is an old story about a man who had just witnessed a near death experience.  He said his guide asked him if he wanted to see what hell was like, and he agreed.  Together they walked into a great room and the moaning was so atrocious the visitor cupped his hands over his ears to block out the horror of the sound.   He looked around the room which was lined with tables filled with fruits, vegetables, flavorful drinks, and anything and everything the heart could possibly desire.  He forced himself to look at the groaning people, who were emaciated in spite of all of the food.  The visiting man realized the arms of these people were extremely long and stiff, and there was no way they could bend them to feed themselves.  They were definitely in the pain of hell.

His guide next asked if he would like to view heaven, and, yes, of course he would.  Together they stepped into a room filled with people laughing and hugging.  He noticed the room was lined with food exactly like hell's.  The arms of these people in heaven were built exactly like those in hell, having long and unbend able arms.  It did not take him long to realize the difference.  Those enjoying heaven were not able to feed themselves either, but they had learned to joyfully feed each other.

Let us strive to make a nest of our heart, where others are welcomed and are nurtured in their time of need.  We can stand tall as the trees letting others gently float like leaves to receive what we have to share.  And when the wind blows and our branches lean, we too will find a nest where we will be welcomed and fed. 

The Human Spirit

We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside of us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch.  Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit. ~E.E. Cummings American poet 1894-1962 Remember to have compassion when we display our human ways.  We forget, repeat, stumble, and fall.  We soak up criticism more readily than compliments, and are challenged by lessons continuously.  It is no wonder we struggle to remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience. So easily we forget we are truly a child of God or Divine Spirit or the Universe.  We can be so overwhelmed by the physical or material world, we get disconnected from our true intentions for living. The fast pace of life whooshes by our ears, deafening the whispers from our soul.  We become so mesmerized by looking out into the world, we forget the sacredness within us.  The farther we reach out, greater is the distance between balance of body, mind, and spirit.  Then we feel so alone even though we never really are separated. The human spirit travels out into the world for discovery, only to turn around and find the way back home to the shelter of the heart.  The journey has not been made in vain, as the life lessons have carved us into who we have become and who we have needed to be. When we can remain aware of our inner connection with God, Divine Spirit, or the Universe, it is so much easier to let our human spirit unfold.  There is a greater sense of being a part of a spiritual team to help in decision making, spreading the light, and making the world a better place to be ... one human spirit at a time ... joining together ... and all becoming one.

Taking Pause ...

When we find our rhythm of compassion we have come home, we are in a state of grace.  We are in tune with a great universal cadence where a rich inner life is exquisitely balanced with a passionate engagement with the world.   Gail Straub


The basic definition for the word compassion is 'the virtue of empathy for the suffering of others and the active desire to alleviate it'.   As in all situations, we must have balance or be well grounded before we can truly help others.  If we become what is termed a 'bleeding heart' we may become stuck in the misery and misfortune of others.  We can easily become an enabler.  So we begin with having strong boundaries and a sense of realistic expectations. 

We need awareness or the ability to pay attention to the events and situations surrounding us or in a broader sense, other countries or cultures.  If we have a sympathetic consciousness we are easily motivated to create change for the good. 

Compassion is an interconnection or element of humanism.  It is a component of love and reflected in the GOLDEN RULE:  Do Unto Others What You Would Have Them Do To You.  The act of compassion can be as narrow or as broad as we want to make it.

Compassion is emotional in nature reflecting our depth or vigour or passion.  It can be triggered by music, art, nature, animals, people or life itself.  We experience compassion in different ways at differing times by either expanding or contracting our feelings.

In reading about compassion, we may have brought personal experience to mind.  Perhaps we recalled random acts of kindness or a particular passion for a cause.  I wonder, however, if we even once considered compassion in relationship to our inner selves.

We need to be as compassionate on the inside just as much as on the outside.  To do this, we must become still in the moment asking our selves what is going on inside of us.  Are we in despair and repair or joyful and peaceful?  Are we focusing on the blessings in life?  Is our body riddled with stress and fatigue?  Do we feel connected to a greater source, the world around us, family, or close friends?  Are we loving and forgiving with our selves?

Taking pause, we can allow awareness of our own well being.  If we offer compassion to our selves, we will more appropriately extend it to others.  Can we engage with our selves as generously as we interact with others? 

Try it, you'll like it!

African Saying ...

  

" THOSE WHO LOVE YOU

ARE NOT FOOLED BY MISTAKES

YOU HAVE MADE

OR DARK IMAGES

YOU HOLD ABOUT YOURSELF.

THEY REMEMBER YOUR BEAUTY

WHEN YOU FEEL UGLY;

YOUR WHOLENESS

WHEN YOU ARE BROKEN;

YOUR INNOCENCE

WHEN YOU FEEL GUILTY;

AND YOUR PURPOSE

WHEN YOU ARE CONFUSED."

(African saying)

Hopefully, we will all experience unconditional love as described in this old African saying.  Whether it is offered by a family member, a friend, or a mentor, this type of emotional support can personally impact life in a highly profound way.

When we have loved ones surrounding us, we can see a reflection of our selves in them as like attracts like.  If we admire a quality a person has, we usually have the same quality or the desire to develop that quality more in our selves. 

It is important to allow chosen friends or companions to grow close to us so during difficult times they can remind us of our strengths and gifts.  They can encourage us to continue to move forward as we often have had to do in the past.  We are given reminders of our past mastering of events.  Their very presence reminds us that we are not truly alone.

In kind, we must endeavor to return the favor to others.  By acknowledging the challenges of others, we can stand present in their lives and reflect their strengths back to them. 

In life, there are times when it is just too easy to lose our way or to forget the beauty of our souls.  Let us be a reflection to each other as a reminder of  the goodness residing within us all.