Oh, The Places You'll Go!

 

Hawksbill Crag - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Oh, the Places You'll Go! -- By Theodore Geisel

“I'm afraid that sometimes you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win, cause you'll play against you.

All Alone! Whether you like it or not,

Alone you will be something quite a lot.

And when you're alone. There' a very good chance

You'll meet some things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

That can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go, though the weather be foul,

On you will go, though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many a frightening creek,Theodore

Though your arms may get sore

And your sneakers may leak

On and on you will hike.

And I know you'll hike far

And face up to your problems

Whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

As you already know.

You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure where you step.

Step with care and great tact

And remember that life's a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.”

By: Dr. Seuss

A Happy Trip

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Someone I admire said, “I don’t want my imagination to die before I do”. That’s the open secret to a happy life, don’t you think? When each day brings new adventure, we are joyous! And this adventure doesn’t consist of doing something you’ve never done before, or something which others think of as exciting; it’s simply enjoying every moment of what you do and not being afraid of a break in routine. That’s an ah-ha moment. How often do we become disgruntled because our plans for the day are interrupted by an unexpected occurrence? These may be happy interruptions, such as a surprise visit from an old friend, or an necessary chore like changing a flat tire on the car; either scenario causes a readjustment of our plans. When we are able to face whatever may come our way, with an inexhaustible joy, life is fun! Imagination and creativity are directly linked to this ability to enjoy ups and downs, without even thinking of them as such. Rolling with the flow makes for a happy trip!

“You can make an empty shell, but you cannot express nothing at all. You can wait, delay, paralyze yourself, or reduce your creativity almost to nothing. But you cannot abolish it. You can destroy your medium of communication, but not your potential.” A Course in Miracles - Chapter 1 V:1

To Arrive Where We Started

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A friend once said to me, "There are only two powers, and she's chosen the wrong one." I had to step back and wonder how it felt to believe in such a duality as this. Once we've split power into a loving God and Its evil twin, some seriously hard-to-let-go images have taken hold in our mind. I don’t want to focus on the myriad of ways we've constructed to cloud our vision, but I'll ask to see with my true sight as a reflection of Love. T. S. Eliot’s quote from Little Gidding reminds me what "seeing" is. “We shall not cease from exploration, / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”

"To teach is to demonstrate. There are only two thought systems, and you demonstrate that you believe one or the other is true all the time. From your demonstration others learn, and so do you. The question is not whether you will teach, for in that there is no choice. The purpose of the course might be said to provide you with a means of choosing what you want to teach on the basis of what you want to learn. You cannot give to someone else, but only to yourself, and this you learn through teaching. Teaching is but a call to witnesses to attest to what you believe. It is a method of conversion. This is not done by words alone. Any situation must be to you a chance to teach others what you are, and what they are to you. No more than that, but also never less." A Course in Miracles -  Manual for Teachers

Pouring Love on the Fire

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photo credit: Arthur Bruno

We humans think in terms of something upsetting us, then find reasons why we are justified in this upset. When a friend shared with me a step into peace and out of worry which she experienced, I was reminded that we don't need to fan the flame of anger. One of her daughters was very upset with her, for reasons which are not important to this writing. My friend chose to not make those reasons important to her either. She was aware that her beloved daughter was upset, but she was also aware that she couldn't fix it. She knows that her peace doesn't depend on any outside source. She knew she was being honest and straightforward, and no amount of erroneous thought could affect her natural state of harmony. She didn’t try to change her daughter’s mind about things, but she did examine her own motives and actions. I look forward to seeing the effect of pouring more love on this fire!

"Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error. Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:17-22

To See Or Not To See

 

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

We practicing metaphysicians often hear words like these: "Get real! Face facts! Pull your head out of the sand!" I usually just smile and say, "You may be right", and politely wander away. Rather than explaining -- or worse, arguing! -- I ​try to ​hold to the spiritual reality, Love, while allowing the material arguments to pass through and be gone. I have not always been so easy to get along with! Recently, I've had the opportunity to spend time with an old friend who moved far, far away. A number of years ago, she and I had an altercation which was deeply interconnected to many areas in our friendship. If either she or I had held onto the past, we wouldn't share the palpable Oneness we feel today. It's not a choice of seeing past or present, but a choice to see or not to see. And I am grateful​ for the ability to choose again …

"Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress. The age seems ready to approach this subject, to ponder somewhat the supremacy of Spirit, and at least to touch the hem of Truth's garment." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 270:22-27

Living the Life of Light

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

Seeing everything in light brings ​us ​happiness and peace. Reflecting t​his light​ to others ​brings them into the realization of harmony. A few simple words, expressing what we are seeing, brings joy to those we come into contact with every day. A compliment shared with someone in the grocery store or library may be just the encouragement ​needed at that moment. Shining the light of Oneness from within brings big blessings! I think we all know at least one someone whose expression of love seems to be a bit contrived. It's been my observation (both in others and within myself!) that these loving expressions must be sincere, not simply something we decide to say to make someone feel good. So today I will ​focus on feeling the joy which comes from seeing everything in light, and ​sharing the heart-felt expression to that joy, blessing the world​ as I bless myself​.

“Spiritual vision is not subordinate to geometric altitudes. Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 215:11-14

Inventions of Human Belief

 

Longmont, Colorado - PC: Marsha Havens

For students of human behavior, it’s been fascinating to watch select groups of people's evolution during these past few years. Many folks seem to be incapable of making a decision until they hear others speak in favor or against a topic. Perhaps they need confirmation that their beliefs about a situation are worthy of them, and so they wait for someone else to tell them they think that way, too. This need for validation is not a rare condition. I believe I may have suffered from it at points in my life. The tools we have at our disposal from the study and practice of divine metaphysics tend to let us walk past the temptation to feel so self-important that we're afraid to be wrong. While it's usually thought of as low self-esteem which causes this indecision and need for confirmation, it seems to me that it's valuing your own forever-believed image of yourself over your true image as the likeness of God. Releasing many long-practiced ways of living facilitates our recognition of this, and thus we are freed! This spiritual sense allows us to speak without fear. I love listening to the guidance afforded by divine Mind, rather than running in circles following so-called mortal thoughts. It's more interesting, it frees me from worry and doubt, it leads me in fascinating paths, and it teaches peace.

"Human belief has sought out many inventions, but not one of them can solve the problem of being without  the divine Principle of divine Science. Deductions from material hypotheses are not scientific. They differ from real Science because they are not based on the divine law."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 273:4-9