It looks like were in for some nice Spring weather. It should be in the fifties and a chance for high sixties in the coming week. I have been watching the last of a snow patch disappearing on the North side of the house. There is only a dark grey area of ice left. It may be gone by the end of the day.
Yesterday, in a conversation with Elijah, I said, "I think I will live to be one hundred". He looked at me and said, "I don't think so." In the following conversation, he told me I was going to die when I am eighty-one. I don't know if he knew that was next year. Not that he has shown any inclination toward prescience, but I found it mildly disturbing to hear. He likes to tease his Grandpa and I didn't think much about it. However, it did cause me to be aware that our sojourn on this planet is limited. Knowing that we can leave anytime, can help us keep our minds in the moment. It is not wise to waste our time, mucking, about in unhappiness.
Actually, I hope to stick around until the new civilization, based on unconditional love, is clearly emerging.
On another subject. Why are we so easily manipulated. How do governments, corporations, advertisers etc, get what they want.
There is a formula that has been used since ancient times to manipulate people. There are three simple steps.
Step One: Create a problem [fear] where none existed before. Make it so compelling that folks will want it solved.
Step Two: Use whatever public format available to escalate concern for the problem. Play on the emotions of the people until they clamor for a solution.
Step Three: Provide the solution and get everyone on board.
I have seen this formula used over and over again. Jamie pointed it out to me in an article by Barbara Minton, in a blog called, The Best Years in Life. Barbara Minton called it The Hegelian Dialectic. I did not know Hegel formulated this idea. The method certainly predates him by several centuries.
Barbara uses an example from the dairy industry. The following is quoted from her blog.
Step One: The dairy industry decides to sell skim milk close to the price at which whole milk is selling, thus having the delicious and valuable fat left to sell separately. But skim milk taste terrible and nobody wants to buy it. So it is decided that the public must be made to believe drinking skim milk is healthier than drinking whole milk.
Step Two: The aim here is to instill fear in people, so they will want to start buying skim milk. Strategic people such as mainstream doctors and nutritionists are recruited to help spread the word that drinking whole milk is bad for your health. Perceived authorities make announcements in popular mainstream media claiming that fat in milk is dangerous and responsible for many of the bad health outcomes of today. Parents become convinced that they would be ostracized and thought of as 'bad parents' if they served their children whole milk, even though they themselves grew up drinking whole milk without any problems. When common sense is thrown out the window step two has been accomplished.
Step Three: The dairy industry rushes in to save the public from the terrible fate of having to drink whole milk. Skin milk is presented as the perfect solution. Various products such as flavored, colored and sweetened skim milk appear in school cafeterias and in the grocer's dairy case. Everyone feels good because they have been saved from evil milk fat. And the dairy industry has almost doubled its profits.
She makes the point that it is used in manipulating people in areas other than health issues and demonstrates how Hitler used it to take over in Germany.
Of course, we don't have to use examples from foreign governments or history. It is happening right now. The threat of terrorism uses this model in an attempt to keep us in perpetual war. Many programs, whether exploitative or sincerely thought to be beneficial, are sold to the public using this formula. If we pay attention we will see how often this is used. In a future blog we will examine how some issues are being sold to the public using this formula.
As we become more aware, we will recognize how fear is used to manipulate. When fear is being used, it behooves us to reject the pertinent data until confirmation can be achieved. If the project or issue is worthwhile, fear does not need to be used for its promotion.
Happy Monday Everybody.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Monday, March 30, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
ACCEPTING
It was only 11 F when I got up, but the Sunlight was intense. It is now 24.6 and it feels warmer in the heat of the Sun. On a trip to a neighboring town yesterday, we saw swans, sandhill cranes, numerous geese and ducks and a great flock of red wing black birds. This chilly Morning doesn't discourage me; Spring is here!
I will have to haul water to the sheep today. The hose won't thaw out until late, if at all, and my sheep will start complaining soon. They complain by poking their nose in the water bucket and then looking at me. Of course, if I stay in the house, I won't see them; but knowing they want water, will keep pulling on me until I take some out to them.
Have you ever felt kind of blah, not very happy; yet, you could not identify the reason for it? I have felt myself going in and out of that state the last couple days. It is surprisingly easy to get out of; it is easy to switch the mind to pleasant thoughts. So why do I indulge myself in this negativity? Sure, it is not horribly negative-but it isn't positive. Why would we hang on to the gloom when a clear choice can be made? It's like a small child having a tantrum; "I won't be happy in order to punish you." Or, it is like the ego having a tantrum, declaring, "I can make you miserable when I want to."
I realized what was bugging me. I wasn't accepting certain realities in my life. I wanted one thing and life was giving me something else. It wasn't one thing, it was a collection of events. I won't go into them, they are not any big deal.
Acceptance, going with the flow; we know what that means, but sometimes we have a preconceived idea of what direction life should take us. When we fight our life path, we loose ourselves in the brambles. There is always the smooth way and the rough way. They may be heading in the same direction.
Look around you, everyone is your teacher, all carry a different aspect for your learning. Life comes to us one day at a time, it brings to us experiences for the learning we have chosen. Everyday is new. We don't get to extend yesterday's choices unless they are appropriate for today. Surrendering to the Now, Going with the Flow, means making the most loving choices that are presented this moment.
Hanging on to old ideas, because we think they are right, is fighting the current. Life, has a life of its own, it is Oneness being expressed. When our hearts and minds are open we have no difficulty accepting what the day offers.
Goals and dreams are important. We need them. We need to focus clearly on them and then let the current take us. Don't make the error of thinking you know the best way to reach your dream. Life knows the smoothest path; let it take you.
At the ego level, we think we know everything and know nothing. We never know what is good for us.
In our deepest awareness, when we can sense Oneness, we know everything we need to know.
Be Happy! And Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
I will have to haul water to the sheep today. The hose won't thaw out until late, if at all, and my sheep will start complaining soon. They complain by poking their nose in the water bucket and then looking at me. Of course, if I stay in the house, I won't see them; but knowing they want water, will keep pulling on me until I take some out to them.
Have you ever felt kind of blah, not very happy; yet, you could not identify the reason for it? I have felt myself going in and out of that state the last couple days. It is surprisingly easy to get out of; it is easy to switch the mind to pleasant thoughts. So why do I indulge myself in this negativity? Sure, it is not horribly negative-but it isn't positive. Why would we hang on to the gloom when a clear choice can be made? It's like a small child having a tantrum; "I won't be happy in order to punish you." Or, it is like the ego having a tantrum, declaring, "I can make you miserable when I want to."
I realized what was bugging me. I wasn't accepting certain realities in my life. I wanted one thing and life was giving me something else. It wasn't one thing, it was a collection of events. I won't go into them, they are not any big deal.
Acceptance, going with the flow; we know what that means, but sometimes we have a preconceived idea of what direction life should take us. When we fight our life path, we loose ourselves in the brambles. There is always the smooth way and the rough way. They may be heading in the same direction.
Look around you, everyone is your teacher, all carry a different aspect for your learning. Life comes to us one day at a time, it brings to us experiences for the learning we have chosen. Everyday is new. We don't get to extend yesterday's choices unless they are appropriate for today. Surrendering to the Now, Going with the Flow, means making the most loving choices that are presented this moment.
Hanging on to old ideas, because we think they are right, is fighting the current. Life, has a life of its own, it is Oneness being expressed. When our hearts and minds are open we have no difficulty accepting what the day offers.
Goals and dreams are important. We need them. We need to focus clearly on them and then let the current take us. Don't make the error of thinking you know the best way to reach your dream. Life knows the smoothest path; let it take you.
At the ego level, we think we know everything and know nothing. We never know what is good for us.
In our deepest awareness, when we can sense Oneness, we know everything we need to know.
Be Happy! And Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
THE JOURNEY
It was snowing when I went to bed last night, about midnight, and there was about an inch on the ground when I awoke. Everything is white again as far as the eyes can see. The temperature had hovered around freezing and now it is 39F. The snow seems stubborn and won't melt. Winter gives up reluctantly in these climes.
The chickens are usually anxious to get out. This Morning they took one look at the snow and changed their minds. They don't like fresh snow, if it is deep enough to cover their feet, and go up to their shanks. If they can run on top the snow, they don't mind at all. When we had geese they would pad down the snow and make tracks the chickens would use. I don't have geese anymore and the sheep are in a different location. When we had the chickens, in their old coop, the sheep would pack the snow down in the area, and give the chickens a place to run. There is a heavy overcast, if the Sun was out the snow would already be gone at these temps.
Information is pouring in on many fronts, faster than I can process it. On the surface the world seems in great disorder. From a different view, an order is emerging. The age old system of empires being in control is fading. The Anglo/American Empire may be the last. Other areas of the world may come into dominance, but {lets hope} the era of empires is over. I need to understand this a great deal better. I will write about it when I do.
