Good
day, and welcome to the end of August! Time
continues to flow by,
moving at its own pace, and we're almost to the end
of another summer in
the northern hemisphere, and the end of winter far
to the south.
Please make the end of your month a truly special
time in your life!
If
you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't
accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your
ability,
and then be tough enough to follow through.
Rosalynn
Carter
Discipline
is the duty and the hope of all who
would enjoy the benefits of society and of instruction.
An Eastern legend tells of a fair maiden who was offered a
rare gift by the king of the land. The king
presented her with a bag of pearls and promised her she
could keep the largest, most perfect pearl she could find
in the bag. However, he set down these
conditions: she must choose one pearl only; she must
remove one pearl at a time from the bag and either accept
it or reject it; and she could not take that pearl up
again for another look once it was rejected.
So, joyously the maiden began taking the pearls, one at a
time, from the bag. In the process, she saw and held
many large and perfect pearls. But she was looking
for the one gem that would be just a little larger and a
little more perfect. So she passed up many special
treasures.
As she delved more deeply into the bag, the pearls became
smaller and of poorer quality. Occasionally, she
found pebbles instead of pearls. Now, inasmuch as
she could not go back to the pearls she had formerly
discarded, she had to keep looking. The pearls
continued to become smaller and less valuable. Even
the pebbles became more common. When the maiden
reached the bottom of the bag, she sadly went away as
empty-handed as when she arrived at the place.
This legend
can also portray us when we may sometimes rush through
life seeking to get a better job, a bigger house, a better
mate, a more glamorous social life, or whatever, and we
miss the great pearls of abundance all around us every
day. Where is our focus of interest?
We may be searching for the kingdom of heaven, which is
right within us all the time, yet often we recognize it
not. Then we sit down, dreading to go on because of
our concern that things may get worse tomorrow.
Either way--the rushing around or the sitting down and
waiting--can produce the same results. Nothing much
happens! This is why we often hear the phrase from
philosophers and teachers, "Now is the most important
moment of your life." We cannot go back even
two seconds, nor can we leap forward two seconds. We
live in the eternal moment of now, and our interest in
life and its offerings exist in this moment. NOW is
the time of choice and blessing.
It can take every moment that we live of life's days to
think on the true, honest, just, pure, and lovely things
of life. These are the things that guide us into
experiencing the true happiness and excitement available
for our lives. These become the pearls of great
price.
The American philosopher Charles Fillmore said, "When
you experience any kind of inharmony, you can be certain
that you are entertaining some kind of false
illusion. We have the priceless pearl of truth right
in front of us, but are we willing to sell all to attain
it? Are we ready to give up all false illusions and
head straight for truth?" Wow!
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Your journey up until this point has been fueled
with positive energy, negative energy, or a
little bit of both. Most of us, along the
way, have had our series of ups and downs, but
if you find that you are experiencing more downs
than ups, it's time to take responsibility and
ask yourself why.
In order to understand the answer to that
question, you must first stop blaming the world,
your parents, your friends, your ex-lovers, or
anyone you feel ever did you wrong. It is
essential that you forgive it all if you are to
reclaim your power. As you know, this is
often far more easily said than done. As
you work toward this goal, it might help to bear
the following in mind--you don't need to keep
the relationship, or have the person close to
you, in order to forgive. Forgiveness is a
mental, not a physical, state--a positive
energy. Consequently, from this day
forward you need to understand energy and how it
can work for you or against you.
Energy is all around us. It is at once the
most pervasive and the most indefinable force in
the universe. Everything in our universe
generates energy--animals, plants, minerals, and
even colors are all composed of energy.
Most important, we are pure energy. By our
thoughts alone we are constantly transmitting
our own unique energy field or aura.
You do not need to immerse yourself in arcane
mysteries of ancient thought or physics to
understand the concept of how the energy of
other people and places works with or against
our own energy fields. Instead, simply
consider the following: Why do you feel a
charge when you first meet somebody you are
attracted to? Why do you feel depleted of
your energy after an encounter with a person you
don't like? Why do you immediately feel
better when you step out into nature? Why
were people like Princess Diana and Mother
Teresa able to inspire millions with their love
and courage? These are examples of the
energy fields of souls who shape the way we feel
about ourselves and the world.
