Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Freedom

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Viktor E. Frankl

I find myself with the need to create space for things.  And they're good things.  Like my life.  Life events, experiences and adventures.  It's been a long time coming.  I have finally discovered that while multi-tasking enables me to do a lot of things, it doesn't always enable me to complete them fully with the attention and care they deserve.

So my list got a little smaller.  These are big ticket items.  They can't be weighed lightly.  They are the expression of my soul's calling.  
Sometimes you have to choose....it's thinking that the choice is limiting somehow that diminishes our choices.  But truly, if I believe in an abundant and ever present universe that is constantly conspiring to give me all that I truly desire, then how can I choose poorly?  

I just made a smaller list.  
They're big things.
I just want to accomplish them fully, without missing a moment...

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring

I grew up in a very restrictive, fundamentalist Christian household.  Many Holidays celebrated, including St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Palm Sunday revolved around different traditions in our household.  This time of year does bring fond memories back and also unpleasant ones.  Even as a child, I questioned a lot of what we did and what we believed, it was as though I really couldn't grasp or better, buy into what I was being told.  This did not bring out the best in me or make me very popular.   What it does is make me question what I'm being told, whether it's the "news", "facts", or "information".  Where is this coming from? Who is telling it?  Is this how life really is?  Is this coming from someone's perception and how is their emotional state, upbringing, life circumstances affecting their point of view.  Is this a point of view being touted rather than a factual recollection of events?  

For instance, If St. Patrick was known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, serpents being the ancient symbol for rebirth and ridding the old with the new of the early Pagan religions, the day celebrated by many Irish and Catholics takes a whole new meaning.  I have Irish heritage, raised somewhat Lutheran (which studies the Catechism) and celebrated Easter every year.   Do I then have to perceive the "evilness" of the organized religion that overtook many Pagan holidays and made them their own as a way of converting?  Is my wearing green symbolizing this?  Is my eating of those lovely Cadbury cream eggs full of corn-syrup mean the commercialization of Easter lessens the meaning of "Christ's Resurrection" meaning the Rabbit has won over Jesus?  Only if you believe that Jesus was resurrected that day.  Only if we want to believe only part of history, part of story and partial truth. 

This time of year, Spring, is a time of birth and renewal.  Flowers grow, leaves spring from the deadened trees, and animals are birthing their young.  Can I see renewal in my life?  What old beliefs or thoughts can I release to make room for new ones?  Do these traditions I uphold in my life today stand for something that I no longer believe in?  Can they evolve into something else?  Can I evolve into something else?  What do I make room for in my life?  

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

What can I contribute?

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future.  I live now.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 There is much going on in the world today.  It can be overwhelming sometimes the amount of tragedy and injustice that people are experiencing.  It can seem at times that there's a bad side and that the bad side is winning.

I can't conjecture the reasons behind if any for some of the problems.  What I mean by that is that I can't say that Mother Nature is having her wrath or that people are filling their karma or the evil of prior governments and decisions are making life miserable now. The blame game has gone on for as long as I've been alive and even before then.  Whether it's the devil or karma, "wrong actions" or choices, there's always a searching for some reasoning, some answers.  And sometimes there is none. 

Now is the time that matters.  Now is the time to stay in the present moment.  What is it that I can do?  What can I contribute?  What can I do to help now?  My opinion, my thoughts, the reasoning, the answers, all are irrelevant now.  This is the only time I have to do something.  Whether that something is different or necessary, those are judgments.  Am I contributing to a greater good?  Again, a judgment.  Are my actions helping someone, that is the important one.  And if I am aware, awake and alive in the present moment, I will be able to answer all according to the circumstances and reasoning of the moment.  

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.  ~James Thurber