The Original You

Empathy. Such a beautiful word. It implies so many things. Generosity, compassion, wisdom, a willingness to accept, and a willingness to change. All of these things are wrapped into this one beautiful word.   When we are empathetic we are generous. It is the reaching out of ourselves to give time and attention to another living being. We are listening to another. The act of wanting to find out what is going on with another person is a generous act. Getting outside of our own world to find out who somebody else is love in action. And, it takes some work. When a friend is hurting and asking us to spend time with them it takes energy to break away from our routine to enter their world. This is an act of generosity.   Empathy is compassionate. It is being willing to take into account the thoughts and feelings of others. When we are showing empathy towards others we need to take into account that this other living being is coming at life from a completely different perspe...

There is a part of my mind that tells me that I should be able to achieve great results just by some sheer act of will power on my part. This idea of getting into the trenches and doing the hard work of the daily grind somehow has eluded me. And, yet it is this daily grind that ultimately achieves the success I'm looking for. Yesterday I drove past a new housing development. I observed that this development took many months before any buildings were placed on it. I was reminded that it is the foundation of the homes that takes a long time to lay. A solid foundation must be in place to support the above ground structure. Our lives are like this home. If I do not honor the long process of building a foundation I will become frustrated by my lack of process. I will start to get upset when things are not moving fast enough. I will find myself procrastinating, because if I can't do it right the first time then I quit. I am reminded of my old "friend" perfecti...

If you have followed me or my blogs, you know that I believe strongly in the idea that we are one. I believe that your issues are my issues, and that what you struggle with I struggle with. I also believe that because I matter as a human being, you must also matter. I believe that when we come to know this powerful truth of being one we will become even more powerful agents for good in this world. I also believe that we have beautiful unique qualities that identify us as important and special to this world. I believe we are all different. How can I square these two ideas of being unique with the idea of being the one with everyone else? Allow me to discuss the Venn Diagram. The Venn Diagram is a diagram that represents overlapping ideas. In other words, it shows there are always similarities between disparate ideas or situations. I believe this applies to us as human beings. As human beings we have similar traits. These include the ability to love, the ability to feel...

Writing is an art. As much as a painter allows the images they have to be shown on the canvas, the writer allows their soul to pour out in their manuscript. As an art form, writing allows us to express parts of ourselves that are not visible on the outside. This is the beauty of it. It is a part of ourselves that has been waiting to surface, but may have been buried by years of self doubt. How many times have we said to ourselves "Why would I write that down? Who would want to read this?" What writer cannot relate to this? Here is the beautiful truth now emerging. We are coming to this time in our lives when we cannot help but let these ideas and thoughts out of us. The time has come for us to allow our beautiful light to shine. Here are some things that I have been doing that may encourage and inspire you. 1. Writing is a practice. The more I do it the more I want to do it. When I delve into that part of my soul I am amazed by the things I learn about mys...

"Wow! You are amazing!" What is the first thought that goes through your mind when somebody says that to you? Be honest now... I can tell you the first thought that goes through my mind is usually not very supportive. It usually runs somewhere between "If you only knew me", and "Are you sure?" Why this reaction? Why the doubt? I know I am not alone in this. So many of us question the wisdom of fully embracing our greatness. Maybe, it's because we don't want to be seen as arrogant or pretentious. Or, maybe it's because somebody told us that we should not build ourselves up so much. Maybe our confidence was a threat to somebody who didn't feel so great about themselves. Whatever the reason is, this not being willing to embrace our greatness is something that we can change. This is the good news. This doubting ourselves does not have to be a permanent condition. It is possible for us to believe in ourselves. This is where the...

Beyond our mind is a place. It's beyond thinking. It's beyond comprehending. It's beyond believing. It's the place of direct experience. Some of us experience this in meditation. Some experience this while exercising. Some will even experience it while traveling to a new place. I don't know what this place is called, but I know it when I am there. It is a place of deep peace and contentment. It is a place where the opinions of other people don't matter anymore. It is the connection to Source. What is Source? Source is anything that gives you a feeling of safety. It is anything that will give you that feeling of being connected to everything around you. When you encounter your Source you know it. There is never a doubt. Never any ambiguity about what this is. We all have a different name for it. Some call it God. Some will call it The One. Some will call it Nature. Some will call it Mother Earth. Whatever name you attach to it is fine. But, we all kno...

I love sitting on the edge of a river or a stream, and just watching the ripples as the water cascades from one place to another. There is a very natural flow to everything. A leaf floats by. A fish swims past. There is a beautiful rhythm to it all. It all just feels like everything is happening without struggle or stress of any kind. Is life usually this natural? Is there a flow to it? In my life there are days when it definitely does not feel that way. Those are usually the days when I think I know how things are supposed to go. I had a plan. It changed. Now, I'm asking the questions about why things are not going the way I think they should be. These are the days when I'm trying to control. These are the days when I am not letting the natural order of things happen. Why do I think I know how things are supposed to be go? It's a complicated issue, but essentially it comes down to fear. Fear that my plan will not be valued. Fear that my needs will not be met. Fear that I...