Getting Out Of The Way of Yourself
How do Religion and Politics Affect This?
How do Religion and Politics Affect This?
I had a great conversation with someone yesterday and it ended up being the highlight of my day. We were talking about growth and why we, as humanity, get in the way of our own growth, healing, and daily lives. Neither one of us had the answer to that in the broad sense but it really doesn’t matter. What does matters is what I do in my own life not to interfere with my growth, healing and who I am. Many of my beliefs, thoughts, and realities are popular with other people, and some are not. I always think how boring our world would be if we all thought, spoke, acted and had the exact same beliefs. My upbringing taught me that we are all created as one. I know that is true. I am as equally as important as a tree in a forest. I am as significant as the ant. Everything is created by design and for purpose. Nothing happens as an accident. While we may have not had a certain vision in our mind, in the large picture, everything comes into fruition by divine design. With the thought that we are all one, where is the room for individuality? Everyone grows, learns, and experiences at a different pace. Some people are hit hard with experiences early on, some sail through life until they slam into a brick wall. This is where diversity is important. Since we are all connected, our own personal evolution is connected to the evolution of everything else. Notice the mental/emotional/physical state of the general population living in the United States. How many people do you know that have an ailment, are worriers, fearful, angry, complain, are tired, aging, and tend to be more negative than positive? Now how many people do you know are always uplifting? These ratios are often unbalanced in favor with the negative. Now look at how our environment tends to reflect that negativity. Kids are not like they were when I was growing up. Adults are not like they were when I was growing up. Society is not like it was when I was growing up. But there is a direct connection with how people feel and how that affects everything else. Negativity breeds more negativity unless you put a stop to it in your own life.
Politics and religion have always been of interest to me. These two subjects are two of the most controversial subjects that can bring up a heated discussion rather quickly. I know someone that owned a business. The business was VERY poorly run but it still managed to hang on. There were changes just about every month in personnel and it got to the point that the only people that went to work there were fresh out of school and they quickly were given an education in business success. This business held on for 7 years and had a slightly steady flow of customers. The business owner decided to verbally announce their political views in open forums. Within 3 months, there were ZERO clients and the doors closed. People are stuck on their own opinions and of course, most people feel their way is the right way and the ONLY way. Anyone that has a different opinion is deemed poorly misguided and disillusioned. But you see, in this thinking, people are standing in the way of their own growth. I am an open book. I allow all beliefs. I allow all people. What this means is that I am not going to think any differently about an atheist, a highly religious person, a family that does not go to church, or a psychic. I am not going to pity someone or believe they are misguided because they have the right to be who they are. Remember, we are all one. The hierarchy thinking has never proven to be a winner in the past and yes, history does repeat itself for these reasons.
Our family takes 2 trips to Austin each year, on a non-holiday, to feed homeless people on the street. The reason I point out non-holidays is because I believe you should never do something by guilt or because it is a time of year where it is expected that you are charitable. I have one charitable deed I do every day. I make sure I do at least something every day to unexpected enrich the life of someone else. Not because I have to or should, but because I have a vision of a world I am working towards. This vision is drawing more people to me that have the same vision. The change starts right here with me. In Austin, we fill our car and hand food out to the people on the street. This appalls some people. Some people are not for supporting homeless people, some people crusade for them. My opinion is this, they are human and they have a need. No matter what their circumstances are, no matter what their personal responsibility is or is not, does not matter to me. I don’t make judgments and I do not give something with expectations or with strings attached. I give because that is what is inside me. Of all the hundreds of people we have fed since moving down here, do you know what I have learned? The power in human random kindness. Homeless people have feelings. Their eyes well up with tears and when they say God Bless You as they are looking you straight in the eye and you are looking straight back at them, they mean it and you FEEL it. It also hits me in a way that I can never ever put into words because it touches my spirit and stirs something in me that I do not feel every second of every day. My life is an adventure and I am going to experience and learn all that I can so I can keep making ME a better place to live in.
The next time you come across someone that has a vastly different perspective than you do, acknowledge them for the human they are, and treat them with the same respect you want to be treated with. We are blessed with diversity and we can learn so much from others if we’d only get out of our own way.
Politics and religion have always been of interest to me. These two subjects are two of the most controversial subjects that can bring up a heated discussion rather quickly. I know someone that owned a business. The business was VERY poorly run but it still managed to hang on. There were changes just about every month in personnel and it got to the point that the only people that went to work there were fresh out of school and they quickly were given an education in business success. This business held on for 7 years and had a slightly steady flow of customers. The business owner decided to verbally announce their political views in open forums. Within 3 months, there were ZERO clients and the doors closed. People are stuck on their own opinions and of course, most people feel their way is the right way and the ONLY way. Anyone that has a different opinion is deemed poorly misguided and disillusioned. But you see, in this thinking, people are standing in the way of their own growth. I am an open book. I allow all beliefs. I allow all people. What this means is that I am not going to think any differently about an atheist, a highly religious person, a family that does not go to church, or a psychic. I am not going to pity someone or believe they are misguided because they have the right to be who they are. Remember, we are all one. The hierarchy thinking has never proven to be a winner in the past and yes, history does repeat itself for these reasons.
Our family takes 2 trips to Austin each year, on a non-holiday, to feed homeless people on the street. The reason I point out non-holidays is because I believe you should never do something by guilt or because it is a time of year where it is expected that you are charitable. I have one charitable deed I do every day. I make sure I do at least something every day to unexpected enrich the life of someone else. Not because I have to or should, but because I have a vision of a world I am working towards. This vision is drawing more people to me that have the same vision. The change starts right here with me. In Austin, we fill our car and hand food out to the people on the street. This appalls some people. Some people are not for supporting homeless people, some people crusade for them. My opinion is this, they are human and they have a need. No matter what their circumstances are, no matter what their personal responsibility is or is not, does not matter to me. I don’t make judgments and I do not give something with expectations or with strings attached. I give because that is what is inside me. Of all the hundreds of people we have fed since moving down here, do you know what I have learned? The power in human random kindness. Homeless people have feelings. Their eyes well up with tears and when they say God Bless You as they are looking you straight in the eye and you are looking straight back at them, they mean it and you FEEL it. It also hits me in a way that I can never ever put into words because it touches my spirit and stirs something in me that I do not feel every second of every day. My life is an adventure and I am going to experience and learn all that I can so I can keep making ME a better place to live in.
The next time you come across someone that has a vastly different perspective than you do, acknowledge them for the human they are, and treat them with the same respect you want to be treated with. We are blessed with diversity and we can learn so much from others if we’d only get out of our own way.
