Most people agree that Nature is important to this world, that concepts like destruction of ecosystems and endangered species and elimination of rainforests and pollution of various sorts — all pose threats to Nature as a whole.
However, I believe the consequences of the destruction of the natural world via humanity’s doings hold little place in everyday consciousness, and that is sad. No, maybe more than sad. That is stupid. And I categorize complacency and apathy about Nature and the environment in that category because our connection with all the things we say we hold dear and desire depends on linking and syncing with the frequencies of Nature — IF we wish to live in Heart-energy. If anyone doesn’t care or purposefully rejects Heart and chooses Ego as their primary operating system, well then Nature, just like everyone and everything else, is only there to meet selfishh needs. For several days now, I have been thinking about my connections with the natural world. When I get exhausted, feel disoriented, seek ideas, or need understanding, I take a walk. Or I go outside with a drink of some sort, listen, feel, smell, stare — just sense — all the expressions of life around me. I’ll get something out of it; the energy is there to be experienced, to run concurrently with Heart, to harmonize with my mind and soul. Many, though, look on Nature as something nice to deal with if kids need a science project, if there’s nothing to do, if a flash of inspiration overtakes them, or maybe if they want a cheap, simple date that makes them look good. Our consideration of and connections with Nature should be on a daily basis, not recreational or utilitarian whims. Yes, we know about environmental issues, but that in and of itself doesn’t do much. It’s like I have told students in the past: if you know how to read but choose not to, you’re no better off — maybe worse — than someone who cannot read. The clarion voice of modern environmentalism is the late Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring, succinctly, passionately, and professionally laid out the destruction humanity rushes into headlong just for the sake of wealth, convenience, and control and power. Her writing brought about legislation in Congress that persists to this day, much like the Romantics of British literature helped prompt Parliamentary reform to combat the social ills of the day. Considering the relationship of humanity and Nature, Carson says, “The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized.” No, no it can’t. And this is the very reason we may not treat Nature as a nice thing to have around and then make decision to pollute, ravage, rape, and pillage her for the “logical” reasons of most: lower prices, creation of jobs, convenience of living — including aesthetics. Knowing, feeling, and doing are all necessary, but just knowing does not mean much. Carson also says, “It is not half so important to know as to feel.” If we sympathized with Nature, we would not be so quick to abuse her. And it’s necessary to have feeling, an intrinsic motivation, if we would take action. The ramifications of not sympathizing with Nature, not feeling her, sensing her, is a sure path to destruction. Carson emphasizes this when she says, “But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.” I would like to end this war, at least help to end it. Tomorrow, some suggestions. Tonight, I’m exhausted. Blessings, many deep rich blessing!
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The external challenges we all face many times relate directly to those things we experience as internal challenges. For instance, when we encounter those with whom we need to have some sort of relationship and something about them repulses us, more often than not that repulsive something represents challenges, deficiencies, or reflections of things we don’t like about ourselves. We project onto them what we hate about ourselves, and that begins bad relationships.
