Eye to Eye

The tyrant always talks as if he's preserving the best interests of his people

when he actually acts to undermine them.

Ramman Kenoun

We learn to navigate through human existence via relationships.  Relationships teach us about others as well as about our selves.  Sometimes we are the teacher while other times we are the student.  Either way, we come in contact with those we can trust and those we would have been better off not trusting.  There are lessons in both.

To have a mentor or teacher in our lives is a wonderful experience.  A true leader will encourage us to listen to all wisdom, and to develop a sense of what is true or not true for our selves.  An honest teacher will encourage us to discover our own personal gifts. 

Unfortunately, there are those who sit on their self-imposed pedestal, expecting followers to do just that ... to follow ... not to discover spiritual independence.  My most honorable Reiki Master asked me one time if I knew the definition of the word guru.  I stumbled along trying to use words of wisdom when he laughed.  He said the word guru stood for "gee, you are you!"  He was reminding me we were all equals and we each had something special to teach.    He was the most humble man I have ever personally known. 

So I am suggesting we  honor our own wisdom and never hesitate to question our selves or others.  A true mentor embraces our seeking to help us find our way, and not the mentor's way.  Resources are invaluable, but it is necessary to sit with the information deciding what is true for our selves.  We absorb what resonates for our selves and respectfully leave the rest.

If we find our selves in a situation where some one is restricting our search or limiting our beliefs, we must ask our selves why this could be so.  An excellent question is:  "Is this in my highest 

interest?"  It is discouraging to discover we are being manipulated when we have been open and trusting.  Unfortunately, this sometimes happens.  It is an opportunity to remind our selves to respect our own  insights and to maintain our boundaries. 

I have had the pleasure of experiencing diversified teachers and  I have enjoyed being in the presence of them all.  I must say, however, my favorite ones are not those I had to 'look up to' but rather those who sat with me eye to eye.

Sharing with Others

Show me your hands.

Do they have scars from giving?

Show me your feet.

Are they wounded in service?

Show me your heart.

Have you left a place for divine love?

Fulton J. Sheen

Few of us have the means or the funding to save the world, but we are all capable of generating change in our own lives as well as the lives of others.  Giving isn't just about money.  There are many ways we can extend comfort and assistance to others with out spending our savings.

Volunteering is the most obvious way to serve whether it is at a community center, neighborhood school, or local hospital.  If we earmark our favorite things to do then we can orchestrate how to apply this to others. 

If gardening is our delight, we can share our harvest with neighbors or participate with other gardeners in making a community garden.  If we have an artistic flair, we can share our ability with after school or summer programs.  If we have a passion for reading, some libraries have programs for taping a verbal reading to give to the vision impaired.  Teachers, lawyers, accountants and police or fire men are welcomed to assist those less fortunate through community or school associations.  Mentors are always needed, but the ability to listen is a gift in itself.

So give it some thought.  Bake some cookies and share with a neighbor.  Take a favorite child's book to be read to a youngster who has a new baby brother or sister.  Call someone

who is healing or who is alone.  Only we can decide our individual passion and how we can extend it to others.





OSHO Message



You will feel the most significant experience,

you will become ecstatic if you can feel

that the whole existence needs you,

that you will be missed,

that if you are not here there will be a gap,

you will be missed.

You are not unnecessary,

you are not superfluous;

you have tremendous significance.

Hence, love yourself.

You are needed as much as the trees,

as the flowers, as the birds, as the sun

as the moon, as the stars.

You have to be here and

you have a right to be the way you are.

Osho

 

We are in relationship, one to the other.  We too easily forget we are an important ingredient to our own personal/spiritual growth, and also to the personal/spiritual growth of others. 

Celebrate your strengths and honor the intricate connection you hold for the greater good.  My wish for you is that one day you will see your lovely self as I see you ... amazingly beautiful inside and out!

Masculine and Feminine

There is a collective force rising up
on the earth today,
an energy of the reborn feminine ...
This is a time of monumental shift,
from the male dominance of human consciousness
back to a balanced relationship
between masculine and feminine.

