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Category Archives: Change

Watch Out For The Wiz

06 May

I watched the remake for The Wizard of Oz entitled – The Wiz not too long ago. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the original, but I thought seeing Michael Jackson as Scarecrow might be entertaining. I was not prepared for what my mind picked out of the movie. I’m not sure if it’s just that I’m older now and can appreciate the plot in a much bigger way or what, but when I finished watching this movie I thought, “This isn’t the film I remember.”

Here’s what stood out differently to me. Perhaps you will see it as well.

In the beginning Dorothy is scared and lonely, but desires more. She’s never been outside of her small neighborhood and tells others and herself she has no desire. This is a false statement and her lies lead her to try to avoid life, until life finds HER. Her dog runs off into a storm and she decides to face the danger and run after. Magically she is another land that is not her HOME.

Dorothy’s killed the Witch of the East. Here she’s met by One, who tells her where to go. There are huge numbers on the set – 1 through 4. These all indicate the journey of self-discovery that lies in store for Dorothy… a foreshadowing if you will. She speaks with One, gathers Two, defeats Three, and realizes Four. That isn’t discussed in the movie, so let me explain.

The Land of Oz and it’s inhabitants are all inside of Dorothy’s mind. This isn’t a trip to another world, but a trip through Dorothy, about Dorothy. All the characters she meets are somehow a personified extension of her. The Scarecrow stands on a CROSS, unable to get down – but only because he believes he can not do it on his own. The Crows keep him there with their propaganda song that defeats his wishes for freedom. He feels like he has no brain, but as the group’s journey continues away from his old post he is full of knowledge and insight. He had brains all along – along with the Lion and his courage or the Tin Man and his heart. These things that they BELIEVED that they lacked they possessed ALL along. Their disbelief caused them to seek an outside force, the Great and Powerful Oz, to fix their problems FOR them.

Their journey ends with them defeating an evil witch, discovering the Wizard is a fraud, and then building up their own self-worth.

I venture to say that the Wizard is a part of Dorothy too, along with the Wicked Witch. The Wizard is the icon that the world tells her to turn to. That idol will change with time, but ultimately it is hollow because it does not come from within. Who knows… in time, Dorothy could have become the next Wiz… had she played her cards differently. I don’t think that was her style, but I also think a different person might take advantage of the opportunity.

The Witch is the fearful FIRE that burns us, corralling us into submission or controlling us outright. She is our EGO, which at times can flatter, telling us we are indestructible gods and at others times insignificant subjects powerless to her Fiery Rule. Only WATER could extinguish her and bring Oz back into balance. And for US water is the knowledge that EGO can be altered. Change can happen if we allow it to. Water is the wisdom to see when change is needed and face it.

After meeting Glenda, The Good Witch, Dorothy sees that she could have returned HOME anytime, but just didn’t KNOW she had the power. So in a click of heels, with her words spoken with intent, she was whisked back to reality a CHANGED woman.

I think The Wiz taught me something this time, as I watched it. It sang a message which said that we are all on a journey. We are all in Oz without the knowledge of it. The power inside to make change happen, to break free from our restraints and face our fears exists in us all. We are all capable of great achievements, if only we take the steps outside our comfort zone to make them. Each of us is filled with wisdom, compassion, bravery, and power, we just fail to see it or we allow the Crows to sing their songs and we believe their lies. Each of us are capable of so much more. We need only stumble upon our own Oz, the undiscovered country which fills us and satiates our souls.

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2013 in Change

 

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Fear is Your Enemy

21 Feb

All these words which I have typed on this blog have been said or written many times before. If we look at or listen to our world they are all around us. They always have been, just as our spirit remains in constant connection to the Source. It is only our Awareness of this that fades away or brightens.

It is MY experience that FEAR is our stumbling block, a prison, a tormentor, and what many describe as a devil. My fear kept me from attempting to seek my dreams, because I wanted to avoid the crushing blow of their tumble. Fear has separated me from people I love because I worried that it would be too painful to let them inside my heart. My fear holds me… until it doesn’t anymore…

When we begin to recognize what fear is and stand up to it ALL THINGS are possible. The only limits set in life are the limits we set on ourselves. The only thing to fear is fear itself. Heard these things before? When you look at them, REALLY LOOK, you will see how strong you really are.

