Category: Living in Presence

You might say we finish last. You might say we die young. You might even say the road to hell is paved with our intentions. We ‘good guys’ have heard all of that before. If you say these things to me, your words will have fallen on deaf ears. The way I see it, all these derogatory cliches are simply the worn out protestations of weak people. People who are choosing the easy way out. Every day, these bad guys compromise their internal moral compass, choosing bad and turning away from good, until finally, their conscience gets so jaded that they can no longer perceive where good ends and bad begins. In their habitual weakness, they’ve decided it’s easier to be selfish, unkind, greedy and hateful, rather than to rise up and walk on the high road, striving to be a more kind and compassionate human being.

Most of us are taught the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, helpful and hurtful, from a very early age. We learn things like sharing, caring, giving and receiving as soon as we’re old enough to practice and retain these positive social skills. Unfortunately, we also learn other, more negative social skills, such as selfishness, cruelty, carelessness and envy in our early life experiences. Some people decide early on, that they will not be taken advantage of, stolen from, bullied or abused. And so, they draw back and self-isolate, going on the defensive whenever it becomes necessary to  interact with others. Some go on the offensive, rationalizing the need to strike first, before they are hurt – they must hurt others, before they are robbed – they must rob others. Personally, I decided long ago, that I would always try to treat others as I would like to be treated myself. Many times, I have fallen short of this ideal, but I can honestly report that my intentions were focused on good results and positive interactions, even if they were unintentionally paving the road to hell. As a self-actuated ‘Good Guy’, I sleep with a clear conscience and a full heart. I wake each morning with the willingness and ability to care for others. I am grateful to be a good person. If indeed, all the good people of the world are finishing last, then I don’t think it’s a race that I’d want to win.

There are those who see it as a weakness to be kind to others. I’d be willing to bet that many of those very same people are waiting day after day, year after year, for someone to teach them the true strength of kindness.       

This constant downward spiral to an eventual crash and burn, is unacceptable! The human race abounds with potential to heal and repair the Earth and ourselves. An about-face is necessary and appropriate. A U-turn to sanity, as it were. All of the greatest leaders in the history of humanity have pointed us in the direction of confidence, courageousness, compassion, and respect, while the vile and despicable despots have promoted fear, intolerance, hatred, and extermination. Have we grown so calloused as to embrace the most bestial qualities of human beings, while willfully turning our backs on those qualities which raise us out of loathsomeness and depravity? We have been stripping basic human dignities from each other for so long that we collectively feel inadequate and undeserving of basic human kindness. New technologies provide a distraction from healthy introspection, and so we rely on the latest gadgets and gizmos to entertain us, enthrall us, and keep us marching toward dehumanization, while moving us further and further away from our most powerful human potential. Whenever there is shared tragedy or disaster, we are all so impressed with the power of love and compassion to bring relief where there was previously only pain and suffering. Love expressed, is offered by humanity as its ultimate gift to a world in pain. Love alone, can turn this race around.

If you desire positive change in your life; If you are dissatisfied with the negative circumstances and situations you continually find yourself in, there is only one road you must travel that will bring lasting results – the road inward. Every guru, shaman, life coach, master, wizard, witch, or warlock is in agreement on this. To change your life for the better, it starts with inner change and progresses outward. Positive personal change effects the way you live, the way you die, and it is also directly correlated to your potential for having a positive impact on the world around you, before and after you die.

So, what does this say about our personal relationship to the world we are living in? It is clearly evident that positive personal change has a direct effect on the world around us. How are we supposed to change the world in positive ways, without letting the darkness and negativity overwhelm us? By insisting that positive personal change (growth) takes top priority in our lifelong journey. Many a tired soul objects to the amount of tenacity, persistence and courage it takes to raise the bar of one’s integrity to this level. It’s hard work! Too much to ask! I mean, it’s ridiculous to require weak and imperfect humans to remain positive, even during these exceedingly negative circumstances (times). It is my personal opinion that the dogma of religion is often used as a rug, under which a person can sweep all of their failed personal attempts at positive change. Being totally transparent and without fear of retribution from organized religion, I will make the following statement: If all of our personal energy is focused on where we go next, when we die to this world, then we are subsequently absolved of any responsibility for our personal behavior on the planet Earth, at this time in the history of the human race. If we are already saved, if our place is reserved in heaven (with or without a thousand virgins), then we can feel entirely comfortable settling for a weak performance from ourselves, here and now. No work, no sweat, no worries. We can point the finger of blame at all the others; the unsaved ones, causing all the pain and suffering in the here and now. And religion is only one of the ways we can “cop out” on our personal responsibility to change for the better (thus changing the world around us for the better). There are health issues, societal class assignments, parental misguidance, karma, cruel misfortune, and a slew of other arrows of injustice we contend with while trying to stay true to our personal responsibilities. The solution to this dilemma? Each one of us can raise the bar of our personal growth in the here and now, and that action will in turn raise the bar for everyone within the sphere of our individual influence. It changes our world exponentially. If you would like a world filled with peace, love, joy and abundance, seek more of these qualities in your own life and watch the very same qualities spread around you like a wildflower bloom. If you want to change the world in a positive way, live positively. Individual intentions have a global impact.

Miraculous personal change is achieved by planting mustard seeds of hope in the fertile valleys of your imagination. Personal dreams become our shared reality.