24 Tuesday Jul 2018
Posted in Ted Talk
Enjoy this terrific Ted Talk examining the question: What makes the good life? Some of you may be surprised, while others may not be. I don’t want to spoil this for you-you’ll just have to watch.
Until next time…
Dave
27 Wednesday Jun 2018
Posted in Wisdom Wednesday
“The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.” – John F. Kennedy
Boy, is this a good one!
When I was studying for a Doctorate, I truly began to realize how true this and other statements are about our limited knowledge in so many fields. When we discover something new, we begin to discover more avenues to follow and begin to discover there is a lot more to understand. It’s almost like running down a never-ending rabbit hole, much like the one in Alice of Wonderland. The key difference is the rabbit hole only leads to other ones, and other ones, ad infinitum.
I think we just need to understand that this seeking will never end. There will always be something more to know, more to apply, more to do. It is never ending because with each new discovery, more doors open in other fields, more doors open for commercial application, and more doors open to refine the idea just discovered.
Subsequently, science needs to keep seeking to understand that it needs to seek some more only to understand that this answers this question and presents ten more. We need science, but science will never discover the truth about our reality. Truth is only experienced. Truth is known when we see it. Truth is unchanging. When you find the truth, you don’t need to continue looking. Truth just is.
Our search for knowledge also concerns other aspects of our lives. Think about happiness for a moment. Are you happy? If not, why not? Happiness is a state of mind—an attitude. You either are happy, or you are not happy. Happiness, like truth, is within. We must learn how to be and nothing more.
Until next time…
Dave
16 Saturday Jun 2018
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
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“The reason for spiritual enlightenment is not to escape life, but to learn how to live it richly, to enjoy it.”—Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
When many of us think of a spiritually enlightened individual we tend to think about a monk in a cathedral laboring over a manuscript or in a cave contemplating the greater things of life. Spiritual enlightenment is something that should be shared with the world. This is what this quote is about.
Spiritual enlightenment, regardless of each of our personal definitions, is about connecting with God. In Eckankar, we call this connecting with the light and sound. The light and sound are metaphors for what we hear internally and what we see. We are taught that when you gain spiritually, these gains are gifts. These gifts, in turn, should be shared with others. It’s almost like a fountain. The fountain works because it sprays its waters upward, the drops return to the pond surrounding it and the fountain uses the same water over and over.
Just like the fountain, we can look at love like water. If we get love, we share it. In turn, that love comes back around to us and the cycle continues over and over. This is simple right?
Think about this for a moment. When do you really feel good? When you serve others.
Serving others isn’t about working for them or giving them gifts. It can be as simple as saying hello or passing along a smile. It can even be the act of wishing others well in a non-personal way. It is this passing along that gives us the greatest joy.
Yeah, when you get a brand-new car or a new techno-toy it’s terrific, but the joy is fleeting. I’ve found that the giving of self to others delivers a longer-term happiness, a happiness that goes deep down to your core. It is hard to explain.
When you give your son or daughter a birthday party, the feeling you get when they are smiling and excited and happy is priceless. When I was a young boy, maybe around the age of 6 or 7, I remember being so happy on my birthday that I cried and hugged my Mom. At that moment, we were all in the family’s only car late at night to pick up my father from work. Even at a young age, I knew we didn’t make much and the gifts and the little cake my Mom made were what they could afford. I didn’t care. It was the passing of love from Mother to son that made the whole day.
It’s interesting when you think about these little moments that stick with you. They stick with you because the love that came through was true and pure and selfless. This is the same way you can feel when you realize that you are here because God loves you. You—Soul.
“Soul exists because God loves it.” – Sri Harold Klemp. This is one of our core beliefs in Eckankar. When you think about others, when you do things for others, when you serve others, you’ll discover that the feeling of love inside grows and grows. This love stays around. We call this divine love. Divine love is composed of all types of love, even romantic love. The key to understanding what divine love is is to simply understand that it is charitable. Divine love is giving, serving, sharing, selflessly without regard for reward, it simply is.
Until next time…
Dave
09 Saturday Jun 2018
Posted in Spiritual Saturday
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
This is harder than it looks, particularly when we are mired in the busyness of life. If you purposefully try to plan something to do it becomes much easier.
The thing you choose can be as simple as cleaning up around the house for your loved one or making them a meal. Perhaps it is helping someone when they need help.
These little acts of kindness are beneficial because they focus your attention on something other than yourself. When you are acting in this way, something occurs. I always feel a sense of contentment. It isn’t an egotistical feeling, but one of satisfaction, so to speak.
