Hope, if nothing else…

It is a blessing to be part of prayer circles and gratitude circles, yet it can be overwhelming when there seems to be so much need and crisis and fear in the face of trying to remain positive and upbeat. My natural instinct is to try to encourage others when they are facing obstacles that seem insurmountable. It is impossible to comment and respond to every post one sees on social media expressing such dire need and panic-stricken feelings of being out of control of what’s happening in life. And, certainly, there are circumstances going on that we cannot control, that put us in precarious situations often without notice. So how can I – or anyone – help these requests?

The overriding idea, thought, emotion, and feeling that comes to me is to offer Hope. I know that, when mired in the dark and hopeless muck of life, we don’t really want to hear some Pollyanna spout, “Just think positive and all will be well!” We want concrete answers to help us move out of the pain. Sometimes, it is as simple as finding something to think positive about, no matter how small. Sometimes, it is as simple as expressing gratitude for something small to begin with and then move to bigger things. But, sometimes, we can’t even reach up high enough to capture a positive thought – they all seem like lies, and to be grateful? Don’t make me laugh!

Almost everyone can empathize with the feelings of loss, pain, fear, anguish, hopelessness, and any assortment of tragedies. But there IS something more. It is called HOPE, which is the cornerstone of Faith and the foreshadowing of positive thinking and gratitude. It may be tenuous, it may hide in the shadows of despondency, it may appear to wear an invisible cloak, but it is ever present, with every breath. I know this because I live this. Hope for change, for advancement, for moving out of the pain and despair of conditions you can’t control. It exists. It is real. No, you don’t always know what it looks like, you may not be able to put a name or face/image to it, but it is right there in the middle of your blood, swimming between the red and white cells, pushing through with each beat of your heart to send signals to your logic-locked brain to just let go of the fear. If you don’t think it’s possible today, then just wait. If you wake up tomorrow, you will know it’s possible.

Just thinking about Hope will give you some relief, because if you are thinking about Hope – even in a fanciful, disbelieving way – then you are not thinking about your problem. There is magic in it. Its power is subtle yet stronger than sunlight breaking through darkness, much like the power of unconditional love and forgiveness. It can make you feel breathless with anticipation, headily expectant because once you allow Hope to take root and sprout, you will know Answers will come. Maybe not in the way you think you want them; maybe not in the way you think they should. But Hope is your permission for the energy to change directions. With Hearts Open, Peace Emerges, that wonderful healing feeling that things can change and healing can happen, and acceptance of things as they are is the first step to the stairway upward to something better. Even if you have to crawl up the stairs, clutching the handrail, Hope helps you do it, because you know that, at the top of the stairs, the light is brighter, the air is clearer and sweeter, and you will be able to see in all directions, not just into the dark corners of your fear.

So, for everyone experiencing heart-wrenching experiences, or even milder inconveniences that pile on top of each other, know that you are not alone, and that HOPE is alive and well within you. Feel it stirring, feel it trying to reach up and out – allow it to move through you! You will find inspiration, you will make connections, or you will overhear the exact information you need, whether in person or via television, radio, or otherwise. You will meet the right people, you will get the promotion, and if you don’t get the promotion or the job, then you will get a better one! If you don’t get that house, that car, that school, or that partner, you will get a better one! Hope will never leave you but you must allow it to be real in your life. Don’t accept anyone’s criticism that Hope is in any way weak or paltry. Hope is greater than any fear that can come against it. Hope is the container of Faith, and when you have Faith, you have everything because it allows you to lay down your worries and know the sweet freedom of relief and release. Your evidence and witness through Hope can be the inspiration someone else needs to find their own strength to make it through. You have no idea how many people you could help just by expressing Hope. Some call it letting go and letting God. If that works for you, then go with it, but you don’t have to call it God if that doesn’t feel right. Just call it Hope, and never give up.

Let go and Hope.