So how does one conquer fear? To believe it could be done overnight, I FEEL, would be a prideful thought. It is a journey, an ongoing mission – if you will – to self-improvement and development that then leads to community, city, country, and world. But all of that journey begins in the hearts of human BEings. If OUR hearts do not BECOME the change and all we do is desire – it will never reach us. Our prayer will never be answered because it is a prayer of lacking. Technically it IS being answered. Our intentions are there, but we’re just asking for the wrong thing – BEING the wrong Way.

If what we desire is Change and Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward all Men – a Richer, prosperous, equally abundant HOME – Then let’s BE that on a personal level and Thank God for bringing it to everyone else. GIVE the gift of this to others in prayer – so that they too might see the Holy Light. Thoughts are powerful – that is why prayer is powerful. God Gives what you ask, whatever is reflected in your HEART. This is key because sometimes a prayer is spoken and the heart says another. The Source gives from your heart. When we believe we are BETTER than someone or HIGHER and we try to give, we miss the point. We are ALL the same. We are all God’s Children.

Fear is ruling this world with an iron grip. It holds each one of us and unfortunately that sometimes bonds us together in fear. Fear nothing, but not in defiance, because that will only bring forth rotten fruit. This is EGO telling you FEAR is CONQUERED! It is EGO telling you I have no fear. However, it is also EGO that tells you fear is nothing to worry about, carry on and fear away. In both these bravados hides a fear in and of itself and one day fear ultimately will conquer the ego when it is not faced.

The way to challenge fear each time it shows its face is to KNOW WHO YOU ARE! If you know who you are there is no need to fear, because God is with you. Fear is powerless to this awesome Truth and Light. Fear is Darkness and it can not touch the Light. It desperately wants to and only inside YOU, the Vehicle, is there space to share. But darkness is not light. It can not harm light. It is simply an illusion – the fear – that it will. Darkness passes through Light and fades away into the depths below. All we must do is release it from ourselves to be free, yet we insist on carrying it.

I invite you to begin YOUR journey of releasing your fears. I feel so fortunate, and at times, unworthy to stand by these beliefs. I do not measure up to them, but I try. My journey continues to this day.

Honesty with Self is the only Way to See.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2013 in Change, Fear, Light

 

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Reality

20 Feb

Since we are all on a journey – experiencing life – and we have all experienced life in different ways we therefore THINK and FEEL about life differently. This is our “reality”. It is based on everything we have ever known and felt, so for each one of us that is OUR Truth. This Truth comes from our heart, an individual spirit, not dependent on the outside world to define it.

Where we run into trouble as a society and as a species is that we try to CONTROL everyone’s “reality”, bending their spirit to fit a mold. If someone is different we cast them out. If someone tries to speak about THEIR Truth some tend to call it lunacy – because – to THEM it will seem to be, because it is running against many of their own life experiences.

I realized this as I woke up this morning and it made me wonder – why am I writing this blog? I know in my Heart and Soul that writing about it makes it clearer to ME, but am I making it clearer to anyone else? Since MY experience has been different from any others – are my words enough?

I woke up with a sense that writing and sharing is a part of this process and I will leave it behind so if someone does SEE something in what I’m saying that it will fill their heart too, but also my process involves more than simply writing about change. I have to continue to do and BE change in my own life to a greater degree.

I’m not a perfect man. I’ve made mistakes and continue to make them – but I choose to let them be defining moments that tell me what I am NOT. Instead of standing before my errors defeated – they lift me up towards who I know that I am and that which I can BE.

I pray that by BEING something different it allows others to see the awesome Truth – That We Are Not All The Same – But We Are.

Males, females, black, white, gay, straight – we are NOT the same – but we ARE! So since this is true why don’t we shift our judgement away from each other and carefully analyze our own realities first.

On the outside our Vehicles are different – but on the inside we are all the same stuff. We are all Spirit. So what kind of Spirit are you?

When we accept this Truth in our hearts – compassion and mercy will bring balance to our unstable world. We will cry tears and beg for forgiveness to the Source of that Spirit when we realize what we have done to each other unaware.

