NUGGETS OF WISDOM - 96

• "Pray always for more laborers to be sent forth into the gospel harvest. [Jesus] explained that, when one so prays, he will the more likely say, 

• 'Here am I; send me.' "
• • “Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
• • “A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”—Saint Basil the Great
• • "Obedience to the will of the Father, yielding the fruits of the spirit in one's personal life, is the law of the kingdom."
• • "If you fail, will you rise indomitably to try anew? If you succeed, will you maintain a well-balanced poise - a stabilized and spiritualized attitude - throughout every effort in the long struggle to break the fetters of material inertia, to attain the 
• freedom of spirit existence?" 
• • “We are not our bodies, our possessions, or our careers. Who we are is Divine Love and that is infinite.”
• • "Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. 
• The real miracle is the love that inspires them. 
• In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle."
• • "Of his divine free-willness, the Universal Father has given you your creature personalities. You have been endowed with a measure of that divine spontaneity of freewill action which God shares with all who may become his sons."
• • “You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough.”—Joe E. Lewis
• 
  
• • "On those worlds where a Paradise Son has lived a bestowal life, God is generally known by some name indicative of personal relationship, tender affection, and fatherly devotion ... Those who know God through the revelations of the bestowals of the Paradise Sons, eventually yield to the sentimental appeal of the touching relationship of the creature-Creator association and refer to God as 'our Father.' "

Pity

"When a person has pity on all living creatures, only then is one noble." - Buddhist Saying

We all need each other. More than this, we need to help and sustain each other.This concept extends beyond human beings, for the world is full of other creatures God has made that make our lives fascinating and entertaining.Animals and plants constitute our ecological history, yet we often rob and hurt our environment. Recovery from alcoholism means more than putting down the drink.Today I adopt a responsible attitude that makes me care, on a spiritual level, for my world.

God, as I look around my world, I cannot help but honor You.

On this day of your life

I believe God wants you to know...

...that the goodness in your life does not come to you

from someone else. When you see this, you will be free.

There is no reason and no need to "play up" to another,

or to try to remain in their good graces. Remain in your

own, by not betraying yourself. Simply speak your truth,

with gentleness and love.

And have courage, for what you seek is not outside of

you. It is not a gift from another person. It is yours -- to

give, not to acquire. Let no one, therefore, hold you

hostage. Not your partner, not your boss, not your

family...and certainly not your God.

You know right now exactly why you received this

message today.

Home Flow (OM)

by Madisyn Taylor Keep the energy in your home vital by treating it as an important aspect of your life. Our living spaces can become nurturing homes for our bodies and souls when we make sure that our surroundings accurately reflect who we are as individuals and who we aspire to become. No matter how positive and creative you may be in your inner world, if your home or work surroundings are contradictory or present energetic barriers, you are likely to find it difficult to manifest all that you desire. By paying attention to the flow of energy around you, you can align your inner intentions with your outer realities to make your life a conscious act of creation. We can look to the ancient Asian art of feng shui for guidance. Since the words "feng" and "shui" mean "wind" and "water," you may want to walk through your home and imagine the way these elements would flow through your space. You can evaluate whether or not your home is a balanced ecosystem that would allow a plant to flourish. A straight path between doorways would make nourishing elements rush right through, while a pleasantly meandering stream would instead create a flow that nurtures life. Look for signs of debris that might obstruct the flow of such a river. Clutter acts like hurdles placed in your path, blocking you from creating what you want in your life. Once the obstacles are recognized, however, they can be removed to let energy flow freely throughout your home and your life so that you can thrive. Your home can be thought of as a symbolic metaphor for your life. A neglected space may correspond to a lack of growth in your career or personal relationships. By shifting your perception, you shift the way you direct your energy and attention, which can enable you to make the changes you need to actively create the life of your dreams. If you need some assistance, you can always turn to a feng shui practitioner, but the most important thing is that you understand what resonates with your core being in order to feel alive and nurtured by your home.

The Quote

Weekly Reading

I have been in our CoDA group for a year and have journaled throughout the meetings. 

I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the meetings:

•        Believe in your Higher Power and act like it.

•        What other people think of me doesn't matter.

•        I can accept that certain relationships aren't good for me.

•        You can't fix anyone but yourself.

•        It's okay to take care of yourself.

•        You can't make a cake and expect a pie.

•        Other people walk off with my happiness and I am miserable.

•        It is exhausting thinking you are to blame for everything.

•        Figure it out is not a step.

•        I can trust that others can take care of themselves.

•        What is stopping me from taking care of myself?

