What's Your Slant?

Freedom's Prophet is written by Richard Newman.  It is an amazing story about a man that built a church when many said it could not be done. Now others focus on the fact that he was a slave and worked and saved his money to buy himself out of slavery, incredible for sure. But regardless of his life situations that quite frankly would have made me so angry or to give  up, he did not.

What I noticed about the book and the person Bishop Richard Allen, is his ability to look at a very bad situation, and patiently, so patiently, work, work, work, save, save, save, and think of legal ways to circumvent the problems.  Legally he did this time after time.  This kind of cool headedness with definite purpose over a long time enabled him to live free with his family.  A great book to read, a story that if you did not believe it to be true, you would not believe it.

My post are about my readings and my practices.  The books reveal so many times that a cool head prevailed in very dangerous times. Loud, hot heads that spout off cuss words and tell you to F*** off, never impress me. Anyone can cuss and yell but it takes someone with a cool head to patiently, think, and make constructive changes.

When you read something or look at people you meet in work or life, what impresses you? Or what makes you dismiss them as an idiot? What impresses you and makes you lean in?  What makes you turn a deaf ear?

My interest is always to see the attitudes and actions that teach how to be calm, cool, kind, and productive in every problem.  If you look close at your conversations and predicaments you encounter you can begin to see.

Do you want to be the center of attention with all the answers, or do you want to be calm, listen, think, and look for productive unifying resolutions that benefit everyone?  I want to be the latter.

So when I read anything, look at anything, my slant is always to look for the calmer, cooler, legal, non-violent voice in the room.  What's your slant?

Everyone Has a Recipe for Happiness

My husband and I were talking about HOW to be happy.  If you listen to gurus they all teach, it is in your mind.  We know this by now.  I know for us, no matter what kind of day we are having or if the day is not a good one, (You decide what makes it bad here)  we can think of our children and we smile.  Our children make us happy whenever we think about them.

There are many, many, books with formulas of how to get happy.  But I don't think there is a formula for it that fits all of us.  Happiness has nothing to do with lack of comparison to others, or selfless service, these can help you like yourself better but to be happy, I don't think so...

When my Sweetheart and I think of each other we can smile, this marriage has been through almost everything imaginable and we have figured out ways to move around all obstacles with our love intact. This kind of strength and understanding we both have for each other now makes us happy.  We know each other more as the years go by.  It has taken decades to really delve deep into our motives and actions to see why we do what we do and what we need to change to be the persons we want to be.

To articulate this is very helpful.  Finally because we learn to not judge each other, we are getting to the heart of every chaotic action and thought we have had.  It is freeing to be this close, this happy with each other after all these years. It is like our first kiss.  

Life is not going to be happy all the time and without the unhappiness, HOW can we know happiness.  With every giving there is a receiving, the yin yang principle is always at work.

I think being present without judgment is happiness. What do you think?

You Believe What You Want To

IF you want to believe that Jesus Christ is your lord and savior, you will.  If your family believes it you will be taught to believe it too.

If you are born in India you may want to believe in Hinduism, if your family believes it you will be taught to believe this too. And so on...

This is true for every continent and country throughout the world. What do you believe?

I was taught to believe in Christianity but when the judgments of others who did not believe as I did were taught to me, I did not like it as much.  I found many reasons to believe that others, like me, could go no further than were taught and therefore should not be held accountable to my religious beliefs as being wrong nor I to theirs.

So I began a lifelong search to find my truth.  The belief that we are all one and we should all love one another.  What I learned was that all religions have rules and judgments that include some and exclude others.  This was heartbreaking to me so I became a human being, a member of the human race and kin to all mankind/womankind.

Eckhart Tolle teaches we all came from God.  This I can accept.

So I will study Eckhart Tolle not as a spiritual leader but a teacher of thought, how to control them, how to focus on the good in the world, all the world.

Human means this 5 senses form we live in, this body.  Being meaning the essence of God, the goodness of God.  This I believe because I want to.  What do you want to believe?

Extremist Beliefs Can Lead To Violent Conclusions

Ok Byron Katie states in her teachings that victims are the angriest people. Upon closer inspection of this premise, we can see this is true.

It seems reading posts on Facebook that "extreme opinions of how other people should live" are the most violent.  To voice a differing opinion that is a peaceful viewpoint can get a fundamentalist fired up.

Today there was an article I felt needed further vetting before broadcasting on internet with negative judgements as absolute truth.  I responded with, "Let's get this information vetted before we make such a harmful blanket statement about all Muslims."

Quickly, an extreme reactionary wrote back in comment for all Muslims to leave and "I" should go with them. (Evidently someone with a different viewpoint has to go too. Gotta love America!)

