Daily Living
These compositions cover topics related to things we can do everyday to help us in our lives and with our growth and development.
Sssh, It’s a Secret
One question that comes up frequently in my conversations is “What do I think the answer or secret to life is?” Most did not come out and ask this specific question, yet it was there if you cared to look. These questions started long before the movie The Secret came out and it has been many years since I have considered this question or asked it of anyone save myself. Naturally, since the book and movie came out, the question and the nature of the conversation that followed changed. Most of the time, I was not asked, “What is the secret?” it became “What do you think of The Secret?”
Not having read the book or seen the movie I asked them to give me their impressions. The spoke about how the movie suggests we can have what we want by imagining our selves having what we want, I heard of “The Law of Attraction” and that thoughts are electromagnetic waves that radiate out and change the universe around us. These were the three most common concepts that people took away from the movie or book. Some believed that the movie was complete fiction, others were uncertain, but the bulk were believers in at least the concept and wanted my opinion.
Making A Difference
If you planted hope today, in any hopeless heart,
If someone’s burden is lighter because you did your part
If you caused a laugh that chased some tears away
If tonight your name is named when someone kneels to pray
Then your day has been well spent.
Paying Attention to Our Attention
Today I want you to think about one thing... you, and I would like you to focus on you. No, this is not an exercise in selfishness; it is one in attention, namely the discovery of where our attention lies. You may wonder why this is important, what it means to us and how considering it benefits us. I will look at these in this essay.
By attention I am referring to what our thoughts are focused on. We all go about our lives doing things, thinking things and so on, and further, we all tend to notice certain “things” first. We key in on features of people, or pay attention to particular objects or shapes first. Where and why we place our attention is not something most of us are very conscious of and we tend to be unaware of why. If one wants to become a better, more aware or even enlightened person this is a good place to start.
Listening To Our Lives
Our lives can appear small, insignificant and separate. Even though they are part of a greater whole, we do not often think about it this way, let alone see it. We may have notions about it, yet continue as if we are unconnected. We may strive to be good because it is in our nature or because we feel it is right or to be caring loving people in the name of our God or Gods, or for the public good, or because it is what we have come to believe we are supposed to do. We rarely do it because we see others as connected to us by more then experiences. We all, at times, touch or glimpse the splendour of the "one reality", yet it for the most part it remains elusive and concealed behind an illusion.
It is not the illusion that most people think it is. One day you are not going to suddenly find the world different in appearance (heightened awareness aside), that all suffering in the world will vanish or there will be peace on earth. A car will still be a car, a home will still be a home, people will still be visible moving around as they go about their lives. No, the illusion is in our perception of reality and our relationship to it. First we are generally not able to access our higher awareness, to see through the veil and thereby perceive the world with in all its richness and splendour, to find heaven in the now. Second, is the veil itself, built by us and commonly known as the ego or our rational mind. The programming, blocks and filters and such of our rational mind prevents us from being conscious of what we truly are and from feeling connected and open to the wonder that we are immersed in. We seem to be our ego, we are not.