LETTING GO OF YOUR MISERY by drjoy

So, yes, “Misery does like company…”

And it does seem to put a stranglehold on all that is light…

When misery sets in, it is far too much trouble to even try to rise for the occasion.  So why even bother?  To try means that it might not happen and failure could then tease Mr. Misery into hanging his hat up, in the closet, where it becomes a fixture collecting dust mites that leap into the brain and settle in.

Misery is far too demanding, once it sets up home, to even think about switching channels.  It makes us couch potatoes, sculpting us with Buddha Bellies.  And there we lie and lay: Hey! I’m stretched out doing nothing, going nowhere, everything bothers me anyway so who cares, anyway even?  It’s just that I know that the there and then won’t be any better than the here and now anyway.  We all know that the world sucks, anyway, and then we die, so hey, be in no hurry to change, anyway…

Even if someone of whose company you don’t like – meaning their ray of sunshine did not drown from your bucket of sorrow – nudges Ms. Misery towards the light, head but-ting is the only dance offered:  But you don’t understand.  But surely you don’t feel that way.  But what if this happens?  But it’s just not going to work out.  But what if I fall off the edge of a cliff? But what if a monster tries to eat me?  But I just c-a-a-a-n’t…

Misery attacks the smells and noises that come out of you.  It grips your throat and causes your eyes to cry and voice to whimper and then rage.  It hardens your muscles and stiffens your back.  Misery has more anger hidden deep within it than sadness.  Doses of injustice, life’s not fair beliefs, and even paranoia weave in and out – it’s not paranoia when they really are out to get ya’ – got cha’…

Misery, that way-down-deep-locked-in-the-dungeon syndrome, needs chiseling to even begin to fracture.  Get the crusty old armor a little cleaned up first.  Those first steps with the head finally up enough to make eye contact, well, they usually are taken with impossible expectations and assumptions, designed to be shot down: impossible illusions…

And that destroyer of misery laser beam that comes next from the outside, well, it fries Mr. Misery into hiding.  There’s a moment or two, possibly a day or two, at the most a week or two before the pitbull of misery grabs your ass once again.  Hey! Just don’t let this routine get you up:  Just stay on down in the gutter as long as your misery allows you to tie a knot and hang on.  Swinging in the breeze is at least a wee bit more interesting than wearing cement underwear.

So now we’re in the flapping stage where we do the I’m in/ I’m not in, I’m here/ I’m not here, I want/ I don’t want, I am/ I am not, push/pull, go/stop over and over again until we even bore ourselves stiff and run off all the other dancing beams of light. And it’s here in this darkened state where we can still see the stars but can’t touch them that gets us thinking about building a rocket ship.

However, for now, it is time to swing your way a little further ahead of where you were tied and gagged.  Whenever you get the opening, swing out a little further.  Dust yourself off and try a different type of swing. And when you just can’t stay on the little edge of knottiness, leap and roll.  Yes! Don’t forget to ease right into that fall you are guaranteed to have.  Don’t stiffen up now or you’ll hurt things that you weren’t even aware of before…

Dust off as you rise up, and dance a little jig.  It’s now safe to feel a pinch of happiness, a dusting of joy.  Don’t get carried away.  Up one moment and down the next is the challenge of a lifetime: to stay balanced, to feel even, to enjoy each and every moment.  We’re not there yet.  Nope! And don’t make those silly promises that reek of self-deception: I’m done with misery and the habits that feed it.  Don’t kid yourself, for those miserable thought demons are just starting to come out of the wood work…

Meet them, greet them, interact with them, play with them.  “Hello, I’ll never find a job in this recession.”  Why are you here?  Where did you come from?  And where can I send you next?  I think I’ll just propel you into another world because you are no longer of value in this one.  Oh my, here you are my “You ain’t graceful, just a clumsy ox, never have been, never will be”.  You are here to keep me powerless so others can look down their noses. OH? You actually came from “the others”.  You are not mine!  So, I’ll just dance into another world because I don’t believe you any more…

Keep your sleeves rolled up and your head in the game.  That rocket blaster is built with each and every smile, each and every laugh, each and every “I did it!” that escapes the clutches of the old crusty Mr. or Ms. Misery.  Each and every twinkling star, each and every loving touch, each and every special moment has to be entered into and its gifts remembered.

Blast away  your thought demons with jolly juice and you’ll naturally give that which you received.  The cycle of misery chiseled and wiped, stared down, given into, meeted and greeted, played with and then set aside, opens you to infinite possibilities, delicious delights, and love that lifts and tingles.  The best kept secret?  Misery doesn’t exist when you are dancing in the light…

 

This article was originally published in my free electronic book of “essays” about Living Love, Daring The Dark, Bestowing Birth, and Celebrating Compassionately.  It is “A Soul’s View of the World”.  If you would like a free copy, just let me know your e-mail address…

A COSMICALLY CHRISTED WORLD… by drjoy

In 2017, this is even more relevant today than when I first wrote it in 2004 as a response to reading books by Matthew Fox, Jim Marion, and Andrew Harvey on “The Cosmic Christ” – the Divine Love Presence within us that we can make real.   It connects that both The Historical Buddha and The Historical Christ shared visions of a compassionately-free and Divinely-empowered humanity…  It was first published in my book “The WE that is ME:  A Creation Spirituality Guidebook For You”.*********************************************

The wild and raving teacher, who was charismatically delivering his piece of the Cosmic Puzzle, questioned and exclaimed, “Can YOU imagine what the world would be like fully Christed and out of this mess?”