If anyone believes that does not bear directly on the way groups all the way up to nations relate to one another, then that person is naive. I’m aware many dynamics are involved and many other factors that come into play; however, the most basic things we as individuals face are the ones that drive anything beyond self. Coming into a relationship with core Self allows us to deal with life, process it, enjoy it, prosper in it; knowing Self, awakening to Heart, gives access to the positive emotions and states that most say they wish to experience. The rub here is that if people operate from Ego rather than Heart, they will not be seeking Heart-principles. They will be seeking Ego-satisfiers. Remember, Ego does what it can to protect the individual in the midst of society but not unify us with the whole, so the actions of such people, leaders, or governments may mimic Heart-principles, but they will not accept them. Ego leaders usually seek power plays under the guise of securing peace — just one example. Masses of people calling on and acknowledging Heart will make for change, true change, Heart change. The essence of that is love. We need to learn to love Self, and only Heart will take us there. Ego condemns or exalts but never settles on a centered Self. What do I mean by that? This morning I wrote this: Spirit is all, the center of all, yet Spirit is the center in us. Its center is the Universe and is within us. A bit earlier this evening, I had the opportunity to dig for quotes that might relate. Found several, but especially one from Black Elk, a strong leader and medicine man of the Oglala Sioux tribe. So much wisdom was lived and shared from Heart but squashed by the egos of white Europeans. Yes, some Native Americans acted in Ego, and some Whites acted in Heart. No critical mass was ever reached for peace, acceptance, coexistence — for love. If you don’t think that should be the primary focus, then I hope to this Universe that you never have anything to do with determining the path of any group or nation. The quote is rather lengthy; however, it is powerful and pertinent and contains Heart-wisdom, love. Here it is: “The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. “This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men” (http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Wisdom/BlackElk.html). I would call for this idea — this concept of peace within by acknowledging Heart, by recognizing that each individual bears eternal Spirit —to be the basis of our mental and emotional health on an individual level. It should also be the foundation of any educational system. It most certainly should be the guiding philosophy of politics, governments, and foreign relations. The United States has little known such truth, save in statements that guided the founding, which is the only reason the nation made it to start with. However, the abject, abysmal failure to live to those principles, which in the Declaration of Independence were clearly stated, has caused Ego-suffering for almost 250 years. Black Elk lived from 1863 to 1950. He spanned the time of the old ways into the modern world. He said this in later life: “When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heapen and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A peoples dream died there. It was a beautiful dream. . . .the nations hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead” (http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Wisdom/BlackElk.html). This was the legacy of Whites gaining “peace,” touting victory and security. From what? Love, a love they couldn’t accept or receive because they did not and often now do not accept their own Heart’s urgings to love Self. And it’s not just Whites, but in this relationship it was. For Black Elk’s people, corporately, that may have been true; I cannot judge. I know, though, that each of us can know that center because we each have Heart operative in us, and it is a center of Love. And that is the only thing that will give peace internally and make peace externally. It’s all based on that. Own it. Live it. If you want what most say they do — love and peace. Blessings! Last night I wrote of freedom on a personal level. I will again tonight, because any consideration of freedom and the deprivation of it begins on a personal level.
However, I want to start with the more corporate aspect of slavery, whether it be forced as has occurred throughout the history of humanity and in America in particular, or political, cultural/societal, or economic slavery. How have people under some horrid conditions survived? Why did they endure what they did? Of course, I cannot really answer this here, but I want to make a few points. Freedom begins, thrives, and lives in those who have realized freedom fromEgo-dominance. They have discovered Heart; therefore, they have freedom tolive life according to Heart. Many people can live personal truth, Purpose, Heart-reality in the context of daily life regardless of government structure or the type of society we live in. Remember, though, that we are social creatures. No man is an island. Please allow me to shift gears. I just returned from walking my puppies. It’s 10:30 p.m., in the time zone where I live. While on the walk, I was thinking about where I would take this. I’m exhausted, so I must take my own thoughts with a grain of salt — just being real here. Issues of freedom