Don't Own It!

" ... though these thoughts come through you, they are not who you are."  MARK NEPO, THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

Certainly we all have experienced a time when a truly dark thought has jetted across our mind, leaving us to question our selves, "Where did that come from?"  Seemingly out of no where, a darkness escapes and we are appalled.

We all have a shadow side we try to hide or suppress and then like a jack-in-the-box it jumps out and surprises us.  Rather than chastising our selves, we can simply recognize the passing of our dark side and not react.  Dark thoughts when not acted upon, do no harm.  To suppress them can eventually harm our body, mind or spirit. 

To stretch our mind, we may also consider dark thoughts randomly floating through our mind as 'collective' energy surrounding us.  We are capable of picking up the thoughts of others or collective consciousness, but these thoughts are not who we are.    Be aware of the experience and then let it go.  Don't own it.

Experience Entitled Living

Our task is to believe, to trust, to create, to do whatever is at hand to do in the present moment.  And to let the future be.

Our task is to affirm our own energy, our own God-identity, to use the gifts of the heart, then hands, and the spirit within, in the best way we know at the present moment.

Then comes the flow of light into our lives, as we "let go and let God," as we turn toward God, who is always and forever turned toward us.

BettyClare Moffatt

SOULWORK

Another oxymoron has presented itself to me.  I am an "intensely disciplined/easily distracted" individual.  I can be very focused, and yet easily wander.  Understanding life offers duality, I don't necessarily see one as good and the other bad.  Both offer gifts.

When I am intensely focused on an idea, I find my self researching it and experiencing it until I am fully grounded in the idea or ready to dismiss it.  Sometimes, however, during this very pursuit, I end up wandering into other areas.  The pursuit itself can become the distraction from my focus. 

This seems to be true with our dreams, passions, intentions, and agendas.  We become inspired for whatever reason and set out to fulfill our desire.  Too often, the coals of the fire burn out as we are sidetracked by limitations our life tend to project.  We may return to the fire and stir the coals, but seldom does the passion rekindle into its original heat.

Although it is in the wandering where we often times discover a higher truth or a better understanding than the discipline would have revealed.  Everything, every movement is an aspect of learning from this experience entitled living.

Perhaps this is just part of the dance of life, being pulled from one polarity to another.  I do know that we all experience it.  So perhaps the key is doing what you can, where you are, and with what you have.  Not always, but generally.  Waiting for the really big moment or the great 'aha' can deprive us from the magic in each of life's moments.

The Little Soul by Neale Donald Walsch

"Oh we have danced together

you and I,

many times."

Neale Donald Walsch

"The Little Soul and the Sun"

There is a wonderful children's book written by Neale Donald Walsch:  "The Little Soul and the Sun:  A Children's Parable Adapted from Conversations With God."  (Neale Donald Walsch is the author of "Conversations with God" which became a series of very successful books. )

The parable is about a small angel, Little Soul, who understands that he is made of light.  He also understands to truly know what light is, one must also experience dark, just like hot and cold or up and down. 

Little Soul decides to take an adventure into the physical where he can truly witness the dark.  Another small angel, Friendly Soul, offers to go with him into this next life time to do something "bad" so Little Soul can be One Who Forgives.  Friendly Soul states that he will have to slow his vibration way down and not be who he truly is to be in the dark.  His fear of course is that Little Soul will forget that Friendly Soul is playing a part to be a teacher to his beloved friend.

A friend shared this book with me probably 20 years ago, and it remains one of my favorites even though it was written for children.  It is in total alignment with many spiritual teachings reflecting all of our actions impact each other and we are all one.   

Many spiritual beliefs come easily to me, but wrapping my mind around my enemy being someone who loves me, truly challenges me.  In truth, it has taken several years for me to act accordingly.  Thus the question, "What is the lesson here," followed by, "Don't kill the messenger!" 

These thoughts trigger many questions which act as a catalyst for forgiveness.  Based on the parable above, the people who have treated me harshly are actually those who love me the most.  Harsh teachers loved us so much they were willingly to run the risk of our judgment and lack of forgiveness ... to forget who they truly are ... to forget who we truly are ...  to lower our vibration to be who we are not.

It matters not whether you believe this concept or not.  What matters is stretching your mind and earnestly seeing your very self in the eyes of others.

Vacillating Duality

Light is meaningful
only in relation to darkness,
and truth presupposes error.

It is these mingled opposites
which people our life,
which make it pungent, intoxicating.

We only exist in terms of this conflict,
in the zone where black and white clash.

~Louis Aragon



Spiritual/Material
Acceptance/Critical
Fluid/Rigid
Humble/Ego
Blessing/Rejection
Give/Take
Honor/Disrespect
Recognize/Ignore
Wonder/Worry
Dream/Repress
Creative/Stagnant
Embrace/Abandon
Freedom/Freeze
Opportunist/Victim
Rebirth/Death
Energy/Lethargic
Depth/Transparent
Laughter/Tears
Joy/Solitude
Cleanse/Decay
Forgive/Bitterness
Oneness/Isolate

Walk into the darkness of your soul,
bringing light to what is hidden,
so that you will fear no more.