I am, also, seeing our spiritual evolution a little differently. There is much information available that gives different perspectives. One example is, "Cosmic Awareness". It can be found at www.cosmicawareness.org. I haven't read much, and most of what I know, came from conversations with Jamie. It helps in understanding our relationship with Source and helps answer the question, "Why are we here?" and "What are we supposed to be doing?"
Since I haven't read the material yet I can't accurately report on it; but so far, it has helped me shift my perspective in a more comfortable direction. Our mentors have taught us that we got stuck here, because we were exploring separation, and lost our way. That well may be true, but perhaps, the emphasis should be on; we are Source, exploring separation. We are not just a ragtag bunch of rebellious souls. We are aspects of Source wondering, what it would be like being separate from ONE.
As parts of Source we are processing information about separation and returning the information to the whole. We each carry different aspects, of separation, to experience what separation is like. Some carry traits of greed, some arrogance, some shyness, some pride, some dominance etc. etc. We process the information, about what it is like, to carry this particular trait. In the process of overcoming this obstacle to oneness we teach each other and ourselves. One can see how ridiculous judgement is, as we can never appreciate what another's purpose is.
Many traditional cultures have the idea we are being 'dreamed'. Their lore is that we are dreams of God. They see the world as God dreaming. An interesting perspective. God trying to know himself? God exploring separation?
We have dreams at night and we awake and decide they are not real. The Course in Miracles postulates that we will, one day, awake from this dream [ the one we think of as reality] and realize it is only a dream.
Let us hope we awake soon!
Love and Peace, Gregg
The chickens are usually anxious to get out. This Morning they took one look at the snow and changed their minds. They don't like fresh snow, if it is deep enough to cover their feet, and go up to their shanks. If they can run on top the snow, they don't mind at all. When we had geese they would pad down the snow and make tracks the chickens would use. I don't have geese anymore and the sheep are in a different location. When we had the chickens, in their old coop, the sheep would pack the snow down in the area, and give the chickens a place to run. There is a heavy overcast, if the Sun was out the snow would already be gone at these temps.
Information is pouring in on many fronts, faster than I can process it. On the surface the world seems in great disorder. From a different view, an order is emerging. The age old system of empires being in control is fading. The Anglo/American Empire may be the last. Other areas of the world may come into dominance, but {lets hope} the era of empires is over. I need to understand this a great deal better. I will write about it when I do.
I am, also, seeing our spiritual evolution a little differently. There is much information available that gives different perspectives. One example is, "Cosmic Awareness". It can be found at www.cosmicawareness.org. I haven't read much, and most of what I know, came from conversations with Jamie. It helps in understanding our relationship with Source and helps answer the question, "Why are we here?" and "What are we supposed to be doing?"
Since I haven't read the material yet I can't accurately report on it; but so far, it has helped me shift my perspective in a more comfortable direction. Our mentors have taught us that we got stuck here, because we were exploring separation, and lost our way. That well may be true, but perhaps, the emphasis should be on; we are Source, exploring separation. We are not just a ragtag bunch of rebellious souls. We are aspects of Source wondering, what it would be like being separate from ONE.
As parts of Source we are processing information about separation and returning the information to the whole. We each carry different aspects, of separation, to experience what separation is like. Some carry traits of greed, some arrogance, some shyness, some pride, some dominance etc. etc. We process the information, about what it is like, to carry this particular trait. In the process of overcoming this obstacle to oneness we teach each other and ourselves. One can see how ridiculous judgement is, as we can never appreciate what another's purpose is.
Many traditional cultures have the idea we are being 'dreamed'. Their lore is that we are dreams of God. They see the world as God dreaming. An interesting perspective. God trying to know himself? God exploring separation?
We have dreams at night and we awake and decide they are not real. The Course in Miracles postulates that we will, one day, awake from this dream [ the one we think of as reality] and realize it is only a dream.
Let us hope we awake soon!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Monday, March 23, 2015
FORGIVENESS II
Wow! It looks like much of Minnesota is heading back into Winter. Some parts of the Twin Cities got as much as eight and a half inches of snow. It won't last long with highs in the forties. We saw a few flakes yesterday Morning; so few, one could count them as they came down. Wintry conditions are supposed to continue through the week and perhaps the rest of the month.
I titled this post FORGIVENESS II because I am sure there was one titled forgiveness, before. I didn't want to search through all 518 posts to determine that. I know I have written about forgiveness before, since it is the single most important aspect of our condition in this illusion. Lack of forgiveness is what keeps us stuck in this illusion.
All our grievances, large and small, keep us from 'seeing'. They keep us from knowing our oneness. We can't imagine being one with someone we hold a grudge against. Our illusion, is made up of the distorted perceptions, created by our fears. Forgiveness is key to changing this.
Our lack of forgiveness acts as a screen or block to the intensity of the love we can experience. We cannot fully receive love when we lack forgiveness of ourselves and we cannot fully give love as we hold unto our grievances.
Our refusal to forgive can have major or minor consequences, depending on the issue and the level of rage [or fear] that it might hide. It can be minor, like the other day I was feeling kind of blah and I realized I was irritated with a family member [for something rather inconsequential] but never the less I was holding unto a grievance. On realizing this, I quickly forgave them, and then talked to them; not to tell them of my irritation, that was not necessary and probably counterproductive, but to connect with them and feel our togetherness. It was like walking out of the shade into the Sunshine. I would be happy to satisfy the curious about what I was irritated about, but believe me, it was that minor. I don't remember. In our day to day relationships we can hold and horde grievances about the most mundane things. Who left the mayonnaise out of the fridge? Who made this mess in the sink? How come nobody can throw their dirty clothes in the hamper? How come I always end up picking things up around here? How come you are such a slob? The possibility for these minor grievances are endless. The solution is to correct what can be corrected and accept what cannot. Accept each other, flaws and all, and forgive, forgive, forgive. Let us not store up grievances.
The situations that have more major consequences, are cases where someone has abused us or were very disloyal. Situation where we were very hurt or mortified. In these situations we may feel justification in not forgiving, as if our forgiveness will somehow excuse their behavior. We, also, might be intimidated by the rage we feel underneath the hurt. We might feel we cannot forgive without first unleashing the rage. Again, and to some extent this is always true, we may feel we are truly unlovable and we deserved what we got, refusing to forgive, keeps a scab over the fear we are unlovable. Refusing to forgive, in these heavier situations, has life time consequences i.e. chronic depression.
We can know, that forgiveness is to free us from the drama, and is not for the perpetrator. Of course when we are forgiven by another we are freed from the condemnation of another mind, but the benefit to the forgiver is many times greater than the benefit to the forgiven.
Some of us find that forgiveness is an incremental process. We first accept the necessity of doing it; we say the words in our mind. We are sincere, it is not just words. Still it is like peeling away the layers of an onion. The issue keeps coming back to our minds until it finally fades away after many acts of forgiveness.
Others hang unto their grievance with main force until it builds up so much pressure it burst. Forgiveness, then is a great relief. It is final and over. Although, folks tend to be predominately one way or the other. We may be incremental in our forgiveness about somethings and sudden and final forgivers in other situations.
Forgiveness is an eye opener and love giver. It makes it possible for us to see past the illusion. As always, we must begin with ourselves. We must forgive ourselves. We must give up all the grievances we have stored up against ourselves. Know that it is preposterous to judge ourselves. Our extension of forgiveness to others will be partial until we forgive ourselves. Let us take time to sit in the quiet everyday, close our eyes, and imagine ourselves in the Light of Source. Feel the love wash us clean.
One day we will wake up and see a Forgiven World.
Love and Peace, Gregg
I titled this post FORGIVENESS II because I am sure there was one titled forgiveness, before. I didn't want to search through all 518 posts to determine that. I know I have written about forgiveness before, since it is the single most important aspect of our condition in this illusion. Lack of forgiveness is what keeps us stuck in this illusion.
All our grievances, large and small, keep us from 'seeing'. They keep us from knowing our oneness. We can't imagine being one with someone we hold a grudge against. Our illusion, is made up of the distorted perceptions, created by our fears. Forgiveness is key to changing this.
Our lack of forgiveness acts as a screen or block to the intensity of the love we can experience. We cannot fully receive love when we lack forgiveness of ourselves and we cannot fully give love as we hold unto our grievances.
Our refusal to forgive can have major or minor consequences, depending on the issue and the level of rage [or fear] that it might hide. It can be minor, like the other day I was feeling kind of blah and I realized I was irritated with a family member [for something rather inconsequential] but never the less I was holding unto a grievance. On realizing this, I quickly forgave them, and then talked to them; not to tell them of my irritation, that was not necessary and probably counterproductive, but to connect with them and feel our togetherness. It was like walking out of the shade into the Sunshine. I would be happy to satisfy the curious about what I was irritated about, but believe me, it was that minor. I don't remember. In our day to day relationships we can hold and horde grievances about the most mundane things. Who left the mayonnaise out of the fridge? Who made this mess in the sink? How come nobody can throw their dirty clothes in the hamper? How come I always end up picking things up around here? How come you are such a slob? The possibility for these minor grievances are endless. The solution is to correct what can be corrected and accept what cannot. Accept each other, flaws and all, and forgive, forgive, forgive. Let us not store up grievances.
