Women’s issues are in the news today, much more than necessary. The concepts of equal pay for equal work, ownership of one’s body, and protection from violence and the results of violence are all on the tongues of the politicians. This is one place where the Golden Rule--“Do unto others what you would have done to you.”—needs to be called upon to apply to all people.
There is a reason that the Golden Rule is meant to be the mainstay of virtually all faiths. It calls for harmony, peace, and the simplest, most straightforward way for all people to get along.
The problem with The Golden Rule is that those in power, wherever and whoever they are, think they have a right to determine who the others should be. Men of power want to retain that power, and thereby, determine that the rule does not apply to anyone in their households, or anyone other than their kind in society.
Why can’t people just be people? There will always be outgroups, individuals who do not fit into the mainstream of the power structure, and therefore, they are limited by those who are, as to what they can do with their lives, their money and so forth. This is not right, but it is, unfortunately, how it is. But if we accept that every person has the right to equal compensation for a job, equal protection under the law, the sanctity of the body and protection thereof, and the right to make decisions for oneself, we go a long way toward actually honoring what our spiritual beliefs tell us we should do.
May you be richly blessed.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Choices
There are times in our lives when circumstances are beyond our control, and the things that we want to do are not within the realm of possibility. This can be very frustrating and can take a toll on our self-esteem. It is difficult to do what must be done, rather than what we want to do.
Many people are full of advice for us when our choices are limited. They tend to push us toward the right thing in their estimation, as opposed to the best thing. No one else can know, however, what is right for us. When it comes down to brass tacks, the only one who can make choices for us is us.
So how do we know we are making the right choices? If we experience anxiety, we should really look to see if the choice we are considering is best. Usually, the choice has to do with moving toward something or leaving something behind. It can be scary to take on a new job or start a new path, and this kind of anxiety is all right. But if we are heading toward something with substantial risk, maybe the best thing is to do is wait and see if the risk outweighs the benefits.
The choices may have to do with our work, our friends, our habits, our loved ones and so forth. There is always the knowing that something better is on the other side of the best choice that we can make. Pushing forward, giving it our all, this is what good choices say for us. But if we have that pain in the pit of the stomach, or if the choice comes with too many worries, then it is not something that we should try to force.
May you be richly blessed.
Many people are full of advice for us when our choices are limited. They tend to push us toward the right thing in their estimation, as opposed to the best thing. No one else can know, however, what is right for us. When it comes down to brass tacks, the only one who can make choices for us is us.
So how do we know we are making the right choices? If we experience anxiety, we should really look to see if the choice we are considering is best. Usually, the choice has to do with moving toward something or leaving something behind. It can be scary to take on a new job or start a new path, and this kind of anxiety is all right. But if we are heading toward something with substantial risk, maybe the best thing is to do is wait and see if the risk outweighs the benefits.
The choices may have to do with our work, our friends, our habits, our loved ones and so forth. There is always the knowing that something better is on the other side of the best choice that we can make. Pushing forward, giving it our all, this is what good choices say for us. But if we have that pain in the pit of the stomach, or if the choice comes with too many worries, then it is not something that we should try to force.
May you be richly blessed.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Looking Into Another's Eyes
When we look into the eyes of another person, what do we see? We tend to look for similarities, when we are attracted to that person in friendship or love. But when we feel fear, we look for the differences. This is what happens when prejudices abound. This is what is capitalized upon by those who benefit from the bounty of war.
Think about it for a moment. Why do we tend to dislike people from foreign countries? Is it because we have personally had a negative experience with them? If some individual has done us wrong and they are from another country, do we assume that all of the people from that place are the same way? For example, if a person from country “X” stole my wallet, does it mean that everyone from country “X” is a thief? In such simple terms, we can probably agree that this is not the case. However, politicians and some religious leaders who benefit financially from our hate of other nationals would have us believe that this is so.
I am telling you, this has to stop. We know that one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole barrel. It is the widespread communications we all hear that turns our thoughts toward an “us versus them” mentality, implying that all of “them” are bad.
We need to recognize the similarities between people. We need to accept that they feel the same as we do. We want to be safe and secure in our beds at night, want our children to have a better world to grow up in, to provide for ourselves and our families and enjoy our lives without worrying that the world outside our doors are dangerous to our health and wellbeing. I assure you, everyone in the world wants these things for their families. That makes us alike.
Are there people who are dangerous to the security and peace in the world? Absolutely, but it is important that we not let them ruin our views that there can be love, peace and harmony in the world.
