Connected

I can stand and watch swarms of starlings fly for hours, just wishing dusk won’t change into darkness quite so fast. Seeing them fly in huge numbers, never even touching each other, yet still flying like some grand choreographer is directing each and every single one of them is truly an awesome sight!
And most strikingly, that obvious awareness of where each individual bird is going, when it is changing direction ~ as soon as these large numbers take to the skies, each individual bird is connected to the whole.

It is like how each drop of water is connected to all other drops of water in order to form the ocean, albeit a bit more visible as we hardly ever see a drop of water as an individual entity.

This means that whether we are aware of it or not, we are part of a group consciousness to the point at which even the smallest thought or action affects the whole.

We can demonstrate this to ourselves by consciously smiling to people we pass on the street. Total strangers. And it may not happen with every person we see, but chances are that about five minutes in to our experiment people smile back at us immediately. Of course the same is true when we ‘broadcast’ grumpiness, but why try? Isn’t the world a better place when we are smiling at each other?

So, this is the nice part of the principle. The part that we pretty much all can agree on.

Taking it one step further it immediately becomes confrontational because that would mean that when things are taking place we don’t want to happen ~ because we are part of a group consciousness called ‘humanity’ ~ we too have had a part in it. Perhaps not quite as focused as the events leading up to the end result, but still… It means that our frustrations about the laundry having landed next to the laundry basket instead of in it ~ again ~ add to the frustrations of millions that can eventually set a chain of events in motion.
As such, even if we don’t like what is happening ~ even if that is happening at the other end of the world ~ we still have a part in it.

This being connected with all of humanity ~ and perhaps even with all of nature as well ~ means that it is incredible important to be balanced within ourselves. To be absolutely honest; even if it is just to ourselves. To transform our judgements, our angers, our shadows.
To become more and more aware of all people around us.
And by all means, smile at them!
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I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who are traditional, liberal and you who are progressive
You who have voted and you who have not
You who are protesting and you who are cheering
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who are leaders, and you who are followers
You who make plans and foresee, and you who are easily surprised
You who take a stand, and you who draw a line in the sand
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who are fighting for a cause, you who are right and you who are righteous
You who are finding yourself in circumstances you cannot alter
You who are locked in a routine you don’t want to change
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who are struggling, you who are living day to day
You who are sailing smoothly through life
You who spend your time at home, and you who are out and about
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who have an open mind, and you who are biased
You who are loud and boisterous, and you who whisper truth
You who are unseen, and you who are in the spotlight
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who know it all and have seen it all
You who are ever searching and exploring
You who are truly celebrating life
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light
You who are involved in the world, and you who inhabit the earth
You as an individual, a community, a culture
You as women and men, and you as humanity
I hold you in Light

I hold you in Light

For it is in Light
That acceptance and balance exist
In all colors and shapes and sizes
In factual truth and in personal truth
For it is in Light
That one light affects all others
Like the waves in the ocean
A loving glow that grows stronger
For it is in Light
That we are all connected
Like the drops in the ocean
A living web of Light on a living planet

I hold you in Light

Long drives

The other day I heard of someone mentioning that a two hour drive is a long drive. And there is no doubt that it is. However, whether we deem a drive to be long or short depends on many things.

At first there is the time it takes us to get to where we want to go. Some places are just around the corner, while other places take a bit of time to get there.
Second, a road trip taking scenic highways with hardly any other traffic on it may take us longer to get there, however it may feel like it was an easier drive.
Third, if we are really looking forward to events that are likely to happen ~ if we are filled with expectation of what lies ahead ~ the trip may seem a lot shorter than the actual time it takes us to get there. And by the same token, going home can have that same effect.
Fourth, if we are used to driving long distances, a couple of hours to go from one place to another may be a short drive. In our experience, that is.
Fifth, and perhaps most importantly; if we think that it will be a long, hard drive with lots of obstacles we will have to overcome ~ if we think that unfamiliar territory is hard to navigate and will take lots of time and energy on our part ~ chances are that even a relatively short one hour drive seems to be an endless challenge to us.

So, while the actual driving time can give us an idea as to how long a drive it will be going from where we are to where we want to go, it seems like there are many other factors that have just as big ~ if not a bigger ~ influence on our experience in actually getting from ‘A’ to ‘B’.