The GOOD NEWS is that all who ask – it shall be given! Each day is a new day to make a different choice. NOW is the time to change.

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2013 in Change

 

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Seven Sins and Virtues – The Circle

19 Feb

In religious scripture and in practice some of us put an emphasis on sins and virtues, good and bad, black and white – thus Division. In mainstream Christianity there are Seven named specifically. Some sects break them down into more, but I’m going to stick with Seven. These are seven traits of Men (meaning both male/female) that are seen as “evil” and seven traits that are seen as “good”.

The sins: Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Wrath.

The virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Kindness, Humility, Patience.

Now, looking simply at the these WORDS – I would rather live in a world that was guided by the seven virtues. It seems like a much nicer place. The alternative is a dark and hateful stew, but it raises a question in my mind – Do we have the self-control (temperance) to maintain that lifestyle at all times, with every human on the planet?

I see this being a supreme struggle, because it is part of life to experience one of these things to KNOW the difference of the other and appreciate how great it truly is. You can not KNOW and APPRECIATE the relief of a cool air conditioner, if you did not first FEEL the swelter of a hot summer day. Switch that around. You can not KNOW and appreciate the inviting warmth of say – a campfire – if first you have not been standing in the cold. Is it possible to experience life another way? I encourage you to think about it. If all there existed – in that experience – was cold, how would you FEEL about it? How would you live with ONLY cold? You have nothing to compare it to. All there is – is cold. There would be NO feeling, NO life, nothing to experience from that interaction.

But that’s hot and cold – you say. Well, let’s go back to the sins and virtues. Obviously when we are victims of someone’s Wrath we FEEL the difference between it and Patience or Mercy. FEELING this allows us to decide whether we want to repeat this experience or choose something different for ourselves. Unfortunately I SEE many people in the world making the same choices over and over again, bringing them the same “bad” experience. They FEEL that it is unpleasant or does not represent who they are – they would not do this to another – yet THEY continue to choose things in life that bring Wrath or Envy to them over and over again.

This can change NOW, Today. As you are reading this you are already thinking differently. Look at your life and see which parts don’t reflect who you are. Don’t HATE these things or JUDGE these things – for they are gifts from God – allowing YOU to better know YOURSELF. With this new understanding of your world you can thank an abusive boyfriend or husband for allowing you to SEE that YOU are not THIS. Then remove THIS from your life. This is the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. This is why you must turn the other cheek – because the person before you has not yet come to the same realization as you. They WILL, if they CHOOSE to, but don’t judge them – for they do not SEE. Forgive them, for when they DO see there will be much remorse for their actions. They will then FEEL what you FEEL and they will do this “evil” act no more.

It is my belief that mankind alone can not win this battle with ourselves. Only with the help of God can we bring balance to our world. BUT – do not believe yourself powerless – THAT is what has brought the world into its current state. All our actions and words and thoughts are creating the world around us. It is a constant prayer that is being answered by God. Think about THAT! What have you done, or said, or thought lately? Has it been your highest thought? Your softest words? Your grandest deed?

No? Change.

No human being is perfect. We are all flawed. We all stumble and make mistakes, but that is why we shouldn’t judge each other, because we ALL stumble and we ALL fall. Life’s a learning process and that’s been forgotten. We all rush to tell each other we are wrong and convince the OTHER we are right, but how could the other know if they have not experienced it for themselves?

I see many in the world telling others that cold is better than hot, so stay cold, but these others don’t know what hot feels like, so there’s confusion and rebellion, especially when this process of experience is tampered with by US. It is our EGO that makes us believe we should control everything and THEN we try to control EVERYONE. We must remember that life is a journey on which we never stop discovering who we are. To stop in the middle and say THIS IS IT, is to miss the point of life itself.

Life is change and development, a circle that revolves. One experience that then helps to define the other. Ying and Yang. But this is not Two different things, but One, for together they ARE life itself and both come from God, The Source, and Creator of All Things.

So how do we insert some change into our world? Simply praying alone will not be enough. We must pray, believe, and then BE the change in our lives as much as possible. These seven sins and virtues are tools for you to define yourself. You have been asleep until today, in darkness, creating unaware. Look at yourself and YOUR actions. Don’t judge, just SEE the Way to change. Forgiveness of self is most important – because you must do this before you can truly forgive another.

