Tonight, I have written some thoughts prompted by some posts on FB. It is not directly related to my Morning Pages publication today about mattering to Self and others. I will say, though, because I matter to myself, I think what I have to offer is meaningful.
When people don’t matter to themselves, they project their disdain for self to others. It happens every day. When leaders and influencers do it, I feel I should say something because they are hurting souls I care about. Despite the darker feel to the following, I treat it as shedding light. It’s just me, and I love Me and I love You. Because I wish to express how much my abilities matter to myself, I offer the following. ___________________________________________________ A Response to Some FB Posts I’ve Seen Today! I have heard the accusations against the major news agencies, that they have an agenda to keep lying until it becomes truth. That is partly based on a faulty assumption that truth is fact. Truth is relative and personal, and truth colors how facts are interpreted. But I digress. The assumption is everything the news outlets say is a lie, inaccuracy, or inconsistency. If that’s the way you are interpreting life, then you better be on a crusade against every service, corporation, or goods that are produced. Do the news agencies produce inaccuracies on purpose? I have no idea. But that assumption of lies and inconsistencies must work both ways, on those who favor one extreme or another, on the reporting as well as the reported. For all the points made about Trump not leaking anything to the Russians in the FB post I read, someone should let the senate subcommittee on intelligence know that. Someone should also tell Trump that our NATO allies don’t expect fellow world leaders to act stupid, insensitive, rude, and a bully. Those qualities are not necessary to be the leader of the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the history of Earth. The other post I have seen today is the Gum Ball explanation of immigration. The conclusion left to draw is we should not receive any more immigrants because we siphon off all the ones who could help the billions living under the extreme poverty definition in the countries they come from. Fine. That raises a couple good points. We should use our money and innovative brilliance to aid nations to help them develop their best natural resource — people. It means new programs, not funneling billions to win favor, i.e., no ulterior motives but humanitarian. The second thing it implies is we should develop and invest money and innovation into those poorer segments of our society. We should not be cutting money to help those who are the closest in our nation to those who are classified as in extreme poverty. They may not be at that world level, but the philosophy is those that are weakest should receive investments from us. Does the proposal of Trump and his budget officer do that? No, in fact, they destroy Dr. Gum Ball’s philosophy, so for those who use the anti-immigration argument to support Trump and his schemes, you aren’t following the logic trail because if you were, you would cry out long and loud against the newest budget proposal. The third concept implied in Gum Ball’s analogy is we must quit thinking in terms of America is the best, the greatest, and we deserve to say, do, and have whatever we want just because we can. That is pure and unadulterated nationalism, and when it’s demanded by the most powerful, wealthiest nation on the face of the earth, it’s the rankest form of bullying — legitimized by brute force. The only way to have the things that some tout as America’s greatness is to make it the world’s greatness of equal opportunity for all to be able to purse happiness, all who want to do that; our president should not pursue belittling, destroying, or humiliating others, and that is not false reporting. It is self-reporting by the Donald himself. Now, back to the news that dude AnOmaly, or however it’s spelled, rants about. It’s easy to grab clips, bites, excerpts and the like and add your own commentary to spin it — on either side of an issue. However, I saw another bit on his page about the Manchester bombing with a shot of Arianna Grande saying Islam is love and then a gratuitous shot of the bombing scene asking Grande if she still thought the same. If you feel like that, your hatred for yourself is showing. The bomber was born and raised in Manchester. Trump’s incompetency and actions have been there for all to see. He has done a super job of showing what a rude, nationalistic, inhumane human he is, incontrovertibly. I don’t need to run him down; he’s proven his ability to do that quite admirably. He is incompetent, and problems with inaccurate news reports aside, when his own party and the people who understand the constitution and legal system are reigning Trump in, everybody needs to listen. Besides, picking on a few inaccurate stories or even lies doesn’t look at the ones that are not lies. On the other hand, if any journalist knowingly lies in reporting, that person should be fired without hesitation. All of this should bring us to think about how we relate to the rest of humanity who is not like us. We need to get acquainted with our own Heart, core Self, and realize that what’s there is the same essence as in every other human being. I am not in the camp of those who claim America is the greatest nation in the world so give us what we want: “35% import tax.” “You pay for the wall.” “We don’t want your kind here.” Nor am I in the camp of blind allegiance to any side. I am, unequivocally, in the camp