The situations that have more major consequences, are cases where someone has abused us or were very disloyal. Situation where we were very hurt or mortified. In these situations we may feel justification in not forgiving, as if our forgiveness will somehow excuse their behavior. We, also, might be intimidated by the rage we feel underneath the hurt. We might feel we cannot forgive without first unleashing the rage. Again, and to some extent this is always true, we may feel we are truly unlovable and we deserved what we got, refusing to forgive, keeps a scab over the fear we are unlovable. Refusing to forgive, in these heavier situations, has life time consequences i.e. chronic depression.
We can know, that forgiveness is to free us from the drama, and is not for the perpetrator. Of course when we are forgiven by another we are freed from the condemnation of another mind, but the benefit to the forgiver is many times greater than the benefit to the forgiven.
Some of us find that forgiveness is an incremental process. We first accept the necessity of doing it; we say the words in our mind. We are sincere, it is not just words. Still it is like peeling away the layers of an onion. The issue keeps coming back to our minds until it finally fades away after many acts of forgiveness.
Others hang unto their grievance with main force until it builds up so much pressure it burst. Forgiveness, then is a great relief. It is final and over. Although, folks tend to be predominately one way or the other. We may be incremental in our forgiveness about somethings and sudden and final forgivers in other situations.
Forgiveness is an eye opener and love giver. It makes it possible for us to see past the illusion. As always, we must begin with ourselves. We must forgive ourselves. We must give up all the grievances we have stored up against ourselves. Know that it is preposterous to judge ourselves. Our extension of forgiveness to others will be partial until we forgive ourselves. Let us take time to sit in the quiet everyday, close our eyes, and imagine ourselves in the Light of Source. Feel the love wash us clean.
One day we will wake up and see a Forgiven World.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Friday, March 20, 2015
INTENTION
HAPPY SPRING! Spring begins at 5:45PM Central Standard Time. It has been Spring weather here for two weeks. We are about to lurch back into colder weather, with highs in the thirties. It has been either 10 to 20 degrees above average or 10 to 20 below average. We seem to get only a few hours of average temps while in transition.
Many of us try to be perfect, even though we know perfection is unobtainable. When we find ourselves falling below our expectations, we attack ourselves in some way, which can bring a sour mood, if not depression.
It needs to be clear that perfection is impossible as long as we are in bodies. We may have an ideal, of being unconditionally loving beings, but we will fall short. Intention is very powerful creative energy. We cannot be perfect, but we can focus intention. Have the intention of being an unconditionally loving being, but don't judge yourself. We can't be nit-picky about how we measure up. We won't. Let us not go there.
We may have the overall intention of being unconditionally loving and then a whole list of sub-categories. Whether we want to be good parents, good supervisors, nonjudgmental, unbiased, whatever, our intention is everything. When we remember, throughout the day, what our intention is, we shape our response to the world. We will make progress towards our goal. Let us keep our eyes on our goal and not on the distance we have yet to travel.
We will get there, because at our core, we are unconditionally loving beings. Having these bodies limits us somewhat, but not enough to keep us from paradise. What holds us back is fear and allowing our ego to have its way with us. Remembering, to renew intention, puts your ego in the backseat where it belongs.
We need to see what we are doing with our intention. We may want to love everybody in the world, yet we neglect, ignore, or spurn someone next to us. We need to begin with the intent on loving ourselves. If we can do that, we can extend that love to the one next to us. It is very important to love the world, but we must begin with those around us.
What about helpers? Helpers are things that get us through the day. Friends, chocolate, sugar, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, substances, organic and chemical, of all kinds. For our purposes it doesn't matter whether they are legal, prescription, or gathered in a vacant lot. The question is, are they helping or hindering? Is that high or warm glow helping you love or not? Are those two cocktails, every evening, making life better?
The above is not a moral issue or a place for preconceived ideas. Two cocktails a day for some folks may be the perfect solution, for others, it may be holding them back, or worse. There is habituation and addiction, but in this writing I will not explore that in depth. We can be addicted or habituated to almost anything. I have known people addicted to a toxic friend and it was just as destructive as drug.
Helpers can be truly helpers. They can expand our mind. They can temporarily bypass our egos. They can make socializing easier for the shy. They can relieve our tension. They can bring us peace [for a time]. In there place, and used appropriately, they are wonderful.
The question is when do they quit helping? We all need to see that answer for ourselves. As anybody, who has struggled with addiction knows, we humans have an endless ability to fool ourselves.
I could write a thousand pages on this subject. I hesitated to bring it up. I don't know that there is a point, where we can say, enough is said. I may have an urge to write more about this, at some time. For now, let us be aware of our relationships with our helpers, are they helpers or tyrants? Are they opening our eyes, or creating a fog? Are they helping us traverse our path or are they causing us to limp?
As we learn to love ourselves more, we will perceive what is a help and what isn't. Love is the key. Love is everything. Love is increasing around us very rapidly. This is a very significant day and a very significant period of time. Be alert for great changes in all spheres of governmental and social institutions.
Happy Friday.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Many of us try to be perfect, even though we know perfection is unobtainable. When we find ourselves falling below our expectations, we attack ourselves in some way, which can bring a sour mood, if not depression.
It needs to be clear that perfection is impossible as long as we are in bodies. We may have an ideal, of being unconditionally loving beings, but we will fall short. Intention is very powerful creative energy. We cannot be perfect, but we can focus intention. Have the intention of being an unconditionally loving being, but don't judge yourself. We can't be nit-picky about how we measure up. We won't. Let us not go there.
We may have the overall intention of being unconditionally loving and then a whole list of sub-categories. Whether we want to be good parents, good supervisors, nonjudgmental, unbiased, whatever, our intention is everything. When we remember, throughout the day, what our intention is, we shape our response to the world. We will make progress towards our goal. Let us keep our eyes on our goal and not on the distance we have yet to travel.
We will get there, because at our core, we are unconditionally loving beings. Having these bodies limits us somewhat, but not enough to keep us from paradise. What holds us back is fear and allowing our ego to have its way with us. Remembering, to renew intention, puts your ego in the backseat where it belongs.
We need to see what we are doing with our intention. We may want to love everybody in the world, yet we neglect, ignore, or spurn someone next to us. We need to begin with the intent on loving ourselves. If we can do that, we can extend that love to the one next to us. It is very important to love the world, but we must begin with those around us.
What about helpers? Helpers are things that get us through the day. Friends, chocolate, sugar, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, substances, organic and chemical, of all kinds. For our purposes it doesn't matter whether they are legal, prescription, or gathered in a vacant lot. The question is, are they helping or hindering? Is that high or warm glow helping you love or not? Are those two cocktails, every evening, making life better?
The above is not a moral issue or a place for preconceived ideas. Two cocktails a day for some folks may be the perfect solution, for others, it may be holding them back, or worse. There is habituation and addiction, but in this writing I will not explore that in depth. We can be addicted or habituated to almost anything. I have known people addicted to a toxic friend and it was just as destructive as drug.
Helpers can be truly helpers. They can expand our mind. They can temporarily bypass our egos. They can make socializing easier for the shy. They can relieve our tension. They can bring us peace [for a time]. In there place, and used appropriately, they are wonderful.
The question is when do they quit helping? We all need to see that answer for ourselves. As anybody, who has struggled with addiction knows, we humans have an endless ability to fool ourselves.
I could write a thousand pages on this subject. I hesitated to bring it up. I don't know that there is a point, where we can say, enough is said. I may have an urge to write more about this, at some time. For now, let us be aware of our relationships with our helpers, are they helpers or tyrants? Are they opening our eyes, or creating a fog? Are they helping us traverse our path or are they causing us to limp?
As we learn to love ourselves more, we will perceive what is a help and what isn't. Love is the key. Love is everything. Love is increasing around us very rapidly. This is a very significant day and a very significant period of time. Be alert for great changes in all spheres of governmental and social institutions.
Happy Friday.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
BE HAPPY
I have a story. It could have begun thousands of years ago, but I will begin sometime last week. Two contributing factors to the story, was a virus that was making its rounds, and the fact that I tripped on a rug that created a little catch in my back.
Friday there was a fiftieth birthday party for my Son, Matt. It sounded like a well planned and fun event. We were looking forward to it. Jamie sewed a special outfit for the event. The party was at a park {lodge}. I looked at the invitation several times and googled the park and knew its location. Twice it occurred to me to print out the invitation. I didn't.
