I Am not who I was Yesterday

“Time is funny stuff,” says Hap in the movie Always. In our human experience on Earth, time relentlessly marches on and we grow up and change. While many of our personality traits appear to be fixed, the fact is that who I Am today is not the same as who I was yesterday. And I most certainly am not the person I was 10, 20 or 30 or more years ago.

But for many people, what they knew of someone “back in the day”  becomes set in stone as who that person is forever. Even though our clothes change, our hair changes, our thoughts and even our memories change, we seem sometimes to forget that people too can and do change.

Forgiveness takes time. I’ve heard people say you can forgive but you don’t have to forget what was done. I’ve thought about this a lot as I have worked to forgive others by whom I’ve been hurt as well as to forgive myself for rash or stupid choices I’ve made. What I’ve discovered is that it is actually practically impossible to truly forgive while we keep fresh our memory of the pain, the hurt, the actions that required forgiveness in the first place—in a word, you must forget in order to forgive.

If I am trying to forgive but I have not forgotten the pain, the anger, humiliation, sadness, grief, or whatever other emotions resulted from the action...I cannot really forgive.  This does not mean I blindly allow others to harm me emotionally, spiritually, or physically in the future. I can forgive and still choose in a loving way to release people from my heart.

I believe in the power of forgiveness with forgetting because I Am not who I was yesterday and neither are you.

(C) 2021 SZing. Spiritual Creator. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Pixabay.

Be Still

There are a couple of phrases I use regularly when there are the appearance of upsets in my life. "Be Still". And "All is Well and Very Well".  Though the world around me may be in chaos from political strife, from diversity strife, from emotional manipulations, plots and personal daggers being thrown my way, I can choose either to retaliate or I can choose to go within and be still.

You might hear someone say to go to the still place within. That is achieved for me through daily meditation, prayer and by reading uplifting words or listening to uplifting music. Sometimes it is achieved by a walk in nature or by playing with my dog. To be still is to stop reacting and to trust with faith that God always has my back and loves me no matter what else may be occurring which appears to the contrary.

To know that All is Well and Very Well even if the body appears to be challenged with illness or to know All is Well and Very Well when there is any form of upset is living and acting in and through faith.  It is the Faith of knowing that God is ever present, God is omniscient. God is all powerful.  Whatever is set in motion, for whatever reason good or ill, I know that when I am still and know all is well, I trust that God brings me through trying times, makes me stronger, loves me just as much as ever.  I know that God can instantly transform and overcome all things. Nothing is impossible to or through the Divine. All is Well all the time because I am in the presence of the Presence and connected with God at all times. It is from this sense of Oneness and Connection that I strive many times a day to move and live--to remember who and whose I am. 

Does that mean I never disagree with anyone or I don't have my own opinions? No. Does it mean I meekly let others walk all over me or that I keep quiet when I see some action that is less than optimal? No. I reach into my authentic self and I draw upon the stillness of knowing that All is Well and Very Well. Each experience and expression is a part of God as me and all others. I can choose today whether I am going to be blown apart by meanness and manipulations or whether I am going to be still and know that All is Well and Very Well.  Which do you suppose makes for a happier, easier, more fulfilled and thriving life?  Yep. And in the stillness, all is well. And very well.  What do you choose?

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy Pixabay public domain images.

Too Much Prosperity?!

 

Ahhh, about 6 months ago I was going to teach a prosperity class.  I announced it, I publicized it for over 6 weeks. And got only four people who signed up. I was mystified as I knew that there were a significant number of people struggling to make ends meet and who certainly were not living a life of prosperity and thriving but rather in fear, worry and doubt.  I also knew that there were those who were making ends meet but certainly not thriving.

The purpose of a prosperity class is to assist those participating to see beyond their current perspective and set of limitations.  It is meant to help keep attention on prospering and off of worry and fear. It is meant to raise consciousness and to bring a fuller understanding of the idea of thriving. Do I expect people to walk away as millionaires? I certainly would never limit them from creating that.  I know that taking prosperity classes does raise the attention to prospering, to gratitude, to creating and being receptive and yielding to creative streams of income and really understanding what the Source of income and prosperity is. Prosperity is not just about money. It is about how you live life and whether or not you are thriving, surviving or struggling.

When I began asking individuals if they were going to take the class some of the responses I got were, "I already took a prosperity class a year ago so I don't need it"

and "I don't really think I need another class".

And the one I loved the most, "I can't afford it."  I heard this one more than any other.  All I can think is, can you afford not to? But people have their own priorities.