And for the first time in lifetimes of birthing and dying, of temptation and of transfiguration, of agonizing and of resurrecting, I nodded an amazed and illuminating YES…YES… YES…

All worlds are connected through awareness, which is the keeper of the flame. The realms of angels and elementals, of earthly beings, it is obvious that we are all the same.

I can see a great spiral dance of all religions moving hand-in-hand towards Our Source.  It is our destiny to be one in unity as we are birthed and breathed by Divine Life Force.

The essential truth of the innate divinity of all beings, with the abilities for direct communication Divine, are supported by all religions as spiritual communities illuminated equally in the glow of our blessed sunshine.

The great marriage of our East and West obviously brought all our mystical systems together.  And we’ve developed the willingness and persistence for heart and Soul to bridge and tether.

Co-creating with The Divine has become much more than a mere buzz word, for the selfish side of ego tumbled down with the purposeful fall of the absurd.

And a great welling up of humanity supported from spirit somehow managed to move past denial and lay claim,  to full response-ability for all our actions, moving into Divine Truth and order past all blame.

I can still tell that the Great Change was not easy, for human transformation had been so hidden.  However, it now stands obvious what can occur when multitudes prayerfully unite and The Divine bidden.

It is that scientific fact that if one group changes, the energy switches and transforms on its own.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s monkeys or humans, what can happen has already been shown.

And Christ Consciousness placed in this dimension of time and space and matter, illuminates our mass-consciousness terror so that man-made darkness has no choice but to shatter.

So it shattered while the clouds roared and thundered, while the seas rolled onto the Earth.  And when we humans finally reached out in forgiveness The Mother and we gave great birth.

In serving the growing Christ, The Divine Being within us all, we moved beyond human anxiety and aggression, beyond the traps of redemption and fall.

I see a whole planet of humans refraining from killing and harming others,  from stealing and slandering, from violating our mothers.

All the addictions galore that we had reveled in that cause carelessness and loss of awareness,  are now seen and transformed by a respected elder’s transfiguring kiss.

The spiritual acts of manifestation, of prophecy and of hands on healing,  are encouraged and taught as is the healthy expression of feeling.

Sacred creativity has expanded into all of the personal arts,  for with the reawakening of awe comes the expansion of all our hearts.

And as our hearts open wide, we miraculously make love real.  We integrate both the yin and the yang as our Souls make the one true deal.

To use our minds in a whole way of a combined right and left brain thing,  which includes both logic and intuition allowing our Soul’s voice to truly sing.

We no longer hide our misery or shove our cosmic pain aside. But through the differences in one another we share our burdens and are able to confide.

And because of all this, the big world wars have gradually fizzled.  The threat of nuclear annihilation and more have quit being a downpour becoming only a drizzle.

The process of connection has become what life is all about.  And just guess what true communion does to fearful dread and doubt.

The world has gone through a true metanoia, an awesome change of heart.  Although people may still try to fight, they can not stay apart.

For it has become impossible to deny who we truly are.  Our disillusionment has lifted; we have come way too far.

The ego pulls of sinful need to separate, to pretend to function alone,  no longer make any sense at all, not since Divine Love has shone.

That committing to political and social, sexual and economic transformation was the only way,  anything else had become too great a price to pay.

For misplaced and misused power had mired the world down.  And we were forced to make longing for joy into our saving clown.

It was the face of joy that exposed our ugliness and gloom.  It was the smile of our Beloved that saved us from our doom.

For we found it more challenging to be happy than to be caught up in our sorrow.  Until our rage promised us that if we continued there would be no tomorrow.

And so, it’s all about doing our work of releasing our blocks and freeing our limitations.  Not letting the little heel nipping devils darken the glow of our Divination.

Our Christed World depends upon our remembrances of the spiritual light.  For without that we can’t move past our individual and collective Dark Soul Of The Night.

We’ve learned that it is in giving that we truly do receive.  That it is in opening our heart that we surely do perceive.

A Christed World full of flying mystical prophets that are heard above the din of anything else that tries to drown out The Word.

And that word is DIVINE LOVE which speaks of moving gratitudes,  not the old style of negativity that speak of stifling platitudes.

The Christed World is full of beauty and the recognition of.  It is consciousness in action through the flight of a peace dove.

It is the Divine Feminine and Masculine dancing intertwined.  Dignity without pride the marriage of heart and mind.

And in this sacred marriage The Christed World is to be found,  the explosion of the Life Force, The OM, the Cosmic Sound.

And The Cosmic Christ moved me to dance and sing, as if this was all there was…

And The Cosmic Christ moved me to pray and to give, as if this was all there will be…

And The Cosmic Christ moved me to express and to love, as if this is all there is…

 

 

 

 

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT… by drjoy

“THOSE WHO MAKE YOU BELIEVE ABSURDITIES CAN MAKE YOU COMMIT ATROCITIES…”  Voltaire

That is why it is so important to be able to discern “propaganda”, “fake news” and “pathological liars” in politics and politicians since government literally rules over our lives.

“Fake News” is the latest, hottest name for propaganda which is the manipulation of fear into outrage in order to taint reality and to spread those lies or distortions in an effort to influence and control or rule over groups of people.   Daily, there are new articles trying to explain how fake news influenced America’s recent elections and lists of sources that send out fake news.  In fact, depending on which political orientation the author owns, I have seen every news source I know about listed under “fake” by somebody somewhere.   Though I’ve been requested to publish such a list, I found it an impossible task.

I know of well over 100 internet sources that send out news on political campaigns and issues.  And there are probably hundreds more.   In my search for, “The facts, Mam, just the facts,” or a neutral nonpartisan news source, I’ve come up with zilch, nada, zero.  And that’s after asking everyone I could which news sources they considered “the truth and nothing but the truth”.