It was an hour and a half trip to the park. We arrived on time. No one was there. We talked to two people who didn't know of any location for a party and were convinced we must have the wrong park. Despite the fact that I knew we were at the right park, I let myself be swayed by the arguments, presented by Jamie and these folks, that maybe I just got it wrong. We traveled to two other park sites and were sent on two different wild gooses chases. We went back to the original park area and looked at the neighboring buildings, we couldn't find a lodge type building.
We finally gave up and came home. Elijah was with us and he voiced the concern for all of us. He said, "We came all this way for nothing." By the time we got home we were five and one half hours in the car.
On arriving home I immediately looked up the invitation and yes, I had the right park. What I had read, but not fully registered, was that it said it was near the park, not on the park. I did read that, but I thought near was next door or at least within view. But what irked me was that the invitation had the address of the lodge. If I had printed it out, when it occurred to me, we would have found it.
It seemed that five hours in the car had made the kink in my back a major event. I didn't feel any discomfort driving, but suddenly I had shooting pains when I turned a certain way. When sitting in a chair, I could not pick up something from the coffee table in front of me.
Friday night I couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. After an hour or so I got up and took four ibuprofen. Less than an hour later I took three more. They had little effect. I was in pain all night and I may have nodded off for only moments.
Saturday, we had to pick up Noah at the airport. No sleep, a bad back, and looking forward to another four hours in the car. It didn't seem like it was going to be a picnic.
Amazingly, it wasn't bad. I could sit up and drive and it was comfortable. I couldn't reach for anything but, all and all, it wasn't a bad trip. By this time I had developed strategies to avoid the pain. When getting out of a chair, if I turned slowly sidewise first, I could get up with little discomfort.
Saturday afternoon I took five ibuprofen and in the evening I had few ounces of Christian Brothers. I don't know which medication was most effective, but Saturday night I slept. I had to be very careful to lay exactly right, but I did sleep.
Sunday, the virus that Jamie was fighting off, took hold. Yet it was a beautiful day and a time to celebrate. We sat outside, first on the deck until dusk and then on the screen porch. I came in at 10:30 and Naomi and Jamie stayed out until Midnight. We had a very great time.
Again I had taken five ibuprofen in the afternoon and with the addition of a little celebratory brandy at night, I slept fine.
Monday, my back still bothered me but the strategies, I learned, kept the worst of the pain at bay. Jamie was feeling the full effects of the virus and her mood was less than optimal. We spent quite a bit of time in conversation. It was an unusual day.
Tuesday, we awoke to a brand new day! I took no medication and my back was, not only okay, it appeared to be completely cured. Jamie was still deeply amidst of a cold, but her mood was much better. It was like a curtain had risen and the bright light of day illuminated all that was good.
I tell this story, because it could be experienced differently, by other people, and the same people, at different times, much differently depending on their attitude.
I have learned over the years that one can be happy almost all the time. I am not saying I was happy every moment of those four days. But I was happy most of the time. Even our aborted trip to the party, was a nice drive. The scenery was beautiful. The quest had its exciting moments. Disappointment is painful, but it can be put aside. It is not the end of the world. I could have believed that my back trouble would last for months; but I didn't. I knew it would be over. In fact, it was a surprise how fast it got better.
Happiness is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself and the world. Our happiness allows others to be happy. Happiness allows your light to shine and bless the world. Yes, as long as we are in this world, seeming calamities will happen. Its like being on a not so pleasant ride in an amusement park; we know it will stop and we can get off. There are always moments of peace and in those moments happiness can arise.
I don't know why we had those experiences but I know they can't keep me from being happy. Sometimes we can't see what we are learning, when we go through a calamitous episode, until long after it is over. Know it is all good.
I will write more about happiness. I am learning more and more about how much a choice it is. I can be deeply into ruminating, about some alleged misfortune, and suddenly realize what I am doing, and quickly arise to a sense of well being. Sometimes things can look so hopeless and dark, that light cannot be seen. However, there is always a step that can be taken. We will discuss it. In the meantime, look for the switch and turn your light on, the world needs it.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Friday there was a fiftieth birthday party for my Son, Matt. It sounded like a well planned and fun event. We were looking forward to it. Jamie sewed a special outfit for the event. The party was at a park {lodge}. I looked at the invitation several times and googled the park and knew its location. Twice it occurred to me to print out the invitation. I didn't.
It was an hour and a half trip to the park. We arrived on time. No one was there. We talked to two people who didn't know of any location for a party and were convinced we must have the wrong park. Despite the fact that I knew we were at the right park, I let myself be swayed by the arguments, presented by Jamie and these folks, that maybe I just got it wrong. We traveled to two other park sites and were sent on two different wild gooses chases. We went back to the original park area and looked at the neighboring buildings, we couldn't find a lodge type building.
We finally gave up and came home. Elijah was with us and he voiced the concern for all of us. He said, "We came all this way for nothing." By the time we got home we were five and one half hours in the car.
On arriving home I immediately looked up the invitation and yes, I had the right park. What I had read, but not fully registered, was that it said it was near the park, not on the park. I did read that, but I thought near was next door or at least within view. But what irked me was that the invitation had the address of the lodge. If I had printed it out, when it occurred to me, we would have found it.
It seemed that five hours in the car had made the kink in my back a major event. I didn't feel any discomfort driving, but suddenly I had shooting pains when I turned a certain way. When sitting in a chair, I could not pick up something from the coffee table in front of me.
Friday night I couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. After an hour or so I got up and took four ibuprofen. Less than an hour later I took three more. They had little effect. I was in pain all night and I may have nodded off for only moments.
Saturday, we had to pick up Noah at the airport. No sleep, a bad back, and looking forward to another four hours in the car. It didn't seem like it was going to be a picnic.
Amazingly, it wasn't bad. I could sit up and drive and it was comfortable. I couldn't reach for anything but, all and all, it wasn't a bad trip. By this time I had developed strategies to avoid the pain. When getting out of a chair, if I turned slowly sidewise first, I could get up with little discomfort.
Saturday afternoon I took five ibuprofen and in the evening I had few ounces of Christian Brothers. I don't know which medication was most effective, but Saturday night I slept. I had to be very careful to lay exactly right, but I did sleep.
Sunday, the virus that Jamie was fighting off, took hold. Yet it was a beautiful day and a time to celebrate. We sat outside, first on the deck until dusk and then on the screen porch. I came in at 10:30 and Naomi and Jamie stayed out until Midnight. We had a very great time.
Again I had taken five ibuprofen in the afternoon and with the addition of a little celebratory brandy at night, I slept fine.
Monday, my back still bothered me but the strategies, I learned, kept the worst of the pain at bay. Jamie was feeling the full effects of the virus and her mood was less than optimal. We spent quite a bit of time in conversation. It was an unusual day.
Tuesday, we awoke to a brand new day! I took no medication and my back was, not only okay, it appeared to be completely cured. Jamie was still deeply amidst of a cold, but her mood was much better. It was like a curtain had risen and the bright light of day illuminated all that was good.
I tell this story, because it could be experienced differently, by other people, and the same people, at different times, much differently depending on their attitude.
I have learned over the years that one can be happy almost all the time. I am not saying I was happy every moment of those four days. But I was happy most of the time. Even our aborted trip to the party, was a nice drive. The scenery was beautiful. The quest had its exciting moments. Disappointment is painful, but it can be put aside. It is not the end of the world. I could have believed that my back trouble would last for months; but I didn't. I knew it would be over. In fact, it was a surprise how fast it got better.
Happiness is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself and the world. Our happiness allows others to be happy. Happiness allows your light to shine and bless the world. Yes, as long as we are in this world, seeming calamities will happen. Its like being on a not so pleasant ride in an amusement park; we know it will stop and we can get off. There are always moments of peace and in those moments happiness can arise.
I don't know why we had those experiences but I know they can't keep me from being happy. Sometimes we can't see what we are learning, when we go through a calamitous episode, until long after it is over. Know it is all good.
I will write more about happiness. I am learning more and more about how much a choice it is. I can be deeply into ruminating, about some alleged misfortune, and suddenly realize what I am doing, and quickly arise to a sense of well being. Sometimes things can look so hopeless and dark, that light cannot be seen. However, there is always a step that can be taken. We will discuss it. In the meantime, look for the switch and turn your light on, the world needs it.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Monday, March 16, 2015
ONE THING AND ANOTHER
I was going to say, "I am getting a late start this Morning," and I looked at the clock and realized it was afternoon.
Okay. It is over an hour since I wrote that last sentence, one thing and another has kept me from writing. I don't have any earth shaking things to say anyway.
Everything is well on Laughing Water Farm. Well there is that pesky virus that Elijah brought home. He was sick for a few days, then Momma got it and now Grandma is sick. Grandpa, so far, is fine.
Spring is definitely here. Last night we stayed out on the screen porch until late. I came in about 10:30, Jamie and Naomi were out until midnight. The temperature dropped into the high fifties- it was a little chilly- but so great to be out. This is a very unusual happening for the middle of March. The weather will be getting cooler over the next few days. It will drop into the twenties tonight and may snow a little on Thursday.
