1 to 10

Long ago a friend listened to my ranting about a situation. She listened quietly until I took a breath.
"May I ask a question?" in her calm voice. "On a scale of 1 to 10 - ten being death - how important are these things?"
On a scale with death, they were not so very important.
Often I was caught up in my own whirlpool of emotions and attaching way too much meaning to the lack of reaction to my emotional need and not objectively assessing the importance of the actual issue. In other words, acting like it was a life or death situation when it was really small - on a scale of 1 - 10. The issue usually grew into "if the person cared about ME, they would..." type of thinking.
We've all heard stories about couples getting into great arguments over toothpaste lids and toilet seats. One side or the other cannot get over needing to have it their way. Of course, one side or the other has to give. Otherwise, what sounds like a very small thing remains a constant source of tension. The consequences of the issue grow larger than the issue itself.
Once we've wound ourselves up, it's really hard to wind back down. Maybe the 1 - 10 scale can help. It kind of helps think a bit further and consider consequences. 'Is this really going to kill me?" Maybe even more importantly, 'How is this affecting those around me?'

Taking Stock can be a Good Thing

Sometimes we just need to take stock - measure where we are, review where we need to go, and count what we have achieved. It used to annoy me that we had to create objectives and review them regularly at work. But now I see there is great value in setting a formal time to measure progress and discuss things. It's a forum for ensuring that everyone is on the same page and it can be a time to celebrate progress together.
Being blessed with a great team of dedicated people makes this kind of "taking stock" a great pleasure. Six months ago we thought we would achieve XY and Z. As we review those plans and compare them to the reality of what we accomplished, we are able to see where we need to put more energy. Most enjoyable to me, is the discovery of how very much was actually achieved.
Maybe we need to set aside days - several times a year - where we take measure of every aspect of our lives. Celebrate accomplishment. Review where we can do better.

All wrong

Once upon a time there was someone who faced the religious establishment and said "You have this all wrong."
He looked at the system of "chosen ones" and he said "God does not work like this at all."
He said, "You think God is for you only, not so. God is with all."
He knew the text better than anyone of his day. They tested him. His answers were plain and simple.
He tested them.
He challenged them.
He set an example for them.
They could not contain him. And so they tried to kill him.
And now they use his name to create a system of "chosen ones."
Now they use his name to say God is just for some.
They created a text to maintain man's way. They ignore him. They change his answers that were so plain and simple.
They could not contain him. And so they tried to kill him.
They have this all wrong.
A spirit cannot be killed.
Iam cannot be contained.
Iam cannot be killed.

How can anyone be "self made"?

How can it make sense for anyone to say their success is self made?
Even if they had lived on an island alone all their lives and were able to thrive, would they not be thankful for the gifts of the land? Would they not feel lucky that a storm had not destroyed them?
Here in the United States it seems we take a lot for granted. We benefit from the labor of millions of people every day and millions more who labored many years ago.
Consider all the things you have been given throughout your life? Consider all the things you have enjoyed? These things cost someone something.
Our parents gave us shelter, food and clothing. They took us places, bought ice cream and gifts. Start totaling that up and consider the bounty given - GIVEN!
In our lifetimes can we really pay enough taxes to pay for the education, the roads we drive on, the bridges we cross, the public parks, roadside rests, and countless other benefits of government or community? Not likely. It's our collective contributions that make these things possible.
It's the same for business. No one built a successful business alone. People worked for us, with us, encouraged us, and labored on our behalf. Anyone who has succeeded in business has benefited from someone else in some way. It was not accomplished alone on an island. If the business succeeds it's because everyone involved is giving more than their money's worth - they are contributing to the bottom line.
Yes some of us work a little harder or smarter or are luckier. But no one is self made. We need a lot more gratitude in this country. We need a lot more recognition of the importance of collective accomplishment. We need a lot less arrogance and a lot more appreciation.

Time to enter the light...