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Thursday’s Prayer is Full of Grace: The Circle of Wholeness

In this New Year, this New Beginning full and ripe with potential and possibility, let me be Aware, Precious Spirit, of the Wholeness that already exists in life. It’s easy to believe something is empty, missing, or incomplete when I focus on the absence of it; however, when I step back and look again, I become filled with Awe at the rich texture of life around me. It fills the Air, teeming, spilling over with an Aliveness I can feel, if I allow it. Help me to relax and allow my natural ability to receive to be Activated so that I become a Channel of all good things. I may perceive a certain need in my life, yet if I allow my Faith full reign, I have no fear, no worry, for I know that every need shall be filled, everything already in place for the perfect unfolding according to my understanding and willingness to let go and allow Your Perfect Timing to make all the arrangements. I take inspired action, propelled not by fear or anxiety, but by delight and excited joy to be on the Receiving end of Your Grace.

I cannot be outside the Circle of Wholeness, for that is the fullness of life and I know I can never be separate from it.

Thank you, Precious Spirit, for the Flow of Your Grace through me, above, below, around, and from me. I surrender the rush, let go the fear, release controlling need, and relax into the sweet, gentle embrace of the Circle of Wholeness that is my Life.

And so it is.

“Faith, not fear. Walk your Talk.” ©

(Grace logo above created by Barbara Quin, God’s Eye with Buddha image flagged as free to share and use via Yahoo Images by http://www.philosophicalanthropology.net.)

Walking the Talk…

I try to make sure that the material I post online is positive and constructive; however, once every year or so, I am compelled to make a similar observation, thus:

I am increasingly astonished at the number of “Christian” and “New Thought” people who repeatedly bash, belittle, and berate other people, groups, and organizations over some action or behavior (that the people probably did not personally witness) that they don’t approve of by posting comments and sharing links that promote judgmental viewpoints and fault-finding finger-pointing.

I ask you, what purpose does this serve? Is this how you think you should spread Light and Love? We get enough negativity and bad news from the networks – personal acquaintances and social-media friends don’t have to keep spreading it around like the intensity of the six o’clock evening news anchor. I have seen more than one post – and actually more and more! – with “Peace, Love, Hope – our prayers are with you” as the ideal theme, yet punctuated (ended) with a profane exclamation (some abbreviated curse word, which totally negates the idea of Peace-Love-Hope and any form of prayer!!), with a mob following of comments affirming the profanity instead of the prayer!

Please, Please, PLEASE…
I encourage you to THINK before putting your name to a public declaration that will follow you to cyber eternity:

If you want to post something, post something Positive, something Hopeful, something Uplifting. What the world needs now, is LOVE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, something there’s just too little of in expression. Imagine ALL THE PEOPLE sharing Good News, sincere condolences, Affirmative Prayers, Random Acts of Kindness, and doing whatever they can to IGNITE THE LIGHT WITHIN!

And yes, you can do it without profanity!

When people are struggling, the last thing they need is another negative story, another bashing of some system (which actually only gives it more power!). Everybody is doing the best they can under the circumstances in which they find themselves – this, I believe – whether we agree with their political or spiritual philosophies or not.

There is ONLY ONE GOD, One Presence, One Power, in the Universe and in our Lives, God the Good, Omnipotent – no matter where we are or what we are doing – the Presence is with us. Shall we honor it by condemnation of something so that we can feel superior, smarter, more spiritual?

We are all made of the Same Spiritual Stuff. We get to choose how we express our Individual Stuff, but I always want to remember, “There, but for the Grace of God….”
We all have challenges – it’s what we do with them that determines the quality of our True Character.

Remember what Wayne Dyer said, “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”
Does it not behoove us to be kind, to choose peace or unconditional love?

In sum, also remember what Thumper said:

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ a’tall.”

(end of rant, with my apologies, or as the kids say, sorry not sorry – I am more discouraged by what I am seeing online lately than encouraged and felt the need to speak my Truth, since I am trying to live Faith, not fear, and to Walk my Talk)

many paths

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the Preface of my new book, BLESSINGS BY DIVINE DESIGN, now available on Amazon…

blessed-b

“There are many paths on a journey. There are many books in the library. Not every path or every book is going to work for everybody. Children and teens often listen to their friends or other adults before they listen to their parents, even if they tell them the same exact thing. There are as many ways to make dreams come true as there are people on the planet, but not every person is going to write a book about it. If you are seeking to understand how creative energy works and, specifically, how you can use it to create what you want, then getting lots of information about different techniques can help.

