Tag Archives: compassion

Be the Change! You Have a Choice!

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Our world is going through upheaval. Conscious people want to get involved. We have our “pet projects” born out personal need for a cause which is “near and dear to our hearts” and there are many ways to respond. Our “special” cause may require funding and we feel great, temporarily, throwing money at a project. Or, we start organizing and donate time, and possibly money, to the cause which lights a fire in our passion. Many of us feel “Guilty” if we are not matching the money or effort we may see in another person’s contribution. So I ask you, Are You Doing Good Work or Donating Money to FEEL GOOD or to Deal With Your Feelings of Guilt?

Perhaps we can back off a bit. Volunteering time and money for a great social cause is admirable. Worthy of admiration. Is this why we do this? AND, forget politics and political action because it is “politics” which has gotten us into this mess… But, YOU have a choice on how you can change the world! Yes, you can be empowered by choosing to take action! YOU can choose to make yourself the Beacon of Light and Love to guide the people you are Blessed to meet into a higher state of consciousness… One person at a Time! You can show respect and love for every person you interact with. Though this may cost you less time and money, it may serve our world at a deeper, foundational level.

This does not mean to stop volunteering or donating. I am asking that you dive below the surface into Divine Consciousness. Superficial actions look great on the surface. You can get recognition. But, is this what you came here to do? If you get your name on a wing of the hospital, does this make you a better person??? Is your legacy driven by an egoic need to be seen or recognized? If so, Great! But…. Sharing your light in every interaction is a CHOICE You can make. “Be the change you wish to see in our world” means living in integrity with the Divine values. No, I am not trying to share guilt or even pretend that “Divine Values” has a Universal, etched in stone, meaning. I am strongly suggesting that living in acceptance, respect, and mutual love may be worth attempting. AND, “fake it until you make it,” is a great place to start.

It begins with awareness. It may include humility. It definitely includes Knowing that YOU are a Miracle AND so is everyone you meet! There is nothing special about you AND you are the most special soul in the Universe. We are all the same and we are all in this together. Work to Save the World but first save yourself. Be conscious! Choose to live in Love! Be sincere and say “Thank You,” to every person you meet. They are there for You and Your lesson!

YOU have a choice! You can live in a “heart space” or you can live with what you “think” is correct. Thinking is great and the drama this creates is very entertaining! This is what we came into this life to explore. The fun and the drama of living in our 3 dimensional limitations and our human lives. AND, enlightenment may include being most conscious regarding living in the moment and choosing to interact with each person in a respectful and spiritual loving/honoring way. You are unique. You are a Blessing! The very best volunteer work you can ever hope to do includes sharing from your heart the love and the respect you have for each struggling soul you bump up against.

We are here to serve! We are here to support the other pilgrims we meet along our path. Donating time and money to a “Cause” you care about is good. But, being a beacon of love and light is more gooder… (I meant that poor vocabulary to be a lighter way to end this posting. YOU are a Miracle! Thank you for being you!)

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Memorial Day: Love Serve and Remember

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Memorial Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is the act of remembering! Remembering our Ancestors, our Friends, and our loved ones who have transitioned in and out of our lives! It is also a chance to pause and to remember the most significant moments in our brief lives which created the opportunity for major growth and change. The change we needed to move forward and to learn the lessons we have come to experience. Our country celebrates Memorial Day to remember the fallen soldiers who have served our country and rightfully these heroes should be honored. The soldiers and warriors are not the only heroes who have served and we also have the choice to honor the most significant people and events from our past as our lessons (and battles) from this life.

For each day is “Memorial Day.” A part of this memorial can be the knowing that life is sacred and temporary. So take a moment and reflect on remembering the souls who have touch your life, even if briefly. Remember the Blessing these people have been in your life! Give thanks and show Gratitude for the exchange of Love these interactions have created. Also, remember the “Impermanence” of our human incarnations. We are all incarnated in temporary forms/lives to learn and to grow. Each moment then is sacred. Reflect in some brief moments, also, to remember who YOU really are, a Child of God, and where YOU have come from, the Holy Divine.

Find Compassion and Acceptance as you look deeply into the eyes of each soul you meet. For they, like you, are the Perfect Miracles of the Divine manifested. Yes, even if they “trigger” you, they are perfect and touch you and your life for a lesson, to challenge your growth in consciousness.

Know that you are here, in this incarnation, to share YOUR knowledge, YOUR experience, and, most importantly, YOUR wisdom! Your purpose is to serve. Support fellow travelers.