One website that can give you some great ideas for these little acts of kindness is https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
This website has collections of little things you can do for your neighborhood, your loved ones, anybody. I try to select at least one thing I can do daily that is simple but interesting to me. Something like telling a server at your favorite restaurant how well they did. You can pay it forward, by paying more for your coffee and telling the person taking your order to apply the difference to the next customer’s bill.
Visit this site to get a whole collection of ideas and stories of what others have done to make their world a better place.
There’s another quote by the late Paul Twitchell. It is: “To get love, you have to give it.” (paraphrased) This relates to what I am offering in this week’s wisdom posting. The more love you give out the more you get.
I hope all of you have a safe, happy, and relaxing weekend.
Until next time…
Dave
29 Tuesday May 2018
Tags
Coursera, Dan Gilbert, Happiness, Surprising Science of Happiness, Ted Talk, Wellness Course, Yale
Do you want to learn a little more about happiness? If so, be prepared to be startled by the findings of Dan Gilbert. His Ted Talk is funny and informative. I was prompted to use this one this week because it was recommended by the Wellness course I am taking at Yale via Coursera.
Enjoy!
Until next time…
Dave
22 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in Ted Talk
Take a few moments to watch this Ted Talk. I won’t give away any spoilers. This is worth the watch. I hope you are having a terrific week so far!
Until next time…
Dave
08 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in Quotes
“We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.” – William Arthur Ward
What obstacles are in your way? What challenges are you experiencing? Are they really challenges/obstacles?
This quote deals with our attitude. Everything we deal with in our reality and the way we react to these things render our lives happy and content or unhappy and discontent. It is interesting when you can really take account of what is going on in your life and simply say “It’s all good.”
I think the biggest challenge we face is accepting reality for what it is. There are certain things that are just out of our control. You can be angry about them, sad about them, or happy and content. It really is a choice.
It took me a very long time to figure this out. Like many, if I wasn’t making the money I wanted, had the gal I wanted, lived in the place I wanted, etc. life sucked. Then I began to realize that the endless pursuit of “things” was fruitless. That certain part of me that had a hunger for this nonsense would never be satisfied. It would always want more. It would always be demanding and unsatisfied.
Then, one day I came to the realization that we have all we need. I began minimalizing my life. Why did I need a computer, laptop, tablet, and phone, when I only needed one computer and a phone? Why did I need all the clothes I had, when I could only wear one outfit a day? Slowly, but surely, I donated, sold, and got rid of a lot of stuff. Now, I could literally move at a moment’s notice without too much fuss. I don’t have a lot of things to take care of, because I don’t own a lot of things. Life became simpler. Life became easier. I was happier. I was calmer.
I think much of our wants, our needs, our goals, are driven by society and our social relationships. We compete silently to get the same car or nicer one, the same house or bigger one, the same computer or a faster one, not realizing that the companies selling these products influenced us into this never-ending race of purchasing and needing and desiring.
When I decided to “make my own rules”. I began to realize how simple life is and how happy we can be with very little. I have a roof over my head. I have enough food. I have a place to sleep. My health is good. I also realized that the goals I was pursuing were not mine, but society’s.
I don’t need a lot of money. I don’t need a snappy new car or a lot of clothes. I only need the basics to survive and thrive. Now, I wake up each day fresh and ready to go. I reflect on what I am grateful for—and I am grateful for everything. But you know, I could live with even less if I needed to and still be happy. I am happy because I choose to be.
When you wake up and come at life with happiness and gratitude in your heart, nothing can throw you off course. The rocks in your path really do become the tools you use to build the road with.
You have a choice.
Until next time…
Dave
17 Tuesday Apr 2018
Posted in Quotes
Tags
“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.” – Peace Pilgrim
How do we find peace within ourselves? This is probably a question that has dumbfounded philosophers and scholars alike. I think it is a personal undertaking. The primary way to achieve peace is to simply love yourself. I am not talking about a narcissistic exercise but one of truthfully looking at one’s actions, failures, triumphs, and successes and just getting to a place where you are ok with all of it.
I know in my life I have hurt a lot of people. Sometimes I hurt them intentionally; other times by accident. Nonetheless I did it. It took many years of contemplation and reflection to arrive at a place where I can look back and truly forgive myself for the things I have done that I am not that proud of.
There has also been a great deal of failures. Failures caused by procrastination (not taking the shot when I had it), not taking the time to really plan something out and just sort of winging it, or even situations when everything was in alignment and failed. These failures are what makes me who I am today.
So, I think the best way to find peace is to truly forgive and love yourself. Whether you visualize yourself as an adult or a young child, forgive yourself. You did the best you could in the situation you were in. You acted with the knowledge you had. Even if the actions you made were wrong, forgive yourself. Even if you failed, acknowledge the failure and forgive yourself.
