Category: gratitude

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Everything is a Choice and We Each Have the Freedom to Choose.

“Freedom is a condition of the Soul. As we turn to the kingdom of our inner Self, we find the reign of divine Power in the outer world. As we seek peace within, we find harmony without.”

~Joel Goldsmith, The Art of Meditation

 

freedom-insideFreedom is something we all search for. Freedom of religion, freedom to be who we’d like to be, freedom from abuse, freedom to choose certain things in our life, freedom to feel the equality we are supposed to have. But, as we all find out: in this world today, these ideals are not easily attained by all.

In a world that we would like to work for everyone, most people never experience this ideal, because they have expectations for those who don’t have the limiting beliefs for others that they do. We, in general, are unwilling to allow people to be different from us. We don’t live up to their expectations. Most can’t, because of biases held by those who would persecute them.

Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, seen as the founder of the Christian religion, said many things that, if actually embraced by Christianity, would go a long way to healing the the ills of the world. Jesus is/was also embraced as a teacher and prophet in Judaism and Islam, but today “jihad” which literally means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim, has been usurped by Islamists to justify the destruction of Christian world, which has attempted to eliminate Muslims for over a thousand years.

Even Christianity from its humble, love filled beginnings, was used by the world rulers to pacify the masses and control them. Alexander the Great and the Council of Nicaea chose what books to include in the Bible and attempted to eliminate the remainder by making the Bible decreed by them to be the official text of Christianity. From there, the Roman Catholic “empire” ruled with an iron fist eliminating anyone they didn’t like during the inquisition. It was a dark time for humanity.

The point to all of this is to bring into the light how religion has created more division than love since its inception.

In spite of this, we each have the option to be personally free in any situation simply by choosing not to dictate our todays and tomorrows by our past. Freedom is a state of mind. Auschwitz survivor, Victor Frankl chose to forgive his captors, even while everyone around him was dying, saying “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Similarly, Nelson Mandela chose freedom in his own way, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Both of these men surmounted all their fears with the courage to see beyond the appearance of hopelessness to not only achieve their freedom, but also to tell their stories to the world and in Nelson Mandela’s case to become the president of South Africa and end Apartheid.

Lest you think they are exceptions, there are thousands of people every day that we never hear of that have overcome adversity and gained freedom from oppressive relationships, addiction, poverty and much more.

So never stop believing that you too can move beyond the beliefs that others have directed toward you. Remember, self-love and forgiveness can free you from your past beliefs. As you begin to change your thoughts about yourself and others, your life will begin to take on new meaning, new direction, and greater self-empowerment.

 

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…”

~ performed by Janis Joplin, Songwriters: Fred L Foster / Kris Kristofferson

~revjim

© James T. Starke

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Raise Your Voice to Freedom!

“Raise a glass to freedom something they can never take away.”

~ Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, the Musical

“To this day I believe we are here on earth to live, grow, and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”

~ Rosa Parks

“It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my people became a hunger for the freedom of all people.”

~ Nelson Mandela

 

We are so blessed today in comparison to a few centuries ago and even a few years ago, but there is still so much to be done, both spiritually and in the spirit of conscious activism, because, as far as we have come, there is still so much more to do before we live in #aWorldThatWorksForEveryone.

So, please know with me, that this finite and fragile space we choose to call reality, though it may be an illusion, and seems built on the suffering of many, is our testing ground, of perseverance and our faith that something bigger than us, bigger than all of us, guides us to an ever higher, ever more loving and inclusive existence here on this plane.

By our acknowledgment and recognition, however transitory or fleeting of a divine source or energy behind all things, we raise the energy of the planet. So, right here and right now I say, Raise a voice to freedom! Raise your thoughts to the ever higher idea and ideal of the indestructible GOOD in, through and as everything and everyone and know, as I do, that love the ultimate good, is that force which can never be diminished or destroyed.

Know that our actions in everything we do, say, feel, and think moves us on this complexly, interwoven path to nirvana, to peace, to love, to God. And, as we wind along this path, we are ever blessed by our instruction along the way.

Gratitude is my only reward for this sometime wondrously challenging journey. I would have it no other way. I am grateful for all I learn from others and from my own words and actions, both intentional and unintentional.

Equally, I am grateful for each of you in my life as I move ever forward into a better version of me.

For each and everyone I. Say, Thank you Spirit, Thank you Spirit, Thank you Spirit.

I know this is so right now, and so it is. Amen.

“We must strive to be moved by a generosity of spirit that will enable us to outgrow the hatred and conflicts of the past.” – Nelson Mandela

Blessings to you all.

 

revjim  #Peace & #Love

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What is a world that works for everyone?

