The Stone Suitcase: Balancing the Load

Greetings my gentle readers to this week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog and the second installment of “The Stone Suitcase”. That wonderful point in the week when we can mindfully reflect on what we are becoming. A time to reflect on the choices that present themselves.

This week, building on the theory of remembrance, we will look at the approach of how to carry the load of our stone suitcases. It may be a temptation to jettison the baggage, for after all, are we not designed to be free spirited and free of will and thought and actions? To do so would mean that we are constantly as a babe and recall nothing and have no animosities, etc.

But there are certain things that we have evolved across. When we are young, we lament that we wish we were older and somewhere along the line, often in the 30’s we aspire for the opposite.  Why is that? There are the suitcases that we carry that encase the race and culture and history that we are and were.

Eckhart Tolle calls the negative component “The Pain-Body”, which I agree with. These are suitcases that are often not needed, carried as a martyr and drug out for all to see when in reality, most of it is sheer baggage and worthy of jettison, much less paraded in public display. The saddest part about that pain body is that individuals may not even recognize they are carrying it, or even worse use these exceptionally one-sided stories for pity and perceived victimization.  These are experiences of degeneration. There are some pain bodies though that may be useful to remember in the sense where the human entity itself is at some degree of risk, to allow us preventing it from happening again.

On the converse is what I would call the “Healing-Body” and these are aspects and suitcases that we have picked up through learnings across the days and years (and in fact ages!) that allow tips and tools to help and learn and heal. This may be similar to developing and advancing neuroplasticity and in fact healing along the line that we see in a younger individual. Their skin is good and their mind absorbs all of the learnings. This is a time of generation of positives and learnings. We develop language, skills, mediation, play and social interaction. All of these latter skills are becoming sadly more archaic with all the advents of Internet addiction and social media addiction, such as I wrote of the beginning of this year in the Canadian Journal of CME.

So… what to keep and what to jettison? Along and balanced with the suitcases are friends and advisers, mentors and healers, teachers and fellow students, family and loved ones that can help you sort through the positives and negatives. These wise sages DO have some wonderful positive stone suitcases that they have acquired over the years and in the spirit of education, which is a two way format of delivering information I believe, are able to help you help you. That being that they impart their wisdom and enable the carrier of the suitcases to open their minds beyond the tangible horizons they thought was possible. That may include Eastern medicines, Reiki, spirituality, different cultures, religions, languages, thoughts and ideas.

THIS is why we lament to be older when we are young. For that chance and responsibility and the learnings that the elders carry. The elders have imparted these to us and we ideally will advance these objectives through education and social discourse through a positive, mentoring modeling.

The Stone Suitcase Part 1-Remembrance

Greetings my gentle readers to this week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. That wonderful point in the week when we can sit back with the weeds in the wheat and look to the shafts reaching up the sky that we are becoming. A time to reflect on the moments that were and was and never will be again. The time of laughter, tears, miracles in the moments and challenges and successes intertwined in the tapestry of a life.

The next few weeks I will be writing and then presenting installments on my weekly Tuesday 9pm EST radio show, Prescribing Spiritual H.O.P.E. on the topic of “The Stone Suitcase”. The show may be found on Spreaker through WULC at http://www.spreaker.com/show/tuesday_prescribing_spiritual_hope

This week we will address the topic of Remembrance, being still Veterans Day/ Remembrance Day in North America.  History is doomed to repeat itself if we do not learn from it and the stone suitcases we carry with us are the memories of the atrocities carried out on humanity and the lives lost to protect our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  These include the right to be able to engage in free speech, lawful assembly and advance scientific knowledge in a way that optimizes care and delivery, respecting the rights and autonomy of the person, without risk of attack secondary to race, creed, sexual persuasion or health status. This is my first year working with Forces and also my first year advancing medical ethics in education as the Canadian Section Chief with UNESCO.