The bottom line is that a human being or a group of humans is not and are not built to be neutral, opinionless, without bias or filters that have leanings towards the left or right.  If we could just agree with what is right and what is wrong, that would help in our never ending search for what is truth, but we really don’t and can’t seem to in The United States of America right now.

With that aired, here is a guideline for all truth seekers.  On my facebook page, I will encourage us all to list our news sources that at least appear to be truer and nonbiased  than others. I also have linked four other articles on “Integrating Spirituality Into Politics” that could prove helpful on learning how to discern political fact from fiction.

A TRUTH SEEKERS GUIDELINE

1.  Know your own bias and insert an open mind…
2.  Fake news feeds on fear.  Be aware of your own fears or “hooks” that can get you all fired up and outraged.
3. With politicians, look for these Four Deceiving Techniques which are part of a political liar’s arsenal : A. Dismiss  B. Distract  C. Distort and D. Dismay. In our recent elections, this was modeled daily.
4. As you read, look for these Fake News indicators: casting others as subhuman, centering on an enemy, exaggerating the dangers and statistics, deceptive and manufactured stories, crafted attacks, all appealing and fear based prejudicially bigoted and stereotypical views concerning culture and religion that are repeated over and over again, conspiracy theories, demonization, false accusations, deceptively edited footage, fabrications, omissions and twisted distortions.
5. Fact check! And fact check again… The nonpartisan Fact Checker sites are easy to search for.  Find a few that you feel have proven their worth to you.
6. See what others have written about the issue or personality.  Try a new author or source that obviously sees or knows something different than you or what you have already read.
7. Delve into an issue, candidate, law, amendment, policy, or proposal deeper than just the surface or meme level.
8. Communicate with others about what you all have read and experienced.
9. Ask Questions.   Be alarmed when 2+2 is suddenly blaring a 7, when things just don’t add up.
10. Remember your BS detector is being stimulated when your eyes roll, you burst out laughing, or your stomach turns.  Learn your own gut level “I’m being scammed” response and listen to it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY INTO POLITICS: Conscious Action (4 of 4) by drjoy

“Only one who devotes their self to a cause with their whole strength and Soul can be a true master.  For this reason, the mastery demands all of a person…”  Albert Einstein

While stopping the nasty’s, learning the skills of discernment, and practicing forgiveness definitely helps us to integrate spirituality into politics, the wholeness of body, mind and spirit that directs conscious action gives rise to bringing forth the acting love that is a part of all beings.  It moves us further into The Light.

Just imagine what life on Earth would actually be like if everyone of us acted from and out of love and goodness, from the understanding and values that we truly are in this together and that what I think, say and do affects all around me and beyond.  All the major spirituality’s, religions, as they became integrated in daily life have acknowledged this connection, this oneness, this unity of being.

Conscious actions are those that are fueled by this unity of consciousness, by “the best of all concerned and for the higher good.”  They flow from us organically once we are no longer needing to strike out in nastiness in order to defend ourselves and to try to regain perceived lost power and control.  Conscious actions do not form themselves out of fear or the need for revenge or the need to make everyone else into ourselves in order to feel justified in behaving the way we have chosen.

Political actions have been normalized or formularized into past patterns of cause and effect that our government’s politicians and policies stay stuck in political cycle after political cycle.  As Einstein points out, “Human Beings must have action and they will make it if they cannot find it.” That’s when old political actions seem to be doubled down on with many people choosing to just ride out the latest political storm, whining and demonizing the others who are at least still acting in the play.

Real change, real transformation, real progress comes out of the risk of trying something new and different out of love for humanity and our Planet Earth, not from our own set of fears, conclusions, defenses and attempts to survive.  It comes from our creative imagination in putting together the puzzle pieces in new ways, in creating new energies to work with, in thinking feeling and doing things way beyond the past scripts that were swallowed and regurgitated.

Since Albert Einstein has pointed out that “Great Spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds,” we have a whole lot of work to do on ourselves before we can access the creative ideas and conscious actions that truly can change the world into living and being high instead of low.  Spiritual truth has always shown us that one of our most intense challenges, of being spiritual beings having human experiences, is to live a life of peace and love regardless of what other people do, say, think, value, believe or rule.

This means that we have to be consistently in touch with the spiritual truth of “To thine own self be true…” or to know our own values in order to live those values through conscious action.  Einstein also has stated quite emphatically, “Never do anything against your conscience-even if The State demands it!”  Why?  Because, once we know and understand our conscience, only conscious actions will hold us together.  True compassion demands that we do no harm to others, including to ourselves.  When we betray our own conscience, we are not pretty pictures.  Clarity and clear headed creativity that lead to positive change are nowhere to be found  with guilt, fear, selfishness and ego causing our minds to run amuck.

Get to know your own package of skills you already possess and any others you feel inspired to learn about and can also incorporate into your personal tool/skill bag.  Become aware of the issues that you feel passionate about, exploring where that passion comes from and doing your own personal process work in order to get as clearheaded about the issues that you possibly can be.  And do your research.

Know that there are no single issues operating in a vacuum.  If you are passionate about gun control, whether starting out pro or con or neutral, this issue involves everyone on our planet (we are all connected).  There are many areas of life involved from business to military, from family safety to sporting preferences, from risks of death to limited abilities, and much more.  Research all sides from legitimate news, research and story sites.  Be open minded.  Listen and observe.  Discern instead of judge.

There will be a phase where all the facts and figures, experiences and observations will make you “feel full”.  Then it’s time to quiet your thoughts, to go inside yourself and connect with The Greater Consciousness.  Ask for deeper, higher guidance and then be open to receive that higher guidance, the creative impulse you have been able to tap into because you have cleared out muddling emotions/energies (stopped the nasty’s) dropped the harsh judgementalness (in able to use discernment), let go of your fears and angers (forgiven) and done your open-minded research.

Integrating spirituality into politics is all about letting your conscious (full awareness and intentional) action-plans to emerge.  Free yourself up further through dancing, singing, arting, and writing.  Go back into the silence and emerge again.  As Einstein experienced, “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”  Celebrate by putting your plans into conscious action, giving birth to them, nurturing and forming organizing patterns, often with others, that allow for growth.  And then, set them free…

 

 

INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY INTO POLITICS: Practicing Forgiveness (3 0f 4) by drjoy

“Politics is personal” is very much an understatement.  In our society, governments and politicians are in control of our rules and laws: rules and laws that end up dictating everything we can and cannot do both outside and inside of our own homes, of how we can and can’t make and use our money and businesses, of who we can and cannot and what we can and can’t do with another person we love and have a sexual relationship with.

Our governments, meaning our politicians, choose how we grow our food, how we produce our energy, how we parent our children, how we take care of our elders.  There is not anything in our lives that aren’t governed by both our elected and selected officials and their personalities, or the good, the bad and the ugly nature of human beings.  The power over our every move by people from the past and the present that we don’t know and that feel, think, believe and act differently than ourselves is truly a real set up for craziness.  Throw in money, lots of it for some and not so much for many others, and our political hornet’s nest is continually stirred up and stinging.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”  The result today, in our psyche and behaviors, doesn’t appear very much different than when CS Lewis, in 1942 wrote his “Screwtape Letters”:

“My Dear Wormwood,

Be sure that the patient remains completely fixated on politics.  Arguments, political gossip, and obsessing on the faults of people they have never met serves as an excellent distraction from advancing in personal virtue, character and the things the patient can control.  Make sure to keep the patient in a constant state of angst, frustration and general disdain towards the rest of the human race in order to avoid any kind of charity or inner peace from further developing.  Ensure the patient continues to believe the problem is ‘out there in the broken system’ rater tan recognizing there is a problem with himself.

Keep up the good work, Uncle Screwtapes

Over the centuries of government governing, we humanoids have tended to dwell and act on the rage-full anger of both perceived and real injustices, the inactive depression that takes over when we feel helpless, and the mouthful meanness when we have given up on the hope of righting those injustices.  Once again, we come to the understanding that we’ve separated out of politics and governing our spiritual selves that trust in the greater good and are co-creators with the good in and all around us.

Stopping the nasty’s and learning discernment ( see articles “Integrating Spirituality Into Politics ” 1 & 2) head us toward the necessary reality of integrating forgiveness and its clearheaded compassion into our political lives.  Yes, I said forgiveness and compassion in regards to working with politicians and policies.  It’s essential, yet holding anger-fueled grudges and resentments are fostered and modeled frequently.

The bonus in practicing forgiveness and compassion in our political worlds means that we have developed the skills and consciousness to create it in our other personal worlds of work and especially in our families.  We’re speaking to the skills of recognizing and releasing our negative emotions, of moving beyond harsh judgementalness and into the skills of discernment, and of forgiving, or letting go of the need of revenge and chaos, in order to emerge creatively clear-headed for the higher good and best of all concerned.

Forgiveness is all about letting go of the part of your past that keep you attached to negative emotions.  In the world of politics, it’s the rules and laws that don’t match our values or needs.  It’s the very human behaviors of our politicians that we think should be better than they are including selfishness, power mongering and broken promises.  It’s the organizations that try to push their agendas onto us as individuals or us as the other “party”.  Forgiveness is about moving on so that you can act appropriately to what is happening in the here and now.  As Einstein has pointed out, “Life is like riding a bicycle: to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

Understanding why people are doing what they are doing helps.  Forgiveness is not about denying that whatever is happening is not happening.  It’s not about forgetting that it ever happened.  It is about learning from what went on and your reaction to it and then reframing it in a way that reaps positive, instead of negative, benefits for the life you choose to live.

In dealing with politics, politicians and governments, letting go of disappointments, frustrations, fears, and feelings of not being in control of our own lives, has to come from within ourselves.  Our modern day “trolls” are those who feed off of the ugliness of our political world.  Start believing and experiencing that you can be in and of the world still knowing its beauty, serenity and its love, no matter what is happening around you.

The knowledge of that deep spiritual inner peace has been available throughout all of time.  As Einstein claimed, “Never in the history of calming down has anyone ever calmed down by being told to calm down…”  That calmness has to come from within and has a great deal to do with letting go and moving away from that which keeps us in a state of agitation.  My friend, Rosemary Partridge, has a prayer I have found helpful to work with often through the turbulent waters of our world politics:

CLEAN SWEEP by Rosemary Partridge

This is the prayer to the Celestial Housekeeper to whom I am an apprentice.

To She Who Keeps Divine Order even amidst chaos and change.

I request, I desire a clean sweep of all that I no longer need.

Old pains, hurts and dysfunctions

Old patterns of behavior that serve no one.

And may it be a clean sweep with the fibers, the strands

Going throughout my life, the body of my affairs, my psyche.

As I breathe out I release and let go giving thanks, accepting the change

That will inevitably ensue from being cleaner, kinder and stronger.  Amen…

 

 

INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY INTO POLITICS: Living Discernment (#2 of 4)

How are you doing with “stopping the nasty’s” ?  Are you finding the hooks that make you angry and frustrated with “politics as usual”?  Those harsh judgements, that we’re all taught to wall ourselves off with, that we use in order to fend off being attacked, that we use to keep the status quo and that we use unwisely in making difficult decisions about complicated issues and situations, are seldom true.

Harsh close-minded critical judgements are not connectors.  They separate us, isolate us, create conflicts and often turn real nasty   They are conducive to domination and violence   As Carl Jung said, “Thinking is difficult.  That’s why most people judge.”

What is required in integrating spirituality into politics is the high skill level of DISCERNMENT, which allows us all to go high instead of low, to work things out together for the greater good and best for all concerned.  Critical judgementalness is based on the energy of an egocentric “I am better than you” conflict-based and dualistic oriented approach which is a weaver of our angers and fears.  Discernment is necessary in positive decision-making and is based on the energy of equality and oneness, which is a weaver of our connectedness and unity.  “Peace cannot be kept by force.  It can be achieved by understanding.”  Albert Einstein

In order to discern truth, we have to use both logic and intuition and all our appropriate senses.  Neutrality is the energy that allows for the deep penetration and its resulting clarity needed in any and all political situations.  Albert Einstein is also quoted as saying, “It is not that I am so smart.  It’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

Modern politics, with its instant global communication abilities, is so susceptible and indeed entrenched with the “gossip affect”.  Sit in a circle of twenty people, whisper a story to one person, have each person secretly share the story with the other, then have the last person tell the story to the whole group and you will hardly recognize the original story at all.

And then there is “perspective dissonance”.  In that group of 20 people, have different people share an emotionally involved story to the whole group.  Then have each person in the group write down privately what they heard and their reaction to the story.  You will have 19 different reactions to the same story because we all, each and every one of us, see and hear things from our own unique perceptional filters dependent upon our own individual experiences.

Now add to the very human gossip affect and perspective dissonance confusion, as to what is real, fact or actually happened, such an overwhelming modern day phenomenon available instantly through technology called “propaganda” and it is not a mystery why, concerning government or politics, that we seem to be at each other’s throats.  Indeed, propaganda has become quite an artform in today’s political arena.  Propaganda is the manipulation of fear into outrage in order to taint reality, in order to spread lies to influence and control or rule over groups of people.

In an effective propaganda campaign, you will find all of these techniques: casting others as subhuman, centering on an enemy, exaggerating the dangers, deceptive and manufactured stories, and crafted attacks all appealing to fear-based prejudicial bigoted and stereotypical views concerning culture and religion that are repeated over and over again.  You will also find conspiracy theories, demonization, false accusations, deceptively edited footage, fabrications and omissions.  What we end up with is twisted distortion that might, or might not, have a sliver of truth.

Whew!  So how do we even begin to be able to discern and then act on “truth” in order to approach decisions and solutions that are based on the spiritual values of “we are all connected” and for the “best of all concerned”?

Living in discernment, integrating the skills of discernment in the decision-making in our lives and governments, requires the spiritual necessity of “knowing thyself”.  What clouds your thoughts?  What provokes your outrage?  What are your deepest fears involving humanity’s behaviors?  We must then work on releasing those negative emotions and energies that both blind us and bind us to other’s , and our own need, to control.

And then it is time to do our in-depth research.  We have to open ourselves up to all sides of an issue, problem, circumstance or situation.  Practice deep listening.  Seek a variety of views.  You can’t really explore anything in-depth if you buy, hook line and sinker, into propaganda or into being right above all else.

Recognize that neutrality has nothing to do with indifference.  Find and analyze the facts.  Discernment is all about balanced research and informed decisions.  And it leads to creative problem solving appropriate with what is happening currently.  The world’s past can teach us from what we have done and tried before, but unless we face the stark realities of the present, we will be stuck in an unworkable future.

Discernment leads to spirit-based action, action that dances high and connects the good in the individual and all of humanity.  Try working with this mantra or affirmation: “I am too blessed to be stressed and too grateful to be hateful.”  Yes, do this in relation to politics and politicians, governments, programs and agencies, constitutions, amendments, laws and bylaws.

More than likely, you’ll also have to incorporate forgiveness work into your political life.  As Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new…”

 

 

INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY INTO POLITICS: Stop The Nasty’s… by drjoy

        “Unprecedented” amounts of the nasty’s – negative and deceitful foulmouthed and sensationalized exclamations, mean name calling, and vicious verbal attacks full of lies and distorted perceptions fueled by anger and even hatred – are currently raging across the not so United States.  All of the world is watching as our American Democracy appears to be blowing itself apart by exposing its dark underbelly, its shadows and devils, that have been playing games with this country for centuries.  But now all our quagmires are instantly shown everywhere and immediately through modern social media technology.

        At this stage of America’s 2016 Presidential Elections, where the bought and paid for two ruling party’s have elected (Republicans) and selected (Democrats) two of the most distrusted candidates in American history, the spirit of we American peoples appears not to be a very pretty picture.   Millions are fearful and angry regardless of what we label ourselves.  And our American Society as a whole seems steeped in the selfishness of narcissism that demands that we get all of what we want now regardless of who or what it hurts or even annihilates in the process of getting the product of our desires.

        What we are being presented over and over with politically is basically the “same old same old” whether it looks like nationalistic dictatorship or oligarchic incrementalism.  It still is the Republican and Democratic Party’s dualism and need to control.  One of our most brilliant scientists, Albert Einstein, tried to teach us that we can’t solve problems by doing the same things that created those particular problems.  It’s time we take that bit of wisdom and apply it to our political world.