of politics is secondary to our spiritual life and spiritual considerations of humanity as a whole should be the base of politics. I will say that each of us, especially those opposed to the current bullying and intimidating sweep of nationalism, needs to show that we matter to ourselves, and because of that, everyone else on this globe matters. Do we evaluate and expose darkness of soul? Yes, and that means being confrontational to some extent. That means refuting the sort of things I’ve spoken of here. But it also means compassion for those who don’t think the same. They will never see anything differently without compassion, the compassion of being heard and knowing that their views are considered. Someone like Trump needs to be toppled from his leadership position. He can do what he wants with his companies. I would never work for one of his concerns if his attitude of blunt, blithering incompetency only supported by money and fear filtered down his leadership line. He certainly is neither qualified nor fit to lead this nation, any nation. He is being exposed, and I only wish to give my voice to this effort. We deserve and need leadership at all levels who recognize and design policy, intelligent, informed policy, based on Heart principles of who and what we are as human beings. Yes, this is a global view, and it’s my opinion, my expression of who I am and what I do, in part. I have heard your voice, those of you who take the referenced opposing views. I have written in response to them because you and your views matter to me, as do the other billions of people on this planet, as I matter to myself. Blessings!
0 Comments
If I ran a media outlet and had control of advertising, for one day I would eliminate all other ads and run this one: “Heart Responses Needed! Simply secure some mirror time, look at yourself eye to eye, and speak to your Heart. Who am I? What will I do with my time here? Live your answers.” If we ever needed people to respond to this ad, now would be a good time.
Last night I referred to the cacophony of life around us as white noise, noise that has all the frequencies within the human aural range. When we can’t sort the frequencies, it creates a kind of stupefying effect like putting a hood on a hawk to train it. In the analogy from last night, Ego keeps us from focusing. When we can’t focus or sort, we just move through life only paying attention to what is directly in our path, only what directly please or displeases us. That’s convenient for Ego when we allow it to operate our mind and soul. We can have strong opinions about life, politics, social issues, or anything if it involves us directly. However, when we aren’t operating, consciously, purposefully, through Heart, the big picture will always be left out, only being addressed in vague, general terms. The problem with that is people end up unhappy, unsatisfied, unfulfilled and they find ways to blame others — sometimes in ways that are intricate, intellectual, and even effective — in order to pass their unhappiness and discontent on to others. “If I can show others they are wrong and I am right, all will be exactly the way I want it.” When I talk to people like that, they never know exactly what they want. They know what everyone else should want. Oh, they’ll try and stutter and stammer, but they can’t nail it down for themselves. What happens with people like that? Many things, innumerable things. Some that seem good. Nothing in and of itself is good or bad disassociated from thinking, and Ego thinking just doesn’t satisfy in the end. When an individual is unhappy with self, Ego will always try some tactics to get relief. Ego forms can always be identified because it blames and passes on the personal unhappiness and causes hurt, harm, misery, destruction in some way. They will find fault, assign blame, and either slither under the Rock of Worthlessness or maybe jump onto that rock and order, shove, and push people to their way of thinking. Or somewhere in the land of the in-between. With my Heart as the primary filter, processor, and motive force for my mind and soul, I can respond in ways that are characterized by light and love. I don’t need to prove or defend that; it’s my personal truth. I know that although I love Self, true Self, I am not selfish. I do, however, recognize the selfish game blamers. My Heart allows me to filter and focus on the events that affect souls. This brings me to manifestations of those who are so fucking miserable with their own lives, even though they aren’t aware of it, that they have to inflict their misery on others. This takes various forms. Such people will tout their actions in a number of masked, disingenuous forms: moral, religious, common good, make a country great again. Whenever these active self-haters wreak havoc on others, they do it by blaming others and convincing and justifying themselves that they are right. The best — religion, country, philosophy. Just the best, better than others. This especially includes the destructive mindset of nationalism. So, we end up with tragedies. The bombing in Manchester, UK, reminded me of the Boston Marathon bombing and other acts of miserable cowards who refuse to look themselves in the eyes and meet their own Heart. It’s interesting that just this evening I heard that the bomber in Manchester asked his mother to forgive him before he performed his hateful act. You don’t ask for forgiveness if you act from Heart and personal truth, and by personal truth I mean Heart-truth, not Ego. If I had the means, the outlet for voice to encourage those dear people in Manchester, I