Everyone Has A Story

There are interesting people everywhere.

Typically, when I'm in New York, I find myself caught up in conversations while trying to relax with a cocktail and unwind.

Although I do always get my cocktail, I don't usually ever get to relax or unwind, but rather I find myself in the midst of people who are in need of conversation or a faithful and care filled ear.
In the words of a best friend ... "and that's fine".

And is is just fine.

I don't mind absorbing the burdens of others, no matter how long it takes and no matter if it means that I don't get to go home, which typically upsets my partner,but that's fine as well.

I know that his annoyance, anger, or resentment ebbs and fades with time.

I don't mind investing my time listening to others, perchance to assist somehow. In fact, I enjoy it.

It is amazing what an affect we can have when we just listen and allow others to share their stories.

When we listen, most people are able to talk their way through their concerns and hear the solution without a spoken word.

Faith.

A very dear friend of mine from my teen years emailed me today to share a quick story of his life in faith.

I replied with a lengthy email about my story, but that's just me ... a long story.

My background has taken me to meet people from all different areas in life.

I've run the gambit from homeless people to accomplished performers, established clergy to influential governmental and financial figures.

My partner Frank & I have certainly enjoyed some interesting visits to our nation's capitol when I was working for the government.

Sometimes I need to share my story as well.

Somehow I never do.

Each and every one of us has a story to tell and they are all important.

It's easy to forget sometimes that everyone has a story to tell and we have lessons to be learned if we would only take the time to listen.

We are so accustomed to hearing the stories of people in the news that we sometimes lose track of the fact that the random stranger on the bus also has a fascinating story about where she or he came from and how they got to be where they are.

The sheer variety of paths taken in this world, from farmers to CEOs to homeless people to world travelers, is indicative of how much we can learn from each individual and one another.

Another friend visited me the other day and spoke of his shyness in his younger days. He is certainly no longer shy and is quite outreaching. He also composes beautiful poetry which professes his outstanding faith and beliefs,and he shares that daily. He truly is inspiring and we could learn quite a bit through him.

Sometimes the shy, quiet person has the most amazing life story and the biggest dreams.

It is up to us to take the time to uncover that.

Some people travel a path of wealth and privilege, while others struggle with only themselves to rely upon.

However, both have great stories to tell ... life stories, in the Universe's way of teaching us, of guiding us, and of looking over us with loving care.

Each person learns lessons, makes choices, and develops a unique perspective, which only each of us can claim and share.

Even two people who have had very similar lives will have slightly different experiences, leading each to a different point of view, so each person returns and remains as a treasure trove waiting to be explored.

A treasure trove within a person.

What a beautiful concept.

What a wonderful reality!

To see each person as a treasure trove opens up a whole new world of acceptance and insight.

When we take the time to ask questions and listen to the stories of the lives of others, we find that every person has a fascinating story to tell and an utterly unique perspective from which to tell it.

Bearing this in mind, we have the opportunity to approach the world around us in a new way.

Therefore, there is never any reason to be bored at a party, or on the bus, or in a conversation with a stranger or a friend.

When we retain the spark of curiosity and the warmth required to provide for someone to open up, we always have in front of us the makings of a great story.

All we have to do is ask ... and listen.

So, I ask you ...

Are you ready to ask?

Are you ready to listen?

Are you ready to share?

With much love, much light, and an open heart & ear ...

and Blessings,

Rob

At The Feet Of The Divine

Laying Down Our Burdens

For the past 2,ooo years, give or take, we were never meant to carry our burdens alone.

We all know the feeling of trudging through life, feeling the overpowering burden of our worries and stresses upon our backs and our shoulders, upon our hearts and our minds.

We struggle to move forward, but it often seems that there is no real way to do so in a free and fluid manner.

We all long to lay our burdens down, but we are not always able to find a resting place.

Imagining that we could do so would enlist a tremendous sigh of relief and thus a sense of enlightenment and the ability to open ourselves to assist with the burdens of others and to be able to lift our heads in order to see the light that exists ahead of us and bask in its warmth.

Imagine.

The human imagination is a wonderful and powerful tool.

We can use our imagination to embark upon journeys that take us far away from our troubles, worries and woes.

Dream.

We can dream, and we can build upon our dreams, once we unleash our minds from the troubles and concerns that bind us with their negativity and halt the flow of spiritual energy.

Through this, we are also able to bring to reality the fact that we can lay down our troubles, such as we would do so with backpacks at a campsite before a hike, at the feet of God, our Divine.

It is then that we are able to release what we can't handle on our own and we give God the trust He deserves.

Faith.

No matter how intelligent we are, no matter how capable we are,or how hard we work; not one of us can single-handedly cope with all the worries, troubles and concerns that so many of us do in our daily lives.

We were never designed to do so.

Trust.

Our own and individual well being depends upon our own ability to give to God that which we can no longer carry the burden of.

Visualizing ourselves carrying our burdens to the feet of God and trusting Him with them can be a powerful daily practice, and God wants us to bring our trials and tribulations to Him.

This can be accomplished by writing our troubles onto paper and burning them, allowing the resulting smoke to rise to the Universe and the resulting ashes to fall to the ground.

A friend of mine writes his concerns into the sands of a nearby beach, allowing time and tide to wash them away forever.

Once the tide washes the written word away, he feels cleansed by Mother Earth.

For a more accessible daily practice however, we can do the following.

We can sit with our eyes closed and envision an all powerful, supremely comforting, loving and caring being standing at the end of a long road.

Then we picture ourselves carrying an awkwardly large box or duffel bag with all of our troubles packed up inside.

We envision ourselves as we travel on with the goal of placing these pieces of baggage at the feet of the one who will rescue us and relieve us from our burdens.

Now, we can place the baggage down and feel the lightness of our heavy load.

Once we are relieved of our burdens, what lies beyond that road?

It is through this vision and faith and trust that we can achieve relief in our mind, in our body, and in our spirit.

Our burdens are heavy, our load is not light, but there is a way to allow ourselves to achieve enlightenment.

It is only when we can lay down our burdens at the feet of The Divine that we can move forward, without burden, to explore and enjoy our lives.

Seek your enlightenment, allow your burdens to be taken away, and live the life you've been given.

With love and light,

Rob