Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – Expanding Your Heart

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Giving, God, Heart, HU, IT, Love, Selflessness, Spiritual Sunday, spirituality, SUGMAD

You’ve just entered a larger room, and that’s often why you feel this emptiness. It takes a little while for divine love to reach in and touch all the corners of your heart.

Sri Harold Klemp – Truth Has No Secrets

All of us are on a journey. We may be unaware of it, but the real you–Soul, is striving to return home.

The larger room, Sri Harold describes in this quote is the feeling you’ll get when you’ve made some spiritual progress. Sometimes when you’ve accomplished this, you’ll have a dream of being in a large theater or stadium. You’ll feel expansion or expansiveness.

Whenever you give of yourself, you are giving the love in your heart to another. This act, whether it be to an animal, another person, or even a plant, is you giving of yourself. Sometimes it is just listening to someone who is having a tough time of it. It may be a smile you give to a stranger at the market or wherever you are. Each of these little moments when you give of yourself, you are giving out love.

There’s a saying in ECKANKAR and it goes like this: “You have to give love to get it”. Each of us has a certain capacity or capability for love. Imagine it as a cup or your heart. When your heart is full, you can’t get any more love. Your cup is filled. When you give love to something you are doing, another person, or an animal or plant, love leaves and creates a gap or a little space for love in your cup. Since God’s love is always coming to us, it fills your cup right back up. So, as the quote says, give love and you’ll get love. It’s a really simple equation.

When we grow spiritually, our cup gets bigger. Our heart center expands. This is the expansion we feel when we are becoming more capable and attain higher spiritual heights. You don’t have to be an ECKist to experience this. It is simply the way this world works.

If you ever feel unhappiness, or just feel down, go out and give of yourself. When you give love, you get it. By doing for others without any expectation of getting something back, you will get something back. That is God’s love.

All of us have experienced that feeling of love that comes when we do something for others or complete some tasks with love. It’s a feeling that can’t be bought. It just feels good. It is a very light love–a subtle love–but it’s there.

No one misses out on this. It works for everyone all the time. Sri Harold recommends doing one thing each day out of love and love only without any expectation of something coming back. Try this out. You’ll see what I’m saying. You slowly build a habit of doing these things and your life will improve exponentially.

Well, that’s all I have for today. I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend. Have a great Sunday. Go about your day knowing that God’s love is coming to you 24 hours a day. It never stops. It never ends.

May the blessings be.

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Francis of Assisi

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Francis of Assisi, Giving, God, Lord, Peace, Pope, Saint, Wikipedia

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Francis of Assisi

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.

Francis of Assisi

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

Francis of Assisi

For it is in giving that we receive.

Francis of Assisi

For those of you interested in reading about Francis of Assisi, here’s the Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Love Yourself

Tags

Contentment, Detachment, Giving, Humility, Love, receiving, Self Love, Selflessness

“You have to give love to get love” – Paul Twitchell

This is a simple equation, isn’t it? It’s the simplicity of these wise words that makes it difficult, right? The mind likes to complicate things–make them difficult. Easy things are hard to imagine, because we are so ready for the hard things.

Our minds are always on the lookout. The mind seeks out danger because it is wired to do so. It is fearful of the unknown. It is fearful of something new. It is also very hard on us.

When you begin something new, what does your mind tell you? Why are you doing this? You don’t know what you’re doing. You will mess up. You aren’t good enough? The mind is a terrible taskmaster for some of us.

When people speak of love, they typically mean loving someone or something else. When was the last time you loved yourself? When was the last time you cheered yourself on, patted yourself on the back, imagined a younger version of yourself and told that version that you were good, you were enough, and that you are loved? I bet it might have been a while–am I right?

You have to love yourself, before others will love you. You also have to be satisfied with being alone. When you love yourself and are happy by yourself, you won’t have any expectations of someone else. You won’t attach strings to the love you give them, because you are already satisfied with the love you are receiving–from yourself.

Take the time to really love–YOU! You know yourself better than anyone. You are the only person that can do this for you. Why be dependent on another person? Why yearn for love when you have more than enough to give yourself?

This isn’t selfish. You aren’t going to neglect the loved ones in your life, just take some time to love yourself. When you do so, you’ll find that the love you give is more selfless. You give love to just give it. You won’t expect anything in return.

I hope all of you have a terrific Saturday. I also want to thank all of you who stopped by to wish me a happy birthday. It was nice to hear from you. It was the icing on the cake, so to speak. A great day, followed by happy birthdays here and on my social media accounts. It was really nice.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Reciprocity

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Altruism, Ego, Giving, Leo Buscaglia, Reciprocity, Saturday, Selflessness, Spiritual

The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.

Leo Buscaglia

Giving, teaching, empathizing, sharing. These all involve doing something for someone else. Giving another person your time, even if it is to just listen to them. Share what you’ve learned, share your happiness, share something that is special to you. The pay back for these actions is contentment, happiness, and a warmth you can’t get from doing things for yourself.