would tell them they are loved, that those who passed from this physical plane were loved, and that their life energy goes on. We can communicate with them like I do with friends and relatives who have died physically — just talk to them, listen, watch, and they will know. Another manifestation my Heart has helped me focus on has been the sheer lunacy of giving power to a man like Donald Trump. I haven’t named him, I don’t believe, in any of my articles. I have disagreed with virtually every action he has taken and most words he has spoken. However, when I saw the video from multiple sources, reputable sources, of him pulling back the Prime Minister of Montenegro, I could clearly see the hubris, that he is one of those who, because he does not know his own Heart, climbs on top of the Rock of Worthlessness instead of slithering underneath of it, although rank egotists can shift between either place. Heart is whispering that the Ego-powered self is worthless in terms of living the reason we came here: to create life that allows Spirit to experience its own work in a sensory body. We are part of that, but people like Trump are relatively, if not totally, clueless. These two things have been on my mind and soul today, as filtered and processed by my Heart. I hope folks like Trump and those deceived by and involved with groups like ISIS will respond to the little ad I had at the top of this article. We need it to happen; we all need to respond. It’s not hard, really. Blessings! I really don’t like loud noises, high decibel sounds in general, especially unexpected. I have sensitive ears, I suppose. Ironically, though, I act inconsistently with that. I don’t like loud noises, but I seem to like noise.
Maybe you understand, or maybe you are much more focused and disciplined than me. The kind of noise I indulge in — oh, I don’t do it with malice aforethought — is the lower level decibels of all the input in the atmosphere. I allow Ego to turn it into distraction, to engage me in the busy-ness of life chattering all around me. That happens by default when I’m not engaging Heart as my primary operating system, my main life processor and filter. Honestly, I’m not worrying much about it, but it is symptomatic of many of us. Witness: fidget spinners!!! Some of my distractibility is undoubtedly part of my very real ADD, which I don’t count as a disability for myself. It’s part of the reason I have so many interests and enjoy researching, reading, and writing about so many things. I can hear a few words of a speaker and be hooked, a few bars of music and be listening and singing for a half hour, or a few flashes of color from anywhere and my imagination takes off. I shouldn’t forget about smells and textures. The color-texture combination of Vincent van Gogh’s work makes him my favorite artist. How did I get to this point? OMG! It’s happening. Okay, focus, Mike. Why do people, why do I, allow the distractions of life to be amplified by Ego into our minds and souls? Why is social media, which I value, so damn time-consuming for me at times and for many people much of the time? When Ego succeeds, when we don’t consciously engage Heart, we are not facing life on our terms according to personal truth that requires thought, emotional energy, and action plans. Heart is always there, and we need to consciously connect, speak to Heart in order to stay focused, at least to do what is significant and satisfying to core Self. When we don’t do that, we end up feeling negative shit like regret and guilt. We won’t be living our Purpose. How does that happen? Oh, thats easy! Ego, good old conformist-shaping Ego, through an infinite variety of ways, deep down, influences our thoughts and emotions. Ego takes those posts on social media, news, television, radio, movies, and who knows what else and convinces us that what we do either won’t make a real difference or it’s all been done before or is beyond our abilities. So, shrink, conform, acquiesce to reason, practicality. Drown out that failure with the noise. Just keep allowing the noise. White noise, noise that disengages the soul and mind, which disconnects us from Heart. Remember, Ego doesn’t want risk-takers who would attract and connect with others. It wants to isolate in order to protect, even if it means we are surrounded with and packed in with multitudes of other isolated souls. This white noise that Ego produces from life in any venue, genre, avenue has the horrible effect as interpreted to our mind and soul of silencing our Voice, of squelching the good noise we could produce of who we are, that new-named core Self, that Heart-Self. That Ego-processed noise we consume keeps us from generating Heart-produced Voice of love and light. Ultimately, all that goes on around us is not worthless or white noise; it only becomes so on an individual basis when we don’t toggle to the Heart operating system, which means we allow Ego to do its conforming, isolating work. I want to hear You, the core Self, real, true You. I want to hear the Heart-voice of all those around me, to fully sense the unique tones, hues, textures, aromas, and savors of You. So, when I have to force myself to close out of social media, to turn off the ball game, or any other thing Ego is using to keep me quiet via sense numbing white noise, just know I’m turning to Heart in order to produce this work for others, maybe for you, because I know this is me and this is what I have to offer in love and light. Blessings! I’ve spoken with them, people, friends, loved ones, acquaintances who are not living life in the way they want to experience it.
