I have long been a believer in the virtue of Honesty. Honesty is a fundamental. The importance of being honest with yourself and being true to your own nature is paramount. I can't imagine living my life knowing that I was doing anything else. If you can't be honest with yourself, how could you expect anyone to believe anything you say?
I don't remember the last time I openly told a lie. I do remember the feeling I had when I was caught doing it. It was not pleasant. Even if I bought into the concept of blaming others for my own actions, I wouldn't have been able to. Nope, it was all on me. The person I had lied to knew it and I could feel their respect for me swirling down the drain. Yeah. Not the kind of thing that gives you warm fuzzies. Lying is a quick way to lose a friend. Being honest is a good way to gain one.
Be honest with yourself. Be honest with others. You will genuinely be a better person for it.
The question today is: How would you describe your relationship with honesty?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Zen and Prayer
Let me start by saying that I don't follow any religion. My spirituality is based solely on what life has taught me through the course of moving through the world.
My way of believing is flavored with Taoism, Native American Spirituality, and Buddhism. As contrary as it sounds, I even have a healthy dose of atheism. Heck, that doesn't even make sense. It's true, though. I'll dive into that mindpool at a later time.
I believe in Natural Law. Natural Law is simply the force that guides the planets around the stars, causes seeds to grow into trees, and things to generally move toward the center of the planet. All the stuff that held true long before there were humans to think about them. For those who are confused by this, think of three of the favorite human myths: Politics, Religion, and Economics. None of these are a part of Natural Law. They're illusions cooked up to serve the chefs who invented them.
Prayer for me is having a conversation with the Universe. There is no god involved. There is no worship. There's definitely no white guy with a long beard and legions of angels flying over pearly gates. I leave all that nonsense to the Fundamentalists.
I talk to something, that's for sure. It's kinda like talking to a friend who happens to be all things at all times. Every speck of dirt, every animal, plant, and stone that is or has ever been. That's what I talk to.
When I pray, I talk inwardly or outwardly (depending on my mood and whether or not I can get away with talking out loud without getting locked up) about what's going on in my life. If I'm having trouble with things, I'll talk about it and hope for guidance. If I'm feeling good about things, I express gratitude. Now that I think about it, I express gratitude most of the time. Part of my prayers are to give gratitude a big hug. I love you, Gratitude. You're awesome.
I reckon prayer is just having a conversation with the Universe. Checking in. Connecting with all that is. If meditation is listening to the silent whispers of the Soul, prayer is the sound that balances the silence.
Prayer is powerful. Like energy healing, it always works. It may not look like what you expect, but it always does what it should.
Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for being.
My way of believing is flavored with Taoism, Native American Spirituality, and Buddhism. As contrary as it sounds, I even have a healthy dose of atheism. Heck, that doesn't even make sense. It's true, though. I'll dive into that mindpool at a later time.
I believe in Natural Law. Natural Law is simply the force that guides the planets around the stars, causes seeds to grow into trees, and things to generally move toward the center of the planet. All the stuff that held true long before there were humans to think about them. For those who are confused by this, think of three of the favorite human myths: Politics, Religion, and Economics. None of these are a part of Natural Law. They're illusions cooked up to serve the chefs who invented them.
Prayer for me is having a conversation with the Universe. There is no god involved. There is no worship. There's definitely no white guy with a long beard and legions of angels flying over pearly gates. I leave all that nonsense to the Fundamentalists.
I talk to something, that's for sure. It's kinda like talking to a friend who happens to be all things at all times. Every speck of dirt, every animal, plant, and stone that is or has ever been. That's what I talk to.
When I pray, I talk inwardly or outwardly (depending on my mood and whether or not I can get away with talking out loud without getting locked up) about what's going on in my life. If I'm having trouble with things, I'll talk about it and hope for guidance. If I'm feeling good about things, I express gratitude. Now that I think about it, I express gratitude most of the time. Part of my prayers are to give gratitude a big hug. I love you, Gratitude. You're awesome.
I reckon prayer is just having a conversation with the Universe. Checking in. Connecting with all that is. If meditation is listening to the silent whispers of the Soul, prayer is the sound that balances the silence.
Prayer is powerful. Like energy healing, it always works. It may not look like what you expect, but it always does what it should.
Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for being.
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