The same is true for our path through life.
As long as we feel that life has to be a struggle; that the ‘normal’ in life is that it is filled with obstacles, chances are that is what our experiences will be.
If we define our wishes and desires by excluding the things we don’t want to have or don’t want to happen in our lives, maybe we fail to see all the good things that are coming our way.

Perhaps it would be a good thing to approach life as if it is a scenic highway that we are driving in the sunshine ~ with hardly any traffic that could be hindering us in our progress ~ enjoying our freedom!
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Cravings

While we can crave many things at different points in our lives, craving specific and sometimes weird kinds of food seem to be most common.
The dictionary lists the craving for chocolate as a prime example.

The interesting thing is where the craving comes from; in other words, what makes us experience ~ and perhaps give in to ~ this specific craving at this moment.
The two big reasons are either emotional or bio-chemical.

From an emotional perspective we may feel that we have done something, reached some point where we really should reward ourselves with this special something. Or perhaps more so feeling a sense of discontent because of not doing what we set out to do ~ failing to achieve that goal we had set for ourselves ~ and therefore we can at least console ourselves by treating ourselves to that special something…

And while the celebration aspect of emotional cravings makes perfect sense and may even be a good way to honor our accomplishments, this is far less true for the consoling part of our emotional cravings.

Looking at bio-chemical reasons, our cravings may point us in an entirely different direction.
Suddenly that instant craving for chocolate may come up because we are lacking magnesium; which is actually very often the case. Taking this further, each specific ~ even weird ~ type of food; especially when it is something we normally wouldn’t feel like eating very often, may have a distinct vitamin or mineral that our bodies may need at that very moment.

This means that whichever way we look at it, it is a good idea to pay attention to our cravings. To ask ourselves whether the reason might be emotional, and if that is true, if it is because we are very happy about something, or rather because we feel the need to console ourselves. If we need that consolation, we may want to ask ourselves if we would want to go about that in a more fundamental, or even constructive manner; for instance through asking for help dealing with it.

If our cravings do not stem from our emotions, it makes sense to observe what our cravings have to offer us from the perspective of vitamins or minerals. Is our body trying to tell us that we are lacking something? For instance, could our tiredness be caused by such a lack of a vitamin or mineral, as opposed to ‘just being busy’? And is our body itself trying to solve this situation by instigate a craving for what it so desperately needs?
If that is the case, there may also be a way to handle the situation more constructively…

Either way, when we feel we are craving something, more often than not it is a signal from our bodies that tells us to take better care of ourselves…
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The way it is done

There are always certain chores and tasks that we do in a certain way ~ or perhaps at a certain time ~ just because it is the way it is done. It is therefore the way we have always done it, and it works fine; so why change it?

And in reality, if something does work for us, why change the way we are doing it?

On the other hand it does appear to be helpful to every once in a while evaluate what we are spending our time and energy on, how we are going about that, and why.
Not because we are doing something wrong, but more because sometimes we are doing things just because it is the way it is done.

This is especially true when we find ourselves spending a lot of time on something that, when we really start thinking about it, is not something we feel is a priority in our lives.
For instance, of course it is a good thing to do our grocery shopping. But is it something we want to spend time and energy on every day? Or would we rather do it once a week? Or even shop online and have it delivered?

The interesting thing is that if we were raised doing our grocery shopping a certain way, chances are we will do it in a similar manner when we are doing them for ourselves. Without truly questioning it, because it is the way it is done…
And when we start thinking about it there often are any number of things we do ~ or do not do ~ because of the way ‘it is done’…

Like getting busy with a hobby we may have; can we do that before all the work and chores are finished? Can we stop and smell the roses, or are there always other tasks that can be done ‘that are productive’. And can we pick that carrier we truly love, rather than going for a career path with a more or less guaranteed income?

Whether we run into any of those type of things or not, taking time to look at why we are doing certain things in a certain way may benefit us a great deal. Asking ourselves when we started doing the things we do in this manner, and so on.

We may discover that we have our priorities straight, but want to get things done more efficiently. Or we may find that there are things we are doing because our parents and perhaps even our grandparents were doing them ~ sometimes even in exactly the way we are doing them now…

Again, if that is totally working for us, there is no problem.
But perhaps we will find that what we are doing is not so much what we want to do in the way we want to do it, but rather that we are our parents’ and grandparents’ copycats, and that it is time to change our ways…
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