Well, they don’t think they are. I know they only have a vague idea of what sort of life they want. Most of it revolves around having a lot of money to buy lots of things or do lots of things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that — unless it derives from Ego and keeps bringing one back to the same spot of spiritual despair. Of course, people who feel like this don’t think of it as a spiritual problem, not usually. They need a better job, more money, nicer boss, or something like that. So, when I share with them about Heart, hearing Heart, and coming to a point of choosing what they really want, I get different reactions. This brings me back to where I ended last night. When we awaken, really wake up to the fact that we are a personal expression of Spirit. That personal expression, You, has passions, acquired knowledge, personality — everything that makes You You. When that You melds with Heart, eternal Spirit in You, then the Universe is at your command. What do you do at this point? I recommend that you spend time speaking directly to your Heart. Ask questions. Listen. Consider possibilities of what you want — no rights or wrongs in the fellowship of the Heart. Now is the time to create your fate. Now, you can think and feel under the operating system of Heart. Now, you can take a new name, one that describes this complete You. Choose it. Claim it. Declare it to yourself and the Universe, to Spirit. These actions are exactly what those who are miserable need to be doing. Can you have help, coaching, guidance if you feel you need it? Of course you can, but I will tell you that ultimately you have your own answers within yourself, you take responsibility, and that is so freeing. Now, for those who are miserable and don’t want to hear this sort of thing, fine, just fine. But you will find out that resigning yourself to live in mediocrity on a day to day basis will just keep bringing you back to the same questions and answers because Ego’s tune is pretty consistent. Oh, you may have a nice home, get to buy lots of things, go on nice vacations, but how do the hours, weeks, and years stack up against the time you get to enjoy those things? Are they ever enough? I’m not preaching the gospel here, really. It’s just that I have heard, seen, and been in contact with such people recently. I don’t need to worry about possible offenses if they recognize themselves because they would never read this. And I would say I am privileged and blessed to know many who hear their Heart and have created and are living their purpose. And that does not mean life is easy. It means they work hard, plan, prioritize, learn, and many times short themselves on sleep. But they love what they do because they are expressing and living Self, Heart-Self, and when we are together and share what’s going on, we marvel at the work of one another and rejoice in it. That’s part of the Fellowship of the Heart. Me? I have my new name, and if I live it, I must read, research, write, and share. Since I have not yet made money — nor asked for it — from my work, it also means I put in long hours because I have to do some things to earn some bucks. But I’m not worried about it. I know as I live Heart-truth I will have all I want. And I love sitting down and writing the discoveries of the day, those things I have seen in my mind and soul, and sharing them with you. Money follows living Heart passion, but it is not the incentive to live Purpose. Stephen King, the horror novelist, said “Yes, I’ve made a great deal of dough from my fiction, but I never set a single word down on paper with the thought of being paid for it…I have written because it fulfilled me…I did it for the pure joy…” Most very successful people are so because they followed their Heart-joy, not Ego-drive for money that they have no joy, fulfillment, or significance in. Beyond joy, though, is the reality that Heart-work is expressing the love of eternal Spirit through us to and in this whole Universe. Spirit uses these bodily forms because It is pleased to do so and created us for this. That’s why we seek something greater, why we know there’s more for us. Kahlil Gibran says, “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” As for me, I want to be an alms-giver, not a taker. See, this whole mindset of you have to just slog through life accepting whatever you can grab is pure bullshit: it’s Ego. And the questions, considerations, and solutions are Heart matters, not matters of practicality or necessity, not “I have to do something to earn a living.” Life and the meaning we impart to it through our daily work and actions are matters of faith and creation. Those come from within. Blessings! Names should be descriptive of a person. Today, though, they are dependent on parents’ likes and dislikes. New parents spend hours hashing out possibilities, and it’s a lot of fun. I know; I went through it. Most of us, though, never receive any different name as we grow and express character, unless your fortunate enough to be known for some positive trait and gain a descriptive nickname. Of course, sometimes that can be negative.