This warmth is something that is hard to explain. It is like your heart gets warm. It permeates your whole body.

Doesn’t it feel great when you can help someone and that frown on their face turns to a smile? Maybe you’re a good listener and one of your friends needs to vent. Isn’t it great to just listen to someone vent and work things out for themselves?

Spirituality doesn’t have to be a formal religion. It doesn’t require a holy book or going to a service or meeting. It literally is nothing more than tapping into that inner part of yourself that knows what good is. It doesn’t concern itself with the petty and small ego. It gives. It gives without concern for anything in return. It gives because others need it. Nothing more.

When you give of yourself without expecting anything in return, the ego shrinks. You can’t live without an ego, but you can live with a shrunken one. Whenever you think about others more than you do yourself, the ego is put aside. This “putting aside” demonstrates that the ego is not all you. It is only a creation of you so you can survive.

I’ll stop there.

Have a great Saturday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Giving

Tags

family, Friends, Gifts, Giving, Good memories, Good times, Togetherness

As we give of ourselves, of our patience and love, to someone else who needs it more, something changes inside us. Something flows in, a flow of good feeling. A spiritual upliftment occurs both in us and in the person receiving the love.

—Harold Klemp
The Language of Soul

Have you ever thought about your favorite moments in life? I do from time-to time, and none of them involve money, an award, or anything else material. My best memories are with family.

I remember playing Scrabble with the family when I was a kid. I remember learning how to play card games. I remember my grandfather teaching how to play chess. The best memories I have are those where I spent time with someone else.

When we give of ourselves, we open ourselves up. It is an expanding practice. It makes us feel good and the person receiving the gift to feel good. Sometimes, just giving someone the time of day on the phone is enough. Maybe they’re having a rough time of it and need to vent. Maybe they just did something terrific and don’t have anyone else to tell. These little moments are the most precious to most people.

There is one circumstance when I was thrilled when I received something. It was when my late grandmother sent me a gift in the mail, while I was in the Army. What meant a lot to me is she never missed a birthday–ever. I also knew she didn’t make a lot of money from Social Security and other things, and it meant so much that she would still take the time to get me something. Toward the end of her life, she used to send homemade chocolate peanut butter cups. Sometimes they would show up all melted, but it was truly the thought that mattered.

My mother is the same way. She never, ever, misses a birthday. Even when I was deployed in the Middle East, she got me birthday and Christmas presents. Another time, my wife and I decided to put together a cheese and meat plate and sit behind our home next to the pool and listen to jazz. We didn’t say anything to one another. We just sat there, enjoyed the music, nibbled on cheese, meat, and crackers, and enjoyed our moment together in complete silence.

I hope each of you has a terrific Saturday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – The Love You Give Returns

Tags

Altruism, Charity, Giving, Goodwill, Love, Saturday, Selfless, spirituality

What is spirituality? Some folks believe it is attending church, a mosque, or a synagogue, and following the rituals associated with their religions. Others meditate and read and learn about mindfulness and themselves. Still others do the best they can for their families, contribute or take part in charities, and follow the golden rule. Based on what I’ve written here, it is what you make of it.

Spirituality, at its most simple level, is serving others. It is giving and receiving love. It is putting everything you have into something. Putting love into it. It is extending your goodwill to all. It is expressing your love for others without trying to control them or forcing them to be who you want them to be. This is a detached love. It is loving someone for who they are, nothing more. It is a love without strings attached.

When you do something selflessly for someone else, there’s a good feeling that comes with it. It’s like love leaves you and goes where you are putting your efforts. Then, that love returns to fill you right back up. The more love you give, the more you get. This universe is just that simple. It is we humans that make it hard. The human mind loves complicating things.

Have you ever decided to love someone and serve them, regardless of what they do or don’t do? It is a very selfless act. It is also hard. It’s hard to serve and love someone that does not return that love. Yet, it still comes back. The more love you give, the more you get.

Think about a dog. Dogs are selfless lovers. When you walk in the door, they are so excited to see you. When you are watching TV or reading a book or whatever, that dog is always there. Right there with you. Can you imagine how much love that dog feels? They love without regrets, without demanding something in return. This is a perfect example of selfless love. The more love you give, the more you get.

Are you in a difficult relationship? Remember how wonderful it was when you first met? Over time, little things build up. Little slights. Little trespasses. You wake up one day and things aren’t right anymore. How do you get it back? You guessed it. Love your partner. Love them. Serve them. Expect nothing. Don’t fix them. Let them be who they are. The more love you give, the more you get.

The more love you give, the more you get.

Have a great Saturday, folks.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Selfless Service

Tags

Charity, Giving, Lending a hand, Selfless Service, Service, Serving, Spiritual, spirituality

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

Courtesy Goodreads

Have you ever done something nice for someone without saying anything or expecting anything in return? The feeling you get when you do something like this is different than the feeling you get when someone knows you did them a service. It is a more complete feeling. It’s hard to explain.

