Something to Think About

Journal Entry

2008-05-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot ignore that there is an ever-present yearning and desire that pulses within me. It throbs for gratification and fulfillment. It makes me want to wander this entire globe in search of this in-definitive "something," that I might suddenly experience it, discover it, or some other sort of quickening to quench this thirst I've had since childhood. I want to search it out in evergreen forests, fields of tall, golden grass, desert sands, moonlit nights, in the eyes of other children of God, in the eyes of every living creature. It is in all of these things, yet it is fleeting. It has the power and potential to move me to tears in a matter of seconds. It gives life a meaning often realized only in night time dreams; that elusive, intangible fulfillment that permeates the the images played out by one's subconscious right before it fades into oblivion, as full consciousness begins to settle in.

Yet somehow, I don't believe that all of the wandering in the world will lead me to its attainment. Somehow, I know it's right here inside of me. This yearning I have is perhaps the yearning for it to explode into expression. To be fully expressed would be would mean ultimate gratification.

The Law of Attraction (here we go again...)

2008-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago I stopped believing in the Law of Attraction, or at least the accuracy therein. And do you know what I found out? I found out that even when you don’t believe in it, it still continues to work with perfect precision! So while I now go about my day in a manner far removed from my previous Mode of Operation, that darn Law of Attraction keeps right on making itself evident in every area of my life. The Law of Attraction is real whether or not we give an ounce of credence to it. It is inherent. It is infallible. It is unavoidable.

If...

2008-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

If you were the person you most wanted to be, who would you be? If you could be doing anything right now, what would you you be doing? If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?

If you were completely free to express your most dearly held dreams and visions, how would you do that? If you were wealthy enough to buy anything at all, how would you use and invest that wealth in a meaningful way?

If you had the time, the money, the knowledge, the energy and the resources to pursue your highest vision, what would you seek to do? If you were free from all the things that limit you and hold you back, in what direction would you go?

Stop for a moment and consider these things. Then consider this: There is no need to wait a single moment longer. You can start now to follow your most compelling passion, to achieve your most treasured dreams.

Yes, there are obstacles that stand in your way, but when you're living with purpose and passion, you will find a way around any obstacle and beyond any difficulty.

Why Do Children Climb Up Slides?

2008-04-30T00:51:00.001-07:00

If you've ever spent much time at a playground you've seen that small children love to slide down slides, but that they also love to climb up them. Playground slides are not designed to be climbed up. They are steep and slippery, there is not much to grasp onto. That is precisely the attraction - the challenge.

We're all born with the desire to seek out and overcome challenges. As far as human history is concerned, it is arguably what has kept people alive and it has led to a steadily continuing increase in our standard of living.

Challenges can teach, inspire and help us to grow. Overcoming challenges brings a sense of accomplishment and the confidence to face even greater challenges that we will inevitably encounter.

Sometimes, however, we get so attached to the security that our comfort zone offers that we miss out on some of the best things life has to offer. But such complacency is not only boring, it doesn’t help us to grow, and over time can diminish our ability to take on new challenges as they present themselves.

Challenges are an essential part of childhood. Children learn to overcome obstacles on a daily basis by learning to walk, communicate, solve problems, and interact in social situations. They become better, stronger, and more well-rounded individuals as a result of doing so. You might even say that challenge is the essence of youth. In fact, one way to stay young is to never stop seeking new challenges.

Awaken

2008-04-29T01:51:00.001-07:00

One little moment of clarity is all you need to unlock the infinite potential that lies within, and in doing so, you can become a source of miracles. What miracle might you create? Besides the fact that the very act of creation itself is miraculous, you can create Heaven on earth. You may have been led to believe that you are defined by weakness, greed, or poverty. That is not you, that is an illusion. How you are defined by others has no relevance when you finally wake up and unplug from the matrix. Open your eyes and realize who you already are – a child of the Divine. Realize what you already are – infinite. Realize where you already are – in Heaven. Choose to awaken, and you will soon become well-acquainted with your unlimited potential.

The following is borrowed from Marianne Williamson's book A Return To Love, and has made the rounds on the internet since its initial publication over 16 years ago. It doesn't just bear repeating, but it is in harmony with the theme of this post, and couldn't be more well written:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Religion and Dogma

2008-04-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Look up the definition of religion in the dictionary and you’ll discover several definitions under the one word. Here is one in particular: “something one believes in and follows; a point or matter of ethics or conscience.” When the concept of religion comes to mind I’m sure most people think in terms of an organized, specific, and fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a group of people or sects. But it occurred to me that with the above definition in mind everyone has a religion. Ask an atheist what his/her religion is and he/she will tell you, “I’m an atheist.” All religion really is, is a system of beliefs. But whether a person defines their beliefs by a known system such as Christianity, Paganism, Buddhism or Islam, or uses more abstract and vague terms to describe their own unique set of beliefs, or whether one flatly denies the existence of a higher power (this, I may never understand, although I am humbled by humanity’s endless diversity), how one views the nature of reality is really one’s religion.

There is certainly a substantial amount of unfavorable attention that has been had concerning the subject: Jihads and holy wars, hypocrisy, superstition, fear, fanaticism, ignorance, blind acceptance, self-righteousness, rigidity, inquisitions, dogmatism, cruelty, prejudice, persecution, animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, book-burning, witch hunts, conformity, morbid guilt, insanity, even genocide just to list some that fall under the broad spectrum of atrocities committed and conditions endured for the sake of religion.

How is it, I wonder, that an atheist might have a more highly developed sense of Christian morality, for example, than say, a Catholic who routinely attends mass or a Protestant who is faithfully attends church? The problem is not religion, the problem is people. People tend to be dogmatic. An atheist can be just as dogmatic about unbelief as a believer can about belief. Therefore, it is not religion or beliefs that we need to shake off, it is dogmatism.