Names have been significant for individuals in all cultures throughout history. I think it’s a bit ironic today that we, supposedly advanced civilizations, don’t put as much merit in names as past, more “primitive” cultures did, because names are part of our identity, and the more advanced we become, the more crucial it is we discover our spiritual nature. Native American tribes valued this concept of bestowing names. Ceremonies and tribal rituals were built around it in many native nations. Some names were secret, only known by the giver and the named. Names changed several times based on character traits and achievements or skills or animal energy associations throughout one’s life. In fact, several tribes only referred to another person based on relationship: father, brother, mother, sister, and others. They reserved using someone’s actual name for really important times. Yes, names are important, not because the name gives character but because the name describes what character or qualities exist in a person. The same was true in ancient times with Celts, Middle Eastern cultures, and the Far East. Yet, here we are today, so civilized that we do not think about concepts with spiritual, soul ramifications unless we relegate it to religion. Such a simple and sacred idea as a purposeful, descriptive name should be part of everyday life; the name should in some way come into play in our daily work and relationships. That’s how you know you’ve got a good name! Allow me to get even more specific. For us today, we need to think about choosing and knowing that sacred, spiritual name even if no one else does. It should represent our self-identity, our personal truth, and be related to our created purpose. As I have traced some of the themes in Paulo Coelho’s The Fifth Mountainthe last few nights, I would like to continue to reference it about this concept of names. Elijah the prophet of Israel lives in exile in Zarephath, which is in the land of Sidon (modern Lebanon), Israel’s enemies. When they are almost annihilated by the Syrians, Elijah becomes leader by default, and he recognizes the value and sacred nature of taking a name to carry on in positive purpose of reconstruction. The only people left in the novel are essentially the old, widows, and orphaned children. However, Elijah sees in them what they need to see by turning to their own Heart. Whenever we face something that seems disastrous, we need to turn within, learn our true identity, and the attendant power of Spirit within. There is no other choice except for defeat. When Elijah is the only one who works to safely dispose of dead bodies and starts to clean up the city, an old woman basically tells him to just quit and let the plague from the rotting corpses finish off the rest of them. His thought? “The only solution was to forget a past of uncertainty and create a new history for oneself” (193). When we have such episodes, questionings, fears, doubts, this is the Heart-choice. Resignation is all Ego and leads to an insignificant existence, and nobody can be faulted for that but the individual. Let me repeat — Nobody else has the power to truly and ultimately defeat one except for a person’s own Ego and decision to resign self to mediocrity and defeat resulting from listening to Ego. Elijah isn’t deterred, and the old and weak and children start little by little helping him, following his Heart-example and sensing his energy. He reflects on the significance and meaning of his own life and discovers what the people really need to continue. They need to come to know Self, meet their own Heart, and learn their own power and create their own purpose. He tells them that “he had fled from doubt. From defeat. From moments of indecision” (205). He knows the discouragement of Ego and the power of Heart, the Spirit. He tells them what his Heart as Spirit God taught him about himself. His name is Liberation. He tells them to turn within and discover and declare their new name: “The essential point was this: to have a name…Each one has a name from birth but must learn to baptize his life with the word he has chosen to give meaning to that life” (205) and “there were as many choices as stars in the sky, but each one had need to give a name to his life” (206). Limitless possibilities exist in creating Heart-purpose, something worth getting up every day to fight for, to work for, to bless the Universe. The people of Zarephath (Akbar in most descriptions in the novel) end up recognizing themselves — although originally old, weak, and defeated — as “the young warriors of Akbar” (229). They knew their personal truth and purpose was worth fighting their own Ego for every single day. Who are you? What is your new name? What potential, power, passions, dreams from your Heart do you have that define in a word or two who your core Self is, something worth being a warrior for? Set aside a time in a place sacred to you, even if it’s looking at yourself in a mirror, and speak to your Heart. Dig. Find it. Eternal value and worth abide in you. Name it. Choose it. Create it. Blessings! (All quotes from my version of The Fifth Mountain: Coelho, Paulo. The Fifth Mountain. Harper Collins, 1999 (Reissued 2009).) |
Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
Categories |