The Sounds in Mindfulness

“While everybody is nodding off, I find those moments where I see sunsets and sunrises and all the times in between that are fascinating and so beautiful and it’s almost like [being] free.”
-Julian Lennon

It’s funny. When I found this quote, I saw the brackets around the “being” implying that the person who added the word, did so for clarity, and maybe he did, and that was Julian’s intent. The quote is obviously out of context, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful either way.

And either way, the meaning is the same. That unconscious place where most people spend most of their lives is just the fine line between sleep and freedom.

Most people never notice the sunrises and sunsets and enjoy the incomparable beauty that is there in that moment, let alone see the beauty and the expression of life in the rest of the day. Most people walk through life asleep, and without a conscious thought of the constant change around them. They see their lives as static and uninteresting, a drudgery they endure, but seldom enjoy.

When was the last time you took a moment in a simple task like washing dishes and noticed the way the water flowed over your hand or the way the bubbles have an iridescent property. Or, took a walk and noticed the sound of rustling leaves or, in colder weather, the steam rising from the drains. Have you ever listened to the music that some trees make or the whirring sound of flag pole wires, or, in the city, the music the hi-rise buildings make? I often just sit on my back porch in St. Augustine, close my eyes and listen to the wild sounds of nature. I can imagine myself somewhere else, a jungle maybe, listening to the “gronks” of the herons, mixed with the finches, mockingbirds, laughing gulls, and myriad other birds, mixed with the deafening sound of cicadas, crickets, and other critters of the undergrowth amidst the background music of the wind whistling through the longleaf pines, live oaks and cedars.

It is amazing how much life we miss with our headphones or our music cranked up.

~revjim

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1st Century Mystics  October 4th
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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

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Prison or Paradise?

q-markMy question today is, “do you believe that you create your life by the thoughts you have? Can you, knowing that there is strife in the world, that there is killing in the world, really believe that you exist in a world of your own creation?

Thinking about that for a moment, are you responsible for that killing or that strife? Heady thoughts, aren’t they? Chances are each of us may be to some degree by our thinking the general lower thoughts of humanity that says, “they deserved that” or “they are bad people not good like me” and other things of the same ilk.

Does that make us bad people? No, not really, it just means we’re human beings with human frailties and judgments. We have thoughts that are historically human thoughts based on our geography, ethnicity, spiritual or religious upbringing, and many other factors that cause us “unknowingly to act the way we do. It can be difficult to know that we are being unjustified in our thoughts and actions sometimes as we float through life, because we do “feel” fully justified in our actions.

Sometimes we get involved in situations that we don’t even realize may be callous or hurtful to a group or section of the population that has, in truth, done nothing to deserve it. One example of this is or was military veterans returning from the war in Vietnam. During this time of political upheaval in our country our boys were returning from the war ill prepared for the horrendous greetings they had to endure at the hands of the young idealistic protestors of that unwanted conflict.

They, in essence, were treated as the enemy, when, in fact, most were conscripts of a war that nobody wanted outside of the government and corporations. Sadly, they were the easiest and most visible group for protestors to attack and get press. So, these men who spent most of their time just trying to survive in an untenable situation were smeared by the protestors and became a focus of the press, while the “directors and suppliers” of the war continued in business as usual.

So, did we contribute to that? Many of us did. I was guilty of it by protesting the war on campus in college, and even though I never called anyone a baby killer or threw red paint at anyone, I was still responsible for that general condition. And it wasn’t until I was drafted in my senior year of college that got to know the people who were the cannon fodder of the war, and realize that damage that we did to another human being in our idealistic unknowing.

And, this is not an isolated incident. It has been going on since the beginning of time. Imagine if didn’t consider our way of doing things better than anyone else’s way. Imagine what the world might be like if there was universal respect for everybody as individuals without regard for religious beliefs, ethnic heritage, sexual proclivity, or geography. Imagine if we wanted the highest and the best for each and everyone. Imagine the world without labels, without judgment.

If we as individuals can begin to see the good in each other and let this good by our guiding theme in our life, we can indeed begin to see the world as a safe place, as a place where our children are safe, where we are safe. This is how we can begin to live stress free in this world of our own creation. We don’t have to change the entire world ourselves. We need only change the way we see the world and the way we see ourselves within this world. The future is as bright or and dim as our thoughts. It is heaven or hell right now. We sentence ourselves to prison or paradise.

Where do you choose to reside? How do you choose to see your life?

~revjim

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1st Century Mystics  October 4th
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Laugh Out Loud! Lol

make-me-laugh-d884e93a2b0d0bcae52ee11e89e2c30c7c5f0a50-s51As someone who loves a good laugh, I know there’s nothing better than an infectious laugh to lift your spirits! Think about the last time you really had a god laugh. It still brings a smile to your face, doesn’t it? That’s because you let go of everything else and you’re present in the moment. All your troubles fall away, all your pains are forgotten, and all you think about is the probably outrageous statement or joke that has just been shared.

Life is a journey. It is one that should not be taken too seriously. And, it is one that should be enjoyed. To enjoy life you need only surround yourself with like-minded people. “Like-minded” doesn’t mean people who are all exactly like you and agree with everything you say. They are people who have similar likes and needs, and similar dispositions, like enjoying a good belly laugh, often!

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Have a great day!

~revjim

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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

Living in Grace isn’t just for old people!

Join us as we explore how to have a more gracious, loving and compassionate life.

You don’t have to be old to embrace these principles. It’s just that most people don’t slow down enough during most of their lives to realize there is another way. We are introduced to fear, and limitation at a young age and buy into a dog-eat-dog mentality. We see it all around us, in the news, in our TV shows, in our politics, and even in sports. Competition is good for our egos, but not really good for our sanity. And, it’s really only good for some people’s egos, while devastating to those on the receiving end.

By practicing mindfulness and compassion, we can find our joy and happiness in much more self-sustaining ways. Ways that will uplift us, and those around us.

If you can’t join us, please read the book. It may give you a perspective on your life you have never envisioned before. It could be your lifesaver.

~revjim

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Spirit Education is a CSL Authorized Virtual Education Provider

Grace in Aging class starts September 18th Online

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Prune the Weeds from Your Garden

In the Grace in Aging, we learn to be more mindful of what we want in our life.

grace9

~revjim

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#aworldthatworks
Spirit Education is a CSL Authorized Virtual Education Provider

Grace in Aging class starts September 18th Online