Marianne Williamson




Eastern culture teaches us there is a masculine and feminine side to each living person. Masculine elements associated with the right side of the body could be described as assertive, powerful, cerebral, giving, determined ... qualities relating to the career or approach to business in your life. Our feminine side associated with the left side of the body could be described as gentle, creative, receiving, emotional, intuitive, embracing ... qualities relating to relationships in our lives. So each of us has
a masculine and feminine side no matter what gender we happen to be.

Ideally, we balance both parts, masculine and feminine within ourselves. As a woman, there are times when we need to be aggressive and driven, just as there are times we need to be gentle and creative. As a man, there are times when we need to be tender and loving, just as there are times to be strong willed. Whether we are a man or a woman, it is beneficial to be able to swiftly move between both sides and to not be stuck just in one side. 

If we are a survivor, perhaps we had to stay very masculine and hide our feminine side. A man may not feel safe expressing his emotions when he is fighting for his family's livelihood. A single mom may have to stay very masculine to compete in her field of business. But if we stay stuck in a masculine adrenaline push, a toll is taken on our body. We strip our gears or simply burn out. We must initiate balance, allowing for the body to release stress and rekindle the spirit.

If we become stuck on the feminine side, we do not have good boundaries to protect our selves or even our families. We can be overcome by emotion or depression that keeps us small. It is then we need to use our masculine side to reach out for resources, avoiding the role of victim.

The same holds true not only personally, but in relationship between men and women. As our culture evolves embracing diversity and offering balance or equality to gender, ethnicity, and diversity, we more fully grow into our full self. It is okay for a man to express or demonstrate appropriate emotion, just as it is acceptable for a woman to be driven by her career. If we all respect each other and honor each others decisions or choices, the climate of our culture becomes far more supportive and nurturing.

Ultimately, the male and female needs to be in harmony not only within the body but within the culture as well. By honoring each other and by respecting the spirit of an individual, our spirit soars.

 

Eclectic and Ecumenical

Does one really have to fret

About enlightenment?

No matter what road I travel,

I'm going home.

Shinsho

If I were to choose one word to describe myself, I think it would be eclectic.  Whether I am antiquing, writing, reading, cooking, baking, seeking or gathering, you can bet that all things considered are random.  My family of friends, sisters of my heart, teachers and mentors have always been marching to their own music.  From the clothes I wear to my special keepsakes, nothing seems to follow a pattern.  My daily dishes and cloth napkins have been acquired strays purchased by design.

If I were to choose one word to describe my spiritual belief system, I think it would be ecumenical.   I have studied many religions, but cannot seem to be a follower of just one.  I honor and respect others belief systems, and appreciate the same in return. 

For me, religion seems to be a noun and spirituality a verb.  It is my desire to be used by Spirit, moved around to where I am needed no matter the time nor the day ... truly a verb instead of a noun. 

For what does it matter really?  Is it not most important to thine own self be true?  Is the method we use to attain Divine connection more important than the authentic godly relationship itself? 

I just want to focus on moving forward, enjoying every step of the way.  I desire to notice the incidental and the magic hidden in every day.  We are all headed home and we each get to decide which way to roam.

Wholeness For Half?

In exchange for the promise of security, many people put a barrier between themselves and the adventures in consciousness that could put a whole new light on their personal lives.  -June Singer




Alan Cohen, author of A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE, mentions that love songs in our culture keep us small and needy.  They do not celebrate the joining of two complete individuals, but rather a desperate outreach for someone to rescue us from loneliness or some other lost love.  There does not seem to be any recognition of what each evolved person brings to the table, but rather how two individuals are joining in hopes of becoming one.

Alan Cohen shares:

Good relationships are built on two individuals walking side by side to the light.  The other person is not the object of our happiness, but a partner in adventure.  We do not need these other people, but we can certainly enjoy them.  They do not have the power to give or take away our good, but they can add depth, color, beauty, reward, and delight to our life.  We love them not because they rescue us from the abomination we are,  but because they remind us of how beautiful we are. 