I don't personally know anyone who has too much prosperity or specifically too much money. I have known some people who had astounding amounts of money in the millions.  Now there may be some people out there who "do" (have too much money)--if you believe in such a thing (I do not), but none of those are people I am currently acquainted with.

That said I will be releasing “Prosper in Every Way” as a videoed class you can take and do the exercises on your own schedule at the beginning of March.  I have been very blessed in many ways with prosperity in terms of money and finances, with my loving relationships, with my creativity, my work, and even my health and wholeness is constantly improving. Wouldn’t it be delightful to have a life that works for your highest and best good.  Do you believe that there is enough for everyone or do you have a belief about prosperity that if you prosper someone else will lack? Are you ready to heal the ideas and thoughts that others have indoctrinated in you about what it means to succeed and to thrive? Would you like to be able to genuinely purchase what you want without worrying about how you will afford it. Do you believe some people deserve wealth more than you?  

Don't continue to suffer people.  Up your game and your abundance levels by giving yourself the gift of prosperity and find new ways to let your life flow and grow, thriving beyond survival and struggle.

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Pixabay.

We're in this Together Kid

The poet John Donne wrote a poem "No Man Is An Island"

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 
It tolls for thee. 

Ernest Holmes and other spiritual teachers spend quite a bit of time explaining that we are all One, all connected.  Despite any appearance otherwise, there is some infinitely strong and apparently invisible bond that I like to call the God Spark within us all which unifies us despite whatever is happening in human activity.

Each person is unique and living their own expression of Life and that is as it is meant to be. We are not meant to be cookie cutter people who all look, act, think and behave alike. And while this uniqueness can bring challenges in our human lives--people don't look, act, think or behave the way we think they should which then causes upsets and dramas, the Truth is that every person is contributing to every other person's life with perfection. 

Whether we realize it or not, whether we like it or not, we are all connected to one another. Quantum physics is proving this to be so. The blinking of my eye or the flutter of a butterfly's wings can impact the conditions a half a world away. 

Being connected at a spiritual level doesn't mean we have to be co-dependently in each other's business nor that we are required to be every one's buddy.  We don't have to agree with every action or opinion.  People used to believe that Aspen trees were individual tree forms. Until it was discovered that their roots form a connected web where what one tree experiences has an impact on all of the other Aspens enmeshed at the root level with that one tree. 

The good news here is for anyone who is feeling alone or lonely--you are never, can never, be separated even though you might feel that you are. There is a connection at an esoteric level that all of Life is connected.  In Native American traditions, they speak and teach about the web of life, knowing that though each animal, each nation is different, they are still all bound together as One.  We are here on Earth together--and therefore we all have a call to be concerned for what actions our governments and corporations are doing to the planet we live on.  As of right now, it is the only one we have to live on.  Being connected at all times does not mean we have to give up our individuality or be someone we are not in order to please others.

Each person we have any interaction with is a choice point for us to decide whether to meet them and acknowledge the Oneness.  Does this have to be done actively or verbally? No. In fact, many people would probably be a little weirded out and avoid you if you started verbally acknowledging them as connected to you.  But you can do it internally and know that this is the Truth.  

It is a comfort to know that we are not alone--perhaps one of mankind's greatest fears and a driving force in the search for extra-terrestrial life--that desire to know we are not alone. We are all here now. Therefore, we're in this together.

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Pixabay public domain images. 

Every Board Has Two Sides

 

I asked my sweetie what would be a good topic for today's blog. After an inappropriate suggestion involving our fat cat (who was lying heavily upon him) and his foot, he suggested "Every Board Has Two Sides."

I should add a little sideline here that he is a woodworker so he never drives by a fallen tree without seeing turned bowls--their potential anyway.

When he was explaining his topic to me, he said that usually one side looks better than the other.  I think he was alluding to the fact that all humans have a light and a dark side.  There is the side of ourselves that we show off to the world, and there is the side of us that is what I call the perfecting grounds--that part where we have made mistakes and errors and from where we all grow.  We all want to be seen from our best side, our best perspective and with the beauty that is inherent in us. Even if there is a part that is not so pretty, the part that is beautiful still exists. And everyone has both sides. Yet it is all one board. All from the same tree.

How is it even possible that the same board can be unattractive on one side?  Some boards are, despite flaws, pretty on both sides. He agreed as he rarely has seen a truly ugly board.  He countered that when he picks a board, depending on the project he might choose the side that is flawless.  In other circumstances, he might prefer the side that is rough, has knots and whorls. He wanted to emphasize that there are always at least two ways to see anything.  I suggested that there are more than two ways to view any situation or topic.

From a spiritual perspective, I encourage you to look at everything you assume to be Truth from multiple perspectives--this will help you to truly discern what is truth and what is Truth. It also will broaden your mind.  Whatever "side" you are showing to the world, it is all One, all Divine and you, the overall you, is just fine, knots, whorls and all.

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy Pixabay.

How to Clear Your Consciousness

 

If you are feeling like you need to do a consciousness clearing, remember that your thoughts create your reality.

When your world is filled with clutter and stuff, you can bet that your mind is also filled with clutter and stuff. Thoughts become things.  If your thoughts are cluttered, your home, your office, your closet will be cluttered. You will have random junk and stuff everywhere. You will have more stuff than you need. There will be stuff hiding under the bed, tables and chairs will be covered, every available surface will be filled.  Bulletin boards and desks will seem like an avalanche happened.  This is an out picturing of your thoughts. They are jumbled up. You may be jumping from one idea to the next, one drama to another.

Want clarity?  Focus. Whatever it is that you most want, keep your thoughts on that. And start cleaning up your spaces.  It does work both ways. As you clear up the physical clutter, you can be assured that this means you are clearing up your mental clutter. Focus on clearing up one area at a time. This is a sure sign that you are clearing up one area at a time in your thinking. Just take your time. It'll come. One day, one action, one thought at a time. I believe in you.

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Pixabay.

Your Enlightenment Quotient

 

How does one live a spiritual life? It does not require any special tools or training. You don't have to study any particular lessons or with any specific teachers. In fact, you don't have to do anything at all except to pay attention each day to where you are, what you are doing, and who you are. It is best if you are yourself. Your best, kindest, most loving version of yourself that you know how to be today.

But if you can't start there...if you have baggage, bring it along and be who you are today.  You can meditate. You can pray. You can offer solace to those who need to know they are not alone. You can lend an ear for those who need someone to hear them and eyes for those who need someone to see them. You don't have to be Mother Teresa. You don't have to be the Dali Llama. You don't have to be Mahatma Gandhi. You just have to be you.

The world just needs you.  If you can remember even for one minute a day that you are the embodiment of God's love--that you are loving, lovable and loved just as you are, then you are already on your way toward living a spiritual life.

If you try each day to do good; if you try each day to do right; if you are open to learning more about who you are and your place in the world, you can be assured you are living a spiritual life. Add to that any interest you have in exploring spiritual studies of any type, or better yet, all types so that you can discern the Truth that lies within each belief system, then you are living a spiritual life.

If you take the time to talk with children, spend time with the elderly, help your neighbor, open doors or are generous with others in any way, then you are living a spiritual life. Every day that you do any of these, you are increasing your enlightenment quotient.  Don't stop. Move forward. Love. Love. and Love some more.  Forgive. Release. And Love some more.

(c) 2021 SZing, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Pixabay.

No Shadows

Groundhog day.  The day the groundhog sees its shadow.

Well, spoiler alert.  Whether or not the groundhog sees its shadow, we are, according to weathermen, almanacs and calendars worldwide, going to have six more weeks of winter until the date of Spring arrives.

Now sometimes the groundhog doesn't see its shadow.  And that doesn't stop the world from turning or life from moving forward.  In the same way, we all have parts of our lives, things in our past, behaviors we engaged in that can be considered shadow side.  We have dark to see light, we have pain to feel joy, we have death to appreciate life.

Shadow exists. But do we have to live in the shadow?  There are certainly some people who believe it is best if you continually revisit your shadow stuff.  Their claim is that you must in order to move beyond it. It can do more damage to try to dig up the past than to allow it to be what it was and move on.  I know from my own and the proof of others experience that we it is equally possible to move beyond it without having to get back into it.  We can acknowledge it was there and move on. 

Since we are alive, we are meant to move forward and not stay stagnant. To continually revisit the shadow stuff of our lives is the exact opposite of moving forward or life. It is a form of stagnation.  When we get back into the shadow, the feelings we feel from that and the emotional energy charge that is brought forth re-creates shadow.

I believe in the sunshine. I believe in moving forward. I believe that we must stop tormenting ourselves and others by throwing shadows and shade. We cannot become enlightened if our vision is stuck in the past. We cannot bring life or light to others when we are creating out of a space of brokenness.  The best healers know that you leave the wound alone once it is cleaned out and bandaged. You do not continue to pick at the scab.  Healing means allowing time to move forward and the damages done to be replaced with new life.

Say NO to anyone who wants you to return to the Shadows or to dig around in your shadow self. Create new. Create from a place of light. No Shadows.

(c) 2021 SZing. Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved.  Photographs courtesy of Pixabay public domain images.