and slavery are not only philosophical concepts, but also they are emotional. They must be because we are emotional creatures in addition to being social creatures. So I must assume you would allow me to speak of my own experience if we were face to face. When I was about 19 or 20, I dated a young lady who was not of my race, and since most of you don’t know me, I will tell you I am white. At the time, I lived experientially in the mentality of evangelical christianity; however, I have always been idealistic. I believed that the original philosophy and design of christianity was a universal acceptance in love of everyone. I never considered nor did it even cross my mind, that people in the small church group I was associated with would have such harsh, judgmental antipathy about me dating someone not of the same race. I was disillusioned, disheartened. But it was worse than that. Because I was young and showed promise of being a good teacher and speaker, I was taken aside and schooled about races. I will tell you, honestly, that such brainwashing attempts were fruitless with me. They made me more determined than ever to show them the error of their thinking. Today, I would expose Ego-reasoning but leave them, walk away in blessing. Then, though, I listened, rebelled mostly silently, and determined I would show them it could be different. I was told the races of darker-skinned people were from the children of the cursed progeny of Ham, Noah’s son who disrespected his father. Oh, I was given a very logical-appearing breakdown of the nations that sprang from Noah’s children. I won’t even judge the accuracy of that, and I don’t need to. But I do judge those who operating when in Ego and using self-righteous, superior sounding “logic,” decided that all are loved by God, but some are superior in status and privilege and deserve to make the decisions. You know, people like fascists, dictators, white supremacists, or christian fundamentalists. Or, horror, those who want to “make America great again.” Do you know why there has been such a backlash against ISIS, against the current administration in America, and against right wing conservatives? I will tell you. They are enslavers. They would make all of us slaves to their beliefs, their version of a universal truth that all should align with. They won’t allow for personal truth and lives of freedom based on that. They won’t allow for the sort of common humanity care of those in poverty and sickness. They will spout some platitudes, but they will also be quick to draw conclusion and lines about “we all make choices and have the same opportunities.” No, no we don’t, not when it comes to a society, culture, government, or religion that squashes and oppresses those who are not like themselves. You know what? I dated my young lady friend until we parted ways for other reasons than race. I defied the right-wing religious bigots by gaining a place of leadership for a couple years and allying with an ecumenical group of other religious leaders, and I caught backlash for that. Didn’t care. I left all of that behind, too, for several complicated reasons. Ultimately, I have never and will never understand the unabashed Ego-blindness — god, I will say it here because I am tired and emotional: stupidity — of those who truly believe they have the right way for everyone and will be “generous and loving” as long as they stay in power and maintain control and safeguard their hidden-agenda bigotry. And this is what I would wish to expose by Heart-light and true love for all, including the bigots. The social and political contract America was established on, and it must be the basis for American society, is “that all men are created equal.” That term men is universal, whether the Founders meant it then or not, the document and our constitution was meant to grow, to expand according to Heart-progress, I believe. Therefore, there is no equivocation. All means all. Do not tell me you wish to make America great again and despise or fear or limit Muslims or Buddhists or Christians. Do NOT, especially, tell me you have the right to take ANYTHING else away from Native Americans. And do NOT tell me that those in poverty, especially African Americans, are that way because of choices they have made. (Oh, if you want to start looking at individuals, then take a much closer look at the actual statistics.) Well, I must draw this to a close. Freedom means we can love and accept and encourage one another in fullness of who each is. Now, let me get back to the beginning, because there is one caveat here. And that is my least common denominator. This love, acceptance, and encouragement can only emanate from Heart-energy. Those who have rejected Heart and sold out to Ego don’t get this because they don’t want it; however, they don’t get to suppress, oppress, repress, or enslave any of the rest of us. The challenge is that many who do rule are wealthy, and we grant God status to such. Stop that. It means NOTHING. Spiritual awakening to the Heart operating system, knowing who we are, knowing that Ego is ever-present and running and we need to value that part of Self but keep it in check, that is the key to living in freedom, personal and corporate. Blessings as you consider these ideas! Wisdom occupies a significant percentage of religious, self-improvement, and ethical or moral dialogues. No, I don’t know even an approximate percentage.