These are the miracles in the moment to have and carry that right and behooves us to uphold these values. Do we advance humanity or have a tale to tell of our own living Hell? That is choice. BUT-that we can actually make a stand and state when someone is being attacked bullied or made to feel less than they are.  We are all a product of our past and present and feel moments of grief and loss with the happiness and positivity. I have had several discussions of recent, interspersed with death that reminds me of the validity of this statement.  That we are able to love and feel loved, laugh and cry reminds us that we are human. To suppress that is something I do not believe (and have taken great ribbing over the years that I don’t have Kleenex in my office). That is because we are to feel that humanity.

Ways and methods to deaden that humanity that thrives within us is through intensive imbibing in commercialism, being the victim of bullying and spending too much time living someone else’s dream. This is a time for self-expression and the way to start and capture that objective is to appreciate the small miracles in life. The colour of the grass, clouds in the sky and only then can we be shafts of wheat that rise above the choking weeds of the drudgery of life and allow us to fly. And to have flight means that we are more likely through actions to carry that forward and help someone else fly by sharing the miracles.

For to give those miracles away through education is to allow the person to appreciate their own Freedoms and know what hold them back. We must never forget our stone suitcases, but rather learn from them. Lest we forget, for if you forget, you will not be yourself, often.

                                    ~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    Remembrance Day 2012

Reflections About Peeing in Puddles

Greetings my gentle readers to another installment of the “Be Yourself, Often Blog”. A time when we can step back and reflect on the wonderful collection of memories that may have been captured in our net of dreams, or missed by our incessant driven dependency on being busy. This is a point where if we are brave enough, that we can have the fortitude to sing the praises of the moments that were or wonder how we missed the miracles that happened.

It is an interesting reflection that the mesh of the filter that allows us to see the moment is not static, but fluid depending on what we are doing, how busy we are or our degree of interest or passion attached to the subject and event at hand. Truly is we stop and think, there is so much that tends to escape us, isnt there? We may catch the larger items in front of us, such as a big win, but even that is so dependent on our perspectives?

There are many things that in the course of business that happens… appointments get missed and special moments with family that only come around once may be omitted or lost. At that point, one may be left with a feeling of loss and doing an internal reflection of the checks and balances and address the value systems they have. That almost assigns a value to seeing, doing or missing an event and the remuneration attached. Is it really worth it? Even more important, what is the feeling of the other side? Is the absenteeism noticed? Of course. Will a payment or gift cover it? Of course not. Even worse in our busy world where we are all connect is the presenteeism that occurs in dynamics of family and social interactions.

So many other things get lost or waylaid in the day and yet get lost beyond the larger events like birthdays and anniversaries?  These are the small miracles in the moment that demonstrate that we totally and truly exist in a state where there is a Heaven on Earth. And it is our natural state of being, not that of the large mesh where everything goes through the sieve and we miss these miracles of the moments.

Why might that be? Perhaps we sacrifice ourselves and our health at the altar of the great demi-God, consumerism and capitalism. However, no matter what the –ism, they cannot replace the colour of the sky or the smile of a loved one. It is a very, very heavy price to pay.

It is unknown what we collect, have or will walk away with at the end of days, besides death. When that day comes, we cannot predict or know… which offers some reflection that we should live each moment intensely and if they were our last. Does it TRULY matter what others think of how you dress, how you play or why or how you express yourself? Is it not a gift that we are able to express ourselves in a way that places our fingerprint on the moment that we and others remember? That signature style that is our unique claim to life? Who gave someone else the right to bully, invade our privacy, integrate themselves into what and who we are? All I know is that I feel sorry for those lost souls, as their life is so shallow and their puddle so dry that they must live vicariously or try to piss in someone else puddle and pollute the moment with their toxicity.

I would rather appreciate the depth and breadth of the puddle, embrace it and be a kid, loving the mindfulness of the moment. First one needs to realize that life is too busy and chaotic. But after that, one is empowered to step back, embrace and live and love. Basically, to be yourself, often.