I explained further...  *All "Christians" would not bomb a Planned Parenthood Clinic. So lighten up on all Muslims being violent. *

Even if one thought about it, most people have common sense that overrides the "action" to carry through with the thought. (When acting on a thought may "kill people," it has to be reconsidered, otherwise you are insane.) We all think violent thoughts (I don't want to kill anyone anymore, I told you I use to be very angry...) but I know that violence is not the long term answer. My rational mind wants peace.  This does not mean I do not stop domestic violence if I witness it. Peace is sanity, order is sanity, stopping violence is necessary to restore safety for all and for kindness to be the prevailing action.

This is getting detailed, (I paraphrase kinda) but Eckhart Tolle teaches that "arguing is a form of violence."  Including I am going to argue my point of view to the death of a relationship.  I have to be right all the time or make others see they are wrong...or one of us will have to go!

"I" have to be right is a form of violence.  

Eckhart Tolle further explains that having to be right is really a fear of death.  If the "I" which is right cannot survive then that is the death of "me."  The death of all I believe, is death to me. To get the teaching correctly straight from ET read The Power Of NOW.  

Reality, to really listen to another point of view is to expand awareness and find peaceful solutions.

"What" Not As Important as HOW

Details, details, details, we are so concerned with every little detail!  And if a detail is not explained to my satisfaction I will doggedly keep needling until I get the answers to that detail!  Meanwhile bigger issues are at hand and one is the "HOW" of every situation.

Religious wars are separating churches over details of the birthday of Jesus.  Differences in interpreting details of  any situation are landing people in courts of law every day.  Details of what is mine and what is yours, causes couples to linger years in divorce court over things.  Custody battles can go on until children are grown adults and the custody does not matter anymore.

What did you say?  When did you say it? Why did you say it?  Is this really the important point?

How about we focus on moving on, the bigger picture.  How about we figure out how to best serve one another in peace knowing life is not and never will be perfect? How can we live in peace and harmony?   The "HOW" is much more beneficial to everyone.

The HOW involves critical thinking skills where we all can offer ideas and move on.

Each Moment is Enough to Concern Self With

The chaos of the mind can be eliminated by losing "time."  Eckhart Tolle author of The Power Of Now teaches that we are so caught up in worrying about the past which we NOW have no control over and worrying about the future that we NOW have no control over that we spend too much time in stress mode which can lead to sickness.  Sickness is your body saying, "Time out!"  If you won't give me, the body a rest, I'll take one without your permission.

The ONLY way  to get out of stress mode is to live NOW, the present moment, for in this moment there is nothing to worry about.  Watch animals, true if they could think like humans they might live longer and prevent accidents, but...they take life moment by moment as it comes, no stressful thinking.

ET teaches to live in this moment and only access past time or future time as needed to exist, (Ex. make appointments, remember a renewal date.) is to slow down the aging process.  When we worry we cause premature aging in our bodies.

Once again the only control any of us have is over our mind and then only if we choose to take control of it and block out worried thoughts. It takes daily study, meditation, and practice but it can be done.  I am working on this NOW.

People Are More Wonderful The More I Know About Them

My Sweetheart and I went to see Tommy Emmanuel at Troy Music Hall tonight.  To our surprise we met 5 wonderful new people.  Tommy's opening act was Joe Robinson, his protege who won Australia's Got Talent 2008.  He is currently touring and opening for Tommy.  Joe was as amazing as Tommy with his own style, yes we bought his cds.

Joe told an endearing story of living in the outback of Australia.  His family did not have hot water until her was ten y o.  He said, "That was a game changer for sure."  He got up at 5 to chop wood and start the fire to have the hot water and in the process found he liked to burn things up, his first arson dream was to burn down a McDonald's.  So he wrote a song titled "Flaming Arches."  What a hoot!
Great song, the music, and well you have to go to youtube and listen.

Tommy Emmanuel played the guitar like a harp.  He played faster and faster. You had to really look to try to keep up with his hands.  (Chet Atkins was his mentor.)  TE supports a foundation "Guitars for Vets."  He says and truthfully so, "Music heals." Tommy sells his guitars to raise money to buy guitars for the foundation.  He also said, "What good are these guitars to hang on the wall for my family to look at when they can be sold and buy so much more for others (Military Vets) to enjoy."  TE's heart is pure gold.

The light show in his background while he played made the performance even more spectacular.
 
I met three wonderful ladies there, Sarah, Jean, and Julie.  They heard of Tommy last Sunday and came tonight to see him in person.  Their energy was so loving and peaceful. Two sisters and their Mom.  The sisters were taking such gentle care with their mother.  The mother tapped her fingers along as Tommy played, smiled as her daughters kept time nodding their heads in unison to the beat.   Fun ladies, great night. People are more wonderful the more I know about them.

5 more wonderful folks to see and all of them equally great.

Life is good and getting better everyday!

Good people everywhere we go and I am so thankful to see each of them.