Women have the tendency to give too much of themselves away, meeting the needs of many, and ignoring their own personal needs.   It is good to give to others, to reach out and nurture, but we need to be nurtured in return.  If we continue with our out pouring of love and affection without being replenished, we will run dry.

Compromise is certainly a part of the relationship equation, but not if it means that we must reduce our self to being half and not remain whole.  In definition, the word compromise indicates that each side gives way to some extent.  It is in reference to time and space striving for balance, not in jeopardizing our values or character. 

"Perhaps that is why so many of us have had difficulty maintaining our whole self in a relationship, how can we remember who we are when we trade our wholeness for half?" asks Alan Cohen.

Partners in relationship support each other in body, mind, and spirit during good times and challenges.  Genuine interest in each other and each other's endeavors is displayed.  Honest and open communication is present at all times.  As a partner, a contribution is made in laughter, praise, and adventure.  Joined at the hip? No.  Individual interests? Yes.  The presence of respect? Always.  Embracing diversity?  On going.

Relationships are how we learn our lessons.   Whether the relationship is to our self or to others, success depends upon the quality of time and healthy effort invested into the relationship. 

 True friendship can occur only among equals.

Plato

Learning Through Relationships

  When men and women are able to respect and accept  
  their differences then love has a chance to blossom.
                                      John Gray

  Ideally, couples need three lives; one for him, one for
 her and one for them together.
                                Jacqueline Bisset


Gary Zukav is the author of a wonderful book entitled, THE SEAT OF THE SOUL.  Although published in 1998 the book continues to trigger insight into human beings evolving into a more multi-sensory experience that not only enhances authentic power, but impacts the collective experience as well.

Each chapter of THE SEAT OF THE SOUL is filled with information to be digested slowly.  It is not a quick read by any means as it covers a variety of subjects that deserve attention.  At this time, however, I center my thoughts on his writings about relationship.

At one time, a relationship was established for security, shelter, protection and procreation.  Gary Zukav discusses spiritual partnerships as being just as committed, but with emphasis on individual spiritual journey or personal growth.  He suggests that spiritually, we desire the very best for our partner who is on his or her own journey bringing a richness to the partnership as well as to the collective consciousness.  In doing this, however, by supporting the desires of our partner, it may mean that either partner may be called in a different direction through the process of further spiritual development. Ideally, each partner can continue to support and celebrate the transformation of the other, but at times, one partner may be left behind.

So how do we react when we are the partner who is left behind?  Gary Zukav understands that we do not 'react', but rather, we 'respond'.  In truly loving and supporting the significant people in our lives, we must be holding their highest desire in our hearts.  We are called to encourage and embrace change without the drama of emotions such as anger or self-pity.  This is no easy task.

In A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE, author Alan Cohen states:  "Even when we do something foolish or unkind, we may be participating in a plan that ultimately serves everyone involved.  In retrospect, even those who tried to hurt us ultimately contributed to our healing.  If we are better off after an adventure, we can thank everyone involved, no matter what part they played in the drama.

"Trust that good things can come out of an apparent mistake. The big picture reveals that love is always present."

This attitude indeed requires a stretch of our emotions and understandings.  The question is not "Why did this happen to me?"  This question places us in the role of the victim.  The question needs to be, "What is the lesson for me to learn?"  This inquiry eliminates the emotional drama and propells us forward with understanding and empowerment.

The only constant in life is change and rarely do we have the vision to grasp the larger picture.  If at an earlier age my entire life flashed before my eyes, I feel quite certain that I would have been overwhelmed.  I sense that I would have said, "No thank you" believing that I would not have the tools to navigate through the challenges that I would encounter on a dark and shadowed path.  

So I have gathered bits and pieces as I have traveled through my life.  Individually, many circumstances did not make sense, but later, when coupled with other events, a picture begins to take form.  There are patterns, cycles, and the never ending spiral as we continue to learn through relationships.  Step by step, day by day, I strive to stay present in the moment ... it isn't always easy.