                        ~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    November 2012

Reflections About Peeing in Puddles

Greetings my gentle readers to another installment of the “Be Yourself, Often Blog”. A time when we can step back and reflect on the wonderful collection of memories that may have been captured in our net of dreams, or missed by our incessant driven dependency on being busy. This is a point where if we are brave enough, that we can have the fortitude to sing the praises of the moments that were or wonder how we missed the miracles that happened.

It is an interesting reflection that the mesh of the filter that allows us to see the moment is not static, but fluid depending on what we are doing, how busy we are or our degree of interest or passion attached to the subject and event at hand. Truly is we stop and think, there is so much that tends to escape us, isnt there? We may catch the larger items in front of us, such as a big win, but even that is so dependent on our perspectives?

There are many things that in the course of business that happens… appointments get missed and special moments with family that only come around once may be omitted or lost. At that point, one may be left with a feeling of loss and doing an internal reflection of the checks and balances and address the value systems they have. That almost assigns a value to seeing, doing or missing an event and the remuneration attached. Is it really worth it? Even more important, what is the feeling of the other side? Is the absenteeism noticed? Of course. Will a payment or gift cover it? Of course not. Even worse in our busy world where we are all connect is the presenteeism that occurs in dynamics of family and social interactions.

So many other things get lost or waylaid in the day and yet get lost beyond the larger events like birthdays and anniversaries?  These are the small miracles in the moment that demonstrate that we totally and truly exist in a state where there is a Heaven on Earth. And it is our natural state of being, not that of the large mesh where everything goes through the sieve and we miss these miracles of the moments.

Why might that be? Perhaps we sacrifice ourselves and our health at the altar of the great demi-God, consumerism and capitalism. However, no matter what the –ism, they cannot replace the colour of the sky or the smile of a loved one. It is a very, very heavy price to pay.

It is unknown what we collect, have or will walk away with at the end of days, besides death. When that day comes, we cannot predict or know… which offers some reflection that we should live each moment intensely and if they were our last. Does it TRULY matter what others think of how you dress, how you play or why or how you express yourself? Is it not a gift that we are able to express ourselves in a way that places our fingerprint on the moment that we and others remember? That signature style that is our unique claim to life? Who gave someone else the right to bully, invade our privacy, integrate themselves into what and who we are? All I know is that I feel sorry for those lost souls, as their life is so shallow and their puddle so dry that they must live vicariously or try to piss in someone else puddle and pollute the moment with their toxicity.

I would rather appreciate the depth and breadth of the puddle, embrace it and be a kid, loving the mindfulness of the moment. First one needs to realize that life is too busy and chaotic. But after that, one is empowered to step back, embrace and live and love. Basically, to be yourself, often.

                        ~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    November 2012

Beacons Fostering Light and Love Through Storms

Greetings my gentle readers to this week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. As you all well know, this is a time when we can all sit back and think and the moments that were in a segment of time on this plane that will not return again.  When one stops and reflects on it from that sort of perspective, it is quite a sobering point. A collection of events that transpire in our lives that result in negative outcomes, most often beyond our control and results in “The Perfect Storm” or “Frankenstorm”, which may be more appropriate given the weather patterns across the Eastern seaboard of the United States as this is being written.

However, what we do with challenges and forces of positive and negative that integrate themselves into our path is always a potential for reflection. It is not that we are lucky or unlucky, but if we are to address these forces that intersect our vector, awareness is essential. 

There are some situations that occur that are so much an act of aggression that it is us during times that we are so least deserving or ready to fight that battle, yet we most. It is an interface of the worlds we have that co-exist on Earth in a spectrum. In my experience, these challenges that impact these people are most often debilitating, severe and impact on a persons financial or personal health and well being encompassing disaster and disease that results in dis-ease.

It is an attack also on the psyche of the person and results in an alteration of the orbit of their world, that can cause nothing less than a marked change, coupled with a health degree of positive self-talk, reflection and looking to the root cause analysis of why. Root cause analysis is a pattern of asking the question “why?” 5 times in a sequential and structured format. Why did this happen? Why me? Why now? Why are the forces causing challenges at this point and time?