        So, in this spirit, this is the first of a series of articles about integrating spirituality into politics: not religion but spirituality of which there is a huge difference.  This is what’s been missing: Where’s the love?  Where’s the real Divine Love and its true unity, its natural liberty and justice for all, its oneness and true soulful freedom in our political consciousness: in how we govern humanity?  Where is the spiritual truth of “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you”? 

         Where are the resultant actions and laws that come from the spiritual acknowledgment that what works best for humanity is “Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves”?   How have we gotten so far away from “Judge not least ye be judged” and “Find The Divine, God, in each and everyone”?   How does “Let go and let God” fit into how we’re all behaving right now and into our political systems?    Again, in our politics, where is the love? 

         Many of us are aware now that “we are spiritual beings having human experiences.”  And yet it appears that where we have our spirituality integrated in our words and actions the least is in the arena of politics.  Why is it so difficult for us to find a collective “For the best of all concerned- For the higher good”?  Life is not just yours or just mine but ours.   It’s not just for my tribe, my beliefs and perceptions but for us all: all for one and one for all.   The stark naked truth of living on this planet is that we are all in this together.  What I do affects you and what you do affects me… “We are all connected.”

        Be that as it may, many still say that integrating spiritual principles into politics is both impractical and impossible. But I ask who among us is content with America’s political systems and institutions of governing?  Who really feels that it is fair and functioning well?   Is there anyone who doesn’t see and now know that how we deal with money can become the root of all evil, many injustices, many violent conflicts?  So many of us know that narcissism and its selfishness, greed and arrogance is a blight on the human condition. 

         We can label ourselves or be labeled by others into political, religious, sexual, and economic category’s that appear radically different from one another and yet we, each one, can see the angers and fears that our political system of separation, of dualism, has driven us to.  We all can see that name calling, nasty mean language, telling and spreading of distorted lies, and hateful oriented actions do not solve our, humanity’s, problems.  We all have seen how hatred and anger makes us act crazily destructive and can put our lives in danger.  Is that what you, what we, want?  Is that what you, what we, choose?

        Let’s just start integrating spirituality into politics by simply stopping the nasty’s.  Stop the mean name calling and nasty language.  Don’t say it. Don’t write it. Don’t read it. Don’t spread it. And don’t think it…  The challenge is to send out what you know in your heart to be true.  Send out that which you know will help and inspire.  Start here and now. And dare to imagine what our world will be like when we have all stopped listening to and spreading nasty fear-based rumors about one another, sensationalized distortions of one another.

        We can learn to discern the truth when we let go of our knee-jerk reactions of anger based on fear.  It is important to learn how to recognize our own anger, hatred and distrust.  Name them.  Take some deep breaths and “Let go and let God” help you.  And when you are calm and centered again, look for the sliver of truth in whatever ticked you off or hooked you into the ugliness and meanness that is so tempting to us.  Go within for that fountain of Divine Wisdom we can all tap into if we just will.  And see where this inner wisdom takes you…

 

Here are a few humanoid resources to help in the political fact checking category:       Factcheck.org         Politifact.com    Opensecrets.org        Truthorfiction.com       Snopes.com         Hoaxslayer.com

 

LIFE ON THE BEACH #5 by drjoy

Here on Galveston Island, Pelicans are a mainstay of life on the beach either in the sky sometimes flying solo or in flocks of over twenty, on a perch, bobbing on top of the waves or diving swiftly into the water.  They are a large seabird that can get up to 4.6 feet in length with a wingspan of 6.6-7.5 feet, weighing between 8-10 lbs.

Yet, they are very light and buoyant being able to float like a schooner.  Yes, I’ve seen these bobbers and been mystified as to how they can float like that being so large.  Turns out that they are born with a series of air sacs under their skin and in their skeleton.  It not only keeps them afloat but their air sacs force them, no matter how far under the water they plunge, to pop right up to the surface.

And plunge they do.  In fact, that’s what often catches our eyes concerning Pelicans the most.  They are gracefully flying high in the sky when suddenly they are diving at a great speed straight down and with a WHACK they hit the water surface and disappear.  It’s dramatic to us but not to them.  They are simply fishing.  Once in the water, they use their long beaks and an expanding throat pouch as a water filter to catch their food.  For large fish, they catch them in their bill, toss them in the air and then slide them into their gullet head first.  It’s all so quick and smooth.

This fascinating seabird can fly and soar using air thermals to heights of 10,000 ft. or more.  They glide in and flap for V formation flights up to 93 miles for feeding.  Yet they can skim along over stretches of ocean water and are also good swimmers with their strong legs and webbed feet.

Being a more tropical bird, Pelicans do have a way to adjust to colder temps and to keep from getting too soaked and weighed down with water.  They rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up an oily secretion which they transfer to their plumage in order to waterproof and insulate.  As a result of all this, they are so adaptable that they live 15-25 years and have been around for over 30 MILLION years (yes, you read that right).

Pelicans often seem so quiet and peaceful.  But there are times in their life cycle when they grunt a lot (at the colony birthing of their young) and can get so gregarious with the thrusting and snapping of their bills and lifting and waving of their wings in a threatening manner when defending themselves and their family.

I couldn’t imagine life on the beach anymore without watching these versatile birds soar and glide, plunge and dive, bob and float.  They remind me to free myself from that which weighs me down and to gracefully ride the thermals and storms that blow through my own life.