•        EGO stands for Edge God Out.

•        God is the pilot, I am the co-pilot.

•        I don't know what the future holds, but I hold the future.

•        Live a prayer, don't say a prayer.

•        When you can't let it go, leave it be.

•        I traded being loved for being needed.

•        The person that I've harmed most is myself.

•        With pain comes strength.

•        God has never abandoned me.

•        Whether we make ourselves happy or miserable, the amount of work is the same.

•        Take what you like and leave the rest.

Vision of Hope CoDa Group

Maureen R - 1/10/17

Ignorance

"Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge." - Alfred North Whitehead

How little I understood when I was living as an alcoholic. How little I wanted to know. Ignorance was bliss in addiction. I had no idea how serious my alcoholism was-how it had developed in all areas of my life, how destructive and negative I had become-until I was made to "see" reality in treatment. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to recognize my ignorance. I knew I needed to change my attitude if I was to recover. The enemy of the spiritual life is ignorance because it stops me from realizing the strength and healing power of spirituality that has been given by God. All I need do is discover and appreciate it.

I pray for the courage to confront the ignorance in my life.

On this day of your life

I believe God wants you to know...

...that awareness is everything. Not just part of it. Not

some aspect of it. Awareness is everything.

Look, therefore, to your awareness, not to your thoughts.

Your thoughts about things can betray you -- and often

do -- because they can be colored by emotions. Your

awareness cannot.

Just observe what is so. Then observe what you think

about what is so. Then ask yourself, "Why am I thinking

that?" And, more important, "What would happen if I

thought something else?"

Things We Don't Want to Do (OM)

BY MADISYN TAYLOR
Doing things we don't want to do, or that scare us, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow.

Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long. We may even begin to look for other tasks we've been avoiding so that we can feel that same heady mix of excitement and completion. 

Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we're not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. On the other hand, when we cling to our comfort zone, never addressing the things we don't want to face, we cut ourselves off from flow and growth. 

We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Bringing that task to the top of the list and promising ourselves that we will do it as soon as possible is an act that could liberate a tremendous amount of energy in our lives. Whatever it is, we can allow ourselves to be fueled by the promise of the feelings of exhilaration and confidence that will be the natural result of doing it. 

BEING ABOVE THE ANGELS

Topic: Kabbalistic Concepts

In the Story of Creation it says, “The Creator created us for the purpose of achieving the same abilities that the Creator has; just as the Creator has control over nature, so, too, are we meant to come to that state.

There is a beautiful and powerful teaching from Rav Avraham Azulai, one of Rav Berg’s favorite kabbalists. Rav Avraham Azulai wants to tell us the secret of miracles. He says we should know that the way to connect to the Light of the Creator is by awakening a strong desire to be connected. Through awakening a desire to be connected to the Light of the Creator by both doing the spiritual work and awakening the desire for the spiritual work, a person uses the soul over the body and the spiritual over the physical, and is therefore meant to come to the state of what Rav Ashlag calls devekut, unification of our soul through our spiritual work and through the removal of ego. And the person then elevates to a state where the entire world is underneath him and the spiritual work is above him. He comes to a state where he does in this world what he desires. He comes to a state where he is above.

And then Rav Avraham Azulai goes a little bit deeper. What runs this world? The concept of angels, which the kabbalists and the Zohar speak about. What makes the sun rise and the oceans flow? The angels they are controlled by. A person who does the spiritual work as it's meant to be done, and achieves this level of connection to the Light of the Creator, comes to a state above the angels, and then he can tell the angels, and therefore, nature, what to do. Because a person who's truly doing the spiritual work ultimately comes to a state where he or she is above the angels. The angels control nature, but we can get to a state where the angels are literally under our hands, as Rav Avraham Azulai says, to do what we tell them to do. And this, he says, is the secret of how one can create miracles. It is also how, ultimately, Mashiach will come and darkness will be removed from this world, because when enough of us get to a state where we're above the Angel of Death, above the negative angels, then we can tell them, “You have to stop. You can't do this negativity anymore. You can't bring this death anymore.”

Let's understand what Rav Avraham Azulai is saying and why it's so important to have this consciousness during this time. The kabbalists teach that the month of Nissan, the month we are in, is the time in which the angels are reinstated in their place and given the Light and ability to do their work for the year; the angel of the ocean is given his job again, the angels of the moon and the sun are given their positions again, and so on.