Social media is another example of many voices sharing the same message. If you participate in any online groups where information is freely shared, you no doubt have seen lots of the same stories, photos, and jokes passed around from time to time. Some are the same, some have been personalized by the sender.

 But what makes you look at it or read it one time and not another? Does who sends it to you make a difference? Possibly. Then there are those days when it doesn’t matter who sends it or says it, you won’t be in a receptive mode; and other times, you will see a quote or statement that perhaps you’ve seen a hundred times before, yet it will be like the first time you ever saw it – it’s message will strike a chord in your Awareness, like an arrow hitting a target. Sometimes, it just depends on the delivery and your level of receptivity, and if something can be expressed to you in a new or different way, even if it’s saying the same old thing, you might get a new understanding of it; kind of like finally fully hearing the words to the lyrics of a song that you’ve hummed along with for years without actually knowing what it said.

Will every technique in this book help you? Perhaps. Maybe not. But hopefully there will be some ideas expressed in unique and interesting enough ways that will inspire you to keep working on achieving your dreams, or at least set you in the direction of coming up with your own ideas. Don’t let past failed techniques or advice stop you from reaching upward in your life. No matter how many times you have tried something, if you keep trying (thereby refusing to give up), you will eventually find the technique or method that works for you. While Thomas Edison didn’t invent electricity, he devoted much of his life to inventing ways to harness its tremendous power. If he had stopped his efforts after a few failed attempts, you might not be enjoying electricity and all its accoutrements the way you do today. He did not admit failure, merely acknowledged identifying ways that didn’t work! Most importantly, he tried again and again, perfecting his technique, learning how to use the energy yoked in his hands, until he met with success.

This book is written with that idea in mind. There are several different presentations offered on some traditional processes that may help you to look at the way you’ve been creating in a different way. You haven’t been doing it wrong, but if you don’t have what you want in your life, maybe you need to fine tune and hone your skills. The first stone wheel probably didn’t roll out of the cave perfectly round and already aligned. It probably had some square angles and chunks on it that made for a bumpy ride. But the craftsman with a chisel and a dream kept working at it until he or she created the first stone wheel that rolled smoothly. And the rest of the wheel-creating industry was born. Each additional craftsman or creator, made his or her own improvements on what was once a good enough but potentially incomplete vision. But because that first caveman or cavewoman dared to create their vision to the best of their ability at that time, we now have wheels that make tracks on other planets. The caveman may never have conceived that idea – or even had the understanding to conceive it – but because he acted on his dream, it set the “wheels of creation” in motion for all future Creative Extensions.

What you create may not be comparable to the first wheel, but this analogy is meant to inspire you to go after your dreams! Starting with something simple will give rise to something greater in you, something you may not have conceived of before, but if you will give your dream a chance to be born, it will carry you forward into a life you have previously not imagined. If someone has created something similar to what you want, then there’s your proof it can be done. Now, create your own version of it!”

Check it out here:  https://www.amazon.com/Blessings-Divine-Design-Visionization-Mapping/dp/1441422846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485715861&sr=8-1&keywords=blessings+by+divine+design

if you want…

 

If you want more Love in the world, be more loving to yourself and everyone else around you, even if you disagree. Being in disagreement or opposition might make it more challenging but it does not make it impossible to love others. Love includes respect. Respect includes knowing that others may have different ideas, values, or opinions, but it does not make them less than you (or you less than them).

If you want more Peace in the world, be more peaceful within yourself and around others, even when chaos reigns. Being peaceful within yourself does not mean you are ignoring what is going on around you; it simply means you are making a choice about not adding fuel to fire. Even when others are being less than peaceful within their own lives, you can give a good example of Peace by the choices you make leading to a peaceful existence.