Our energy fields need to travel in very
specific directions in order to fulfill our
divine destiny. We literally must learn to
go with the flow and not against it. A
simplified way of thinking about the flow of
energy is what I call the Open Door
Policy. It is, quite simply, the
difference between trying to travel through a
door that is open versus one that is
closed. We are instinctively attracted to
positive energy, as we are to colorful sunsets
and open spaces. But often instead of
following our instinct to pursue the positive
and move toward the doors that are open to us,
we follow our fear and insecurity, which lead us
not only to doors that are locked but to dark
corners inhabited by other people who have lost
their way. And eventually we become used
to these corners and call them home, despite
their inherent negativity. It is this
negative energy that gets us caught in recurring
ruts of monotonous, unfulfilling work routines,
perpetually unsatisfying relationships, and
unsupportive, negative friendships. If we
had traveled through the doors that were open,
however, we could have avoided these situations
completely.
The fluid motion of going through a door that is
open is not unlike that of a stream flowing down
a mountain. Our positive energy is not
meant to be stopped. Its course can,
however, be redirected when it faces an
obstacle, such as a dam or a rock or, in our
case, a negative person or situation. It
is solely our responsibility to keep our stream
as free and unsullied as possible by going
around our obstacles rather than merging with
them. When we fail to do this, the energy
that once made us openhearted and joyful makes
us closed-minded and distressed. Often
only a thin line separates the positive energy
that allows for creative communication from the
negative energy that creates malicious gossip,
or the positive energy of the wise and intuitive
from the negative energy of the intellectually
arrogant and ungraciously self-righteous.
Be warned that when we deliberately try to alter
the flow of energy by enveloping obstacles or
attempting to to open closed doors, we go
against the will of God. We begin forcing
open doors that should remain closed and ignore
the fundamental law of synchronicity.
Instead of allowing things to fall into place,
we attempt to manipulate circumstances.
Before we know it, negativity is knocking on
that door we forced open, prepared to teach us a
painful lesson--a lesson that is often prolonged
by the stubbornness that says, "Well, now
that I've got the door open. . . ."
Remember, there is peace in surrender.
Living
Life Fully, the e-zine
exists to try to provide for visitors of the world wide web a
place
of growth, peace, inspiration, and encouragement. Our
articles
are presented as thoughts of the authors--by no means do
we
mean to present them as ways that anyone has to live
life. Take
from them what you will, and disagree with
whatever you disagree
with--just know that they'll be here for you
each week.
The more we have given to ourselves, the
more we have to
give to others. When we find that place
within ourselves that
is giving,
we begin to create an
outward flow. Giving to others
comes not from a sense of
sacrifice, self-righteousness, or
spirituality,
but for
the pure pleasure of it, because it's fun.
Giving can
only come from a full, loving space.
I went out early
yesterday morning to go running with a friend. I'm
almost never in my car, especially early in the morning,
as I generally walk to work. The sun hadn't come
up yet, but there was some light already--not nearly
enough to see clearly by, but enough to get around.
In a very short drive, I saw at least four cars--all of
them with dark paint--without lights on. It's very
frustrating to see this, because it's pretty common
knowledge that this is an extremely dangerous thing to
do. If you were to talk with the drivers, they
would say something like, "I don't need my
lights. I can see just fine." But
that's not the problem. In light like that, the
problem isn't whether you can see where you're going,
but whether people can see your vehicle without lights.
At least one of the vehicles followed me for about a
mile, and I can honestly say that I almost couldn't see
it at all; I had to strain to make it out in the
rear-view mirror.
Some things in life we don't do for ourselves.
Some things in life we do to make things safer or more
comfortable for others. In several states, for
example, they've actually made laws based on cars being
visible: if your windshield wipers are on, then
your headlights must be on, also. They know that
the cloud cover necessary for rain generally makes it
difficult for drivers to see other cars, especially dark
ones, and that can be very dangerous.
And so
it's good that we remember
Just as soon as we've discovered
That the things we do in life
Will always end up touching others.
Paul
O'Neill
The point is that
you're not always turning on your headlights just to
see--you're often turning them on so that others can
see you, and making things safer for everyone.
There are many things that we could be doing in life
to make things safer, more comfortable, and more
enjoyable for others without any direct need or
benefit for ourselves, but that we often neglect
because we're thinking mostly of ourselves and our
immediate needs. We're unable or unwilling to
think past the moment to the idea that if someone
doesn't see our vehicle, they could pull out in
front of us and cause a collision between us and
them, changing both or our lives immediately.
If that happens, our neglect has caused a
potentially life-changing incident for more people
than just ourselves.
They understand this concept in the military because
of the possible drastic consequences of many
actions--and of neglecting certain things.
While it's easy to see the maintenance of a weapon
as simply a question of personal discipline, for
example, it can be disastrous for everyone (except
the enemy, of course) if someone's weapon stops
working due to neglect.