Before you have asked God for anything, The Source has given it. THIS is the part we all have trouble believing. This is FAITH. Say the words of your request and FEEL it in your heart. Receive forgiveness and then sing about the Truth to others. Not a forceful song, not a song that pins another down, but one that opens – a soft song – for those with ears to hear.

Thank you Lord, through the Spirit of Christ, Amen.

 
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Posted by on February 19, 2013 in Change, Light

 

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Abundance

18 Feb

Look around you, into your personal life, but also the community around you. Reflect on it. What do you SEE? Is it happiness and joy or misery and emptiness? Then look inward, inside yourself to find the answers to the world around you. If you see misery and emptiness in your life, look for the hole that must be filled inside your heart.

Many of us remain in a constant state of discontent, sickness, and sadness because this is “the world we live in” – it is all we SEE around us. We give up in the face of it and repeat the cycle over and over, scratching our heads wondering why the same “bad” things keep happening to us over and over again. This is the Truth. We ALLOW it to continue, because we think that the source comes from outside of us, a tormentor(s), but in fact it comes from inside – in our hearts – and we allow it to remain there, keeping us a prisoner.

The Secret to change is that it comes from within. We are all capable of it – in fact – all of life represents a circle of revolving change and it is when we DON’T change that we get into trouble. Now we could choose to get caught up in the current and be washed along with everyone else – or – we can look into our hearts. Our hearts are the source of Spirit, the gateway to the Source of All things.

If our hearts are filled with hate or sadness – the Spirit that flows from the Source brings forth the fruit of our tree. That is why we have the world in the state that it is in. Collectively mankind has fallen asleep to this creative process and judged himself along with his fellow man into our current state of affairs. However, let there be GOOD NEWS – we don’t need to be upset at our current state – for all things are subject to change with the help of God’s Spirit.

Be cautioned – when we try to do this change ALONE – One – we sink into darkness because we are not connected to the Source in a balanced way. We are SEEKING. We are trying to CONTROL – in our EGO – this mighty Spirit. But we are NOT the Spirit, though many will tell you otherwise. We HAVE the Spirit, but it is only in keeping this in proper perspective that we can find balance in our world.

The Spirit is not to be feared. It is not a demon. It is a gift from God and makes ALL things possible. However – when we believe WE are the Spirit, THE ONE, our perspective is looking in a downward direction.

So what perspective should one have? This is the journey. Follow your heart.  ONE comes from TWO, but ONE and TWO both come from THREE.

Not that far on your journey yet?

Let’s go back to abundance! When you look at your life – Look at what is GOOD – and thank the God of your understanding for it. Do it EVERYDAY. Do it OFTEN. Make it a habit, in fact look for good things about people and things instead of the bad. Make THAT a Way of life. When you find something, no matter how small, and it brightens you up and makes you smile – Say Thank You!! You will be delighted to see that more good things come your Way. The more FULL you FEEL in your heart, the fuller and more ABUNDANT your life will become.

But I HEAR you saying – HOW do I feel FULL when I am not? Give to another. Ask God to give that abundance to another in the world, to all you see. Expect no reward for your giving, just give. Give with your heart. Give with your actions. THIS will make you abundant. This will make you FULL! Jesus was an awesome example. Do on to others as you would have them do on to you, love thy neighbor as thyself except don’t just say that, BE it. It’s not easy, but change never is.

Try it for a few days. See how it FEELS in your heart to help those that NEED help, someone yesterday perhaps that you would have walked past. Start small, but see how it FEELS. Know that this is a circle and that when you give it will return to you in kind, as long as you don’t EXPECT it to. If you sit in wait for the rewards of your giving, then your giving hasn’t been from your heart at all and there will be no reward. You will only reap what you have sown. ALL this has been told to us before. NOW is the time to listen.

When we all begin to do this together successfully our world will begin to transform for the better, PEACEFULLY.

I am praying for everyone that reads this. May these words guide you to abundance and fill your heart with joy, for all things are possible with the help of God – the Source of All Things.

Amen.

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2013 in Abundance, Change

 

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