Accepting Yourself
This will be my first post in a series, where each Monday I will post about a point of reflection or insight that I will use to reflect and meditate on during the week. In order to make it a bit more focused and interesting, I will attempt to do this with topics beginning with letters from A to Z. I have often found that having a specific topic to reflect and/or meditate on during the week really lends itself to interesting insights and growth, because you not only have several days to reflect and meditate on the topic, but you have several days to put any lessons and insights that you discover to work in your every day life. For those that follow me on Twitter (@JasonLivingNow) I will try to write updates as the weekly topics come up during meditations, or just during every day life.
My son’s recent Valentine’s Day pics. (c) Shelby Hurst Photography 2012
A= Acceptance: I think that beginning with acceptance is fitting because accepting yourself for who you are is really the beginning point of anyone’s journey towards personal and/or spiritual growth. Accepting yourself is key, because it sets the foundation that will allow you to truly build and refine yourself. If you haven’t reached a level of acceptance with who you truly are, then your foundation will be unstable, and it cannot support any true growth.
Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices. – Paul Tournier
As evidence by the above quote, acceptance doesn’t mean giving up on one’s spiritual path, rather it means coming to terms with one’s past, whether positive or negative, and not dwelling on the negative aspects of life in the future. This allows you to really experience and enjoy life, it allows you to really live in the now. Acceptance of who you are not only builds self-confidence, but it allows you to build positive relationships.
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We Create Our Reality
Used with permission from Publicdomainpictures.net
Today I ran across two particularly interesting quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh that really resonated with me.
“People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer anymore.“
and
“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.”
These two quotes really resonated with me because the theme of how the internal path is reflected into the external world, and vice versa, has been a recurring theme for me this week.
First, leading up to, during, and after the North Carolina constitutional amendment this week that bans same-sex marriage, there was a huge amount of vitriol being spewed forth by conservative talking heads regarding the issue. Just watching the conservative political pundits and politicians speak about the amendment and issues facing the LGBT community, I was really struck by the amount of true hate that many of these people had. Even those that cloaked their opposition to LGBT rights in politically correct niceties such as “I’m not anti-gay, I’m pro traditional values”, seemed to harboring a great deal of resentment to a group of people that in no way poses any actual harm or threat to anyone. Period. Even though these people were clothing themselves in the cloak of righteousness, they were (and are) suffering because of the anger and ill-will that their views create internally and externally, whether or not they want to admit it, or even realize it. These people are not only experiencing internal conflict and turmoil, but externally they are influencing and/or governing over a society that is also full of conflict and turmoil. The vitriol is now ramping up even higher, because President Obama (thanks largely to Vice-President Biden’s horrid Washington D.C. sin of a truthful tongue slip), has finally came out in support of the right for same-sex couples to get married.
Now then, admittedly I generally fall into the libertarian portion of the scale when it comes to social issues, because I feel that as long as you aren’t hurting me, or anyone else, I don’t really have the right to force you to live your life a certain way, nor do I have the right to force my version of morality on you. However, no matter what end of the political spectrum you fall into, it shouldn’t be that great of a stretch to realize that every human being is a person that has the same rights and emotional needs as anyone else, and they are entitled to those rights and the fulfillment of those needs no matter their race or gender, or their sexual, religious, or political preferences.
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Discovering True Happiness – It Takes Work
My son wearing Uncle Shelby’s glasses. (c) 2011 Shelby Hurst Photography
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” ~Aristotle
I originally wrote much of this in a reply to an earlier comment from Sharon, but after thinking about this some more, I thought that it would make a good post!
Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to feel fulfilled, loved, and self confident. However, based on the large number of self-help books/ talk-shows, as well as escalating rates of depression and other mental ailments, people seem to be seeking happiness, but many aren’t finding it. This begs the question, is it possible to be truly happy? Is it possible to truly live a happy and fulfilled life?
I not only believe that it is possible to be truly happy, but I truly believe that our purpose in life is to be happy, and truly enjoy life; however, happiness takes work.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama
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What do You Know For Sure
Used with Permission from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net
The other day I was flipping through the channels, and I came across some sort of special involving Oprah. It was an extremely interesting segment, where Oprah was really opening up regarding her background, her spiritual path, etc. One thing that really struck me was when she asked the interviewer (and the audience at large) a very simple, yet profound question, “What do you know for sure?”
This seemingly simple question really got me to think about my own life, background, and spiritual path. It also made me ask myself several questions. First, have I really progressed, even after many years of seeking and practice? Second, have I really come to any greater understanding of myself or the universe than I had a decade ago? Third, is there anything that I can definitively say for sure?
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am in the process of editing a book that I have been working on since 2004, where I really explore the teachings of the eight major world religions, and discuss how I have used those teachings in my own path. The editing process has been extremely interesting, because I can literally see how my views and thoughts have changed, sometimes drastically, regarding God, the spiritual path, and even who I really am. There have been portions that even at eight years old still remain relevant and accurate to me, while there are sections that are less than a year old, that I have heavily revised and updated. Read more…
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Staying Positive When the Universe Tests You
“Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost.” – Robert H. Schuller
Alright, I’ll just say it… today sucked. Bad. Last night I was up most of the night with a bad stomach bug, which involved nausea, stomach cramps, fever, and other “issues”. Even though I felt horrible, I was determined to push through and go into work today, because I am finally getting caught up. Well, the universe had other plans. On my way into work my car overheated, and it appears there will be a hefty repair bill in order.
Several hours at the dealership, and dealing with various technicians regarding what would, and what would not, be covered under warranty, made for a long and taxing morning/afternoon. Although, I had plenty of reasons to get bent out of shape and angry, I was determined to stay as upbeat as possible.
I am a huge believer in staying positive, even when the universe seems to test your moxie. After all, getting angry and upset at the stomach virus, or my car, would not improve my situation, I just needed to roll with the punches. While some events and situations from today might have stunk, it doesn’t mean that my attitude has to, nor does it mean that my life is bad. Instead of focusing on the negative, I focused on the many good things in my life, especially my wonderful family. Read more…
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Chosen Family
Please check out this great story that my wife posted on her blog (www.sweetnscrappy.com).
Since my wife and I both work, ever since our son was born we have had a young Mennonite girl watch our son during the day. Unfortunately Ms. Megan is leaving us for Iowa. She and her family have been a huge part of our lives, and we are extremely thankful for their love and the wonderful impact that they have made on our son. Luckily, Ms. Megan’s mother, Anita, has agreed to continue watching our son, but Ms. Megan will be missed very much!
It is amazing how people who were once strangers can become so intertwined in our lives, that they become family to us, and impact our lives in ways that we could never have expected.
Not to be too cliche, but when we have a village, our lives are all the richer!
Sweet-N-Scrappy: Chosen Family
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The Power of Spring Through It’s Festivals
“Spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is”- Jessica Harrelson
I love springtime. I love the cool rainy weather, and how all of the various plants literally spring back to life with vivid shades of color. Spring is also a time for birth and renewal, and because of this every culture and spiritual tradition has celebrated spring with various festivals, rituals, observances, and rites of passage. The festivals of the world celebrate the transition from winter, a time of scarcity and harshness, to spring which is a time of plenty as well as physical and spiritual renewal. The power of spring is best illustrated by the various religious festivals, celebrations, and holidays. Read more…