What does that look like? How do we get there?

Some might say we are there already, and in a limited sense, we are.

agreement-black-business-943630We are not limited in the possibility that the world can work for everyone, but in our belief that it doesn’t work already.It works right now by the conscious belief that it does or doesn’t. While I may believe it works for me, and it does, another person may feel that the world really sucks for them. So, by our belief in the idea that it works, it does. And, conversely, by ones belief that it doesn’t work for them, it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean it can’t, but their choice is it doesn’t.

How can this be? How can it work for me, but not for everyone? It works by our belief in it, and by our disbelief that it could. It’s that simple, but we have to learn to let go of our expectations that everything must happen the way we expect it, and be open to the idea that there is another way, or another possibility.

Most people get stuck in the idea that their way is the only way and that everything must unfold exactly as they have planned it. If they were the only ones who existed in the moment that may be true, but with 7 billion people and just as many thoughts, we need to be open to the idea that just maybe there is an alternate or better way.

I remember when I was manufacturing hot sauce, I had this great idea for a name that was colorful, and enticing. I checked the trademark and there was nothing, so I engaged an artist friend of mine to design a label around my theme “Leapin’ Lizards.”

I designed the labels and was ready to send them to the printer when I took a trip to Miami to buy equipment and visited a manufacturer I was thinking of using for distribution and went on a tour of his factory. It was there that I was introduced to “Leapin’ Lizards” marinade. There were hundreds of cases and right then, I knew my label idea was history.

I could have let that be my demise or held the thought that my hot sauce line was doomed, but I knew something else would come along, and upon returning to the islands a friend referred to my sauces as being “a little spice from paradise” and a new tag line was borne. From that came a bunch of even better ideas and Caribbean Marketplace and “Mean Mama Jamma” were borne.

So, just because something doesn’t work the first time, doesn’t mean it won’t work, or that something even better won’t come along. Heck, Thomas Edison failed to invent the light bulb hundreds of times, but in the end, he did. In the process what he did was to eliminate all of the ways not to have it work. That’s what the scientific method is all about. You may be a success right out of the gate or you may have to work at it a little. That’s life.

So, how do we build a world that works in a positive, sustaining, productive way for everyone?

We open our minds to ideas that are inclusive of everyone. We begin to respect each other’s cultures and recognize that in the differences, we find similarities.We learn to engage in real conversations that build on those relationships and cultivate them with compassion and empathy. And, above all, we learn engage with and respond to people from a loving place.

Will this happen overnight? Probably not, but the only way it will happen at all is, if we try.

Image: Courtesy of Pexels.com

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Allow the inflow of the new!

In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.
~ Howard Thurman

quietIn the quiet of your thoughts, have you ever noticed that there’s a certain knowing the comes to you, that a certain idea is brought forward in your mind, when you allow all things to just refresh themselves and you just release those things which no longer serve you.

It’s the same thing as when I have a problem I can’t solve and I just walk away from it, forget about it, then come back to it from a different perspective, from a different idea, or from different way of thinking and all of a sudden the answer appears from outside the confusion which was there in the beginning which was nonproductive and now there is the answer. It was so easy. I did not see it in the beginning and it suddenly appeared to me because I had a change of mind, a change of thought. I created a void, a place which allowed for the new thought to come into my life. I changed my despair to hope, my fear that there wasn’t an answer into the answer.

And at the same time I know that it wasn’t me the answer came from. It came through me from God, I cleared the way in my mind for the answer to be revealed to me. It was always there because God is always with us and as soon as I cleared the way it was revealed to me.

Next time something in your life seems to be troubling you, let go of it, walk away from it, forget about, it release it from your thoughts, release the idea and just find something else to do, then come back to it with a new mind, with a clear mind, and with a clear thought that the answer is there already and you’ll be surprised. It will be there.

~revjim

#spirit-edu.com -Spirituality Online
#aworldthatworks
Spirit Education is a CSL Authorized Virtual Education Provider

We’re having a Zoominar September 28th
1st Century Mystics begins  October 4th
https://spirit-edu.com/learn/courses/zoominar/
https://spirit-edu.com/learn/1st-century-mystics

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What is your Spiritual Practice?

spiritual-practiceDo you have a spiritual practice? Does it sound too woo-woo for a manly man, or even a highly motivated woman? Chances are you do and don’t even realize it. But don’t worry, I wont tell anyone.

Basically, Spiritual Practice is all about taking care of you. Mostly, we find ourselves taking care of others, helping them with their life’s, but usually at the expense of our own. So, here are a few of my spiritual practices.