Do not take your life too seriously. Remember you are here (in this life) for only a brief time and each life, though sacred and unique, is a demonstration of Impermanence. This Memorial day remember all the Joys of life and the experiences you celebrate and have learned the challenging lessons you came back here to learn.

Love, Serve and Remember where you came from and where you will return. Find a way to live in remembrance of your perfection and honor the perfection you find in every soul you meet.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.

You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Basic Mindfulness Part 2: Living in a Mindful Way

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Being Mindful has been a question for me. After my three day Mindfulness retreat, I am more Mindful about the things I have not been mindful about. What the heck does that mean…??? Well, read a bit further.

I learned at the retreat what I think I already knew but had not learned how this feels or how to incorporate being more mindful into my habit driven lifestyle. No surprise, the key to being more mindful is to be aware and “present” by paying attention to your breath. Again no surprise, I learned that being more mindful works better when I focus on only one thing at a time. For example, drive focused without other distractions. (More examples to follow.) This focusing on one thing at a time is kind of challenging in our 24/7, multi-tasking world, but it certainly makes sense.

We practiced slower walking and breathing, awareness and appreciation of nature, and more meditations. The first two key ingredients to being more mindful (with 10 listed) where 1. to be aware of myself and my environment and 2. was to view each activity in your day with “Beginners Mind” and the feeling of wonderment. I liked these first two a lot. In fact, I really enjoyed all 10 ingredients in the book we used as a text but found number 6 a bit more challenging for me to fully appreciate and understand, let alone to practice. Number 6 was to live in “Equanimity.” I can barely spell Equanimity let alone know how to practice it. After consultation with my retreat group, its leader Chau Yoder (who is amazing) and my special Guru spiritual consultant, Paula Forget, I believe I am much closer to knowing what this is all about.

Equanimity is a very important, but a challenging (for me,) part of the Mindfulness life. This term refers to being able to look at and appreciate experiences in your life without getting caught in the “drama” of the experience. Paula Forget suggested that I look at each experience from the higher perspective of a “spiritual being” caught in a mortal body. As I look from a higher perspective, I may not “judge” the event, individual or experience but just see, perhaps feel it, as a neutral activity that can be curious and interesting. When I am successful, I may even feel empathy and appreciation for the circumstances which have lead to this experience and more fully understand my “lesson” or “challenge” from my participation. Even if this lesson is painful, which as a human I will feel, I can still feel appreciation for what I can learn from this challenge on my pilgrimage through life. This detachment does NOT mean you do not care or feel the physical or emotional pain. It means that you are not locked up without finding the higher perspective regarding how to celebrate (?) this difficult challenge.

One more example and an exercise you can attempt… Hold a tangerine. Look at it fully. Appreciate the work of people who delivered this fruit to you and the forces of nature which allowed this fruit to grow. Feel the tangerine. Scratch the peel and smell the tangerine. Slowly and carefully peel the tangerine, perhaps keeping the peel in one piece. Pull the first section out slowly and place this in your mouth. Breathe! Feel the tangerine section in your mouth. Move it around with your tongue. Press it against your teeth or slowly take a bite. Breathe! Taste the sweetness. Appreciate the sun and forces which developed the sugar of this fruit. Slowly swallow the first section and then slowly repeat this for as much of this tangerine as you wish. If you were not distracted and were focused upon this exercise, attempt this at your next meal… Try to not speak for 10 minutes while you eat… Be mindful. Breathe slowly. Appreciate.

Full List of 10 Qualities of Mindfulness are:
These are Pages 18-20 of Laurie Cameron’s book: “The Mindful Day, Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm and Joy From Morning to Evening.”

1. Awareness
2. Beginners Mind
3. Acceptance
4. Insight
5. Impermanence (Life is temporary and so are all the challenges…)
6. Equanimity
7. Interconnection
8. Compassion
9. Gratitude
10. Joy

Special thanks to Chau Yoder for these helpful acronyms:

Consider C.A.R.E. when dealing with life’s experiences
C. Compassion
A. Appreciation
R. Respect
E. Equanimity

To Assist you with this, try P.B.S.
P. Pause
B. Breathe
S. Smile

One more tip for dealing with a situation which “Triggers” you. R.A.I.N.
R. Recognize
A. Allow
I. Investigate with Kindness
N. Nurture (Yourself and the Appreciation of this Challenge)

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog