Most of us believe we are very good at helping others, caring about the sick, doing what we can for those who are unable to do for themselves. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that “...whatever we do to the least of these, ye do also unto me.” Whether or not we are Christian, we try to live up to that standard in our own ways, as we give love and charity to others. But how are we when it comes to accepting love?
Accepting the love that others want to give to us may be a hard thing to do. If we have been independent for a very long time, taken care of our own needs, allowing others to do things for us can be a challenge. As we grow older and have things going wrong with our bodies or minds, it becomes a necessity to allow others to show their love, often responding in kind to the love we have given to them during our lifetimes.
Whether we have a choice to accept the love of others, or it is a necessity because we have lost some of our abilities, it is good to accept that others should do things for us. It is honorable. My mother recently had surgery to replace her shoulder and needed to have help with daily living skills and therapy. It was such an honor that she would allow me to help her with these things. She would never have let me do things for her unless it was a necessity, because she has always been independent and strong, but now it is my turn to help her, and it makes me grateful that I am able to do something for her.
Doing things for others is not something that we should consider to get something out of it. We should never have ulterior motives for doing a good deed or showing our love for someone else. Likewise, when someone does a loving thing for us, we should not feel that we have to repay the act. Love should always be given and accepted freely. Perhaps Paying it Forward is something that we should consider when we receive the love of others. In any case, an ongoing expression and acceptance of love, whether from family, friends, or complete strangers in need, creates harmony and positive energy in our world.
May you be richly blessed.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Let It Be Kindness
We all know aggressive, pushy or rude individuals. One trip to a busy supermarket may expose several. They may push through a line, make inappropriate comments, or attempt to make it clear they deserve special treatment. In any case, these people seem to take joy in getting theirs before anyone else and making the rest uncomfortable in the process.
The hallmark of inconsiderate people is their uncanny ability to feel superior to others while being resentful, condescending, or perhaps, downright insulting to others. The reactions of shock, hurt feelings, embarrassment or even shame on the faces of the victims of these people only causes them to be even more disdainful toward those gullible enough to take their assaults personally.
Unless these individuals are sociopaths, and occasionally, they are, their own self-image may be poor. They may have come from a large family where their objectionable antics were all that set them apart from siblings and got them some attention. The last possibility is that they were never taught proper social manners and lack impulse control.
The point of all this is to explain the origins and possible causes of what the rest of us would consider objectionable behaviour. Why should we care? Because people who are rude and insulting tend to draw our wrath and after repeated offenses, generally generate sufficient animosity to cause retaliation, either verbally or physically.
We like to practice random acts of kindness, now and then, but we tend to draw the line at being kind when faced with the bad behaviour of our peers. We may not consider that a woman who pushes her way to the front of the line at the quick mart to pay for a gallon of milk, when there are six others waiting, may be bullied by an abusive husband if she takes too long at the store.
I was in a bookstore one fine, but rainy, day. A woman noted, rather loudly, that my hair was curling from the humidity. I wanted to ask her if she was born rude or if it was a habit she had cultivated, but I bit my tongue and said nothing. By rights, such behaviour should totally be ignored. Did she sneer that she was able to embarrass me? Probably. Did I give her the satisfaction of responding? No.
But being kind when others are rude or inappropriate or cruel asks us to walk our talk. Whatever the reason someone is lacking in social graces, at least we can take the high road and extend what we believe—kindness to others—thereby not being knocked off our center or losing our own composure for something demeaning. The sociopaths will feel superior, but the others will appreciate the kindness and perhaps remember to be a little nicer in the future themselves.
May you be richly blessed!
The hallmark of inconsiderate people is their uncanny ability to feel superior to others while being resentful, condescending, or perhaps, downright insulting to others. The reactions of shock, hurt feelings, embarrassment or even shame on the faces of the victims of these people only causes them to be even more disdainful toward those gullible enough to take their assaults personally.
Unless these individuals are sociopaths, and occasionally, they are, their own self-image may be poor. They may have come from a large family where their objectionable antics were all that set them apart from siblings and got them some attention. The last possibility is that they were never taught proper social manners and lack impulse control.
The point of all this is to explain the origins and possible causes of what the rest of us would consider objectionable behaviour. Why should we care? Because people who are rude and insulting tend to draw our wrath and after repeated offenses, generally generate sufficient animosity to cause retaliation, either verbally or physically.
