A Persisent Question, Number 1

As I pondered what to post, remembering that I intended to do a series on the questions posed in The Storm Before the Calm by Neale Donald Walsch, I learned that bombings occurred in Kabul just 90 minutes after President Obama departed after meetings.  You know, we've been talking about how change is happening rapidly in our lives - but some things appear to not be changing much at all.  Like political campaign ads.  I mean really, has anyone heard anything new?  Has the platform changed?  I'm not seeing it.  But I digress...

"How is it possible that 6.9 billion people claim to want the same thing (peace, security, opportunity, prosperity, happiness, and love) and  be singularly unable to get it?"

For one, we keep doing what we've always done and expect different results.  I know you've heard this before.  Until we stop and take a look at our beliefs, our "cultural" stories, our history, and whether or not our actions match our intentions - we will continue to get what we've always got.

I was also reminded of an article I wrote a few years ago.  It adds more questions I hope you "conversate" with others about.  I edited the length.
__________________________________________________

Lessons on the Beach

 Listening to the waves was nourishing to my body and soul, digging my feet into the sand connected me to mother earth and grounded me at the same time.  But it was the words I heard spoken by the friends, intentionally and unintentionally, that I took home as true treasures.  Words I could feed on and digest and apply to life.  Lessons on the beach.

At lunch with a friend yesterday, these questions were posed to me:  What causes a person to be civilized? What causes a person to be uncivilized?  As I pondered these excellent questions, he asked, “Well, do you have an answer?”

Yes, of course, love and fear is at the base of every chosen action or way of being.  I am assuming we are using the same definition of civil, meaning what we in America consider civil behavior.  What other countries call civil may be viewed as uncivil by our standards.  Honor, peace, respect, dignity, and other sub-definitions of love could be the causes for civil behavior.  These same aspects could come from a place of fear and cause uncivilized actions.

Not much later that day, I witnessed this same enlightened soul engage in loud, angry, mostly verbal battle on the beach with a complete stranger.  I didn’t, or wouldn’t, believe that any physical harm was going to result, so I did not intervene.  I had a sense that a great lesson was going on. 

When my friend returned to my side, defensive and angry and righteous, I calmly repeated his earlier questions – What causes a person to be civilized?  What causes a person to be uncivilized?

As he started in on what she had said and what she had done and how people should be this way and people should never…I interrupted with “This isn’t about her.  I want to know what ‘caused’ you to react the way you did?”

It took a very long walk down the beach and back to get to his underlying personal issues.  As we talked, I recalled the words I heard on another beach with another friend the previous week about conflict.  Her revelation was “I want what I want.”  And, the other person wants what they want.  Too often, all the individuals really want is to be “right.”

This morning the newspaper ran yet another article on the conflict between Israel and Palestine.  From a distance, we don’t understand why these two peoples can’t create peace from a place of love.  They choose, instead, to use intimidation, manipulation, threats, and violence.  Both sides believing they are right and acting out of righteousness.  This is similar to what I witnessed during the beach battle.  Both wanting what they wanted, both believing they were in the right.  First they tried intimidation.  Then manipulation.  When threats didn’t work, violence happened.

So, what causes you to be civilized?  What triggers you to be uncivilized?  Better yet, what do you want as your ‘cause’ to be either?  Will it be love, peace, honor, respect, dignity?  Is there a particular fear you are still holding on to that could cause you to be uncivil?  

__________________________________________

Share your thoughts with me, too!  Thank you for passing this forward so more can participate in the conversation.  Namaste'

A Likely Story

The Higher Self Bookstore celebrates it's 25 year anniversary on April 7th. I became caretaker on July 7, 2000. The numerology and astrology of these birth dates is really quite fascinating. But that's another story.

The story I heard about the origin of the Higher Self Bookstore goes something like this: Donna, the original creator, was buying so many books and products to support her personal studies, growth, and development that her husband suggested she might as well open a store. So she did!

I like this story, and I've repeated the story to others. However, I have never confirmed the story with Donna. There actually may be no truth to it at all! Now I find myself pondering just how many stories I repeat out of ignorance, because I either like the story or because I'm afraid and pass on the story to warn you about something you should be afraid of as well.

Every once in a while I forward something via email, or copy and paste on facebook, information I find out later is totally bogus. Is it because I want it to be true? Do I send it on from a place of compassion and consciousness-raising, or to create drama?

Happy stories that I've made up and hold dear can be like a good joke, bringing smiles and laughter. Whether they are true or not may hold no consequence. Stories of gloom and doom are not quite so innocent.

So what about the stories we accepted as true just because someone we assume is an authority. Like our parents, teachers, spiritual leaders, politicians, and authors. Granted, most the stories work for us - like this is how to read, how to drive a car, how to make oatmeal, and how to have safe sex. And then there are those that just don't work anymore and show up as limitations. You know which ones I'm talking about because they don't feel right, don't make sense. They separate us, make us fearful, judgmental, and self-righteous. We repeat them anyway.

When I say "Challenge authority", what I mean is do your research. Ask yourself, "is this true." It may not matter if you are just going to keep it to yourself. It may be a good practice to check the facts before entering into a debate.

The good news about stories is you made it up, or you made a choice to accept it. Yep, good news because you can also choose to change it or make up a new story. We are meaning-making, storytelling human beings, so make it a good one, one that works - for the highest good of all with harm to none.

Everything you've just read here is just a likely story. I made it up. I don't know the truth beyond a reasonable doubt, but I have done some research so it makes this all just a "likely" story.