Times Are Tough ... be gentle

Times Are Tough ... be gentle

During these times when our lives are confronted with what seems to be constant change, challenge, and growth, it is important to remember that we need to be gentle with ourselves.

It can be easy to use our energy to keep up with the day to day momentum of our lives and become exhausted and tired of our existence.

Sometimes the goals we have set for ourselves are out of reach. That might be by nature, or by the overly optimistic expectations that we or society places before us. Either way, we often become eager to fault our progress and expectations, and therefore our own selves. We become accustomed to these "beat downs" on a more regular, perhaps daily, basis and so we accept the perception of failure as becoming regular or common.

However, we may not be aware of the dangerous fact that we are likely to run our own selves down spiritually when we do so.

When things seem to be moving quickly, be they negative or positive, it is especially essential that we make a point to slow down and be gentle with ourselves.

It might be difficult to notice what is happening to us for we may be so caught up in the whirlwind of our lives that we lose sight of the direction in which things are heading.

Being gentle with ourselves does not mean that we cease to achieve to accomplish things. Rather, it means that we honor ourselves in an ongoing basis and tend to the needs of our spiritual well being and our own bodies, as well of those of others ... all of God's Creation, animal and earth, pets and gardens

This means different things to different people. For instance, it could mean having a session with a Spiritual Advisor, or perhaps taking some much needed extra sleep. For others, perhaps a return to nature or a cultural mecca, be that a museum or a walk-about to appreciate our architectural accomplishments, or those created by God's nature at hand.

Whichever path we choose leads us back to our spiritual selves and helps us to create space within ourselves for a more positive, loving, and accepting view of our lives and those of others.

By setting the intention to do so, we become more cognizant of our spirituality on a daily basis and become more able to replenish ourselves as needed.

The more we are able to treat our souls and bodies with gentleness, the more tenderness and compassion we can set forth into our lives.

Learning to understand and pay mind to what we need will in turn allow us to fill our lives with unlimited unconditional love and healing energy in order to truly tend to what God calls us to do.

It is then that we can shed the scars of our lives and begin to heal the wounds of others.

Please pray with me.

With love & light,

Rob

New Year's Eve ... a Six Month Retropestive

It's been six months since New Year's Eve, so I thought this would be a good time to post a piece that I sent to some friends back then.

I was fortunate to spend time with an enigmatic young man named Thomas
during a very special period of my life. It was a time of change, growth,
and overcoming challenges for me.

Thomas taught me many things during our days together, and this time of
year reminds me of one particular interaction we had.

"Now that you are becoming more aware," Thomas said, "you need to begin to
set goals for yourself so you don't lose the momentum you have built."

"Like New Year's resolutions?" I asked.

"That's an interesting idea," he smirked. "Let's do that."

By then I was used to his cryptic responses, so I knew something was up
because of the way his eyes sparkled as he let out an impish laugh.

"Tonight, make two lists," Thomas continued. "The first is a list of all
the New Year's resolutions you WANT to keep, and the second is a list of all
the New Year's resolutions you WILL keep. Write the WANT List first, and
when you have exhausted all of your ideas, then write the second list on
another sheet of paper."

I went home and spent several days working on the two lists. The WANT List
felt overwhelming at first, but after a while I got into writing all the
things I had always wanted to do if the burdens of life hadn't gotten in the
way. After nearly an hour, the list swelled to fill the entire page and
contained nearly all of my ideas of an ideal life. The second list was much
easier, and I was able to quickly commit ten practical resolutions that I
felt would be both realistic and helpful.

The next time I saw Thomas, he said "Tell me about your two lists" as the
familiar smirk crept onto his face.

"The first list contains all the things I SHOULD do if I completely changed
my life to be the person I always wanted to be. The second list contains all
the things I COULD do by accepting my current life, and taking realistic
steps towards the life I want to lead."

"Let me see the second list," he said.

I handed him the second list, and without even looking at it, he ripped the
paper into tiny pieces and threw it in the nearby trash. His disregard for
the effort I had put into the list annoyed me at first, but after I calmed
down I began to think about the first list in a different light. In my
heart, I knew the second list was a cop out, and the first list was the only
one that really mattered.

"And now, the first list."

I handed him the first list and held his gaze for several seconds, waiting
for him to begin reading the page. After an unusually long silence, he began
to crumple the paper into a ball and once again tossed it into the trash
without looking at it.

"What did you do that for?!" I couldn't hide my anger any longer.

Thomas began to speak in a quiet and assured voice. "What you SHOULD or
COULD do with your life no longer matters. The only thing that matters, from
this day forward, is what you MUST do."

He then drew a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to
me.

I opened it carefully, and found a single word floating in the middle of
the white page:



"Love."



And so, I offer you my love and I wish for the new year to bring you a
loving life of quiet balance as you encounter each new day.

As for me, I'll be looking back at this past year with fondness and
thankless for having you in my life.

With love & light,

Rob