Why is it so important? We all want to be smart, don’t we? Maybe, but being smart is not necessarily the same as being wise. Being smart often equates to knowing lots of facts. That is not wisdom. Many have said that wisdom is the correct use of knowledge. That, to me, is a vague, limiting, and relatively meaningless definition. People express wisdom, are considered wise, when they innovate and use old knowledge, collected knowledge, connected knowledge to create new knowledge. Wisdom emanates from within us. It’s extremely personal. That’s not the way many think about wisdom. They like to read it from others and quote it, and I do, too. However, at that point it’s knowledge being collected. It becomes wisdom when we make connections to our own mind and soul through Heart-energy and create something useful and meaningful and that applies to our daily lives. Of course, that implies that if we are going to convert knowledge to wisdom, spiritual awakening, coming to a knowledge of Heart, core Self, fronts that. Oh, I’m not wise enough, degreed enough to make such a statement? Okay, how does this quote grab you? What do you make of this bit of knowledge, or is it wisdom? “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” For Aristotle, that was wisdom. For us, it’s knowledge. How do you process that into wisdom? In this day and age, knowledge proliferates. Wisdom, however, not so much. Our cognitive processes and emotions are ours, are human; we don’t add new ones and haven’t since our advent here. While individual expression varies, no new cognitive processes or emotions have been added to the repertoire of humanity. Knowledge, though, is another issue, an exponential growth challenging our cognition and emotions. Every new encounter with knowledge requires us to either use it according to Heart-energy to create wisdom or let it become part of an Ego-collection that will probably end up confusing, discouraging, inflating, or deflating us emotionally. Socrates, years before Aristotle, said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” In a sense, he claims that the only universally applicable wisdom is that we know nothing — until we do something with the facts. That leads to the point that my personal wisdom becomes my personal truth. Since true wisdom emanates from knowing Self, Heart, that means what is wisdom and truth for me may not be for others. You shouldn’t discount my wisdom, not should I discount yours. We need to live true to Heart. Until we take knowledge and process it into wisdom, bit by bit, that knowledge is relatively worthless. Knowledge is clutter unless we allow Heart to instigate wonder, marvel, curiosity — enough that we personalize, internalize it. Remembering it to impress others, even our own Ego, means little. Albert Einstein seems to agree with me (I wish!): “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” Understanding is wisdom in this use. Wisdom, then, is seen in action in daily life: applied knowledge. Everything else is trivia. Now, I’m pretty good at remembering things, and it’s fun. But that does not make me wise. If you knew me personally, you would probably be laughing in agreement with me right now. But since most people who read this don’t know me, allow me to provide some proof. I know a lot about health, the human body, physiology. I know what exercise does for us, what foods are most beneficial and give us the greatest nutrient density per gram. Do I exercise every day? Do I eat those best foods every day? Do I avoid all substances that might do cellular damage? No, I don’t. But at least I know enough to know that. I know enough and, therefore, am wise enough to know we each have our own truth and wisdom and I do not know anything until I process it cognitively and emotionally through Heart-energy, impetus. And I shall leave this here for tonight, because that idea leads me to consider controllers, serious, oligarchical types, those who think they know what is best and wise and wisdom for everyone else. They don’t. Such folks, whether religious, political, or ethical, are Ego-driven and probably Ego-self deceived. In the meantime, blessings on becoming a wise soul. Do something with all that knowledge you hold in your amazing head and soul! The word and concept of this week has been encouragement, Project Encouragement. Today, my encouragement focuses on nonconformity. Encouragement: Nonconformity!