If you want more Compassion in the world, be more compassionate with yourself and others around you, even when they are acting in ways that defy compassion. Being compassionate does not mean you condone what they are doing, but it does provide an avenue for the expression of unconditional love, which everyone needs more of. Through the act of compassion, you detach from judgment and relate to others as humans, as spiritual beings just like yourself.

If you want more Faith in the world, be more faithful with your own beliefs and tolerant of others. When you remain in faith, you cannot also be in fear, judgment, anger, resentment, unforgeivness, Being in faith means you are willing to let go of the chains of negativity flowing around you. The way to be a lamp unto the world is to live by Faith, not fear: Walk your Talk.

Your World According to Should

 

(when trying to create a Vision for your life)

It may be necessary for you to relax your ideas about what you think a vision should be.

As you’ve probably realized by now, “should” places a heavy burden upon the shoulders of the person wearing its cloak, a burden that will never be lifted because the wearer keeps allowing things to be added to the pile. One thing to realize about all the “shoulds” in your life: they always come from a source outside your True Self. Your “Still Small Voice” will never tell you what you should do – it’s much more direct than that (if you’re listening to it). It tells you what TO DO.

If you have lived your life according to the “shoulds” of society, family, friends, co-workers, and peers, how might you be feeling right now? A bit overwhelmed? At a loss where to turn or what to do next? Out of control? Anxious? Depressed? Like, if it weren’t for the awesome responsibility your “shoulds” have created, you would just hang it all up (either by just walking away or perhaps, drastically speaking, suicide)? “Suicide by Should” is not the way to go.

You hurt yourself and limit your real abilities when you take on the responsibility of “should.” It creates an expectation you can’t possibly live up to, and then, when you don’t quite measure up, you have “failed.” Is there anything worse than the sense of failure instilled by an unfulfilled “should”? Family and friends are disappointed. Grade cards and annual reviews are not quite as glowing as they “should” have been. Even worse is that deep sense of regret, shame, and guilt – perhaps even anger – you may feel inside when you realize you just can’t cut it, according to “should.”

Then someone comes along and informs you that you “shouldn’t” let this or that have control over you. I trust nowhere in this book will you find a sense of you “should” do this or “shouldn’t” do that. No expectations are being imposed upon you from this side of the page – hopefully, only practical advice and guidance as to how to regain control of your life.

Anytime you feel “out of control” or unable to handle the things happening in your life, it’s because you either haven’t created a vision for your life that you’re committed to, or you’ve lost sight of it somewhere along the way because of some sense of “should” that you’re trying to follow. No matter what kind of trouble you’re having in your life, you can probably trace it back to the basic concept of a vision, or lack thereof. This brings you back again to “visionizing” your life.

But where do you begin?

It may be helpful as you pursue or peruse this vision concept if you simply suspend judgment for the duration. Let go of the “shoulds.” Let go of your expectations and preconceived ideas. It matters little how far you are on the spiritual path compared to your neighbor or your Sunday school teacher or your dad when he was this age. Refrain from judging yourself by any standard. Simply let loose and let go of all the inflexible ideas you’ve held about where you “should” be by now.

(This is an excerpt from the book, Blessings by Divine Design, by Barbara Quin, to be published in 2017 by Great Spirit Publishing.)

You Are Everybody and Everybody Holds the Key

 

Everybody is Somebody

It’s interesting to observe the reaction of people when seeing former colleagues, or even distant relatives. Recently, I witnessed a person visiting the place where I work. I’ll call him John. Everyone who passed by John stopped and exclaimed about how good he looked, how great it was to see him, inquired about his activities since retirement, his family, etc., and laughed about previous times shared together. As John went through the building, other workers would stop and call out to him in recognition. Smiles, laughter, handshakes, slaps on the back. All good; all should make John feel good about coming back for a visit, to be so warmly received. Which is usually the goal when visiting a former place of employment or other belonging, like a club or school.

I don’t know John from Adam. I have no idea who he is and have no working relationship with him, so it could have been a meaningless experience for me; I merely observed and let it go. But what it actually did was point out that Everybody is Somebody. Everybody has some measure of influence where they work, go to school or church, etc. They impact the people around them, whether they are aware of it or not, the degree of which depends on how they interact. Are they positive, pleasant, and friendly, or critical, complaining, and micromanaging? How a person interacts with others and shows up day to day will determine the quality of such a reunion.