All the major religions of the world are centered around texts that were written thousands of years ago - Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Muslim, Hindu, Taoism. Isn't that odd?
Consider all the advances of the world's understanding of so many things - medicine, biology, chemistry, geology, medicine, astrology, oceanology, physiology, technology... Would you ever pick one book and say that is the end all - be all - authority on that subject? Of course not!
And yet, if you were raised in the tradition of any of the "religious" teachings above, you are prone to believe it is the ONLY correct teaching about spirituality. We have been led to believe that ONE and only ONE is the correct path. AND only what was known thousands of years ago is known and correct.
Consider what medical practices were 2000 years ago. Would you want your doctor to follow ONLY what was text book knowledge then?
Consider the world maps of 2000 years ago. Would you want to follow those today?
Have we learned nothing in 2000 or more years about spirituality? Should our focus be purely on reading those ancient texts and attempting to interpret them in a new way?
Would it not make more sense to find the core meaning of each and then seek new discovery?
Let's accept them for what they are - ancient history. We can learn from them but it's time to shed the old cocoon and emerge as butterflies. It's time to awaken from the spiritual darkness and find the light.

Good in the World

Last Saturday morning a group of strangers converged to do something - unexpected - unrehersed - without hesitation. They did not know what the outcome may be. It could have resulted in nightmares. It could have resulted in worse. But it did not.
While driving on route 8 just south of Union City, a jeep slid off the road, entered the field and rolled over on its side. It seems no one who converged on the scene actually saw it happen but the sight of that vehicle on its side with lights still on - a slippery road - caught our attention. Cars stopped. People came from the houses and a a chain of events unfolded.
911 people are so skillfully trained to obtain the needed information from a frantic caller.... something like this.
"there's been an accident"
911 "Where are you located?"
"On route 8 somewhere between Townville and Union City.... I mean Centerville."
911 "Are there injuries?"
"Donno - jeep on it's side"
"How many vehicles?"
"One"
911 "Any chemicals?"
A man climbed on the jeep and pulled open the door as another man stood alongside waiting. "Call 911 - there are children in here."
"No..... They are pulling driver out....there are children in the car....children...."
911 "Any injuries? Help is on the way...."
As the 911 operator continued to gather pertinent information - all were pulled safely from the car - shook up but ok. A dear woman opened her car to keep them warm and seconds later a responder arrived - likely a volunteer fire chief.
As quickly as the strangers had converged, they dispersed when trained help arrived.
In the days that have followed, I am flooded wth memories and thankfulness. People did not hesitate to help. We are gifted with trained responders. We are also gifted in some remarkable moments to see the heart of strangers.
Years of my life I observed the dedication of volunteer firefighters in these types of situations but most often as the one who watched them leave home to respond - My dad, uncle, brother in laws....
This day there were simply people who saw a need and stopped to help. I am thankful to have been witnesss. I am thankful all turned out well. I am thankful for all.

The Sacred Science book

What would you think if you learned that a school system was using the same science book it had been using for generations? And that same science book was the only book regarded as correct for every single grade - first through 12th.  "Everything you need to know is in THIS book," their teachers said.
No other book on science was authorized and, in fact, any other science book was considered to be of no value. These other books could even destroy their understanding of real science.
They taught from this book for hundreds of years - reading it over and over again. They discussed its meaning, extrapolated, built lab programs and experiments based solely on information contained within those pages but added nothing. Through the years students and teachers learned that chapters were missing, pages were missing, words were missing but nothing was corrected.
While other schools of science grew and expanded, this school continued to cling to this one book as sacred and untouchable. As some revealed that the sacred science book was full of contradictions and tried to point out the parts that were right and the parts that were misguided or entirely missing, the sacred science school system grew angry and defensive.
For many years it was easy to convince those following the sacred science book that there was no other science. Students and teachers were isolated. Former students and teachers did not return. So current teachers and students heard little dissent. But outside of school, many technologies emerged that enabled current teachers and students to learn world teachings. Soon students and teachers could read and learn about other science knowledge.
Maybe the moral of this story is; "You can fool all of the people some of the time. You can fool some of the people all of the time. But you cannot fool all of the people, all of the time." And perhaps it can be added you can fool fewer in the course of time.
Sooner or later, the book has to be updated. If it's not updated, it will be replaced and deemed irrelevant. Those who insist the book is perfect, the teachings surrounding the book are perfect and refuse to grow, will become irrelevant.