TODAY'S QUOTE: Intention is the core of all conscious life. It is our intentions that create karma, our intentions that help others, our intentions that lead us away from the delusions of individuality toward the immutable verities of enlightened awareness. Conscious intention colors and moves everything.
Master Hsing Yun, "Describing the Indescribable"
I'm a firm believer in the power of intentions... having them means that some forethought has gone into whatever actions we take. It's one thing to do something that wounds others then say it wasn't our intention to hurt anyone... it's another thing altogether to design our actions to suit our intentions.
To be mindful of what we are doing and how it affects others gives us power to effect the outcome of even the most challenging situations life has to throw our way. Taking responsibility for every step we take empowers us to safely reach chosen destinations, instead of simply ending up wherever we're driven.
When we take a trip a lot of planning goes into the journey. We plot our route... we print out directions, program our gps, or our phones to help us keep on track. We check our vehicle for problems that could derail our plans, or make reservations for another mode of travel. We pack, mindful of climate and occasion. But the larger picture... the real journey... we too often just leave that to chance.
Chances are if left to chance alone we end up somewhere we would never have ventured to willingly. Default destinations are always da-fault of whomever didn't take the time or care to be mindful of where they really wished to go. Plot your own course, or be the victim of a plot that is written by chance or... worse yet penned by someone with an agenda of their own.
Karma is something I'm ever mindful of... we each earn what it gives... either good or bad. It's like a reap what we sow scorecard. In nature we cannot plant fruit and harvest vegetables, and in life we cannot do evil and expect grace. Our intentions play a large part of whether it is a blessing or a curse received.
There is no place where what is done by us or our intentions, if any, can be hidden. Some think that if they are alone, or concealed behind a monitor that anything goes. Counting on the things done in private to be free of fault is foolish beyond compare. This is our only journey, and karma is certain... so choose the best destination and let karma be the blessing earned for mindful intentions. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Real Freedom
TODAY'S QUOTE: Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.
Jean-Paul Sartre
We all have a story, as unique as a snowflake. Some of us share the very same experiences, but what makes it different from all others is in how we process it once it belongs to us. Events can knock us down, but nothing in the world can keep us down if we are determined to rise again.
Upbringing is our first out of control issue; we get what is given as far as family goes. Nobody deserves a less than perfect place to begin their lifetime, but perfection is an ideal we may reach for, yet never truly achieve. With family the best that we can get is still flawed in some fashion, no matter how slight. The options we have to govern our personal space does increase with age, but the baggage we carry away is often overwhelming.
Unpacking that trunk is mandatory to achieving real freedom, yet we all too often just keep dragging it along from place to place, and battlefield to battlefield. Life quickly becomes more burden than bliss when bent double, struggling inch by inch is the only option available. Our "happen to you" luggage is often packed by the ones who claim to love us the most, and if its weight is accepted, without protest or any attempt to lighten the load, then personal growth ends at the point of overload.
True happiness comes from the inside out, it can't be gifted, or bought, or earned. People can't complete us, although they can add delight or misery to our journey. True freedom is the most precious blessing we can have, and it is every persons birthright. All you have to do is continue standing tall, no matter what knocks you down, and unpack whatever luggage you choose to carry. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!
Jean-Paul Sartre
We all have a story, as unique as a snowflake. Some of us share the very same experiences, but what makes it different from all others is in how we process it once it belongs to us. Events can knock us down, but nothing in the world can keep us down if we are determined to rise again.
Upbringing is our first out of control issue; we get what is given as far as family goes. Nobody deserves a less than perfect place to begin their lifetime, but perfection is an ideal we may reach for, yet never truly achieve. With family the best that we can get is still flawed in some fashion, no matter how slight. The options we have to govern our personal space does increase with age, but the baggage we carry away is often overwhelming.
Unpacking that trunk is mandatory to achieving real freedom, yet we all too often just keep dragging it along from place to place, and battlefield to battlefield. Life quickly becomes more burden than bliss when bent double, struggling inch by inch is the only option available. Our "happen to you" luggage is often packed by the ones who claim to love us the most, and if its weight is accepted, without protest or any attempt to lighten the load, then personal growth ends at the point of overload.
True happiness comes from the inside out, it can't be gifted, or bought, or earned. People can't complete us, although they can add delight or misery to our journey. True freedom is the most precious blessing we can have, and it is every persons birthright. All you have to do is continue standing tall, no matter what knocks you down, and unpack whatever luggage you choose to carry. Think about it... let it ride... then decide!!!
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