Perspective

Today I was very conscious of how important the three questions have been to my life and recovery (Would I do this in front of God {or whatever you call that power/force}?; Is my name really on it {or is it really my responsibility}?; Will this increase the integrity of the universe {or is this loving, love always increases the integrity of the universe}?). I really focus on them during my morning prayer & meditation and keep them in mind during my day to day activities. They have changed my life’s orientation and perspective away from many worldly concerns. The reason I made them the focus of my book (Three Simple Questions: Being in the World, But Not of It) is my hope it could change other lives similarly, leading to a greater sense of fulfillment.

Reality

Yesterday I mentioned the many gifts I have received and one of those gifts is to realize that we know very little about what is really going on as we go about our daily activities. I like the comment of Claremont deCastillejo when she wrote "Scientists discover and theologians affirm; but faced with the mystery of life and death we know almost nothing." It is clear to me that there are at least two levels of reality which impact and interact with each other, with or without our conscious awareness. One level is our day to day material, earthly, transient existence and the other is the eternal, spiritual, essence or soul based level. Everything we do and say each day impacts on our spirit side. In many cases we are like kids playing in a sandbox, relatively oblivious to what is really going on. That certainly describes the way I used to be and is one of the reasons that I now consciously choose to act out of love.

Difficulties & Gifts

As has often happened before, a friend approached me this morning to inquire how I was doing with a very caring and sincere "you poor man" attitude. I really do not feel like that, though I am certainly aware of my physical problems and the fact that doing pretty much anything is difficult for me. Her focus was on my obvious and very real problems and limitations. I certainly readily acknowledge the physical challenges & on a good day see them as a nuisance, while on a bad day I am very aware of the struggle. Most days my main focus is the many gifts I have received as a result of dealing with those difficulties. I am grateful for the gifts.

Peace & Love

I look around me and note that in many situations as a species we are not treating each other or this earth very well and in some cases we are destroying each other and the earth, our home. Using only a short term perspective, conditions look pretty grim. I also note that in an increasing number of cases we treat the earth and each other with love and respect. Using an eternal perspective, conditions are just fine. Both views are accurate. I keep the words of Williamson in mind, that "Love is the only absolute reality, which never changes and never dies. Dwelling in that which does not change, while things around us are changing all the time, is our key to inner peace."

Power of Love

As I have said before, my goal is to change the world - one person at a time. My book is my effort to reach more people about the significance of love, forgiveness, inclusiveness and connection. I do use the word "God" and what some people consider a Christian approach, but the love, etc. is most important, not the name. I identify closely with Williamson when she wrote "We read the papers. We grieve the suffering. But many of us think, God has a plan, and we believe----still----that its name is love. Not a silly love. Not a childish love. But a powerful love, an awesome love so aligned with God that it will change all things."

Limitations

I commented a couple of days ago that I would keep moving forward, in spite of the apparent limitations of age, money and disability & today I realize that I have been doing that for years. I keep asking for guidance and support and plunging forward in spite of comments like "a person in your condition does not belong in a place like this", which I have been told several times. It’s not that I have no doubts about my capabilities. I do, and I hear my ego putting those doubts and limitations forward all the time. I just don’t pay much attention and figure that I will get the support and guidance I will need - to accomplish the impossible. Then that happens and I am reminded that "understanding is not required".

Change

I am in the process of changing several things in my life, revolving around where I live and what I do. I am beginning a new "adventure" in spite of the obvious facts of my disability and my advanced age. I also need to keep in mind the word of Williamson, that "It’s not arrogant to believe that you’re infinitely creative, brilliant and potentially perfect through the grace of God. In fact, it would be arrogant to think otherwise because what God has created cannot possibly be less than perfect (The Course In Miracles). That fact applies to you and it applies to everyone. It is not arrogant, but humble to accept God’s gifts and allow them to be expressed through you." I will keep moving forward.

Eternity

I often speak and write about "eternity" and refer to this life as being short in comparison. To me, the reality of eternity is a given. Even if a person does not believe in an afterlife, love has an impact which is eternal, even within the material world and the evidence of that is all around us, ever present. In addition there is my own and the many well documented reports of near-death-experiences. There is also the spirit experiences and correspondences I speak of in my book as well as documented mediumistic experiences, such as those described by Anthony in Evidence of Eternity. Putting all of that together is the reason I consider eternity as a given.

Growth

Several spiritual leaders like Mother Teresa have stated that the purpose of living is to learn and grow about love & I totally agree. I have seen that happen in my own life and I am extremely grateful for that. The outcome sounds and is wonderful. However the path to that outcome is not always enjoyable because as Marianne Williamson says "We will be given every opportunity to learn through joy, and when we deny ourselves that, we will learn through pain. But we will learn." In my case it took pain to move me in the direction of love & now I learn through joy.

The Power of Love

I live within a "bubble of love", which sounds insane and impractical but it is neither. I gain in awareness, physical & emotional strength, a feeling of rightness and peace through that power. I have a wonderful life, great relationships and am coping and living well with a major disability because of that bubble of love. I look around me, noticing that we humans are harming and, in some cases, destroying each other and this planet and, at the same time, realizing that ultimately things will be fine, not knowing what that really means. In the words of deCastillejo "faced with the mystery of life and death we know almost nothing".