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 – Mother Teresa

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@joannaoftheforest, Angels, Charity, God, Helpers, Holy Spirit, Love, Mother Teresa, Sacrifice, Selflessness, Service

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

Mother Teresa

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

Mother Teresa

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

Mother Teresa

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.

Mother Teresa

The whole situation in Ukraine prompted me to borrow Mother Teresa’s quotes today. She, like many others, helped those who could not help themselves and suffered right along with the people they were helping. There was a story shared by one of the blogs I follow about a grand niece who experienced a visit from a relative who passed. The niece was calmed by this family member’s presence, even though she had passed many years earlier.

These “helpers” or angels are all part of the spiritual hierarchy in my religious path. They aid those who cannot aid themselves. This is one way the Holy Spirit helps each of us in times of trouble. So, like Mother Teresa, these Souls continue to serve, even after they have passed. They return to help those in this current life when they most need it. Like my friend’s story, they do not do anything, other than smile, listen, or provide some other type of comfort. For many, these experiences will be something that never leaves them.

If you’d like to learn more about Mother Teresa, here’s her Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

I hope all of you have a terrific Wednesday!

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 – Wisdom Wednesday – Giving of Yourself

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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 – Special Moments

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Listening, Love, memories, Selflessness, Special Moments, Treasures, wisdom

Image by Candace Hunter from Pixabay 

I often ponder certain periods of my life. How did I end up where I am? Why did I learn the things I did in this life so far? What were the turning points? What moments are the most memorable?

When I think about my life’s most memorable moments I remember my wedding, some of my birthdays, graduating from college, retiring from the Army, and so many other things. The most memorable and important moments are those moments where someone was kind, giving, loving.

I remember the birthday presents and Christmas gifts my family sent to me when I was abroad. I remember the letters my late Grandma wrote. You know a gift from a lady that barely had enough to live on was something I will never forget. It warms my heart to think of those moments.

Then there are the family board games, playing Scrabble with my Mom and Grandma. Thanksgiving dinners. Christmas day. My first surprise birthday party thrown by my wife. The moments that stick with me the most are those that you can’t buy. These moments are the ones that really count.

Our lives are so busy. We work, we run errands; we pay our bills, and on it goes. It’s the little moments when someone shows us kindness or expresses their love for us. It isn’t the words “I love you”, but the acts that show that love. I still tear up when I think of some of these special moments in my life.

Today, even if it’s only a few minutes. Take that time to think about your special moments. The times someone smiled at you, helped you with something, spent time with you and just listened to what you had to say. These moments will carry you through the tough times. They will warm your heart when you lay in bed at night waiting for sleep to arrive. They will make you smile as you do your daily work. These moments when someone gave you their time or did something for you with no expectation or demand. They just did something that touched your heart.

These are the moments that hang on. These are the moments you take with you wherever you go. These are the moments that leave their mark. I love thinking about my special moments. They make me laugh. They make me cry. They make me feel loved.

Ah, these special moments that we carry with us. They are like the patchwork of a quilt, each one unique and contributing to the whole. Hold on to these special moments. They are a treasure that continues to hold its sparkle.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday

Tags

Acts of Kindness, Altruism, Happiness, Love, Random Acts of Kindness, Selflessness

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