We like to practice random acts of kindness, now and then, but we tend to draw the line at being kind when faced with the bad behaviour of our peers. We may not consider that a woman who pushes her way to the front of the line at the quick mart to pay for a gallon of milk, when there are six others waiting, may be bullied by an abusive husband if she takes too long at the store.
I was in a bookstore one fine, but rainy, day. A woman noted, rather loudly, that my hair was curling from the humidity. I wanted to ask her if she was born rude or if it was a habit she had cultivated, but I bit my tongue and said nothing. By rights, such behaviour should totally be ignored. Did she sneer that she was able to embarrass me? Probably. Did I give her the satisfaction of responding? No.
But being kind when others are rude or inappropriate or cruel asks us to walk our talk. Whatever the reason someone is lacking in social graces, at least we can take the high road and extend what we believe—kindness to others—thereby not being knocked off our center or losing our own composure for something demeaning. The sociopaths will feel superior, but the others will appreciate the kindness and perhaps remember to be a little nicer in the future themselves.
May you be richly blessed!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Reverence for Nature
As we engulf ourselves in peace, maintaining harmony with our fellow inhabitants of the planet, it behooves us to learn to walk in oneness with the planet as well.
We may be accustomed to taking from the multitude of resources that Mother Earth offers, but it is important to leave as small a footprint as possible as we go forth on our life’s journey.
We are aware that many resources are becoming depleted. Oil, minerals, our sources of food and the natural helpers who make our food sources possible, are all at risk of depletion. We need to make serious efforts toward using renewable sources of power. It may take some adjustment, for example, to the noise and vibration of wind turbines. It may take time to build solar collection stations. We may need to adjust to vehicles that use clean energy. And we need to expand gardening methods that don’t use chemical pesticides that also kill our pollinators. All of these will take some sacrifice, but the alternative is an inhospitable planet and a legacy of lack for our grandchildren.
In understanding the small sacrifices we must make at present, we can reward ourselves with time spent in the natural world. Visit a city park, one of the glorious national parks, or spend some time in the country, if land is accessible to you.
I am blessed to have access to land in the Manistee National Forest, a beautiful wooded area in Michigan. It has an abundance of forests, streams, lakes, deer and other wildlife. A walk on the trails energizes the soul and heals the conscious mind with enough distraction from the ills of daily living.
Whatever part of nature you have access to, take some time to reconnect with the earth. Sit near a place where all four elements combine, as this is the most healing to the body, both the physical and energy bodies. Try to feel the pulse of the earth and connect your own heart to the heart of the planet. Imagine yourself as a piece of Mother Earth, melding into her, absorbing her energy, then taking in the light through the crown chakra and giving back to Mother Earth through roots you visualize at your feet.
As you come back to awareness of yourself, try to maintain the connection and reverence for the gifts you receive from Mother Earth.
May you be richly blessed!
We may be accustomed to taking from the multitude of resources that Mother Earth offers, but it is important to leave as small a footprint as possible as we go forth on our life’s journey.
We are aware that many resources are becoming depleted. Oil, minerals, our sources of food and the natural helpers who make our food sources possible, are all at risk of depletion. We need to make serious efforts toward using renewable sources of power. It may take some adjustment, for example, to the noise and vibration of wind turbines. It may take time to build solar collection stations. We may need to adjust to vehicles that use clean energy. And we need to expand gardening methods that don’t use chemical pesticides that also kill our pollinators. All of these will take some sacrifice, but the alternative is an inhospitable planet and a legacy of lack for our grandchildren.
In understanding the small sacrifices we must make at present, we can reward ourselves with time spent in the natural world. Visit a city park, one of the glorious national parks, or spend some time in the country, if land is accessible to you.
I am blessed to have access to land in the Manistee National Forest, a beautiful wooded area in Michigan. It has an abundance of forests, streams, lakes, deer and other wildlife. A walk on the trails energizes the soul and heals the conscious mind with enough distraction from the ills of daily living.
Whatever part of nature you have access to, take some time to reconnect with the earth. Sit near a place where all four elements combine, as this is the most healing to the body, both the physical and energy bodies. Try to feel the pulse of the earth and connect your own heart to the heart of the planet. Imagine yourself as a piece of Mother Earth, melding into her, absorbing her energy, then taking in the light through the crown chakra and giving back to Mother Earth through roots you visualize at your feet.
As you come back to awareness of yourself, try to maintain the connection and reverence for the gifts you receive from Mother Earth.
May you be richly blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