One of the hardest questions that I have had to grapple with, is that why is it always the kindest, most warm and loving people that this happens to often?  The people that give so much and earn from the Universe trials and tribulations for their efforts and kindness helping others while those that may not care the same or are more self-centered seem unafflicted? Blindness, neurological, psychological, physiological, autoimmune, nerve and immobility to name a few.  It is what the people do with these challenges that make them beacons of Light that translate into positive outcomes across time and give for others.

These are individuals, and we all know one that is a beacon of Light on the dark and stormy seas. Their guiding light saves many mariners such as myself from the darkness and towering waves of the moment. They are truly Light-givers and altruistic in nature. They are heroes that push humanity ahead.  They ensure that the vectors of humanity are not fully divergent, but have the opportunity if so chosen and selected for the masses to learn love and light.

And I believe to have the true honour to touch these individuals and have them touch you is to touch the spirit in the sky. And just maybe the gift that they carry will translate to you if you have the willingness and fortitude to learn. And to learn the gift of love and light is to touch the person and spirit that we truly are, and allow you to be yourself, often.

                        ~~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure     October 2012

First World Whining

Greetings my gentle readers to another installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. A time when we can step back and reflect on the moments that are and the week that was and reflect and wonder about the footprints in the sand that we have made on the beach of life.  No matter the sand, the warmth of the beach or the fact that the sand may be captured by the waves of times, the footprints that have been done solo and collectively still remain in memory and spirit.

This week one stops and ponders on the positives and challenges of the day and life that we enjoy. One tends to besmirch the moments with shades of black and grey that deaden the life that is. Smear poop all over the tapestry that is our life, often very unwittingly. Plus there are those that were to take the beautiful tapestry of others and drag it down. Why is that? We are creatures of love and light and full of our spirit and spiritual energies that make us more than the sum of our parts.

These parts that make us up are skin and bones, hair and neurons but beyond that lies a beautiful amorphic that one can only begin to conceptualize. It is the “I’ and the “Me” in the equation that is so very much more than mono-syllabic terms and words. This is a battle between the spiritus and the ego. That ego dog is fed all of the time and the First World dynamic is a constant 24/7 buffet of unending opportunities for the ego dog. And what does it eat? But relationships in the end run, all along the way with small meals in the format of commercials, consumerism, commercialism, capitalism and the proverbial “Keeping up with the Joneses”.

Along the way there are such feckless whines and complaints that one hears and is against the spiritus in the favour of the ego that is hungry. One of the things that the ego tends to ingest and inhale is the life, light and shining candle of spiritus that lies deeply within each of us. And one can hear these first worlds whines all of the time. They are that a person is never having enough or as much or what they deserve of what they feel that they should have or deserve. And that creates a sense of un-ease, dis-ease and ultimately disease. That there is an incidence of mental health disorders that is up to 25 times that of remote, severely underprivileged third world countries.

You my gentle readers know of what we are speaking. The constant complaints about things that end of the day and almost certainly by the end of the week will not matter in the slightest. It creates a “Poor Me” situation and can you believe it, the personal actually feels downgraded, downcast and put upon!! When they have health, energy, life, senses, lights, electricity, cars, clean air, clothing (enough for 25 outfits or more)… and you see how insane this situation is. And to make it even worse, often they will take those at ease and try to foist their delusional beliefs upon others in the form of hassling, harassment or bullying. Basically drag them down and shred the beautiful tapestry that is one person being themselves.

How can this be overcome? By being careful of Faith and knowing our faith will define our beliefs which will define our thoughts and thus our actions and outcomes. It is about stepping back in the milieu of the moment and being able to be at ease. To be a kid, a healing entity at heart and mind and be at ease with the moment. To have fun and truly feel and appreciate the senses and elements and connections with the earth that we have. To breathe in fresh air and understand its good to be alive and that we can, if we so choose, know that we can define and write the next set of chapters in our book of life on our Destiny. And then we can touch the heavens that exist on earth, turn our back to some of the hell that coexists and spread our wings. To do so is to be yourself, often.

            ~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   October 2012