Passing It On

This evening I had an opportunity to pass on what I have been given to a woman who is having a lot of pain and physical issues.  For the past several years, I have had a very difficult physical path with a lot of pain, fear and suffering.  Ultimately, dealing with the pain, fear and suffering has made me a great deal emotionally and spiritually stronger.  My journey has led me to know more about the power of love and God, especially since the medical community could not help me.  My passing on the gifts I have been given is an important part of continued recovery.

Unity & Love

The recovery meeting I attended today was about group unity and love, a subject that has been very important for my survival. Back in ‘84, a recovering alcoholic took the time to talk to me and express his caring about me, which I thought strange but took advantage of.  At that point I was isolated from any personal human connection, including my wife.  I suspect the connection I made with him saved my life and I now enjoy connections daily.  An important part of my own recovery process is pass on what I have been given and support group unity.

Taking The Next Step

Today I sent in my article on “The Importance of Connection” to the columnist at the Sun paper, for publication.  That felt like a big and concrete step for me.  Sending in the article is a strong statement of affirmation that my experiences and understandings are important enough to publish, that, in fact, other people may benefit.  That sort of affirmation is difficult for me but I recognize it as a necessary step in becoming the person I wish to be.  It is also an important step in my promoting change.

Love Versus Fear

Viewing the events of the world from an attitude of love, peace and well being versus an attitude of fear and apprehension usually does not change those events, but it certainly impacts the way I feel about them.  I generally take the view that “the universe is unfolding as it should”, noticing but tending not to be very disturbed by whatever is happening, an approach I lose if I listen to the news very much.  That being said, there are still several things that I wish were different so I do what I can and let go of the rest.

Connection

In a group I was leading today, we were talking about the importance of connecting with each other and the topic of introductory small talk came up.  Several people use, what I consider meaningless banter, when first meeting someone.  They are good at being social and I am not.  I am successful at keeping initial conversations relatively superficial and light but not meaningless and usually not conventional and a bit of a challenge.  I tend to stay clear of topics like the weather, sports, TV shows or jobs in favor of more personal topics, like personal interests or family.   I also tend to go into deeper personal topics pretty quickly, if the other person is willing.  I much prefer making a genuine connection.

Not Judging

Today, I was acutely aware that there are several practices that I commonly encounter in this culture that really bother me, like gossiping, competing, comparing or lying for personal gain.  These are commonly found within capitalism, and I must confess that I have done all of them, but no longer do.  As far as I can tell, they do not fit within love, integrity or a spiritual life.  I also find it difficult to judge others for doing these things, since they are part of me also, but I can choose not to.

Walking With God

I walk with that force that I call God all day, every day, meaning I conduct my activities according to the guidance I receive from inspiration and intuition.  That is most obvious when working with clients, but also includes mundane activities like buying kitchen appliances or getting car work done.  In each case, conducting my life this way involves setting my self-centered, fear based ego aside and listening intensely for guidance.  The process is quite different from the linear, cause and effect, self-willed method I used to use.  The most obvious difference is that it is always other or service directed.  My assumption is that in the process I will get my needs met.

The Impact Of Love

The most important event of the day was a meeting of the men’s group this evening.  I both lead and participate in the group.  The group of up to ten of us, all in the recovery process, is focused on the spiritual and emotional growth of each member, within an atmosphere of love.  I consider it to be quite an honor to be part of the group and keep the group on course.  I find it energizing to watch and be a part of the impact of love and support on each of the members.

Love, Faith & Hope

The topic that has kept coming up recently is the power of our own stories or belief systems to hold us back from potential growth or changes in perspective.  In my case, I have had to overcome notions of self-deprecation and then anger in order to move forward.  They were beliefs about who I was, based on childhood experiences.  My current struggle is to be free to become much more than I ever thought possible.  My tendency is to hold myself back.  In each case, I have used an atmosphere of love, faith and hope in order to move forward, which is what I am using now.

Simple & Loving

The theme for today seems to be that doing the “right” thing in life, the action which is loving and will increase the integrity of the universe, is really very simple.  Doing the right thing is a matter of setting the fearful ego aside, listening and then taking action accordingly.  It is clear that the fearful, defensive and hurt ego, complicates things, making it difficult to listen.  The answers are there.