I’m writing to you from a perspective of shared knowledge. We all have our life journey and it seems our success is directly related to our capacity to mindfully take nourishing food/actions or mindlessly take foods that leave us less than what we were before.
I want you to go to a very deep place. Just sit in silence for awhile, touching where you were before your parents were born in 1976 and 1981. Better yet, touch that place you were before Jane and I were born, 1950. It’s an empty space, but one that’s very whole. Breathe in, then breathe out. Do this several times, and feel deeply the ancestors riding on your shoulders. You can always do this. This is good, because you know you’re never alone. You always have the full support of our very big family riding with you. You also must know that there are no secrets. When you think no one is watching, think again.
I’m so lucky to get to meet you in your first life months. You both came with such courage. These times are changing so fast and it will be important for you to be very attentive to what you let into your mind and body. There are so many that want you to loose this attentiveness so they can capture your attention for their own benefit. This will make your journey more difficult, possibly slowing it down for many years. Never forget that you came into your body complete. You came in whole, healed to the beautiful interconnection of all things. It’s a natural process to separate, to develop a sense of identity, to feel good about what you can accomplish. Yet, I want you to know that your life journey will be about the speed you come back to wholeness…to the felt sense of connection with God in and of all things. This awareness will help you face any situation with composure that will be a shining light for others.
The test of correct action and thought is how you feel “after” it. For example, if you eat a sugar filled candy bar, it’s pleasurable in the mouth, but when it hits the belly it may not feel so good. It’s also hard on your teeth, disrupts your natural metabolism, and may add unwanted weight to your body. So pay great attention to whether or not the action/thought nourishes or weakens you. Most actions taken primarily for pleasure may feel good at the moment, but inevitably leave an unwanted consequence. This doesn’t mean we can’t be happy. When we consume a food or event with a deeper sense of appreciation, respecting how it takes us to a deeper, more authentic living, we live a life of stewardship. You’re mindfully consuming/acting from a sense of stewardship to those who came before you and those yet to come.
More and more commercials will hit you claiming you can’t be happy without this or that product or service. Mindful living will hold you in that space where you have all you need right now. Many will try to tell you that you aren’t enough. So many people miss their life journey because they think they’re not enough. They’re always trying to figure out how they can be sufficient. This thinking is bad medicine. It doesn’t nourish your body/mind and greatly hinders your spiritual path. Your mind/body has been given to you as a great honor. Very few get to manifest as human beings and the very least we can do is forever hold deep appreciation for this gift. Always fill the day with gratitude…for your eyes, legs, feet, nose, mobility, stomach, etc. You can never meet the limit of gratitude for what God has given you. Our job is to find the space to uncover the gift in what’s given, no matter what. Some days will be hard. You can hold onto the pain and grow misery, or you can move through the pain, grow, appreciate and return to joy.
We never know when we’ll leave these bodies, so take nothing for granted. Make your appointment with life, always challenging your body/mind to new ground. This is good food. Wasting time on entertainments and pleasures is quick fix joy, but again, once out of the moment of pleasure, it doesn’t feel good. Our job is to feel good. Smile as much as you can, even when you’re sad. And if you can’t, dedicate yourself to finding a pleasant memory or something to be grateful for. Happiness will return.
I like to look at gratitude for my body, my home, my relationships and my work. You chose your parents for very sacred reasons. They are to be always honored and respected by you. They will always be there to support you on your journey, even though some days it may not seem this way. You’ll sometimes find yourself in anger. Save it for another day, and I can assure you that that day simply won’t come.
Love your body always, no matter what. Love your home always, no matter what. Love your relationships always, from a perspective of best for all with harm to none. This can be especially difficult when others seem to want to hurt us. It may feel good to fight and defend, but when it’s over, looking back on the bigger effect, it never works. It’s not good food that nourishes. We are each other, so when I hurt someone else, I’m hurting myself. When I love someone else, I love myself. Dogs seem to understand this better than humans. I suspect you’ll have your fights. Just pay attention to how you feel after the event. It’s just like a good meal or a bad meal. The short term, sugar buzz high we get from attacking someone simply doesn’t last. The love we send to those who would harm us is very nourishing food.
We all have negative and positive emotion seeds. We’ll grow what we feed and a happy life always feeds positive emotions. If we’re not feeling positive it’s time to look at what we’re feeding those negative emotion seeds. If we’re positive, in love with our interconnection, we’re whole…healed. If we’re negative, in fear and separation, we’re dis-eased. Our biggest work is staying positive in our body, home, relationships and work. This is big work. Many work to get us to fear and conflict for their benefit. A great movie that shows how simple happiness can be is The Wizard of Oz. All Dorothy had to do was click her heals and she was home. Each breath in, that’s all you need to do…simply arrive to this moment, in gratitude. You’ll be happy.
Do challenge yourself, always. Aspire and grace is given. Meditate often. This is necessary so you can align yourself with your deepest intentions which may have existed before you entered this body of yours. Don’t get caught on notions of fixing what’s wrong, but do express yourself fully on projects that come from your inner knowing. This won’t be easy. It can be very frustrating at first, but always notice what attracts you and move to it. Reach out to others that resonate with your internal pull. Then, take action with that energy. Aspire and God’s grace will pour down upon you. The more you feel you’re expressing that which is going through you, and the more you say “yes” to it, the freer you’ll feel.
Living backwards is a good test of stewardship. Plan your day, always. Live each action in reverse, developing your faith and wisdom in correct speech and action. Would you do it the same if you had it to do over? If yes, this is a good test that you’re on a nourishing growth path. Again, living in joy, in mindful thought and action, moves from the heart with intention to what’s best for all with harm to none.
Your Great Grandfather Galen lived a life of “no complaint, no complaint”. This is an admirable life. Complaint and criticism may taste good in the moment, but always leave a bad aftertaste. Stay connected to hope. It’s the only antidote to cynicism, fear, and apathy. Mindful consumption is always moderate consumption. Galen also carried this wisdom, knowing that relationships are more difficult when living a life of excess.
Many will try to give you answers. The most dangerous words in our language are, “I know that”. Hold the mystery; always go deeper into the question. When you meditate, pray, practice affirmation and move in trust and curiosity, flexible and patient, magic doorways will open.
Hold the mystery, eat your food backwards, love your friends and family backwards, live your work backwards, and you’ll have a rich nourishing life. Aim to comfort, notions of material security and pleasure and your journey may be poisoned. Be authentic, do wholeheartedly, and you will have.
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