 

This article first has been published both in Galveston Island’s August 2016 Island Visitors’ Guide and Zeitgeist…

THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE PATHS of Living Love, Daring the Dark, Bestowing Birth, and Celebrating Compassion by drjoy

Our problems as human beings have been developed by our personalities: our patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.  On our planet today, we are still being influenced by disbeliefs and misbeliefs that have us reacting as if we humans are the be all and end all of all creation. This perceived separation from the rest of creation – and indeed from one another if they happen to be of a different color and culture, sex, age, or whatever – lies at the crux of all our nasty, narcisstic, arrogant, destructive and dysfunctional behaviors.  We’ve systematically over time made our personal problems into widescale social and planetary problems.

To move out of the quagmire of human consciousness and truly move into the personal transformation necessary in order to create social and planetary healing requires Soul Consciousness.   Even our brilliant scientist Albert Einstein recognized that “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the level of thinking and behaving that created them.”

Tuning into our Soul’s – The Divine God Spark within us all – voice and abilities through Soul Consciousness is all about consciously connecting with our Soul-full Selves on a daily basis:  This means thinking, feeling and behaving as The Mystics, Healers, Artists, and Prophets that we all are as we choose to LIVE LOVE, DARE THE DARK, BESTOW BIRTH and CELEBRATE COMPASSION.

LIVING AS MYSTICS

Living as a Mystic is all about connecting to the awe and wonder of life.  Mysticism is a transformative approach or path to life involving spiritual activity, based on the awesome power and purpose of love, which wakes us up to beauty, truth, freedom, compassion, and justice or the reverence for ALL LIFE.  The Way Of The Mystic is the path of connection, of living with purpose and balance, of being in service to one another, of being wonder-fully alive in every way.

Basing our decisions and actions on a balanced combination of both rational logic and intuitive guidance would be of great benefit in solving the complex problems of modern society.   Just envision our societies and their influences on this Earth if we all integrated these ways of a Mystic in all our decisions, actions and reactions:

1. Being in close communication with The Great Spirit/ God…
2. Showing great respect for our fellow beings, The Earth and all that dwell here…
3. Giving assistance and kindness wherever needed…
4. Being truthful and honest at all times…
5. Doing what we know is right…
6. Looking after the well being of body, mind & spirit…
7. Taking full response-ability for our actions…
8. Dedicating a share of our efforts to the greater good…
9. Working together for the benefit of all humankind…
10. Enjoying and appreciating all life has to offer…                                                                   

A Soul’s view of the world will always include the vision of The Mystic that lives within each and every one of us.  This vision includes moving from our present devastating influence on the Earth to a more benign mode of presence as well as treating all beings from intentions of love, of unity, of oneness.  It requires holistic thinking, intuitive listening, mindful talking, conscious actions, and appropriate response-ability.

“May we always live as love, keeping open a sense of wonder for all life and an eye for the beauty in all living things.”  LIVE LOVE!

 

LIVING AS HEALERS

Living as a HEALER means developing the awareness of knowing when we are out of balance and how to then get back into balance.  Many planetary spiritual leaders have stated that humanity’s most precious gift is the capacity to be aware: the power to be conscious, to be awake, to transform.  It is NOT being in touch with- and integrating into all that we do- Love, Divine or Soul Consciousness that gets us into big trouble with ourselves, one another, and this earthly life we live in.

Living as a Healer is all about embracing the life lessons that are constantly coming our way as evolving beings.  In order to do that, we have to deal with the negative, the painful and the destructive in ourselves, one another, our societies and cultures, and with nature itself.  Our problems (challenges and opportunities) are the very place to discover wisdom and love and to learn how to heal.

Healing is all about becoming whole involving the totality of our body, mind, emotional, spiritual, social, and political being, as well as our relationship with all of life and The Divine Source.  Real healing is a holistic journey within oneself to reunite body, mind, and spirit with our soul.

Our ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, or our personality can lift us into the glory and joy of living or send us into the deepest and darkest of despairs.  Recognizing and working with the interconnectedness of all aspects of our nature involves:

1. Naming the pain along with understanding and working with the personality patterns we acquired (recognition).
2. Releasing our old ways of being by transforming our negativity (releasing)
3. Consciously integrating our soulfully Divine Self into every aspect of our lives (reconstructing).
4. Requiring us to do our Personal Process Work or to dance with our boogabears and demons, daring the dark to teach us its lessons.

Life is all about becoming a conscious co-creator (The Artist) in connection with Divine Source (The Mystic) in order to reach out and serve others (The Prophet) through a self-transformational process of letting go or healing (The Healer). 

We all can continue to suffer feeling hopeless at all the worldwide oppression and destruction and feeling helpless to stop the worldwide polluting, pillaging, and terrorizing.  Or we can Dare The Dark and do the healing work- be the HEALERS we are- that is demanded of our human species at this time.  This is to do the work on our inner lives in order to transform ourselves and each other to living lives of love, of service in connection with one another and all of Earth’s inhabitants.

“Divine Healer, I release to you all thoughts, intentions, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, habits, energy patterns, and behaviors that bind me to negative, destructive and nonproductive experiences.  So be it…” DARE THE DARK!

 

LIVING AS ARTISTS

Living as an Artist is really all about The Art Of Conscious Living.  It is about being deeply engaged and connected with life, releasing and healing all that keeps us from moving out of merely looking and hearing into deeply seeing and listening and then allowing new energies to merge from that deep engagement.