The chickens are coming into full egg production, we are getting more than a dozen a day. The pasture is greening up and the sheep won't need additional hay unless we get some surprise snow storms.
Expect me to write a regular blog on Wednesday.
BE HAPPY!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Okay. It is over an hour since I wrote that last sentence, one thing and another has kept me from writing. I don't have any earth shaking things to say anyway.
Everything is well on Laughing Water Farm. Well there is that pesky virus that Elijah brought home. He was sick for a few days, then Momma got it and now Grandma is sick. Grandpa, so far, is fine.
Spring is definitely here. Last night we stayed out on the screen porch until late. I came in about 10:30, Jamie and Naomi were out until midnight. The temperature dropped into the high fifties- it was a little chilly- but so great to be out. This is a very unusual happening for the middle of March. The weather will be getting cooler over the next few days. It will drop into the twenties tonight and may snow a little on Thursday.
The chickens are coming into full egg production, we are getting more than a dozen a day. The pasture is greening up and the sheep won't need additional hay unless we get some surprise snow storms.
Expect me to write a regular blog on Wednesday.
BE HAPPY!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Friday, March 13, 2015
DON'T TAKE YOUR DISEASE WITH YOU
Another gorgeous day on Planet Earth. I let the chickens out to free range, despite the fact, that we are going out, and will not be back until midnight or so to lock them up. I think it is a small chance to take. The predators generally don't realize they have access to the coop until a few days have passed. I couldn't bring myself to keeping them in a small fenced enclosure on such a marvelous day. They have been behaving well, and all the chickens, but one rooster, returned to their new coop last night. The one rooster's, reluctance to go in the new coop, is not preference, but the result of the conflict that has engendered, with the other rooster. The other rooster is playing dominance games.
Some of us play those games long after we could give them up. We all suffer from variations of low self esteem, that we learned, trying to grow up. For generations untold, children have been raised by parents, who suffer hidden or not so hidden, low self esteem. We were all raised to question our lovability or lovableness. We intellectually accept that we are 'okay', but those hidden questions still affect our relationships with each other and the whole.
We cannot really understand 'oneness' or unconditional love as long as we have questions about our own worthiness. All the degrees and honors, the world can bestow, will not settle the question of our worthiness.
Everything wrong with the world comes from our need to judge and evaluate each other. These judgements can be hidden in highfaluting language. They can even be presented as helpful. All judgement, no matter how sugar coated, is disastrous. It is not so much that we shouldn't judge; but we can't. We will never know enough. When we do know enough [when we 'see'], we will, also, see the error in judgement.
Why do we love to judge others? What is in it for us? Perhaps, if I feel better than you it will hide how I really feel about myself. It appears that all judgement is an attempt to make one feel better about themselves. We have deeply buried, our own self-hatred. We are full of shards and fragments of our distorted upbringing. Painful shards and fragments that point to how unlovable we are.
Jamie and I were discussing, this Morning, how people carry their low self esteem into their adulthood and hide it behind their world view, which is interlaced with judgement. They don't seem to be able to kick their low self esteem, regardless of their worldly success. The judgements they make affects their perception of everything.
Jamie said, "Don't take your disease with you." She was looking at me at the time. Yes, I include myself in this drama. I don't know if any of us have successfully "grown up".
We tend to hide our feelings of unlovableness. We don't want anybody else to know we don't love ourselves and we certainly don't want to acknowledge it ourselves.
We don't want to do this anymore, do we? We want to find peace, don't we? We want to see everyone as equal, don't we? We want to learn we are lovable, don't we?
Let's be scrupulously honest with ourselves. Let's acknowledge that all our judgements, even those secret ones we make in our heads, are evidence of our own self-hatred. Self-hatred is a big word- but it needs a big word. Once we admit it, we are open to the remedy. Awareness and practice. Spend some time being aware of how the mind works. When do these judgements come up? Are they protecting us from feeling inadequate? Unworthy? What is the feeling underneath the judgement? Anger? Dirtiness? We will get a clue to where to look, in our selves, for our self-judgement.
Practice seeing everybody else as lovable. Assume the lovableness of everyone. Watch your mind- catch yourself when you stray into judgement.
Once we acknowledge our own self judgement, that arises from fears of unworthiness, we will begin to open up to the love that is all around us. We don't need to learn chapter and verse, about how we learned to feel negatively about ourselves. In some cases it is obvious and we will learn, to appreciate the depth of the hurt, and forgive the perpetrator. In most cases there is no stunning source of these feelings. We learned, everyday, as we were fed teaspoonfuls of unworthiness or inadequacy.
Know, know, know [even if it takes a leap of faith] that you are lovable. It doesn't matter what we have done, or what we have thought we have been, we are lovable. We are totally and completely deserving of love. If we open our heart just a crack love will flood in. It is our nature to be love. Nature is Love. We just need to see what already is.
If we are to grow up, i.e. ascend to a higher consciousness, we can't take our disease or dis-ease with us.
Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Some of us play those games long after we could give them up. We all suffer from variations of low self esteem, that we learned, trying to grow up. For generations untold, children have been raised by parents, who suffer hidden or not so hidden, low self esteem. We were all raised to question our lovability or lovableness. We intellectually accept that we are 'okay', but those hidden questions still affect our relationships with each other and the whole.
We cannot really understand 'oneness' or unconditional love as long as we have questions about our own worthiness. All the degrees and honors, the world can bestow, will not settle the question of our worthiness.
Everything wrong with the world comes from our need to judge and evaluate each other. These judgements can be hidden in highfaluting language. They can even be presented as helpful. All judgement, no matter how sugar coated, is disastrous. It is not so much that we shouldn't judge; but we can't. We will never know enough. When we do know enough [when we 'see'], we will, also, see the error in judgement.
Why do we love to judge others? What is in it for us? Perhaps, if I feel better than you it will hide how I really feel about myself. It appears that all judgement is an attempt to make one feel better about themselves. We have deeply buried, our own self-hatred. We are full of shards and fragments of our distorted upbringing. Painful shards and fragments that point to how unlovable we are.
Jamie and I were discussing, this Morning, how people carry their low self esteem into their adulthood and hide it behind their world view, which is interlaced with judgement. They don't seem to be able to kick their low self esteem, regardless of their worldly success. The judgements they make affects their perception of everything.
Jamie said, "Don't take your disease with you." She was looking at me at the time. Yes, I include myself in this drama. I don't know if any of us have successfully "grown up".
We tend to hide our feelings of unlovableness. We don't want anybody else to know we don't love ourselves and we certainly don't want to acknowledge it ourselves.
We don't want to do this anymore, do we? We want to find peace, don't we? We want to see everyone as equal, don't we? We want to learn we are lovable, don't we?
Let's be scrupulously honest with ourselves. Let's acknowledge that all our judgements, even those secret ones we make in our heads, are evidence of our own self-hatred. Self-hatred is a big word- but it needs a big word. Once we admit it, we are open to the remedy. Awareness and practice. Spend some time being aware of how the mind works. When do these judgements come up? Are they protecting us from feeling inadequate? Unworthy? What is the feeling underneath the judgement? Anger? Dirtiness? We will get a clue to where to look, in our selves, for our self-judgement.
Practice seeing everybody else as lovable. Assume the lovableness of everyone. Watch your mind- catch yourself when you stray into judgement.
Once we acknowledge our own self judgement, that arises from fears of unworthiness, we will begin to open up to the love that is all around us. We don't need to learn chapter and verse, about how we learned to feel negatively about ourselves. In some cases it is obvious and we will learn, to appreciate the depth of the hurt, and forgive the perpetrator. In most cases there is no stunning source of these feelings. We learned, everyday, as we were fed teaspoonfuls of unworthiness or inadequacy.
Know, know, know [even if it takes a leap of faith] that you are lovable. It doesn't matter what we have done, or what we have thought we have been, we are lovable. We are totally and completely deserving of love. If we open our heart just a crack love will flood in. It is our nature to be love. Nature is Love. We just need to see what already is.
If we are to grow up, i.e. ascend to a higher consciousness, we can't take our disease or dis-ease with us.
Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
PROGRAMING
Spring is definitely here. A few days in the fifties has almost eliminated the snow. What a difference a week makes. The chickens are cranking out the eggs. We got a dozen yesterday. Soon we will be giving them away. The chickens aren't behaving well, though. I let them free range yesterday and thirteen of them decided to go to their old coop. I had to carry them back after dark. I guess I will just have to persist and expect them to learn.
We are One. Being one is truth. We are one in that we are all part of Source. We are all love. Being One does not mean conforming. It does not mean agreement. We are part of nature. Precise duplicates do not occur in nature. Like snowflakes, no two of us is the same.