Attitude is another aspect of peace. I find many people who are unhappy with their lives, choose one of two things: 1) they are revolting against reality; 2) they are revolting against change. Reality is what you have. It’s the job you have, the marriage or relationship you are in, the relationship you are not in, the money you have, the money you do not have.
I read a quote a few years back and it still makes sense today. Everything is in its rightful place in the worlds of God. That means everything. Subsequently, the choice each of us must make is whether we are ok with our reality or need to change it. We also must come to grips with the realization that there are some things you will not change, and you have ZERO control over.
If we can change our situation (we have the power and the desire) then change it. If you’re in a bad job, find another one. If you are in a bad relationship leave it and find another one. If you are unhappy with your body, start working out and eat right. If you are unhappy with world hunger, get involved, but do not expect this reality to change. There will always be world hunger, poverty, war, and all the rest. We human beings are just wired to hurt one another. Change what you can change and accept the rest. Truly find happiness within you. Your attitude is what makes the difference.
Happiness is related to peace. When you are happy the world is right, your situation is right, everything is just right. How many of us let outside circumstances dictate our mood, our happiness, our peace? I firmly believe that there are some people that are happy being unhappy. There is always something outside themselves that makes them unhappy. They are always chasing happiness. Yet, they won’t do anything about it, but complain. Complain to their parents, complain to their friends, complain to their siblings. Complain, complain, complain. They are like a broken record that plays the same song over and over and over. Friends, family, and colleagues try to tell them, “Hey, can you play a different song?” They don’t like the song, but don’t want to change the record, because they are so “comfortable” with what’s playing.
I hope today’s post finds you well. If any of this hit a nerve, I hope you decide to forgive yourself. I hope you make the changes to your reality that you can. It will make your life more relaxing and will help you see that peace, happiness, and contentedness are all yours right now—if you realize it.
Until next time…
Dave
05 Friday Jan 2018
Tags
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher
Happiness is an attitude, folks. It isn’t about who is in your life, what you own, the places you visit, or the money in your bank account. It is about being in a state of happiness. I talk to a lot of people about this topic, including some of my family members, and it is surprising how many people “chase” happiness. In my humble opinion, you are either happy or you are not. There is no in between.
If it takes outside circumstances, things, or people to make you happy, I’m afraid you’ll be chasing happiness the rest of your life.
Happiness is developed with a sense of gratitude. Happiness is derived from simple things. For me, this life is a treasure–something to be grateful for. I am happy to be alive. I am happy to have had the experiences I have had. I am just happy. Happiness is derived from being thankful for whatever your present circumstances are and is unshakeable, even in the darkest hours.
Sure, we all experience loss. We lose friends. We lose loved ones. We break up and get divorced. These things are unhappy events in our lives, but should not gauge the happiness you feel inside. This reality involves loss. We will all die. Our friends will all die. Our husbands, wives, sons, and daughters will die. There is no escaping this inevitability.
When you think about the finite existence we experience in this life, why be anything but happy. If you believe in reincarnation like I do, what is there to worry about. The real “YOU” never ends–ever. You will be coming back for a do-over, again and again. You will meet friends and family over and over again as each of us returns to this place for more lessons and experience.
Soul is who you are. Soul is infinite. Soul never forgets. Soul is always learning and improving. Experience this life without regret, knowing you are gaining experience and moving forward one step at a time. You have all of the time in the world to experience everything there is. Some of these experiences will be chalked up as bad, while others are good. It takes this opposite nature of our experiences to truly relish what we learn, feel, experience, and gain wisdom from. Without the good or bad, there would be zero difference in our experiences. Be grateful for the bad, the good, and indifferent. They all contribute to you as Soul.
Happiness is an attitude. Actively look for things to be grateful for daily. Actively look for things to experience. Enjoy yourself, regardless of your current situation. Things will get better or worse, but these can’t affect your happiness. Over the long-term, you will get better, the bad and good will fade away into the tapestry of this lifetime.
So, love. Love others. Love yourself. Love the things you do. Love actively. Love. The only thing you will leave this place with is the love in your heart, nothing else. You won’t keep your money, you won’t keep your cars, your home, or even your loved ones. You will pass away and prepare for the next life, forgetting all that happened in this life when you returned, but…
Soul remembers. Love is all there is folks. Love others, contribute, love what you do, and love the life you are living, regardless of how hard or easy it is. There’s always something to be thankful for.
That’s it for today folks.
Until next time…
Dave
10 Thursday Aug 2017
Posted in Quotes
Tags
Today’s Quote:
“The quest for God is the quest for true happiness.” – Harold Klemp – The Language of Soul
Yeah, I don’t have anything to add to this one. This is what we are here to do.
Until Next time…
Dave