1. Meditation. You might say, “I don’t know how to meditate!” Or “I can’t sit with my legs crossed!”, but it’s not about that. It’s about you sitting or standing or walking quietly. It’s about putting away the problems of the world and your life and being “in the moment.” When you are in the moment, you are allowing your inner self to just be in peace.

2. A Daily Reading. Whether you choose a short faith-based reading, like something from the Bible, the Quran, or the Habbalah, or you choose something like “Around the Year” by Emmett Fox, or something more secular like “The Seven Decisions” by Andy Andrews, or “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach, you are able to continue to create that uplifting space that you began in meditation.

3. Journaling. Writing down your thoughts from this place you have created to this point can help clear up some of the issues that may have come up for you during your meditation and your reading. Write about it. It is definitely therapeutic and you can look back to your journey later through these “Aha moments” you have experienced.

4. Mindful Eating. Knowing your body is your temple, what are you doing to create a more healthy eating program for yourself? Think about it.

5. Healthy Lifestyle. This is a broad area in which we can adjust our behavior and interactions with others. We can be more discerning with whom we interact. Are your interactions always of a combative nature? Are the people you hang with negative or demeaning to others? Are you watching TV that makes you angry all the time? Remember, change is good.

6. General Acts of Kindness. Holding a door for someone or a simple smile can do so much to uplift someone’s day and make their life better, if only for a moment. It doesn’t cost a thing and it gives back to you as well.

7. Gratitude. It cant be stressed enough that being grateful is a powerful practice. Gratitude is reflected in everything you do or say. It’s the starting point for change and the action that can allow change.

What else might you do to change and uplift your life? I’d love to hear!

~revjim

#spirit-edu.com -Spirituality Online
#aworldthatworks
Spirit Education is a CSL Authorized Virtual Education Provider

Grace in Aging class starts September 18th Online
International Day of Peace Meditation September 21st
We’re having a Zoominar September 28th
1st Century Mystics October 4th

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Everywhere, nowhere, and now here

nowhereFunny, I first heard the “No where-Now here” phrase shared by Dr. Wayne Dyer in one of his NPR shows for one of his books years ago. He was referencing the nature of God or the universal force behind all things. I guess I’ve never been into anagrams, but I find it telling yet incomplete.

God is, as most define It, everywhere present. God is the unseen(nowhere)behind all things, the divine impulse that powers the universe and everything in it. It goes from being the “nowhere” to the “now here” by our prayers and affirmations for things to change in the life of the faith filled through prayer and affirmations.

What seems to be left out is that God, being everywhere present, all the time, is always in our lives, every minute of every day. As a constant presence, we have the opportunity to “practice the presence” very minute of every day and, in fact, do without even realizing it.

Why do you think our lives can be in such turmoil because our thoughts are so chaotic so much of the time? Could it be because we are in denial about the way things are in our lives? Could we embrace the place where we are in the present moment, and begin to change how it looks from that place? Or, are we happy with the stories we have made up for ourselves casting the blame on someone else for our unfolding unhappiness?

If there is some unhappiness in our lives, we must step up and take responsibility for our own complicity in its unfolding. Once we are able to do that, we have the potentiality of changing what isn’t working for us and growing from the realization of it.

If we have a thought that we desire a better job and walk out of the interview saying, “I’ll never get that job” or “I don’t deserve it,” we probably won’t get it.

Why? Because we are always connected to the Divine Source. Remember? It is everywhere present! Whether we call It a vibration, an impulse, the Breath, Source Energy, God or whatever, we become out of sync with our self. That’s the short of it, you know.

So, stay in sync with you. Remember, not only is your life unfolding from that which is “Everywhere, nowhere and nowhere,” but it unfolds “Always” and “in All Ways!”

~revjim

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#aworldthatworks

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Go inward to change the outer.

courage-typography-design_1957874“the mere ability we human beings have to sing the praises of love and compassion is a most precious gift.”
-Dali Lama, Ethics for the New Millennium, Ch.5

As I facilitated a course based on the Dali Lama’s book, I saw this as a timely issue, because both ethics, and compassion are based in Love.

Without Love, we lack the ability to have empathy and therefore compassion. We live in relationship with others out of common needs and desires for ourselves and those around us. When we are separate from love, which starts with self-love, we can’t possibly care for others, because we live from fear. As we begin to accept ourselves as we are in the present moment, we move into that place of greater self-acceptance and love becomes an outer expression of that.

Then, as we open to a discourse with someone we don’t know without attaching labels, we tend to find commonality, and when that happens the separation dissolves and the ability to feel compassion for ourselves and others becomes a possibility.

from Love, in Peace,

~rev jim starke
www.spirit-edu.com/learn/  “New Seeds of Contemplation”
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