May you be richly blessed!
Think about it for a moment. Why do we tend to dislike people from foreign countries? Is it because we have personally had a negative experience with them? If some individual has done us wrong and they are from another country, do we assume that all of the people from that place are the same way? For example, if a person from country “X” stole my wallet, does it mean that everyone from country “X” is a thief? In such simple terms, we can probably agree that this is not the case. However, politicians and some religious leaders who benefit financially from our hate of other nationals would have us believe that this is so.
I am telling you, this has to stop. We know that one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole barrel. It is the widespread communications we all hear that turns our thoughts toward an “us versus them” mentality, implying that all of “them” are bad.
We need to recognize the similarities between people. We need to accept that they feel the same as we do. We want to be safe and secure in our beds at night, want our children to have a better world to grow up in, to provide for ourselves and our families and enjoy our lives without worrying that the world outside our doors are dangerous to our health and wellbeing. I assure you, everyone in the world wants these things for their families. That makes us alike.
Are there people who are dangerous to the security and peace in the world? Absolutely, but it is important that we not let them ruin our views that there can be love, peace and harmony in the world.
May you be richly blessed!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Perfect World
In a perfect world, all beings would live in harmony, allowing everyone to have their own space, think their own thoughts, pursue their dreams without interference and go where they will. Surprise of surprises, we don’t live in such a world. There are members of government who would tell a woman what she can or can’t do with her body. There are religious factions across the globe that impose regulations upon their members and non-members alike, causing violent acts to enforce their will. Globally, the freedom to choose our own lifestyle and path is a rare thing.
What, then, is the answer? How do we get large groups to respect the rights of individuals when they are often taught that to oppose certain beliefs is dangerous? Their belief is that their own power over the people would dwindle dramatically and cause chaos if they allowed everyone to make their own choices.
The greatest detriment to the harmony between groups that we seek, however, is lack of education. Much of what we learn about other people does not come from unbiased news, rather from our own social group, whether that is a religious group, the NRA, our political party or just our group of friends. Our impressions of other groups to which we do not belong, tends to stem from reactions, and generally speaking, emotional ones, to little bits of information that comes from someone else’s beliefs about a particular group. The emotional reaction that we are encouraged to feel is fear. If we are fearful of these other groups, these other people, then we become motivated to guard against them, against their beliefs. The outcome, then, is generally some form of violence.
What if we actually took the time to learn about groups that we oppose, through the study of their own works, not just the opinions of people within our belief system? If we see them as they see themselves, we might recognize that, although they believe differently from us, they have a wish for a harmonious life, one in which their needs are met, the needs of their people are met, and they can go about their lives in a positive way. If we truly take the time to understand what others stand for, what they want, and what they have to contribute to the world, I believe that we can grasp greater harmony and the blessings of living in peace.
Educating ourselves about the beliefs and habits of other cultures is tantamount to bringing peace to our world. Respect of those differences, and accepting that we are not necessarily right just because we believe a certain way, is the glue that will seal this promise for tomorrow.
May you be richly blessed.
What, then, is the answer? How do we get large groups to respect the rights of individuals when they are often taught that to oppose certain beliefs is dangerous? Their belief is that their own power over the people would dwindle dramatically and cause chaos if they allowed everyone to make their own choices.
The greatest detriment to the harmony between groups that we seek, however, is lack of education. Much of what we learn about other people does not come from unbiased news, rather from our own social group, whether that is a religious group, the NRA, our political party or just our group of friends. Our impressions of other groups to which we do not belong, tends to stem from reactions, and generally speaking, emotional ones, to little bits of information that comes from someone else’s beliefs about a particular group. The emotional reaction that we are encouraged to feel is fear. If we are fearful of these other groups, these other people, then we become motivated to guard against them, against their beliefs. The outcome, then, is generally some form of violence.
What if we actually took the time to learn about groups that we oppose, through the study of their own works, not just the opinions of people within our belief system? If we see them as they see themselves, we might recognize that, although they believe differently from us, they have a wish for a harmonious life, one in which their needs are met, the needs of their people are met, and they can go about their lives in a positive way. If we truly take the time to understand what others stand for, what they want, and what they have to contribute to the world, I believe that we can grasp greater harmony and the blessings of living in peace.
Educating ourselves about the beliefs and habits of other cultures is tantamount to bringing peace to our world. Respect of those differences, and accepting that we are not necessarily right just because we believe a certain way, is the glue that will seal this promise for tomorrow.
May you be richly blessed.
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