Therefore, what do we ask for? We ask that we at least be given the possibility to get to a state where we are above the angels. Because again, as Rav Avraham Azulai says, this is the secret of miracles. When an individual develops and grows so much that he gets to a state above the angels, then he can tell the angels of sickness, challenge, difficulty, and so on, to go away. This is the time, as the kabbalists teach, when the angels are being put in their place, and therefore, the time when we have to ask to at least have the potential through our spiritual work this year to elevate above them, and, as such, be able to control them.

In asking ourselves how far we are from achieving that level of connection to the Light of the Creator where we are totally above the angels, we need to know it's not a zero sum game, it's not that we’re either here or there. It's a process. And if we are honest with ourselves, we know it’s not possible to leave this Shabbat and be completely above all the angels. Therefore, what we ask for on Shabbat Vayikra is two things. One, during this time, when the angels that control nature are being put in their place, we ask to be given at least the potential to be able to ultimately go above them and control them.

And second, which should happen right now, is to be given a little bit more control over them than we had before. We might not be able to influence them 100% of the time, but maybe 10% or even 15% of the time. Every one of us is at a different state, a different level, and we have to remember the reason our soul is in this world, the purpose of our spiritual work, is to ultimately come to that state, as Rav Avraham Azulai says, where we are above and have control over those angels. That's where we ultimately need to get to, and that Light and consciousness shines right now.

Yet, we know, being honest with ourselves, that we’re not there yet and it's not possible for us to leave this Shabbat with the totality of that gift… but, we can ask for a little bit more control. Again, we might not be able to rule over every single one of the angels or the totality of nature. But we can ask to be given a little bit more control over nature, something we can definitely get on this Shabbat.

This is what's available to us, and I think, I hope, for most of us, it is an exciting possibility. And as we said, we have to have the consciousness of where we ultimately need to reach - the state where Avraham Azulai says we have complete control and are above the angels, telling them always what to do. That is the level of what we call Mashiach, the level of Gemar HaTikun, the End of the Correction. But what we want to ask for on Shabbat Vayikra, and what is definitely available to every single one of us, is that as the angels are being reinstated, we receive a little bit more control over them.

The Light of the Creator wants to give us this gift, but we have to be conscious of it and ask for it. On Shabbat Vayikra, through our connection, consciousness, and desire to gain a little bit more of that control, we have the opportunity to get one step closer to the ultimate state for which our soul came into this world.

An Inconvenient Sequel—This will Give you Shivers. {WATCH}

Via Erin Lawson

In the shadow of a Trump presidency, the world has become a metaphorically colder place. But it’s about to become a physically hotter, more perilous, place to live.

Over a decade ago, Al Gore released a controversial but much-needed film called An Inconvenient Truth. I remember seeing this title and feeling the goosebumps rise.

It’s so strange, that something so dramatically terrifying as the end of our world as we know it, is so often labeled as inconvenient.

The first trailer for Gore’s follow-up film, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, opens with Trump begging for climate change to warm the room, and ends with Trump promising to de-fund climate change science in America.

So that he can put America first.

As if there will be an America in a post-climate change world.

Although initially An Inconvenient Sequel is rife with hope and a fighting spirit, it very quickly turns into a horror film—and the look on Al Gore’s face as he watches Trump’s speech will break your heart.

As Gore says:

“Don’t let anybody tell you we’re going to get on a rocket ship and go and live on Mars. This is our home.”

~

Author: Erin Lawson

A Buddhist & a Narcissist Cross Paths: How to Deal with the Challenging People in Life.

Via Lindsay Carricarte

How do we honor someone who is on their own journey when their actions pose a threat to our own?

How do we remain in a space of non-judgement and non-reaction to someone who is behaving like a straight up narcissist?

It’s probably one of the biggest challenges of my spiritual practice. It’s not so much the “live and let live” aspect that challenges me. Nor is it the teachings that say we are all on our own paths and have our own lessons to learn, so just treat everyone as a mirror of yourself and do no harm.

Because I can do that. Most of the time.

But what do we do when the other person is entrenched in the narcissistic ways that we all are capable of displaying, and they constantly try to catch us in the crosshairs of their narcissistic living? And then we take it personally because the narcissist can make it seem very personal.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, this has been a common lesson for me these past six months. It’s presented me with a beautiful opportunity to reflect on my own narcissistic tendencies, so I can be more deeply aware of them and how they show up in my life as defense mechanisms. Remember, narcissistic traits are nothing more than distorted and amplified versions of some very human behaviors that we all have the potential to fall into. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you don’t!

In case you’re new to the narcissistic personality, let’s discuss for a moment. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is defined as, “A personality disorder in which a person is excessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige, and vanity, mentally unable to see the destructive damage they are causing to themselves and others.”