Our ego is constantly seeking safety. It is the part of us that protects our separateness. Paradoxically, to protect our separateness, it tries to blend us into the crowd and therefore make us less vulnerable to attack.
We have a natural wish to belong, to family, to tribe, to nation, to any group we find ourselves in.
We have been programmed by our ego's need to be protective and our natural wish to belong. We are by creation, autonomous, sovereign beings. We have been programmed to have a herd mentality. We have been programmed to work hard and not expect much out of life. From the very beginnings of our life, on this planet, we are programmed to not expect much out of life. We are held out examples of success, like carrots on the end of a stick, but there is an underneath feeling that life is hard work drudgery and death. If we can avoid too many disasters we are lucky. Do you know what I mean by this pessimism about life? I have always been impressed with the negativity that exist in nursery rhymes and tales we teach our children. As a young father I did not want my children reading Hans Christian Anderson. However, most of the other tales had some negative programming, also.
Remember the story of the grasshopper and the ant. That always struck me as an example of programming, and yesterday, I read a blog where it was used as an example. The ant labors a way preparing for the future, why the grasshopper enjoys the moment, and basks in the Sun. When Winter comes the ant goes down into his underground home and enjoys the fruits of his labor and the grasshopper perishes in the cold.
Then there is the little red hen. She asks several of the animals around her to help her bake a cake and they all have better things to do. When the cake is out of the oven, they gather around and she reminds them, that since they wouldn't help here prepare it, they don't get any.
All through our life there are subtle variations on these themes. We need to prepare. We need to save for the future. We have to expect there will be rainy days. Where is the emphasis on enjoying the moment? Where is the reassurance that everything will be indeed Sunny. Well it is there, of course, we hear it it our music. In fact I am hearing a phrase from a song, "everything will be all right" or something like that.
Yes, we have a lot of positive programming in our culture, especially in the arts. But we need to take a look at how much negative programming is placed in front of our children.
We need to become deprogrammed. Those of us who, think for ourselves and challenge or eschew the commonly held beliefs of our tribe [family, nation, religious group etc.] are punished one way or another.
We will never appreciate what Oneness means, as long as we are brainwashed into belonging, rather than really seeing our unity.
In our core being, we know everything we need to know. We know truth when we see it. We have been manipulated to seek belonging, in a way, that has obscured the truth. If we are liberal we have this set of beliefs, if we are conservative we have another, every religion has its own set. None of these group truths can be true. The test of truth is that it is true. The only test these group truths have, is agreement, and that one will be punished, by not going along.
I will say it again. We need to become deprogrammed! Check it out. Why do we believe, what we believe? Is it just because the group, we identify with, believes it?
We need to appreciate what being sovereign means. Belonging to a group doesn't mean giving up discernment.
We will learn to 'see' when we accept the fact, that the only thing we know for sure, is that love is real. Love, kindness, respect for each other, gentleness, acceptance of each others peculiarities; that is the mother lode we should be mining. Then perhaps we will begin to know something.
Love and Peace, Gregg
We are One. Being one is truth. We are one in that we are all part of Source. We are all love. Being One does not mean conforming. It does not mean agreement. We are part of nature. Precise duplicates do not occur in nature. Like snowflakes, no two of us is the same.
Our ego is constantly seeking safety. It is the part of us that protects our separateness. Paradoxically, to protect our separateness, it tries to blend us into the crowd and therefore make us less vulnerable to attack.
We have a natural wish to belong, to family, to tribe, to nation, to any group we find ourselves in.
We have been programmed by our ego's need to be protective and our natural wish to belong. We are by creation, autonomous, sovereign beings. We have been programmed to have a herd mentality. We have been programmed to work hard and not expect much out of life. From the very beginnings of our life, on this planet, we are programmed to not expect much out of life. We are held out examples of success, like carrots on the end of a stick, but there is an underneath feeling that life is hard work drudgery and death. If we can avoid too many disasters we are lucky. Do you know what I mean by this pessimism about life? I have always been impressed with the negativity that exist in nursery rhymes and tales we teach our children. As a young father I did not want my children reading Hans Christian Anderson. However, most of the other tales had some negative programming, also.
Remember the story of the grasshopper and the ant. That always struck me as an example of programming, and yesterday, I read a blog where it was used as an example. The ant labors a way preparing for the future, why the grasshopper enjoys the moment, and basks in the Sun. When Winter comes the ant goes down into his underground home and enjoys the fruits of his labor and the grasshopper perishes in the cold.
Then there is the little red hen. She asks several of the animals around her to help her bake a cake and they all have better things to do. When the cake is out of the oven, they gather around and she reminds them, that since they wouldn't help here prepare it, they don't get any.
All through our life there are subtle variations on these themes. We need to prepare. We need to save for the future. We have to expect there will be rainy days. Where is the emphasis on enjoying the moment? Where is the reassurance that everything will be indeed Sunny. Well it is there, of course, we hear it it our music. In fact I am hearing a phrase from a song, "everything will be all right" or something like that.
Yes, we have a lot of positive programming in our culture, especially in the arts. But we need to take a look at how much negative programming is placed in front of our children.
We need to become deprogrammed. Those of us who, think for ourselves and challenge or eschew the commonly held beliefs of our tribe [family, nation, religious group etc.] are punished one way or another.
We will never appreciate what Oneness means, as long as we are brainwashed into belonging, rather than really seeing our unity.
In our core being, we know everything we need to know. We know truth when we see it. We have been manipulated to seek belonging, in a way, that has obscured the truth. If we are liberal we have this set of beliefs, if we are conservative we have another, every religion has its own set. None of these group truths can be true. The test of truth is that it is true. The only test these group truths have, is agreement, and that one will be punished, by not going along.
I will say it again. We need to become deprogrammed! Check it out. Why do we believe, what we believe? Is it just because the group, we identify with, believes it?
We need to appreciate what being sovereign means. Belonging to a group doesn't mean giving up discernment.
We will learn to 'see' when we accept the fact, that the only thing we know for sure, is that love is real. Love, kindness, respect for each other, gentleness, acceptance of each others peculiarities; that is the mother lode we should be mining. Then perhaps we will begin to know something.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Monday, March 9, 2015
IT'S SPRING
It is hard to believe that it was twenty below zero Thursday Morning, just four days ago. It is 42.8 degrees F right now. It warmed up on Friday and Spring came suddenly on Saturday. It seems like it is here to stay.
I walked out to the barn yesterday, a distance of one hundred yards, on the way I noticed the snow depth varied. There were wide swathes of bare ground in some places and other places where the snow was a couple inches deep, to more than five inches. I don't know if the snowscape varied that much because of the wind or it just melted faster by location, or both.
The chickens reacted to the change in the weather. They are usually tentative about their initial journey outside in the Morning. Today they couldn't wait to get out.
I am having difficulty keeping my mind on this blog. My son, Noah, has been living with us since June. He is an actor and he has an audition in California tomorrow. I need to take him to the airport, a two hour trip, and I have a few things to do before we go. I thought I would be able to do my usual blog first, but my mind keeps turning to the impending trip. So much for keeping my mind in the present moment. Oh well, I have given up perfection for Lent.
Expect me to write on Wednesday.
Love and Peace, Gregg
I walked out to the barn yesterday, a distance of one hundred yards, on the way I noticed the snow depth varied. There were wide swathes of bare ground in some places and other places where the snow was a couple inches deep, to more than five inches. I don't know if the snowscape varied that much because of the wind or it just melted faster by location, or both.
The chickens reacted to the change in the weather. They are usually tentative about their initial journey outside in the Morning. Today they couldn't wait to get out.
I am having difficulty keeping my mind on this blog. My son, Noah, has been living with us since June. He is an actor and he has an audition in California tomorrow. I need to take him to the airport, a two hour trip, and I have a few things to do before we go. I thought I would be able to do my usual blog first, but my mind keeps turning to the impending trip. So much for keeping my mind in the present moment. Oh well, I have given up perfection for Lent.
Expect me to write on Wednesday.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Friday, March 6, 2015
IS SPRING ABOUT TO SPRING?
It was barely above zero F at eleven last night. The weather folks predicted our below zero nights were over, at least for the time being. It didn't seem like they were right. When I went to bed about midnight, it was 1.1 degrees F. Looks they were right, the temperature was rising and there was a southern breeze. It was in teens when I got up and it is now 23. I am pleased to welcome the warmer weather.
Many of us are discouraged that there is not more evidence of a positive change in the world. It seems like we have been waiting for a long time. We are tired of hearing the same old war mongering news and the continuing focus, on everything negative, that may have the potential to divide, or inculcate fear in the individual.
As long as we focus on the decaying world we will not see the changes that are emerging all around us. The media will not recognize the world that is happening until it is obvious to everybody. People are awakening. It is a matter of degree; some people are snapping awake and seeing the dawn of a fabulous new world, others are just beginning to crack their eyes open. Peoples all over the world are throwing off the shackles of fear that have controlled us for eons. We need be slaves, no longer.