When I teach, I try to deal with classroom
disruptions not as a personal response to a person
who's acting inappropriately, but as an effort to
provide an atmosphere that's effective for learning
for everyone involved. If the one person's
actions are making things difficult for all, most of
us are willing to see that as a problem, yet many
people wouldn't admit that driving without
headlights in poor lighting has the same
effect--it's making the streets less safe for
everyone who happens to be in the area.
We are
responsible for one another. Collectively so.
The world
is a joint effort. We might say it
is like a giant puzzle,
and each one of us is a very
important
and unique part of it.
Collectively, we
can unite and bring about a powerful change
in the world.
By working to raise our awareness to the
highest
possible level of
spiritual understanding, we can
begin
to heal ourselves, then each other and the world.
The same can be said
for speeding, for example. Many people argue
that they can speed safely because they have quick
reaction times, but that's not the main reason that
speed limits are in place. We have speed
limits partly because other people need to be able
to figure out how long they have to pull out in
front of us or drive across the road ahead of
us. There's a brilliant commercial that was
made in New Zealand about just this thing, and it
very effectively shows the effects of thinking only
about how fast one wants to drive, and not about the
effects of the speed on other people. You can
see it here (it's about 60 seconds long): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qNjt04bpQM
As somebody once said, this world is made up--with
one paltry exception--of other people. One of
the most important ways to make our own lives
exceptional is to pay attention to the needs of
others, and to do all that we can to improve their
lives, even if we do so in what seem to be very
minor ways. One thing that we can do
consistently is to make sure that we aren't causing
danger or problems for others, so that they can live
their lives without worrying about what we're going
to do, or without having to react to inconsiderate
or even dangerous things that we've done.
We
cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect
us with
our fellow men and women;
and among those fibers,
as
sympathetic threads, our
actions run as causes,
and they
come back to us as effects.
Herman
Melville
Interestingly enough,
my wife and I were crossing a street in a very quiet
residential area yesterday morning, after I had
written the first part of this article. It was
early on a Saturday morning and the streets were
empty. We were halfway across the street when
a car flew around the corner and headed straight for
us at much higher than the speed limit. We had
to rush off the road so as not to get hit, on a
morning that before had been very relaxing and
enjoyable. This incident didn't ruin our day
by any means, but it underlined just how dangerous
it can be when we aren't cognizant of how we affect
others. And ourselves--that driver's life
never would have been the same had he hit us, and if
we hadn't been quick enough, he very well could have
done so.
We're a part of a world that's much bigger than us,
and while we each have our own personal needs, it's
also important to pay attention to the greater good,
to the needs and hopes of others. We certainly
don't want to harm others, but it's important to
keep in mind that harm can happen as a result of our
neglect, too, and not just as a result of
deliberately harmful actions. We can hardly
live our lives fully if we don't keep in mind the
fact that we do affect others, and it's important to
affect them in positive ways if we're to add
positively to our own lives, too.
People today
distinguish between knowledge and action and pursue them separately, believing
that one must know before one can act. . . . They say they will wait til they
truly know before putting their knowledge into practice. Consequently, to
the end of their lives, they will never act and also will never know.
Wang Yang-ming Instructions for Practical Living
Symptoms of Inner Peace
unattributed
1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than based on
past experience.
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each and every moment.
3. A loss of interest in judging others.
4. A loss of interest in judging self.
5. A loss of interest in conflict.
6. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
7. A loss of the ability to worry.
8. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
9. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
10. Frequent attacks of smiling through the heart.
11. Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others as well
as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
12. An increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than to
manipulate them and make them happen.
Follow the
wisdom provided by
nature. Everything in moderation--
sunlight, water, nutrients. Too
much of a good thing will topple
your structure. You can't harvest
what you don't sow. So plant your
desires, gently nurture them,
and they will be rewarded
with abundance.
Vivian Elizabeth Glyck
Yes, life
can be mysterious and confusing--but there's much of life that's
actually rather dependable and reliable. Some principles apply
to life in so many different contexts that they can truly be called
universal--and learning what they are and how to approach them and use
them can teach us some of the most important lessons that we've ever
learned.
My doctorate is in Teaching and Learning. I use it a lot when I
teach at school, but I also do my best to apply what I've learned to
the life I'm living, and to observe how others live their lives.
What makes them happy or unhappy, stressed or peaceful, selfish or
generous, compassionate or arrogant? In this book, I've done my
best to pass on to you what I've learned from people in my life,
writers whose works I've read, and stories that I've heard.
Perhaps these principles can be a positive part of your life, too! Universal Principles of Living Life Fully. Awareness of
these principles can explain a lot and take much of the frustration
out of the lives we lead.
™