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we can all fall prey to vanity, prestige, or the allure of power. Running away from, and denial of, these traits is still an indication of their presence. However, in my opinion, there is a strong difference between displaying a narcissistic trait and being a straight up narcissist.

To further illustrate, think about Buddhists for a moment. We strive to transcend the illusion of self by mastering the mind and ego, while the narcissist is completely entangled in their very inflated sense of self-importance. So naturally, this is an extreme case of mirroring because according to Hermetic Alchemy, if I have the potential to be one way, I also have the potential to be its opposite (although I have no idea why I would want to!).

My interactions with these afflicted people in my life look a little bit like this hypothetical situation:

Bob comes to talk to me about the group project we have for school. I immediately put a wall up because I have a hard time trusting Bob, as he constantly manipulates things to serve his own delusional version of reality. It doesn’t matter if I’ve told Bob the same thing seven times. He will deny the chat ever occurred when his “standing” in the group is threatened. His reputation. Bob also likes to talk down to myself and the other members of our group. He likes to exert his perceived masculine dominance over us (even the men), so he tries to get away with demeaning us by using little nicknames in an attempt to undermine our sense of self-esteem. He also does it to the other people in our class whom he interacts with.

He will say really inappropriate things to keep people feeling uncomfortable, because to the narcissistic person this is perceived as having an advantage. And oh my goodness, don’t even get me started on Bob’s entitlement. He acts in a way that says he believes everyone is here to serve him. It’s as though he believes he is a monarch and we are his subjects! More than anything, he is absolutely unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings or needs of others. It can be maddening. Because we love our dear friend who is Bob’s partner, we’ve tried to express to him some of our concerns. And dear Bob has no f*cks to give about our needs or feelings. He just wants everyone to do what he wants and the way h wants—whatever the cost to others. 

If you’re anything like me, you’re shaking your head at this point. This challenges me to the deepest level of my Buddhist practices for living. I invoke Thich Nhat Hanh and other high lamas when I think of my interactions with this type of person. I want to experience whatever I am meant to experience from this person so I can clear the karma or learn the lesson—whatever that may be.

But sh*t—it’s really hard! My natural Taurus/Scorpio moon nature wants to take this guy down every time he threatens my illusion of security. Because on a higher level, I understand that all security is just that—an illusion. So, as a Buddhist, I can stop my frustration in its tracks when I ask myself what am I so worked up about, because how can this person threaten something that isn’t even real anyway?

If I am truly living according to the teachings of impermanence and non-attachment, then there is simply nothing to be frustrated or threatened by. This brings a very real element of humor to it for me because I can get so worked up by the narcissistic types in my life when caught off guard.

What we can do is this: Just use them as a mirror to see what traits we also have within ourselves. I know, it doesn’t feel good to look at that less than pleasing stuff, but if we are really practicing Buddhism, we have to get in there and see it. As Pema Chodron says, when we feel really sh*tty and squeamish, those are the areas we need to take a real good look at—and admit we feel not so good about them. There’s healing in this. It sure takes some bravery!

Next, we must absolutely refuse to take the behaviors personally. Remember, we are all just mirrors. How we choose to act says nothing about those around us. It says something about us. Sure, we can all blame everyone else for how we act, but ultimately we all know that’s a bunch of bulls*t. So it may take a lot of deep breathing before choosing a response, but we can remind ourselves that their behavior is theirs not ours, and it has nothing to do with us.

And finally, we must practice equanimity. We must tap into our ability to not be swayed no matter what is occurring around us. The more we meditate and come back to the breath, the more we become master of the mind and emotions. And that is where we truly master the narcissists that sometimes we must deal with.

In equanimity, we find our true power because what better response to one who seeks a reaction than no response at all?

~

~

~

Author: Lindsay Carricarte

I Will Not Be Small.

Via Kimberly Valzania

You don’t like what I have to say.

I’m too outspoken. Too loud with my opinions. Too negative.

I seem to like the controversial stuff. I like to argue.

I’m a bit winded with my political discourse. You sigh. You roll your eyes.

“There she goes again,” you say.

You unfollow and unfriend. You don’t want to hear it from me. You’re tired of it.

It’s fine. We’re cool, bro.

You may be able to turn a blind eye, but I cannot.

You want me to be small—and get even smaller now—but I will not.

You would rather I become quiet—and quieter still.

You would like me to quit, to stop complaining.

You want me to stay positive and “see what happens.”

Is it because you don’t hear what I hear? Is it because you don’t see what I see?

And do you especially hate it when I call out the blatant hypocrisy?