Still, many of us, who, otherwise, are far on the road to enlightenment, are in the doldrums. We might be preoccupied with some issue, or too fascinated with the manipulations of the controllers, to give up our focus on them. We don't need to understand, chapter and verse, about how we have been manipulated, to think and feel, along the lines that our controllers wanted. We do need to see that we have been shaped by fear to believe untruths, that helped a certain group of people gain wealth and power. They use our allegiance to our tribe and each other to subvert our thinking. Religion was one of their favorite tools. Religion is man made; it has nothing to do with Source or God.
We will 'see' when we give up fear thoughts and learn to live 'now'. We have a natural drive to evolve. It is as powerful a drive, as the body has to grow, when a child becomes an adult. It cannot be stopped without extreme malnutrition. The malnutrition our minds experience is the ingestion of fear. Our path towards enlightenment will accelerate as we give up fear. Love cannot enter a fearful place. We invite love in by giving up our fear.
If we are sitting here on Planet Earth, waiting for paradise to come, we might just miss it. We must realize it has always been here. We must begin from the inside out. We must let go, all the thoughts of the dreadful world, we are leaving behind. We must create paradise in ourselves and share it with the person next to us. If the person next to us is not ready for our light, forgive them when we feel affronted, and learn compassion, for where they are. We were there yesterday.
For awhile, our lives will be like beads on a string. We will at the happy bead, the peaceful bead, we may find ourselves back at the angry bead, or gloomy bead; then back at the happy bead again. It isn't a straight path. Old issues will arise. We will find things and people we need to forgive. Our drive to grow cannot be quelled. Eventually there will be no more dark beads in our chain. We will see paradise.
People will learn from our example, more than our words. There is nothing like a smiley face and bright eyes radiating joy and happiness.
Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Many of us are discouraged that there is not more evidence of a positive change in the world. It seems like we have been waiting for a long time. We are tired of hearing the same old war mongering news and the continuing focus, on everything negative, that may have the potential to divide, or inculcate fear in the individual.
As long as we focus on the decaying world we will not see the changes that are emerging all around us. The media will not recognize the world that is happening until it is obvious to everybody. People are awakening. It is a matter of degree; some people are snapping awake and seeing the dawn of a fabulous new world, others are just beginning to crack their eyes open. Peoples all over the world are throwing off the shackles of fear that have controlled us for eons. We need be slaves, no longer.
Still, many of us, who, otherwise, are far on the road to enlightenment, are in the doldrums. We might be preoccupied with some issue, or too fascinated with the manipulations of the controllers, to give up our focus on them. We don't need to understand, chapter and verse, about how we have been manipulated, to think and feel, along the lines that our controllers wanted. We do need to see that we have been shaped by fear to believe untruths, that helped a certain group of people gain wealth and power. They use our allegiance to our tribe and each other to subvert our thinking. Religion was one of their favorite tools. Religion is man made; it has nothing to do with Source or God.
We will 'see' when we give up fear thoughts and learn to live 'now'. We have a natural drive to evolve. It is as powerful a drive, as the body has to grow, when a child becomes an adult. It cannot be stopped without extreme malnutrition. The malnutrition our minds experience is the ingestion of fear. Our path towards enlightenment will accelerate as we give up fear. Love cannot enter a fearful place. We invite love in by giving up our fear.
If we are sitting here on Planet Earth, waiting for paradise to come, we might just miss it. We must realize it has always been here. We must begin from the inside out. We must let go, all the thoughts of the dreadful world, we are leaving behind. We must create paradise in ourselves and share it with the person next to us. If the person next to us is not ready for our light, forgive them when we feel affronted, and learn compassion, for where they are. We were there yesterday.
For awhile, our lives will be like beads on a string. We will at the happy bead, the peaceful bead, we may find ourselves back at the angry bead, or gloomy bead; then back at the happy bead again. It isn't a straight path. Old issues will arise. We will find things and people we need to forgive. Our drive to grow cannot be quelled. Eventually there will be no more dark beads in our chain. We will see paradise.
People will learn from our example, more than our words. There is nothing like a smiley face and bright eyes radiating joy and happiness.
Happy Friday!
Love and Peace, Gregg
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
EGO PAIN V
Despite the fact that it was at least nine degrees below zero last night, it is a gorgeous day. It is wonderfully Sunny and relatively calm. It is 4.6 degrees F now. It was a couple degrees below, when I went out to do the chores, I let the chickens out despite the chill. They love the Sun. They are intimidated by unpacked snow [they don't like it on their shanks] but they don't seem to mind the cold.
Often, I have no idea what I am going to write about as I sit down here. Today I have several ideas to choose from. I believe we are on the cusp of great changes. This promise has been held out to us for a long time and I don't like to be one who dangles it in front of folks. We get discouraged and we need uplifting at times, but promises quit being uplifting when they continue to be the carrot in front of the nose. Yet, I do think things are going to break in our favor very soon. The support for divisiveness, conflict and war is greatly attenuating. Peoples of the world want peace, in their hearts, and they are pulling their support from the war mongers. Watch for it, you will see it.
The banking system has always contained many individuals who are professional bankers. They just love banking. It is their passion. Many small towns and communities have been blessed by having these people run their banks. They are part of the community and they perform an essential service. However, they have become more and more rare, as the psychopathy side of the huge banks, took over, and began swallowing up their smaller cohorts. But just as any institutions, family or tribe you have those who are attracted to the light as well as the dark. Those professional bankers who saw themselves, as providing a service, did not all disappear. No matter how dark a profession or institution can be, there are always more folks who have allegiance to the light or at least ambivalent. The Psychopaths have been dominating the banking industry for a long, long time. However, there has always been a core of professionals who did not go along with the leadership. It is soon to be clear that the existing system is bankrupt and not sustainable. There are folks ready and waiting to revive the system according to loving principles.
I want to address another aspect of our egos, that causes much discomfort. ANGER. Most of our enlightened brethren have taught, that there is no justification for anger. The Course in Miracles points this out several times. They are not saying we don't have reasons for getting angry; sure we have reasons, but is that justifications? Believing it is justified keeps us stuck in place. We can't give up something we think we are justified in doing. I struggle with this myself. As I say, I teach what I am trying to learn.
I have come along, far enough, to see the truth of this concept. After, I react, I see that it was inappropriate and know that the anger did not protect me or defend me from anything. Anger causes great pain and is a barrier to having and maintaining close relationships.
This aspect, of the egos repertoire of responses, is especially hard to get over because our culture supports it and encourages it. We grow up believing we have a right to 'righteous anger'. Our controllers could never have maintained their divisiveness without encouraging anger. War would be impossible. Punishment, as we know it, would be unthinkable.
There is having anger and getting angry. There are folks who are angry and can't admit it. They see anger as inappropriate, or more probably dangerous, and cannot allow themselves to feel it. They are often shut down and depressed. They need help in feeling their anger so they can get passed it, whether it be forgiveness or just realizing it is not as scary as they thought.
Most of us are some combination. We may carry some anger from unresolved issues, but mostly we get angry. We get angry because our feelings are hurt. What does it mean to have our feelings hurt? It means a trigger point has caused us to be confronted with feelings of being unloved or unlovable. That precise point could be a learning experience. We could identify how we feel and how it originated, experience the original pain and forgive the original perpetrator. Huh! That never happens. Instead we lash out at the person, who in present time, is associated with those hurt feelings. They may have had no intention of hurting our feelings; but at the moment that is all we can see.
Again awareness, awareness, awareness is the solution. We need to get to know our feelings. For some, hurt feelings is just a figure of speech; for others [me] they are an actual pain in the heart area. Those of us who have a problem with reacting, leap out of the pain directly to attack. It can happen so quickly the pain isn't acknowledged.
We can learn an alternative to attack. With increased awareness we can say, our feelings are hurt. Not, "you hurt my feelings"; that is just a more subtle method of attack. If we really own our feelings we may walk away without saying anything, but in a close relationship, the individual who was part of the drama should know it happened. No one really hurts our feelings. Our feelings get hurt because, a situation occurs, where a trigger point is hit and we are flooded with a pain that has ancient origins.
Each time this happens, and we are truly aware, the intensity of the pain decreases. We begin to realize the basis of the pain is not real. Knowing we are lovable without reservation cures us. Once we know, we are loved, with absoluteness we will never be angry again.
It may have not occurred to some people that anger is not a necessary or natural part of our being. Like all ego tricks, it masquerades as something protective. Anything, that has to be done to be protective, can be accomplished better without anger. As we rise up and appreciate our oneness what do we need to protect ourselves from? Not each other.