I ended this morning’s post with “Live Wild!” I don’t mean that as living stupidly or flagrantly slapping society in the face. Well, in some ways I do; however, I meant it in the sense of living Heart, living true Self, and that will appear as wild to this Ego-sodden society. I do not censure, denigrate, or nullify any individual, but the leadership of almost any institution or government or policy-makers — the majority of them operate via Ego. They shape societies and cultures in a way that says “Conform or be left out.” That’s not so incredible; however, the fact that so few wake up, set their alarms and acknowledge Heart, that’s what is amazing. I have seen it for decades, people so bound by oligarchs, fearful of not conforming and losing their jobs, as if that is the worst fate that could befall anyone. Do you have any idea how many teachers fear to speak out or act in discord with idiot administrative policy. Shit, for that matter, how many administrators operate in fear of losing their jobs from higher administrators? It’s almost laughable to me. I suppose that is one marker for me that affirms I have, for as long as I can remember, known at least at a subconscious level my Heart was working. Or maybe it’s just that I may be diagnosed as having Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I will always question authority, and I do not fear, never have, losing a job. Ego uses money to control; so do oligarchs. What misery so many precious, loving souls have endured because of this Ego ploy! For those in ultimate control, I have no sympathy because they not only set their alarms and woke up to Heart, but also they hit the snooze button and arose to a life dedicated to Ego. Those types sicken me, and I have neither fear nor respect or admiration for such, especially including the jokers in Washington, D.C. right now — not the least of which is this “president” and his “education” secretary. See, I feel strongly about this because oligarchs know that education characterizes society. Most teachers who come through the system are the best examples of meek conformers who fear for their jobs. If the teachers have buckled to Ego conformity, what do you think they pass on to students? What are grades but extrinsic rewards ensuring conformity, worthless as far as true education is concerned? And so much more, sickeningly so much more. I never cared, really, what any administrator thought, and I basically told them so. I defied when I needed to with well-backed thought and, when required, research. When faced with Heart-truth about education, administrators had no idea how to respond except by being Ego bullies. And what really pissed them off was they did not intimidate me. In fact, I encouraged students and equipped them to discover themselves through our literature and writing in defiance of those who sought to force conformity on them — administration and the education establishment. My nonconformity focus tonight, then, centers on education. I have said it before: Education must be redefined, and redefined to focus on drawing out the Heart interests, passions, and brilliance of our youth. All that other stuff — things I value like specific literary works, the development of language, writing rhetoric, for examples — is secondary to this mission of creativity and Heart-awakening. No matter the age or situation, whether it be education or career, when we choose to wake up to Heart, we will be automatic nonconformists, because the majority of people and the nature of society and culture is Ego-driven. Heart will cause us to stand out and stand up for living authentically. Last night I mentioned a man who I esteem very highly, Sir Ken Robinson, who writes and speaks about creativity and how that focus, a Heart-attitude, makes us nonconformists. In his classic work on creativity, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, he says this: “The Element is about discovering your self, and you can’t do this if you’re trapped in a compulsion to conform. You can’t be yourself in a swarm.” And the swarm is Ego. If anyone would wish to read wisdom of Heart-energy, read Dr. Robinson’s book. In addition, long before Ken Robinson or I existed, Henry David Thoreau had it. Read Walden, too, and “Civil Disobedience.” These are primers on nonconformity. I have referred to Thoreau’s quote on desperation so many times along with others that it’s become cliche; however, it is anything but that. The Ego-fear that subdues and conforms so many, that the educational system perpetuates, will be escaped only when people say yes to Heart. If we don’t, we may very well discover, instead of Heart-truth, that when we sum up our lives, we will “discover that [we] had not lived.” Thoreau really pissed on the Ego-driven society in practical ways. This grows longer than I expected, which means I should revise; however, since this is a daily blog and I am a nonconformist, I hope this brings you blessing to help you discover Self and piss on the oligarchs who condition society and you through Ego. No fear. No regrets. Just pressing forward, onward, upward. Thoreau: “I learned this, at least…that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” It has little to do with money and commonly accepted security standards. It’s about Heart-energy. I will end with this from Ken Robinson, who recognizes that oligarchies understand how they maintain control through education. If you are an educator, especially, defy standardization. Defy testing and all extrinsic measures that seek to subdue and conform students to preconceived goodness or intelligence. It stinks to high heaven, so as I urged last night, either learn or quit. Robinson: “Inspire creativity in students.” Before any other curricular decision. Before the equations, before the principles of historic or literary analysis, before — especially before — preparing for any kind of tests. For god’s sake, stop giving tests; they are a primary tool of conformity and Ego. Live wild. Live your Heart for you and any with whom you interact, whether you are a teacher or a salesperson or anything beyond and between. Stand out. Make a difference. Be the creators you are and came to this Earth to be. Blessings! |
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
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