But I will not be small. Not now, not ever. Because, there ain’t nothing small about me.

Turning a blind eye is easy. It’s the easy way out. It’s easy to pretend that issues don’t matter. It’s easy to pretend, because most of the issues do not affect you. And because deep in your heart you just don’t care. And because maybe you feel helpless and hopeless. And because maybe you think nothing ever changes so why bother?

Meals for seniors. Public education. Family planning. Women’s rights and resources. The arts. The environment. Science. Healthcare. The same freedom to love and worship afforded to all.

How could these things not affect you?

Gutted, slashed, gone.

For what?

Oil, weapons, a pipeline, and a big fat wall. More money for billionaires.

Are these the things that make our nation great?

Are “working” people suddenly landing new jobs all across America?

Where? Do tell.

Oh, and every 98 seconds, a man, woman, or child is assaulted in the United States.

Assaulted.

97 percent are women and girls.

And these statistics are an improvement.

Let that sink in.

I have a big heart—and a big mind. I think. I do. I talk. I sign petitions. I read articles that lean both left and right. I try to see all sides. I recognize the spins. I call a lie, a lie, regardless of who you are, or which side of the aisle you’re sitting in.

I watch. I see with my own eyes and hear with my own ears what is happening and what is coming directly out of the mouths of our leaders. And then I use my big words, and I write my long sentences. I write my letters.

A public school teacher taught me that to be effective, a writer must be careful about spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

That our words need to be chosen thoughtfully.

I no longer worry about making waves or splashing you with my thoughts. Your disagreement and deflection only fuels my thinking. It makes me want to use even bigger words—words that carry some weight.

Words like “treason,” “collusion,” “evidence,” and “oligarch.”

You want me to be small. But I know the difference between right and wrong.

I will not let the garbage I see and smell be pushed under a rug.

I will not whisper, because I am not small.

I fill up a room.

My tongue is sharp. My skin is thick. My arms are open wide.

I won’t go home. I won’t roll over. I won’t stop. I won’t behave myself.

I won’t close my mouth. My light will stay lit, and I will continue to hold this—my declaration.

Does it annoy you? My daring to speak? My daring to understand?

My daring to discern connections, and draw conclusions, and make predictions, and truly see the big picture about what is actually happening?

My boldness. Is it driving your hateful heart crazy?

You can try, but you will not stop me.

My train has left the station.

I’ve got big strength in these arms, in this voice. I can study history and fearlessly make statements about the players.

Because I’ve been here before.

And make no mistake, those players? The ones with white hair, old ideas, and small hands?

They are playing with our lives.

You think it’s time to be quiet. You think I should wait. You want me to just get over it. To move on.

But you are wrong. Now is the time to rise.

I will never be small. I will always fight the good fight. I will stand up for right, and good, and just, and honest, and clear, and kind, and generous.

I will salute the truth. I will champion beauty, and innocence, and noble endeavors that favor all people, not just some.

I will continue to welcome and promote the ardent quest for freedom.

In my marching feminist heart, I am simply Lady Liberty.

My essence is assaulted every 98 seconds by your greed, but I will not fall. I will not lay down. I will not cower in fear.

I’ve been holding this divine beacon, this torch, for as long as I can remember.

And it will not go dim, just as I will not go dim.

I will not be quiet.

And, no. I will not be small.

.

~

Author: Kimberly Valzania

The Quote

Life

"May you live all the days of your life." Jonathan Swift

This story offers a key to the meaning of spirituality: Two little fish were huddled together, afraid to move. A large fish swam by them, confident and strong. The big fish shouted out, "Why don't you swim out and enjoy the beautiful ocean?" The two little fish looked at each other and asked, "What ocean?" They were in it, but they were unaware. As an alcoholic, I existed in life but I did not live. I missed people, friendships, feelings, nature, and God. Like many addicts, I was among the "walking dead." Today I continue to make a spiritual choice that avoids alcohol. I am now able to feel again. I am alive.

In You, I live to love and love to live.

On this day of your life

I believe God wants you to know...

...that patience, above all else, is what is needed right

now. Do not let anxiousness or frustration take over.

Conditions on the exterior of your experience will

change, but your highest benefit will be achieved when

conditions in your interior remain the same. Hold to

your inner peace. Reclaim your identity. Trust your 

higher wisdom. Look to the grander vision.

Do not agitate for a decision right now, nor seek an

immediate solution. Do not wish for an end to things as

they are. That end will come. Yet let it arrive naturally.

Do not push the river. Wait. The Right Time is at hand,

and resolution of this difficulty is on its way.