Have you experienced this? How do you want to be remembered at the place where you work, learn, share, and grow? Remember, you are making an impact not only on the present environment, but you will leave a lasting impression that will ripple back in any future encounter, to be witnessed by others who were not there the first time around.

Always remember:  Everybody leaves no one out. Everybody is Somebody. And YOU are Somebody, too.

 

Everybody is Dealing with Stuff

One of the popular quotes passing through the ethers now, in essence, states, “Be Kind; Everyone You Meet is Fighting a Hard Battle.” While this has been widely mis-attributed to Plato or Philo of Alexandria, amongst other modern writers and philosophers, the actual originator of the statement is believed to be Rev. John Watson, writing as Ian Maclaren, a Scottish author and theologian who lived from 1850 – 1907. His original statement was written as, “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.”

The purpose of the statement, of course, is to remind us that everybody has stuff to deal with, stuff we know nothing about. I once worked with a young woman I’ll call Mary. Mary was so pleasant and sweet at the office. She had a smile on when she arrived and when she left. I never knew of any difficulties in her life; I even wrote a story for her kids about a little stow-away kitten in her car. Then, one day, Mary announced she was moving to another state. It came to my attention via the office grapevine that she was getting a divorce and leaving a very difficult marriage. Nothing in her demeanor ever reflected the challenges she was facing at home. I admired her strength yet wished I could have provided some kind of emotional support for her. My hope was that Mary excelled in her new job and her life was more blessed than ever. I believe she is the kind of person who would receive a very warm welcome on a visit with former co-workers.

Just because someone is smiling all the time doesn’t mean they don’t have trials and personal battles. And, likewise, just because someone may appear grumpy or cranky, doesn’t mean they are just mean for meanness sake. They may be just having a bad day, or they may be facing tests no one else knows about and they just don’t know how to ask for support or help.

Even you, reading this, have things you are dealing with that likely your closest friends know nothing of, so we can all be reminded of the truth of the words, no matter where they came from, that everyone is dealing with stuff the best way they know how. Let us not judge each other based on first impressions, but seek instead to give each other the benefit of the doubt unless and until proven otherwise.

Above all, if a choice must be made:  Kindness is never a mistake in response to anyone.

 

Everybody is Deserving

You – yes, You – along with Everybody else, are deserving of good things in life. You deserve your dreams to come true. You deserve to have plenty of money to meet your expenses, plenty of food to ensure a sated appetite, and all the things needed to make your life comfortable. You deserve to work at a job you enjoy, to feel you are making a contribution to the Goodness in the world. You deserve to feel your feelings. You deserve health, vitality, happiness, peace, forgiveness, success, and, yes, even You deserve Unconditional Love. Accept that you deserve to receive these things, and let yourself be Blessed to give them to others, too, through your interactions, your attitude, your words, and the way you treat others. And don’t take it too personally when someone responds in a way that surprises you, because you don’t know what they’re dealing with; Everybody also deserves compassion.

Thinking on these things called to mind an old song with the refrain, “Come on, people, now; Smile on your brother; Everybody get together; Try to love one another, Right now” (see link and lyrics below).

If you choose to listen to this song, pay close attention to the lyrics, because they are telling you some of the Secrets of Life:  Love is a song we sing; fear is how we die; we are here but for a moment; listen and you will understand; and You hold the key to love and fear within your hands, the same key that unlocks them both, so it’s up to your command.

Finally, keep this in mind and close in Heart:

You are Somebody.

You are dealing with stuff no one else knows about.

You are Deserving of a great life.

 

Namaste’

 

(click for video and song):  Get Together, by The Youngbloods

 

If you would like to sing along, here are the lyrics to “Get Together,” sung by The Youngbloods, from 1967.

“GET TOGETHER” by The Youngbloods

Love is but a song to sing
Fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment’s sunlight
Fading in the grass

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It’s there at your command

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now