Obviously, we all like being appreciated or thanked for our efforts, but doing something selflessly provides so much more. Here are some ideas for you to think about:

• Picking up someone’s trash can that has fallen over, while they’re at work
• Paying for someone’s coffee at your local coffee shop or paying for someone’s meal at a restaurant without them knowing
• Leaving a note on a colleague’s desk telling them they are awesome, loved, or terrific (I enjoyed leaving sticky notes on someone’s computer screen before they got to work)
• Picking up trash while on a hike or when you walk down your street
• Picking up something that has fallen off a shelf at your local department store
• Leaving a sticky note on someone’s car window wishing them a great day!

These are just a few examples of some things you can do that contribute. Here are some things you can do for people that can’t pay you back:

• Volunteer to work at a homeless shelter or Food Kitchen
• Volunteer to work at your local library
• Help someone when they’ve broken down along the side of the road
• Get some food for a homeless person
• Deliver a holiday basket to a military recruiting station, police station, or fire house

These are just examples of the service you can give to other people. You’ll feel terrific when you’ve done these things and the people on the receiving end will feel good too. I prefer to do things when people don’t know that I’ve done it. The feeling you get back when you do something out of pure love for people is a great thing. It really is.

I wish each of you a terrific Saturday.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Giving of Yourself

Tags

Giving, Help, Humility, Love, Selflessness, Service, Smile, Wisdom Wednesday

Yesterday was one of those days when everything was just right. It was my Mom’s birthday. She opened her gifts and her cards. We took her out to dinner. My brother, sister, and niece called. I think she enjoyed the calls the most.

I spent time helping my wife study for a teaching credential she needs to pass by December. She works really hard and is putting everything she has into it. I love her.

“Before you can improve your life and find a measure of happiness, you must learn to do one thing every day out of pure love. That means, don’t expect anything in return—neither thanks nor happiness. Pick that occasion carefully. Then, whatever that one act of giving of yourself to someone else is, do it with all your heart.” — Harold Klemp — The Language of Soul.

Giving of yourself does not need to be a grand event. It could be as simple as cleaning up some trash in front of your neighbor’s home. It could be smiling at a young child in front of you at the grocery store line. It could be leaving a bigger tip when you eat out. It could be writing a letter to your folks or siblings. Giving of yourself brings a great warmth inside. It is hard to describe.

Serving someone else, without any expectation is a terrific thing. It is the selflessness of the act that is the most important. You just do something with no expectation. This selfless act will shrink your ego. It will humble you. It will calm you. It will improve your self esteem. It will open your heart.

If you’re down in the dumps, feeling lost, or depressed, try serving someone else. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, you may be the only person they talk with today. Smile at people. It may be the only smile they get today. Help someone. It may be the only time in their life that someone took the time to help them today. You may never know what a difference you made in someone’s life, but you will have made a difference.

I think I’ll end here. I hope all of you have a terrific Wednesday. As always…

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Do One Thing

Tags

Ego, Expectations, Giving, Lifting, Love, One Thing, Rising, Sacrifice, Slight

Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay

Before you can improve your life and find a measure of happiness, you must learn to do one thing every day out of pure love. That means, don’t expect anything in return—neither thanks nor happiness. Pick that occasion carefully. Then, whatever that one act of giving of yourself to someone else is, do it with all your heart.

—Harold Klemp

The Language of Soul

What does this quote mean? I pondered this quote for years before I really understood its meaning. It means to literally do something for God. I like to focus on yard work for this one daily gift. I do it as a means of pitching in around the house, but anyone can go through the motions. When you do something out of pure love, it means you put all you have into that one thing. You take one more step to do the job better than you would normally do it.

When you do something of this nature every day, you get something back, even though you don’t expect it. The ego depletes when you do something of this nature. That is a good thing. The ego tends to get us in trouble, particularly when we feel like we’ve been slighted or disrespected. When the ego is eliminated or ignored, you cannot be slighted or disrespected. The ego is the only thing that can define slight or disrespect.

It is hard to explain the feeling that comes when you’ve done a good job for a good job’s sake. It is there, even if it is slight. You feel a rising inside. You feel something that is deeply fulfilling. Try this out for a day if you’d like. Then, pay attention to how you feel as you do the job and afterwards.

It’s these little things we can do each day that make a huge difference in our lives. I have found that the little things we do have the largest impact.

I wish all of you a great Wednesday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – An Escape From Poverty

Tags

Abandonment, Giving, HIV, Jacqueline Novogratz, Making due, Poverty, Prostitution, Sharing, Ted Talk

Image by 晨 朱 from Pixabay

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.” ― Mother Teresa, A Simple Path: Mother Teresa

 

Today’s Ted Talk highlight’s a woman’s plight leaving a shantytown outside of Nairobi. Jacqueline Novogratz tells this story explaining that poverty is not what we think it is. Enjoy!!

Until next time…

Dave