Living as an Artist encompasses uncovering and developing our natural creative talents or abilities, putting in the time and energy it takes to develop our abilities into skills and then getting out of our own ego’s way to allow The Divine to join with us as we birth a new way of being, of expression, idea or art form.  Living as Artists we are designers selecting, simplifying, embellishing, and making choices that reveal personality, perception, and insights.  It is about managing the power of choice.

The way of the Artist is a way of being that celebrates creation, becoming the spokesperson.  In order to do so we need to free up our vision by changing our consciousness.  In doing so, we grow to understand that humankind is a co-creator with The Divine Source in creating our evolving world or universe.  It is our task here on Earth to move beyond our illusions of separation into the very full and active energy of The Divine Creator and to then co-create with love and enthusiasm.

The abilities of being able to step outside the lines, to imagine things that aren’t yet manifested or connected, and to draw inspiration from deep within ourselves are all part of Living As Artists.  It is about learning to enjoy the process, discovery, and risk of ideas, new directions, and challenges that come with knowing that there is another wonderful adventure just around the bend.

Living As An Artist means that you will be trying new things all of your life and making miss-takes galore.  It means that you and your life are a work both in process and progress.  Claim your treasures and give birth…

“Infinite Wisdom guides me.    Divine Love prospers me.    I am blessed by everything I undertake.    I am expanding and utilizing my truest abilities and talents clearly, creatively, and attuned with the Divine.”                    BESTOW BIRTH!

 

LIVING AS PROPHETS

Living as a Prophet means that we involve ourselves in and create work that is an expression of Spirit, of Soul, at work in the world through us for our work is the way we return our gift to the community.  The Prophet thinks of The Universe as their employer and one that encourages us all to work for and move humanity by contributing who we are, how we are, and what we can do in the spirit of interrelations and compassion.

The Way Of The Prophet acknowledges that every choice we make, every thought we have is an act of power that has biological, personal, environmental, social, and global consequences.  As a result, we have to make a commitment as Prophets to not only remain constantly aware of the importance of staying conscious, present, response-able, and participatory but also of exploring and integrating new depths of response-ability, integrity, accountability, and connectedness or compassion.  Therefor, we must know how to get unstuck, how to move past limitations and barriers, and how to create movement, change and transformation in all that we are and do.

Living As A Prophet is about being committed to helping support and celebrate the compassionate transformation needed in our world today.  Acting out of a compassionate way of being requires that we be fully present as a being of love and light.  To live an awakened compassionate lifestyle from the heart of our Inner Prophet means that we are an affirmer and celebrator of life.  Living As A Prophet invites inspiration, participation, transformation and celebration.

As Co-creators we are response-able for our unique roles we are here to play into being in shaping and transforming both the present and the future of human society.  In this process, we use the personal transformation we have worked on to help us to hear, see, answer, and make visible what The Creative Life Source is asking us to do and be in a whole sense for the greater good: FOR THE BEST OF ALL CONCERNED.

The Prophet is The Mystic, Healer, and Artist all in action.  It calls for the reality of having to live what we preach integrating into our daily lives the new ways of being we have helped to unfold or walking our talk.  The Prophet’s goal is an awakened society that conducts its affairs with compassion.

“May we be blessed with the love and wisdom of Divine Guidance in becoming and living the change we wish to see for the world.”  CELEBRATE COMPASSION!

 

For more on these four Spiritual Paths of Life read drjoy’s  “The We That Is Me” and “A Soul’s View Of The World” listed under CONTACTS…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIFE ON THE BEACH #4 by drjoy

 I sat down on the bench and my eyes bugged out of my head with sights, colors and movements.  My ears felt like they were experiencing a good ole live outdoor Rock N’ Roll concert: the canopy of sound was startling.  I had just arrived at a “Colonial Rookery” where seashore birds gather in large groups during nesting season to lay, hatch, feed and grow their babies into young’uns.  By getting together they increase the likelihood of their chicks surviving in the wild.

What was really amazing was the fact that there were pink Roseate Spoonbills, Black Albatrosses, Blue Heron, White Egrets and Ibis side-by-side watching each other’s nests and occasionally even helping out.  They were all peacefully focused on their tasks at hand.  And all chattering away at once, with the babies also screeching for their meals.

I watched quietly as a Roseate Spoonbill Ma and Pa stood noisily watching over their nest that was obviously looking way too small for the three naked chicks.  Ma and Pa moved closer together so they could discuss their plans.  Then Pa took off for the ground and started to look for twigs.  I watched as he found one and put it in his mouth.  He then headed for the nest and showed it to Ma who took it, placing it carefully in the nest.  They then huddled back together in what looked like a happy hug.

Soon they were talking beak to beak again.  Once again, Pa left and began hunting.  This time, he went twig to twig and then stick to stick.  I could tell that he was looking for something very specific.  After awhile he found a very large stick, one with which he had to really work on perfectly balancing it in his mouth.

When he got it to the nest, Ma was obviously shocked at its size.  She then really chattered at him.  He just kept shoving it at her until she couldn’t back away anymore.  So she shut up and tried to put it in her mouth.   It threw her off balance so much that he quickly stepped closer and picked up one end of it.  She slid it down in her mouth to the other end.  Together they laid the stick in a certain way that extended the nest.  After they had arranged a few of the twigs, they huddled together and hugged.

All this time their neighbor Egrets, Albatrosses, Ibis and other Roseate Spoonbill couples watched attentively and screeched their approvals.  It plainly was all about that “It takes a tribe.”  I just couldn’t get this thought out of my mind: “If only we humanoids were as helpful to our neighbors and able to live in such close proximity as peacefully…”

 

This article was originally published July 2016 in Galveston’s Island Visitors Guide and Zeitgeist.