Greetings my gentle readers to another week and another weekend with the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. A time when we can sit back with a common thought and thread and love and appreciate the miracles of the moments that surround us. A time to rejoice on the small moments and the interface that we share with all other living creatures on this big rolling blue marble that we call Earth.
I would like to thankl everyone who has read and shared this blog and subsequently tuned into my radio show, "Prescribing Spiritual HOPE" found on blog talk radio as well. Each week we will look at this blog and discuss it further and how it relates to the fact that we are really simply spiritual entities who are having a human existence. Our live show is aired every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern EDT and given audience numbers, have added a repeat/re-airing of the show every Saturday night at 8pm EDT. That there are so many wonderful opportunities that exist around the corner. Spiritual HOPE takes into the context that we in order to prevent the dis-ease and diseases that permeate through our lives that our tactical approach to healing and staying well (and avoiding those darn negative karmic souvenir keychains!) must be multimodal in approach. Past radio shows may be found here. We should look at approaching our lives through a Holistic approach and that we need to have an idea what our end Outcomes are. Where are we going and what are the tools and plans and strategies that we will pursue to help make those dreams come to life? Our life is also a very Personal experience and so the P in HOPE looks at that personal journey that we all have and more importantly how it links and interfaces with everything else. And that we know we have a choice under the free will covenant which is the E, or Empowerment. We can make choices and take responsibility as we move ahead and ensure that we have the opportunity to advance our objectives.
Where does this all go? I believe it enhances the mindfulness and richness and appreciations of the moments. There are so many challenges along the course and discourse of each and every day. Are we indeed hard wired to be miserable despite all of the incredible offerings around us? Or perhaps are we reading the signposts along the avenue of life incorrectly? Do we as individuals get so wrapped up in goals for stuff and filling our places with stuff and buying stuff and working to make money to get more stuff that we are indeed, stuffed?
I find that an interesting concept as there is a wonderful thought that goes along the lines if we are so full of ourselves, there cannot be room for anything else. That is the ego-dragon that exists within all of us I believe and it is hungry, wants more stuff and is growing. The 3 headed dragon so to speak. And that simply shearing a head off of the dragon is not going to do much in the long term for healing. In fact, the head comes back and he is one peeved off, bitter camper. Burn baby. Someone call in St. Michael the Archangel... stat!
Certainly is it hard to remove the ego from oneself and I am not saying to do that. Shylock and the Merchant of Venice and the "pound of flesh" comes to mind. And to do that without spilling a drop of blood... aint gunna happen.
So how can we move ahead and spiritually as we indeed truly are advance without being full of ourselves? If indeed we do have that overbearing, overarching desire to fill ourselves... perhaps we can look externally. We I feel can have our cake and eat it to if we look at it with eyes of appreciation and goodwill, relishing the cake one mindful bite at a time. Same way one cannot fill a vase with sand and then expect to put in stones and golf balls, we ARE able to put in the golf balls first, then the pebbles and then the sand. Make a layered parfait out of our lives that is a mosaic of many facets and skills and gifts.
For we do have those gifts and in order to maximize their strength (use it or lose it baby!) we need to practice and continually build that muscle of spirituality. Mindfulness, reflection, gratitude, prayer and giving with altruism I feel are the 5 fingers and thumb that fit this glove that we are. They will produce an end outcome that has been driven by holistic approaches. To be mindful is key that we are one with the moment and not racing off in true illegal street racing form to get to the next stoplight. It is the wide eyed wonderment of the child and looking at things without judgement as if they were new each and every time.
Over the next 5 weeks, I will look at each of these 5 components of a parfait driven life. Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude, Prayer and Altruistic giving. Along the way, we will share exercises and break bread and have a wonderful collaborative and giving/ sharing experience! Feel free to email me at rev.joel@live.ca if there are any particular stories or perspectives YOU would like to share over the next 5 months.
Together, we can let us, let me let you be yourself, often.
--- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure April 2012
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