The experience of anger, individually and collectively, will soon be only a memory as we learn to appreciate what loving beings we are. Love is the only answer and there is a tsunami of love engulfing us.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Often, I have no idea what I am going to write about as I sit down here. Today I have several ideas to choose from. I believe we are on the cusp of great changes. This promise has been held out to us for a long time and I don't like to be one who dangles it in front of folks. We get discouraged and we need uplifting at times, but promises quit being uplifting when they continue to be the carrot in front of the nose. Yet, I do think things are going to break in our favor very soon. The support for divisiveness, conflict and war is greatly attenuating. Peoples of the world want peace, in their hearts, and they are pulling their support from the war mongers. Watch for it, you will see it.
The banking system has always contained many individuals who are professional bankers. They just love banking. It is their passion. Many small towns and communities have been blessed by having these people run their banks. They are part of the community and they perform an essential service. However, they have become more and more rare, as the psychopathy side of the huge banks, took over, and began swallowing up their smaller cohorts. But just as any institutions, family or tribe you have those who are attracted to the light as well as the dark. Those professional bankers who saw themselves, as providing a service, did not all disappear. No matter how dark a profession or institution can be, there are always more folks who have allegiance to the light or at least ambivalent. The Psychopaths have been dominating the banking industry for a long, long time. However, there has always been a core of professionals who did not go along with the leadership. It is soon to be clear that the existing system is bankrupt and not sustainable. There are folks ready and waiting to revive the system according to loving principles.
I want to address another aspect of our egos, that causes much discomfort. ANGER. Most of our enlightened brethren have taught, that there is no justification for anger. The Course in Miracles points this out several times. They are not saying we don't have reasons for getting angry; sure we have reasons, but is that justifications? Believing it is justified keeps us stuck in place. We can't give up something we think we are justified in doing. I struggle with this myself. As I say, I teach what I am trying to learn.
I have come along, far enough, to see the truth of this concept. After, I react, I see that it was inappropriate and know that the anger did not protect me or defend me from anything. Anger causes great pain and is a barrier to having and maintaining close relationships.
This aspect, of the egos repertoire of responses, is especially hard to get over because our culture supports it and encourages it. We grow up believing we have a right to 'righteous anger'. Our controllers could never have maintained their divisiveness without encouraging anger. War would be impossible. Punishment, as we know it, would be unthinkable.
There is having anger and getting angry. There are folks who are angry and can't admit it. They see anger as inappropriate, or more probably dangerous, and cannot allow themselves to feel it. They are often shut down and depressed. They need help in feeling their anger so they can get passed it, whether it be forgiveness or just realizing it is not as scary as they thought.
Most of us are some combination. We may carry some anger from unresolved issues, but mostly we get angry. We get angry because our feelings are hurt. What does it mean to have our feelings hurt? It means a trigger point has caused us to be confronted with feelings of being unloved or unlovable. That precise point could be a learning experience. We could identify how we feel and how it originated, experience the original pain and forgive the original perpetrator. Huh! That never happens. Instead we lash out at the person, who in present time, is associated with those hurt feelings. They may have had no intention of hurting our feelings; but at the moment that is all we can see.
Again awareness, awareness, awareness is the solution. We need to get to know our feelings. For some, hurt feelings is just a figure of speech; for others [me] they are an actual pain in the heart area. Those of us who have a problem with reacting, leap out of the pain directly to attack. It can happen so quickly the pain isn't acknowledged.
We can learn an alternative to attack. With increased awareness we can say, our feelings are hurt. Not, "you hurt my feelings"; that is just a more subtle method of attack. If we really own our feelings we may walk away without saying anything, but in a close relationship, the individual who was part of the drama should know it happened. No one really hurts our feelings. Our feelings get hurt because, a situation occurs, where a trigger point is hit and we are flooded with a pain that has ancient origins.
Each time this happens, and we are truly aware, the intensity of the pain decreases. We begin to realize the basis of the pain is not real. Knowing we are lovable without reservation cures us. Once we know, we are loved, with absoluteness we will never be angry again.
It may have not occurred to some people that anger is not a necessary or natural part of our being. Like all ego tricks, it masquerades as something protective. Anything, that has to be done to be protective, can be accomplished better without anger. As we rise up and appreciate our oneness what do we need to protect ourselves from? Not each other.
The experience of anger, individually and collectively, will soon be only a memory as we learn to appreciate what loving beings we are. Love is the only answer and there is a tsunami of love engulfing us.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Monday, March 2, 2015
ANOTHER DAY ON PLANET EARTH
Is this the last week of below zero weather? It was slightly below zero this Morning and it is supposed to get down to -6F Wednesday Morning and -13F Thursday Morning, then it is suppose to warm up. It is March and time to see signs of Spring. I saw a Horned Lark on the way to Ogilvie last week. It is the first migratory bird we see. They arrive before Winter wanes. I usually see them in early March. I don't remember seeing them in February before. One sees them on the side of rural county roads and they fly up as you drive by. It was a cold Morning and it appeared as a welcome talisman.
Jamie said my blog is in a groove lately. She didn't say it was a rut. I understand her point. We are watching a world collapse. All the horror of the world, we made with fear, is coming out. The forces that control the media are still creating, or focusing on, stories that they hope will create divisiveness and lead to war. Nothing you read or hear, and I mean nothing, can be taken at face value. I think we are better off turning our eyes away from the crumbling world.
It is fascinating to watch and some of us need to understand how we got fooled into making it in the first place. I acknowledge that, and there are many sources for this information. It seems to me, that the more important task, is the bringing about the new world we create, knowing our oneness.
Perhaps it is not so much creating the New World, as recognizing it has always been here. It is what we see, when we decide that we will see nothing but love. It has always been in existence and many masters have seen it and tried to tell us it could be ours.
So, as I have said before, I write this blog to teach myself. I write what I want to learn. I want to see through the craziness and see what is here. I don't want to suffer the consequences of permitting my ego to define what I see and experience. I want to see what one would experience if they could only know love.
It occurred to me many years ago, that this world would be paradise if folks just loved each other. I can't get other people to love each other. I can raise my own consciousness so I love you, and you, and you, and you....................... It is the only place I can start. I can learn that I am a loving being, deserving of unconditional love, and see that everybody else is, too.
So I write this blog hoping to learn how to love myself and everybody else in this world. We cannot make meaningful decisions until we love ourselves.
Sometimes my goal seems far, far away. Other times, it seems like I could just step out into the bright Sunlight of the New Day.
It seems that two important steps in realizing my/our goal is [one] realizing happiness is a moment to moment decision and one we can make and [two] learning to trust in a benevolent universe. We have a much easier time accepting, we are love, and loving our neighbor, when we see the whole universe as an expression of love. Going to sleep every night trusting the universe and knowing all is well, goes a long way in helping us maintain loving connections.
I need to stop several times a day, perhaps for just a moment, and allow my mind to expand and include the center of my being. We are very peaceful at our center. These mini-meditations are very helpful. There is a tsunami of love. If we let our minds be peaceful, and sink down into ourselves, we can feel it.
Love and Peace, Gregg
Jamie said my blog is in a groove lately. She didn't say it was a rut. I understand her point. We are watching a world collapse. All the horror of the world, we made with fear, is coming out. The forces that control the media are still creating, or focusing on, stories that they hope will create divisiveness and lead to war. Nothing you read or hear, and I mean nothing, can be taken at face value. I think we are better off turning our eyes away from the crumbling world.
It is fascinating to watch and some of us need to understand how we got fooled into making it in the first place. I acknowledge that, and there are many sources for this information. It seems to me, that the more important task, is the bringing about the new world we create, knowing our oneness.
Perhaps it is not so much creating the New World, as recognizing it has always been here. It is what we see, when we decide that we will see nothing but love. It has always been in existence and many masters have seen it and tried to tell us it could be ours.
So, as I have said before, I write this blog to teach myself. I write what I want to learn. I want to see through the craziness and see what is here. I don't want to suffer the consequences of permitting my ego to define what I see and experience. I want to see what one would experience if they could only know love.
It occurred to me many years ago, that this world would be paradise if folks just loved each other. I can't get other people to love each other. I can raise my own consciousness so I love you, and you, and you, and you....................... It is the only place I can start. I can learn that I am a loving being, deserving of unconditional love, and see that everybody else is, too.
So I write this blog hoping to learn how to love myself and everybody else in this world. We cannot make meaningful decisions until we love ourselves.
Sometimes my goal seems far, far away. Other times, it seems like I could just step out into the bright Sunlight of the New Day.
It seems that two important steps in realizing my/our goal is [one] realizing happiness is a moment to moment decision and one we can make and [two] learning to trust in a benevolent universe. We have a much easier time accepting, we are love, and loving our neighbor, when we see the whole universe as an expression of love. Going to sleep every night trusting the universe and knowing all is well, goes a long way in helping us maintain loving connections.
I need to stop several times a day, perhaps for just a moment, and allow my mind to expand and include the center of my being. We are very peaceful at our center. These mini-meditations are very helpful. There is a tsunami of love. If we let our minds be peaceful, and sink down into ourselves, we can feel it.
Love and Peace, Gregg